Adventures in Aerospace: Lesson 5 Volunteer’s Guide
Key to Curriculum Formatting: ► Volunteer Directions ■ Volunteer Notes ♦ Volunteer-led Classroom Experiments
Lesson 5: YOU’RE GOING TO THE SPACE STATION! ► Begin the presentation by telling the class that this is “Lesson 5: You’re Going to the Space Station!” If this is not your first visit, reintroduce yourself and the program. Briefly review key concepts from the first 4 lessons. If this is your first visit, here is a suggested personal introduction: “Hello, my name is , and I am a (position title) at Aerojet Rocketdyne. Today I will speak to you about space exploration and space travel. We will learn about the history of the Space Station, what life is like in space and what we are studying while in space.” ► Answer any questions left over from the previous visit. ► Introduce today's topic. Ask the students if any of them would like to visit the Space Station. Tell them that many from their generation will get that chance!
MATERIALS NEEDED
• DVD/Presentation
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• Projector screen/TV
• Vocabulary List
• Index Cards ► See lesson to assess total equipment needs.
LESSON OUTLINE (NOTE: total time of videos is almost 39 minutes)
Introduction Lesson Concepts Vocabulary Space Station Facts Tours of the Space Station What Life is like in the Space Station Antares Fields of Study
INTRODUCTION
The International Space Station (ISS) is hailed as the largest scientific project in history, its success the result of the collaboration of 16 nations from around the world! The research conducted on the Space Station is among the most cutting edge and important research going on today. In this unit, students will explore many questions related to the ISS. How will the ISS impact the success of future generations?
LESSON CONCEPTS
• History of ISS
• Life in space
• Microgravity research
VOCABULARY Astronaut: A person who trains for space flight Engineer: A person trained to design, construct, and operate mechanical or electrical instruments Environment: The air, water, minerals, organisms and all other interconnected things in a
Page 2 of 12 Adventures in Aerospace: Lesson 5 Volunteer’s Guide particular place Observation: The act of gathering information by watching or by remote sensing Payload: All the cargo, including scientific equipment, carried into space by a rocket powered vehicle Pulse: A heart beat Ration: A fixed amount of food or water when the supply is limited Recycle: To treat material so that it can be used again Solar panel: A device that changes sunlight into electricity; made of solar cells Space shuttle: A reusable spacecraft used to place people and satellites in earth orbit and to conduct experiments Space station: A manned structure that orbits the Earth and is used for a variety of purposes, especially research Space suit: A sealed and pressurized suit designed to allow astronauts to leave a pressurized spacecraft Weightless: Being without weight, as an object in freefall or orbit Freefall: When an object is falling without being stopped or slowed down, if its surroundings are also falling at the same rate, the object appears to float. This occurs on a spacecraft in orbit Pressurize: To raise the atmospheric pressure to the desired level in a closed area, such as a space suit
SPACE STATION FACTS AND HISTORY
► Ask student to write down three things they know about the ISS and/or satellites and three things they would like to know more about the ISS/satellites. Share answers as a class and discuss. Review the facts about the ISS. The space station is international which means several nations came together to make it and keep it up. There are living quarters on the space station for up to 6 or 7 astronauts. It uses 8 massive solar panels to turn solar energy from the sun into electrical energy to help support the
Page 3 of 12 Adventures in Aerospace: Lesson 5 Volunteer’s Guide astronauts and their research. These produce so much energy that they have to disperse some of the extra energy! There are currently 6 state-of-the-art laboratories on board used to perform cutting-edge research all the time. It is the largest man-made structure orbiting the earth (the length of a full football field). Since 2000, there have always been humans at the station. Right now there are 6 astronauts sharing space at the space station.
