SpaceCraft
&
The History of Rocketry

In the 20th century, we have begun to take our first cautious steps outside of Earth. We are learning to live in Space, which has been outside our reach for over a million years. We have gone in orbit hundreds of mile above Earth, walked outside of our Spacecraft, gone to the moon, and even sent probes to 8 planets and outside the solar system. We have gone to the Moon and kept people in orbiting Space stations for over a year. In just this past century, we have come from early experiments with rockets to making Space travel almost an everyday occurrence.

The exploration of Space has brought together humanity unlike anything in history. It has spawned unparalleled international cooperation, in large projects like building the International Space Station. It also helped ease tensions during and after the cold war. In the Apollo-Souyez Test project during the height of the cold war, an American Apollo and a Soviet Souyez Spacecraft docked together in peace. From that point on, the "Space Race" was over, and all of humanity set out to explore Space peacefully as one.

Next century, we will begin to colonize Space and establish permanent cities there. But this century will always be remembered as the time we began to explore where humans are destined to live, Space. To mark the magnificent achievements we have made, this section was produced. The following Spacecraft will be covered:

	Mercury: After World War II, America took apart some German V-2 rockets and soon constructed their own. They made larger and more powerful rockets, capable of launching a small Spacecraft into orbit. To some of these they attached Mercury capsules, which were early Spaceships that flew in a Sub-Orbital flight path.
	Gemini: These craft were larger than mercury capsules, lifted by more powerful rockets, and carried two people instead of one. These craft were greatly from their predecessors. They were greatly simplified, more reliable, and capable of orbiting Earth.
	Apollo: Kennedy set the goal for America's Space program to land a man on the moon by the end of the 1960's. After years of tests on the Apollo Spacecraft and several probes on the moon, Apollo 11's lander, Eagle, touched down at Tranquillity Base. There, Neil Armstrong stepped off the ladder and took the first step on the moon, taking "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
	Skylab: America had gone to Space, landed on the moon, and even walked outside their ships. However, they could not stay in Space long enough to do experiments or live for extended periods of time. Skylab changed this by providing the astronauts with a living environment in Space, and became the first American Space station.
	The Space Shuttle: Although the American Space program had been doing good, launching satellites and Spacecraft into orbit was still done expensively and wastefully with expendable rockets. The Space shuttle is America's first reusable Space vehicle and it allows things to be relatively cheaply be sent into Space. It can carry several objects into orbit, along with a relatively large group capable of performing various experiments.
	The International Space Station: "It's about life on Earth." To be completed in 2002, this 100 billion dollar orbital Space station will be the largest international project ever accomplished. It has already started, and this year we will launch the first modules. In 1998, it will be partially functional, with all the needed components needed to sustain three people.

Back to Top

Mission Control
Site Map
Bibliography