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Here is another picture of the Precision Air-Bearing Floor.

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See pictures of astronauts inside the KC-135, also called the "vomit comet".

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Teacher in space Christa McAuliffe (top), backup crew member Barbara Morgan (bottom) and payload specialist Greg Jarvis (back right) training in a KC-135 "vomit comet" in the 1980s.

Credit: NASA JSC Image Repository and Terry Slezak

For future astronauts, riding on the "Vomit Comet" is an essential part of training to live in the microgravity of space.

In 1957, astronauts began training on planes that simulate weightlessness by making roller-coaster-like maneuvers in the air. The simulation makes some passengers nauseous, which inspired the nickname "Vomit Comet." In 1973, NASA took over the Air Force program that preceded the space agency's formation. However, since 2008, a private company ,Zero-G Corp., has handled the training. And although the program was designed for astronaut training, it's not reserved for future space flyers; scientists, engineers, students and celebrities have all taken a spin on the Vomit Comet to experience the feeling of weightlessness.

But the origins of the Vomit Comet predate NASA. In 1950, the United States recruited two German scientists after World War II: aeronautical engineer Fritz Haber and physicist Heinz Haber. The two brothers proposed simulating the microgravity of space in airplanes that would make parabolic flights in a wave-like configuration. In 1957, the Air Force began what would become NASA's Reduced Gravity Program, training astronauts in the Mercury and Apollo programs in this way.

From 1957 to 1967, the Air Force flew three C-131 twin-engine propeller planes. Five KC-135 Stratotankers, which were modified aerial refueling aircraft, followed suit. NASA operated the last two KC-135s. The program wasn't just for training astronauts; engineers also used the airplanes to test equipment and spaceflight procedures, and university students performed experiments in microgravity.

According to NASA, one of these airplanes, KC-135A, performed more than 58,000 parabolas, and averaged 3,800 parabolas and 300 flight hours per year before it made its last microgravity flight, on Oct. 29, 2004.

The airplane also made a Hollywood appearance: It was used to film weightless scenes in the movie "Apollo 13." According to an article on Space.com's sister site Live Science, set designers created a spacecraft interior adapted to the inside of the airplane. Then, the cameras captured short, seconds-long snippets on film. Director Ron Howard leased the aircraft for six months to achieve the shots of weightlessness that viewers see in the film.

KC-135A is now on display at Ellington Field in Texas. Then-lead test director John Yaniec said KC-135A was still going strong when it was retired in 2004, but its unique role made it "increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain."

In 2005, NASA replaced the KC-135 aircraft with a Navy C-9, which the agency flew until it canceled the Reduced Gravity Program in 2014. In 2016, the C-9 was used to test spacesuits for the Orion spacecraft, for the space agency's next phase of exploration. Since 2008, NASA also has had a microgravity service contract with Zero Gravity Corp. (Zero-G) and has used its aircraft, a modified Boeing 727, for training flights.

Virginia-based Zero-G started flying its plane, G-Force One, in 2005, selling tickets for $4,950 a pop. Celebrities such as director James Cameron, "Star Trek" actor George Takei and Virgin Galactic's billionaire founder, Sir Richard Branson, have all taken flights on Zero-G planes. In 2007, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking flew on G-Force One, prompting Alan Stern, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at the time, to say, "It's the 21st century now, and I expect more and more scientists to be conducting research in zero gravity, and even in space, as new vehicles and venues for such research open."

Astronauts in the C-131 "vomit comet" simulate weightless flight.

Credit: NASA

According to NASA, the airplane flies in a wave pattern of steep climbs and sharp dives. As it climbs up the parabola, or the "hump," passengers achieve several seconds of weightlessness at the top. The plane then dives back toward the ground, pulling up to create the bottom of the wave. Passengers experience nearly twice the tug of Earth's gravity from about the midpoint on the way down, across the bottom and halfway back up.

Changing the flight pattern can vary the pull of gravity on the passengers and, in turn, affect how long weightlessness lasts. Complete weightlessness lasts approximately 25 seconds. Passengers who experience a simulation of Martian gravity - about a third of Earth's gravity - last about 30 seconds, while those simulating lunar gravity - about a sixth of Earth's gravity - last about 40 seconds.

In a 1999 interview, Yaniec told Space.com that a large percentage of his passengers wind up ill. "I don't really keep any stats," he said. "But it amounts to a rule of thirds - one-third violently ill, the next third moderately ill and the final third not at all."

Dan Durda, a researcher with the Southwest Research Institute who has flown on microgravity flights for research, told Space.com that weightlessness is "an amazing, out-of-this-world experience."

"That feeling is the most magical, amazing feeling there is absolutely no analogue for," he said. "It's addicting."

Follow Nola Taylor Redd at @NolaTRedd, Facebook, or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+.

Additional resource

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Vomit Comet: Training Flights for Astronauts

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For future astronauts, riding on the "Vomit Comet" is an essential part of training to live in the microgravity of space. In 1957, astronauts began training on planes that simulate weightlessness by making roller-coaster-like maneuvers in the air. The simulation makes some passengers nauseous, which inspired the nickname "Vomit Comet."

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Learn about payload specialists and mission specialists here.

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Astronauts - The Payload Commander

A Payload Commander is responsible for the coordination of any experiments that are carried out during a space mission. For example, over 80 experiments were performed during the 16-day, STS-107 Columbia mission. One study involved the growth of prostate cancer tissue, while another showed that carpenter ants don't seem to notice weightlessness. A Payload Commander is always a NASA astronaut.

Astronauts - The Payload Specialist

A Payload Specialist is someone other than a NASA astronaut, who is assigned to a space mission by either a corporation or another country to oversee and help with a certain mission experiment. Payload Specialists can come from universities, research centers, government agencies, businesses or other nations that use the space shuttle. Usually a Payload Specialist will work on one specific experiment, but if it looks like a crew has too much work to handle on their own, the Payload Specialist will often .

Astronauts - The Mission Specialist

There are usually three Mission Specialists aboard a space shuttle. They must have knowledge of all the experiments taking place on board, unless a Payload Specialist is in charge of the experiment and will not require help with it. A Mission Specialist also must know about safety procedures, shuttle operations, crew activity planning and the usage of consumables (food) on board the shuttle. In order to become a Mission Specialist astronaut, you have to pass a NASA Class II space physical to make sure you are in top physical condition.

to read more about the types of astronauts that NASA sends into space.

Related Stories:

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A Payload Commander is responsible for the coordination of any experiments that are carried out during a space mission . For example, over 80 experiments were performed during the 16-day, STS-107 Columbia mission. One study involved the growth of prostate cancer tissue, while another showed that carpenter ants don't seem to notice weightlessness.

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Learn about commanders and pilots here.

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You probably think that all astronauts are basically the same - as long as you go through all that crazy training, you're good to go. Well, real life astronauts are a little more specialized than the ones in Armageddon. Kidzworld is here to give you the lowdown on who NASA sends into space and what they do.

Astronauts - Prepare to Blast Off

Future astronauts should be prepared to be in school for a long time cuz you'll need to get a bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or , and then get a graduate's degree. You also need to be in excellent shape - to be accepted to astronaut training, you must pass a tough physical exam, which includes swimming three lengths of an Olympic-size swiming pool in a flightsuit and sneakers!

Astronauts - The Commander

The Commander maneuvers the space shuttle, along with the Pilot, and is responsible for the shuttle, crew, mission success and safety of the flight. In order to become the Commander of a space mission, you must have a degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. You must also have previous flying experience (1,000 or more hours on a jet aircraft) and pass a NASA Class I space physical.

Astronauts - The Pilot

The Pilot assists the Commander in controlling and operating the vehicle on a space mission. A Pilot must have the same education and pass all the same tests as the Commander, but isn't in charge of the mission itself. A Pilot will also assist with any other duties that need to be attended to during a mission, like the release and recovery of satellites or other experiments.

to read more about the types of astronauts that NASA sends into space.

Related Stories:

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You probably think that all astronauts are basically the same - as long as you go through all that crazy training, you're good to go. Well, real life astronauts are a little more specialized than the ones in Armageddon. Kidzworld is here to give you the lowdown on who NASA sends into space and what they do.

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This quick and fun video lets you listen to an astronaut answer questions about life aboard the ISS!

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This article tells you more about life in space.

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Here are some more images related to space.

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Gallery of Earth images :: NASA Space Place

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This interactive website allows you to see what Earth looks like from space. (You will need to use Puffin browser.)

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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This ebook talks about the history of NASA's space mission as well as how astronauts eat food in space. Use the table of contents to find exactly what you're looking for.

(It may take a while to load - it's best to open it in a new window.)

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Watch Scott Kelly play a very special game of table tennis!

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Interested in Scott Kelly's mission? Here is the first episode in the series 'A Year in Space'.

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A Year In Space: Episode 1 - Leaving Home | TIME

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On March 27, Scott Kelly began a historic year in space. Follow Kelly and his twin brother as they test the boundaries of space together. In this episode Scott Kelly says goodbye to family and friends as he leaves to become the first American to spend a year in space.

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This is the Wikipedia article about Scott Kelly, the astronaut who spent a year on the ISS - the longest amount of time spent in space so far.

