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Space Exploration

The first orbit around Earth (Sputnik 1) the first moon landing (Apollo 11) marked the beginning of space travel and exploration. Discover types of rockets, space stations, astronauts, space technology and the latest from NASA. SCIS no: 1874483

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New Zealand’s place in space

Mark Rocket, a space enthusiast, was an early seed investor in Rocket Lab. Mark describes New Zealand’s proud past contribution to space exploration through Sir William Pickering. Peter Beck, found...

The Apollo 8 lunar orbit medal

The Apollo 8 lunar orbit medal

Australia Apollo 8 - First Lunar Orbit 1968 (AD) Mint: K. G. Luke issued by the Historical Medal Society of Australia & New Zealand to commemorate the first manned lunar orbit flight in December 1...

India's moon mission

India's moon mission

Indian Space Research Organisation has launched a cuboid spacecraft on a two-year mission of exploration.

The Mars lander loses contact

Scientists are uncertain whether a European Mars lander touched down safely or broke apart, after it did not behave as expected during its descent.

Pioneering astronaut John Glenn dies

Former astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, has died at the age of 95.

A year on Mars test mission

Scientists end 'year on Mars' test mission.

Satellite debris

Satellite debris

A cartoon about falling space junk.

A probe to Saturn uncovers gas giant's secrets

NASA's Cassini space probe has yielded the closest-ever pictures of Saturn.

Eight rich Kiwis book space travel

Eight rich Kiwis book space travel

Eight rich New Zealanders are among hundreds globally queuing for space travel on Virgin's world-first commercial space service.

Getting rockets into space

An article about how rockets are launched into space.

Astronauts deal with flooded toilet

Astronauts deal with flooded toilet

Cartoon referring to a blocked toilet on the International Space Station.

A European astronomer comments on the space probe Philae

A European astronomer comments on the space probe Philae

Mark Bentley from the Austrian Academy of Sciences talks about the space probe Philae.

Wanted: NASA's future astronauts

NASA is hiring the next generation of "space pioneers" that could one day journey to Mars.

NZ's first astronaut wins a trip to space

NZ's first astronaut wins a trip to space

A 21-year-old from New Plymouth will be the first Kiwi in space after winning the trip of a lifetime.

One up on you

A cartoon referring to the Space Race between America and China.

Hubble telescope

Hubble telescope

Astronauts carry out repairs on the Hubble telescope.

Discovered by a New Zealand astronomer

Newspaper article about John Grigg who discovered a new comet.

An article about astronomy in New Zealand.

A history of satellites

Key dates relating to early discoveries about satellites.

New planet discovery

Nasa discovers 7 Earth-sized planets orbiting a distant star.

A visit to Mars

This 1909 article speculates on what it would be like to visit Mars.

Trips to the moon

This 1929 newspaper article looks at future trips to the moon.

Space exploration

Space exploration

Cartoon referring to the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing.

The big race

This cartoon refers to the Space Race, portraying the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, during the Cold War to show the world which country had the best technology, milit...

Titan Probe

This cartoon refers to the Huygens probe which landed on Saturn’s moon, Titan in 2005. It was named after Christiaan Huygens the Dutch astronomer who discovered Titan in 1655. The Huygens probe was...

Chimpanzee

The first American astronaut sent into space was Ham, a chimpanzee. Ham was trained to pull a few levers aboard a Mercury spacecraft, which launched into sub-orbit in 1963. A number of animals such...

Neil Armstrong

In 1969 Neil Armstrong, an American astronaut became the first person to set foot on the moon. Neil Armstrong was the commander of the Apollo 11 spacecraft which flew to the moon. Despite their fue...

Moon garden

This cartoon refers to NASA’s plan to plant seeds on the moon to see whether the moon can sustain human life. Obviously, plants can’t be planted directly onto the lunar surface so NASA constructed ...

Covers the business and politics of the space industry on a daily basis.

Alien planet – Darwin IV

What would alien life look like?

Washing your hair in space

NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg shows how she washes her hair in space.

Provides resources related to space exploration.

The start of the Space Race

Learn about the launch of Sputnik and the establishment of NASA.

Ask an astronomer

Provides answers to a number of questions related to space and space exploration.

European Space Agency website with information on space activities.

Messages to aliens

Children write welcoming messages to aliens.

National Geographic space timeline

The history of space exploration in an interactive graphic.

A fly-by video of Jupiter

Jupiter is immense and has a diameter of 89,000 miles.

Space exploration

A brief history of space exploration.

Interstellar space travel

7 futuristic spacecraft to explore the cosmos.

Destination: Titan

It's a voyage of exploration like no other – to Titan, Saturn's largest moon.

A gallery of images relating to rockets.

Animals in space

NASA and the Soviet Space Program sent a number of monkeys into space.

This site provides a list of useful links related to space and space exploration, with a New Zealand focus.

Easy science for kids

Includes facts on space travel and missions.

10 things you didn’t know about space exploration

Facts about space exploration.

NASA for students

The ‘Student’ section of the NASA website contains information about space and space exploration.

Interstellar travel spacecraft

A section of interstellar spacecraft illustrations.

Space disasters

A timeline of space disasters.

5 reasons why space exploration matters

Video explaining why space exploration is important.

The dangers of space travel

What makes space travel so dangerous?

A quick history of space exploration

Take a fast ride through the 90 years of human space exploration.

Dealing with a medical emergency on the Space Station

Article about how astronauts deal with medical emergencies on the space Station.

The future of space exploration

The innovations that will unlock future space exploration missions.

Space exploration

A gallery of images related to space exploration.

International Space Station

A gallery of images related to the International Space Station.

Astronauts in space

What would happen if an astronaut floated away into space?

Space 2020: What does the future hold?

Discusses what our space ambitions will actually look like a decade from now.

Planet Earth and Beyond – The night sky

The Science Learning Hub has lots of resources for primary teachers related to the night sky in the Planet Earth and Beyond strand of the New Zealand Curriculum.

New Zealand’s place in space

Mark Rocket and Peter Beck on New Zealand’s investment and contribution to the Rocket Lab project.