Student Journal
1. Why is it appropriate that Galileo Galilei is known as a leader in the study of
space?
Scientific space exploration began when Galileo Galilei looked at the night sky
through a telescope in 1610.
2. Why is specialized equipment and transportation needed to further our study of
interplanetary space?
Specialized equipment and transportation is required due to the inhospitable
environmental conditions that exist in interplanetary space.
3. What advancements have been made that allow humans to study and travel to
space?
Space suits, tools, and vehicles were made so astronauts could safely travel
beyond Earth’s surface. Scientists sent men to the Moon in rockets, sent
satellites into orbit around Earth, and sent probes into the solar system. For
many years, the shuttle program took astronauts into orbit around Earth and to
the International Space Station.
4. How has the International Space Station been utilized to help us learn about our
solar system?
Positioned in low Earth orbit, it is a facility for scientists to perform space
research and spacecraft testing.
5. What would be the advantage of using our Moon as a possible base station site
for future space exploration and travel?
In the future, the Moon may be utilized as a station for transporting resources
and needed materials. This would provide an advantage for efforts made to send
missions to another planet.
Student Journal
1. Mission name: Dr. Robert Goddards Liquid Fueled Rocket
Main goal or purpose: Show that using liquid fuel in rockets is possible
Important people associated with mission: Dr. Robert Goddard
Technology or equipment used: Liquid fueled rocket that used liquid gasoline and
liquid oxygen
Manned or unmanned mission? Unmanned
Date (s) mission occurred: March 15, 1926
2. Mission name: Explorer 1
Main goal or purpose: Launch America’s first satellite, perform scientific study,
find the Van Allen Belts.
Important people associated: Dr. Wernher von Brauun: developer of Jupiter C
rocket; Dr. James Van Allen: designer of the scientific payload
Technology or equipment used: Satellite with scientific equipment
Manned or unmanned mission? Unmanned
Date(s) mission occurred: January 31, 1958
3. Mission name: Mercury
Main goal or purpose: Orbit man around Earth, discover whether humans
function in space, return spacecraft and human to Earth safely
Important people associated with mission: Alan Shepard Jr.: first American in
Space, John Glen: first American to orbit Earth
Technology or equipment used: Capsule that could hold one human
Manned or unmanned mission? Manned
Date(s) mission occurred: 1959-1963, first American in Space: May 5, 1961; first
orbital flight: February 20, 1962
4. Mission name: Gemini
Main goal or purpose: Test man and equipment for longer duration in space,
rendezvous and dock two orbiting vehicles, move docked vehicles and improve
launch, reentry, and landing on land
Important people associated with mission: Ed White: first American to perform
EVA, Buzz Aldrin: proved you could work outside a spacecraft safely
Technology or equipment used: Capsule that could hold two humans
Manned or unmanned mission? Manned
Date(s) mission occurred: 1962-1966
5. Mission name: Apollo
Main goal or purpose: Establish needed technology for space, attain dominance
in space for US, scientifically explore the Moon, advance man’s ability to work in
a lunar environment
Important people associated with mission: Neil Armstrong: 1st man on the Moon,
Buzz Aldrin: 2nd man on the Moon
Technology or equipment used: Command module, service module, lunar
module, and lunar rover
Manned or unmanned mission? Manned
Date(s) mission occurred: 1961-1972, first man on the Moon: July 20, 1969
6. Mission name: Saturn V
Main goal or purpose: Use heavy lift rocket designed to launch humans to the
Moon
Important associated people: Dr. Wernher von Brauun
Technology or equipment used: Three stage heavy lift rocket
Manned or unmanned mission? Used in Apollo’s manned missions
Date(s) mission occurred: First launched in 1967
7. Mission name: Space Shuttle
Main goal or purpose: To enable the US to move large cargo and assist with
building the International Space Station and launch other satellites and
equipment, like the Hubble Space Telescope
Important people associated with mission: John Young: 1st to fly in a shuttle,
Sally Ride: 1stAmerican woman in space, Story Musgrave: only astronaut to fly
on all five shuttles, John Glen: oldest person to fly (age of 77), Christa McAuliffe:
teacher lost in Challenger tragedy
Technology or equipment used: Three part mostly reusable stack orbiter crew
and cargo carrier, external tank liquid fuel tank, solid rocket boosters solid fuel
boosters
Manned or unmanned mission? Manned
Date(s) mission occurred: 1981-2011
8. Mission name: International Space Station (ISS)
Main goal or purpose: Serve as a microgravity and space environment research
laboratory
Important people associated with mission: International cooperation between 15
countries and 5 space agencies, including the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan, and
Canada
Technology or equipment used: Multiple living and research areas, solar arrays,
robotic arms, and launch vehicles
Manned or unmanned mission? Manned
Date (s) of occurrence: First crew October 31, 2000
9. Mission name: Mars Curiosity Rover
Main goal or purpose: Search for environmental conditions that allow microbial
life
Important people associated with mission: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Technology or equipment used: Rover with the rocker boogie system, head
mounted cameras and equipment to collect rock and soil, process them, move
them to an onboard testing chamber.
Manned or unmanned mission? Unmanned
Date(s) mission occurred: Landed on August 6, 2012 with a mission duration of
23 months.
Part II: Time Line of Space Exploration
1. Have students review and follow the instructions in Part II of their Student Guide and
complete Part II of their Student Journal.
Student Guide
Put the events from Part I in order to create a timeline of space exploration. Put the
events in chronological order and record in Part II in your Explore Student Journal.
Student Journal
1. Complete the timeline below using the information from the scavenger hunt in Part I. For
each event, write a brief name and a date. Make sure to put the dates in chronological
order (earliest on top).
The missions, events, and projects listed in Part I above are in order, 1-9.