The Universe is everything we can touch, feel, sense, measure or detect. It includes living things, planets, stars, galaxies, dust clouds, light, and even time. ... The Universe contains billions of galaxies, each containing millions or even trillio...
A spacecraft is vehicle that travels in space. Most spacecrafts begin their journey at a launch site site somewhere at on Earth, and they are propelled into space by rockets. Spacecraft are made in many shapes and sizes, and carry different instruments depending on their missions.
Unmanned spacecraft Robotic space have been exploring the Solar System for about 50 years. These computer-controlled craft are packed with instruments and either fly past bodies in the Solar System or orbit them (these crafts are known as orbiters). They send data and images back to Earth.
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Manned spacecraft Astronauts started flying in spacecraft in the 1960s. Early manned spacecraft were small and had Room for one astronaut who could fly for just a single day. Later craft could carry astronauts for many days - and even took them to the Moon. The Apollo 16 spacecraft carried three astronauts on the fifth manned mission to the moon in 1972.
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Landers and rovers Orbiters carry landers - craft that land on the surface of a planet or other body in space. In turn, landers may carry mobile vehicles called rovers, which can explore the body's surface.
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Space station Space stations are places in space where astronauts can live and work. Inside a station, such as the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts float about in weightlessness, while running experiments. The ISS was built from parts provided by five different space agencies, including the USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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Artificial satellites An object that orbits another is called a satellite. There are many natural satellites, or moons, in the Solar System. Since 1957, humans have launched artificial satellites into orbits around Earth. Some are communication satellites while others study the environment or help people find their way around on Earth. Envisat - seen below - uses devices to study Earth's ocean and atmosphere.
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