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Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration
Space Exploration
For Years 3-5
This Pack contains:
4 ARTICLES
1 IMAGE
2 VIDEOS
© 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Moon Although the Moon may seem small and insignificant compared to the rest of the universe, its size and location make it very important to Earth. Other than the Sun it is the most visible body in the sky. Because of this, humans have been fascinated by the Moon since ancient times. It has been studied both from Earth and from space. In fact, more than 70 spacecraft have been sent on missions to the Moon. In addition, the Moon is the only place outside Earth that has been visited by humans. A view of the near side of the Moon shows some of its many craters. Photo NASA/JPL/Caltech (NASA photo # PIA00405) The Moon is the most prominent feature in the night sky. © Dmytro Pylypenko/Dreamstime.com The average distance of the Moon from Earth is about 384,400 kilometres (238,900 miles). This may seem like a great distance. However, compared to the distance of Earth from other planets, the Moon is actually quite close. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Physical Features The Sun is the closest star to Earth, but it is still very far away. The distance from Earth to the… Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Patrick O'Neill Riley The Moon is slightly more than a quarter of the size of Earth. It is made of solid rock. The surface is covered with a layer of dust consisting of fine-grained rock fragments. The Moon’s landscape features include craters, mountain peaks, deep narrow valleys and plains, which are sometimes called maria. Highlands When looking at the Moon from Earth, some areas appear light-coloured and other areas appear dark-coloured. The light areas of the Moon are the highlands. These highlands are covered with thousands of craters, some of them overlapping one another. Astronomers are not sure about their origin, though many believe that they are the result of meteorites hitting the Moon’s surface. The highlands also contain mountain ranges. These mountains were given such names as the Alps, Pyrenees and Carpathians, after mountain ranges on Earth. Plains The dark areas on the Moon are large plains, or maria. The word maria comes from the Latin word mare, which means ‘sea’. It is believed that these plains are craters that were filled with lava billions of years ago. The plains on the Moon have names such as Mare Imbrium (‘Sea of Showers’) and Mare Nectaris (‘Sea of Nectar’). Mare Imbrium is the largest plain. It is about 1,120 kilometres (700 miles) in diameter. Temperature The Moon’s temperature varies greatly depending on whether it is facing the Sun. When the surface faces the Sun during the Moon’s day, the average temperature is about 107°C (225°F). At night on the Moon, when the Sun’s rays do not reach the Moon’s surface, the temperature cools to about -153°C (-243°F). Orbit and Spin Like the planets, the Moon has two types of movement, known as orbit and spin. The orbit is the path that the Moon travels around Earth. It takes the Moon about 27 days to make one orbit of Earth. The Moon also spins on its axis. The axis is an imaginary line that passes through its poles. It takes the Moon about the same amount of time to make one complete revolution on its axis as it takes it to orbit Earth. For this reason, the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 3 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Phases of the Moon The same side of the Moon always faces Earth. This side is called the Moon's nearside. As the Moon… Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; source: U.S. Naval Observatory The diagram shows the position of the Moon at each of its phases. The enlarged pictures of each… Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Photos Yerkes Observatory, University of Chicago When viewed from Earth, the Moon appears to go through different phases. Sometimes it looks like a full circle while other times it appears as only a thin crescent. This is because the Moon reflects the light from the Sun. As the Moon travels around Earth in its orbit different parts of the Moon are exposed to the Sun’s light. When the Moon is on the other side of Earth from the Sun, the Sun is shining directly on the Moon, and the Moon looks full. However, when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth, the Moon looks dark since the Sun is behind the Moon. In each cycle of the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the Moon displays four main phases: new (when the side of the Moon that faces Earth is dark), first quarter, full and last quarter. It takes the Moon about 29 days to complete this cycle. Eclipses Sometimes the position of the Moon in relation to the Sun and Earth results in an eclipse. In astronomy, an eclipse occurs when one body is either completely or partially hidden from view by another body. