Space exploration
Where can I find information about space exploration?
(Years 5-8)
Image: Backpacking from NASA on The Commons on Flickr.
Entry last updated: 6/12/24
Introduction
Humans have been fascinated with the stars for thousands of years, but were unable to visit space until the 20th century. Space exploration began in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite into orbit around earth. Since then there have been thousands of missions into space – both manned and unmanned.
We explore space to understand more about Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond.
EPIC resources
EPIC is a collection of reliable databases. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions on lots of different topics. The databases below are the best places to look for information on space exploration.
This is the online version of Encyclopaedia Britannica. You can search Britannica School in 3 different reading levels.
Choose the Middle level and enter the keywords 'space exploration' into the search box.
The first article has great information about the history of space exploration.
Find the Images & Videos tab at the top of the page to see more.
Tips: Search words, or keywords, are the most important words in our question. Usually it’s better to leave out small words like ‘the’, ‘a’ and ‘of’ and just choose the main ones, eg space exploration. We can always change our keywords or add more if we need to.
This database has easy to read information for primary students on science, technology, people, plants and more.
Go to the section called Science.
Then select Space and Astronomy.
Read the links to Hubble Telescope, Rockets, Satellites, Space probes, Space stations, and Telescopes to know more about the technology used to explore space, and journeys made into space.
Middle School (Gale In Context)
Here you will find information for intermediate school students on a range of topics related to cultures, geography, government, science, and history.
Select Science from the topics on the front page.
Then find Space Exploration and Space Race to explore a range of articles, biographies, images and videos on how space has been explored over the years.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6 pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.
General websites
The websites below will explain more about space exploration and how it began.
Topic Explorer is an online tool from the National Library of New Zealand. It contains a wide range of resources on a variety of topics. These resources have been selected from reliable national and international sources.
Topics are in alphabetical order.
Scroll down the page until you find Space Exploration.
From the topic page you can filter by media like images, articles and videos etc. For example: under 'articles' you will find an article about the search for life on the Moon.
Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.
This is the website for The National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The tabs at the top of the page have plenty of information about NASA's past, present, and future journeys into space.
The tab Topics will link you to the history of space exploration.
From Missions explore the links on the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, and the Juno: Mission at Jupiter.
Galleries has a range of videos and image galleries featuring amazing pictures of space.
Tips: A website’s address (URL) can give you a hint about how reliable it is. Look for addresses in the results that include .gov or .edu in the URL. These are quality sites from overseas government or educational organisations.
RocketLab is about New Zealand's involvement in space exploration. This company was founded by New Zealander Robert Beck in 2006, and operates out of New Zealand and the United States of America.
If you go to Missions you will find a list of Completed Missions with images and videos on the date of the mission, name of the mission and launch site.
Go to Gallery to see more exciting images and videos.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.
Books
Your school library or public library will have lots of books on space exploration.
Here are some suggested titles:
Space exploration by Carole Stott.
A brief illustrated history of space exploration by Robert Snedden.
Astronomy, astronauts, and space exploration by Clive Gifford.
A Galaxy of Her Own: Amazing Stories of Women in Space by Libby Jackson.
SCIS no: 1964413
Topics covered
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