3 Human exploration

Do you remember in Week 4 that you met the concept of scientific research where scientists rarely work alone in their own fields of research. Video 3 looks at the future of human space exploration, and demonstrates this. After watching the video, complete Activity 2.

Watch Video 3, which is about the future of human space exploration and then complete Activity 2.

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 3

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Video 3 The space shuttle, ISS, NASA and Mars.

At the end of Video 3, the Commander of the last Space Shuttle mission in 2011 stated that ‘We’re not ending the journey today; we’re completing a chapter of a journey that will never end’ (Video 2).

As an example of private investment into low Earth-orbit rockets, first look at Figure 4 (this is Figure 8 from Week 1).

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Figure 4 Space Shuttle launch profile.

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This is an image of the space shuttle’s launch profile repeated from Week 1 showing the stages of separations of the solid fuel booster and the external tank.

Figure 4 Space Shuttle launch profile.

Now look at Figure 5, which is the launch profile of the SpaceX Falcon 9. Having compared both figures, now complete Activity 3.

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Figure 5 SpaceX Falcon 9 launch profile.

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This is an image of the spacex falcon 9 launch profile. After lift off, and the main engine cut-off, there is a stage separation and a second stage ignition. The booster tank then flips over and returns to the Earth where it has a controlled landing onto a drone ship with a soft touchdown.

Figure 5 SpaceX Falcon 9 launch profile.

You will now look at how research in microgravity environments is currently being conducted, and how this is expected to progress in the future.