How Much Do You Really Know About the Physics of Space Flight?

An Englishman by birth, Isaac Newton was one of the most influential figures of his time. His book Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematica guided scientific thought for centuries.

Isaac Newton was certainly a revolutionary thinker, but that doesn't mean he wasn't influenced by those who came before him. He often referenced ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle in his search for truth.

The USSR launched the first manned spacecraft into space in 1961. It was operated by Yuri Gagarin, a Russian pilot.

Russia's first manned spacecraft was named Vostok 1. The spacecraft completed one orbit around the Earth before returning, with the pilot ejecting separately from the capsule.

Speed was the most important factor that kept most early spacecraft from reaching outer space. For a spacecraft to escape the Earth's gravity, it had to reach a speed of 17,500 mph.

Animals were sent to space before humans to test how living organisms would react on such a mission. Early animals that reached space included fruit flies and a Russian dog named Laika.

The Russian dog Laika died during her spaceflight. It was originally reported that a lack of oxygen led to her death, but she actually died from overheating.

Strangely, the first rocket to reach space was a German guided ballistic missile during WWII. The missile was known as the V-2 rocket, and it would later influence both American and Russian space technology.

Russia was the first country to land a spacecraft on the moon, known as the Luna 2. However, it was unmanned and would not return to Earth.

Johannes Kepler was a German scientist during the scientific revolution in the 17th century. His interest in astronomy was influenced by events such as a comet in 1577, which he witnessed as a child.

If you only look at his childhood, Albert Einstein was far from a spectacular mind. He had trouble speaking and learning, which his parents thought was a mental disorder.

Most people believe Einstein won his Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity. However, it was actually his work on the law of photoelectric effect that earned him the award.

The United States fell behind Russia early in the space competition. The first U.S. satellite to reach space was Explorer 1 in 1958.

The first American into space was Alan Shepard in 1961. He flew on the Freedom 7 capsule as part of Project Mercury.

President John F. Kennedy was the first president to promise that the United States would land a man on the moon by 1970. Sadly, Kennedy would be assassinated before that could happen.

In 1963, the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, went into space aboard Vostok 6. Tereshkova served as an amateur skydiver before becoming a Russian cosmonaut​.

The United States did not put a woman into space until Sally Ride in 1983. She went to space as part of mission STS-7 on Space Shuttle Challenger.

In theory, there is nothing that can travel faster than the speed of light. When measured in a vacuum, the speed of light is 186,282 miles per second.

We do not see sunlight on Earth at the same time that it leaves the Sun. In reality, the light from the Sun takes about ten minutes to reach Earth.

The gravity from the Moon affects water on Earth. Tides in the ocean are a result of this gravitational pull.

The Great Comet of 1577, which influenced many European thinkers at the time, was on a hyperbolic orbit. It is not expected to return to our solar system.

Due to the small size of the Earth, the barycenter between it and the Sun is close to the center of the Sun. Jupiter, which is much larger than Earth, has a barycenter that is actually outside the Sun.

Have you ever wondered how to lose weight quickly? You could try standing on top of a mountain, because objects further from Earth's core weigh less.

The space competition between the United States and Russia was not without its casualties. The two countries suffered losses of life to pilots and crew during both flights and training.

In 1969, Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the Moon. The landing was part of NASA's Apollo Program, which began in 1961.

There were many setbacks for the United States during the Apollo Program. It began with Apollo 1 which caught fire during a test launch, killing all three astronauts on board.

The Apollo Program launched the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, circle the Moon, and come back to Earth. This mission, known as Apollo 8, was launched on December 21, 1968.

Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were the first two men to land on the Moon, using a lunar module. Armstrong was the first to actually step out of the module onto the Moon's surface.

The Apollo 11 mission took eight days to complete. On return, the astronauts landed in the North Pacific Ocean and were picked up by the USS Hornet.

The United States completed the second Moon landing the same year as the first with the Apollo 12 mission. The mission included a color television camera, which was destroyed when it was pointed at the Sun.

In 2018, the United States launched the first spacecraft to orbit the Sun. This was impossible before because of the intense heat produced by the Sun, but new technology has helped us combat that.

Voyager 1, launched in 1977, is the furthest man-made object from the Earth. The space probe achieved escape velocity in 1980, which allowed it to leave our solar system.

Apollo 13, which has a movie detailing the mission, was the United States' third attempt to land a man on the moon. However, the mission was a failure due to spacecraft malfunctions, though the astronauts did return safely to Earth.

The United States launched its first space station in 1973. It was known as Skylab.

Astronauts are required to be in great physical shape to complete missions into space. This is partially because they have to wear spacesuits that weigh about 280 pounds on Earth.