SPACE Exploration
GIFTED UNIT
Uses problem solving, research, and experimentation to study space travel and solar system
curriculum not included in their regular classrooms while also developing broad-based
concepts of exploration in areas other than space.
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Week 1 |
Essential Question: Why has space exploration been so important to the success of the human race? In what patterns do the stars and planets align in the night sky? S5CS8. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry. Overview of Space Exploration Observing the Universe Tools of the Trade: Telescopes and binoculars, observatories and planetariums, probes, satellites, space laboratories and manned space missions The Sun The Stars Asteroids and Comets The Planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto The Moons Astronauts Space Stations Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Introduction to Space Exploration Opening the Unit: Observing the Universe Early Ideas About Space- The Questioners The Solar System The Milky Way Activities in Class: TSW in groups will complete research and create powerpoints on famous astronomers and their contributions. Claudius Ptolemy Tycho Brahe Nicolaus Copernicus Johannes Kepler Galileo Galilei William Herschel Sir Isaac Newton Christian Huygens Edwin Hubble Powerpoint on the Galaxy and the Solar System http://science.pppst.com/space/constellations.html Online Activities: Space Flight Simulation Gamehttp://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/ Online Games http://www.kidsastronomy.com/index.htm NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html Book: Can You Hear a Shout in Space?: Questions and Answers About Space Exploration 629.4 BER Berger, Melvin Art Activity: Glitter Galaxy http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/astronomy/glittergalaxy/ Space Jeopardy Games http://library.thinkquest.org/4236/game-index.htm Video: Discovery Education Earth Science Space Exploration The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: Begin a Search for Aliens on Earth Project
Assignment: Make a model of the Solar
System due Week 4. |
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Week
2 |
Essential Question: What ‘tools’ have been used to further space exploration? S5CS1. Students will be aware of the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works. Overview of Space Exploration Observing the Universe Tools of the Trade: Telescopes and binoculars, observatories and planetariums, probes, satellites, and space laboratories. Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Book: Telescopes by Lionel Bender 522-BEN
Video: Mission Critical: Hubble http://player.discoveryeducation.com/?guidAssetId=eec331db-6084-4657-a00d-32bcb5215587 The Observatories at Machu Picchu Video: Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Astronomy Space Jeopardy Games http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/countyjeopardygames.htm SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: The Space Files http://player.discoveryeducation.com/?guidAssetId=9f68e796-fe53-42ce-bf51-39da747dad76 |
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Week
3 |
Essential Question: Why is the Sun so essential to life in this solar system?
S2E2. Students will investigate the position of sun and moon to show patterns throughout the year. Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Books: Sun by Lynda Sorensen 523.7 Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott 398.2 MCD How the Sun Was Brought Back to the Sky by Mirra Ginsburg 398.2 GIN I Can Hear the Sun: A Modern Myth by Patricia Polacco E POL Who Will Be the Sun? A North American Indian Folktale 398 TRO Art Activity: TSW make a clay necklace of the Sun. Online Simulation: Total Solar Eclipse: Live From Turkey http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/2006/index.html?gclid=CPfS04WYxasCFYTs7QodyyU-7Q NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html Activity: In groups students will prepare and perform plays based on the four mythological stories about the Sun (above). Video: The Sun Powerpoint on the Sun http://science.lotsoflessons.com/space/sun.html Art Activity: SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: How the Universe Works: Alien Solar Systems |
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Week
4 |
Essential Question: How do the Stars Create the Constellations and Galaxies in the Solar System? S4E1. Students will compare and contrast the physical attributes of stars, star patterns, and planets. Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Books: Stars Beneath Your Bed: the Surprising Story of Dust by April Sayre The Magic School Bus Sees Stars by Nancy White 523.8 COL There’s a Great Bear in the Sky and Other Facts About Stars by Helen Taylor 523.8 TAY Language Arts: Pendemonium Star Words Art Activity: Cascading Star Mobile http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/stars/cascadeofstars/ Video: How the Universe Works: Extreme Stars The Magic School Bus Sees Stars VideoMath: Star Designs Powerpoint on Stars http://science.pppst.com/space/stars.html Powerpoint on the Constellations http://science.pppst.com/space/constellations.html Online Games: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html Bob the Alien’s Tour of the Solar System http://www.bobthealien.co.uk/voyager.htm SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: How the Universe Works: Alien Galaxy |
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Week
5 |
Essential Question: Where does our Planet Fit into the Solar System? S4E1. Students will compare and contrast the physical attributes of stars, star patterns, and planets. Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Books: Planets and Galaxies by Dan Mackie 523.1 MAC Our Planet Earth by Claire Llewellyn REF 550 OUR
Art Activity: Stained Glass Picture of Earth Video: How the Planet Works: Extreme Planets Discovery Education The Story of the Solar System Powerpoint Presentation: http://science.pppst.com/space/solarsystem.html Online Games: Alien: Assembly Required http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/alien/alien.html NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: Reading Rainbow: Beegu Project
Assignment: Create a Galaxy in Outer
Space. |
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Week
6 |
Essential Question: How do the moons partner with their perspective planets? S4E2. Students will model the position and motion of the earth in the solar system and will explain the role of relative position and motion in determining sequence of the phases of the moon. Topics for Discussion: The Moon as a Companion Inside the Moon The Phases of the Moon The Seasons and Tides Eclipses The Lunar Surface of the Moon Man on the Moon July 20, 1969 Last Luna probe on the Moon in 1976 Japan’s Hiten probe in 1990 and future missions to the Moon Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Books: The Moon by Martha Rustad 523.3 Half a Moon and One Whole Star by Crescent Dragonwagon E DRA
Art Activity: Model Clay Planets Activities in Class: The Lunar Prospector Hands-on Activities http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/education/activities/index.htm NASA the Spirit of Discovery Activities http://www2.semo.edu/mast/mlc/moon.htm Powerpoint on the Phases of the Moon Activity: Is the Great Wall of China Visible from Space? http://space.about.com/od/fungamesandhumor/ss/Great_Wall.htm Online Activities: Moon Games http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/everything/moon/games/ Kids Astronomy.com http://www.kidsastronomy.com/astroskymap/constellations.htm Space Flight Simulation Gamehttp://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/ Online Games http://www.kidsastronomy.com/index.htm NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html Art Activity: Phases of the Moon http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/moon/mphases.htm Space Jeopardy Games http://library.thinkquest.org/4236/game-index.htm Video: In the Shadow of the Moon The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space Math: Space Math Smarty Games http://www.smartygames.com/igre/math/mathShoot.html Homework Topics on Space: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/homework-topics-index.html#r SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: The Phases of the Moon http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/moon/phases.html |
