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Word of the Week

Space Psychologist

Examines the mental and emotional health of astronauts during long missions.

Previous Words of the Week:

Thermal Control System

Equipment that keeps spacecraft at stable temperatures.

Thrust

Thrust is the force that propels a rocket or spacecraft measured in pounds, kilograms or Newtons.

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio

The measure of how much thrust a rocket produces compared with its own weight.

Tidal Forces

The stretching forces caused by differences in gravity across an object’s length.

Tilt

The angle of a planet’s axis; Earth’s 23.5° tilt causes the seasons.

Time-Lapse Imaging

A technique combining many images over time to show changes or motion in space.

Torque

A twisting or turning effect caused by a force acting at a distance from a pivot.

Tracking Station

A ground facility that monitors and communicates with spacecraft.

Trajectory

The curved path a rocket or spacecraft follows through space.

Trajectory

The path followed by a moving object under the influence of forces like gravity and drag.

Transfer Orbit

A temporary path used to move a satellite from one orbit to another.

Universe

Everything that exists — all matter, energy, planets, stars, galaxies, and the space between them.

Uplink

The radio signal sent from Earth to a spacecraft.

Upthrust

The upward force on an object immersed in a fluid - makes objects float.

Vacuum of Space

A region with extremely low pressure and almost no particles.

Vector

A quantity that has both size (magnitude) and direction.

Vector Thrust

Steering a rocket by directing the angle of its exhaust flow.

Velocity

Speed in a given direction.

Velocity Change (Δv)

The total change in speed required for a space manoeuvre or mission.

Vertical Launch

A launch where the rocket lifts off straight upward before pitching over.

Vibration

A back-and-forth motion of particles or structures around a fixed point.

Void

A vast, nearly empty region of space between galaxy clusters.

Wavelength

The distance between two peaks of a wave, such as light or sound.

Weather Satellite

A spacecraft that monitors weather patterns, cloud cover, and environmental changes on Earth.

Weight

The force of gravity acting on an object’s mass (W = mg).

Weightlessness

The sensation of having no weight, caused by free fall in orbit.

White Dwarf

The small, dense remnant of a star like the Sun after it has used up its fuel.

White Hole

A theoretical opposite of a black hole that expels matter instead of pulling it in (not yet observed).

Work Done

Energy transferred when a force moves an object (W = Fd).

X-ray Telescope

Observes high-energy radiation from sources such as black holes and neutron stars.

Yaw

Rotation of an aircraft or rocket around its vertical axis (turning left or right).

Year

The time it takes for a planet to orbit its star once.

Zohar

Helga & Zohar are mannequin torsos that took flight on Orion.