space exploration Flashcards
1 light year is
the distance travelled by light in 1 year
1 light year calculation is
3 x 10to the power 8 x 60 x 24 x 365 = 9.47 x 10to the power 15 metres
the universe began
13.7 billion years ago in the big bang- we know this due to the expansion of our universe today
planet is
a body in orbit around a star
dwarf planet is
a body too small to be a planet
moon is
a body in orbit around a planet
a star is
a huge ball of gas which fuses hydrogen at its core
exoplanet is
a planet in orbit around a star outside of our solar system
galaxy is
a collective of billions of stars
universe is
galaxies, stars, planets… everything in space
asteroid is
an orbiting object even smaller than a dwarf planet
solar system consists of
a central star orbited by planets
challenges of space travel include:
- travelling large distances
- manouvering a space craft in a zero friction environment
- maintaining sufficien power + energy to operate life support systems in a space craft
- travelling large distances using a catapult from a fast moving asteroid, moon or planet
risks of manned space exploration:
- large volumes of fuel on take off
- potential exposure to radiation
- pressure differencial
- lack of oxygen
- high temps during re entry through an atmosphere
- cold temps in space
benefits of satellites:
- global positioning systems (GPS)
- satellite tv
- scientific discovery (e.g. the hubble + ISS)
- weather forecasting and monitoring
- inter-continental communications
