Spacecraft

1. Spacecraft

2. Exploring Space • Astronauts take everything necessary for survival with them, including air, water, and food • Spacecraft need powerful rockets and huge fuel tanks to lift all their weight upward against Earth’s gravity • The equipment must be well designed and maintained, since any breakdown can be deadly

3. Space Stations • Space Station – a satellite in which people can live and work for long periods • The United States, Russia, and 15 other nations are working together to build the International Space Station (ISS)

4. Space Stations • The ISS is too large to launch into space in one piece – instead, sections of the space station are being launched separately and assembled in orbit over a period of years • In addition to constructing the station, crew members make observations of Earth and perform experiments

5. Spacecraft • Currently, we cannot send humans to other planets – such a trip would take years • Another obstacle is the harsh conditions on other planets, such as extreme heat and cold – some planets do not even have surfaces to land on

6. Spacecraft • Most research in space is accomplished through the use of spacecraft without crews aboard – these missions pose no risk to human life and are less expensive than missions involving astronauts

7. Spacecraft • The spacecraft carry instruments that test the compositions and characteristics of planets – data and images are sent back to Earth as radio signals • Onboard computers and radio signals from Earth guide the spacecraft

8. Flybys • The first stage in space exploration • A flyby is a spacecraft that is sent out to pass one or more planets or other bodies in space without orbiting them • Because the spacecraft flies by planets quickly, it can collect data and images from a particular planet only for a brief period

9. Orbiters • The second stage in space exploration • Orbiters are spacecraft designed to study a planet over a long period of time • An orbiter can keep track of changes that occur over time, such as changes in weather and volcanic activity

10. Orbiters • Orbiters allow astronomers to create detailed maps of planets • Most orbiters have cameras to photograph planet surfaces – they may also carry other instruments, such as a device for determining the altitudes of surface features or one for measuring temperatures in different regions

11. Landers and Probes • The third stage in space exploration • Landing instruments on a planet or to sent instruments through its atmosphere can tell us more about the features and properties of a planet and can provide clues to what the planet was like in the past

12. Landers and Probes • Lander – a craft designed to land on a planet’s surface • In addition to providing close-up views of a planet’s surface, a lander can measure properties of the planet’s atmosphere and surface • A lander may have a mechanical arm for gathering soil and rock samples – it may also contain a small vehicle called a rover, which can explore beyond the landing site

13. Landers and Probes • Probe– a spacecraft that drops into a planet’s atmosphere • As the probe travels through the atmosphere, its instruments identify gases and measure properties such as pressure and temperature