In order for us to get into space, we have to travel by rocket! The gravity on Earth pulls every object down towards the surface meaning you need a lot of force to overcome it. When a rocket takes off it requires about 7.2 million pounds of thrust to escape the pull of gravity and as fuel is burned, the rocket travels even faster due to less weight. As of April 2020, a total of 566 people from 41 countries have traveled to space.
Why is it so hard to get to space?
Rocket Science for Primary Students
Click here for a simple explanation of rocket science
How Do You Get to Mars?
What does it take to get a spacecraft to Mars? This 60-second video covers a few key things to remember when planning a trip to the Red Planet. NASA is currently working on getting humans to Mars but the first stop is the moon in 2024! This mission will bring the first woman to the moon and will be the first time the moon has had human visitors since 1972.
How do you land on Mars?
Getting a spacecraft to Mars is one thing. Getting it safely to the ground is a whole other challenge! This
60-second video from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains three ways to land on the surface of
the Red Planet.
Click here for a link to family STEM activities
Click here for a rocket activity that demonstrates heavy lifting
Click here for a link to build and launch a foam rocket