Dictionary of Space Concepts

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Taikonaute

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 6:59 PM)

Source : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/%E8%88%AA%E5%A4%A9%E5%91%98%E9%99%88%E5%86%AC_Chen_Dong.jpg/800px-%E8%88%AA%E5%A4%A9%E5%91%98%E9%99%88%E5%86%AC_Chen_Dong.jpg

Short Definition
A taikonaut is a Chinese astronaut who has experience in space exploration and is a member of Chinese space programme. Taikonauts participate in Chinese space missions, contributing to advancements in space exploration and scientific research.

Detailed Definition
China is the 3rd country, after Soviet Union and the United States to send a human into space in 2003. The first Chinese taikonaut, Yang Liwei, was launched into space aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft.

Etymology
The word "taikonaut" is a combination of the Chinese word "taikong" meaning "space" and the Greek suffix "-naut" meaning "traveller."

The term "taikonaut" is a term that refers to Chinese astronauts who are trained to participate in China's space missions.

Taikonauts are selected from People's Liberation Army Air Force and undergo intensive physical and psychological training to prepare for the challenges of spaceflight. China plans to select and train more taikonauts for its future missions.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French: un taïkonaute

German: der Taikonaut

Italian: taikonauta

Polish: tajkonauta

Swedish: taikonaut

Translations of Terms/Concepts into other languages

Japanese

宇宙飛行士 (uchū hikōshi) or taikonaut (タイコノート)

Korean

태종 (taejong)

Russian

тайконавт (taikonavt)

Spanish

Taikonauta

Portuguese

taikonauta

Links to Videos/Article :

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/航天员陈冬_Chen_Dong.jpg/800px-航天员陈冬_Chen_Dong.jpg

Example sentence:

A dozen of handpicked Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts as they are called, are set to explore new horizons in space in four manned flight missions within two years. In the first of these missions, three taikonauts aboard the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft have already successfully made it to space.

CGTN. 2021. What does it take to be a taikonaut? Retrieved May 29, 2023, from https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-06-22/What-does-it-take-to-be-a-taikonaut--11hwXVttCww/index.html

Articles:

VOA News Year: (n.d.) Title: Why China, African Nations Are Cooperating in Space Source: VOA News. Retrieved May 29, 2023, from https://www.voanews.com/a/why-china-african-nations-are-cooperating-in-space/6745595.html

Unknown. Year: 2022. China Launches New Crew to Space Station Source: The Washington Post. Retrieved May 29, 2023 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/29/china-space-station-crew-launch/

Video:

CGNT Chinese Global Television Network. 10. July 2021. Why are Chinese Astronauts called Taikonauts? Retrieved 18. June 2023 from

. Retrieved

Tektite

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 7:00 PM)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tektite#/media/File:Two_tektites.JPG

Short definition:

Tektites are small pieces of natural glass that are typically black, green, brown, or grey in color. They are created when meteorites impact the Earth and cause terrestrial debris to be ejected and melted into a glass-like material.

Detailed Definition:

A tektite is a type of glass that is formed from the impact of a meteorite on the Earth's surface. The extreme heat and pressure of the impact melts and vaporizes the rocks at the impact site, which then cools and solidifies into a glass-like material. Tektites are typically black or green in color and have a smooth, rounded shape. They can vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter. Tektites are found in the areas around meteorite impact craters, and are used by scientists to study the effects of meteorite impacts on the Earth's surface.

Etymology:

tēktós - molten

Sample Sentence(s):

"Sir Thomas Mitchell found a tektite and gave it to Charles Darwin."

"Some human built objects, such as black buttons, can be mistaken for tektites."

Translations:

French:

Tectite

German:

Tektit

Polish:

Tektyt

Swedish:

Tektit

Links to videos/articles:

https://australian.museum/learn/minerals/shaping-earth/tektites/

https://www.britannica.com/science/tektite

Screenshot 2023-01-08 173210.png

Telecommunication

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 7:07 PM)

Image Source: Kratochvil, P. (n.d.). Telecommunication antennas free stock photo - public domain pictures. Public Domain Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=501498&picture=telecommunication-antennas

Short Definition:

Telecommunication is a method of transmitting various data and information over long distances. It is a faster alternative to other methods, which might be more limited in speed and complexity limitations.

