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A comprehensive glossary of aerospace terms and concepts, covering topics such as satellites, space exploration, aircraft engines, and aviation principles. It is a valuable resource for students and enthusiasts interested in learning about the fundamentals of aerospace technology. The glossary includes definitions of key terms, explanations of important concepts, and historical references to significant figures and events in aerospace history.
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satellite ✔✔natural or artificial object in space that orbits the Earth
orbit ✔✔the path a satellite takes around a celestial body
apogee ✔✔the highest point of an orbit
perigee ✔✔the lowest point of an orbit
Sputnik ✔✔the first artificial satellite
COMSTAT ✔✔communications satellites
INTELSAT ✔✔International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
NAVSTAR ✔✔navigation satellites
LANDSAT ✔✔satellites that locate natural resources and monitor conditions on the Earth's surface
GOES ✔✔Geostationary Operations Environmental Satellites
Johannes Kepler ✔✔discovered satellites orbiting around Jupiter in the 1600's
Kepler's First Law ✔✔the orbit of each planet is an ellipse, with the Sun at the focus
Mercury ✔✔US' first manned spaceflight project
Gemini ✔✔US' manned spaceflight project that achieved the first walk in space and the first two-man capsule
Apollo ✔✔US' manned spaceflight project that put man on the Moon
Skylab ✔✔US' manned spaceflight project that put a laboratory into space; first US space station
black hole ✔✔a region in space where no radiation is emitted
cislunar space ✔✔the space between the earth and the moon
constellation ✔✔a grouping of stars, named after mythical figures and animals
galaxy ✔✔an enormous collection of stars arranged in a particular shape
interplanetary space ✔✔measured from the center of the sun to the orbit of its outermost planet
interstellar space ✔✔the distance from one solar system to another
microgravity ✔✔small gravity levels or low gravity
nebulae ✔✔giant could of dust and gas
pulsar ✔✔pulsating star that flashes electromagnetic emissions in a set pattern
space ✔✔region beyond the earth's atmosphere where there is very little molecular activity
star ✔✔a body of hot gases
universe ✔✔everything is part of the universe; stars, planets, galaxies, animals, plants, and humans
Van Allen belts ✔✔radiation belts filed with charged particles
Stars are made of... ✔✔90% hydrogen and 10% helium
solar system ✔✔the sun and the bodies that orbit around it
comet ✔✔a small icy body orbiting the sun
asteroid ✔✔a small rocky body orbiting the sun; usually found in the asteroid belt
Jupiter ✔✔largest planet in our solar system; the planet with the most moons
Saturn has... ✔✔RINGS!!!
Neptune ✔✔the windy planet
Pluto ✔✔the smallest planet
powerplant ✔✔a term which applies to the airplane's engine and its accessories
reciprocating ✔✔a type of engine that processes air and fuel by a back and forth movement of its internal parts
cycle ✔✔a recurring series of events. The airplane engine has four cycles: intake, compression, power, and exhaust
combustion ✔✔the chemical process of burning
combustion chamber ✔✔an enclosed container in which fuel and air are burned for the production of energy
stroke ✔✔in the example of an airplane engine, it is the movement of the piston, within the combustion chamber to its limits
compression ✔✔the act of making a given volume of gas smaller
stoichiometric ✔✔a ratio of fuel to air in which, upon combustion, all of the fuel is burned.
fuel ✔✔a chemical substance which is used as a source of energy
meter/metering ✔✔the process of allowing a precise amount of fuel to pass
How many moving parts do jet engines have? ✔✔ONE!
carburetor ✔✔uses Bernoulli's principle
A "*" above an airport symbol means: ✔✔the airport has a rotating beacon in operation from sunset to sunrise
air ✔✔79% nitrogen, 19% oxygen, 2% other gasses
Bernoulli's Principle ✔✔The pressure of a fluid, when accelerated, increases
motion about the longitudinal axis ✔✔roll
motion about the lateral axis ✔✔pitch
motion about the vertical axis ✔✔yaw
Fowler Flaps cause... ✔✔wing area to be decreased and camber to be increased
spoilers ✔✔devices located on the wings that disrupt the airflow over the wing causing loss of lift
used by glider pilots to execute a landing ✔✔spoilers
buoyancy ✔✔to rise or float on the surface of water or within the atmosphere
gore ✔✔one of several vertical panels that make up the envelope
Montgolfier ✔✔the name of the two French brothers who created the first successful, manned, hot air balloon in 1783
Hydrogen will lift approximately how many pounds per 1000 cubic feet? ✔✔60lbs
For rapid descent, a balloon pilot pulls down on the... ✔✔parachute pull cord
hot air will lift how many pounds per 1000 cubic feet? ✔✔17-20 pounds
Roger Bacon ✔✔increased the range of rockets
Alan Shepard ✔✔first American in space
Sputnik I ✔✔first artificial satellite
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky ✔✔proposed the use of rockets for space exploration
autumnal (fall) equinox ✔✔when the sun's direct rays strike the equator resulting in day and night of equal length, usually on Sep 22 or 23
summer solstice ✔✔when the sun is at its northernmost point from the equator in the northern hemisphere, the day is the longest
vernal (spring) equinox ✔✔when the sun's direct rays strike the equator resulting in day and night of equal length
winter solstice ✔✔when the sun is the farthest south of the equator and the northern hemisphere the day is the shortest
How much radiation from the sun is absorbed by the earth's surface? ✔✔approx. 50%
Beaufort Scale ✔✔a scale used for estimating wind speed on land or sea
aneroid barograph ✔✔gives a permanent record of pressure readings
cA ✔✔continental arctic;
cP ✔✔continental polar
cT ✔✔continental tropical
mT ✔✔maritime tropical
mP ✔✔maritime polar