ASTRONOMY

YOU AND THE UNIVERSE
The universe is the whole enchilada. Everything that exists, exists in the universe. Before you start getting into the details about things that happen in the universe, try to think about how big it is. Start with you. You are only a couple of feet long. Compare yourself to a whale, or a dinosaur. They are enormous. Then think about how big your city is and how much space you take up in your state, your country, or your continent. Then imagine the Earth. You're not very big now. Hold on it gets worse.

The Earth is pretty small when you compare it to Jupiter. Jupiter is pretty small compared to the Sun. As you go on, there are millions of suns in our galaxy and thousands of galaxies in the universe. No one really knows how many. There are some scientists and mathematicians with theories, but nobody really knows. We have discovered a few things and you can check them out in the related links.

MERCURY
The Mercury Program went from 1958-1963 and was made up of 20 unmanned and 6 manned missions. It was the U.S. first space program that launched humans into orbit. It had three goals: (1) place a manned spacecraft into orbit, (2) investigate man's reaction to space flight and (3) recover the pilot and spacecraft successfully when they returned to Earth. Navy ships were positioned near the capsule landing point. They then sent out helicopters to retrieve the astronauts and capsules.


GEMINI
The Gemini program was the second step for NASA. Its goals were a more ambitious. (1) Put two pilots and equipment in space for up to two weeks. (2) Rendezvous and dock with another orbiting vehicle and maneuver both spacecraft with the propulsion system. (3) Refine and perfect procedures for reentry (return to the surface) to a specific and preselected landing point on land. They were not able to accomplish the last goal. They were only able to have water landings.
ORION AFTER THE SHUTTLE
We already mentioned that the Shuttle program would soon be over. In 2006, NASA announced the next manned spacecraft. The capsule-like craft will be called Orion. I will be used for missions to the Moon and Mars. The development of the new vehicle will be managed from the Johnson Space Center in Florida and their Constellation Program team.


ORION BASICS
What is Orion? If you see a picture, you might think it looks a lot like older orbiters that were used to go to the Moon in the 60s and 70s. While the shape looks similar, it will be an advanced spacecraft with the newest technology (and over twice as big). Between now and the proposed launch in 2014, NASA will be developing new systems and tests to make sure the spacecraft is safe and capable of completing any assignment.

The new vehicle will be able to carry up to six crew members to the International Space Station and four for missions to the Moon. Although still being developed, engineers hope to use the vehicle to transport crews to a different spacecraft on missions to Mars.
Although a recognizable shape, Orion's design is based on known physics. There are specific shapes that are ideal when you are sitting on top of a rocket or falling through the atmosphere. The conical shape allows for a safe and reliable mission. The capsule will be about 16 feet wide and weigh about 25 tons.


LAUNCHING ORION
The Constellation Program managers are also in charge of developing the launch vehicles that will take this large capsule into orbit and space. The Ares rockets will be used as both launching rockets and boosters. The Ares I rocket will launch the Orion vehicle into space. The Ares V will be a larger rocket designed to take heavy cargo loads into space. Once cargo is in orbit, it can be transported to the Moon or Mars (in the future).
HISTORY AS YOU READ THIS
In a couple of years we're going to have to update this page. You see, right now the United States and countries all over the world are working together to build the International Space Station (ISS). This new station isn't going to be a lab like Spacelab or Mir. This is the real deal. The international project began in 1998 and original plans wanted it completed in 2004. Due to delays and the tragic shuttle accident, assembly of the ISS has been delayed. There were even brief discussions about not completing the ISS. With the 2005 launches of the shuttle, work has begun again on the ISS.


WHAT ISS IS
The space station will be made up of 44 pieces. It will have a width of 356 feet, a length of 290 feet, and a height of 143 feet. The entire station will orbit the Earth at an altitude of 220 miles. The countries of Earth plan to have the station permanently manned and conduct experiments that involve astronomy, biology, physics, and chemistry. The station is our first step to having permanent installations in space and on other planets.


BEYOND THE ISS
NASA is currently planning development of Moon and Mars exploration missions. These series of missions will probably start as robotic explorers and orbiting satellite projects. Does this mean that the world is giving up on the ISS? Not at all. Many experiments are still planned for the space station and everything we learn will be used to help humans colonize other planets.

In the coming decades, look for orbiters around the Moon that will transit information to Earth. Look for a series of robots that will explore the lunar surface. Finally, you may even see a temporary lab set up on the Moon's surface that will begin experiments. Realistically, human exploration of Mars is a long way off.