EXPLORATORY SPACESHIPS
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EXPLORATORY SPACESHIPS
The first man-made satellite, "Sputnik I". Space-probes and how they investigate other worlds. Structure of these worlds, their climate, geological composition and magnetic fields. The Moon, Earth’s natural satellite. Launching of satellites to the Moon, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. The "Voyager I" Mission to Jupiter and Saturn. The "Voyager" Mission to Uranus, Neptune and its leaving our Solar System. Those space-probes which send us information from outside our Solar System. Summary.
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INTRODUCTION
- The Soviet Sputnik 1 was the first ever aritficial satellite to be launched.
- Space-probes specifically conceived to approach other planets.
SPACE-PROBES
- Probes are launched in order to learn about the structure, atmosphere, climate, geology, magnetic fields or about other possibly new satellites in these, farflung places.
- These automated space-ships travel for years and are not retrieved when their mission has been completed.
- Upon arriving at its objective, the probe carries out the measurements and the experiments and takes the photographs for which it was programmed and immediately sends that information back to us through space by radio.
HISTORY
- The nearest world to Earth is our natural satellite, the Moon, and it was towards the Moon that the first two probes were directed.
- The Soviets have sent more than 20 space-probes. The first photographs of the dark side of the Moon were taken by Lunik 3.
- Mars : The Mariner Missions took many photographs of the planet’s surface
- The twin probes Viking 1 and Viking 2 set themselves down at different points of the Martian surface.
- Venus: It is only possible to photograph its surface using radar.
- Jupiter: The Pioneer Mission closely approached the enormous, gaseous planet and sent detailed photographs of it and a few of its satellites back to Earth.
- Mercury: In order to arrive there, the vehicle had to fly across Venus and use the planet’s gravitational force in order to get into Mercury’s orbit.
THE VOYAGER MISSION
- The two probes which have provided most knowledge about our Solar System were Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, two identical probes which were launched in 1977.
- Voyager 1 visited Jupiter and Saturn and then left our Solar System. Voyager 2 apart from paying these two gaseous giants a visit, also passed by Uranus and Neptune and has only recently left our Solar System towards worlds beyond
- The Voyagers: Each one of these ships were equipped with the most advanced technology available, they also carried television cameras, radiation sensors, plasma detectors and were charged particle sensors too
- The probes use the planets’ gravity to increase their speed and to start their programmed journeys.
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