Space Exploration
Space is explored in two ways;
– by studying it from Earth using powerful telescopes.
– by launching spacecraft to get a closer view.
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Space Exploration
- most space exploration is by unmanned space probes.
- first pictures of the far side of the Moon were sent back by the Luna 3 space probe on 7th October 1959. (more photos of the first pictures of the Moon.)
- manned missions have only reached as far as the Moon and no one has been back there since 1972.
- NASA – Apollo astronauts took three days to reach the Moon.
- a journey to the nearest star; Alpha Centauri by a Space Shuttle would taken 80,000 years.
- some spacecraft on long voyages of exploration may be driven along by nuclear power.
- many probes have never come back from from another planets.
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Did you know?
The Pioneer and Voyager probes carry information about life on Earth in case they are founded by extraterrestial life.
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Back to  Space Exploration’s  page.