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Week
7 |
Essential Question: How do the ‘Mysterious Visitors’ from Space (Asteroids, Comets and Meteorites) explain the death of stars and planets in our solar system? S5CS1. Students will be aware of the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works. Topics for Discussion: Asteroids, Comets and Meteorites
S5CS1. Students will be aware of the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works. Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Powerpoint on Being a Space Kid http://science.pppst.com/space/moon.html Powerpoint on Asteroids and the Asteroid Belt http://science.pppst.com/space/asteroids.html
Video: A Spin Around the Solar System Video: The Space Files-Comets http://player.discoveryeducation.com/?guidAssetId=b75726bc-62f0-49e0-8f58-0292b752ac63 Video: The Magic School Bus Out of This World (in library) AVM/VIDEO 523 MAG Space Jeopardy Games http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/countyjeopardygames.htm SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: Students Make their Own Comets http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/resources/s_system/acm.shtml |
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Week
8 |
Essential Question: What are the Requirements For Astronauts To Live and Work in Space? Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Books: Astronauts at Work by Deborah Shearer 629.45 SHE Astronaut Living in Space by Kate Hayden 629.47 HAY Space Missions by Deborah Shearer 629.47 SHE Christa McAuliffe: Teacher in Space by Connie Naden B NCA Math: Calculating Space: Space Rocket by John Burnstein 526 BUR Online Simulation: Funschool Space http://funschool.kaboose.com/globe-rider/space/ NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html NASA Station Space Walk Game http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/3d_resources/station_spacewalk_game.html Activity: NASA Career Corner-Want a Career at NASA? http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/career/index.html Video: The Nasa Space Station (in library) AVM/VIDEO 808.83 THE Astronaut Powerpoint for Class Presentation http://science.pppst.com/space/astronauts.html Art Activity: Space Walls
SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: Your Weight on Other Worlds http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/index.html |
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Week
9 |
Essential Question: How Have Space Stations Changed the Future? Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Books: Space Stations Cities of the Future? by Tristan Bancks KIT 372.4 SPA Space Machines by Norman Barrett 629.4 Space Robots by Gregory Vogt 629.4 VOG Space Suits by Deborah Shearer 629.4 SHE Space Stations Cities of the Future by Tristan Bancks KIT 372.4 BAN Astronaut: Living in Space by Kate Hayden 629.47HAY Language Arts: TSW write a story based on their lives on a space station located on the planet of Mars. Art Activity: Homemade Rocket Ship
Video: Adventures in Space: The Pilots and the Astronauts Math: How Do Astronauts Use Math in Their Jobs? http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=273 Online Activities: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html Bob the Alien’s Tour of the Solar System http://www.bobthealien.co.uk/voyager.htm
SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: Building an International Space Station http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/spacestation/ |
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Week
10 |
Essential Question: What is the Future of Space Exploration? Space Vocabulary For Students http://www.kidsastronomy.com/dictionary.htm Books: The Space Shuttle by Allison Lassieur 629.44 LAS Can You Hear a Shout in Space? Melvin Bergin BER 629.4 Art Activity: Solar System Necklace
Video: Earth Science: Space Exploration http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=70515248-BFA9-4F57-A7CB-F400A3545BB7&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US
Powerpoint Presentation: http://science.pppst.com/space/spacetravel.html
Online Games: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html NASA Image of the Day Gallery http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html
SURPRISE FOCUS OF THE DAY: Buzz Lightyear and Beyond! http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Buzz_Lightyear_Connect_It.html
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SPACE UNIT
ANTICIPATION GUIDE
Yes or No?
1.
There are nine planets in the solar system.
2.
There are rocks floating around in
space.
3.
There are two Milky Way galaxies.
4.
The sun can cause electrical
appliances to blink out.
5.
The space program in the U.S. is now
defunct.
6.
The atoms of life on our planet are
originally from pieces of other planets.
7.
NASA stands for National Air and
Space Administration.
8.
Aliens exist in other galaxies.
9.
One kid has actually flown in a spaceship.
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SPACE EXPLORATION GIFTED UNIT
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Why has space exploration been so important to
the success of the human race? In what patterns do the stars and planets align
in the night sky?
What ‘tools’ have been used to further space
exploration?
Why is the Sun so essential to life in this solar system?
How do the Stars Create the Constellations and Galaxies in the
Solar System?
Where does our Planet Fit into the Solar
System?
TIMELINE OF SPACE EXPLORATION
Time
Line of Space Exploration
October 4, 1957 - Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the
Earth, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until January 4, 1958.
November 3, 1957 - Sputnik 2, carrying the dog Laika for 7 days in orbit, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and
remains in orbit until April 13, 1958.
January 31, 1958 - Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite in orbit,
lifts off at Cape Canaveral using a modified ABMA-JPL Jupiter-C rocket. It
carries a scientific experiment of James A. Van Allen, and discovers the
Earth's radiation belt.
March 5, 1958 - Explorer 2 is launched by a Jupiter-C rocket, and
fails to reach orbit.
March 17, 1958 - Vanguard 1 satellite is launched into orbit, and
continues to transmit for 3 years.
May 15, 1958 - Sputnik 3 is launched by the U.S.S.R.
October 1, 1958 - N.A.S.A. is founded, taking over existing National
Advisory Committee on Aeronautics.
October 11, 1958 - Pioneer 1, U.S. - IGY space probe, launched to
a height of 70,700 miles.
January 2, 1959 - Luna 1, first man-made satellite to orbit the
moon, is launched by the U.S.S.R.
March 3, 1959 - Pioneer 4, fourth U.S.-IGY space probe was
launched by a Juno II rocket, and achieved an earth-moon trajectory, passing
within 37,000 miles of the moon. It then fell into a solar orbit, becoming the
first U.S. sun orbiter.
September 12, 1959 - Luna 2 is launched, impacting on the moon on
September 13 carrying a copy of the Soviet coat of arms, and becoming the first
man-made object to hit the moon.
October 4, 1959 - Luna 3 translunar
satellite is launched, orbiting the moon and photographing 70 percent of the
far side of the moon.
April 1, 1960 - Tiros 1, the
first successful weather satellite, is launched by the U.S.
August 18, 1960 - Discoverer XIV launches the first U.S.
camera-equipped Corona spy satellite.
April 12, 1961 - Vostok 1 is
launched by the U.S.S.R., carrying Cosmonaut Yuri A. Gargarin,
the first man in space. He orbits the Earth once.
May 5, 1961 - Mercury Freedom 7 carries Alan B. Shepard,Jr., the first U.S.
Astronaut into space, in a suborbital flight.
August 6, 1961 - Vostok 2 is
launched by the U.S.S.R., carrying Cosmonaut Gherman Titov, the first day-long Soviet space flight.
February 20, 1962 - Mercury Friendship 7 lifts off with John H. Glenn,
Jr., the first American in orbit, and orbits the Earth three times.
