Valentina Tereshkova
Valentina Tereshkova grew up in Maslennikovo, Russia, USSR. After she left school, Valentina had jobs in a tyre factory and in a textile mill. In her spare time she loved parachuting and skydiving at her local club.
Helen Sharman
Helen Sharman grew up in Sheffield, UK. She graduated from university with a degree in chemistry, and went on to study for a PhD. After university, she worked as an engineer and as a chemist. One of her jobs involved working on the science of chocolate flavours!
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin grew up on a farm near Gzhatsk, Russia, USSR. Gzhatsk has since been named Gagarin in his honour. His father was a carpenter. Yuri graduated from trade school as a moulder (someone who makes wooden moulds for objects cast from metal). He then went to industrial college and learned to fly a plane.
Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong grew up in Ohio, USA. He flew a plane for first time when he was 6 years old which sparked his love of flying. Aged 16, he received his pilot's licence. Neil joined the US Navy and served as a naval aviator in the Korean War. The navy paid his college fees and Neil completed a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz grew up in New Jersey, USA. After school, Buzz went to a Military Academy where he got a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. He then joined the US Air Force and flew as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. After the war, he completed a PhD in Astronautics at MIT.
Firsts in Space
The journey to space didn’t start with humans. Before astronauts, animals were sent to test if living things could survive the trip. From fruit flies to dogs, these animals played a key role in space exploration. Some, like Laika the dog, became famous for their bravery.
- First animals in space
In 1947 the first living things went to space. They were two fruit flies! The United States launched the flies on a V2 rocket. In the 1950s, the USA and USSR sent lots of animals to space. These included mice, monkeys, rabbits, cats, and dogs. Scientists were testing if the creatures could survive the journey. Some test animals survived, but sadly not all.
Space in Your Life Game
You may be aware that space exploration requires lots of technology, but did you know that some of that technology is used back on Earth to make people's lives better? Match the pairs to learn about the space technology in your life!
Colour Your Space
Spending time focusing on one task can help you to relax. Colouring is a great way to spend some time on a calm and creative activity.
Use your imagination to add colour to these colouring sheets. Choose from Space Exploration, Planets, or Telescopes. Or why not complete all 3?!
Let's Explore Astronauts!
Next time it's dark, why don't you look up!
Even if we can't go into space we can still learn a lot about it from right here on the ground.
Use this activity pack to learn all about astronauts - let us help you explore!
Let's Explore Rockets!
Next time it's dark, why don't you look up!
Even if we can't go into space we can still learn a lot about it from right here on the ground.