Space Stations
Did you know there are always humans in space?
Since 1971, men and women have been living for months at a time on space stations. These are spacecraft large enough for several astronauts to live there at once.
Crewed Missions
Humans have been travelling to space since the 1950s.
We have used telescopes to study space for centuries, but it was the invention of massive rockets which finally let us explore space in person.
Light and Mirrors Card Match
Telescopes Quiz
Telescopes are used to magnify distant objects. They are a vital tool for astronomy. Over the last few hundred years, scientists and engineers have built bigger and better telescopes, revealing the mysteries of the Universe. But how much do you know about telescopes on Earth and beyond?
Samantha Cristoforetti
Early Life
Samantha was born in Milan, Italy but grew up in a tiny village in the Alps. She is a fan of science fiction and dreamed of becoming an astronaut from a young age. When she was 18, she did an exchange programme spending a year in the USA and attending Space Camp. She studied Mechanical Engineering at a university in Munich, Germany. During this time, she also studied in France and Russia. Samantha was one of the first women to join the Italian Air Force as a fighter pilot.
Year born: 1977
Research Areas: Mechanical Engineering, Aviation, Aeronautics
"I think there is a sense of destiny in this whole idea of space exploration."
Alice Bunn
Early Life
Alice grew up in Shrewsbury, UK. She specialised her studies in maths, physics, and chemistry at school. Alice took a gap year after school. She travelled and worked as an au pair in Italy. Alice then studied Metallurgy (the science and technology of metals) at the University of Leeds. She spent one year of her degree studying in Finland. Alice got a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1998. A company sponsored her PhD, so it was quite hands-on.
Research Areas: Materials Science, Satellites
"That’s the exciting thing about these scientific missions – you don’t know what you’re going to find."
John Glenn
Early Life
John grew up in Ohio, USA. His father was a plumber and his mother a teacher. He loved flying from an early age. He first went in a plane when he was 8 years old. John liked to spend his time building model aeroplanes. He was an enterprising child, washing cars and selling rhubarb to earn money to buy a bicycle. He played sports in school, including American football, basketball, and tennis. John studied chemistry at Muskingum College, Ohio. He left college before completing his degree to join the Army.
Year born: 1921
Research Areas: Space Flight, Politics
"Space Flight, Politics"