We did a comparative planetology activity in class comparing the Earth and Mars.

We talked Human Spaceflight and I gave you a list of missions and people you should have heard of in no particular order:

• Apollo 11. Humans first walked on the Moon. 2 American men: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Michael Collins piloted.
• Sputnik. First man-made object in orbit – a beeping satellite from the USSR.
• The Vostok Program: Yuri Gagarin – first human in space, first human to orbit the Earth. USSR.
• Mercury (specifically “Freedom 7”): Alan Shephard – first American in space.
• STS “Space Transport System” – the official name of the Space Shuttle program. Many important occurrences.
• Pioneers 10 & 11, Voyagers 1 & 2 – Our first “close” views of the other planets.
• Hubble – Hubble’s photos changed the average person’s view of astronomy, and advanced the science immensely.
• Skylab, MIR, and ISS – these are our space stations, we had them serially not simultaneously. ISS is the only one now.
• SpaceShip One: Burt Rutan flew the 1st commercial (non-government/non-military) flight into space on a reusable craft.
• Last but not least, keep these in your heart: X-15, Soyuz 1, Soyuz 11, Apollo 1, Challenger, Columbia.
• Just a couple inspiring names: Sally Ride, Valentina Tereshkova, John Glenn, Shenzhou
• Want more?
• Disaster Details

We determined that all rocky solar system objects are mostly grey, with the exception of the outside edge of Mars rocks.

• differentiation is a good term for you to look up.

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