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In October 2015, he set the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space by an American astronaut, 520. This record was broken in 2016 by astronaut Jeff Williams and in 2017 by astronaut Peggy Whitson. For the so-called ISS year long mission, Kelly spent 340 consecutive days (11 months, 3 days) in space.

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Highly recommended!! Astronaut Suni Williams will take you on a tour of the ISS!

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HOW IT WORKS: The International Space Station

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Look around the website then test yourself with the true or false quiz.

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Learn more about the ISS and living in space on this website.

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The Life in Space section of ESA's Kids site features news, quizzes, animations and games about astronauts, space stations, space exploration, living in space and alien life.

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Sort the events left or right to make a timeline of the International Space Station.

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Time Zone X: International Space Station - GameUp - BrainPOP.

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In this timeline skills game, students show their knowledge of the International Space Station by following context clues to order events and win artifacts.

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How long has the ISS been in orbit? Find out lots of information on NASA's website.

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INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

About the International Space Station

The station was designed between 1984 and 1993. Elements of the station were in construction throughout the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe beginning in the late 1980s.

The International Space Station Program brings together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, globally distributed launch and flight operations, training, engineering, and development facilities, communications networks, and the international scientific research community.

Read More about About the International Space Station

Expedition 70

The Expedition 70 crew members will be studying an array of microgravity phenomena to benefit humans living on and off the Earth. The astronauts and cosmonauts will explore heart health,...

International Cooperation

The International Space Station Program's greatest accomplishment is as much a human achievement as it is a technological one-how best to plan, coordinate, and monitor the varied activities of many organizations and operations.

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the space station. The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Discover More Topics From NASA

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To view more images, visit the Space Station Gallery.

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Read an introductory paragraph about the ISS and click on the picture here.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Read some facts about the ISS.

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Explore our amazing space and astronomy facts. Learn about all kinds of different space topics that are sure to surprise.

Fun ISS Facts for Kids

Check out these fun International Space Station (ISS) facts for kids. Enjoy a range of interesting facts about the International Space Station, how many astronauts have been to the station, how big the ISS is, how long the ISS has been in orbit around Earth for, what is the station used for and much more.

The first part of the ISS sent to space was the module called Zarya. It was launched into space on a Russian Proton rocket on November 20th, 1998. Zarya provided propulsion, attitude control, communications and electrical power.

Two weeks later, NASA launched a module called Unity aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, successfully attaching it to the Zarya module. The Unity module was equipped with all the requirements for long-term human living.

The ISS was built to be a space environment research laboratory and observatory, where crew members could conduct experiments in many scientific fields including: biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, and meteorology.

The first ISS crew mission called 'Expedition 1' launched on a Russian Soyuz, October 31, 2000. The 3 Russian cosmonauts docked and entered the ISS on November 2nd, 2000. The space station has been continuously occupied since, making it the longest continuous human presence in space.

The ISS has been visited by astronauts and cosmonauts from 15 different nations. There has been a total of 352 flights to the ISS, by 211 individual people, 31 of these were women, and 7 were 'space tourists' (as of 2013).

As of 2013, there has been 174 spacewalks outside the modules in support of the ISS's construction and maintenance, that's almost 1,100 hours (nearly 46 days).

There's been 38 expeditions to the ISS as of 2013. An expedition can last up to six months. Early expeditions had 3 person crews, this was reduced to 2 person crews for safety, however today crew numbers regularly reach 6 people.

The ISS programme is a joint project that involves 5 space agencies. NASA, of USA, Roskosmos of Russia, JAXA of Japan, CSA of Canada and ESA made up of agencies from France, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea and Italy.

With the naked eye, the ISS can be seen from nearly every area of Earth at some point in time, it appears as a slow moving bright white dot in the night sky.

For more information about how astronauts do everyday tasks in zero gravity on the ISS, see our amazing Astronauts Videos page!

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International Space Station (ISS) Facts for Kids

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Explore our amazing space and astronomy facts. Learn about all kinds of different space topics that are sure to surprise. Fun ISS Facts for Kids Check out these fun International Space Station (ISS) facts for kids.

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H. What do you know about the International Space Station? You can find out about it here!

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Use the websites and videos to the left to find out more about spacesuits. When you're finished, you should be able to explain:

What is a spacesuit? (What is a spacesuit?)

Why do astronauts need to wear spacesuits? (What is a spacesuit?, How Spacesuits Work, Spacesuit Video)

When do astronauts wear spacesuits? (Learn About Spacesuits, What is a spacewalk?)

What are the different parts of a spacesuit? (Learn About Spacesuits, Dressed for Space)

How have spacesuits changed over time? (The History of Spacesuits, Evolution of the Spacesuit, Spacesuit Video)

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Drag and drop the parts of the suit to dress the astronaut.

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If you like what you've seen for, this section of NASA's website has more articles and videos related to spacesuits.

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#SuitUp with NASA for the Journey to Mars

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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Any time an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while in space, it is called a spacewalk. A spacewalk is also called an EVA (extravehicular activity). This NASA article explains why and how astronauts go on spacewalks.

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Astronauts go on spacewalks to do important jobs outside their spacecraft.

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On this NASA website, you can click on different parts of a spacesuit to find out more about them. Remember to access this site from the Puffin browser.

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Clickable Spacesuit -- An Interactive Spacesuit Experience

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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This cool infographic explains how NASA's suits work.

http://www.space.com/21987-how-nasa-spacesuits-work-infographic.html

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What would happen to you if you went into space without a spacesuit on? Read the article and watch the video to find out, and understand more about how spacesuits protect us.

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Think about how you suit up when you go outside on a cold winter's day. You have your shirt, pants, sweater, perhaps long underwear, jacket, gloves, hat or hood, scarf and boots. You put on quite a bit of clothing to protect you from the cold.

Now, imagine what you would have to put on to protect you from outer space. Space suits must provide all of the comfort and support that the Earth or a spacecraft does, addressing issues like atmosphere, water and protection from radiation.

Outer space is an extremely hostile place. If you were to step outside a spacecraft and you weren't wearing a space suit, the following things could happen:

You could become unconscious within 15 seconds because there's no oxygen.

Your blood and body fluids could "boil" and then freeze because there is little or no air pressure.

Your tissues (skin, heart, other internal organs) could expand because of the boiling fluids.

You could face extreme changes in temperature. For example, in the sunlight temperatures might reach 248 degrees F (120 degrees C) and plummet to -148 F ( -100 C) in the shade.

You would be exposed to various types of radiation, such as cosmic rays, and charged particles emitted from the sun (solar wind).

You could be hit by small particles of dust or rock that move at high speeds (micrometeoroids) or orbiting debris from satellites or spacecraft.

So, to protect you from these dangers, a space suit must:

Have a pressurized atmosphere

Give you oxygen and remove carbon dioxide

Maintain a comfortable temperature despite strenuous work and movement into and out of sunlit areas

Protect you from micrometeoroids and from radiation to some degree

Allow you to see clearly, move easily inside the space suit and outside of the spacecraft, and communicate with others (ground controllers, fellow astronauts)

That's a big job. In this article, we will examine the problems of walking in outer space and how space suits are made to cope with them.

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Think about how you suit up when you go outside on a ­cold winter's day. You have your shirt, pants, sweater, perhaps long underwear, jacket, gloves, hat or hood, scarf and boots. You put on quite a bit of clothing to protect you from the cold.

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This NASA article explains how the earliest spacesuits were different form those used today.

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The History of Spacesuits

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Astronauts wear spacesuits to stay safe in space. Today's spacesuits are used on the International Space Station. But NASA has used other spacesuits in the past.
What Were Early Spacesuits Like?
NASA astronauts first flew into space during the Mercury program. NASA's first spacesuits were made for Mercury. The Mercury suits were only worn inside the spacecraft.

NASA's first spacewalks took place during its second space program, Gemini. The suits used for Gemini were better than the Mercury suits. But the Gemini suits were simpler than today's suits. These suits did not contain their own life support. A hose connected the astronaut to the spacecraft. The astronaut breathed oxygen from the spacecraft through the hose.

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How Were Moon Spacesuits Different?
Spacesuits for the Apollo program had to do things the Mercury and Gemini suits could not. They had to protect astronauts while they were walking on the moon. The Apollo suits had boots made to walk on rocky ground. Astronauts needed to walk away from the lunar lander. The Apollo suits had a life support system. The astronauts could go far away from the lander because they weren't connected by a hose.

After the Apollo flights, astronauts orbited Earth on a space station named Skylab. Their spacesuits were like the Apollo suits in some ways. But like the Gemini suits, these suits connected to Skylab with a hose.
What Suits Did Astronauts Wear on the Space Shuttle?
During launch and landing of the space shuttle, astronauts wore orange suits. These suits could only be worn inside a spacecraft. Astronauts wore heavy white spacesuits when going on spacewalks outside the space shuttle. These same heavy white suits are sometimes used when astronauts go on spacewalks outside the space station.

