The document summarizes major events and accomplishments in space exploration from the 1950s to the present. It describes the early space race between the US and Soviet Union, including the first artificial satellite, first human in space, and US projects Mercury and Gemini. It then discusses the Apollo program that landed the first humans on the moon in 1969. Modern exploration topics covered include Voyager probes, the Space Shuttle, space stations, the Hubble Space Telescope, and Mars rover missions. Future exploration may involve renewed lunar studies and using the moon as a site for deep space missions.

1. Ch. 22 Notes SPACE EXPLORATION

2. EARLY SPACE MISSIONS: *Sputnik I – (1957) Soviet Union sent the 1 st artificial satellite into orbit for 3 months. *Yuri Gagarin – (1961) 1 st human in space. Marked beginning of the “Space Race” between Russia and U.S. *Space Race - (1961) U.S. enters the “Space Race” with Soviet Union to see who is first to the moon.

3. THE SPACE RACE: *PROJECT MERCURY – (early 1960’s) U.S. goal to reach the moon. Alan Shepard – (1961) 1 st U.S. citizen to pilot a craft to space and back. B) John Glenn – (1962) 1 st U.S. citizen to orbit Earth.

4. THE SPACE RACE (CONT.) *PROJECT GEMINI - (1960’s) Next step in the U.S. reaching the moon. Demonstrated a connection between two spacecrafts in orbit. Mercury mission – series of robotic probes sent to the moon. Ranger mission – proved that we could get a man to the moon. Surveyor mission – proved that man could land on the lunar surface. D) Lunar Orbiter mission – photographed possible landing sites on the lunar surface.

5. THE SPACE RACE (CONT.) *PROJECT APOLLO - series of U.S. unmanned and manned missions to the moon. Apollo 11 – (1969) Neil Armstrong was 1 st to set foot on the moon. B) Apollo 15, 16, & 17 – (1970’s) Use of a lunar roving vehicle to explore moon’s surface.

6. EXPLORATION PAST THE MOON: *VOYAGER SPACE PROBES – (1977) “Info- Gathering” crafts sent to explore space beyond moon’s orbit. A) Voyager I – Has reached the outer edges of our Solar System (into Kuiper Belt) and still transmitting. B) Voyager II – Is on its way past Neptune and Pluto (headed for Kuiper Belt) and still transmitting.

7. MODERN SPACE EXPLORATION: *SPACE SHUTTLE – (1980) Reusable craft that transports satellites, astronauts, and other materials to and from space. Launched via rockets and glides back to Earth. *SPACE STATION – Permanent outpost in orbit that provides living quarters and workspace for astronauts. A) Skylab – (1973) Used to study effects on humans in space. B) Mir – (1980’s) Used to study effects on humans living in space for long periods. Used with space shuttle.

8. MODERN SPACE EXPLORATION (CONT.) *HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE – (early 1990’s) sent into space to transmit info and photos back to Earth. *INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION – (1997) More than a dozen nations cooperated to send an outpost into orbit. Used with space shuttle to study docking missions and for lab experiments.

9. MODERN SPACE EXPLORATION (CONT.) *Mars Rover missions – (1990’s to present) NASA & independent companies have sent several crafts to study Mars’ atmosphere and surface. *Stellar Space Probes – (present) space probes are being sent to study other planets up close.

10. FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION *Lunar Studies – NASA is looking once again at the moon. A) Sees the moon as a possible docking and refueling site for deep space missions to Mars and beyond. B) May also be a site for a future space station or colonization by humans. C) May eventually be used as a stepping stone to travel outside our solar system.