alignment: a spacecraft’s position in relation to other objects in space
altitude: the height of an object above a given planet or moon
attitude: a spacecraft’s orientation in space
burn: a short firing of a rocket engine to change a spacecraft’s course or flight path
carbon dioxide: a colorless gas exhaled during breathing. Too much carbon dioxide in a confined area will cause someone to get sick.
command module: the cone-shaped Apollo 13 spacecraft called Odyssey. It contained the crew compartment, instrument panels, and heat shield.
fuel cell: a device in the service module that mixed oxygen and hydrogen to make electricity and water
gravity: the force that pulls everything toward a large object such as a planet or moon
hatch: a doorway in a spacecraft
heat shield: the part of a spacecraft that protects the rest of the craft from the heat of reentering Earth’s atmosphere
jettison: to release
lithium hydroxide canisters: air scrubbers that remove carbon dioxide from the spacecraft and purify the air
lunar module: the spider-shaped Apollo 13 spacecraft called Aquarius. It was the only part of the spacecraft designed to land on the moon. The Apollo 13 crew used it as a lifeboat on their trip back to Earth.
midcourse correction: burning a spacecraft’s engine on the way to or from the moon to place it on the correct flight path
mission control: NASA flight controllers who monitor and manage spaceflights
orbit: to travel in an ellipse around a planet or moon
oxygen: a gas that humans breathe
passive thermal control roll: a maneuver to slowly roll a spacecraft so it doesn’t get too hot on the part facing the sun or too cold on the part facing away from the sun
recovery ship: a ship sent to where a manned spacecraft is expected to land
reentry: to come back into Earth’s atmosphere from space
service module: attached to the command module, the part of the spacecraft that looks like a giant tin can. It contains oxygen, water, heat, and electrical power for the spacecraft.
simulator: a machine astronauts use on the ground at NASA to train for piloting spacecraft
thruster: a small engine used to adjust the position or flight path of a spacecraft
trajectory: the path of an object moving through space