Who was the first man into space?

Yuri Gagarin was the first man to orbit the Earth. On April 12, 1961 the Soviet Union launched him into space, carried by a converted intercontinental ballistic missile. He only made a single orbit of the Earth and landed safely by parachute. 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the space shuttle?

The space shuttle is the first re-usable spacecraft. It was developed to provide a re-usable, and therefore cheaper, vehicle for launching satellites and for other work in space. The shuttle is a bulky delta-winged aircraft with powerful rocket motors. At launch, two solid-fuel booster rockets are strapped to its sides, and a giant fuel tank is fixed to its belly. The rockets and fuel tank fall away after launch, and the rockets are recovered and re-used. In orbit, the shuttle’s cargo bay opens to release satellites or allow the crew to work in space. The shuttle lands on a runway like a conventional aircraft. 

 

 

 

 

What do space satellites do?

Space satellites have revolutionized communications, making possible everyday developments such as mobile phones and television. Communications satellites receive signals beamed at them from the Earth, and send them on to other places. They transmit television and telephone signals around the world, even to remote areas. They are also used for defence communications, including checking on the movement of military forces. Satellites can survey the Earth’s surface, predict weather changes and track hurricanes. They can also help to examine resources such as crops, forests and even minerals. Navigation satellites enable people on land or at sea to work out their exact map position, to within a few metres.