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What Other Suits Do Astronauts Wear?
NASA astronauts wear other kinds of spacesuits. Sometimes, NASA astronauts wear a Russian Orlan spacesuit on spacewalks. Another Russian suit is the Sokol. Like NASA's orange suit, the Sokol can only be worn inside a spacecraft. The Sokol is worn on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
What Will Future Spacesuits Be Like?
NASA plans to send people to places that humans have never gone before, like an asteroid and, one day, Mars. That means astronauts will need new spacesuits.

So NASA is working on making new ones. Like the Apollo spacesuits, the new suits will let the astronauts work safely on rocky ground. But the new spacesuits will help astronauts do things they couldn't do before. The new suits will make it easier for astronauts to move. They will better protect astronauts from dust. (Dust can be rough, like sandpaper.) And the new suits will have parts that can be swapped out.

Why are the new spacesuits important? They will make it easier and safer for astronauts to live and work in space.

More About Spacesuits:
What Is a Spacesuit?
Evolution of the NASA Spacesuit/
Spacesuit and Spacewalk History Image Gallery

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The History of Spacesuits [image-12] Astronauts wear spacesuits to stay safe in space. Today's spacesuits are used on the International Space Station. But NASA has used other spacesuits in the past. What Were Early Spacesuits Like? NASA astronauts first flew into space during the Mercury program. NASA's first spacesuits were made for Mercury.

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This online encyclopaedia lets you click on the different parts of an Apollo spacesuit.

Note that the spacesuit is also called an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). This literally means "Unit for Moving Around Outside the Spacecraft".

extra = outside
vehicular = vehicle (i.e. the spacecraft)
mobility = movement

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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This webpage has lots of great photos, and it also explains and shows pictures of each part of a spacesuit.

If you're in the Puffin browser, click View Interactive Version to get a picture of a suit you can click on.

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About Spacesuits <View Interactive Version>
NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU, is like a personal mini-spacecraft. Learn more about why astronauts wear spacesuits.

Parts of a Spacesuit
NASA spacesuits have many pieces and parts. Learn about the parts and why each piece is important.

Primary Life Support Subsystem
The PLSS is worn like a backpack. It provides astronauts many of the things they need to survive on a spacewalk. Its tanks supply oxygen for the astronauts to breathe. It removes exhaled carbon dioxide. It contains a battery for electrical power.

The PLSS also holds water-cooling equipment, a fan to circulate oxygen and a two-way radio. A caution and warning system in this backpack lets spacewalkers know if something is wrong with the suit. The unit is covered with protective cloth layers.(See "Layers.")

Hard Upper Torso
The HUT covers the chest and back. It is a vest made out of fiberglass like some cars and swimming pools. The Displays and Control Module and Primary Life Support Subsystem attach to this piece. An important function of this piece is that it serves as the connection for the tubes that drain water and allow oxygen flow.

Arms
Spacewalkers do not wear custom-made suits. Different sizes of arm assembly parts are available. Sizing rings can make the parts longer or shorter.

EVA Gloves
Astronauts must be able to work with and pick up objects while wearing spacesuit gloves. EVA gloves are made to protect astronauts from the space environment. They are also made so spacewalkers can move their fingers as easily as possible. The fingers are the part of the body that gets coldest in space. These gloves have heaters in the fingertips. A piece called a bearing connects the glove to the sleeve. The bearing allows the wrist to turn.

Displays and Control Module
This module is the control panel for the mini-spacecraft. Switches, controls, gauges and an electronic display are on the module. The astronaut can operate the Primary Life Support Subsystem from this module.

In-Suit Drink Bag
A plastic, water-filled pouch attaches to the inside of the Hard Upper Torso using Velcro. A plastic tube with a valve sticks out of the bag. The tube and valve can be adjusted to be near the astronaut's mouth. Biting the valve opens the tube so the spacewalker can take a drink. Releasing the bite closes the valve again.

Lower Torso Assembly
This section is made up of spacesuit pants, boots and the lower half of the waist closure. A piece called the waist bearing helps the astronaut move and turn. A metal body-seal closure connects the lower torso to the hard upper torso.

The lower torso has D-rings to attach tethers. Tethers are the cords that attach to the spacecraft so spacewalkers will not float away.

Some suits are plain white; some have red stripes; and others have candy cane stripes. These variations help to tell one spacewalker from another.

Helmet
Besides covering a spacewalker's head, the helmet has a Vent Pad. This pad directs oxygen from the Primary Life Support Subsystem and Hard Upper Torso to the front of the helmet. The helmet keeps the oxygen at the right pressure around the head. The main part of the helmet is the clear plastic bubble.

The bubble is covered by the Extravehicular Visor Assembly. The visor is coated with a thin layer of gold that filters out the sun's harmful rays. The visor also protects the spacewalker from extreme temperatures and small objects that may hit the spacewalker.

A TV camera and lights can be attached to the helmet.

Communications Carrier Assembly
The CCA is sometimes called the Snoopy Cap. The astronaut wears the cap under the helmet. It has earphones and microphones. It connects to the radio on the spacesuit. Using the CCA, astronauts can talk with the rest of the crew and hear the caution and warning tones.

Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue
SAFER is like a life jacket. Spacewalkers working on the space station wear SAFER. Astronauts are usually connected to the station by a tether. If an astronaut should become untethered and float away, SAFER would help her or him fly back to the station. SAFER is worn like a backpack. It uses small nitrogen-jet thrusters to let an astronaut move around in space. Astronauts can control SAFER with a small joystick.

Layers
The spacesuit arm has 14 layers of material to protect the spacewalker. The liquid cooling and ventilation garment makes up the first three layers. On top of this garment is the bladder layer. It creates the proper pressure for the body. It also holds in the oxygen for breathing. The next layer holds the bladder layer to the correct shape around the astronaut's body and is made of the same material as camping tents. The ripstop liner is the tear-resistant layer. The next seven layers are Mylar insulation and make the suit act like a thermos. The layers keep the temperature from changing inside. They also protect the spacewalker from being harmed by small, high-speed objects flying through space. The outer layer is made of a blend of three fabrics. One fabric is waterproof. Another is the material used to make bullet-proof vests. The third fabric is fire-resistant.

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About Spacesuits NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU, is like a personal mini-spacecraft. Learn more about why astronauts wear spacesuits. Parts of a Spacesuit NASA spacesuits have many pieces and parts. Learn about the parts and why each piece is important. Primary Life Support Subsystem The PLSS is worn like a backpack.

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This is a more detailed version of the NASA article.

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Spacesuits allow astronauts to work outside a spacecraft in orbit, on the moon or on another planet.

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This NASA article is a good introduction to spacesuits.

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Spacesuits protect astronauts in space, on the moon and on other planets.

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G. When training astronauts have to learn how to use a spacesuit. Let's learn more about them in this section.

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Your task: You are the leaders of NASA's astronaut training programme. You are holding an information session for people who are thinking of becoming astronauts. You need to give a presentation about the training new recruits have to go through.

Use the websites and videos to the left to explore what interests you about astronaut training. Use the questions below to guide you in your research and help you choose a focus for your presentation.

What's the difference between a commander, a pilot, a mission specialist and a payload specialist? (Astronaut requirements)

What qualifications and experience do you need to do the above jobs? (Astronaut requirements)

How do astronauts prepare for the feeling of weightlessness they experience in space? (Training for space)

What do astronauts do in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility, the KC-135, the Precision Air-Bearing Floor and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory? (Training facilities)

Why is the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory better for training than just the KC-135? (Training Astronauts video)

What can astronauts practice and train for specifically in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory? (The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory video)

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This video introduces NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and explains how it is used.

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How Astronauts Train Underwater at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab

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Listen to experienced astronaut Jerry Carr talk about his training and experiences.

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This video gives you an insight into astronaut training at NASA's Space Camp.

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Do you know the difference between the KC-135, the Precision Air-Bearing Floor and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory? Find out about where astronauts go to train and what they do there.

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Image to left: Astronauts learn how to move large objects in space using The Precision Air-Bearing Floor. Credit: NASA One part of an astronaut's work may include moving large objects in space. This can be easy because there is no friction to push against. But, this also makes the job hard.

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Not just anyone can become an astronaut. Read about the requirements here.

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Do you have what it takes to become an astronaut?

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Explore this website to find out more about the life of an astronaut.

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An international educational challenge, focusing on fitness and nutrition, that encourages students to train like an astronaut.

Teams of students complete activities to earn points and help the Mission X mascots, Luna and Leo, walk to the Moon. Two sets of hands-on classroom activities support the challenge: physical activities, which help students develop strength, endurance, coordination, and spatial awareness; and scientific activities which focus on STEM subjects and allow students to practice scientific reasoning and teamwork.

Target age: 8-12, but activities can be adapted for all ages!

Mission X 2020 update: 15 April 2020
Containment of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and its implications, has created new challenges for everyone wanting to support young people, teachers and schools. We are working hard to develop and roll out a range of materials to support you.

For teams already enrolled in Mission X 2020
The Mission X Walk to the Moon Challenge will continue to run, and now with an extended deadline! We will now allow teams to upload activities to the Mission X website and earn points until 4 September 2020. If you are already enrolled, please continue uploading your activities using your already registered team name. Note for team leaders: your team members may complete and submit their activities for points individually.

