Space Station Freedom: the Dream Becomes Reality
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DOCIMENT RUM ED 345 950 SE 053 037 TITLE Space Station Freedom: The Dream Becomes Reality. A Learning Tool. INSTITUTION National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. REPORT NO NASA-PED-128 PUB DATE Mar 92 NOTE 29p. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use - Instructional Materials (For Learner) (051) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Elementary Education; Elementary School Science; Instructional Materials; Learning Activities; Learning Modules; Physics; *Satellites (Aerospace); *Science Activities; Science Education; Science Instruction; Science Projects; Scientific and Technical Information; *Space Exploration; *Space Sciences IDENTIFIERS National Aeronautics and Space Administration; *Spacelab; Space Shuttle ABSTRACT NASA will launch Space Station Freedom piece by piece in the cargo bay of space shuttles. The process is scheduled to start in 1995 and be completed in 1999. This pamphlet presents factual information and accompanying hands-on science activities concerning the following aspects of the project: (1) the space shuttle's role in transport; (2) the control center; (3) rendezvous, in a weightless condition, with the space station for bringing in supplies; (4) the design of the space station and its use of solar energy; (5) living areas in the space station and the use of hatches and alr locks; (5) performing tasks outside of the space station with manipulators in the cuppola, and through space walks; (7) eating and food dehydration; (8) washing needs, water usage, and water conservation; (9) health care and exercise; and (10) sleeping in space. Each activity has an accompanying list of vocabulary words and there is a list of definitions on the last page of the booklet. There are large illustrations for each activity. A listing of regional NASA Teacher Resource Centers is reproduced on the back cover. (.11) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. **********,************************************************************ ear' Space StationFreedom The Dream Becomes Reality A Learning Tool 4. U.S DEPARTMENT OfEDUCATION ONco o Ecteceeonstittesearther4 hronarentent EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER IEFect xinie document has Deemteroduced as received from the petreemorofganizaton ofonatrn9 ft 'VASA Z helnor changes have been mac*to ortoreve WW1 A01nalC Sand reeraductren Quality Pororti Of vie* SpaceMTif teralon 2 or aptmonsstateel,n1P11, 00C 4) Men' 40 rtOtrteCOSSrdy rep/agent Otheld ,OEW 008r1r0r1 Or 004Cy COPYA Welcome to Space StationFreedom This booklet was prepared by the NationalAeronautics Vocabulary List and Space Administration (NASA) foruse by teachers in the classroom or by parents at home. Highlights words used in the explanations that may The explanations, vocabulary lists, classroom ectivities, be used as vocabulary or illustrations, and defioitionsare meant to be wed to spelling lessons. educate elementary-level school children. Thibpage briefly describes the format used in the booklet A list of definitions may be found on the last page of This booklet may be reproduced in wholeor in pzit this booklet. without permission or restrictions. Classroom Activity: Subject Matter Briefly describes the classroom activity. Materials and Tools: Lists items needed to conduct the classroomactivity. Procedures: Describes how to conduct the classroom activity step-by-step. Additional Activity: Gives ideas of additional activities thatcan be conducted or how to use the illustrations for an educational activity. Illustrations on facing pages -OP. 1 Space Shuttle Lift-offl The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Vocabulary List (NASA) will launch Space StationFreedompart by part in the large cargo ba_y of the Space Shuttle. It will take Astronaut about 17 Shuttle flights over a period of four years to buildFreedomin orbit over Earth. Cargo Bay In late 1995, the Shuttle will carry four important partsof Experiment Freedominto orbit. Just as toy building blocks need bottom blocks to hold them together, thefirst four parts Foundation will prov!de the foundation on which the rest ofFreedom will be built. Additional parts will be taken up Launch throughout 1996. NASA In late 1996,Freedomwill be ready for people to come aboard for short periods of time. The first astronautswill Orbit visit for at least 13 days at a time. Replacement In late 1999, the building process will becomplete. Four or five times a yearafter that, the Shuttle will return to Space Shuttle Freedomto bring up crew replacements, new experiments, new supplies and spare parts, andwill Space Station Freedom return people, equipment, and finishedproducts to Earth. Spare How old will you be in 1999, when Freedom iscompleted? Classroom Activity: Space Shuttle Model Construction Materials and Tools: 2-liter plastic soda pop bottle 2 egg cartons 6-oz paper cup Masking tape Newspaper Stetter INISMI Glue for papier-mâché White glue tirtnaiNIPO Scissors Procedures: 1. Cut two wings from the top of an egg carton asshown in the diagrams. Tape thewings, as shown, to thebottle. 