Space Exploration
Space exploration uses rockets, satellites and probes to learn about space, from the first satellite in 1957 to Mars rovers today.
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Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
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Space exploration uses rockets, satellites and probes to learn about space, from the first satellite in 1957 to Mars rovers today.
- Sputnik launched in 1957
- Humans landed on the Moon in 1969
- Probes have visited every planet
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Space Exploration?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Space Exploration. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Space Exploration in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Space Exploration helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Space Exploration in detail
Space exploration began with Sputnik (1957), the first satellite, followed by Yuri Gagarin as the first human in space (1961) and the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. Since then, probes such as Voyager have visited the outer planets, rovers have explored Mars, and space stations such as the ISS host international research.
Telescopes, including Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, look deep into the Universe. Space exploration has advanced technology and knowledge, with spin-offs such as satellite navigation and medical devices. It is costly and risky, and raises questions about space debris and priorities. Future goals include returning to the Moon, crewed Mars missions and searching for life.
How the interactive helps you understand Space Exploration
Watch the timeline in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the timeline responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Space Exploration.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain how Space Exploration affects the landscape or climate near you.
- Link Space Exploration to a real environmental problem and a possible solution.
- Use a diagram of Space Exploration to describe the steps of a process in order.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Space Exploration
What is Space Exploration?
Space exploration uses rockets, satellites and probes to learn about space, from the first satellite in 1957 to Mars rovers today.
What are the most important points about Space Exploration?
The main points are: Sputnik launched in 1957; Humans landed on the Moon in 1969; Probes have visited every planet.
Why is Space Exploration useful?
Understanding Space Exploration helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Space Exploration?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Space Exploration?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Rocks and Minerals, Weathering and Erosion, Volcanoes and Their Products.