-Dreams of Space -What is space? -The race for space -Space travellers -Man on the Moon -How to be an astronaut -Astronaut fashion -Astronauts at work -Testing Equipment -Lonely Explorers -In-depth Investigators -Landers and Discoverers -Looking into Space
Dreams of Space
Humans have always looked into the sky and wondered about what lies beyond the Earth. For many, their curiosity stops there. Others dream of journeying into space, exploring the Moon, landing on Mars, or travelling to distant Stars. The dream of space travel and exploration turned to reality in the 20th century. The first practical steps were at the start of the century, as rockets were developed to escape the gravity shield of home-planet Earth. In 1961, the first person, Yuri Gagarin, reached space. By the end of the century, thousands of Spacecrafts and hundreds of space travelers had been launched into space. For many, the dream continues. A new generation of space travelers ants to go further, stay longer, and learn more about Space.
What is space?
Surrounding Earth is a blanket of air, its Atmosphere. It both provides the oxygen we need to stay alive, and protects us from heat of the Sun in the day, and from the cold, sunless night. Away from Earth's surface, the air this and its composition and temperature change. It becomes increasingly difficult for a person to survive. The changes continue as the altitude increases and space approaches. The transition from Earth's atmosphere to space is gradual; there is no obvious barrier to cross. Above say 1'000 km (621 miles) from Earth is Space, but many conditions associated with space are experienced within a few hundred kilometers of Earth, where satellites and astronauts work.
The race for space
Two nations dominated one of the most intense and successful periods of space exploration. For around 15 years, centered on the 1960s, America and the Soviet Union raced against each other to achieve success in space. Each wanted to make notable firsts; to be the first to put a satellite, and then a man, into space; to have the first astronaut in orbit and the first woman space traveler; to make the first spacewalk outside a craft; and to be the first on the moon. The race got underway when the Soviets launched Sputnik 1, proving their space capability to the surprised Americans. From then on, each leapt forward in turn as new space achievements were made one after another.
Space travellers
Around 350 people and countless other living
creatures have traveled from Earth into Space. All but 26 of them, man who went to the
moon, have spent their time in space in a craft orbiting earth. Competition to travel into
space is keen.
When a
call for potential European astronauts was made in the early 1990s, 20'000 people applied,
six of whom were chosen for training. Astronauts are men and women with an outstanding
ability in a scientific discipline, who are both mentally and physically fit. Originally,
animals went into space to test conditions prior to the first human flight. Now, along
with insects and birds, they accompany astronauts, and are used for scientific research.
Also tests, how animals behave in zero gravity, were carried out. One of them was done on
April 1984, when a comb of honeybees traveled aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Like
most travelers into space, the bees found weightlessness confusing to start with. But once
they had found their "Space Wings", they built their hive as successfully as
they do on Earth. Also, spiders' attempts to build a web were recorded, but more info if
you click on the spider Arabella.
Man on the Moon
The Moon is the only World that Humans have landed on outside their
own. For centuries, Earth's companion in space has aroused and, as Earth's nearest
neighbour, it was the most likely target for manned space travel. Between 1969 and 1972 Neil Armstrong as the first Astronaut, and subsequently eleven other
American Astronauts touched down on the Moon. They traveled there in six separate Apollo
missions and spent just over 300 hours on the Moon's surface - 80 hours of that outside
the landing craft. They collected rock samples, took photographs and set up experiments to
monitor the Moon's activity and environment. The Apollo missions were followed worldwide.
How to be an astronaut
Men and Women are chosen from around the world to train travelling in space. They are launched aboard either the American shuttle, where English is the main language, or the Sujuz rocket, where Russian is spoken. The preparations of the two space crews are similar and involve classroom and practical training, including work in mock-ups of orbiter, Space lab, and Mir and in simulators such as the harness, the "Five degrees of Freedom" machine, the moon-walker, and the multi-axis wheel, examples of which are found in the Euro Space Center in Transinne and Belgium. Astronauts can be selected for training every two years. They have a year's basic training, followed by training related to an astronaut's role in space, such as a pilot or mission specialist, who performs extra vehicular activity (EVA). Only then do the successful astronauts get assigned to a flight.