For new teams and families who are not currently enrolled in Mission X 2020
If you are looking for fun, easy, space-themed activities to complete, you have come to the right place! Mission X: train like an astronaut is also open for families, not just school groups. You can join the ongoing Walk to the Moon Challenge and complete Mission X activities to earn points and help Luna and Leo walk to the Moon. Be sure to register your family team in your country using the How to Sign-up page.

For Everyone! NEW BI-WEEKLY CHALLENGES!
In light of the current situation, we are kicking-off bi-weekly Train Like an Astronaut Challenges, where you can participate in specially designed activity challenges through our social media channels.
Want to take part?
Check out all of the information here: https://www.esa.int/Education/Expedition_Home/Train_like_an_astronaut_ch...

General Note
Some of the Mission X activities suggest usage of certain exercise equipment or scientific materials; these activities can be easily adapted for use in the home, utilising alternative materials.
If you have ideas for ways to adapt the Mission X activities for use at home, please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you. ( mission-x@stem.org.uk)

Finally, we would like to thank you for all your efforts during these unprecedented times. We are here to help and support you, young people and the wider community in whatever way we can.

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Mission X: Train like an Astronaut | STEM

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Teams of students complete activities to earn points and help the Mission X mascots, Luna and Leo, walk to the Moon. Two sets of hands-on classroom activities support the challenge: physical activities, which help students develop strength, endurance, coordination, and spatial awareness; and scientific activities which focus on STEM subjects and allow students to practice scientific reasoning and teamwork.

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Read the information on the left for an introduction to astronauts' training.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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F. As we've seen, journeying into space can be dangerous. Yet many children dream of being astronauts, despite the risk. For those who are eventually selected to be astronauts as adults, what is their training like?

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The Space Mirror Memorial, also known as the Astronaut Memorial, is a memorial on the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida in the USA.

It is looked after by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. The memorial was dedicated in 1991 to remember the lives of the men and women who have died in America's space programmes, particularly those of NASA.

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This is a third website with information.

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Space Shuttle Columbia - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com

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Find out more about the history of Space Shuttle Columbia, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com

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This website has more information and videos related to the disaster.

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The Columbia Disaster is one of the most tragic events in spaceflight history. Its impact on US human spaceflight program, and the resulting decision to discontinue the Space Shuttle Program, was so dramatic that to this date NASA has not recovered an autonomous human access to space. This section of Space Safety Magazine is dedicated to the Columbia disaster. By reading this introduction, and the articles accessible from the sidebar, you will learn all the facts that led to this tragedy, its technical and organizational causes, its consequences on NASA and future human spaceflight programs, the lessons learned, and the precious testimony of people directly involved in the event. The lessons learned remain as relevant today as they were in 2003, if only we can keep them alive and continue to learn from this modern tragedy.
A Successful 15-Day Mission

February 01, 2003. It was an ordinary morning at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Spectators had gathered to watch Space Shuttle Columbia make what was considered another routine landing. They only numbered a couple of hundred, compared to the thousands who had gathered to watch STS-1 land. Nothing unusual was anticipated that day at NASA.

The seven-member crew of STS-107 was preparing to come home after a successful 15-day mission. Captain Rick Douglas Husband, Pilot William "Willie" Cameron McCool, Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, and Mission Specialists David McDowell Brown, Kalpana "KC" Chawla, and Laurel Blair Salton Clark, had conducted microgravity research and completed experiments on commercial payloads on the debuting SPACEHAB Research Double Module. They were relaxed and jovial as the Shuttle re-entered the atmosphere, even shooting a video of what - no one realized - were their last moments.

The Shuttle that Never Came Home

Columbia was the first fully operational orbiter of the Space Shuttle Program. Its inaugural flight was on 25 th March 1981. More than two decades later, STS-107 was Columbia's 28 th mission.

Inside mission control, engineers performed all the last minute checks. Everything seemed nominal. Entry Flight Director LeRoy Cain gave Shuttle commander Rick Husband the go-ahead to initiate deorbit and reentry procedures. But nine minutes after entry interface into the Earth's atmosphere, the ground team encountered the first hint of abnormality.

Telemetry indicated that hydraulic fluid temperatures had suddenly gone off-scale low. The sensors measuring the data were all located in the aft of the Shuttle's left wing. There was no commonality that could explain the fault and all other hydraulic system indications were good. Soon, loss of tire pressure on the left side followed, with the readings again going off-scale. This was already bad news for the Shuttle. Columbia could not make a landing while losing tire pressure. Further losses of sensors in the nose gear and main gear compounded the nervous atmosphere in mission control.

Then all communications from Columbia ceased abruptly. Patchy communications were expected during re-entry, but not deathly silence. All efforts from Houston to hail Columbia failed. Even the radar used to track the Shuttle did not spot anything. The Shuttle's trajectory was timed to perfection. So there was no way for it to be 'late'. The absence of communication and tracking data could mean only one thing.

" Lock the doors ", remarked flight director Cain. It was a standard procedure to cut off contact with the outside world and keep all information within the room. Just as in a crime scene.

Meanwhile, reports were coming in from Texas, which lay along Columbia's descent path, of people spotting fireballs and falling debris from the sky. There were no doubts left. Space Shuttle Columbia and crew were lost.

Shock and Fear

"My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9 o'clock this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas." President George Bush delivered his speech, offering condolences to the families of the fallen astronauts, while vowing to continue America's journey into space.

Before launch, there were even concerns of a probable terrorist attack on Columbia, which was carrying the first Israeli astronaut. The disaster seemed to prove these fears, but a few hours after the event, these hypotheses were dismissed.

Columbia Accident Investigation Board

As soon as disaster struck, NASA activated the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle Mishap Interagency Investigation Board according to its Contingency Action Plan for Space Flight Operations. The day after the accident, all the board members were officially appointed with Naval Admiral Gehman as the chairman. Other members appointed were Major General John L. Barry, Director of Program and Plans for the Air Force Material Command, Rear Admiral Stephen A. Turcotte, Commander, Naval Safety Center, Brigadier General Duane W. Deal, commander of the subordinate 21st Space Wing, Major General Kenneth W. Hess, U.S. Air Force (USAF) Chief of Safety, G. Scott Hubbard, Director of the Ames Research Center, Dr. James N. Hallock, Department of Transportation (DOT) Chief of Aviation Safety Division and Steven B. Wallace, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Accident Investigation. Additional members joined soon after, including Douglas D. Osheroff, Nobel laureate in Physics from Stanford, John M. Logsdon, Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, Sheila E. Widnall, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, Roger E. Tetrault, retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McDermott Internationaland astronaut Sally Ride, who was also part of the Challenger investigation team.

Right from the start, the board aimed to investigate how the Columbia disaster happened as well as look into NASA's organization and culture. To reflect this approach, the board changed its name to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB).

Debris Recovery

The world was shocked. The nation grieved. But at NASA, there was work to be done. The first step was to collect the Shuttle's wreckage in order to start piecing together what happened. As Mike Ciannilli, Project Manager of the Columbia Research and Preservation Office, recounts in our story " Living with Columbia ", this was not an easy task. The debris was spread over an area of 5129 sq. km in east Texas, necessitating the largest search in American history.

The nation, though, came together and responded. Thousands of volunteers descended upon Texas to participate in the effort to gather the Shuttle's remains. They lived and worked under difficult conditions, not expecting anything in return. These people "put their life on hold to help out the nation's space program", says Ciannilli gratefully, " it becomes very real what space means to people."

It took four months for all the debris to be assembled. CAIB and its partners could finally complete the technical post-mortem.

What Caused the Columbia Disaster? - Technical Causes

The CAIB report determined that the technical cause of the accident was a faulty design in the External Tank. A piece of insulating foam broke off the tank just after launch and struck the leading edge of the Shuttle's left wing at a relative velocity of 670-922km/h. Although the incident was discovered two days after the launch during a routine post-launch photo analysis, managers at NASA deemed it "absolutely no concern for entry".

The six volumes of CAIB report explain the sequence of events that led to the breakup of the Shuttle. An apparently harmless 1kg piece of foam debris had blown a hole in the left wing. While it seems impossible that low-density foam can destroy a reinforced carbon-carbon panel, ground tests proved this fact to be true at tremendous speeds.

The hole in the thermal protection tile allowed super-heated air, produced during atmospheric entry, to pass through. The heat penetrated the insulation and ultimately destroyed the left wing. The thermal degradation resulted in "resulted in a rapid catastrophic structural breakdown rather than an instantaneous explosive failure". At an altitude of 42,672m, the crew module separated from the fuselage, triggering instant depressurization. For all the details, read Cause and Consequences of the Columbia Disaster by Gary W. Johnson, an Aerospace Safety Consultant who worked for NASA.

NASA later revealed that foam strikes had been seen in almost every Shuttle launch and that it had never proved a problem before. Their flawed reasoning combined with wrong assumptions in modeling the impact (that predicted the depth to which the foam debris would penetrate a Thermal Protection System tile), ultimately led seven astronauts to pay with their lives.
The high speed impact testing of a block of foam into a reinforced carbon-carbon model of Space Shuttle wing proved that the foam strike was the most likely cause of the Columbia disaster.
The Lost Crew

But what really happened to Columbia's crew? Besides the loss of the vehicle, the Columbia disaster was first and foremost a human tragedy, and NASA wanted to know what killed the Columbia crew.

