Have you ever been on a long trip that seemed to take forever? Imagine taking a trip into space! For some lucky people, this is real life. These people are astronauts who live on the International Space Station, or ISS, for months at a time.
The ISS is a large spacecraft that orbits Earth. Astronauts live and work there, conducting science experiments and learning about life in space. To get to the ISS, astronauts travel in rockets. When it’s time to come home, they return in space capsules that fall back to Earth.
The ISS has big, shiny solar panels that capture sunlight and turn it into electricity. This electricity powers everything on the station, like lights and computers. There’s also a robot arm that astronauts control from inside the station to fix things outside.
The space station is like a big house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen (called a galley), and even a laboratory. However, life on the ISS is very different from life on Earth. All the water astronauts use has to be brought up by rockets, so it’s only used for drinking and eating. Instead of showers, astronauts use special washcloths to clean up.
One of the biggest differences is the low gravity on the ISS. Instead of walking, astronauts float around! This makes moving easier, but it can make their muscles weak. To stay strong, astronauts exercise for at least two hours every day.
Astronauts spend a lot of time conducting experiments. They study how plants grow in space and how small animals, like fish, adapt to low gravity. They also test how robots work in space. One such robot is Robonaut 2, or R2, who helps astronauts by using tools and even going on spacewalks.
Spacewalks are when astronauts leave the ISS in a spacesuit to work outside. They only do this when they need to fix something or gather information for experiments.
Life on the International Space Station is hard work and very different from life on Earth. But the astronauts who get to live there are quite lucky because they get to experience life in space! Maybe one day, if you work really hard, you could visit the ISS too!
Thanks for joining us on this space adventure. See you next time!
Build Your Own Space Station: Gather some building blocks or use recycled materials like cardboard boxes and plastic bottles to create your own model of the International Space Station. Think about the different parts of the ISS, such as the solar panels, the laboratory, and the living quarters. How would you design your space station? Share your creation with your family and explain how astronauts might live and work there.
Floating Astronaut Experiment: Fill a large bowl or a small tub with water. Use a small toy figure to represent an astronaut. Gently place the toy in the water and watch how it floats. Try to move it around without touching it directly, using a straw to blow air or a spoon to create waves. This activity simulates how astronauts float in the low gravity of the ISS. Discuss with a friend or family member how floating in space might feel and how it affects the way astronauts move.
Space Exercise Routine: Just like astronauts need to exercise to stay strong in space, you can create your own exercise routine. Choose three simple exercises like jumping jacks, running in place, or stretching. Perform each exercise for one minute. Imagine you are an astronaut on the ISS, and think about why exercise is important for them. After your routine, talk about how exercising in space might be different from exercising on Earth.
