To reach space , we need rockets . They burn fuel to push themselves upward with a huge force , fast enough to escape Earth's gravity . To break free of our planet , a rocket has to reach an astonishing speed of about 28,000 kilometres per hour — far faster than any aeroplane .
✨ Astronauts float in space because they are constantly falling around the Earth — this is called being weightless .
How does a rocket actually push against nothing ? The secret is one of the great rules of science : for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction . A rocket burns fuel and blasts hot gas downwards out of its engines , and that pushing-down of gas pushes the whole rocket up. It does not need air to push against — which is why rockets work perfectly in empty space .
📷 NASA · Public domain💡 Try this: blow up a balloon and let it go. The air rushing out pushes it forward — that's how rockets move !
🔗 Match each space word to what it means.
Clothing that keeps astronauts safe The force that pulls things down A path around a planet A person trained to go to space
Clothing that keeps astronauts safe The force that pulls things down A path around a planet A person trained to go to space
Clothing that keeps astronauts safe The force that pulls things down A path around a planet A person trained to go to space
Clothing that keeps astronauts safe The force that pulls things down A path around a planet A person trained to go to space
Rockets are built in sections called stages . As each stage runs out of fuel it drops away , making the rocket lighter so it can fly even faster into space . Most of a rocket on the launch pad is actually just fuel tanks — the part carrying the astronauts is a tiny piece right at the very top.
🧩 Put a rocket journey to space in the right order.
The spacecraft reaches orbit ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Used stages drop away ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Lift-off — engines roar and the rocket rises ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Countdown on the launch pad ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Astronauts live and work on the International Space Station , a science lab that orbits the Earth . They have to strap themselves down to sleep so they don't float away ! On board , they run experiments , repair equipment , and study how living in space changes the human body .
📷 NASA · Public domain✨ On the Space Station , astronauts exercise about two hours every day so their muscles and bones stay strong without gravity .
Before anyone can become an astronaut , they train for years . They learn to fly, to fix machines , to speak more than one language , and they practise their tasks underwater in giant pools — because floating in water feels a little like floating in space .
🗂️ Sort each one: in space, or here on Earth?
In space On Earth
In space On Earth
In space On Earth
In space On Earth
✍️ Fill in the rocket facts.
A rocket burns _____ to push itself up. It is built in sections called _____ that drop away to save weight .
fuel stages water wings
