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Ho w do you aet

into space?

The way to get into space is on-board a rocket or a rocket-powered craft, such as the space shuttle.

The rocket’s cargo is known as the payload and usually consists of a sateliite, an interplanetary spacecraft, or a craft with astronauts. Around 250 payloads are launched into space each year.

Tell me morę: rocket stages

Stage 02: While the first stage cuts out, is cast off, and drops away, the second stage engine fires. The lighter rocket is propelled higher before stage 2 is used up and stage 3 takes over

Stage 01: Propels rocket for around three minut es, by which time the rocket is morę than 30 miles (50 km) above Earth

Stage 1 falls away

Sateliite payload is released into space

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Five shuttle orbiters

Name: Columbia Flights: 28

First flight: April 1981 Last flight: January 2003

Name: Challenger Flights: 10

First flight: April 1983

Last flight: January 1986

Name: Discovery Flights: 39

First flight: August 1984 Last flight: September 2010

Name: Atlantis Flights: 32

First flight: October 1985 Last flight: May 2010

Name: Endeavour Flights: 25

First flight: May 1992 Last flight: July 2010

A few seconds after takeoff, booster fuel is expelled

Stage 03: Fires for around 12 minutes, carrying its sateliite payload into orbit around 200 miles (320 km) above Earth’s surface

Seven launch sites

Vandenberg,

Tanegashima,

Japan

Many rockets consist of up to three stages, each with their own engines and fuel. The first (lowest) stage works to get the rocket off the ground. The second and third stages then work in turn to lift the payload into orbit.

Kennedy,

Jiuquan, Inner Mongolia Baikonur, Kazakhstan

Kourou,

French

Guiana

Sriharikota, India