Rockets
reaction
• Ion drives
– engines that use xenon gas instead of chemical fuel
– xenon is electrically charged in the engine, accelerated, then
emitted as exhaust
– exhaust creates thrust which pushes spacecraft in opposite
direction
• Gravitational Assist
– fly a spacecraft toward a planet or star, then at the last minute pull
around it and away… creating a slingshot effect that shoots the
craft forward in the desired direction
Space Craft
• space shuttles are used to transport
people into space
• space probes are used for ‘non-manned’
exploration of space – they carry
instruments for recording info
– e.g. Pioneer 11 – flyby of Jupiter and Saturn
in 1974 - 79
– e.g. Mars Pathfinder – landed on Mars in
2000
• space stations are orbiting space craft
that have living quarters, work areas,
support systems… to allow for people to
live and work in space for extended
periods of time
Satellites and Probes
• natural satellites such as the moon
• man-made satellites such as used for
communication
– Communication satellites – “wireless”
technologies
– Observation and research satellites –
weather, tracking systems (e.g. radar)
– Remote sensing – imaging of earth surface
– Global Positioning Systems
Satellite Orbits
• Low Earth Orbit
– 200 – 1000 km altitude
– e.g. remote sensing satellites
• Geosynchronous Orbits
– medium or high Earth orbit
– satellite moves at the same
rate as the Earth… so it
records the same area of
the Earth at all times
– e.g. weather satellites
• Geostationary Orbits
– medium or high Earth orbit
– satellite stays in one place
while the Earth moves… so it
records a different area of
the Earth over time
– e.g. communication satellites
Hazards of Space Travel
• Launch hazards – combustion of fuel and
escape of Earth’s gravity are risky
• Cosmic and solar radiation – medically
hazardous for human health
• Collisions – natural hazards and man made
(space junk)
• Re-entry into an atmosphere – risk of burning
up due to friction of Earth’s atmosphere on
craft
• Fuel expenditure – running out of fuel
Living in Space
• Sustainable food and water supply
– need sophisticated wastewater recycling
capabilities to produce drinking water
– food provides high energy for low volume
and weight
• Environmental setting
– steady temperature, pressure & humidity
– passing electricity through water to
produce oxygen
• Waste management
– removing carbon dioxide from air
– filtering micro-organisms and dust from air
– handling biological waste and garbage
• Safety
– space is a vacuum – no air or water
– detection for fire, leaks, incoming risks like
meteorites
– protection from radiation and cold
– systems to handle emergencies like a fire
or loss of pressure/air
Water Recycling System –
International Space Station
• Refracting Telescope
– uses mirrors to gather
and focus the light
Radio Telescope
• resemble a large satellite dish
• gather radio waves
• advantage over optical telescopes,
because they are not affected by
weather, clouds, atmosphere or
pollution
• have greatly expanded our
knowledge of our solar system and
galaxy
Interferometry