Lander (spacecraft)

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

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/lander-spacecraft

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 soft lunar landing mission?Luna 9 (Soviet Union), February 3, 1966
2. What is the pioneering mars surface experiments?Viking 1 and Viking 2 landers (NASA), 1976, conducted biological experiments
3. What is a lander spacecraft?A lander is a robot that lands softly on other planets to study the surface directly.
4. How do landers land safely on planets?They use heat shields, parachutes, and retrorockets or airbags to slow down from high speeds and touch down gently.

In-situ Analysis: Scientific study conducted directly at the location of the sample or phenomenon.
Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL): The critical sequence of events for a spacecraft to safely reach a planetary surface.
Biosignatures: Substances, patterns, or phenomena that provide evidence of past or present life.