2. Cut out an "egg well" from the cartonand tape to the bottom of the cup toround off the flat surface. Tape the cup over the neckof the bottle. If the neck is toolong to permit a good fit, take a sharp knifeand trim it off a bit. 3. Cut out a vertical tail for the modelfrom the egg carton and tape it ontothe bottle. 4. Cover the model withpapier-mâché. Narrow strips of newspaper areeasiest to work with. Let the papier-mâché dry and addadditional layers for strength. 5. Cut three egg wells to makeengines for the orbiter. Cover eachwell with papier- maché and let it dry. 6. When the body of the orbiter and theengines are dry, glue the engines tothe tail end of the model as shown. 7. Paint the model and add decals, stars, andother decorations when dry. 4 2 Space Station Control Center NASA will need many people on Earth to monitor the Vocabulary List systems and the crew on Space Station Freedom. Most of this will be done from the Space Station Control Center Computer on Earth using satellite communications.Other scientists and engineers at different locations around the world Control Center also will be able to receive and send messages to and from Freedom. Earphone The Control Center will have many computers operated Flight controller by flight controllers who will be in continual contact, day and night, with the astronauts. The flight controllers and Microphone astronauts also will use earphones and microphones to communicate with each other. They will be able to help Monitor the astronauts solve any problems, answer their questions, or assist them with experiments. Satellite communications The Control Center will I iave large screens that will show Space Station Control the location of Freedom in relation to Earth at all times. Center Classroom Activity: Communications This experiment demonstrates that sound travels through differentmaterials. In this experiment, sound travels through a string. It simulates the useof a microphone and earphones. Materials and Tools: Sharp Pend! 2 styrofoam cups Thin string (enough to stretch across a room) Procedures: 1. Use a sharp pencil and punch a very small hole in the centerof the bottom of each cup. 2. Put the ends of the string through the hole in each cupand tie large knots. 3. With a friend, stretch the string tight. Take turnstalking into the cups. How does the sound get to you? What part of the telephone is the microphone? the earphone? How is your cup telephone like the astronauts'headsets? Additional Activity: Identify the continents and oceans on theControl Center screen in the illustration. Use a globe to show the path of Space Station Freedom overthe continents. 6 4 Rendezvous Here comes the Space Shuttle on a resupply mission to Vocabulary List Space Station Freedom. Every 90 days the Space Shuttle will transport a new crew, supplies, and new experiments Crew to Freedom. lt will return to Earth with the previous crew members, wastes, experiment results, and new products Gravity made in space. Factory Most of the crew will return to Earth every three months. Some will stay on Freedom for six months and some may Mars stay longer, maybe as long as one full year. Long stays will allow us to study the effects of low gravity or Mission "weightlessness on people. Moon Right now, we do not know enough about staying in space for a long time. Astronauts get sick and weak from Outpost being weightless. We need to find a way to keep them healthy and fit before we can send a crew to Mars. It may Rendezvous take two or more years to get to Mars and back. We also want to build an outpost and factories on the Moon. Resupply Before we do those things, we need to learn a lot on Space Station Freedom. Transport Waste Weightlessness Classroom Activity: Weightlessness This experiment simulates a feeling of weightlessness. Have the students understand and use the following words as part of this activity: Gravity - a force that pulls bodies toward the center of Earth. This force gives objects their weight. Weight- the heaviness anobject has because of the pull of gravity. Objects are pulled down or held down. Weightless-having little or no weight because the force of gravity has been balanced by the force of forward speed. Weightlessness-the feeling of floating because of the lack of gravity. Procedures: 1. Stand with your side to the wall and your shoulder and arm pressing hard against the wall. Make a fist. Keep your arms straight, and press your fist hard against the wall. 2. Count slowly for ten seconds (1 and 2 and 3, etc.). 3. Take one sidestep away from the wall. Relax completely. What happens to your arm? The same thing would happen when your whole body is weightless in space. Additional Activity: Identify, outline, and label geometric shapes that can be found in the illustration. 6 1 A Description of Space Station Freedom Space Station Freedom will be about as long as a football Vocabulary List field, including the end zones, and will weigh about as much as a jumbo 747 airplane.