A space odyssey by HUB Scuola https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj en-us 2021-03-19 15:02:53 UTC 2025-10-20 19:40:55 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f680.png Challenges to space exploration: what are the key problems for humans in space and how can we overcome them mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330136044 From the first space missions and man’s landing on the Moon with Apollo 11, being in space brings numerous challenges and risks to humans for example bone density loss, radiation exposure, maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet, and mental health problems. Watch this short video and make notes about the challenges of going to space and what it could mean for the future of space travel, which now has its eyes set on Mars.

Watch this video: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:04:26 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330136044 Radiation exposure: one of the biggest challenges in space exploration mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330138863 One of the biggest challenges to humans and space travel is radiation exposure. This is a key part of the conversation about a human mission to Mars possible and has influenced the work of spacesuit engineers too.

Watch this clip to learn what NASA is working on to try and minimise the impact of radiation on humans in space exploration: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:05:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330138863 Spacesuit engineering: the importance of well-designed spacesuits for life in space mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330145400 The latest technology is being deployed in spacesuit engineering to give the greatest protection possible to men and women astronauts.

Watch this video from NASA to see the spacesuit features in more detail: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:06:30 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330145400 Diet in space: what technology is there to allow you to grow fresh food in space mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330191905 It’s no surprise to most of us that regularly eating fresh produce is a great way to support a healthy diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables benefit astronauts on the International Space Station, too – and soon the Moon and beyond. Scientists are investigating sustainable ways to grow highly nutritious foods in microgravity, to give space explorers a readily available supply of daily greens.

Follow this link to find out more about the latest invention, μg-LilyPond™, which allows for plants to be grown in space: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:16:56 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330191905 Elon Musk: SpaceX: a pioneer in space exploration especially to Mars mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330195574 Space exploration now includes taking humans not only to the moon, but also to Mars. Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, is focussed on doing just that with its programme titled ‘Mars & beyond: the road to making humanity multiplanetary’.

Find out more about this on the SpaceX website: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:17:41 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330195574 Apollo 11: the mission which took man to the moon mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330207177 Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin formed the American crew that landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969. It was to be a monumental moment for humanity and inspired people like David Bowie who was renowned for his space-themed songs.

Buzz Aldrin on the moon]]> 2021-03-19 15:20:15 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330207177 7. Science-fiction: an explosion of new literature at the turn of the century mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330215349 The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of an age just as surely as it marked the beginning of a new century. Things began to feel looser and lighter. However, it was also a time of social pressures, fears about poverty and the plight of the less fortunate, increasingly dramatic advocacy of women’s rights and suffrage, uncertainty about the effects of new technology, and an ongoing dread of future war that had been fuelled by the popular press ever since the 1870s. All of these topics emerge in the science fiction of the period. Notable authors from this time include H. G. Wells, George Griffith, and Jack London.

]]> 2021-03-19 15:21:57 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330215349 The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells: a world-famous novel about alien invasion mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330219513 The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells and is one of the earliest stories to detail a conflict between mankind and an extra-terrestrial race. The plot has been related to invasion literature of the time. The novel has been variously interpreted as a commentary on evolutionary theory, British imperialism, and generally Victorian superstitions, fears, and prejudices. Wells said that the plot arose from a discussion with his brother Frank about the catastrophic effect of the British on indigenous Tasmanians. What would happen, he wondered, if Martians did to Britain what the British had done to the Tasmanians? The War of the Worlds has been both popular (having never been out of print) and influential, spawning half a dozen feature films (such as The Martian), radio dramas, a record album, various comic book adaptations, a number of television series, and sequels or parallel stories by other authors.

Read more here about the link between the impact of the British invasion on indigenous Tasmanians and The War of the Worlds: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:22:50 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330219513 The World Masters by George Griffith: an important author of science-fiction literature mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330223901 After Wells, the most prolific and popular author of scientific romance in Britain was probably George Griffith. Like Wells he was a utopian socialist, and his work often featured a radical new world order. Unlike Wells, his work tended to concentrate on future wars, particularly aerial warfare. The World Masters was one of three future war novels that appeared in the same year, the others being A Woman Against the World and The Lake of Gold: A Narrative of the Anglo-American Conquest of Europe. All three pursue the same theme. In The World Masters it is the International Electric Power and Storage Trust that lies behind the Anglo-American takeover of the world.

