Students should be able to

1. Know the uses of artificial satellites

2. Know the process of launching satellites by rockets

3. Know the differences between rockets and space shuttles

4. Know the launch process of space shuttles

1. Natural satellites are celestial bodies that revolve round planets. Artificial satellites are man-made objects that orbit the planet.

2. The gravitational force of Earth will pull objects back to it. In order to escape from the pull, powerful rockets have to be made.

3. *To enable the rockets to become lighter by jettisoning the empty fuel tanks, scientists invented second and third stages rockets.

4. *Since rocket launchers have to travel through the atmosphere at great speed, they have a streamline design so to reduce air friction.

5. *Since there is no air friction in space (space is vacuum), the artificial satellites can be in any shape as required.

6. Apart from scientific researches, artificial satellites are also used in communication, metrological monitoring and remote sensing.

7. One drawback of rockets is that they are expensive and cannot be reused. Therefore space shuttles are developed subsequently.

1. Space Pioneers poster (2.6 MBytes)

2. Space Pioneers cards (available in the "Space Race" board game)
   (take the cards:
   Launch vehicles (#16-25),
   Space shuttle (#26),
   Artificial satellites (#27-29, 31-35, 38-39),
   Spacecraft (#30),
   Space stations (#36-37))

3. A basketball and a tennis ball (or a ping pong ball)

1. Take the basketball and the tennis ball as the Moon and Earth respectively, ask students to tell the relationship between planets and satellites.

2. Explain that the Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth, and explain what artificial satellites are. 

3. Throw the basketball upwards. Explain why it falls down and that it can actually enter the Space if the force is great enough. 

4. Explain that the rocket launchers can provide enough thrust to send artificial satellites to space.

5. Explain the relationship between rocket launchers and artificial satellites.

6. Ask the students who get the rocket launchers card to tell the achievements by these rockets.

7. Explain why space shuttles are developed.

8. Explain the differences between space shuttles and rockets with respect to their process of launching and reentering.

9. Ask students who get the artificial satellites, spacecraft and space station cards to tell the uses of artificial satellites.

10. Discuss with students the impact of artificial satellites on daily lives.

11. Ask students to write an essay starting with "One day, all the artificial satellites of Earth are out of order…"