Revised-Alabama5thGradeLessonsAgainstAutoIndustry-AndOthers

UNIT 2
WEEK 3
Space exploration began over fifty years ago when Russia sent
the first human-made satellite into orbit. In 1962, John Glenn, an
American, orbited Earth. Then in 1969, people around the world
watched Neil Armstrong’s walk on the surface of the moon.
The Skylab space station was launched in 1973. It had no
human passengers. Later, a crew went to live on Skylab for a month.
Three crews of astronauts lived on Skylab over the following nine
months. Skylab proved it was possible for people to survive in space.
More importantly, they could work in orbit.
Scientists also figured out how to make a vehicle that could go
back and forth between Earth and space. The next step was building
such a space shuttle. Having such a vehicle would greatly simplify
space exploration. Columbia, launched in 1981, was the first shuttle
that carried astronauts. The space shuttles were larger than the earlier
spaceships. They carried both pilots and scientists. Challenger,
Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour later joined the fleet of shuttles.
The shuttle was important in building the International Space
Station. At first, shuttle flights brought construction parts into space.
Later, flights brought crews to live on the space station. Shuttles
continue to serve as transportation for crews and supplies.
For more than ten years, the ISS’s space laboratory has given
new information that will improve our future on Earth. Studies about
infectious diseases have opened new ways to prevent those diseases.
The benefits of ultrasound have increased due to its use on the space
station. Ultrasound has deepened understanding about gravity’s
effects on the human body. It also has helped to discover the health
problems of people living on the space station.
We have learned new ways to treat heart disease, cancer, and
bone disease as a result of research on the ISS. Experiments with
plants have shown they can grow and be used as food on space
expeditions. Moreover, they are a way to make air and water clean.
We have already seen many good things come from experiments on
the ISS. Scientists believe we will continue to benefit from work
done in space.
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86 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 3