5. Space Agencies

Exploring what lies beyond our home planet is a big task that demands a lot of research and resources. Some people and organisations make it their life's work to investigate the mysteries of space. These organisations, known as space agencies, are involved in the fields such as human space exploration, aeronautics, and space transportation. 

Inside these space agencies, you'll find a team of experts, including engineers, scientists, and researchers. They work together to plan and design missions to explore space. The main job of a space agency is to put these plans into action, managing space programmes and advancing research in science and technology related to space. They achieve this by launching satellites into orbit around our Earth and even beyond. These satellites gather important data about how our planet functions, how it changes over time, and how it interacts with other planets and objects in our solar system1. 

With the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957, the Space Age began.

NASA commenced operations on October 1, 19586. The organisation was established to supervise American space exploration and aviation research.

NASA, which stands for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is a special government agency in the United States. Its job is to manage civilian space-related projects and to make sure American astronauts go into space using rockets made in the USA. NASA also spends a lot of time studying the planets, moons, and comets in our solar system. They even have their own research lab in space!

In this lab, they do all sorts of valuable experiments and tests to improve how we travel in the sky, like using electric power for our spacecraft and making aeroplanes that can fly super fast. NASA is most famous for their missions to the moon and their dream of sending people to Mars. They were the first to put humans on the moon, and now they're planning to go to Mars1!

NASA plays a vital role in getting teachers ready to educate the future generation of engineers, scientists, astronauts, and NASA employees. These future explorers will carry on the mission of uncovering the mysteries of the solar system and the universe. 

NASA provides training to help teachers discover innovative approaches to teaching subjects like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Additionally, NASA engages students in its missions to ignite their passion for learning and inspire them to get excited about the wonders of science and space6.