May 24, 1962 - Mercury Aurora 7 is launched with M. Scott
Carpenter, making three orbits.
July 10, 1962 - Telstar 1, U.S. satellite, beams the first live
transatlantic telecast.
December 14, 1962 - U.S. Mariner 2, the first successful
planetary spacecraft, flies past Venus, and enters a solar orbit.
June 16, 1963 - Vostok 6 carries
Soviet Cosmonaut Valentia Tereshkova, the first woman
in space and orbits the Earth 48 times.
June, 1963 - Martin Schmidt interprets the behavior of 3C 273 - the
first known quasar.
July 31, 1964 - U.S. Ranger 7 relays the first close-range
photographs of the Moon.
March 18, 1965 - The first space walk is made from Soviet Voskhod 2 by Cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov. Duration is 12 minutes.
March 23, 1965 - First manned flight of the Gemini program, Gemini 3
carrying Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young. Made three
orbits around the earth.
March 24, 1965 - Ranger 9 transmits high-quality images of the
moon, many of which were shown live in the first television spectacular about
the moon.
June 3, 1965 - Edward White II makes the first U.S. space walk from Gemini
4. Duration is 22 minutes.
July 14, 1965 - U.S. Mariner 4 returns the first close-range
images about Mars.
November 16, 1965 - Soviet Venus 3 is launched, becoming the
first craft to impact Venus on March 1, 1966.
December 4, 1965 - Gemini 7 is launched carrying Frank Borman and James A. Lovell, Jr., making 206 orbits around
Earth and proving a trip to the Moon possible.
December 15, 1965 - American astronauts Walter Schirra,
Jr. and Thomas Stafford in Gemini 6 make the first space rendezvous with
Gemini 7.
February 3, 1966 - Soviet Luna 9 is the first spacecraft to soft-land
on the moon.
March 1, 1966 - Soviet Venera 3
impacts on Venus, the first spacecraft to reach another planet. It fails to
return data.
March, 1966 - Soviet Luna 10 is the first spacecraft to orbit the
moon.
June 2, 1966 - Surveyor 1 is the first U.S. spacecraft to
soft-land on the Moon.
August 14, 1966 - U.S. Lunar Orbiter 1 enters moon orbit, and
takes the first picture of the Earth from the distance of the moon.
April 23, 1967 - Soviet Soyuz 1 is launched, carrying Vladimir M. Komarov. On April 24 it crashed, killing Komarov, the first spaceflight fatality.
October 18, 1967 - Venera 4
sends a descent capsule into the Venusian atmosphere,
returning data about its composition.
September 15, 1968 - Soviet Zond 5 is
launched, the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon and return.
October 11, 1968 - Apollo 7 is the first manned Apollo mission
with Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Donn
F. Eisele, and Walter Cunningham. It orbited the
earth once.
December 21, 1968 - Apollo 8 is launched with Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr. and William A. Anders, the
first Apollo to use the Saturn V rocket, and the first manned
spacecraft to orbit the Moon, making 10 orbits on its 6-day mission.
January, 1969 - Soyuz 4 & 5 perform the first Soviet spaceship
docking, transferring Cosmonauts between vehicles.
July 20, 1969 - Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin,
Jr. make the first manned soft landing on the Moon, and the first moonwalk,
using Apollo 11.
July 31, 1969 - Mariner 6 returns high-resolution images of the
Martian surface, concentrating on the equatorial region.
August 5, 1969 - Mariner 7 returns high-resolution images of the
Martian surface, concentrating on the southern hemisphere.
April 11, 1970 - Apollo 13 is launched, suffering an explosion in
its SM oxygen tanks. Its Moon landing is aborted, and the crew, James A. Lovell,
Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr. and Fred W. Haise, Jr., return safely.
September 12, 1970 - Soviet Luna 16 is launched, conducting the
first successful return of lunar soil samples by an automatic spacecraft.
November 17, 1970 - Luna 17 lands on the moon, with the first
automatic robot, Lunokhod 1. Driven by a five-man team on earth, traveled over surface for 11
days.
December 15, 1970 - Soviet Venera 7
is the first probe to soft-land on Venus, transmitting for 23 minutes.
January 31, 1971 - Apollo 14 moon mission is launched by the U.S.
with the legendary Alan Shepard, along with Stuart Roosa and Edgar Mitchell on board. They land in the planned
Apollo 13 site, the Fra Mauro highlands, which they
explore with the help of a two-wheeled cart that permits the transport of a
significantly greater quantity of lunar material than previous missions. Shepard becomes the first man to hit a golf ball on the
moon.
April 19, 1971 - Salyut 1 space station is launched by the
U.S.S.R. It remains in orbit until May 28, 1973.
May 30, 1971 - The United States launches Mariner 9, which
becomes the first spacecraft to survey Mars from orbit.
June 6, 1971 - Soyuz 11 carried Cosmonauts G.T. Dobrovolsky, V.N. Volkov, and
V.I. Patsayev to Salyut 1, the first manned
occupancy of an orbital station. However, on June 29, the Cosmonauts died upon Soyuz
11's reentry.
July 30, 1971 - Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin
drive the first moon rover. The next year, Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison
Schmitt drives a similar rover.
November 13, 1971 - American Mariner 9 (launched May 30, 1971) is
the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, Mars. Over the next year, it maps
100 percent of the Martian surface.
March 2, 1972 - Pioneer 10 is launched on an Atlas/Centaur/TE364-4
towards Jupiter by the U.S., designed to familiarize alien life with humans. It
returns the first close-up images of Jupiter in 1973.
July 15, 1972 - Pioneer 10 becomes the first man-made object to
travel through the asteroid belt.
December, 1972 - Scientists designate Cignus
X-1 as the first probable black hole.
April 5, 1973 - Pioneer 11 is launched on an
Atlas/Centaur/TE364-4, flying past Jupiter in 1974, and Saturn in 1979, where
it discovers new rings.
May 14, 1973 - Skylab Workshop is launched by the U.S., and maintained
by three crews.
May 25, 1973 - First crew to Skylab, Skylab 2, are
launched, repairing damage incurred to Skylab during its launch.
November 3, 1973 - American Mariner 10 is launched, on the first
dual-planet mission. Over the next year, it returned photographs of Venus and
Mercury.
May 17, 1974 - NASA launches the first Synchronous Meteorological
Satellite, SMS-1.
June 24, 1974 - Soviet Salyut 3, their first military space
station, is launched. It remains in orbit until January 1975.
December 26, 1974 - Soviet Salyut 4, civilian space station, is
launched. It remains in orbit until February 2, 1977.
July, 1975 - American Apollo (18) and Soviet Soyuz 19
dock, the first international spacecraft rendezvous.
October, 1975 - Soviet Venera 9
and 10 send the first pictures of the Venusian
surface to Earth.