Astronaut fashion
A spacesuit is like a protective, portable tent that an
astronaut wears to shield him in space. The first suits ere designed for astronauts who
were simply flying through space without leaving their craft. The suit they were launched
in stayed on during eating, sleeping, going to the toilet, and the return journey. Next
came the suit for space itself. This provided the astronaut with a life support system and
protection against temperature extremes and space dust. Before going outside, the suit is
pressurized to guard against the Vacuum of space. Today's
astronauts wear suits for launch, work outside, and return. Inside, they wear casual,
Earthly clothes.
Click to enlarge
Astronauts at work
A working day for an Astronaut could be spent inside or outside his spacecraft. Inside, routine monitoring and maintenance on the craft is carried out alongside scientific testing and experimentation. This can include investigation of the effects of space travel on the human body, testing of new products for use in space, and research into food production, which will benefit future space generations. Commercial organizations send experiments into space to be performed in weightlessness. Work outside a craft is called, as you were able to read before, extra vehicular activity (EVA). An astronaut will either be tethered to his craft or wear a manned maneuvering unit-a powered backpack. He might be deploying satellites, setting up experiments, or building space stations.
Testing Equipment
Any equipment undergoes heave and lengthy tests before the launch into space. Prototypes of each element of a space probe or satellite are individually built and thoroughly tested before moving on to produce the actual flight parts. About a year before launch the parts are brought together for assembly. The whole craft is then put through another series of tests to ensure it is fully spaceworthy. The tests are therefore carried out in conditions as close as possible to those encountered in space.
Lonely Explorers
About the size of family cars, robotic spacecrafts are launched from Earth by rocket or space shuttle to travel to a predetermined target. They carry scientific equipments for investigations, a power supply, small rockets for path adjustment, and instruments for recording and sending data back to Earth. Some carry a second, smaller, for release into the atmosphere or touchdown on a planet. All solar system's planets except Pluto have been investigated, as well as many of the moons, two comets, two asteroids and the Sun.
In-depth Investigators
A space probe, also called satellite, carries around 10 - 20 highly sensitive scientific instruments. These instruments of investigations record, monitor, and carry out experiments for Earth-based scientists. Astronomers and space scientists can now build up a picture of the objects in space. The instruments are arguably the most important part of a space probe. They, however, rely on the main structure to transport, protect, and power them. Often these instruments have to work in unknown conditions and investigate objects previously viewed only from Earth. It may take years before the instruments start to work and the results come in.
Landers and Discoverers
Space probes are our eyes in space and much more besides. Since they gave us the first detailed look at our Moon, they have made hundreds of thousands of images for us. They have shown us Mercury's cratered terrain, the red deserts of Mars and the mountains and plains beneath the Venusian clouds. They have tested thick, hostile atmospheres, returned Moon rock to Earth and searched Martian dust for signs of life. Probes followed pre-programmed instructions to investigate distant space objects for Earth scientists. They make discoveries that are expected, but also some that are not. Much of our knowledge about the Solar System in the second half of the 20th century came from using probes and the success of these probes. Future missions are guaranteed.
Looking into Space
Scientific satellites are used by astronomers to look away from the Earth and into space. They are telescopes that collect and record data in much the same way that telescopes do on Earth. But from their vantage point, they can study the Universe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Space telescopes operate in a range of wavelengths. Much of the information they collect, such as that at X-ray wavelengths, would be stopped from reaching ground-based instruments by Earth’s atmosphere. Data collected by telescopes working in optical, X-ray, infrared, ultraviolet, microwave, and other wavelengths are combined to make a more complete view of space. This data is collected, stored, and sent to a ground station, where it is decoded by computers. Astronomers all over the world have been looking at the universe in this way for about 30 years.