FOR KIDS
Content
22. Ride on a spacecraft
The sky is a part of the atmosphere or the outer space. What all
do we see when we look at the sky? We can see the moon,
changing shapes every day and we can see millions and
millions os stars: some bright and glittering, some very tiny and
pale. The sun, the moon, the stars, all belongs to a huge area
called space. The vast and limitless region beyond the Earth’s
atmosphere is called space. The collection of information about
the various heavenly bodies in outer space is called space
exploration. The study of the space and the objects there is
known as Astronomy. People who study astronomy are called
astronomers. Astronauts are the people who travel in to the
space in spacecraft. We travel to space on special vehicles
called spacecraft.
Solar system
Huge balls of gases that can produce their own light are called
stars. The sun is also a star; it looks so big because it is nearer
to the earth. The sun is the main source of heat and light. There
are eight planets that move around the sun. Each planet moves
around the sun in its own path called orbit. The eight planets
according to their distance from the sun are Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
The solar system consists of the Sun, the eight planets and
their satellites and other heavenly bodies, such as comets and
asteroids.
Planets do not have their own light; they reflect the light of the
star.
Galaxy
There are millions of stars in space. A collection of stars forms a
galaxy. Our sun belongs to the galaxy Milky Way or Akash
Ganga. On a very clear, if we look carefully at the sky, we might
see part of this whitish band os stars, stretching from one side
to the other. Each galaxy is made up of numerous solar
systems. Galaxies can be of different shapes- spiral, elliptical or
irregular. The Milky Way has a spiral shape.
Satellites
The smaller bodies in space, that revolve around planets are
called satellites. The only natural satellite of earth is the moon.
The moon is cold and dry, and is studded with craters. It has no
atmosphere. The moon is 384,403 kilometres away from the
earth. The sky in the moon is always black. While on the moon,
the astronauts weighed only one sixth of their weight on the
Earth. A planet might have more than one satellite.
Activity time
Write short notes on each of the planets in the solar
system.
Make a presentation on Chandrayaan, India’s first attempt
to venture into the moon.
Journey into the space
The first attempt by humans to venture into the space was
made in 1957 by a Russian spacecraft, named sputnik I. it
helped the scientists to collect a lot of interesting information
about the outer space. In 1966, a soviet spacecraft named,
Luna 9, became the first spacecraft to land on the moon. This
mission helped the scientists to take photos of the lunar surface
and gather important information.
Between 1966 to 1968, the USA and the USSR sent several
space missions which gathered information about the outer
space.
Yuri Gagarin from the USSR was the first human being to
travel into the space in 1961, Russian astronaut. Valentina
Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space in
1963.
Yuri Gagarin
Valentina Tereshkova
On 21 July, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human
being to land on the moon. He was the commander of the
Apollo 11 and was accompanied by Edwin Aldrin. They
carried out experiments and took photographs. They returned
to earth with about 22 kilograms of rock and soil samples for
further study.
Neil Armstrong
Indians in space
A squadron leader in the Indian Air force,
Rakesh Sharma, was the first Indian and
138th person to travel in space on 2 April
1984. This was a joint programme
between the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and the Soviet
Intercosmos space programme. He and
other astronauts spent eight days in space
on board the Salyut 7 space station.
Dr. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of
Indian origin to travel into the space. Her
mission began in November 1997. She was a
part of a 6 member crew of Columbia STS-87.
She ventured into the space for a second time
in 2003. Unfortunately, on the way back to the
earth, the space shuttle exploded on re- entry into the Earth’s
atmosphere. All the six astronauts on board were killed.
Sunita Williams became the second
woman of Indian origin to travel into the
space abroad the space shuttle Discovery
in 2006. She holds the records for the
longest solo flight in space by a woman.
She spent 195 days in the space.
Let us re-learn
We can see different objects in the sky during night and
day.
Planets are heavenly bodies that do not have their own
light.
The sun and the eight planets, including the Earth, form
the Solar System.
The smaller bodies in space, that revolve around planets
or stars are called satellites.
People who travel to space are called astronauts.
Astronauts travel to space in spacecraft.
Time to solve
A. Multiple choice questions:
1. …………………is a vehicle which helps humans to explore
the space.
a. Submarine
b. hovercraft
c. spacecraft
2. The study of heavenly bodies is called
a. Astrology
b. astronomy
c. physiology
3. There exist……………..of galaxies.
a. One b. ten c. millions
4. The first attempt by humans to venture into the space was
made in
a. 1957
b. 1958 c. 1960
5. ……………became the first Indian to travel into the space.
a. Sunita Williams b. Kalpana Chawla
c. Rakesh
Sharma
B. Answer the questions:
1. Why is the space Exploration important?
2. Define space.
3. What is solar system?
4. What was Neil Armstrong’s greatest achievement?
5. What is the Milky Way?
C. Name the following:
1. First man who went into the space……………
2. First woman who went into the space………………
3. First spacecraft used in space voyage…………….
4. First man who landed on the moon………………
5. First woman who spent 195 days in space……………..
D. Match the following:
1. Moon distance from earth
Earth
2. Solar system
travel in space
3. Akash Ganga
4. Moon
5. Rakesh Sharma
natural satellite of
First Indian man to
384,403 kilometres
eight planets
Milky way
Time for fun (FA)
1. If you were an astronaut for a day and you get a chance to
travel to space, what would be your experience? Write a
paragraph to describe it.
