| The earth is enveloped by many gases. This | | | | Laika. It went to the height of 930 miles and |
| area is called atmosphere. Beyond this area | | | | its speed was 18,000 miles per hour. The dog |
| comes the area of space or atmosphere in | | | | returned to the earth alive. In January 1958, |
| which there are no gases. | | | | the U.S.A. put into orbit its first satellite |
| | | | called Explore 1. It was lighter but its |
| Generally there are three means of exploring | | | | speed was greater than that of the Russia |
| the space. The first means is with the help | | | | one. It traveled round the earth at the |
| of balloons. But it cannot go very high. | | | | height of 1,000 miles with a speed of 19,000 |
| Rockets are one of the two modern ways of | | | | miles per hour. This was followed by the |
| exploring the space. There are several stages | | | | launching of a series of satellites by both |
| or sections in each rocket so that each may | | | | the Russians was the Americans. A Russian |
| be dropped off after its fuel has been spent | | | | astronaut, Yuri Gagarin, was the first man to |
| and thus reducing the total weight of the | | | | get into space in April, 1961, and he came |
| ascending rocket. The third modern method of | | | | back to the earth safe and sound. |
| exploring the space is through satellite. | | | | |
| These are metallic spheres which contain | | | | The story of success began with the landing |
| various instruments. They are thrown into the | | | | of Apollo 11 in space. It was on the 20th of |
| space with the help of rockets. These rockets | | | | July 1969, Neil Armstrong, a citizen of the |
| put them into the desired orbit. There are | | | | U.S.A., set foot upon the moon. He planted a |
| satellite begin to travel round the earth | | | | banner of his country with these words that |
| like artificial planets. | | | | it was the first step of U.S.A., and a big |
| | | | leap of mankind. This heralded the victory of |
| In the race of space exploration, both Russia | | | | man over time and space and ushered a new era |
| and America are competing partners. Russia | | | | in the apace explorations. Since then several |
| was the first country to get a man-made | | | | attempts have been made to orbit round other |
| satellite called Sputnik 1 into orbit around | | | | stars by the two powers. |
| the earth on 4th October, 1957, a date which | | | | |
| may be said to mark the beginning of space | | | | Space travel is one of the great wonders of |
| exploration. Russia launched on 3rd November, | | | | science. Man's highest aspiration of life |
| 1957, its second satellite in the space known | | | | appears to have been crowned with success. |
| as Sputnik 11 which carried a dog named | | | | |