June 22, 1976 - Soviet military space station Salyut 5 is
launched, remaining in orbit until August 8, 1977.
July 20, 1976 - Pictures of the Martian surface are taken by Viking 1,
the first U.S. attempt to soft land a spacecraft on another planet.
September 3, 1976 - Viking 2 lands on Mars on the Plain of
Utopia, where it discovered water frost.
August-September, 1977 - Voyagers 1 and 2 leave Earth to meet with
Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980.
September 29, 1977 - Soviet Salyut 6 space station is launched. Its
crews include members from Czechoslovakia, Poland, GDR, Bulgaria, Hungary,
Vietnam, Cuba, Mongolia, and Romania.
November, 1978 - The Einstein Observatory begins its 30-day mission.
December, 1978 - Two Pioneer spacecraft reach Venus. One drops
four probes into the atmosphere, while the other maps the surface.
September 1, 1979 - Pioneer 11 reaches Saturn, flying to within 13,000
miles and taking the first close-up photographs.
April 12, 1981 - The first manned mission of the Space Transportation
System (STS-1), Columbia , is launched.
June 19, 1981 - The European Space Agency launches its third Ariane rocket.
December 20, 1981 - The ESA launches a fourth Ariane
rocket.
March 1, 1982 - Venera 13 lands
on Venus, and provides the first Venusian soil
analysis.
April 19, 1982 - Soviet Salyut 7 space station is launched.
May 13, 1982 - Soviet Cosmonauts Anatoly N. Berezovoi
and Valentin V. Lebedev are
launched in Soyuz-T 5 to rendezvous with Salyut 7, the first team
to inhabit the space station. They return to Earth in Soyuz-T 7, setting
a (then) duration record of 211 days.
August, 1982 - Voyager 2 completes its flyby of Saturn.
November 11, 1982 - The space shuttle Columbia's fifth mission,
its first operational one, begins, deploying two satellites. Crew: Vance Brand,
Robert Overmyer, Joseph Allen, and William Lenoir.
April 4, 1983 - The space shuttle Challenger lifts off for its
first mission (STS-6) and has the first American space walk in nine years.
Crew: Paul Weitz, Karol Bobko,
Donald Peterson, and Story Musgrave.
June 19, 1983 - Sally K. Ride is the first U.S. woman to travel in
space, on Challenger mission STS-7.
October 10, 1983 - Soviet Venera 15
returns the first high-resolution images of the Venus polar area, and compiled
a thermal map of most of the northern hemisphere.
November 28, 1983 - The space shuttle Columbia carries the ESA
Spacelab-1 into orbit (STS-9). Its crew includes Ulf Merbold,
A German and first ESA member in space..
January-November, 1983 - The Infrared Astronomical Satellite finds new
comets, asteroids, galaxies, and a dust ring around the star Vega that may be
new planets.
February 3, 1984 - Bruce McCandless takes the
first untethered space walk using MMU from the space
shuttle Challenger (STS-41B).
July 17, 1984 - launch of Soyuz-T 12 carrying Svetlana Savitskaya, who becomes the first woman to walk in space.
August 30, 1984 - The third space shuttle, Discovery, lifts off
on it's maiden voyage
(STS-41D). Crew: Henry W. Hartsfield, Michael L. Coats, Richard Mullane, Steven Hawley, Judith A. Resnik,
and Charles D. Walker.
October, 1984 - Salyut 7's cosmonauts L. D. Kizim,
V. A. Solovyov, and O. Y. Atkov
set a (then) 237-day record in space. They arrive at Salyut 7 in Soyuz-T
10 and depart in Soyuz-T 11
October 5, 1984 - launch of space shuttle Challenger mission
STS-41G carrying the first crew with two women aboard - Sally Ride and
Katherine Sullivan. Sullivan becomes the first American woman to walk in space.
December, 1984 - Soviet/International Vega 1 & 2 are launched,
dropping probes into Venus' atmosphere before continuing to Halley's Comet.
January 8, 1985 - The Sakigake probe is launched
by Japan's Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, becoming the first
interplanetary probe as it rendezvous with Halley's Comet.
April 29, 1985 - The Challenger carries the ESA Spacelab-3 into
orbit (STS-51B).
July 2, 1985 - The European Space Agency launches the Giotto spacecraft
from an Ariane rocket. It encounters Halley's Comet
in 1986, and Comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup
in 1992.
October 3, 1985 - The fourth space shuttle Atlantis takes off on
its first mission (STS-51J). Crew: Karol J. Bobko, Ronald
J. Grabe, Robert A. Stewart, David C. Hilmers, and William A. Pailes.
October 1985 - Spacelab D1, the first joint German/ESA mission,
is flown. Its crew consists of two German DARA astronauts, and Danish Wubbo Ockels of the ESA.
January, 1986 - Voyager 2 flies past Uranus.
January 28, 1986 - The space shuttle Challenger explodes shortly
after liftoff of mission STS-51L.
February 20, 1986 - The core unit of Soviet space station Mir is
launched.
March, 1986 - Spacecraft from the U.S.S.R, Japan, and Western Europe fly
by Halley's Comet on it's
30th recorded appearance.
March, 1986 - Astronomers discover an invisible gravity source that
splits a quasar's light.
April, 1986 - Astronomers find that our galaxy is smaller than they
thought and the Sun is 23,000 light-years from it's center.
February 25, 1987 - Supernova 1987A blazes into view.
December 1987 - Cosmonaut Yuri V. Romanenko
returns from space station Mir, having arrived there from Soyuz-TM 2,
and sets a (then) space endurance record of 326 days.
May 4, 1989 - Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched (STS-30),
deploying the spacecraft Magellan.
July 12, 1989 - Soviet/International Phobos
2 launched, which orbits Mars to study its surface, atmosphere and magnetic
field.
October 18, 1989 - U.S. launches the Galileo spacecraft from
Shuttle Atlantis flight STS-34, which took infrared images of Venus, and
images of the asteroid Ida, before continuing to Jupiter.
April 5, 1990 - U.S. Pegasus rocket is deployed from a B-52
bomber, and launched the Pegsat satellite in
the first demonstration of the Pegasus launch vehicle.
April 24, 1990 - Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-31,
deploying the Edwin P. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) astronomical
observatory.
August, 1990 - U.S. spacecraft Magellan arrives at Venus, where
for the next year it took radar images of the surface.
October 6, 1990 - Space Shuttle Discovery launches the Ulysses
spacecraft with two upper stages, on mission STS-41. Ulysses flies
toward Jupiter, to be slingshot towards the sun, to obtain data from high solar
latitudes.
February 7, 1991 - Salyut 7 falls from orbit and burns up over
Argentina.
April 5, 1991 - Space Shuttle Atlantis carries the Compton
Gamma Ray Observatory into orbit. This new space telescope, built by NASA,
was the first to provide an all-sky continuous survey in the gamma-ray and
X-ray spectra.
