This document summarizes the history of space exploration from early rocket development in China and Britain to key events of the 20th century Space Race. It describes how rockets work using thrust to expel gases and achieve orbital and escape velocities. The first space missions included the Soviet Union's Sputnik 2 mission in 1957 carrying Laika the dog, making her the first animal in Earth orbit. Major firsts in the US and Soviet space programs through the 1960s are outlined, culminating in the US Apollo 11 mission in 1969 that landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon.

1. Science Notes: Ch. 13; Exploring Space

2. History of Space Exploration
First rockets built in
China in 1100AD
British, 1800’s,
“Rockets red glare”;
War.
Modern rockets
began in early 1900’s.
Technology
“popped” during
WWII.

3. Rocket Function
Rockets work by expelling gasses to push them up; This is
Thrust.
Remember, velocity = speed w/ direction.
Orbital velocity; The velocity a rocket needs in order to reach
orbiting altitude around Earth. Rocket still affected by gravity
& inertia.
Escape velocity; The velocity a rocket needs to escape into
space = 40,200km/sec = 5mi/sec. Rocket escapes Earth’s
gravitational pull.

5. Multistage Rocket Active Art

6. Space probes...

7. More space probes...

8. First space mission:
Laika, Sputnik II, 1957; Earth Orbit.

9. More firsts in the Space Race
Explorer I; 1958; un-maned; NASA starts
1961; Vostok I; Soviet Yuri Gagarin first
astronaut.
1 month later; Freedom 7; Alan Shepard 1st
from U.S.A.
1962; Friendship 7; John Glen; first to orbit
Earth.
Apollo Missions; the U.S.A. program to land
a person on the Moon.
July, 1969; Apollo II spaceship; Neil
Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin transfer to “The
Eagle” and land on the Moon.

10. V

11. C
W

12. C

13. B
W

14. G

15. This is a Template!
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