Lunar Orbit and Landing Approach

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/lunar-orbit-and-landing-approach

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 periselene and aposelene?The closest and farthest points of a spacecraft's orbit around the Moon
2. What is the first soft lunar landing?Luna 9 (Soviet Union) in 1966
3. What happens when a spaceship enters lunar orbit?The spaceship fires retro-rockets to slow down, creating a stable orbit with specific closest and farthest points from the Moon.
4. Why do astronauts use a de‑orbit burn before landing?The burn reduces the spacecraft’s speed so it starts to fall toward the Moon, beginning the descent toward the surface.

Translunar Trajectory: The path a spacecraft takes from Earth towards the Moon.
Retro-rockets: Engines fired in the direction of motion to slow down a spacecraft.
Gravitational Perturbations: Small changes in a spacecraft's orbit caused by uneven gravitational forces.
In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): Using local resources found on celestial bodies for exploration and habitation.