Soviet space program

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/soviet-space-program

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 primary launch vehicle family?R-7 (later Soyuz family), derived from an ICBM
2. What is the first space station program?Salyut program, beginning with Salyut 1 in 1971
3. What was the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union?Sputnik 1 was launched in 1957 and was the first artificial satellite in space.
4. Who was the first human to travel into space?Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he flew aboard Vostok 1 in 1961.

Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies.
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM): A missile with a range of more than 5,500 kilometers, capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
Modular Space Station: A space station constructed from multiple connected modules, allowing for expansion and reconfiguration.