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Mechanical device used in navigation and direction finding. A gyroscope is basically spinning wheel mounted on an axle within a movable frame. The axle always points in the same direction, no matter how the frame is moved, and the gyroscope is not affected by gravity of magnetism. For example, a compass regulated by a gyroscope always points to the true North Pole, not to the North Magnetic Pole, because it is unaffected by the earth's magnetism. Gyroscopes are used in spaceflight to keep spacecraft on their path. G-force -- A magnification of the earth's gravity as a spacecraft accelerates or decelerates on entry or re-entry from space. One G is exactly equal to the force of gravity at the earth's surface. At 1G, a 150-pound man weighs 150 pounds, at 2G's, he weighs 300 pounds, at 3G's, 450 pounds, and so forth. Before manned flight, scientists were deeply concerned with the high G-force astronauts would have to experience in space. Experiments proved that the human body could endure 13G's before losing consciousness, but only the spaceflights of Gagarin and Glenn proved that man could fly in space without serious effects from G-force. Back to top Gagarin, Yuri A. (1934-1968) - Soviet cosmonaut Gagarin, Yuri A. (1934-1968) Soviet cosmonaut, and the first human being in space. Gagarin originally trained as a test pilot. In Vostok 1. on April 12, 1961. he made the world's first spaceflight, orbiting the earth once. Gagarin was killed in an airplane crash in 1968.
Italian astronomer, mathematician, and physicist, whose astronomical observations proved Copernicus' theory that tne sun, and not the earth, was the center of the universe. Galileo made his observa- tions with an astronomical telescope of his own construction, which was the first of its kind. Copernicus' theory was declared dangerous to the Roman Catholic faith in 1616, and when, in 1632, Galileo published a treatise supporting it, he was put on trial before the Inquisition. Forced to recant, he died under house arrest in 1642. His discovereis, however, could not be suppressed, and the Copernican theory, which he had proved correct, was eventually universally accepted. |
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