List of landing ellipses on extraterrestrial bodies

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/list-of-landing-ellipses-on-extraterrestrial-bodies

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 a landing ellipse?A landing ellipse is a carefully calculated oval-shaped area that shows where a spacecraft can safely touch down on another planet. It is drawn using data about the planet’s surface and the spacecraft’s abilities.
2. Why do spaceships need a landing ellipse on the Moon or Mars?Landing ellipses help keep the spaceship safe by showing a safe zone that avoids dangerous rocks or steep slopes. They also let scientists pick spots that can give the most useful science.

Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL): The critical and complex phase of a mission where a spacecraft enters an atmosphere and lands on a surface.
Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC): The systems within a spacecraft responsible for determining its position, trajectory, and controlling its movement.
Astrobiology: The scientific study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.