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Aardvark Communications:
A Practical Guide to Astronomy
Rockets & Probes
Escape Velocity= 25,000 mph. to escape the Earth's gravity.
The German's used V2 Rockets to bomb London during the latter part of WWII. After the war, rockets were then used to focus on travelling off the Earth. Laika, a dog, was the first animal in space when it was launched, aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957. The rocket orbited the Earth for a week.
In 1961, the Russians put the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut that went up in a rocket called Vostok 1. It was a 108 minute flight.
The same year, John F. Kennedy announced plans by the US to send a man to the Moon before the end of the decade. That dream came true on July 20, 1969.
All Aboard!
If we are to establish a base on Mars, we would have to stockpile supplies before we could send people up there. Since the planets are aligned at an optimum of every two years, and the trip would take 6 months to travel 50 million miles, we must plan carefully. It is likely that a base is established in our life time.
Space Sations
Mir-Launched by the Russians in 1986, this base has been manned since its launch.
Skylab-Launched in 1972 by the US, this space station circled 270 miles above the Earth. It fell from the sky in 1979.
Major Space Probes
- 1959-Luna 1, 2, 3 launched by USSR, successfully probes the Moon.
- 1965-Mariner, launched by USA took pictures of Mars.
- 1966-Luna 9, (USSR) landed on the Moon.
- 1967-Venera 4, (USSR) landed on Venus.
- 1974-75 Mariner 10 flew past Mercury 3 times.
- 1976-Viking 1 & 2 (USA) landed on Mars.
- 1977-Voyager 1 & 2 are launched.
- 1978-Veneras 11 & 12, and two Pioneer probes visited Venus.
- 1979-Voyager 1 (USA) by-passed Jupiter.
- 1980-Voyager 1 by-passed Saturn and is now out of our solar system. It also carrying messages in case it is found by Aliens.
- 1986-Voyager 2 by-passed Uranus. Giotto (USA) was sent to check out Haley's Comet.
- 1989-Voyager 2 by-passed Neptune. Galileo (USA) was launched, bound for Jupiter.
Cobe was launched. It detects other galactic matter with microwave technology.
- Magellan (USA) was launched, sending back detailed info of Venus.
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