Space Exploration
Introduction
Since the 1950's, humans have been moving off this planet and into space: first in earth orbits, then to the moon, and most recently toward neighboring planets. But what is involved in escaping earth's gravitational pull? How easy is it to get into space? What are the consequences, both positive and negative, of this exploration?
Guiding Question
Can we afford to explore space? Can we afford not to?
Questions
1. What
happened to the Space Shuttle Challenger?
2. How do
shuttle launches effect the ozone layer?
3. How much
does space travel really cost?
4. What are the
affects of life in space on humans?
5. What new
technologies have been generated by humans trying to explore space?
6. How has
space exploration benefited world politics?
(in terms of cooperation, exchange of information, peaceful
coexistence)
7. How has
space exploration hurt world politics?
8. How many
countries can travel in space?
9. What
resources can we exploit via space travel?
10. What
scientific discoveries can only be made by space travel?
11. What are
the long term goals for humans in space?
12. How do
countries without space travel feel about the exploration of space?
13. What are
the positive results of having objects in orbit?
14. What are
the negative results of having objects in orbit?
15. What are
the benefits of extra-planetary exploration?
16. What are
the drawbacks?
17. What was
the controversy over the Cassini probe?
18. How much
energy is required to escape the earth's orbit?
19. What
dangers do machines in space need to be protected from?
20. How much
does such protection cost?
21. What
dangers do living organisms in space need protection from?
22. How much
does such protection cost?
23. What
happened to the Space Shuttle Columbia?
24. What have
current explorations of Mars revealed?
25. What are
plans for a manned mission to Mars?
26. What other
countries (besides the
27. What other space missions (besides Mars) ahve
been undertaken since the year 2000? (
Internet Resources
The
Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, 1986
CASSINI/HUYGENS
MISSION TO SATURN
Cassini
Spacecraft Mission Safety
Space Trash Threatens Satellites
Chronology
of Lunar and Planetary Exploration
Stop
Cassini: NASA'S Deadly Plutonium Probe
Other
Spacefaring Nations
THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE EXPLORATION
AND PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE
Remote sensing satellite technology reaches new heights
Practical
Benefits From Space Exploration
Shuttle and
Ozone
Space Travel's Effects on Humans
Orbital
Debris
How much money has NASA spent for space research?
Humanity's Future in Space
The Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle Columbia
What happened to the Space Shuttle Columbia.
The Space Shuttle Columbia accident
Hearing on the
Space Shuttle Columbia
HAARP and
the Space Shuttle Columbia
Bush
proposal to send man to Mars
The Mars Society
The water trail in
Mars
Martian Soil
Twin Mars Explorations Rovers
Exploration of Mars
European probe heads for
Mars
Russia
helped China prepare for manned space mission
Chinese
Space Programme
Ellen Koivisto, Teacher, and Derek Chiu, AP student, collaborated to develop this web hunt.