SPAATZ AEROSPACE 25, 26, 27 Flashcards
Planet closest to the Sun-36 million miles from the Sun
Mercury
Revolves around the sun every 88 days
Mercury
Mariner 10 visited
Mercury
Has a rocky, crusty surface with many craters resembling the craters of Earth’s Moon
Mercury
Iron core that extends through most of the planet
Mercury
Second planet from the Sun and is nearest to Earth in both distance and size
Venus
Orbits the Sun once every 225 Earth days and takes an astounding 240 Earth days to complete one rotation on its axis
Venus
Virtually covered in a thick blanket of clouds
Venus
Only planet to rotate clockwise
Venus
Solar system’s hottest planet with a surface temperature of almost 900° F
Venus
Most visited by our spacecraft
Venus
Moons period of orbit around earth
27 Days, 7 Hours, 43 Minutes
Missions that sent 12 astronauts to the moon
Apollo
Moon creator. Measures 1,200 feet deep and is 1 mile wide
Hadley Rille
Dark gray rock with tiny holes from which gas has escaped
Basalt
This rock is composed almost entirely of one mineral, feldspar
Anorthosite
A combination rock formed when meteorites broke up the surface and the pieces were welded together by the heat and pressure of impact processes
Breccia
Also called the Red Planet, appears as a small
Mars
The atmosphere is very thin and is composed mainly of carbon dioxide. Has about half of the gravity of Earth
Mars
Surface is covered with deserts, high mountains, deep craters and huge volcanoes
Mars
Planet that has the highest known mountain in our solar system. It is over 400 miles across and 17 miles high (about 90,000 feet high)
Mars
Planet that has the highest known mountain in our solar system. It is over 400 miles across and 17 miles high (about 90,000 feet high)
Mars
Has two moons, which are called Deimos (Terror) and Phobos (Fear)
Mars
Moved around the surface of the planet to investigate the atmosphere and the composition of the Martian rocks and soil
Sojourner
The largest planet in the solar system. It has three times the mass of all of the other eight planets put together
Jupiter
Rotates very quickly, about every 10 hours. This causes a flattening effect at the poles and a bulging effect at the Equator
Jupiter
A giant hurricane-like storm that is 30,000 miles long and 10,000 miles wide
Giant Red Spot
There are 16 known moons, with four that are much larger than the rest. These four are called the Galilean moons, named after their discoverer, Galileo
Jupiter
It revolves in about 11 Earth years
Jupiter
Only planet known to have a strong magnetic field and radiation belts
Jupiter
Second largest planet in the solar system
Saturn
They are made of icy chunks of rock ranging from tiny particles to large boulders.Made of hundreds of narrow ringlets. About 1 mile thick and extends about 250,000 miles from the planet
Saturns rings
The first five rings were discovered by
Galileo
Has an icy rock core surrounded by metallic hydrogen with an outer layer of hydrogen and helium
Saturn
Takes over 29 years to revolve around the Sun
Saturn
Has 18 known moons, all but one of which are covered with craters and icy surfaces
Saturn
Has an atmosphere of nitrogen and methane. It is the only moon in the solar system to have its own atmosphere
Titain
The only planet in our solar system that is less dense than water
Saturn
Has a rocky core surrounded by water, ammonia and methane, in both ice and liquid forms
Uranus
Rotates once every 18 hours, but unlike the other planets, it spins sideways
Uranus
Taking 84 years to orbit the Sun, when the Sun rises on the North Pole, it stays up for 42 years and then is in darkness for 42 years
Uranus
The sunlit hemisphere radiates large amounts of ultraviolet light
Dayglow
Outermost of the gas planets, is the fourth largest planet in the solar system
Neptune
Takes 165 Earth years to complete an orbit
Neptune
Most windy planet in the solar system
Neptune
Has eight moons, the largest of which is Triton
Neptune
Is about the size of Mars, and rotates on its axis in about 6.5 Earth days
Pluto
It has one known satellite (Charon—discovered in 1978), just over half the size of the planet itself
Pluto
The planet’s orbit is inclined to the plane of the ecliptic 17 degrees, bringing the planet inside the orbit of Neptune for twenty years of its 249-year orbit
Pluto
The only ‘planet’ in the solar system that rotates synchronously with its satellite
Pluto
Rocky and metallic objects orbiting the Sun, too small to be considered planets
Asteriods
Discovered the first asteroid in 1801
Guiseppe Piazi
A small, irregularly shaped body whose tiny nucleus is composed of water, ice, rock and frozen gases. Travel in highly elliptical orbits that take them very close to the Sun and swing them into deep space, often beyond the orbit of the planet Pluto
Comet
First suggested that comets were members of our solar system. After studying historical writings of sightings of bright objects in the sky, he predicted the appearance of a comet in 1758
Sir Edmund Halley
Bits and clumps of matter orbit the Sun and cross, or exist within, the path swept by cislunar space as the Earth/Moon system revolves around the Sun
Meteoroids
The very small, dust-particle size bits of matter
Micrometeorites
Sars that are not stable; they flare, subside and flare again. This type of existence has been observed just before the star “dies.”
