Single-person spacecraft

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

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/single-person-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 vehicle configuration?Spacecraft designed and optimized for a single occupant's operational and survival needs
2. What is the historical examples?Mercury capsule (USA) and Vostok spacecraft (Soviet Union) are prominent historical instances
3. Why do people build single-person spacecraft?They are lighter and use fewer resources, so they can be launched more cheaply. They are also good for missions that don't need many people.
4. How does a single-person spacecraft keep an astronaut alive?It has a life support system that supplies air, keeps the temperature comfortable, and recycles waste. The cockpit has many displays and controls to help the astronaut fly and talk to Earth.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA): Any activity done by an astronaut outside a spacecraft beyond the Earth's appreciable atmosphere.
Life Support System: The equipment responsible for providing a habitable environment for the crew.
Attitude Control: The process of controlling the orientation of a spacecraft in space.