Space Exploration - Section 2

Question 1

What have the three biggest challenges of exploring space been?

Answer 1

To go fast enough to achieve orbit around Earth or break free of Earths gravity to travel to other planets

To keep equipment operating in the extreme environment of space

To transport people out and safely back

Question 2

How do rockets fly?

Answer 2

Use gas under pressure confined in a chamber or tank

An opening in the chamber allows the gas to released, producing thrust and causing the rocket to be propelled in the opposite direction

Question 3

What are three basic components of rockets?

Answer 3

Structural and Mechanical Element
Fuel
Payload

Question 4

What are structural and mechanical elements in a rocket?

Answer 4

Is everything from the rocket itself to engines, storage, tanks, and the fins on the outside

Question 5

What are fuel elements in a rocket?

Answer 5

Can be any number of materials, including liquid oxygen, gasoline, and liquid hydrogen

Question 6

What are payload elements in a rocket?

Answer 6

Refers to the material needed for the flight, including crew cabins, food, water, air and people

Question 7

What are ion drives?

Answer 7

Engines that use xenon gas instead of chemical fuel

Question 8

What are the pros and cons to ion drives?

Answer 8

Pros: the thrust from an ion drives lasts an extremely long time, the amount of fuel required is about 1/10 of what is used by a typical spacecraft

Cons: the thrust generated is 10 000 Times weaker than the thrust achieved by chemically fuelled rocket engines

Question 9

What are solar sails?

Answer 9

Instead of harnessing air currents for energy, solar sails would use Suns light

Question 10

What are the three types of spacecraft in use?

Answer 10

Shuttles
Space Probes
Space Stations

Question 11

What are shuttles?

Answer 11

Transport personnel and equipment to orbiting spacecraft

Question 12

What are space probes?

Answer 12

Contain instrumentation for carrying out robotic exploration of space

Question 13

What are space stations?

Answer 13

Orbiting spacecraft that have living quarters, with areas, and all support systems needed to allow people to live and work in space for extended periods

Question 14

What is the International Space Station?

Answer 14

Serves as a permanent lab and building/launch site for interplanetary rockets

Question 15

What are some environmental hazards to space?

Answer 15

Damaging effects of cosmic rays and solar radiation
Risk of being hit with meteoroids
There is no atmosphere so temperatures can range from extremely cold to extremely hot
The gases that we require to live do not exist in space
There is no atmospheric pressure, which helps us regulate our heartbeats

Question 16

What is microgravity?

Answer 16

Is a condition in which the gravitational forces that act on mass are greatly reduced

Question 17

What changes can the body undergo in conditions of weightlessness?

Answer 17

Bones have much less pressure on them than normal and so they expand
The heart does not have to pump as hard to circulate blood
Muscles used for waking and lifting do not get used as much and therefore weaken

Question 18

What does every spacesuit need to be equipped with?

Answer 18

Air, water, a heating and cooling system and maybe a portable toilet
Must be flexible to allow the astronaut to grasp a wrench or twist a bolt

Question 19

What do space stations need to be equipped with?

Answer 19

Clean water, breathable air, comfortable temperatures and air pressure
Must carry its own source of power

Question 20

How do space stations recycle water?

Answer 20

Certain devices can recycle almost 100% of the water in the station
This includes wastewater, water used for hygiene and moisture in the air

Question 21

What are some things devices can do to help people on the space station?

Answer 21

Recycle wastewater to produce drinking water
Using recycled water to produce oxygen
Removing carbon dioxide from the air
Filtering micro-organisms and dust from the air
Keeping the air pressure, temperature, and humidity stable

Question 22

What is electrolysis?

Answer 22

The process of using electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen

Question 23

What are satellites?

Answer 23

Objects that are built and sent into the Earths orbit by humans

Question 24

What are natural satellites?

Answer 24

Any small body that orbits a larger body, such as a moon orbiting a planet