The investigation revealed that when the crew module separated from the fuselage, rapid depressurization occurred. The crewmembers did not even have the time to close their helmet visors. Some of the crew were not wearing helmets or gloves and " were incapacitated within seconds". The unconscious crew was subjected to rotation forces caused by the Shuttle's rolling after the loss of the left wing. The seat restraints could not prevent lethal blows from other objects in the crew module. Even if they had been wearing all their gear, the report predicted they had little chance of survival. It states the cause of death as 'blunt trauma and loss of oxygen'.

A damaged videotape that was recovered from the wreckage shows the final few moments of the crew. Ironically, they are seen enjoying the effects of the heat caused by re-entry, glowing against the window, which would later rip the Shuttle apart.

NASA tried to remove the Crew Survival Working Group section from the CAIB report, considering it too disturbing for the victim's families. Dr. Jonathan Clark had a different opinion, and he was in a unique position. From one side he was a Space Shuttle Crew Surgeon, and he had always been involved in topics like crew survival. From the other, he had been directly affected by the tragedy, as he was the husband of Laurel Clark, one of the victims.

Either way, he believed that the Columbia Crew Survival Working Group section constituted a fundamental document that had to be published to prevent a similar tragedy in the future. He discussed the issue with the other affected families, and got their unconditional approval to publish it.

A second commission, the Spacecraft Crew Survival Integrated Investigation Team (SCSIIT), was formed a year after the tragedy "to perform a comprehensive analysis of the accident, focusing on factors and events affecting crew survival, and to develop recommendations for improving crew survival for all future human space flight vehicles." Clark was a member of the SCSIIT and spent months investigating the last instant of the life of the crew. The result was a detailed report, entitled Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report. On December 30, 2008, the 400 page report was finally released to the public.

In 2009, Jonathan Clark joined the Red Bull Stratos team as medical director, hoping to help developing the gear that could save future crews from accidents like Columbia. His dream came true on October 14, 2012, when Felix Baumgartner survived a parachute jump from 39km, very close to the altitude where Columbia broke apart.

You can read the precious testimony of Jonathan Clark in his article " Remembering the Columbia Crew, One Day at a Time. "

Organizational Causes of the Accident

Besides the technical faults, the CAIB investigation slammed the NASA management and culture for its shortfalls. "CAIB particularly called out a NASA culture that accepted mission success over engineering understanding, the stifling of differences of opinion, and evolution of an informal chain of command", says Gary Johnson in his article " Causes and Consequences of the Columbia Disaster."

Bryan O'Connor, NASA Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance and former Shuttle pilot, lists his personal lessons learned from the disaster in " Lessons learned from the Columbia disaster ". He says they should never have gotten complacent following a decade and a half of successful Shuttle missions. The Shuttle was, in effect, a 30-year flight test program and not "purely operational".

" Organizational factors of the Columbia disaster" tackles the importance of creating a culture of open communication in an organization. Both the Inter-center Photo Working Group Chair and Debris Assessment Team had requested on-orbit photos of the Shuttle in order to assess possible damage from the foam debris. Wayne Hale, then the incoming Space Shuttle Program Launch Integration Manager, was in the process of contacting the US Department of Defense (DoD) to pass on this request to capture on-orbit photos. But he was struck down by Shuttle manager Linda Ham. Senior managers at Johnson space center had declined the need for such information, overruling the engineers. In a later interview, flight director LeRoy Cain said there were five meetings on the foam issue but they all concluded with no action required. Somehow the engineers' sense of urgency never made it to the top.

Hale was even told by Jon Harpold, then NASA director of mission operations, "You know, there is nothing we can do about damage to the thermal protection system. If it has been damaged it's probably better not to know. I think the crew would rather not know. Don't you think it would be better for them to have a happy successful flight and die unexpectedly during entry than to stay in orbit, knowing that there was nothing to be done, until the air ran out?" NASA ignored the issue hoping it would not be a problem.

In 1986, the explosion of the explosion of Shuttle Challenger had been a wake-up call for NASA. By 2003, the high standards and procedures brought in after Challenger had slipped away. What should have caused concern was swept under the banner of 'normal'. Ciannilli echoes this sentiment, "Keep vigilant when things that were once off-nominal, become normal for you. Make sure the decisions you make are really based on facts."

What NASA learned from the Columbia disaster has been captured in programs such as the Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL), which serves as a resource for future NASA investigation boards, government and private agencies.

Consequences of the Accident

Despite being an organizational failure, someone had to take the fall. Responding to pressure from the congress, NASA reassigned certain key personnel involved, including Ron Dittemore, the Shuttle program manager, General Roy Bridges, director of the Kennedy Space Center and Linda Ham, head of mission management.

A host of changes were made in the hardware as well as program procedures. The External Tank Thermal Protection System was redesigned to reduce foam shedding. Video cameras were installed on the External Tank, boosters, and impact sensors set up on the Shuttle nose cap and reinforced carbon-carbon panel on the wing. After all subsequent launches, ground engineers used these cameras to inspect the TPS tiles. The assistance of the International Space Station as well as the Shuttle's own robotic arm has also been taken to inspect the heat shield.

The Columbia Disaster was also the first space accident that posed the general public in danger. It was by pure chance that Columbia's debris had fallen over sparsely populated regions of Texas. The accident warranted NASA to include public risk acceptability criteria for all launches and reentries. NASA worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop a real-time mishap response system to alert aircraft and rapidly clear potentially threatened airspace during subsequent Shuttle reentries. Dr. Paul Wilde, technical advisor for the Chief Engineer in the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, explains the " impact of the disaster on US aviation safety ".

The Agency kept its commitment to safety by establishing the NASA Engineering Safety Center and a Chief Safety Officer for Space Shuttle. It took two and a half years to complete the reviews, hearings and investigations and for the modifications to be put in place. Even then, it was a close call for Discovery, NASA's return to flight Shuttle. Wayne Hale narrates the events in " How we nearly lost Discovery ".

The most significant outcome of the Columbia accident, however, was CAIB's recommendations that led to the end the Shuttle Program. NASA would keep their commitment to complete the International Space Station, a task that could only be carried out by the Shuttle, then retire the orbiter fleet, and fly their astronauts on Russian Soyuz until a new vehicle will become available.

Legacy

The space Shuttle is the most complex, human-rated space vehicle ever flown. Its capabilities, unfortunately, demanded a large budget that ultimately caused its demise. In the aftermath of the Columbia investigation, the political administration realigned its priorities. Instead of conducting a rigorous recertification program for the Shuttles as recommended by CAIB, the decision was taken to retire the Shuttle fleet after assembly of the International Space Station.

Eight years after the accident, Shuttle Atlantis made an emotional touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center, thus bringing to an end a remarkable program. Maybe Columbia did end the Shuttle program, but it also made space flight much safer for generations of future astronauts.

References:
- By Ramasamy Venugopal

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The Columbia Disaster is one of the most tragic events in spaceflight history. Its impact on US human spaceflight program, and the resulting decision to discontinue the Space Shuttle Program, was so dramatic that to this date NASA has not recovered an autonomous human access to space.

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The second disaster to hit the NASA space shuttle programme was the Columbia disaster in 2003. The shuttle Columbia - the same shuttle that had flown on the very first mission - exploded as it was trying to reenter the atmosphere. Again, all of the astronauts on board died.

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Kids.Net.Au - Encyclopedia > Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

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Kids.Net.Au - Encyclopedia > Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

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Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Live on CNN

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However, the space shuttle programme was not as safe and successful as we would have wanted. The first major tragedy to strike the programme was the Challenger disaster in January 1986.

The Challenger space shuttle took off carrying seven astronauts, one of whom was Christa McAuliffe. She was to be the first teacher in space, and had been selected to train as an astronaut then teach lessons from the shuttle. However, all the astronauts died in the accident.

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Kids learn about the Space Shuttle Challenger crash including the shuttle before the disaster, issues before the launch, what went wrong, the crew, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, and the aftermath. Educational article for students, schools, and teachers.

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Watch a video about the disaster here.

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Challenger Explosion - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com

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Find out more about the history of Challenger Explosion, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com

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Click on the diagram to learn more about this important telescope.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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The payload bay of a shuttle was the space for the payload or cargo that the vehicle was taking into space.

The space shuttles took a lot of equipment into space during their missions. One of the most famous things they transported was the Hubble Space Telescope. It was taken into space by the space shuttle Discovery. Read about it here.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Read about what had to be considered when building space shuttles, and what life was like when on a mission.

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The orbiter must provide you with an environment similar to Earth. You must have air, food, water, and a comfortable temperature. The orbiter must also take away the wastes that your body produces (carbon dioxide, urine, feces) and protect you from fire. Let's look at these various aspects of the orbiter's life support system.

