DEFINITIONS Cosmic Rays: High Speed particles that reach the earth from Outer Space Satellite: man

made objects launched into space to orbit the earth, moon or any other planetary body. Eg: weather satellite, communication satellite Spaceships / Spacecraft: astronautics manned spacecraft designed to carry a crew into space used for variety of purposes including communication, earth observat ion, navigation. Astronaut: a person trained to command a pilot serve as a crew member of a space craft Space station: A large satellite equipped to support a human crew and designed t o remain in orbit around Earth for an extended period and serve as a base for la unching exploratory expeditions, conducting research, repairing satellites, and performing other space-related activities.

Space Centres: Aspace centeris a place dedicated to space activity. It may be inpublic private ownership. These activities may concern: Research Manufacturingof major parts of space vehicles Launch of space vehicles in orbit control of space vehicles Indian Space Centers: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Space Applications Centre, S atish Dhawan Space Centre USA Space centers: Kennady Space Center The Space Shuttle is the world's first reusable spacecraft, and the first spacec raft in history that can carry large satellites both to and from orbit. The Shut tle launches like a rocket, maneuvers in Earth orbit like a spacecraft and lands like an airplane. The Space Shuttle consists of three major components: the Orbiter which houses th e crew; a large External Tank that holds fuel for the main engines; and two Soli d Rocket Boosters which provide most of the Shuttle's lift during the first two minutes of flight. All of the components are reused except for the external fuel tank, which burns up in the atmosphere after each launch.The longest the Shuttle ha s stayed in orbit on any single mission is 17.5 days on mission STS-80 in Novemb er 1996. Normally, missions may be planned for anywhere from five to 16 days in duration. The smallest crew ever to fly on the Shuttle numbered two people on th e first few missions. The largest crew numbered eight people. Normally, crews ma y range in size from five to seven people. Satellites are regularly launched into the earth s orbit. Rockets are used to launch satellites for cell phone, television, and internet communiction services. Very short wave radio signals (microwaves) can easily pass through the atmospher e out into space, there are therefore used to communicate between the Earth and the satellites. They are transmitted from a ground station to an orbiting satellite. This is usu ally in a geostationary orbit so that its geographical position above the Earth' s surface does not alter. The satellite receives these and then, acting like a s pace mirror, redirects them at a receiving station on Earth. Being high in the sky, obstacles like mountain ranges do not get in the way of t

ransmission of the signal by satellite