This site is part of the Science Museum's	STEM Project	and it was completed by a student of North London Collegiate School,	based on a visit to the 'Exploration of Space' Gallery, and called
			The Development of Space Travel and the First Moon Landing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is the 'space race' between the ex-Soviet Union and USA still going on?

A. Well, the Soviet Union is no more - now the main 'competitor' is Russia. But due to its financial and political problems, it has fallen behind, although it still manages to 'hang on' to the world-famous space station Mir. The 'space race' was brought to an end around the early 1970s, having reached its climax in the mid-1960s (see also First Man on the Moon).

Q. How high is space?

A. Officially, space begins 100km (60 miles) above Earth. The planet's layer of air, the atmosphere, densest near the ground and fades with height. Temperature also changes with height. The atmosphere can be divided into several parts. The troposphere, which begins 16km (10 miles) above sea level, has a temperature of around minus 50ºC. The stratosphere begins roughly about 50km (about 30 miles) above sea level, and temperatures are around 0°C. Higher up, 64km (40 miles) above sea level, begins the mesosphere, where temperatures can reach minus 75°C. And lastly, temperatures reach 225°C to 1,475°C in the thermosphere, 160km (100 miles) above sea level.

Q. How fast does a space craft have to travel to overcome Earth's gravity force?

A. The escape velocity for any object is 40,000km/h (25,000 mph). However, as the rocket leaves the Earth atmosphere and gravity, it needs less and less thrust to keep up the same speed (see Rocket). Also, the rocket's own mass becomes less as it uses up its propellants.

Q. What is a geostationary/geosynchronous orbit?

A. The geostationary orbit (GTO) is used for communications, broadcasting and navigation satellites. The orbital speed of a satellite varies according to its height, and at a distance of 35,680km (22,300 miles) above the Equator, the speed is such that it takes exactly one day to complete an orbit (the satellite's speed is 1,685km/h (1050mph)). This means that the satellite travels around the Earth at the same rate as the Earth itself and so, appears to 'hang' over the same spot on the Earth's surface. But not all satellites use this orbit. There are an infinite number of orbits, from few hundred to many thousands of kilometres nigh, from circular to elliptical, from over the Equator, to over the Poles. The question is: Which orbit is the right one for this particular satellite?

Q. Is there such a thing as a space plane?

A. Yes, there are space planes, such as the British Hotol and the American Orient Express. These space planes take off like aircraft and fly through the atmosphere into space. They could be used to carry payloads into low Earth orbits, or developed for use as intercontinental transport. Speeds of the order of 30,000km/h (18,500mph) could be achieved, and a space plane of this type could fly to Sydney, Australia in around forty-five minutes.

An artist's impression of Hotol

Q. Has Britain launched many spacecraft?

A. The Black Arrow (see Virtual Tour of the Gallery) was Britain's first and only satellite launch vehicle. It successfully launched the British X3 (Prospero) satellite into orbit on 28^th November 1971. However, even though Britain does not launch its own rockets, it can still use Europe's Ariane rocket.

  © The Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library

Q. Are there any serious hazards in space travel?

A. Space travel is an extremely harmful and dangerous venture. The main dangers are the high temperatures, radiation from the Sun, low pressure, shortage of oxygen (what if your supplies run out?), not to mention micrometeoroids.

Q. Why not reduce the amount of money spent on space exploration and increase spending on social programmes?

A. NASA's funding represents about one penny out of every dollar in the U.S. federal budget (down from a peak of four cents per dollar at the height of the Apollo program in the late 1960s). Diverting this money into social programs would provide a very minimal increase for those immediate funding needs, while eliminating resources for one of the few federal agencies devoted to the future. Such a move could forfeit new solutions to our social and economic problems in favour of the limited means that we already know.

Q. What do astronauts do during space walking?

A. Working outside the spacecraft is called extravehicular activity (EVA), or space walking. If the astronaut is not attached to the craft, they use a Manned Manoeuvring Unit (MMU). The work done outside the space station, Shuttle or space ship includes repairs to the vehicle, and occasionally, the capture of 'lost' satellites that have gone wrong in space.

Q. What kinds of experiments can possibly be carried out in the Spacelab of a Space Shuttle?

A. The unique conditions of space weightlessness, temperature extremes, vacuum and radiation create the opportunity for laboratory experiments and industrial processes that are impossible or impractical to perform on Earth.

Q. Why explore space?

A. Space research and exploration generate a wide range of direct and indirect benefits: knowledge; applications; the unique conditions of space-weightlessness, temperature extremes, vacuum, and radiation create the opportunity for laboratory experiments and industrial processes that are impossible or impractical to perform on Earth; technology; economics and inspiration (for more information on these benefits visit NASA's web site at www.nasa.gov).