The World Masters, but George Griffith]]> 2021-03-19 15:23:44 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330223901 The Iron Heel by Jack London: an author following on from the greats Wells and Griffith mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330231935 Like his contemporaries, H.G. Wells and George Griffith, Jack London was a socialist. Nowhere in his work do his political views come across so clearly as they do in this startling dystopia. It is set in a near-future America where ruthless business leaders have taken over the government and established an oligarchy popularly known as the Iron Heel. Their dictatorial government keeps the vast majority of the population in poverty and near serfdom. The story takes the form of the autobiography of a woman who works for the underground resistance as they recover from one failed revolution and start planning for another. The manuscript is discovered centuries later by a scholar in a more utopian society who provides a different perspective on the events that the autobiography describes.

The Iron Heel, by Jack London]]> 2021-03-19 15:25:23 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330231935 11. Space exploration and cinematography: how has space exploration inspired the silver screen mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330238505 Space exploration and science-fiction has been transformed on the big screen over the years. Compare the trailers of A Space Odyssey, The Angry Red Planet and Ad Astra. Do you notice any similarities in their stories? Discuss the clips with a partner. 

Ad Astra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6AaSMfXHbA

The Angry Red Planet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBAJEczBaHY

A Space Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR_e9y-bka0

Other notable productions include The Martian, Hidden Figures and Gravity. Find out more about them in the other tabs.
]]> 2021-03-19 15:26:44 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330238505 12. The Martian: a highly acclaimed film depicting the challenges and risks of space exploration mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330244903 The Martian is a 2015 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. Drew Goddard adapted the screenplay from The Martian, a 2011 novel by Andy Weir. The film depicts an astronaut's (Damon) lone struggle to survive on Mars after being left behind, and the efforts of NASA to rescue him and bring him home to Earth.

Watch the trailer here: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:28:03 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330244903 13. Hidden Figures (2016): a film representing black women in NASA’s history mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330253883 The story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.

Watch the trailer here:
]]> 2021-03-19 15:29:56 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330253883 Gravity (2013): a film set in space with Sandra Bullock in a leading role as a woman astronaut mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330257193 Gravity is a 2013 science fiction thriller film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who also co-wrote, co-edited, and produced the film. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as American astronauts who are stranded in space after the mid-orbit destruction of their Space Shuttle, and attempt to return to Earth.

Watch the trailer here: ]]> 2021-03-19 15:30:33 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330257193 David Bowie: the musician inspired by space mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330261817 Before any human being ever set foot on the moon, David Bowie was deep in outer space, standing at his own version of the crossroads and transfixing generations of fans too weird for this world. His space inspired music included tracks such as: "Moonage Daydream," "Starman," "Life on Mars?," "Hallo Spaceboy," "Dancing out in Space," "Born in a UFO." Eventually, Bowie's science fiction became fact: In 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded a viral video version of "Space Oddity," strumming his acoustic while floating through the International Space Station. It was a fitting tribute to a man whose music seemed unbound by earthly forces.  The most indelible of Bowie’s alter-egos was the flame-haired extraterrestrial rock star Ziggy Stardust [16]. 

Watch Chris Hadfield’s version of Sapce Oddity here:
]]> 2021-03-19 15:31:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330261817 Ziggy Stardust: the alter-ego of David Bowie which fans idolised mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330266274 Ziggy Stardust was an elaborate performance-art jape about the superhuman qualities with which ­audiences invest in rock stars. But Bowie didn't just place himself above the adoring crowd; he also situated himself among it. Impersonating an alien, he spoke to the alienated, to those who, by mark of sexual preference or adolescent confusion or fabulous hair and makeup and clothes, felt like they had tumbled to Earth from a distant planet.

Ziggy Stardust]]> 2021-03-19 15:32:24 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/g84jtyqkmnyh6uj/wish/1330266274