How We Know the Features of the Moon
Technology Used to Explore

Rockets – any vehicle that uses a rocket
engine to power it

Satellites – any natural or artificial object that
revolves around another object in space
History of the Rocket

First seen in the 1200’s in China

First used for fireworks in China, then in wars in
Asia/Europe in 1300’s

1903 – Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (Russian
teacher) wrote a paper about liquid-fuel rockets

1926 – Robert Goddard (American) flew the
first liquid-fuel rocket

This continued to be improved upon by
Germans (and used in WW2)
How Do Rockets Work?

Rocket moves forward when gases
expelled from the bottom push it in the
opposite direction (Newton’s Third Law!)
Multistage Rockets
Early rockets used gunpowder – scary!
 Liquid fuel provided more continuous,
slow burning power

 but when fuel is gone, rocket falls to earth

Multistage rockets allow empty stages to
fall to Earth and new stage ignites &
continues to destination
NASA Rocket Styles

Old Rocket Style – 1950’s-60’s
NASA Rocket Styles

Space Shuttle Program 1983-2011 (reusable!)
What Will NASA Use Next?

Rocket Comparison – past, present, future
Artificial Satellites

Used for :
 Communication (phone, etc.)
 Navigation (GPS!)
 Collecting weather data,
 Research
 Troop movements

May be in geosynchronous orbit so they
seem to “hover” above same spot
Satellite History

October, 1957 – Soviet Union launched first
satellite to orbit Earth called Sputnik
 Sputnik 1 – revolved around earth every 96 minutes

January, 1958 – US launched Explorer 1 into
orbit

April, 1961 – Yuri Gagarin (Soviet) became
first person in space

Since 1957 thousands of
satellites have been
launched into orbit
Space Stations

Large satellite where people can live for long periods

1971 - Salyut (Soviet) was first space station

1973 – US launched Skylab with telescopes and
experiments

1986 – Russia launched Mir

Currently 16 countries cooperate
to build/work on International
Space Station
Missions to the Moon
1961 - President John F. Kennedy launches
space program
 Space Race

 1964-1972: US & Russia launch dozens of
rockets to explore moon surface
 Surveyor spacecraft showed moon surface
was solid (didn’t sink when it landed!)
•
Lunar orbiters took pictures to
find smooth surface for rocket
landing
1st Moon Landing

July 20, 1969: Apollo 11
 Neil Armstron & Buzz Aldrin used the Eagle
(lunar modlue) to land in the Sea of
Tranquility
 “The Eagle has landed!”
 “That’s one small step for man; one giant
leap for mankind.”
Other Manned Moon Landings
Findings From Moon Missions

Most of what we know came from
studying the 382 kg of moon rocks
brought back
 Most rocks are cooled molten material –
evidence that surface was very hot
 Many were broken and reformed –
evidence of heavy meteoroid
bombardment
 Seismometers detected weak
moonquakes
 Instrument showed moon is almost
completely cooled
Findings From Moon Missions
Pictures from far side show it is rougher than
near side
 Far side has fewer maria
 1994 – Clementine took pictures with different
filters to determine mineral content
 1998 – Lunar Prospector found evidence of
frozen ice in lunar soil near lunar poles