June 5, 1991 - Shuttle Columbia carries the Spacelab SLS-1
into orbit, to conduct investigations into the effects of weightlessness on
humans. (STS-40)
February 8, 1992 - Spacecraft Ulysses flies around Jupiter, on its
way to the sun.
May 2, 1992 - Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off on its first
mission (STS-49), repairing the Intelsat VI satellite. Crew: Daniel C. Brandenstein, Kevin P. Chilton, Richard J. Hieb, Bruce E. Melnick, Pierre J.
Thout, Kathryn C. Thornton, and Thomas D. Akers.
September 25, 1992 - Mars Observer lifts off, the first American
probe to Mars in 17 years, since Viking 2. This probe is intended as an
orbital mapper to study the red planet's atmosphere,
surface, and geological make-up. The spacecraft functions well during its
cruise to Mars, then all contact was lost on August 21, 1993, three days before
orbital insertion.
December 2, 1993 - Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-61, making
the first on-orbit service of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).
January 25, 1994 - U.S. launches Clementine, a new DOD satellite that
performs a lunar mapping mission using advanced ballistic missile defense
technologies. It suffers a malfunction on May 10, 1994, ending its mission.
February, 1994 - A Russian Cosmonaut, Sergei Krikalev,
flies on board the U.S. space shuttle Discovery for the first time
(STS-60).
September 13, 1994 - Spacecraft Ulysses reaches a maximum Southern latitude of 80.2 degrees at the sun,
proceeding towards the Northern latitudes, maintaining an orbital period of six
years.
October 12, 1994 - Spacecraft Magellan enters the atmosphere of
Venus, burning up following the completion of its mapping mission.
December 9, 1994 - Asteroid XM1 passes within 65,000 miles of Earth.
February 6, 1995 - Space shuttle Discovery maneuvers to within 37
feet of Russian space station Mir, in preparation for a shuttle-Mir
docking (STS-63). This is the first shuttle mission to be flown by a female
pilot.
March 22, 1995 - Cosmonaut Valeriy Polyakov returns to Earth after a 438-day mission aboard
Russian space station Mir, setting a new space endurance record.
June 26, 1995 - Space Shuttle Atlantis rendezvous with Russian
space station Mir during a ten-day mission on STS-71. Cosmonauts are
transferred to and from Atlantis, and Astronaut Norman Thagard is returned from Mir, having arrived on Soyuz-TM
21, and making a new American space endurance record of 115 days.
September 1995 - Pioneer 11 ceases making scientific
observations, its power source nearly depleted.
November 12, 1995 - Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on mission
STS-74, making the second docking with Russian space station Mir. It
delivers two solar arrays, and a docking module for future Shuttle dockings.
December 7, 1995 - The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter, performing
an orbit while dropping a probe into the atmosphere, and putting a satellite
into orbit, which will spend the next two years orbiting the planet.
February 8, 1996 - Thomas Reiter becomes the first European Space Agency astronaut
to make two spacewalks (both from the Russian Mir space station). His
previous spacewalk was on October 21, 1995, and lasted 5 hours 11 minutes.
February 17, 1996 - NASA launches the first in the Discovery series of
spacecraft, the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft, aboard a
Delta II-7925-8 rocket.
March 22, 1996 - Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on STS-76,
performing the third docking with Space Station Mir. Astronaut Shannon
Lucid was left on Mir, becoming the first female Astronaut to crew a
Space Station.
September 26, 1996 - Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down after
mission STS-79. It brings back Shannon Lucid, who becomes the longest US
astronaut in space, and the longest female astronaut in space.
November 19, 1996 - Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off on its 21st
space flight, setting a new shuttle in-space endurance record of almost 18
days. This flight carries Story Musgrave, at that time the oldest man to fly in
space at 61 years of age.
January 12, 1997 - Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off for the fifth
docking with the Mir space station, and Jerry Linenger replaces John Blaha as
the American crew member.
February 10, 1997 - Soyuz TM25 lifts off to dock with the Mir
space station. New Russian crew members Vasily Tsibliyev and Alexander Lazutkin
relieve Russians Korzun and Kaleri
for the beginning of an eventful and difficult tour of duty. Before the
resident crew leaves, a fierce fire breaks out on board which is contained and
put out before serious damage is done. After the old crew leaves, an attempt to
re-dock with the Progress supply freighter fails, with the freighter just
missing collision with Mir. These events are followed by failures of the
electrolysis oxygen generators and the station's attitude control system.
February 11, 1997 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off on the
second maintenance mission for the Hubble Space Telescope, installing a
new spectrograph, infrared camera, new guidance sensors, a new computer and
data recorder, and repairing the telescope's insulation.
March 31, 1997 - After 25 years of operation, routine telemetry and
ground control with Pioneer 10 is terminated. The probe at that moment is
6.7 billion miles from Earth, traveling at 28,000 miles per hour. In two
million years, it will reach the red giant Aldeberan
in the constellation of Taurus.
April 4, 1997 - Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off for the shortest
shuttle flight in 12 years (four days). The flight is cut short due to a
failure of one of the spacecraft's three fuel cells.
May 17, 1997 - Space Shuttle Atlantis performs its sixth docking
with Mir. Jerry Linenger is relieved by Michael Foale as the American crewmember on Mir. Atlantis
returned to Earth on May 24th and Mir continued with its
troubles. On June 24th, the crew attempts a test with a new docking
system to dock with a Progress freighter. The failure of the new system results
in the collision of the freighter into Mir, causing a serious air leak
and damage to the electrical power of the station.
June 27, 1997 - NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) probe
passes the asteroid Mathilde on its way to meeting up
with 433 Eros.
July 1, 1997 - Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off again to complete
the flight aborted in April. The shuttle is outfitted with Spacelab, set
up as a microgravity science laboratory, with 33 different experiments, that
fills the cargo bay.
July 4, 1997 - Mars Pathfinder becomes the first probe to
successfully land on Mars since Viking 2 in 1976. It is also the first
planetary probe to include a separate roving robot probe (Sojourner)
since the Soviet Union's Luna 21 in 1973.
August 7, 1997 - Soyuz TM26 arrives at Mir with a relief
crew. The fresh Russian crew, along with Michael Foale, undertake seven internal and external
spacewalk missions over a six month period in order to repair the crippled
station. During the repairs, the station has a near collision with an abandoned
satellite (MSTI 2), which speeds past to within 500 meters of Mir.
August 7, 1997 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off for a 12-day
mission to deploy and retrieve the Crista-Spas
2 satellite, which studied the Earth's middle atmosphere. This flight also
tested various infra-red and ultraviolet instrumentation, and tested the
Japanese robot-arm to be used for the International Space Station.