2. Identify these astronauts.
The sky is a part of the atmosphere or the outer space. What all
do we see when we look at the sky? We can see the moon,
changing shapes every day and we can see millions and
millions os stars: some bright and glittering, some very tiny and
pale. The sun, the moon, the stars, all belongs to a huge area
called space. The vast and limitless region beyond the Earth’s
atmosphere is called space. The collection of information about
the various heavenly bodies in outer space is called space
exploration. The study of the space and the objects there is
known as Astronomy. People who study astronomy are called
astronomers. Astronauts are the people who travel in to the
space in spacecraft. We travel to space on special vehicles
called spacecraft.
Solar system
Huge balls of gases that can produce their own light are called
stars. The sun is also a star; it looks so big because it is nearer
to the earth. The sun is the main source of heat and light. There
are eight planets that move around the sun. Each planet moves
around the sun in its own path called orbit. The eight planets
according to their distance from the sun are Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
The solar system consists of the Sun, the eight planets and
their satellites and other heavenly bodies, such as comets and
asteroids.
Planets do not have their own light; they reflect the light of the
star.
Galaxy
There are millions of stars in space. A collection of stars forms a
galaxy. Our sun belongs to the galaxy Milky Way or Akash
Ganga. On a very clear, if we look carefully at the sky, we might
see part of this whitish band os stars, stretching from one side
to the other. Each galaxy is made up of numerous solar
systems. Galaxies can be of different shapes- spiral, elliptical or
irregular. The Milky Way has a spiral shape.
Satellites
The smaller bodies in space, that revolve around planets are
called satellites. The only natural satellite of earth is the moon.
The moon is cold and dry, and is studded with craters. It has no
atmosphere. The moon is 384,403 kilometres away from the
earth. The sky in the moon is always black. While on the moon,
the astronauts weighed only one sixth of their weight on the
Earth. A planet might have more than one satellite.
Activity time
Write short notes on each of the planets in the solar
system.
Make a presentation on Chandrayaan, India’s first attempt
to venture into the moon.
Journey into the space
The first attempt by humans to venture into the space was
made in 1957 by a Russian spacecraft, named sputnik I. it
helped the scientists to collect a lot of interesting information
about the outer space. In 1966, a soviet spacecraft named,
Luna 9, became the first spacecraft to land on the moon. This
mission helped the scientists to take photos of the lunar surface
and gather important information.
Between 1966 to 1968, the USA and the USSR sent several
space missions which gathered information about the outer
space.
Yuri Gagarin from the USSR was the first human being to
travel into the space in 1961, Russian astronaut. Valentina
Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space in
1963.
Yuri Gagarin
Valentina Tereshkova
On 21 July, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human
being to land on the moon. He was the commander of the
Apollo 11 and was accompanied by Edwin Aldrin. They
carried out experiments and took photographs. They returned
to earth with about 22 kilograms of rock and soil samples for
further study.
Neil Armstrong
Indians in space
A squadron leader in the Indian Air force,
Rakesh Sharma, was the first Indian and
138th person to travel in space on 2 April
1984. This was a joint programme
between the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and the Soviet
Intercosmos space programme. He and
other astronauts spent eight days in space
on board the Salyut 7 space station.
Dr. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of
Indian origin to travel into the space. Her
mission began in November 1997. She was a
part of a 6 member crew of Columbia STS-87.
She ventured into the space for a second time
in 2003. Unfortunately, on the way back to the
earth, the space shuttle exploded on re- entry into the Earth’s
atmosphere. All the six astronauts on board were killed.
Sunita Williams became the second
woman of Indian origin to travel into the
space abroad the space shuttle Discovery
in 2006. She holds the records for the
longest solo flight in space by a woman.
She spent 195 days in the space.
Let us re-learn
We can see different objects in the sky during night and
day.
Planets are heavenly bodies that do not have their own
light.
The sun and the eight planets, including the Earth, form
the Solar System.
The smaller bodies in space, that revolve around planets
or stars are called satellites.
People who travel to space are called astronauts.
Astronauts travel to space in spacecraft.
Time to solve
A. Multiple choice questions:
1. …………………is a vehicle which helps humans to explore
the space.
a. Submarine
b. hovercraft
c. spacecraft
2. The study of heavenly bodies is called
a. Astrology
b. astronomy
c. physiology
3. There exist……………..of galaxies.
a. One b. ten c. millions
4. The first attempt by humans to venture into the space was
made in
a. 1957
b. 1958 c. 1960
5. ……………became the first Indian to travel into the space.
a. Sunita Williams b. Kalpana Chawla
c. Rakesh
Sharma
B. Answer the questions:
1. Why is the space Exploration important?
2. Define space.
3. What is solar system?
4. What was Neil Armstrong’s greatest achievement?
5. What is the Milky Way?
C. Name the following:
1. First man who went into the space……………
2. First woman who went into the space………………
3. First spacecraft used in space voyage…………….
4. First man who landed on the moon………………
5. First woman who spent 195 days in space……………..
D. Match the following:
1. Moon distance from earth
Earth
2. Solar system
travel in space
3. Akash Ganga
4. Moon
5. Rakesh Sharma
natural satellite of
First Indian man to
384,403 kilometres
eight planets
Milky way
Time for fun (FA)
1. If you were an astronaut for a day and you get a chance to
travel to space, what would be your experience? Write a
paragraph to describe it.
2. Identify these astronauts.
