Table
of Contents

Lesson 1
Introduction
Lesson 2
What is astronomy?
Lesson 3
How big is the universe?
Lesson 4
The origin of the universe
Lesson 5
Watching the sky
Lesson 6
Why did God create the heavenly bodies?
Lesson 7
Space exploration
Lesson 8
A Tour of the Solar System
Lesson 9
A Tour of the Solar System—The Sun and the Moon
Lesson 10
Stars and galaxies
Lesson 11
Cosmic Catastrophes
Lesson 12
Catastrophes in the Solar System
Lesson 13
Are there other planets in the Solar System?
Author: Dr. Jonathan Henry For thousands of years, people have gazed at the night sky and the bright morning and wondered, ‘What’s out there?’. Our universe is so vast and awe-inspiring that to learn about it is to learn about ourselves. The Astronomy Book will show you: What long-ago astronomers thought about other worlds Solar system facts How constellations relate to astrology The history of space exploration Whether black holes exist The origin and age of the moon Why Mars doesn’t support life The composition of stars Supernova remnants The myth of star birth Asteroid legends and the extinction of the dinosaurs Whether planets outside our solar system could be home to intelligent life What UFOs are The age of comets and meteor showers Hardcover. (Junior High–Adult) 80 pages.

The Astronomy Book
by Dr Jonathan Henry

Lesson 7

Space exploration

Textbook:

The Astronomy Book

Text:

pp. 28-35

Scripture:

Job 26:7
Psalm 19

Vocabulary Words

  • Reusable vehicle
  • Space shuttle

Questions:

  1. Trace the development of rockets throughout history. (You'll probably need to check sources other than The Astronomy Book for a more complete overview.)
  2. What problems needed to be overcome in building the first practical rockets?
  3. What do the initials N.A.S.A. stand for?
  4. Who was Wernher von Braun? Write a short research paper on his life and the contributions he made to rocket science. (See also, for example, Creation Safaris’ The World’s Greatest Creation Scientists from Y1K to Y2K for more information.)
  5. What happened on 16 July 1969? 20 July 1969?
  6. When was the last time someone took a trip to the moon?
  7. What was the 'Cold War'? What impact did it have on space programs?
  8. What is Mir?
  9. What is the difference between a manned mission and an unmanned mission? What functions do both serve?

Activity:

Draw a timeline illustrating the history of space exploration.

NOTE: The NASA web site has more information about space exploration; however, the contents of that site often include evolutionary-based ideas.

Additional articles:

Astronaut on creation
Jupiter origin mystery

11