Nova
When a star gives up great mass in one giant explosion of light and energy
Supernova
Also known as a pulsating star because it flashes electromagnetic emissions (radio or other waves) in a set pattern
Pulsar
Vast clouds of matter which have not yet formed
Dark nebulae
Studded with stars, and thus, send forth brilliant arrays of color
Bright nebulae
If it can’t emit some type of radiation, it is known as a…
Black hole
United States would place several small satellites into orbit during the International Geophysical Year (IGY)
Vanguard
The world’s first artificial satellite
Sputnik
Sputnik 2 carried a…
Dog
Established as the agency to lead America’s civilian space program, while the Department of Defense retained responsibility for space projects necessary for national security
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Means the agreement is between two nations
Bilateral
Generally more powerful because they involve many nations
Multinational treaty
Those practices accepted by nations as the right way to act
Customs
First principle of space law
Freedom of use
Idea that all nations should have access to space. Thus, no nation should be allowed to prevent another from gaining access
Freedom of use
Second principle of space law
Non-appropriation
The idea is that no one owns any part of space
Non-appropriation
Third principle of space law
Common interests
It concerns the use of space. Since space belongs to all mankind, all nations should share its benefits
Common interests
The Treaty on the Principles of the Activity of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
1967 Outer Space Treaty
Both the US and the USSR agreed not to develop or test ABM systems
ABM Treaty
The first effort to regulate space in the United States. It was signed into law in 1958. Best known for founding the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it is the legal basis for military and civil space activities
National Aeronautics and Space Act (NASA Act)
To promote private sector activity and investment in space. It sought to create a single agency to regulate commercial space
Commercial Space Launch Act (CSLA)
This act was designed to commercialize the government LANDSAT Program
Land Remote Sensing Commercialization Act (LANDSAT Act)
An Earth observation satellite that produces special digital images. The images are valuable for monitoring crop growth, pollution and deforestation
LANDSAT
A United Nations organization that regulates international communications
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
A natural or artificial object that orbits around the Earth
Satellite
These satellites relay and amplify signals
Communication
These satellites send positional data and timing to special receivers, which can then calculate their own position
Navigation
These satellites look at the Earth, collect information and relay it to ground stations
Observation
These satellites collect information about the universe
Scientific
A very large reflective balloon placed in orbit in 1960. It extended the range of line-of-sight signals by bouncing them back to earth
Echo 1
Operated for only 13 days. But its messages excited the people of our nation
Score
This active early communications satellite was the first of the repeater types. It received signals from ground stations, amplified them, then rebroadcast the signals to receiving stations on Earth
Courier 1B
It added Italy and Brazil to the growing list of countries receiving broadcasts from satellites in outer space
Relay 1
Was the first test of the commercial value of communications satellites. In 1962, was placed into orbit for Bell Telephone. It was an active satellite that amplified and retransmitted as many as 60 two-way telephone conversations at one time
Telstar 1
It operates as a commercial cooperative, linking the world’s telecommunications networks together via a global satellite system of geostationary satellites
International Telecommunications satellite organization, INTELSAT
Satellites relays video, voice, data, and facsimile information worldwide
Galaxy series
Dedicated to distributing cable television programming
Galaxy 1
Designed to update the inertial navigation system on Polaris submarines
TRANSIT
System consists of a constellation of 24 orbiting satellites, a worldwide satellite control network and GPS receiver units that pick up signals from these satellites and translate them into position information
Global positioning system
Measure temperatures at the surface and in the atmosphere. They also measure cloud cover and moisture levels. Some even measure lightning strikes
Weather satellites
Their cameras provided the first large-scale weather photographs of Earth
Tiros
It measures radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere. This data is used to determine climatic changes