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 4 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration During a lunar eclipse the moon, revolving in its orbit around Earth, passes through the shadow of… Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. When Earth comes between the Moon and the Sun, it prevents the Sun’s rays from reaching the Moon. The Moon is then in the shadow of Earth and is hidden from view. This is known as a lunar eclipse. During an eclipse of the sun, the shadow of the moon sweeps over the surface of Earth. In the darkly … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Another kind of eclipse occurs when the Sun is temporarily hidden from view on Earth. This happens when the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth. This is a solar eclipse. How the Moon was Formed Many astronomers think that a large body, perhaps the size of the planet Mars, struck Earth early in the history of the solar system. As a result, a cloud of fragments was thrown out around Earth. These fragments later combined to form the Moon. Observation and Exploration Because the Moon is the brightest object in Earth’s night sky, it has been observed by people since ancient times. In the 1600s the invention of the telescope allowed the Italian scientist Galileo and others to study the Moon more closely. In the same century Isaac Newton discovered a force called gravity. He also figured out that the pull of gravity from the Moon affects the level of the seas, causing tides to occur. For the following 300 years scientists continued to study the Moon from Earth. In 1957, the space age began when the Soviet Union launched an artificial satellite called Sputnik. This gave scientists greater freedom to study bodies in outer space. Throughout the early 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union launched many spacecraft that flew by, crashed into or orbited the Moon. These missions provided close-up photographs of the Moon. In 1966 the Soviet craft Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to land on the Moon. This important mission provided photographs of the lunar soil. From 1966 to 1968, the United States and the Soviet Union continued sending unmanned craft to orbit or land on the Moon. These missions paved the way for the historic landing of Apollo 11 on the Moon. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 5 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration On 20 July 1969, US astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr, of the Apollo 11 mission, were the first men to walk on the Moon. There they set up experiments and took photographs. Armstrong and Aldrin returned to Earth with about 22 kilograms (48 pounds) of rock and soil samples that they had collected. From 1969 to 1972, the United States landed five more crews on the Moon. The Soviet Union placed vehicles operated by robots on the lunar surface until 1976. From 1977 until 1990, no missions to the Moon occurred as the United States and the Soviet Union studied other parts of the solar system. In 1990, the Japanese Space Agency launched a satellite that was put into orbit around the Moon. The next major US mission was the Lunar Prospector, which was launched in 1998. It was a small, unmanned spacecraft that orbited the Moon and mapped its surface. After a year, the craft was deliberately crashed into the Moon to look for evidence of water. It did not find any water. Citation (MLA style): "Moon." Britannica LaunchPacks: Space Exploration, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2021. packs-ngl.eb.com. au. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. rocket Flying devices called rockets come in many sizes, from simple fireworks to the engines that are used to launch missiles, satellites and spacecraft. The vehicles driven by rockets are often called rockets themselves. Rocket fuel can be liquid or solid. When the fuel burns, it gives off gas that pushes the rocket… Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 6 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration How Rockets Work Like jet aeroplanes, rockets are jet-propelled. All jet-propelled vehicles rely on a chemical reaction called combustion to provide the force to move them through the air. A fuel onboard the craft is mixed with oxygen. The combustion occurs when that mixture is ignited, or set on fire. The fuel burns in a chamber with an open end. As the fuel burns it lets off hot gas, which shoots out the opening. The force of the gas moving backwards pushes the vehicle forward. Jet aeroplanes rely on oxygen from the air, but rockets carry both the fuel and their own oxygen supply. This makes rockets valuable in outer space, where there is no oxygen. Rocket fuel can be liquid or solid. The space shuttle used both types of fuel in its five main rocket engines. Its two solid-fuel booster rockets launched the shuttle into space. Once in space, the shuttle’s three liquid-fuel rocket engines allowed it to move in and out of orbit. History Rockets in China Rockets may have been first used in 13th-century China. The Chinese had probably used gunpowder for about a thousand years before that time. They made rockets by filling bamboo cases with gunpowder. When they lit the gunpowder, it exploded. The gas from the explosion sent the rocket into the air. The Chinese used rockets during religious ceremonies. The noise of the rockets was believed to frighten off evil spirits. The Chinese also used rockets as weapons. They shot rockets at Mongol invaders, who called the rockets ‘fire arrows’. Rockets as Weapons The use of rockets as weapons soon spread from China to Europe. The development of guns, however, slowed the development of better rockets until the 18th century. At that time a prince in India started to use metal cases for rockets. The metal cases made them more stable and effective. Rocket technology continued to improve. It spread throughout Europe and to North America. Rockets