Detailed Definition:

Telecommunication is a broad spectrum of means of exchanging certain data types like audio or video over long distances using wide range technologies such as radio, electromagnetic systems and optical or wired connections. Telecommunication technologies are based on a simple system of transmitters and receiver located in various locations to ensure global reach of the network. Telecommunications have been popularised through rise of the internet which is based on the concept of network between telecommunication stations. Telecommunication networks might also be connected in a smaller scale on a more localised areas like Telephone networks (country-wide), academic wide area networks (WANs) or police dispatch networks (city-wide). Telecommunication technologies were changing with the flow of inventions. From wired connections to wireless.

Etymology:

Telecommunication is a compound of Greek and Latin. 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑒 meaning distant, faraway. 𝑐𝜊𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 meaning "to share"

Translations:

French - Télécommunication

German - Telekommunikation

Italian - Telecomunicazione

Polish - Telekomunikacja

Swedish - Telekommunikation

Sample Sentences:
1. Telecommunication is essential for our everyday lives, from radio to phone calls.

2. Without telecommunication, our world wouldn't be so interconnected.

Telescope

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 7:11 PM)

Image/Video/Audio:

Image/Video/Audio: Image/Video/Audio Source: http://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/23486741/content/stillpix/255-sts/STS125/STS125_ESC_JPG/255-STS-s125e011848.jpg

Short Definition:

A telescope is a device used by astronomers to observe distant planets and stars. It gathers light from the night sky by using pieces of curved mirrors. What we see while using it, is a focus of this light.

Detailed Definition:

There are many sizes and purposes of the telescope. The small, portable ones are quite cheap, available, and can be used by everyone, starting from a kid to a grown up, however they aren’t very powerful, as you can see with them only some parts of our Solar System. Next group is the one with these huge telescopes, usually used by some companies associated with space. They take beautiful and detailed photos of the surrounding us stars and help in mathematical calculations of scientists that discover new solar systems and galaxies. The last group are space telescopes, the most expensive ones. They not only need to be built with special materials, able to survive in harsh conditions but also have to be taken to space, where they take amazing images of the things we can’t really see from Earth. One of the most famous telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990 and since then it takes spectacular photos, like the one of the hearth of Eagle Nebula, so called Pillars of Creation.

Etymology:

from Italian telescopio or modern Latin telescopium, from tele- ‘at a distance’ + -scopium

Sample Sentence(s):

We got our friend telescope for a birthday present.

One of the most expensive telescopes, the James Webb Telescope, launched nearly one year ago.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages [Multiple fields for entering the translation of the term in each partner language, additional languages can potentially be added, e.g. Russian, Chinese, Portuguese]

French:

télescope

German:

Teleskop

Polish:

teleskop

Swedish:

teleskop

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/telescopes/en/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope

Terrestrial Planets

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 7:14 PM)

Short Definition
Terrestrial planets are rocky planets with solid surfaces, composed mainly of silicate rocks and metals. They are considered potentially habitable due to their location within the habitable zone of their star, this means that they are located at a distance from their star where the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water to exist.

Detailed Definition
Terrestrial planets include Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury and typically have thin or no atmospheres, distinguishing them from gas giants. With relatively high densities compared to gas giants, terrestrial planets tend to exhibit a wide range of geological features, such as mountains, valleys, and impact craters.
Additionally, their relatively high densities contribute to their stronger gravitational pull, which affects not only their overall structure but also the dynamics of their planetary systems. It is likely that there were more terrestrial planets during the formation of our solar system, but they either merged with each other or were destroyed. Their unique characteristics and potential for habitability make terrestrial planets a subject of ongoing scientific study and appealing for potential colonization by humans in the future.

Etymology
The term "terrestrial planets" originates from the Latin word "terra," which means "earth" or "land." The word "terrestrial" itself is derived from the Latin adjective "terraeus," meaning "of the earth."

The word "planet" has its roots in ancient Greek. It comes from the Greek term "planētēs," which means "wanderer" or "wandering star."

Sample Sentence(s)

"It's unclear what the dividing line is between a rocky planet and a terrestrial planet."

