ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



Teacher Resource

Aussie Space Agency

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1. What was the main point of the Aussie Space Agency story?

2. What did the Australian Government recently announce about Australia’s space industry?

3. What role has Australia played in space exploration?

4. Why hasn’t Australia been able to control its own space missions?

5. Name one of the six main space agencies.

6. How much money is Australia putting into its space industry?

a. 4 million

b. 14 million

c. 41 million

7. What will Australia’s new space agency be able to do? Give one example.

8. Where do experts think the new space agency will be located?

9. How has your understanding of Australia’s space industry changed since watching the BTN story?

10. Do you think it is important for Australia to have its own space agency? Why or why not?

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Class Discussion

Hold a class discussion about the information raised in the Space Agency story. Create a class mind map about space and space exploration asking students to record what they know. Use the following questions to guide discussion:

• Why should we explore space?

• Is space exploration important? Why or why not?

• Is it important for Australia to be involved in space exploration? Why or why not?

• What are some of the benefits of space exploration?

• Are there any disadvantages? What are they?

• How has space exploration changed since the 1960s?

• What is the future of space exploration?

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Students choose one of the following space investigations.

Investigation One – Australia’s involvement in space programs

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) has been involved in some key NASA missions in the past 50 years. Students will choose a mission CDSCC has been involved in and research it in more detail. Here are some questions to investigate:

• When did the mission take place?

• What was the purpose of the mission?

• Briefly summarise the mission.

• What were some challenges of the mission?

• How did Australia contribute to the mission?

Apollo 11 Moon Landing Curiosity on Mars

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Source: NASA Source: NASA

Voyager 1 Fly-Bys Phoenix on Mars

Source: NASA Source: NASA

Investigation Two – Living in Space

Students will explore what life is like on the International Space Station (ISS). Questions to investigate include:

• What is the ISS? (Brief history of the ISS)

• What do astronauts do on the ISS? (Give an example of an experiment astronauts might do).

• How long do they stay on the ISS?

• What is it like living in microgravity? (Eating, sleeping, having a shower, going to the toilet).

• What impact does microgravity have on the human body? (Bones and muscles, sense of taste).

• What food do astronauts eat?

• What do you think the challenges of living in space would be?

• If you lived in space for a month, what foods do you think you would miss the most? Why?

Use these fun activities to investigate how astronauts Taste in Space and discover the challenges for an astronaut living on the International Space Station. Spot the ISS from your home town, enter your location to learn when the space station will be flying overhead.

Investigation Three – The Solar System

Students begin by recording what they know about the solar system. They will then research one of the planets in the solar system using the following to help guide their research.

• Name the 8 planets in our solar system

• Conduct in depth research into one of the planets in the solar system.

• Include a description of what the planet looks like.

• Find out some interesting facts.

• Geographical features – Is it gaseous or rocky? Does it have an atmosphere? What are conditions on the surface like?

• Distances – how far is this planet from the sun?

• Movement – identify the path of this planet. How fast does it travel around the sun?

• Present research using Prezi or other publishing software. Include images in the presentation.

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Students watch these BTN stories about space and answer the following questions:

Mars Class

1. Students run their own simulated mission to _________.

2. Their mission is to find out…

3. What is the role of the biologist?

4. Give examples of the different tasks students carry out.

5. What is the role of mission director?

6. Describe the mission control room.

7. What are the diagnostic questions?

8. How do students describe the experience of space school?

IAC Space Conference

1. Finish the following sentence: It was announced at the conference that Australia is going to have its own…

2. What areas of space exploration has Australia been involved in recently?

3. Who did Ness interview at the conference?

4. What was a favourite moment for the head of NASA?

5. What would the head of NASA like to see happen in his lifetime?

6. What is the study of space called?

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ABC News – Budget 2018: `Seed funding’ for Australian space agency to be unveiled



Department of Industry, Innovation and Science – Australian Space Agency



BTN – IAG Space Conference



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Episode 12

15th May 2018

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Students will choose a space investigation to explore in more detail.

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Science – Year 5

The Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun).

Science – Years 5 & 6

Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions.

Science – Year 7

Scientific knowledge has changed peoples’ understanding of the world and is refined as new evidence becomes available. 

Science – Year 7

People use science understanding and skills in their occupations and these have influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity.

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