Space

Explore the vast reaches of space and mankind’s continuing efforts to conquer the stars, including theories such as the Big Bang, the International Space Station, plus what the future holds for space travel and exploration.

Topics to Explore

Learn More / Page 23

How do satellites orbit the Earth?

How do satellites orbit the earth? Why don't they fall straight to the ground like everything else?

Space / Space Exploration

How can I track the NASA's Starshine satellite?

Space / Space Exploration

Can you make a rocket engine using hydrogen peroxide and silver?

At a drag race, I once saw a rocket car that was supposedly powered by spraying hydrogen peroxide on a silver mesh. The resultant reaction produced huge amounts of pure white smoke and apparently enough thrust to propel the car rapidly down the track. Does hydrogen peroxide really react with silver that way?

Space / Space Transportation Systems

Is it possible to see (with a telescope) the stuff left behind on the moon?

Is it possible to see (with a telescope) the stuff left behind on the moon by the Apollo astronauts to prove whether the missions were real?

Space / Space Exploration

If nature abhors a vacuum, then why doesn't the vacuum of space suck away all of the Earth's atmosphere?

If "nature abhors a vacuum," then why doesn't the vacuum of space suck away all of the Earth's atmosphere?

Astronomy / The Solar System

How are astronomers able to measure how far away a star is?

It turns out that measuring the distance to a star is an interesting problem! Astronomers have come up with two different techniques to estimate how far away any given star is.

Astronomy / Stars Channel

Meteors burn up when they hit the Earth's atmosphere. Why doesn't the space shuttle?

In science, we are learning about the atmosphere. It protects us from meteors because it burns them up. So, why doesn't the space shuttle burn up?

Space / Space Transportation Systems

How do astronomers detect that a star has a planet orbiting it?

According to an article I read, astronomers are able to detect that star has a planet orbiting it by observing the "wobble" of the star induced by the gravitational pull of one or more planets. At the tremendous distances involved, what is the technology that enables these discoveries?

Astronomy / Stars Channel

Can the curvature of the Earth only be seen from outer space?

Can the curvature of the Earth only be seen from outer space? If you didn't know that the Earth is a sphere, there are three common observations you could use to convince yourself that it is.

Astronomy / The Solar System

How Rocket Engines Work

Believe it or not, the hardest part of space exploration is getting a spaceship off the ground. Explore the basics of propulsion and learn about both solid-fuel and liquid-fuel rocket engines.

By Marshall Brain Space / Space Transportation Systems