On board the space shuttle, you need to have the following:

atmosphere similar to Earth

carbon dioxide removed

contaminating or trace gases removed

normal humid environment

Our atmosphere is a mixture of gases (78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 1 percent other gases) at a pressure of 14 lbs/in ² (1 atm) that we breathe in and out. The space shuttle must provide a similar atmosphere. To do this, the orbiter carries liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen in two systems of pressurized tanks, which are located in the mid-fuselage (each system has two tanks for a total of four tanks). The cabin pressurization system combines the gases in the correct mixture at normal atmospheric pressure. While in orbit, only one oxygen-nitrogen system is used to pressurize the orbiter. During launch and landing, both systems of each gas are used.

Five loops of fans circulate the atmosphere. The circulated air picks up carbon dioxide, heat and moisture:

Chemical carbon dioxide canisters remove carbon dioxide by reacting it with lithium hydroxide. These canisters are located in the lower deck of the crew compartment and changed every 12 hours.

Filters and charcoal canisters remove trace odors, dust and volatile chemicals from leaks, spills and outgassing.

A cabin heat exchanger in the lower deck cools the air and condenses the moisture, which collects in a slurper. Water from the slurper is moved with air to a fan separator, which uses centrifugal force to separate water from air. The air is recirculated and the water goes to a wastewater tank.

Besides air, water is the most important quantity aboard the orbiter. Water is made from liquid oxygen and hydrogen in the space shuttle's fuel cells (the fuel cells can make 25 lb (11 kg) of water per hour). The water passes through a hydrogen separator to eliminate any trapped hydrogen gas (excess hydrogen gas is dumped overboard). The water is then stored in four water storage tanks located in the lower deck. Each tank can hold 165 lb (75 kg). The water tanks are pressurized by nitrogen so that water can flow to the mid-deck for use by the crew. Drinkable water is then filtered to remove microbes and can be warmed or chilled through various heat exchangers depending upon the use (food preparation, consumption, personal hygiene). Excess water produced by the fuel cells gets routed to a wastewater tank and subsequently dumped overboard.

Outer space is an extremely cold environment and temperatures will vary drastically in different parts of the orbiter. You might think that heating the orbiter would be a problem. However, the electronic equipment generates more than enough heat for the ship. The problem is getting rid of the excess heat. So the temperature control system has to carry out two major functions:

Distribute heat where it is needed on the orbiter (mid-fuselage and aft sections) so that vital systems do not freeze in the cold of space.

Get rid of the excess heat.

To do this, the shuttle has two methods to handle temperature control:

Passive methods - generally simple, handle small heat loads and require little maintenance Insulating materials (blankets), surface coatings, paints - reduce heat loss through the walls of the various components just like your home insulation. Electrical heaters - use electrically-heated wires like a toaster to heat various areas.

Active methods - more complex, use fluid to handle large heat loads, require maintenance Cold plates - metal plates that collect heat by direct contact with equipment or conduction Heat exchangers - collect heat from equipment using fluid. The equipment radiates heat to a fluid (water, ammonia) which in turn passes heat on to freon. Both fluids are pumped and recirculated to remove heat. Pumps, lines, valves - transport the collected heat from one area to another. Radiators - located on the inside surfaces of the cargo bay doors that radiate the collected heat to outer space Flash evaporator/ammonia boilers - these devices are located in the aft fuselage and transfer heat from Freon coolant loops overboard when cargo bay doors are closed or when cargo bay radiators are overloaded. Flash evaporator Freon coolant loops wrap around an inner core. The evaporator sprays water on the heated core. The water evaporates removing heat. The water vapor is vented overboard. Ammonia boiler Freon coolant loops pass through a tank of pressurized ammonia. Heat released from the freon causes the ammonia to boil. Ammonia vapor is dumped overboard.

The cabin heat exchanger also controls the cabin temperature. It circulates cool water to remove excess heat (cabin air is also used to cool electronic equipment) and transfers this heat to a Freon exchanger. The Freon then transfers the heat to other orbiter systems (e.g., cryogenic gas tanks, hydraulic systems) and radiates excess heat to outer space.

The orbiter has internal fluorescent floodlights that illuminate the crew compartment. The orbiter has external floodlights to illuminate the cargo bay. Finally, the control panels are lighted internally for easy viewing.

Food is stored on the mid-deck of the crew compartment. Food comes in several forms (dehydrated, low moisture, heat-stabilized, irradiated, natural and fresh). The orbiter has a galley-style kitchen module along the wall next to the entry hatch, which is equipped with the following:

food storage compartments

food warmers

a food preparation area with warm and cold water outlets

metal trays so the food packages and utensils do not float away

Like any home, the orbiter must be kept clean, especially in space when floating dirt and debris could present a hazard. Wastes are made from cleaning, eating, work and personal hygiene. For general housecleaning, various wipes (wet, dry, fabric, detergent and disinfectant), detergents, and wet/dry vacuum cleaners are used to clean surfaces, filters and the astronauts. Trash is separated into wet trash bags and dry trash bags, and the wet trash is placed in an evaporator that will remove the water. All trash bags are stowed in the lower deck to be returned to Earth for disposal. Solid waste from the toilet is compacted, dried and stored in bags where it is returned to Earth for disposal (burning). Liquid waste from the toilet goes to the wastewater tank where it is dumped overboard.

Fire is one of the most dangerous hazards in space. The orbiter has a Fire Detection and Suppression Subsystem that consists of the following:

area smoke detectors on each deck

smoke detectors in each rack of electrical equipment

alarms and warning lights in each module

non-toxic portable fire extinguishers (carbon dioxide-based)

personal breathing apparatus - mask and oxygen bottle for each crew member

After a fire is extinguished, the atmosphere control system will filter the air to remove particulates and toxic substances.

Next, we'll look at the technologies that help the space shuttle navigate, change direction and communicate from space.

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­Th­e­ orbiter must provide you with an environm­ent similar to Earth. You must have air, food, water, and a comfortable temperature. The orbiter must also take away the wastes that your body produces (carbon dioxide, urine, feces) and protect you from fire. Let's look at these various aspects of the orbiter's life support system.

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Watch the video to find out about life on a space shuttle.

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Living Aboard a Space Shuttle, a Home Away From Home

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The space shuttle Enterprise was the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle system. It was built without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of actual spaceflight. Instead it was used to perform atmospheric test flights after being launched from an aeroplane.

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The space shuttle Columbia was the first of the shuttles to go into space. Its first mission started on 12th April 1981 and lasted 54.5 hours.

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The shuttle Columbia lifts off on the first space shuttle mission ever, STS-1, on April 12, 1981.

Credit: NASA

Columbia was the first shuttle to reach space, in 1981. Columbia carried dozens of astronauts into space during the next two decades, reaching several milestones. Columbia also underwent upgrades as technology advanced.

However, the shuttle and a seven-member crew were lost over Texas when Columbia burned up during re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003. Columbia's loss prompted NASA to do extra safety checks in orbit for all future missions.

First flight: STS-1 (April 12-14, 1981)

Last flight: STS-107 (Jan. 16, 2003 - Feb. 1, 2003)

Number of missions: 28

Time in space: 300 days, 17 hours, 40 minutes, 22 seconds (Source: CBS)

Notable: Had the first flight of space shuttle program. Its last flight, STS-107, ended catastrophically and killed seven crew members.

Discussions on developing a reusable spacecraft began in earnest in 1966, when NASA was looking to figure out what programs would come after Apollo. While NASA was tasked with beginning the work, development was held off for years by budgetary constraints, according to NASA history documents.

Work resumed more seriously when the first landing on the moon was imminent, in 1969. At that time, then-President Richard Nixon appointed a Space Task Group to look at future space options, and in subsequent years NASA began awarding design contracts for shuttle ideas.

Some compromises were made in the design in response to budgetary constraints and input from the military, which was expected to be a major customer of the shuttle. For example, the size of the cargo bay was increased to accommodate large military satellites. Also, it was decided to make the shuttle only partially reusable instead of fully reusable to save on development costs, although critics noted this would increase the costs of individual flights.

Construction began on a prototype on Jun 4, 1974. That spacecraft was designated Enterprise. Its purpose was to perform test flights and landings. It never flew into outer space. Construction on Columbia began on March 27, 1975. The name Columbia has several origins:

Columbia is a historic poetic name for the United States.

Columbia is a female symbol for the United States.

It was part of the name of an explorer ship, Columbia Rediviva, which made the first American circumnavigation of the globe in 1790.

It was the name of the command module of Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing.

Columbia's first flight took place on April 12, 1981. The shuttle program was officially referred to as the Space Transportation System (STS), so this flight was STS-1. The mission had a two-person crew: the commander, John Young, a veteran of Gemini and Apollo, and the pilot, Bob Crippen. The objective was to make sure that Columbia worked well in space.

Media attention in particular focused on the new system of tiles covering the shuttle, which NASA had struggled with in early days, according to a NASA history on developing the space shuttle. Happily, Columbia came back safely. Several more test flights ran between 1981 and 1982. This included perhaps the most dramatic landing of the shuttle program, STS-3.

An "autoland" system malfunctioned before landing on STS-3; the crew took over (as planned) just before landing, but the shuttle touched the runway faster than normal. After landing, Columbia's nose pitched up unexpectedly due to a software problem, according to commander Jack Lousma's oral history with NASA; it looked as though the shuttle was bobbing on the runway.

