Rockets and Satellites

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

How Rockets Work

• A rocket moves forward when gas expelled from the rear of a rocket pushes it in the opposite direction

• Basic law of physics– For every force, or action, there is an equal

and opposite force or reaction.

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Rockets in Space

• A rocket moves forward when gases expelled from the rear of the rocket push it in the opposite direction

• In a rocket, fuel is burned to make a hot gas

• This hot gas is forced out of narrow nozzles in the back of the rocket, propelling the rocket forward

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Multistage Rockets

• First rockets were developed by the Chinese in the year 1000– They used gunpowder for fuel– Gunpowder burned quickly – so there was not

enough to get the rocket out of the atmosphere

– Gunpowder is extremely explosive

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Robert H. Goddard

• American Scientist

• In the 1920s he experimented with fuels and found a liquid fuel that provided continuous power

EQ: How do rockets travel in

space?

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky• Russian Scientist

• Developed a rocket that breaks apart as fuel is used

• Once a stage uses up its fuel, the container drops off and the next stage ignites

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Saturn V

• Carried astronauts to the moon

• Developed in 1950s and 1960s

• Multistage rocket

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Artificial Satellites

• October 4, 1957 – Soviet Union successfully launched a satellite into orbit around the earth

• Satellite – a natural or artificial object that revolves around an object in space

• The name of the satellite was Sputnik 1

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Yuri Gagarin

• First person in space

• Orbited earth on April 12, 1961

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Geosynchronous Orbits• Orbits that hold

satellites that revolve around the earth at the same rate the Earth rotates

• Used to relay tv signals and map weather patterns

NASA began development of new communication satellites in 1960, based on the hypothesis that geosynchronous satellites, which orbit Earth 22,300 miles (35,900 km) above the ground, offered the best location because the high orbit allowed the satellites' orbital speed to match the rotation speed of Earth and therefore remain essentially stable over the same spot.

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Space Station

• Large space satellite in which people live for long periods of time

• International Space Station– Built by 16

countries

EQ: How do rockets travel in

space?

Space Shuttle Reusable space rocket

used to “shuttle” back and forth between earth and space to launch astronauts and equipment into space

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?

Class Work and Homework

Fill In – What did I learn– Confused– Say

Read pages J 35 – J38

Review and Reinforce worksheet

EQ: How do rockets travel in space?