were used as weapons in many 19th- and 20th-century wars, especially World War II. Rockets in Space Travel In the late 19th century a Russian scientist named Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky proposed the idea that rockets could be used to travel into space. Tsiolkovsky was influenced by the stories of space travel by the French writer Jules Verne. Tsiolkovsky knew that enormous power would be needed to carry human beings beyond Earth’s pull of gravity. He did not actually build rockets, but his theories about rockets remain in use today. Robert H. Goddard, a US engineer, built the first liquid-fuel rocket in 1925. The Soviet Union launched the first rocket into space. The spacecraft, called Sputnik 1, entered space in October 1957. Rockets carried dogs and monkeys into space until humans felt ready to make a space trip themselves. By 1969 rockets had carried men to the moon. Since then rockets have been used to launch thousands of other spacecraft. (See alsospace exploration.) Citation (MLA style): © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 7 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration "Rocket." Britannica LaunchPacks: Space Exploration, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2021. packs-ngl.eb.com. au. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. space exploration Space exploration includes voyages by any type of craft outside the atmosphere of the Earth. More than 5,000 spacecraft have been launched since 1957, when the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1 ushered in the space age. These craft include manned spacecraft, space probes and satellites. The first US space shuttle lifted off on 12 April 1981 from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in… NASA © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 8 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Astronauts Astronauts (called cosmonauts in Russia) must travel in tightly sealed compartments and bring their own supply of oxygen with them. Heavy space suits are necessary for activity outside the spacecraft. Travelling outside the Earth’s protective atmosphere, astronauts must also be shielded against harmful radiation. The lack of gravity in space can be a big problem on long voyages. Without gravity to work against, human hearts and bones weaken. Space travel can affect people’s minds as well. Astronauts may feel cooped up. They may also get on each other’ s nerves if they are together for too long. The first astronauts came from the ranks of military pilots. In the 1960s scientists started to be recruited for duty as mission specialists. Still later, citizen-astronauts such as the schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe were chosen to serve on US space shuttles. Eventually astronauts of many nations served together in cooperative missions. Astronauts prepare for space travel by going through a thorough training programme. They study maths and science in classrooms. They learn to operate their spacecraft by using computer-controlled simulators. These devices present astronauts in training with conditions that they will later experience during actual flight. Astronauts get used to a lack of gravity by bouncing around in fast-diving aeroplanes. They also improve their physical fitness in the gymnasium. Before the Space Age People have imagined spaceflight since ancient times. As early as AD 160 a Greek writer named Lucian of Samosata described a voyage to the moon. Many centuries later, during the Renaissance, advances in science made people more interested in space. In the 17th century the invention of the telescope and the work of Johannes Kepler in Germany and Isaac Newton in England provided new knowledge of the solar system. Kepler was an author of science fiction as well as an astronomer. His Sleep, a tale of a trip to the moon, was published in 1634, after his death. The French writer Jules Verne imagined that a spacecraft could be shot from a huge gun in his famous novel From the Earth to the Moon (1865). The first forms of flight developed by humans were balloons. Balloons are useless for space travel, however, because there is little or no air in space. The lack of air makes ordinary aeroplanes useless in space as well because their engines use oxygen in the air to burn fuel. A rocket, however, carries its own oxygen supply as well as fuel. In March 1926 Robert H. Goddard of the United States launched the first liquid-fuelled rocket. Goddard is known today as the father of modern rocketry. But many years passed before rockets could travel fast enough to overcome the Earth’s gravity, which requires a speed of more than 40,000 kilometres (25,000 miles) per hour. By the end of World War II (1939–45) German scientists had developed advanced rockets for use as weapons. The Race into Space On 4 October 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to be put into orbit around the Earth. The space age was underway – and so was the ‘space race’ between the Russian and US space programmes. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took charge of the US effort. On 3 November 1957 the Soviet Union sent a dog named Laika into orbit aboard the satellite Sputnik 2. According to Russian reports, Laika lived for a week aboard her spacecraft before she died. These reports encouraged scientists and government leaders who wanted to put humans in space. On 12 April 1961 Yuri © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 9 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Gagarin became the first human to circle the Earth in space. He completed one orbit and returned safely. Gagarin was the first of the Russian cosmonauts. In 1963 cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space, aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6. The United States was close behind the Soviet Union in space technology. The first US satellite, Explorer 1, was launched on 31 January 1958. It studied radiation belts that circle the Earth. The US programme to put a human in space was called Project Mercury. On 5 May 1961 Mercury astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., became the first American to enter space. Shepard flew for only 15 minutes and did not complete an orbit around the Earth. The first American in orbit was John H. Glenn, Jr. On 20 February 1962 he completed three orbits around the Earth. The Gemini space programme was conducted between 1964 and 1967. The information learned during these … NASA Only one astronaut at a time could fly in a Mercury space capsule. But the next stage in the US space programme was Project Gemini, which featured two-person flights. (Gemini means ‘twins’ in the Latin language.) Gemini astronauts, who flew between 1964 and 1967, had greater control over their spacecraft and practised docking manoeuvers. Project Apollo followed Project Gemini. An Apollo spacecraft had space for three astronauts. Tragedy struck the programme in January 1967, when a fire broke out as the equipment was being tested on the ground. Three astronauts died, but the programme continued. On the afternoon of 20 July 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first human being to walk on the moon.… NASA An ancient dream came true on 20 July 1969, when two of the Apollo 11 astronauts reached the surface of the moon. They touched down in a landing craft called the lunar module. The craft that brought them from Earth did © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 10 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration not land, instead staying in orbit around the moon. As Neil Armstrong took the historic first step, he announced, ‘That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind’. Five other missions landed on the moon between 1969 and 1972. Space Stations Space exploration entered a new era with the creation of space stations. These are spacecraft that move in a fixed orbit, with compartments where people can live for months at a time. On a space station, a scientist has more time to do experiments and to do things that can only be done in near-zero gravity. Early space station programmes included Salyut, launched by the Soviet Union starting in 1971, and Skylab, launched by the United States in 1973. These stations were short-lived. The Soviet station Mir was launched in 1986 and stayed in orbit much longer. In the 1990s the United States and 15 other countries agreed to build and operate a large space station together. The new project was called the International Space Station (ISS). Assembly of the ISS began in 1998. The first crew took up residence in the station in November 2000. (See alsospace station.) Space Shuttles This video shows a take-off and landing of a US space shuttle. The shuttle's main components are a… NASA In 1981 the United States launched the first reusable spacecraft – the space shuttle. It was designed to launch space probes and to carry people and equipment to space stations. The main section has wings and is called the orbiter. Attached to the orbiter are rockets, fuel tanks and oxygen tanks that boost the craft through the thickest part of the atmosphere. When their fuel is used up the boosters fall into the ocean, where they can be recovered. At the end of a mission, the orbiter returns to Earth and lands like an aeroplane. Shuttle trips begin at the John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Missions are controlled from the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas. The space shuttle lands either at the Kennedy Space Center or at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The first 24 shuttle missions operated successfully. Astronauts carried out experiments, gathered data and returned safely to Earth. On the mission launched 18 June 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 11 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Disaster struck the shuttle programme on the 25th mission, however. On 28 January 1986 the shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after lift-off. All seven crew members were killed, including schoolteacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe. NASA stopped the shuttle programme to study the cause of the explosion. The United States returned to space in September 1988 with the launching of the shuttle Discovery. In 1990 Discovery put the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit around the Earth (seetelescope). By the beginning of the 21st century the United States had launched more than 100 successful shuttle missions. Debris from the US space shuttle Columbia streaks across the sky over Tyler, Texas. The shuttle… Dr. Scott Lieberman—AP Photo/Tyler Morning Telegraph The shuttle programme experienced another disaster on 1 February 2003, when the shuttle Columbia broke apart as it was returning to Earth. The seven crew members onboard, including the first Israeli astronaut, were all killed. The shuttle programme did not