FUN FACTS: STORIES FROM THE ISS • At completion, the ISS will weigh approximately 1 million pounds! • More than 100,000 people are working, worldwide, on the ISS! • As they build the ISS, astronauts must wear special gear to complete projects. Could you imagine wearing a suit with all the tools you’ll need to complete a project hanging off of you? • The ISS is home to astronauts and researchers, except that they have to build their home themselves, room by room, and cannot leave! • Each expedition carries 60,000 pounds of supplies to the ISS—that’s like taking 10 killer whales into space all at once! • Each year, more than 13,000 meals and 10,000 snacks are eaten aboard the ISS! That comes out to 20,000 pounds of food! • Capri Sun is one of the closest types of “astronaut friendly” drinks that you can find at stores!
ISS: SCIENCE AND CULTURE COLLIDE
Many nations around the world contribute to the success of the ISS. In fact, it is the largest, non- military program in history. The countries that contribute time, money, astronauts, engineers, and other support staff to the ISS include: • United States • Brazil • Canada • Japan • States of the European Space Agency, including:
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o Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Russia
► Show video clips of the ISS. Discuss the information below while viewing associated video resources. Point out that all of the proposed changes have already been made since these videos are somewhat outdated.
TRAINING FOR YOUR MISSION Since November 2000, there have been astronauts living on the ISS. Crews of two or three astronauts stay aboard the station for up to 6 months. Could you imagine sharing a very small space with strangers from another country? That is exactly what astronauts do on the International Space Station! The team learns to live and work together on the ISS. The work that they do has the potential to impact humankind for years to come.
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► While orbiting earth, there is no air and no sensation of gravity. How would that affect your daily lives? Give students time to think and then share ideas. As time passes, your legs become thinner and thinner as your leg muscles push fluids and blood upwards. Your internal organs shift upwards, making your waist smaller by 3-5 inches. Your spine stretches out and, as a result, you “grow” ½ to 2 ½ inches. Loose flesh rises, giving you a kind of “facelift”. Bags also appear under your eyes, veins appear on your forehead, and your face gets a kind of puffy look. At first, your body feels sick to the stomach, but it goes away after a few days, although you feel “full-headed” (like you’re hanging upside down) until you come back to earth. With all these side effects in mind, one must be prepared to keep good care of the body so that these effects don’t do as much damage by exercising regularly.
♦ Pop Quiz What kinds of things do astronauts do to normalize their lives on the Space Station? Which of the following activities do you think are real? • Email family and friends (T) • Videoconference with people on Earth (T) • Get mail from loved ones (T) • Get visitors every once and a while (T) • Watch cartoons (T) • Take naps (T) • Divvy up “household” chores (T)
Sound much different from your own life? Maybe not, but the ISS astronauts are doing these activities (plus their scientific research) more than 200 miles up in the air!
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► Discuss Toys in Space video as time allows.
To give you an example, the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, is approximately 5 miles high. When you see airplanes, you are looking at an object no more than 7 or 8 miles in the air! Undoubtedly, the astronauts face many challenges from their environment.
► Discuss students’ observations of Sunita Williams’ video.
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► Show video of astronauts working on ISS.
LIFTOFF! How much power would the ISS need to get off of the ground? Imagine 450 tons of material launching into the air all at once! In reality, the first pieces of the Space Station were launched in 1998. Since then, piece-by-piece, the ISS has been built in Earth’s orbit! Each expedition carries 60,000 pounds of supplies and each year more than 13,000 meals and 10,000 snacks are eaten on the ISS.
Antares is a two-stage launch vehicle designed to provide low-cost and reliable access to space for medium-sized payloads (up to 13,500 lbs). This is a “commercial” vehicle that is ideal for taking crew and cargo to the ISS. Antares incorporates both solid and liquid stages and is capable of single or multiple payloads. ► Show Antares launch video.
WHY ARE WE GOING? YOUR ROLE ON THE ISS The International Space Station is a major research tool for various areas of science. Use the following information to stimulate a discussion among students.
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► Discuss some of the benefits to mankind of work done on the ISS. Have each student write down their two favorite areas of research. Discuss how the microgravity environment of the ISS allows for research that is impossible on Earth.