The first operational flight for Columbia was STS-5 in November 1982. New shuttle Challenger took on the next three flights, and then Columbia flew once more in November 1983, carrying the Spacelab experiment module for the first time as well as the first European Space Agency astronaut.

Columbia was then shelved for major upgrades (including adding heads-up displays) before flying on just one mission in 1986; that mission carried Democrat Bill Nelson on board, among the astronauts. Shuttle operations were interrupted by Challenger's demise in January 1986. It wouldn't be until 1989 that Columbia flew again.

Columbia flew 28 missions in its lifetime, logging more than 300 days in space. In its earliest days it participated in repairing and deploying satellites and telescopes, but as NASA's priorities changed to science, Columbia flew several productive science missions in the 1990s and 2000s.

Over the years it flew several microgravity laboratory missions and did a tethered satellite system experiment, among other things.

In 1999 and 2002, though, Columbia shifted operations back into telescope operations. STS-93 was scheduled to fly on July 20, 1999, to send the Chandra X-Ray Observatory into space.

A suspected hydrogen problem scrubbed the initial launch only seven seconds before liftoff, but upon further examination NASA determined that the high readings were false.

Columbia lifted off on July 23, 1999, but its orbit was seven miles shallower than planned due to a slightly early main engine cutoff. Adjustments in orbit were necessary to bring Columbia to the correct altitude. The crew successfully let go of Chandra during the mission.

Columbia's 2002 mission consisted of telescope repair, as the STS-109 crew did servicing on the Hubble Space Telescope. Over five spacewalks, several astronaut crew members replaced an aging power control unit, removed and installed solar arrays and did science instrument upgrades. Servicing time hit a record, at the time, of 35 hours and 55 minutes.

This would be Columbia's next-to-last mission in orbit, although nobody knew it at the time.

This image of the STS-107 shuttle Columbia crew in orbit was recovered from wreckage inside an undeveloped film canister. The shirt colors indicate their mission shifts. From left (bottom row): Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Rick Husband, commander; Laurel Clark, mission specialist; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist. From left (top row) are astronauts David Brown, mission specialist; William McCool, pilot; and Michael Anderson, payload commander. Ramon represents the Israeli Space Agency.

Credit: NASA/JSC

Columbia's last flight was STS-107, a nearly 16-day research mission focusing on scientific experiments. The crew included the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, and the first Indian-born woman in space, Kalpana Chawla, was.

As the shuttle went through the final minutes of its re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, NASA lost contact with the shuttle over Texas. Controllers spent several minutes trying to hail the shuttle as the families of the astronauts waited at the expected landing site at the Kennedy Space Center.

As the communications blackout lengthened, and video footage emerged of a large flying object breaking into pieces, it became clear that the crew had not survived.

According to a crew survival report released by NASA in 2008, the crew likely lived through the initial breakup but fell unconscious quickly as the cabin depressurized. They died as the shuttle broke up around them. Their remains were retrieved, identified through DNA and returned to the families.

NASA, government officials and an army of volunteers spent months after the breakup retrieving pieces and crew remains from the ground. Although reliable reports came in spotting debris in Utah, Nevada and New Mexico, the westernmost part of the debris was found near Littlefield, Texas. Thousands of pieces were retrieved in Texas and Louisiana.

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board was formed to look at the causes of the breakup and to prevent it from happening again. Harold W. Gehman Jr., former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Joint Forces Command, chaired the board. It included participation from a dozen people, including NASA officials and former astronaut Sally Ride, who was also a member of Challenger's investigation.

The board concluded that a piece of foam from Columbia's external tank hit the shuttle during launch and caused a fatal breach in Columbia's wing. This "foam debris" problem was well-known and documented in the years before Columbia's launch, but over time NASA grew to accept it as part of spaceflight. The board recommended this problem be addressed.

NASA made changes to the external tank as well as put in new safety procedures for shuttle missions. Among them, on every spaceflight, the crew was required to spend several hours scanning the shuttle's bottom for broken tiles.

The agency still remembers Columbia, as well as past crews lost in the pursuit of spaceflight, on an annual Day of Remembrance every January. Several memorials have been dedicated to the crew as well. For example, seven asteroids were named after the seven crew members of STS-107, and seven Inukshuks - stone cairns that resemble people - were placed at sites at the NASA Haughton-Mars Project on Devon Island, in Canada's arctic.

Visitors to the Kennedy Space Center can view debris from the Columbia mission (as well as Challenger) at an exhibit called "Forever Remembered," which opened in 2015. The debris is on display at the visitor's center and shows window frames from Columbia, as well as personal artifacts from the astronauts. The families of the astronauts collaborated on creating the exhibit.

Meanwhile, some of the experiments from Columbia's last flight returned useful data. This included a set of roundworms ( Caenorhabditis elegans) that survived re-entry and successfully reproduced. Some of the descendants flew in space aboard space shuttle Endeavour in May 2011.

Related:

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Columbia was the first shuttle to reach space, in 1981. Columbia carried dozens of astronauts into space during the next two decades, reaching several milestones. Columbia also underwent upgrades as technology advanced. However, the shuttle and a seven-member crew were lost over Texas when Columbia burned up during re-entry on Feb.

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Click on the different components (parts) of the space shuttle orbiter to find out about their purpose.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Click on each step to understand how shuttles are launched, what happens during takeoff and how they land.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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In the picture above, which part is the actual orbiter (the space shuttle which carries the crew and completes the mission), and which parts are the rockets and fuel tank? Click on the diagram here to learn about the different parts.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Read the text on the left for an introduction to the space shuttle programme.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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The space shuttle Discovery taking off on a mission.

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This diagram also shows the different steps of takeoff and landing

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Follow the link to an online encyclopaedia which lets you click on all the different parts of the Vostok 1 space capsule.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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See what it was like to fly a space shuttle here.

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Kids Ahead - Space Exploration Activities - Space Shuttle - Online Flight Simulator

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Do you want to know what it was like to fly the space shuttle? In this online simulation, you can do a real-time launch sequence, a sixty se...

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Watch the video to find out more about how spacecraft work. Find out about the role of rockets in takeoff.

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Take an orbit around this space flight movie and learn the two basic types of rocket, how they get the thrust to launch from Earth, and about NASA’s shuttles and satellites.

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E. So how did spacecraft develop? What did America do after it had reached its goal of putting a man on the moon? In this section we're going to look at the USA's Space Shuttle programme.

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How have NASA's spacecraft changed over time? play this pairs memory game then look through the photos of the models.

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Sort the people, planets and spacecraft into suitable categories in this BrainPOP game.

https://www.brainpop.com/games/sortifyspaceexploration/

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Sortify: Space Exploration - GameUp - BrainPOP.

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In this free science game, students sort planets and other solar system bodies, as well as the astronomers, astronauts, and spacecraft that have explored them.

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Here is a diagram of the space capsule from an American Mercury spacecraft.

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Click on the numbers to find out about each stage of the journey to the moon and back.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Did you spot the Apollo spacecraft on top of the Saturn V rocket? On this page you can explore a diagram of the spacecraft and find out about its three parts - the Command, Service and Lunar Modules.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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A rocket launches a spacecraft into space. After the fuel has been used up, the spacecraft detaches itself to continue its journey. On this website, explore a diagram of the Saturn V rocket which launched most of America's Apollo missions, including Apollo 11.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Click on the badges to find out more about each Apollo mission.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Early manned missions were all in space capsules. A space capsule is usually quite small (they have usually been smaller than five metres in diameter). However, a manned space capsule must have everything necessary for everyday life, including air, water and food.

The space capsule must also protect astronauts from the cold and radiation of space. A capsule must be well insulated and have a system that controls the inside temperature and environment.

Also, because there is no gravity in space, there must be a way for the astronauts to stay in their seats during the flight. They need to be protected so that they don't get knocked around during launch or reentry. This means each seat needs a system of straps and buckles.

Finally, another important thing that a space capsule must have is a way to communicate with people back on Earth (in 'mission control'). That's a lot of things to fit inside a small space!

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Vostok 1 was the first manned spaceflight in history. The Vostok 3KA space capsule was launched on 12th April, 1961 carrying Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin. He was the first human to cross into outer space.

The orbital spaceflight consisted of a single orbit around Earth. The flight took 108 minutes from launch to landing. Gagarin parachuted to the ground separately from his capsule after ejecting at 7 km (23,000 ft) altitude (that means, 7km above the ground).

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Click on the links on this online encyclopaedia to learn more about this period in history.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Explore the Sputnik satellite on this online encyclopaedia.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. The Soviet Union launched it into a low Earth orbit on 4th October, 1957. It was a 58cm diameter metal sphere with four radio antennae.

It was visible all around the Earth and its radio pulses were detectable. This surprise Russian success started the American "Sputnik crisis", a period of time when Americans felt afraid that the USSR was developing technology faster than the USA. This led to the Space Race.

Sputnik 1 travelled at about 29,000 kilometres per hour (that's 18,000 miles per hour, or 8100 metres per second!). It took just over an hour and a half (96.2 minutes) to complete one orbit of the Earth.

