Space Exploration

The Science of Rockets
Atlas rockets have been used since late in the 1950's to send probes into space and satellites to orbit Earth.There are three stages to the rockets: Atlas, Centaur, and the payload. The Atlas sends the payload into space. The Centaur maneuvers into the proper orbit and releases the payload before falling back to Earth and burning upon reentry of the atmosphere. The Atlas has been upgraded and used for many launches since it was invented.
The Space Program
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) started in 1958 and immediately started with human flight. Project Mercury sent one astronaut into space. That led to Project Gemini that sent two astronauts and taught NASA about living and working in space. Project Apollo followed putting an astronaut on the moon in 1969. Apollo 13 launched April 11, 1970 and had a smooth start. Two days in an oxygen tank blew up and the Command Module lost electricity and water. They made it around the moon and landed April 17 in the Pacific. Since 1972, three uncrewed spacecrafts have been sent to study the moon: Galileo, Clementine, and Lunar Prospector.
Exploring Science Today
A small robot called a "personal satellite assistant" is planned for the International Space Station (ISS). It will float next to an astronaut and use internal fans to turn or move. The personal satellite assistant has sensors that monitor temperature, pressure, and air quality so it can warn astronauts of problems. It can monitor remote parts of the station and conduct regular maintenance checks. It also has a "videophone" so astronauts can communicate with each other and Mission Control.
Using Space Science on Earth
NASA only gets one percent of the U.S. budget but they guess that for every one dollar put in the economy get seven dollars. NASA stresses its economic contribution because of the people who are against funding them. NASA points out the basic knowledge of the universe gives us a better understanding of Earth, a lot learned from space exploration. Also exploration of space has made many applications for satellite communications and it supports many jobs.