Dutfield, S., & Gammon, K. (2022). Terrestrial planets: Definition & facts about the inner planets and beyond. Space.com. https://www.space.com/17028-terrestrial-planets.html

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French
Planète tellurique

German
Terrestrische Planeten or Erdähnlicher Himmelskörper

Italian
Pianeta terrestre

Polish
Planety skaliste, planety typu ziemskiego

Swedish
Stenplanet

Additional Translations

Spanish

Planeta terrestre

Turkish

Karasal gezegen

Dutch

Aardse planeten

Links to Videos/Articles

Dutfield, S., & Gammon, K. (2022). Terrestrial planets: Definition & facts about the inner planets and beyond. Space.com. https://www.space.com/17028-terrestrial-planets.html

Morbidelli, A., Lunine, J. I., O’Brien, D. P., Raymond, S. N., & Walsh, K. J. (2012). Building Terrestrial Planets. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 40(1), 251–275. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105319

Terrestrial | Planet Types – Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond our Solar System. (n.d.). Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond Our Solar System. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/what-is-an-exoplanet/planet-types/terrestrial/

Cornerstone Television Network. (2015, October 8). Origins: The Terrestrial Planets [Video]. YouTube.

MooMooMath and Science. (2019, August 22). Terrestrial Planets in Order [Video]. YouTube.

The Kuiper belt

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 7:19 PM)

Image Source: https://theplanets.org/kuiper-belt/

Short Definition:
The Kuiper belt (called Edgeworth-Kuiper belt) is a region in space located in the outer Solar System placed between 30 to 50-55 AU (astronomical units) from the Sun. It is a doughnut-shaped ring composed of gas, dust or asteroids.

Detailed Definition:
The first hypotheses about the Kuiper belt appeared in 1930, but it took over 50 years to confirm that hypotheses. Since then scientists discovered over 100000 KBOs (Kuiper belt object) with the diameter larger than 100 km. With that distance from the Sun, objects are mostly composed of leftovers from the solar system's early history which means icy bodies (frozen chemical elements and compounds). The largest KBOs are: Pluto (composed in 98 percent from nitrogen ice) and Eris (mostly built from methane). As the Kuiper Belt is icy-cold place it is thought to be the source of the comets in the solar system. The fascinating thing is that not only planets and dwarf planets might have moons but also lots on Kuiper Belt objects have ones.

Etymology:

Kuiper – Dutch – Kuiper - cooper – from the name of the scientist Gerard Kuiper
Belt – Latin - balteus - girdle

Sample Sentence(s):
“The amount of material in the Kuiper Belt today might be just a small fraction of what was originally there.”

Translations:

French:
Ceinture de Kuiper

German:
Kuipergürtel

Polish:
Pas Kuipera

Swedish:
Kuiperbälte

Spanish
Cinturón de Kuiper

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://theplanets.org/kuiper-belt/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/792/10-things-to-know-about-the-kuiper-belt/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumstellar_disc
https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuiper-belt
https://spacecenter.org/what-is-the-kuiper-belt/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/overview/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto#Geology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eris_(dwarf_planet)

The Solar System

(Last edited: Friday, 28 April 2023, 6:09 PM)

Image Source:

Short Definition:
Solar system is the planetary system consisting of the Sun and other celestial objects which are gravitationally bounded with the Sun, located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy.

Detailed Definition:
The Solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago from the solar nebula. The mass of the Solar system is unevenly distributed. The Sun weights 99,86 % of the all masses in the system. The rest of it falls on the planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids etc. The Solar System is divided into 2 parts: the Inner Solar System (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) – terrestrial planets composed of rock and metal and Outer Solar System (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) – giant planets. The first two are gas giants (composed of hydrogen and helium), and the next two are ice giants (composed of water, ammonia, and methane). Between the inner and outer system is an asteroid belt with Ceres (dwarf planet). It is assumed that the asteroid belt has been created in a collision of a planet and celestial object. Behind the Neptune there is a Kuiper belt – similar to asteroid belt with Pluto, Charon and Eris (dwarf planets).

Etymology:
solar – Latin – solis - Sun
system – Greek – systema - set of entities that interact in an orderly and organized fashion

Sample Sentence(s):
The solar wind emanating from the Sun blasts through the Solar System, interacting with the planets, and pushing material out into interstellar space.

