NASA Office of Education
Visit the NASA Education website. You'll discover a wealth of information including a list of current opportunities; education related feature stories; and contact information for project representatives.
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Future NASA Programs
NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program invests financial and technical resources to encourage the private sector to develop and demonstrate safe, reliable and cost-effective space transportation capabilities.
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How Do Rockets Stack Up?
Compare the parts of a model rocket with the parts of five NASA launch vehicles. Credit: NASA
Welcome, future rocket scientists!
How does a model rocket stack up against the big guys? Select a rocket and find out.
> View interactive feature
> View text feature
Special Announcement
NASA Recommends Discontinuation of Student Rocket Activity
Recently, an air pressurized paper rocket launcher being used by an educator failed. This launcher is described in NASA's Rockets Educator Guide, publications EG-2011-11-223-KSC, pp. 86-90 and EG-2008-05-060-KSC, pp. 86-90. NASA completed an engineering investigation into the failure and determined that the launcher, or design equivalents, should not be used. NASA has removed the launcher design from its website and its education curriculum. Individuals and organizations should immediately discontinue use of the launcher published in the referenced NASA publications. We request that your organization assist NASA in disseminating this information as widely as possible throughout the education community.
Basic Steps to Launch a Rocket
1. Main Engine ignites and liftoff occurs.
2. Solid rocket boosters burn off their fuel and separate from the rocket.
3. Booster burns off fuel and jettisons from the rocket. The second stage or engine is revealed.
4. Second stage ignites and pushes the rocket farther along its path.
5. Payload fairing jettisons and reveals the payload.
6. The payload separates from the rocket and begins its mission in space.
Launch Vehicles
Missions to the International Space Station
Ariane 5 -- European Space Agency
H-II -- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA
Progress -- Russian
Soyuz -- Russian
Space Shuttle Fleet
SpaceX
NASA Missions
Atlas V
Delta II
Delta IV
Pegasus
Sounding Rockets
Space Launch System
Taurus XL
Spotlight Features
What Is a Rocket?
> Read Students K-4 article
> Read Students 5-8 article
What Is a Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle?
> Read Students K-4 article
> Read Students 5-8 article
What Is the Soyuz Spacecraft?
> Read Students K-4 article
> Read Students 5-8 article
What Was the Saturn V?
> Read Students K-4 article
> Read Students 5-8 article
What Was the Space Shuttle?
> Read Students K-4 article
> Read Students 5-8 article
Rocketry Connections
Do-It-Yourself Podcast
Rocket Science
Create a podcast explaining how and why rockets fly.
Fathers of Rocketry
NASA's Digital Learning Network
The DLN offers rocketry modules through its free webcasts.
> Rocket Science (Grades 5-12)
> The Space Shuttle (Grades K-8)