Shuttle Program Winds Down NASA’S Space Shuttle Program Is Space Shuttle Discovery Lifts Off from the Launch Coming to an End

Home , Lucas Cruikshank, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Space Shuttle Endeavour

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© 2010 Universal Uclick Approaching the End of an Era from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick Shuttle Program Winds Down NASA’s space shuttle program is Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off from the launch coming to an end. At this time, only pad. The last flight for two more missions are scheduled, in Discovery is scheduled November and February. for Nov. 1, 2010. The last The Mini Page talked with an flight for Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled expert from NASA to learn more about for Feb. 26, 2011. Space this important space program. Shuttle Atlantis’ last scheduled flight landed The shuttle and the safely on Earth on May 26, space station 2010. Even as men were flying to the moon in the 1960s and ’70s, people were already planning the next stage of space exploration. Scientists believed building a station in space was the smart next step. photos courtesy NASA But if we were going to build a The shuttles share space station permanent station out in space, we Finishing the space station transportation duties with other had to have a way to get people and During the last two shuttle missions, countries, including Russia, Japan, construction materials out there. We astronauts will complete the construction Canada, and countries in the needed a vehicle that could fly into of the International Space Station, or European Space Agency, or ESA. space and return safely to Earth again ISS. The shuttles will bring as many After the shuttle program ends, ISS and again. We needed a shuttle. spare parts to the ISS as possible. There are several storage crews will depend on Russia’s Soyuz Astronaut spacecraft to transport astronauts Rick compartments on the outside of Mastracchio the ISS. Stored parts range from a and cosmonauts back and forth. Many helps move a gyroscope* to computer boxes. countries in the partnership will help 1,700-pound *A gyroscope (JIE-ruh-skope) is an instrument bring cargo to the ISS. ammonia used to help hold the station’s position in space. A Soyuz tank from spacecraft Space The storage areas are bolted to the flies in front Shuttle ISS and protected from dangers such of the shuttle Discovery as cold. If the crew needs parts, they Discovery to the space docked at ISS. station. can do a space walk to the storage areas. Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. ® 37-2 (10); release dates: September 11-17

from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick Dangerous Missions Brave explorers The Hubble and the shuttle Going into space can be dangerous. One of the most important shuttle There have been two tragic accidents missions was to launch the Hubble in the shuttle program. Space Telescope. Shuttle crews also In 1986, the Challenger broke returned five times to service the apart right after launch. It killed all Hubble and add new instruments. seven people onboard, including the Although the Hubble was

Teacher in Space, Sharon Christa photos courtesy NASA scheduled for launch in 1986, all McAuliffe. The last Columbia crew (left to right): shuttle missions were delayed after David Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, In 2003, the Columbia was destroyed Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, the Challenger accident. after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, William McCool and Ilan Ramon. The space shuttle finally carried just minutes from landing on Earth. the Hubble into space in 1990. All seven crew members were killed. Changing the mission Astronauts know they could be in One of the first jobs of the shuttle danger. But like other explorers, they was to carry satellites into space. think the gains are worth the risk. After the Challenger accident, NASA The last decided not to use the shuttle to Challenger launch satellites. crew: Back Private companies now launch row (left to right): satellites. Except for special Ellison satellites, such as the Hubble Space Onizuka, Telescope, that were designed to be Sharon launched by the shuttle, the shuttle Christa

photo courtesy NASA Johnson Space Center McAuliffe, was then used only for trips to the Greg Jarvis, Judy Resnik; front row: Mike Russian Mir space station and the The Hubble clears the cargo bay of Smith, Dick Scobee and Ron McNair. ISS. the shuttle Discovery in 1990.

from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick TM Basset Brown try ’n The News Shuttle Program Ready Resources Hound’s find The Mini Page provides ideas for websites, Words that remind us of the space shuttle are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: books or other resources that will help you learn ATLANTIS, BAY, CARGO, DISCOVERY, EARTH, END, ENDEAVOUR, more about this week’s topics. ERA, EXPLORATION, FLY, HUBBLE, JOB, LAND, LAUNCH, LOW, On the Web: MISSION, NASA, ORBIT, PAD, SAFELY, SPACECRAFT, STATION, • www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/ VEHICLE. L O H Y A B Y R E V O C S I D • www.nasa.gov/shuttle I’ll be A A R U N T F A R C E C A P S shuttling off T C N B B A E V N O I T A T S • www.nasa.gov/station to space! • www.youtube.com/user/ReelNASA L J A D I B S R N O I S S I M A E O R F T L A A H C N U A L At the library: N N B B G L M E M Y L E F A S • “Onboard the Space Shuttle” by Ray Spangenburg, Kit T D D A P O Y N V E H I C L E Moser and Diane Moser I W O L N O I T A R O L P X E • “Shuttle to Space Station” by Brian Knapp S H T R A E R U O V A E D N E