It gave out signals for 21 days, then the batteries ran out (!). Sputnik 1 burned up on 4th January 1958, as it fell from orbit and reentered the Earth's atmosphere. In total it had spent three months in orbit and travelled about 70 million km (43.5 million miles).

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Here are some more useful terms you might see when reading about spacecraft:

orbital spaceflight - a flight in which a spacecraft goes into space then enters an orbit, going round and round Earth (or another planet)

sub-orbital spaceflight - a flight in which a spacecraft flies into space then comes back without entering an orbit

human spaceflight - flights which carry people as crew or passengers

robotic spaceflight - a flight using a spacecraft that can operate without having people on board

space probe - a robotic spacecraft used for scientific research

interstellar probe - a space probe which is designed to leave the Solar System and fly deep into outer space (interstellar means 'between stars')

natural satellite - something natural that revolves around a planet; for example, the moon is Earth's natural satellite

artificial satellite -  robotic spacecraft made by humans that revolve around a planet; for example, the International Space Station, which is currently orbiting Earth

space capsule - an often manned spacecraft which has a simple shape for the main section, without any wings (capsules have been used in most of the manned space programs so far)

rocket - a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle that obtains thrust [movement] from a rocket engine (rockets are used to launch spacecraft, and also accelerate spacecraft which are changing orbit or coming out of orbit)

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A vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. Spacecraft are used for many different purposes, including communication, observing the Earth, exploring other planets, observing/predicting the weather (meteorology)  and transportation of humans and cargo.

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D. Let's look a little more closely at the vehicles used to fly into space. This section will look at the earliest spacecraft and how they have developed since then.

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Here's a video of mankind's first trip to the moon.

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Neil Armstrong - First Moon Landing 1969

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To play this BrainPOP game, drag the cards to the left or right of the centre event, depending on if they happened earlier or later. You should end up with a timeline of space flight events.

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Time Zone X: Space Flight - GameUp - BrainPOP.

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In this timeline skills game, students show their knowledge of Space Flight by following context clues to order events and win artifacts.

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Read more about lunar exploration on this website. (Lunar means related to the moon.)

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The moon is our close cosmic neighbor, and humans have been exploring its surface ever since they first developed telescopes.

The first lunar exploration vehicles of the 1950s were primitive pioneers. But aerospace technology developed so rapidly that only about a decade separated the first flyby forays and Neil Armstrong's history-making steps on the moon's surface.

In January 1959 a small Soviet sphere bristling with antennas, dubbed Luna 1, flew by the moon at a distance of some 3,725 miles (5,995 kilometers). Though Luna 1 did not impact the moon's surface, as was likely intended, its suite of scientific equipment revealed for the first time that the moon had no magnetic field. The craft also returned evidence of space phenomena, such as the steady flow of ionized plasma now known as solar wind.

Later in 1959, Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to land on the moon's surface when it impacted near the Aristides, Archimedes, and Autolycus craters. A third Luna mission subsequently captured the first, blurry, images of the far-or dark-side of the moon.

In 1962 NASA placed its first spacecraft on the moon-Ranger 4. The Ranger missions were kamikaze missions; the spacecraft were engineered to streak straight toward the moon and capture as many images as possible before crashing onto its surface. Unfortunately Ranger 4 was unable to return any scientific data before slamming into the far side of the moon.

Two years later, however, Ranger 7 streaked toward the moon with cameras blazing and captured more than 4,000 photos in the 17 minutes before it smashed onto the surface. Images from all the Ranger missions, particularly Ranger 9, showed that the moon's surface was rough. They spotlighted the challenges of finding a smooth landing site on its surface.

In 1966 the Soviet spacecraft Luna 9 overcame the moon's topographic hurdles and became the first vehicle to soft-land safely on the surface. The small craft was stocked with scientific and communications equipment and photographed a ground level lunar panorama. Luna 10 launched later that year and became the first spacecraft to successfully orbit the moon.

The Surveyor space probes (1966-68) were the first NASA craft to perform controlled landings on the moon's surface. Surveyor carried cameras to explore the moon's surface terrain, as well as soil samplers that analyzed the nature of lunar rock and dirt.

In 1966 and 1967 NASA launched lunar orbiters that were designed to circle the moon and chart its surface in preparation for future manned landings. In total, five lunar orbiter missions photographed about 99 percent of the moon's surface.

Man on the Moon

These robotic probes paved the way for a giant leap forward in space exploration.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first people to reach the moon when their Apollo 11 lunar lander touched down in the Sea of Tranquility.

Later missions carried a lunar rover that was driven across the satellite's surface, and saw astronauts spend as long as three days on the moon. Before the Apollo project ended in 1972, five other missions and a dozen men had visited the moon.

After the dramatic successes of the 1960s and 1970s, the major space programs turned their attention elsewhere for a period of several decades.

But in 1994, NASA again focused on the moon. The Clementine mission succeeded in mapping the moon's surface in wavelengths other than visible light, from ultraviolet to infrared.

Later, the Lunar Prospector (1999) orbited the moon in search of possible evidence of ice at the lunar poles. The prospector also explored the moon's gravitational field and remapped its surface. The mission's end was spectacular-The craft was intentionally crashed into the moon in the hopes of raising a plume that could yield evidence of water ice, but none was observed.

Today, India, China, and Japan all have lunar exploration projects in development. The United States' own plan is perhaps the most ambitious-to return humans to the moon by 2020 and eventually use the moon as a staging point for human flight to Mars and beyond.

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The moon is our close cosmic neighbor, and humans have been exploring its surface ever since they first developed telescopes. The first lunar exploration vehicles of the 1950s were primitive pioneers. But aerospace technology developed so rapidly that only about a decade separated the first flyby forays and Neil Armstrong's history-making steps on the moon's surface.

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The second man on the moon. You can see Neil Armstrong reflected in his helmet!

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What happened after Apollo 17? How did the Apollo programme end? Are we still regularly sending astronauts to the moon?

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Neil Armstrong, the first person to stand on the moon, as their spacecraft landed.

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That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.
~ Neil Armstrong at the moment of stepping onto the moon

These are the famous words spoken by Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the moon. Did you know there has since been great controversy [debate, argument]about whether he said man or a man? What difference does it make to the sentence?

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Upon taking a "small step" onto the surface of the moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong uttered what would become one of history's most famous one-liners. But strangely, what he actually said is far from clear.

Listeners back on Earth heard, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." But Armstrong , who died at the age of 82 on Saturday (Aug. 25), maintained afterwards that he actually said something slightly different: "That's one small step for a man..."

"It's just that people just didn't hear [the 'a']," Neil Armstrong told the press after the Apollo 11 mission.

That little indefinite article makes a big difference, semantically speaking. Without it, "man" abstractly represents all of humanity, just like "mankind." Thus, the quote is essentially, ''That's one small step for mankind, one giant leap for mankind." [ Listen to 'One Small Step' Quote]

Despite his initial sureness that he got the grammar right by including the indefinite article, Armstrong acknowledged at a 30-year anniversary event in 1999 that he couldn't hear himself utter the "a" in the audio recording of his moonwalk transmission, according to the Associated Press.

But then, in 2006, computer programmer Peter Shann Ford might have vindicated Armstrong.

Ford downloaded the audio recording of the moon man's words from a NASA website and analyzed the statement with software that allows disabled people to communicate via computers using their nerve impulses.

In a graphical representation of sound waves of the famous sentence, Ford said he found evidence that the missing "a" had been spoken after all: It was a 35-millisecond-long bump of sound between "for" and "man" that would have been too brief for human ears to hear.

"I have reviewed the data and Peter Ford's analysis of it, and I find the technology interesting and useful," Armstrong said in a statement. ''I also find his conclusion persuasive. Persuasive is the appropriate word."

And so was "a," whether spoken or not.
This story was provided by Have a news tip, correction or comment? Let us know at community@space.com. Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site of SPACE.com. Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter @nattyover or Life's Little Mysteries @llmysteries. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

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'One Small Step for Man': Was Neil Armstrong Misquoted?

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Upon taking a "small step" onto the surface of the moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong uttered what would become one of history's most famous one-liners. But strangely, what he actually said is far from clear. Listeners back on Earth heard, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

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See a table of info about Apollo 12-17 here.

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This photo shows the original Apollo spacesuit on the left, and the new one which was changed after the fire on the right.

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Here is a table covering the Apollo missions from 1-11.

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This photo shows the command module after the fire that killed three astronauts aboard Apollo 1.

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"I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul … we're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream."
~ Neil Armstrong, first human to walk on the moon, at an Apollo mission press conference in 1969

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The Story of Apollo 11 and the First Men on the Moon

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The Story of Apollo 11 and the First Men on the Moon

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This is another video which talks about the moon landings.

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The Story of Apollo 11 and the First Men on the Moon: the Moon Landing for Kids - FreeSchool

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C. So, one of the biggest "firsts" in the history of space exploration was landing and walking on the moon. Let's learn more about the topic here.

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A few years ago Liu Yang became the first Chinese woman in space. This is the Wikipedia article about her.

No Hong Kongers have made it to space yet. Do you think you could be the first?

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Liu is a member of the Communist Party of China. She is married but has no siblings. In February 2015, it was confirmed that she had given birth, but no further information was given about her child.