September 12, 1997 - Mars Global Surveyor arrives at Mars and
begins the process of adjusting its highly elliptical orbit into a circular one
using aerobraking - friction with the top of the
Martian atmosphere to slow the craft down. Taking about 2,000 images of the
planet, this probe shows the entire life of a dust storm, evidence of Martian
streams, ponds, oceans, and underground water drainage systems.
September 27, 1997 - Space Shuttle Atlantis performs its seventh
docking with Mir to support the repair & upgrade process, and
bringing additional experiments for the space station.
October 15, 1997 - launch of the double probe Cassini/Huygens,
aimed at Saturn. This is probably the most ambitious and complex unmanned
planetary project ever attempted, costing more than $2.5 billion and involving
17 nations and hundreds of scientists from the U.S. and Europe. It carries a
sophisticated camera package and 11 other instruments aimed at performing 19
experiments on the ringed planet. It will arrive at Saturn in 2004, will orbit Saturn up to 60 times sending back close-up
photographs of Saturn's rings and its 18 moons. Cassini also carries a
separate probe, Huygens. This probe will be dropped through the
atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
November 19, 1997 - Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off with three
American astronauts, one Japanese, and the first
Ukrainian astronaut, Leonid Kadenyuk. This mission,
mostly dedicated to science and the testing of new space technologies, releases
one free-flying satellite.
January 7, 1998 - Lunar Prospector is the first NASA mission to the
Moon in 25 years, and the first dedicated to lunar research since Apollo 17
in 1972. The spacecraft is placed in lunar orbit to make a careful spectroscopic
analysis of the entire lunar surface, including its North and South poles, and
soon confirms what the Department of Defense Clementine mission had found in
1994 - that trapped within some of the craters at the Moon's two poles is about
6.6 trillion tons of permanently frozen water ice.
January 22, 1998 - Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off to
rendezvous with Mir, the eight U.S. docking with the Russian space
station and the first by a shuttle other than Atlantis.
February 14, 1998 - The four satellites Globalstar
1, 2, 3, and 4 are the first in Globalstar's
planned 44-satellite constellation of medium-Earth-orbit (~900 miles altitude)
communications satellites for providing voice and data links worldwide from
both remote and home telephones. This system is planned as a direct competitor
to Iridium's cluster, which began launching in May of 1997.
April 17, 1998 - Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off on a 16-day
mission, its 25th. The mission is dedicated to the study of the
effects of weightlessness on the human neurological system, with the astronauts
serving as both researchers and experimental subjects.
June 2, 1998 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off on a 10-day
mission, its 24th and the last shuttle docking with Mir.
July 3, 1998 - Japan launches the Nozomi
probe to Mars, the first planetary mission by a country other than the U.S. or
the Soviet Union/Russia. Using a combination of lunar gravity, Earth gravity,
and rocket burns, Nozomi is scheduled to arrive at
Mars in December 2003.
October 3, 1998 - Launched by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office,
the Space Technology EXperiment (STEX)
satellite tests 29 new spacecraft designs, including an almost four-mile-long
tether, advanced solar panels, and an ion engine test.
October 24, 1998 - NASA launches Deep Space 1, a technology test
spacecraft which evaluates a dozen advanced spacecraft engineering designs,
from mirror-enhanced solar panels to the first use of an ion engine to leave
Earth orbit and rendezvous with the asteroid Braille.
October 29, 1998 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off with John
Glenn aboard, first American to orbit Earth and at 77, the oldest man to fly in
space. The flight is the last purely scientific shuttle flight, focusing on
astronomy, life sciences, and materials. One satellite is deployed, one is
released and retrieved. Most subsequent shuttle flights are ferry and
construction flights for the International Space Station.
November 20, 1998 - the first component of the International Space
Station, Zarya, is launched on a Russian
rocket. This Russian built, U.S. financed module provides communications,
electrical power, and attitude control for the station until the arrival of the
third module (Zvezda, in July 2000).
December 4, 1998 - Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off on its
thirteenth space flight, with the International Space Station's second module, Unity.
This module provides the docking ports and connections for every other docked
module.
December 11, 1998 - Mars Climate Orbiter is launched by NASA,
with the objective of studying Martian weather. The probe is lost as it
approaches Mars on September 23, 1999, due to an error in propulsion software,
using English instead of metric units. The probe passes too close to Mars and
burns up in the atmosphere.
December 23, 1998 - NEAR space probe flies to within 2400 miles
of the asteroid 433 Eros, taking 222 photographs of nearly two-thirds of its
surface. A software problem prevents the spacecraft from going into orbit
around the asteroid, but a second engine burn on January 3, 1999 brings the
spacecraft back to Eros in February of 2000.
January 3, 1999 - Mars Polar Lander lifts off on its ill-fated
mission to Mars. This NASA probe is to land within about 600 miles of the Martian
South Pole, along with dropping two surface-penetrating darts. Contact with the
probe is lost on December 3, 1999 as it is descending through the Martian
atmosphere and it is never heard from again, the first failure of a U.S.
planetary soft landing in 30 years.
February 7, 1999 - The NASA satellite Stardust lifts off for a
rendezvous with the Comet Wild-2 in January of 2004.
February 20, 1999 - the Russian Soyuz TM29 lifts off for the Mir
space station. This is scheduled to be the final mission to Mir, and
when the crew of TM29 departs Mir in August of 1999, they leave
the space station empty for the first time in almost exactly 10 years.
May 27, 1999 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off for the
International Space Station. They bring supplies and perform a spacewalk of
nearly eight hours to install two exterior cranes, along with a variety of
tools and equipment for future astronaut use. They deploy the satellite Starshine for studying atmospheric density changes.
July 23, 1999 - Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off, carrying the Chandra
X-Ray Observatory into orbit.
July 28, 1999 - Deep Space 1 flies to within 16 miles of the
asteroid Braille and continues on its course to rendezvous with Comet
Wilson-Harrington in January 2001.
November 19, 1999 - China launches Shenzhou,
the first unmanned test of their manned capsule.
December 19, 1999 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off for the
third maintenance mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. They perform three
space walks, installing six new gyroscopes, a new guidance sensor, a new computer, a voltage/temperature kit for the
spacecraft's batteries, a new transmitter, a new solid state recorder, and
thermal insulation blankets.
January 3, 2000 - the Galileo space probe safely completes its
encounter with Jupiter's ice moon, Europa, at an
altitude of 343 km. Later in the year, on May 30, Galileo flies by Jupiter's
largest moon Ganymede at an altitude of 808 km.
February 11, 2000 - Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off to carry
out the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, cosponsored by NASA and the National
Imagery and Mapping Agency. A large radar antenna in the payload bay and a
smaller element deployed on a 60-meter boom work together in the
synthetic-aperture mode to produce the effect of a much larger antenna. The
mission produces a three-dimensional map of about 80% of the world's landmass.