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TM TM Rookie Cookie’s Recipe Mini Spy . . . Easy Guacamole Mini Spy and her friends are eager to go on a space shuttle mission. See if you can find: • question mark • olive You’ll need: • lipstick • chicken • squirrel • ladder • 2 medium to large avocados • football • bandage • marshmallow • word MINI • juice from half of small lemon 1 • duck • number 6 • heart • number 3 • /4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 • bell • saw • pencil • toothbrush • /4 cup bottled salsa • elephant • arrow • lips • caterpillar What to do: 1. Peel, then mash avocados in medium-size bowl. 2. Stir in lemon juice, garlic powder and salsa. Mix well. 3. Chill for a few hours to blend flavors. 4. Serve with tortilla chips. You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick Meet Lucas Cruikshank Lucas Cruikshank stars as Fred Figglehorn in the Nickelodeon TV movie “Fred: The Movie,” which will air on Sept. 17. Lucas is the creator of the YouTube series “Fred.” He is also the producer, writer and director. He performs all the main characters in the YouTube shows, except for the neighborhood animals. Lucas, 17, was born in Columbus, Neb.

photo © 2010 Viacom International Inc. Inc. International Viacom 2010 © photo All Rights Reserved He has seven siblings. He has taken music and dance lessons for years. When he was 13, his parents gave him a video camera for his birthday. He used that gift to create “Fred.” Lucas, performing as Fred, will release a musical album in September. He has appeared on the TV shows “iCarly” and

from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick ® The Mini Page Book of States TM NEW! The Mini Page’s popular series of issues about each state is collected here in a 156-page softcover book. Conveniently spiral-bound for ease of use, this invaluable All the following jokes have something in common. resource contains A-to-Z facts about each state, along with the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorful Can you guess the common theme or category? photographs and art, and complete with updated information, The Mini Page Book of States will be a Spencer: How is a wrench used on the space favorite in classrooms and homes for years to come. shuttle?

To order, send $15.99 ($19.99 Canada) plus $5 postage and Shamus: To tighten the astro-nuts! handling for each copy. Make check or money order (U.S. funds only) payable to Universal Uclick. Send to The Mini Page Book of States, Universal Uclick, P.O. Box 6814, Serena: Where can the space shuttle be Leawood, KS 66206. Or call toll-free 800-591-2097 or go parked? to www.smartwarehousing.com. Please send ______copies of The Mini Page Book of States Susan: At a parking meteor! (Item #0-7407-8549-4) at $20.99 each, total cost. (Bulk discount information available upon request.) Sara: How do you prepare for a space shuttle Name: ______Address: ______flight? City: ______State: ______Zip: ______Seth: Plan-et carefully! Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. ® 37-4 (10); release dates: September 11-17

from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick The Shuttle and Beyond Space Shuttle Atlantis Low Earth orbit approaches the runway The space shuttle was designed at the end of its last to operate in low Earth orbit. Low scheduled mission in Earth orbit ranges from right above May 2010. The crew had delivered a Russian-built the ground to about 1,000 miles research module to the above the Earth. International Space Station. This is a region where vehicles The Atlantis has flown carrying humans can operate. The about 120 million miles in space station, for example, orbits its 25-year history. about 220 miles above the Earth. The space shuttle is the only vehicle that can fly This is about the distance from into space and then return Washington, D.C., to New York City. to Earth to land like an In contrast, communications airplane does. satellites orbit at about 22,000 miles above the Earth. The moon is about photos courtesy NASA 239,000 miles above Earth. Some shuttle facts Where do we go from here? The Hubble orbits about 320 miles above the Earth. The shuttle was not • The space shuttle flies about The future of human space flight is designed to fly much higher. 17,500 miles per hour. Because of up in the air. Money is tight for space the Earth’s gravity, the shuttle is exploration. No one knows where in constantly falling toward Earth. But space humans might go next. NASA it is traveling so fast that it actually is developing a new capsule called travels around the Earth instead. Orion that could deliver astronauts • The shuttle’s to the space station. normal orbit Private companies are working to ranges from about make space flight possible for private 190 miles to 330 citizens. miles above sea No matter what programs are level. launched, space exploration will need The crew of the space station photographed Space Shuttle Endeavour • The first space shuttle was the all types of scientists and astronauts. as it circled the Earth in 2001. There is a Enterprise. It never flew above the The kids of today will be the large cloud cover over Earth. Earth’s atmosphere, but was used to explorers The Mini Page thanks Kyle Herring, Space test shuttle landings. of Shuttle Program, NASA, for help with this • The Enterprise was first tomorrow, issue. named the Constitution, but after going on Look through your newspaper for stories enthusiastic pleas from “Star Trek” our next and pictures about space or the space fans, NASA changed the name. journeys program. • The Endeavour was the last into space. Next week, The Mini Page is about hope in shuttle to be built, in 1992. It was treating types of blindness. built to replace Challenger. The Mini Page Staff Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.