Matched to CCEA's 2017 specifications, taught until new GCSEs start in September 2029: GCSE Physics (2.5 Space physics), Double Award Science (Unit P2) and Single Award Science (3.9 Earth in space). At A level, CCEA A2 2 (5.2 Gravitational fields) fits the A level cards.
Curriculum links last reviewed November 2026.
Every tracked satellite in orbit, moving live.
recall that gravity provides the force that keeps planets, moons and artificial satellites in orbit.
Follow one satellite for a minute. What force keeps it going round the Earth instead of flying off into space?
Orbit details for thousands of satellites: height, period and inclination.
describe how artificial satellites are used to observe the Earth, monitor the weather, study space and carry communications.
Groups find one real satellite of each kind in the directory and note how high it orbits. Which kind is highest?
How far each spacecraft is, and how long its signal takes to reach us.
define the light-year, use it in calculations (Higher tier), and explain why distance and speed limit how far we can explore.
Voyager 1 has flown for 49 years and is about one light-day away. At that rate, how long would it take to reach a star 4.2 light-years away?
Real-time 3D globes of the Moon, Mars and the Sun.
use W = mg to work out their weight on the Moon and Mars, and explain why weight changes from world to world.
Pupils work out their weight on the Moon (1.6 N/kg) and Mars (3.7 N/kg). On which world could they jump highest?
Asteroids and comets passing close to the Earth.
discuss the risk of asteroid impacts and how we watch for them.
Find this month's closest approach. How many times further than the Moon (about 384,000 km) does it pass?
These are our suggestions for where each tool fits. Always preview a page before using it with a class: some tools show ads, these school pages do not.
Orby's Space Academy uses US spelling.
Know a better fit for your year group, or a topic we have missed? Tell us and we will add it.
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Orbital Radar. (2026, November 4). Northern Ireland: CCEA GCSE. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/ni-gcse
“Northern Ireland: CCEA GCSE.” Orbital Radar, 4 Nov. 2026, orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/ni-gcse. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.
Orbital Radar (2026) Northern Ireland: CCEA GCSE. Available at: https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/ni-gcse (Accessed: 4 November 2026).
Orbital Radar. “Northern Ireland: CCEA GCSE.” Last modified November 4, 2026. https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/ni-gcse.
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author = {{Orbital Radar}},
title = {Northern Ireland: CCEA GCSE},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
howpublished = {\url{https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/ni-gcse}},
url = {https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/ni-gcse},
urldate = {2026-11-04},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04}
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