Translations of Terms:
French:

Système solaire

German:
Sonnensystem

Polish:
Układ Słoneczny

Swedish:

Solsystem

Spanish:

El sistema solar

Links to Videos/Articles:
https://www.universetoday.com/15822/what-is-the-solar-system/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/
https://www.britannica.com/science/solar-nebula
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2725996/

Keyword(s):

Time Dilation

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 7:22 PM)

Media:

Media: File:Nonsymmetric velocity time dilation.gif - Wikimedia Commons . (2006, January 28). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nonsymmetric_velocity_time_dilation.gif

Short Definition:

Time Dilation is a phenomenon observable through the change of measuring of elapsed time by two clocks. The change usually occurs due to the difference in velocity or gravitational potential. The faster you move relative to some object, the slower time seems to flow.

Detailed Definition:

Time Dilation is an occurrence which takes place due to the difference in velocity or gravitational potential of a given object. It occurs when one of the objects has higher velocity than the other (commonly called a reference frame). The reference frame is a coordinate system defined by certain characteristic points, this frame is stable while the other object travels with a certain velocity, different from the frame. What can be then observed is that the travelling object experiences time slower, than the reference frame (observer). This phenomenon is strictly connected to Einstein's theory of relativity, as the time passes differently, relative to the state (either gravitational or velocity) of the object. Time dilation has been observed and calculated on the International Space Station. The differences in time perception are virtually insignificant (in milliseconds) at small distances, but might increase to even years in difference.

Etymology:

Time, from Old English "tima" defined as limited space of time. Dilation from Late Latin "dilatationem" meaning widening of something.

Sample Sentence(s)

1. The astronauts on the ISS experienced time dilation of around 20 milliseconds, compared to earth.

2. The time on ISS is lagging by about 0.01 seconds for every 12 months on earth, due to time dilation.

Translation:

French - dilatation du temps

German- Zeitdilatation

Italian - dilatazione del tempo

Polish - dylatacja czasu

Swedish - Tidsdilatation

Twilight

(Last edited: Friday, 28 April 2023, 6:09 PM)

Image/Video/Audio Source:

Short definition:
Twilight is the phase (period) just after sunset, when astronomical night has not yet occurred.

Detailed Definition:
Twilight is the period after sunset when the Earth is illuminated by sunlight diffused in the atmosphere. The following twilight phases are distinguished: civil twilight, nautical twilight and astronomical twilight. The only difference between twilight phases is where the Sun is located, which makes the sky gets darker. When the Sun is up to 6° below the horizon, it is considered a civil twilight. When the Sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon, it is said to be a nautical twilight. An astronomical twilight is when the Sun is located from 12° to 18° below the horizon. When Sun position is over 18° below the horizon line, it is considered as night.

Etymology:

late Middle English: from Old English twi- ‘two’ (used in an obscure sense in this compound)
from Latin lūx (“light”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“white; light; bright”)

Sample Sentence(s):
Twilight heralds the beginning of the night.

Translations:
French:

Le crépuscule

German:
die Dämmerung

Polish:
Zmierzch

Swedish:
Skymning

Spanish:

El crepúsculo

Links to Videos/Articles:
https://www.weather.gov/lmk/twilight-types
https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/twilight
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/different-types-twilight.html
https://youtu.be/FX1slLeJRPg

Twins Study

(Last edited: Sunday, 1 October 2023, 2:41 PM)

Definition:

A study aiming to investigate the effects of spaceflight on the human organism. The study was organized by NASA with the support of 8 universities across the USA. It was conducted in 2015-2016 and involved two identical twin brothers: Scott and Mark Kelly.

Scott Kelly served on a year-long mission aboard the International Space Station, while his brother Mark Kelly, a former NASA employee, remained on Earth. The twins study included an array of biochemical, neurological and other types of medical tests conducted before, during and after the spaceflight, i.e. over the span of 27 months. The results confirmed the robustness and resilience of human health, since 91,3% of Scott Kelly’s medical parameters returned to baseline six months after the spaceflight. The remaining changes were to be used for development of personalized measures to predict and overcome possible adverse consequences of spaceflight.

Translations:

French:

German:

Polish: Eksperyment z bliżniakami

Swedish:

Article:

https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.aau8650

Other sources:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-twins-study-results-published-in-science

https://www.nasa.gov/twins-study/about

Keyword(s):

UNIVERSEH: The European Space University