History of spaceflight

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/history-of-spaceflight

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the first liquid-fueled rocket launch?Robert Goddard, March 16, 1926
2. What is the first artificial satellite?Sputnik 1, Soviet Union, October 4, 1957
3. What were the first rockets that helped humans travel to space?Robert Goddard launched the world’s first liquid‑fueled rocket in 1926. Scientists like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and Hermann Oberth also designed early rockets that showed space travel was possible.
4. Why did the United States and the Soviet Union race to space?During the Cold War, each country wanted to show its science and power. They built rockets quickly to beat the other side.

Liquid-Fueled Rocket: A rocket engine that uses a liquid propellant and oxidizer, offering greater control and efficiency.
Multi-stage Rocket: A rocket composed of several stages, each with its own engines, that are jettisoned as they are used up to reduce weight.
Microgravity: A condition where the effects of gravity are significantly reduced, allowing for unique scientific experiments.
Exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star outside of our own solar system.