February 14, 2000 - NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) probe
settles into orbit around the asteroid 433 Eros, producing a series of stunning
close-up images. Ground controllers start tightening its orbit for an eventual
soft impact with the tumbling, potato-shaped asteroid.
April 4, 2000 - Soyuz TM30 lifts off on a return mission to Mir,
reversing Russia's actions of the previous year to shut the space station down.
The idea is to re-open the space station for commercial operations, including a
Mir version of the Survivor TV show. The cosmonauts remain until
mid-June, and two Progress freighters are flown up (one in April, one in
October) before financial support disappears and the venture falls through.
May 19, 2000 - Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off for the International
Space Station for maintenance on the crane and a faulty antenna,
installation of a Russian boom arm, handrails and upgrades to the ventilation
system, and delivery of new batteries, supplies and equipment.
July 12, 2000 - the Zvezda service
module for the International Space Station (ISS) is launched from Russia
on a Proton rocket. The automated docking of this unit with the first
linked pair of modules already in orbit - Zarya
and Unity - allows the U.S. to start a series of space shuttle launches
to add American-built components, which will be followed by laboratory modules
from Europe and Japan. Zvezda will act as the
control center and living quarters for the initial space station crews.
September 8, 2000 - Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on a 12-day
mission to outfit the ISS, completing the installation of the Zvezda module.
October 11, 2000 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off on a 14-day
mission to install the Z1 segment, the first piece of the space station truss,
and a third docking port (PMA-3) for the Unity adapter. They also test
the new 'SAFER' spacesuit backpack propulsion units.
October 31, 2000 - the Expedition One crew is launched on a Soyuz
transport to become the first crew of the ISS.
December 1, 2000 - Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off on a 12 day
mission to the ISS. They install the first set of ISS's solar
panels and radiators for removing heat.
January 9, 2001 - the first launch of the "true" millenium is Chinese, with the second test flight of the
manned Shenshou spaceship, reported to be carrying
a monkey, a dog, and a rabbit.
February 7, 2001 - Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off for the ISS,
carrying the U.S.'s Destiny laboratory module. In three space walks the
astronauts install Destiny, a grappler for the station's robotic arm,
and radio antennae.
February 14, 2001 - NEAR soft impacts on the asteroid 433 Eros,
at 2 m/s. Signals continue to be received from the probe hours after the
landing, confirming its survival.
March 8, 2001 - Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a 14-day ISS
construction mission. In two spacewalks the astronauts install new equipment
including the Leonardo logistics module, built by the Italian Space
Agency to move racks of experimental equipment to the ISS, docking to
the station as the equipment is used & transferred, then carrying equipment
back in the shuttle after use.
March 23, 2001 - fifteen years after its first launch,
and after nearly 10 years of continuous occupation by astronauts, the Mir
space station is de-orbited, breaking up in the atmosphere and impacting in the
Pacific Ocean.
April 7, 2001 - the 2001 Mars Odyssey probe is launched on a
trajectory for Mars orbit to be achieved in October, with a mission similar to
that of the Mars Climate Orbiter launched December 1998. Mars Odyssey
successfully enters Mars orbit on October 24th.
April 19, 2001 - Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off for the ISS
on a construction mission. The crew will install the mobile robotic arm on the
station (Canadarm 2) and supply the Destiny
laboratory module with new experiments, using the Rafaello
logistics module.
April 28, 2001 - Soyuz spacecraft TM-32 lifts off for the ISS
with the first space tourist, business executive Dennis Tito, who pays the
Russians $20 million for the ride.
June 30, 2001 - NASA's Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) is
launched on a trajectory for a gravity boost past the moon to a position 1.5
million km outside Earth's orbit. From that position it is to measure cosmic
background radiation from the dark extragalactic sky.
July 12, 2001 - Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off in the pre-dawn
darkness for the ISS with the Joint Airlock which will enable space
walks to be performed directly from the space station itself (I am there to
watch the launch!).
August 10, 2001 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off for the ISS
with the Leonardo laboratory module and SimpleSat,
an experimental low-cost astronomical telescope.
September 22, 2001 - Deep Space 1 successfully completes its
flyby of comet 19P/Borrelly.
October 16, 2001 - Galileo completes another flyby of Jupiter's
moon Io, passing only 181 km from Io's south polar region.
December 5, 2001 - Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched carrying
the Raffaello logistics module back to the ISS
with new supplies.
ASTRONOMERS TO KNOW
The Moslem- Al Mamon, founded the first school of Astronomy in Baghdad
(AD 810)
The Moslem- Al-Sufi, made the
first recorded star map and star catalogue (AD 900)
The Chinese and Native Americans-
Recorded the supernova in Taurus (AD 1000)
The Polish- Copernicus,
published his books about the structure of the solar system in the 1540s.
The Danish- Tycho
Brahe,
founded the first astronomy report station in 1550.
The Italian- Galileo, made
the first telescope for use in the field of astronomy (telescopes were in use
before this) 1600.
The American- Percival Lowell, founded
Mars Hill in Arizona to observe Mars in the 1890s.
The New Yorkian-
Carl Sagan, teaches children and adults the wonders of the Cosmos (1950s
to 1990s)
SPACE
UNIT RESOURCES
FOR TEACHERS
People and Space Lesson Plans (K-5)
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/people-and-space.cfm
Liftoff Into
Space (K-5)
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/liftoff-into-space.cfm
NASA
Quest (grades
K-12)
NASA Quest allows educators, kids and space enthusiasts to
share the excitement of NASA's authentic scientific and engineering pursuits
like flying in the Shuttle and the International Space Station, exploring
distant planets with amazing spacecraft, and building the aircraft of the
future. Visit the archives for even more!
ThinkQuest! Library Internet educational sites awards
program
Award winning Internet based projects, created by students!,
on subjects from Volcanoes to DNA, Literature Cafe to Music Magic, Arts &
Entertainment to Science, Society and Culture, and LOTS more!