► At the end of the following activity, ask students to think of a few broad fields, listed below, that the ISS has impacted. Discuss other areas they can think of that they would like to see researched in zero gravity.
♦ Pop Quiz Are the following questions True or False? The ISS has contributed knowledge toward… Earth’s Environment • Ways to combat global warming (T) • Fighting the side effects of forest fires (T) • Other ways of getting rid of our garbage (T) • Electric power production (like the AC you use at home) (T) Physics • The Big Bang (T) Medicine • Improving medicines for diseases like diabetes (T) Biology • How gravity affects biological evolution (T) • Improving the quality of life on earth (T) Food • Making foods purer (called “protein crystal perfection”) (T) Engineering • Improving cell phones, computers, and video systems (T)
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• Making sure your phone service is always clear (T) • Building cities at cheaper cost (T) • Making air and water healthier for humans (T)
♦ Weightless Wonder Experiment Experiment Concept • Living in a weightless environment Experiment Materials • 1 to 5 pound hand weights or books Experiment Instructions 1. Pass weights (books will work fine!) out to several students. 2. Ask students to stand up, arms to their sides, and lift the weights for 5 minutes straight. 3. At the end of the 5 minutes, students must drop the weights. 4. Ask students to describe to the class how their arms feel; explain to students that this feeling is similar to how the body reacts in a zero-gravity environment.
♦ Space Food Experiment Experiment Concept • Eating in space Experiment Materials • Zip lock bags • Dehydrated foods • Water • Rubber bands • Flat meal tray • Attachable Magnets (You can use tape to attach them.) • Velcro strips ► Time-permitting, perform the following demonstration: Experiment Instructions Note: To make a full, astronaut-like meal, you need a tray like you'd find in a cafeteria or fast food restaurant. 1. To hold your utensils in place, attach several magnets to the tray. Typically, astronauts eat with a metal fork, knife, spoon, and scissors. 2. To hold your meal in place, attach strips of Velcro to the tray and your vacuum-sealed food items. Now stick the food items to the Velcro on the tray.
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3. Finally, wrap a piece of elastic or large rubber band around the tray. Your junior astronaut can now slide things under the band (such as a napkin) and hold them in place. Experiment Explanation Have fun eating a full "astronaut meal" with your kids! But be sure to remind them that any crumbs or spills could be life threatening if they float away and into the equipment.
APPLYING WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED QUIZ THE TEACHER (Q & A) ► Hand out index cards to the class and ask them to write down one or two questions for you. Ask for a volunteer to collect the cards. Read some of the questions aloud and answer them for the entire class. ► Check the NASA spaceflight web site (http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/) for viewing opportunities in your location. Ask the students to view the Station and tell of their experiences at the next session.
LET’S LOOK AHEAD ► If you and your teacher have set a meeting for the next presentation, let students know what they will be exploring next session: “In the next session, ‘You’re Going to Mars!,’ your class will learn about travel to Mars.” ► Thank class.
♦ ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY (time-permitting)
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Dry Dessert? Experiment Experiment Concept • Eating in space Experiment Materials • Plastic sandwich bags • Straw • Package of instant pudding • Powdered coffee creamer • Plastic syringe Experiment Instructions 1. First, put approximately 1/3 of the bag of pudding mix and 1 tablespoon of coffee creamer into the sandwich bag. 2. Cut a small slit in one side of the sandwich bag, approximately ¼ of the way down from the top. 3. Insert the straw into the slit 4. Seal the straw in place with tape and zip-seal the bag. 5. Add water, using syringe, through the straw. 6. To mix the water into the powder, grasp the outside of the bag and knead the two ingredients together. Continue to add water through the syringe and straw until the mixture is completely hydrated. 7. Enjoy the pudding, just like astronauts eat! Experiment Explanation Rehydration is an essential part of eating in space. If astronauts were to transport foods in their full form, the water and packaging materials would add weight and require more storage space. Water, of course, is limited aboard a spacecraft. Consequently, astronauts are allowed only a certain amount of H2O for rehydrating food items.
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