Nimbus
A satellite that observes radiant energy
Multi-spectrum-imaging Satellites
Locate natural resources and monitor other conditions on the Earth’s surface
LANDSAT
This satellite monitors the activities of people on the surface of the Earth
Reconnaissance Satellites
Orbit for the sole purpose of gaining information
Scientific Satellites
Discovered the Van Allen radiation belts
Explorer 1
Provided more information about radiation in space. It also investigated micrometeoroids in its flight path
Explorer 3
Gave us the first photograph of Earth from space
Explorer 6
For over one year, it transmitted data on 75 solar flares that occurred during its lifetime
OSO 1
Broadened scientists’ understanding of the universe
Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO)
Was orbited to investigate the sources and intensities of high-energy radiation that are at the very far end of the electromagnetic spectrum
High-Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)
The mission of this satellite was to study the reactions between sunlight and Earth’s atmosphere
Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME)
A scientific satellite designed to study Earth radiation and the interaction of the Earth with radiation energy received from the Sun
Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS)
Spacecraft that either fly by, orbit or land on a celestial body, other than Earth
Probes
This was an early series of probes intended to investigate the Moon by taking pictures of the Moon as the spacecraft approached on a direct impact course
Rangers
These were soft-landers in that they carried retro-rockets that slowed them sufficiently to land undamaged MOON
The Surveyors
This family of probes was used to investigate the inner planets
The Mariners
Have probed both the outer and inner planets
The Pioneers
To explore the environment of Mars. Each probe consisted of an orbiter and a lander
Vikings
Gave us greatly improved pictures and data of outerplanets
Voyagers
It was sent to explore Halley’s Comet. It streaked within 450 km of Halley’s nucleus
Giotto
It was the first of NASA’s several low-cost planetary Discovery missions. It is designed to orbit Mars for a two-year period. Its purpose is to map and collect information about the surface of Mars
Mars Global Surveyor
Second of NASA’s low-cost planetary Discovery missions. It consists of a stationary lander and a surface rover. The primary objective is proving the feasibility of low-cost landings on and exploration of the Martian surface
Mars Pathfinder
The mission was the first to take direct measurements from within Jupiter’s atmosphere. When it arrived, it injected a probe into Jupiter’s atmosphere. The probe measured cloud temperatures, chemistry and electrical activity
Galileo
America’s first manned space flight program
Project Mercury
Mission was to find out if a human could survive space travel and what, if any, effects would space travel have on the human body
Mercury
First American in space
Alan Shepard
First American to orbit the Earth
John Glenn
Project objectives were to improve techniques needed for a lunar mission, put two persons in space, rendezvous and dock with another spacecraft, and achieve the first walk in space
Project Gemini
Mission would be to put a man on the Moon
Apollo
First man to walk on the Moon
Neil Armstrong
Mission was to put a laboratory into space
Project skylab
Involved a linkup in space of an American and a Soviet manned spacecraft
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
First man to walk in space
Aleksei Leonov
Provided a system for transportation into space and a return back to Earth
Space Shuttle
The first American woman in space
Dr. Sally Ride
The first man in space
Major Yuri Gagarin
The first woman, into space
Valentina Tereshkova
Soviet man paced flight program that put the first man into space
Vostok
Launched in October of 1964, and was a three-man capsule
Voskhod
Spacecraft were designed for docking in space. Consisted of three modules: an instrument module with the rocket engines, an orbital module and a descent module
Soyuz
First woman to space walk
Svetlana Savitskaya
Soviet space station program
Salyut
Second soviet space station
Mir
First american space station
Skylab
An orbiting laboratory designed by the European Space Agency to be flown in the Space Shuttle’s cargo bay
Spacelab
Designed to provide long-term data on the space environment and its effects on space systems and operations
Long Duration Exposure Facility
Older than rocks on the Earth
Lunar rocks
Found mainly on the moon’s plains
Basalt
Composed mostly of feldspar
Anorthosite
Abundant on the moon; rare on earth
Natural glass
Three new minerals discovered on moon
Pyroxferroite, armalcolite, tranquillityite
Makes up the highlands of the moon
Anorthosite