NASA Educational Materials Finder
(grades K-12 plus higher education)
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/
Telescopies
From the Ground Up (Grades K-4)
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/groundup/
NASA World Wind (Grades 5-8)
http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/java/
Exploring Space Through
Algebra (Grades 9-12)
Inventions and Inventions:
Space Travel (K-5)
Understanding the Universe (Grades
6-8)
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/understanding-the-universe.cfm
Out of This World! Space lesson plans
http://osr.org/en-us/articles/great-space-and-astronomy-lesson-plan-ideas/
The Size and Distance of the Planets
lesson plan
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/activity_10.html
Eyes on the Sky-Feet on the Ground
lesson plans
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/the_book/index.html
Views of the Solar System
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/homepage.htm
Lesson Plan on Sally Ride
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-famous/sallride.html
Journey Through
the Solar System-Lesson Plans
http://idahoptv.org/ntti/nttilessons/lessons2000/lau.html
Angry Red Planet, An Interactive Space Mystery
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/mspot/arp/index.php
Amazing Space
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/
Search for and Make a Habitable
Planet
http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/
Mysteries of Deep Space
http://www.pbs.org/deepspace/classroom/index.html
Stars: A Mystery of Space
http://www.pbs.org/deepspace/classroom/index.html
A Virtual Journey Into
Space
http://library.thinkquest.org/28327/
Thinkquest: Space Travel
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01212/
Make a Crater
http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/education/activities/active15a.htm
Color of Stars Lesson Plan
http://stardate.org/teachers/plans/plan.php?lp_id=20
Make a Comet with Dry Ice
http://www.proteacher.org/a/35553_Make_a_Comet.html
Studying the Movement of Celestial
Objects
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Learning Planet Sizes
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Birthday Moons
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Moon Quest (Grades 5-8)
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Every Picture Tells a Story (Duck
Picture)
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Every Picture Tells a Story
(Continued)
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Investigating the Changing Polar Caps
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Mars Quest (Create a brochure of
Mars)
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
The First Manned Mission to Mars
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
How Much Would You Weigh on Distant
Planets?
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Who Can Live Here? Live in
Extremes
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Sun’s Impact on Earth’s Temperature
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
The Life Cycle of Stars
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Enchanted Learning All About
Astronomy
http://www.allaboutspace.com/subjects/astronomy/
Searching for ProtoPlanetary Disks (seeking new planets online)
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
The Drake Equation: Estimating
the Number of Civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy
http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=826
Welcome to Space Jeopardy! By Thinkquest
http://library.thinkquest.org/4236/game-index.htm
Jeopardy Game Lab on Space
http://jeopardylabs.com/play/space-jeopardy13
Powerpoint Presentations on Space
http://science.pppst.com/space/solarsystem.html
Space Jeopardy
http://www.isd12.org/gle/jeopardy/Jeopardy-Space_files/frame.htm
Video Clips from Mr. Donn
http://videoclips.mrdonn.org/space.html
Mr. Donn’s
Space lesson plans
http://lessonplans.mrdonn.org/science.html
The 1962 Seattle World’s Fair (Mr. Donn)
http://americanhistory.mrdonn.org/Seattle.html
Mr. Donn’s
Online Games (For Computer Lab)
http://game3a.com/en/1504IC/flash-game/mr-donn.html
Astronomy for Kids (Online Games for
Computer Lab)
NASA For
Kids (Computer Lab)
Starchild (Computer Lab)
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
Starry Skies.com
Exploratorium Magazine for Kids Online
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/space/index.html
The Solar System in Pictures
(National Geographic)
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system
SPACE UNIT
Virtual Tours
Astronomy
Picture of the Day
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
Touring Mars With Google Earth
http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/
Arounder Moon Virtual Tour
A Virtual Journey Into the Universe
http://library.thinkquest.org/28327/
Google Earth Sky
http://www.google.com/gadgets/directory?synd=earth&preview=on&cat=sky
SPACE EXPLORATION PROJECT:
Make a Model of the Solar System
Your first project for this unit is to make a model of our
Solar System, picturing the Sun, the eight planets and the draft planets that
orbit it: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune. Pluto is now just listed as a large asteroid. Extra credit
is given for adding the moons of the planets and other parts of the solar
system, such as asteroids, comets, and meteorites.
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) was a Polish
astronomer who developed the Copernican System, a
model of the solar system in which all of the planets orbit the Sun.
The solar system can be made out of any type of medium, even rocks or clay, so
there is no limit to your creativity on this project.
One inexpensive approach to this project could be using these materials:
A round piece of cardboard about 1 foot across (the cardboard from
a frozen pizza works well), colors of oak tag or construction paper, scissors,
tape, string, markers, and a compass for making circles.
The project is due the second week of February, so have fun and be creative
while researching the solar system.
C. Frank
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Clear
evidence of troubleshooting, testing, and refinements based on data or
scientific principles. |
Clear
evidence of troubleshooting, testing and refinements. |
Some
evidence of troubleshooting, testing and refinements. |
Little
evidence of troubleshooting, testing or refinement. |
|
Function
|
Structure
functions extraordinarily well, holding up under atypical stresses. |
Structure
functions well, holding up under typical stresses. |
Structure
functions pretty well, but deteriorates under typical stresses. |
Fatal
flaws in function with complete failure under typical stresses. |
|
Scientific
Knowledge |
Explanations
by all group members indicate a clear and accurate understanding of
scientific principles underlying the construction and modifications. |
Explanations
by all group members indicate a relatively accurate understanding of
scientific principles underlying the construction and modifications. |
Explanations
by most group members indicate relatively accurate understanding of
scientific principles underlying the construction and modifications. |
Explanations
by several members of the group do not illustrate much understanding of
scientific principles underlying the construction and modifications. |
|
Information
Gathering |
Accurate
information taken from several sources in a systematic manner. |
Accurate
information taken from a couple of sources in a systematic manner. |
Accurate
information taken from a couple of sources but not systematically. |
Information
taken from only one source and/or information not accurate. |
|
Plan
|
Plan
is neat with clear measurements and labeling for all components. |
Plan
is neat with clear measurements and labeling for most components. |
Plan
provides clear measurements and labeling for most components. |
Plan
does not show measurements clearly or is otherwise inadequately labeled. |
|
Construction
-Materials |
Appropriate
materials were selected and creatively modified in ways that made them even
better. |
Appropriate
materials were selected and there was an attempt at creative modification to
make them even better. |
Appropriate
materials were selected. |
Inappropriate
materials were selected and contributed to a product that performed poorly. |
|
Construction
- Care Taken |
Great
care taken in construction process so that the structure is neat, attractive
and follows plans accurately. |
Constuction
was careful and accurate for the most part, but 1-2 details could have been
refined for a more attractive product. |
Construction
accurately followed the plans, but 3-4 details could have been refined for a
more attractive product. |
Construction
appears careless or haphazard. Many details need refinement for a strong or
attractive product. |
|
Journal/Log
- Content |
Journal
provides a complete record of planning, construction, testing, modifications,
reasons for modifications, and some reflection about the strategies used and
the results. |
Journal
provides a complete record of planning, construction, testing, modifications,
and reasons for modifications. |
Journal
provides quite a bit of detail about planning, construction, testing,
modifications, and reasons for modifications. |
Journal
provides very little detail about several aspects of the planning,
construction, and testing process. |
|
Journal/Log
- Appearance |
Several
entries made and all are dated and neatly. |
Several
entries are made and most of the entries are dated and neatly entered. |
Several
entries are made and most of the entries are dated and legible. |
Few
entries are made AND/OR many entries are not dated or very difficult to read.
|