Famous astronauts

1.

2. What Is an Astronaut?

An astronaut is a person who is trained to travel into space.
To be an astronaut, you need to have lots of training and be very strong.
Astronauts must wear special spacesuits.
The spacesuits help them to breathe and protect them from very cold or
very hot temperatures.
What qualities do you
think a person needs to
become an astronaut?

3. Famous Astronauts

Over 700 astronauts have gone on missions into space. Here are some
astronauts that are famous for being significant in the history of space travel.
Valentina Tereshkova
Yuri Gagarin
Neil Armstrong
Tim
Peake
If you met one of
these astronauts,
what would you
ask them?
Mae Jemison

4. Yuri Gagarin 1934 - 1968

Yuri Gagarin was the first person to travel into space and orbit the Earth.
On 12th April 1961, he flew on a
spaceship called Vostok 1.
His journey lasted 108 minutes (less
than 2 hours).
I said ‘Poyekhali’ when my
spacecraft launched. That means
‘Let’s go!’ How do you think I felt?

5. Valentina Tereshkova

Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to travel into space.
She flew on Vostok 6 in 1963, orbiting the Earth
48 times—a new world record!
While in space, she took many pictures of Earth.
On her way back, her spacecraft had a problem,
but she used her training to fix it and land
safely.
Why do you think I took
photographs while I was in space?

6. Neil Armstrong 1930 - 2012

Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the
Moon.
On 20th July 1969, he landed on the Moon with
two other astronauts, Buzz Aldrin and Michael
Collins, on the Apollo 11 spacecraft.
Neil was the first to step onto the Moon, followed
by Buzz Aldrin.
They collected moon rocks, did experiments, and
planted an American flag.
When I first stepped onto the Moon,
I said ‘That’s one small step for
man, one giant leap for mankind.’
What do you think it means?
How do you
think it felt to
walk on the
moon?

7. Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison was the first Black woman to
travel into space.
In 1992, she flew on the Endeavour
spacecraft as a mission specialist.
She spent 8 days in space and orbited the
Earth 127 times.
While on her mission, she conducted
scientific experiments.
What science experiment
would you carry out if
you went into space?

8. Major Tim Peake

Major Tim Peake is a British astronaut who spent
186 days in space.
In December 2015, he went to the International
Space Station (ISS) and became the first British
astronaut to walk in space.
While on the ISS for six months, he did scientific
experiments and shared his experiences with people
through videos and live calls.
What one thing would you take with
you if you were going to space for a
long time?

9. Which Astronaut Has Inspired You the Most?

Talk to a partner and tell them which astronaut you thought was the most
interesting. Can you explain why?
Valentina Tereshkova
Yuri Gagarin
Neil Armstrong
Tim
Peake
Mae Jemison