The first person to set foot on the Moon was U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong. As he stepped onto the Moon’s dusty surface, he spoke the now famous words, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Astronauts (called cosmonauts in Russia and taikonauts in China) go through a thorough training program. They study math and science in classrooms. They learn to operate their spacecraft by using computer-controlled simulators. These devices present astronauts with conditions that they will later experience during actual flight. Astronauts also must improve their physical fitness. They make special trips in airplanes to get used to the feeling of weightlessness.
Humans cannot survive in outer space on their own. The environment is not the same as it is on Earth. Astronauts therefore travel in space in tightly sealed compartments. They bring their own supply of oxygen with them. Once in space, astronauts may conduct scientific experiments. They also may make repairs to their spacecraft or other equipment in space. They wear heavy space suits for work outside the spacecraft.
"Space exploration." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 8 Sep. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/353794#253795.toc>.
Ride, Sally. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 8 Sep. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/313221/media?assemblyId=59330>.
In 1983 the astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman to travel into space. Only two other women preceded her into space:Valentina Tereshkova (in 1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (in 1982), both from the former Soviet Union.
"Sally Ride." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 8 Sep. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/313221>.
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Commander Chris Hadfield was the first Canadian to walk in space and the first Commander of the International Space Station.
http://chrishadfield.ca/about/
The U.S. astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., was the second man to set foot on the Moon. He is better known by his lifelong nickname, Buzz.
"Buzz Aldrin." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 8 Sep. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/309758>.