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!
How Do Satellites Stay In Orbit?
A satellite is an object which orbits another. An orbit is the curved path that an object in space takes around another object.
Dorothy Vaughan
Credit: Unknown author
Occupation: Mathematician and Human Computer
Year born: 1910
Research Areas: Computer Programming
Claudia Alexander
Early Life
Claudia was born in Vancouver, Canada and grew up in California, USA. She wanted to be a historian, but her parents wanted her to be an engineer. Claudia discovered her love of planetary science during an internship at NASA’s Ames Research Centre. She was meant to be concentrating on engineering but kept sneaking off to the science section. Claudia studied for a degree in geophysics and a master’s in geophysics and space physics. She was awarded a PhD in space physics from the University of Michigan.
Year born: 1959
Research Areas: Jupiter’s Moons, Comets
"I feel like a modern-day explorer; the last frontier is space"