Space Travel JSS1 Basic Science Lesson Note

• Meaning of space travel
• Purpose of space travel
•  Benefits of space travel
•  Dangers of space travel

Meaning of space travel

Space travel is the act of going to the moon or planets or orbiting the Earth in a special craft called a spaceship. It is also traveling to outer space beyond the Earth.

The space travelers are called ASTRONAUTS. On the 21st of July, 1969, Neil Armstrong, an American became the first human being to step onto the moon. He was followed on the same day by another American named Edwin Aldrin. They stayed on the moon for 21 hours 36 minutes before they lifted. The second moon landing took place in December 1972 when two Americans, Eugene Ceman and Harrison Schmitt stayed a total of 74 hours and 59 minutes on the moon’s surface. These astronauts wore special protective uniforms with oxygen masks for breathing.

Most experiments in space are currently carried out in space stations or space labs. These space stations are very large space rockets that can accommodate many people and are equipped to perform scientific experiments. Astronauts who work on these space stations usually stay for a period of six months to one year after which they are replaced by other astronauts.

The spaceship is moved by rockets. After leaving the earth’s atmosphere, gravity no longer pulls the spaceship to the earth. The astronauts wear special dresses called suits and it helps them to maintain the earth’s atmospheric pressure around their bodies throughout space

OF SPACE AND THE REGION’S OUTSIDE THE EARTH’S SURFACE

Space refers to the region of our environment outside the earth’s crust. There are three important regions outside the earth’s surface. These are:

1.     The troposphere: It starts from the surface of the earth and extends to a height of about 16,000 meters. Most of the air and water vapour in our environment are found in this region. As one goes up in the troposphere, the temperature falls and it therefore becomes cooler.
2.     The stratosphere: It is the region directly above the troposphere. The region contains very little air. The temperature of this region does not fall as one goes up in this region
3.     The ionosphere: It is the upper part of the atmosphere. It contains mainly charged particles. The ionosphere is very useful to man because it enables the reflection and transmission of radio waves and signals around the world.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OUTER SPACE

1. Light from the sun passes through the outer space.
2. There is no force of gravity in the outer space
3. The outer space is void or empty
4. Sound does not pass through outer space, therefore outer space is always quite
5. Outer space is very large and beyond our imagination.

Purpose of space travel

1.     It helps to watch everything that is happening in the world on the television e.g. football games, basketball games, etc. at the same time, the events are being carried out
2.     Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space
3.     Space travel is because of man’s curiosity it is a desire to find out the nature of life on other planets.
4.     The need for more knowledge of the climate and vegetation of the earth is another reason for space travel.
5.     The landing of equipment called satellites in space has also led to the improvement in communication

Benefits of space travel

1.     The main benefit is the collection of scientific information about the Earth and the other planets
2.     Production of special computers
3.     Production of photographic equipment such as X-ray and gamma-ray
4.     Production of telecommunication equipment
5.     Production of remote sensing equipment to guide spacecraft e.g. rocket
6.     Production of rocket or aircraft fuels

Dangers of space travel

Space travel is risky. If anything goes wrong, one or more lives will be lost.

The dangers of space travel can be caused by the following problems

1.     Explosion of rockets at the launch pad
2.     Failure of some necessary equipment in the spaceship to function well.
3.     Inability of the rocket to reach escape velocity
4.     Wrong calculation of angle, speed, and time of launching
5.     Explosion of rockets in flight

PROBLEMS OF SPACE TRAVEL

1.     High speed: Astronauts have to be trained to adapt to the high speed of space travel so that they can think and work normally while traveling in space.
2.     Complicated calculation: There are a lot of calculations involved before a spaceship can be launched correctly at an angle, speed, and time to arrive at its destination. This is because the earth, the moon, and all the planets are always in rapid motion.
3.     Loss of weight: The force of gravity is not felt in space, therefore it is very difficult for astronauts to stand or walk as they do on Earth.
4.     Lack of basic needs of life: The basic needs of life such as water, oxygen, food, etc. are not available in space, therefore oxygen and water must be made available in the spaceship to last for the period of the trip in space.
5.     Escape velocity: Rockets require escape velocity to escape from the attraction of the earth or the force of gravity
6.     Force of gravity: The force of gravity makes it difficult for any spacecraft to escape the earth’s surface easily. It has to be at a very high speed before the spacecraft can be allowed to leave the earth’s surface.

CLASSWORK 5

1.     What is a space?
2.     Mention the three regions of space
3.     State 5 dangers of space travel