resume until 2005. NASA ended the space shuttle programme in 2011. The 135th, and last, space shuttle flight was launched on 8 July. Later missions to space were expected to use Russian spacecraft as well as spacecraft built by US companies. Space Probes Space vehicles that carry humans must carry life-support equipment. They must also return to Earth after every trip. By contrast, unmanned probes can devote more space to scientific equipment. They can also make one-way voyages into deep space. Probes are controlled from Earth by radio and send back their findings the same way. One disadvantage of probes is that without astronauts, they have less flexibility to respond to problems or opportunities that develop during a flight. The Pioneer series of deep-space probes were launched from the late 1950s through the 1970s. Most were directed at the planets, but Pioneer 6 sent back data about the sun. In 1976 two unmanned spacecraft called Vikings 1 and 2 made soft landings on Mars. They sent back famous pictures of the planet’s rock-strewn surface. Two Voyager probes were launched in 1977 to collect data about the distant planets of the solar system. In the years that followed the Voyagers flew past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, beaming back valuable data on the planets’ atmospheres, moons and ring systems. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 12 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Two robots were sent to the planet Mars in 2003. An artist's computer drawing provides an idea of… NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center The United States launched the Mars Pathfinder in December 1996. It landed on Mars on 4 July 1997. Pathfinder then released a six-wheeled robot called Sojourner. Sojourner collected data that may help to answer the question of whether life has ever existed on Mars. The United States sent two more robots to Mars in 2003. They landed in late 2003 and early 2004 on opposite sides of the planet. The robots – called Spirit and Opportunity – took photographs and performed experiments on the planet’s soil and rocks. Benefits from Space Exploration Space exploration has offered benefits beyond the knowledge gained about the planets and other bodies. Research for space travel has produced many new products and techniques, especially in medicine. For example, spacecraft needed electronic components that were smaller and more durable than any that had existed. After engineers developed these components for the space programme, they used them in other ways. They designed hearing aids small enough to fit entirely within an ear and cameras small enough to take pictures inside a person’s stomach. The space programme has also led to lighter, more fire-resistant uniforms for firefighters, more accurate watches, better cushions for athletic shoes and stronger fibreglass for storage tanks. Citation (MLA style): "Space exploration." Britannica LaunchPacks: Space Exploration, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2021. packs- ngl.eb.com.au. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. space station A space station is a spacecraft in a fixed orbit around the Earth. Astronauts can live on a space station for days or months at a time while they gather scientific data and perform experiments. Salyut Series © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 13 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration Salyut Series The first space station was Salyut 1, which was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1971. The Soviets wanted the craft to stay in orbit permanently. However, it fell back to Earth after only about six months. The Soviet Union launched six more Salyut space stations. The last of these, Salyut 7, was in operation from 1982 to 1986. Twenty-two people lived on the station at various times. Some stayed aboard for periods of more than 200 days in an environment of very little gravity, or microgravity. Microgravity weakens human muscles and bones. Skylab The Skylab space station was launched on 14 May 1973. Three separate crews of three men were sent up … NASA The first US space station was Skylab, which was launched on 14 May 1973. Skylab circled the Earth once every 93 minutes at an altitude of 435 kilometres (270 miles). Three separate three-person crews spent a total of 171 days there in 1973 and 1974. The Skylab astronauts performed experiments in geography, engineering, earth resources and other scientific areas. They gathered information about the sun and studied the comet Kohoutek. Some of the experiments were done at the request of school students. In July 1979 Skylab re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and broke apart. Pieces of it landed in the Indian Ocean and in south-western Australia. Mir On 20 February 1986 the Soviets launched a new space station called Mir. The name means both ‘peace’ and ‘world’ in the Russian language. The central portion of Mir was 13 metres (43 feet) long and 4.2 metres (13.8 feet) across. It included six ports into which other craft could dock. While Mir was in orbit, the Soviets added more living space for astronauts, more space for laboratories and better ports. The first two crew members arrived on Mir in March 1986. More than 100 people, representing 12 countries, lived on Mir at various times. Between January 1994 and March 1995 a Russian physician set an endurance record of 438 continuous days in space. Designed to last only five years, the aging Mir had a series of equipment failures and accidents in 1996–97 but remained in service. It finally dropped into the Pacific Ocean on 23 March 2001. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 14 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) was built in sections beginning in 1998. By December 2000 the… National Aeronautics and Space Administration On 20 November 1998 the first part of a new space station was launched. Known as the International Space Station (ISS), it was designed, built and operated by a group of 16 countries – the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, Brazil and 11 European nations. The first part of the ISS was named Zarya, which means ‘sunrise’ in the Russian language. Over the following years many other components were added to Zarya. Many of these components were delivered to the ISS by the space shuttle, a reusable spacecraft developed by the United States. When completed, the ISS will be 88 metres (290 feet) long and 109 metres (356 feet) across. It will include about as much space inside as the passenger area in a large jet. Crews of three people typically stay on the ISS for periods of three to six months. They have electrical power provided by huge solar panels. However, they must bring or produce all of the air, water and food that they need to survive. The air is carefully filtered to clean it. Water is recycled from the water vapour that crew members breathe out. A return vehicle is available if an emergency requires the ISS crew to leave immediately. The ISS includes two small cabins for sleeping. Because the sun rises every 45 minutes, people onboard usually wear sleeping masks. Because there is very little gravity, astronauts need to tie themselves to something so they do not float through the air as they sleep. While on the ISS, crew members do not need to wear space suits. However, their clothes include velcro strips on which they can attach trays or pockets. Instead of shoes, they often wear slipper socks. When working outside the craft, they wear space suits that have nine layers of protection. ISS crews gather data and carry out experiments. Many of these explore the effects of microgravity on humans, animals, plants and materials. Other operations take advantage of microgravity to grow protein crystals. Research using these crystals might lead to more effective treatments for cancer, diabetes and other conditions. Other experiments conducted by ISS researchers might also result in more accurate clocks, more useful weather predictions and stronger metals. (See alsospace exploration.) Citation (MLA style): "Space station." Britannica LaunchPacks: Space Exploration, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2021. packs-ngl. eb.com.au. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 15 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Mars Exploration Rover Two robots were sent to the planet Mars in 2003. An artist's computer drawing provides an idea of what the robot Opportunity might look like on the planet. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Citation (MLA style): Mars Exploration Rover. Image. Britannica LaunchPacks: Space Exploration, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2021. packs-ngl.eb.com.au. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 16 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration space exploration: Apollo 11 Video Transcript . . . good, going over the hill. OK, engine stop? Copy down, Eagle. Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The "Eagle" has landed. Roger, Tranq . . . OK, I'm going to step off the LM now. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. On the afternoon of July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to walk on the moon. The historic event happened during the Apollo 11 space mission. A camera aboard the landing craft took pictures of the landing and Armstrong's first steps. In the audio can be heard one of the most famous misstatements in history: Armstrong had planned to say “That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” but forgot the “a” in the excitement of the moment. Fellow crew member Edwin Aldrin joined Armstrong on the moon a few minutes later. NASA Citation (MLA style): Space exploration: Apollo 11. Video. Britannica LaunchPacks: Space Exploration, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2021. packs-ngl.eb.com.au. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 17 of 18
Britannica LaunchPacks | Space Exploration space exploration Video Transcript In space travel the effects of gravity are not felt as they are on Earth. Anything that is not strapped in or tied down will float around a spacecraft, including the astronauts. Those who live on the International Space Station have many ways of dealing with weightlessness. They have to learn how to move through the craft, and they sleep in bags that are mounted on the wall. They also spend a lot of time exercising to keep their blood flowing evenly and to keep their bones strong. Astronauts have to adapt to weightlessness. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Citation (MLA style): Space exploration. Video. Britannica LaunchPacks: Space Exploration, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2021. packs-ngl.eb.com.au. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. © 2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 18 of 18
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