Sapce

Establishing a routine for sleep is a key component to an astronaut’s ability to function aboard the International Space Station. In this episode, Expedition 55/56 Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold discusses the crew sleeping quarters, why sleep is important and how they adapt for circadian rhythms aboard the station.

Solar energy is a key element in keeping the International Space Station functional as it provides a working laboratory for astronauts in the unique microgravity environment. Astronauts rely on this renewable energy source to power the electronics needed for research and survival. In this episode, Expedition 55/56 Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold explains the process of generating power from the solar arrays on the space station to produce electricity for astronauts as they orbit approximately 250 miles above the earth’s surface.

During their time on the International Space Station many astronauts have the opportunity to participate in spacewalks, also known as Extravehicular Activities (EVA). These spacewalks play a critical role in keeping the station functional as it travels approximately 17,500 miles per hour 250 miles above the Earth’s surface. In this episode, Expedition 55/56 Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold talks about the critical parts of the spacesuit that keep astronauts safe as they perform maintenance in the harsh environment surrounding the space station.

NASA Astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Shane Kimbrough demonstrate the effects of the weightless-simulated environment on their perception of motion, spatial orientation, and balance aboard the International Space Station. Watch as NASA astronaut Megan McArthur and JAXA astronaut Aki Hoshide discuss the vestibular system and learn how the human body relies on external cues to provide us with important information about our environment.

Water filtration plays a key part in crew survival aboard the International Space Station. In this episode, Expedition 56 Commander Drew Feustel discusses the water recovery system used to recycle crew waste water for consumption.

NASA Astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough discuss moment of inertia and its effects on rotating objects. Watch as Megan demonstrates what happens to her angular speed as she alters her moment of inertia in microgravity aboard the International Space Station.

During their time on the International Space Station many astronauts have the opportunity to participate in spacewalks, also known as Extravehicular Activities (EVA). These spacewalks play a critical role in keeping the station functional as it travels approximately 17,500 miles per hour 250 miles above the Earth’s surface. In this episode, Expedition 55/56 Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold talks about the extensive training needed for spacewalks on the ground prior to a mission on the space station, and how it helps prepare astronauts for spacewalks outside of the station in low-Earth orbit.

Surface Tension of water plays a unique role in living and working aboard the International Space Station. In this episode, Expedition 55/56 Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold demonstrates how water’s molecular properties behave in microgravity.

Watch NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei demonstrate Newton’s Third Law of Motion on the International Space Station by exhibiting an equal and opposite force pair. What are some examples of equal and opposite force pairs on earth and in space?

Watch NASA astronaut Scott Tingle demonstrate the orbit of spacecraft such as the International Space Station! Can you solve for the distance the station travels in one orbit around the planet?

Alongside NASA astronaut Suni Williams, you are invited to watch and learn from NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Jeff Williams as they demonstrate Newton’s First Law of Motion in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. Astronaut Mark Vande Hei shows how an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Astronaut Jeff Williams shows what happens to objects inside the International Space Station when they experience a reboost. How does this physics phenomena compare to the motion we experience here on Earth’s surface?

Watch NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik demonstrate Newton’s Second Law of Motion on the International Space Station by applying a force to objects of different mass. Do you see the differences in acceleration?

NASA Astronaut Shane Kimbrough talks about the five senses – sight, taste, smell, hearing and touch from aboard the International Space Station. Watch as Shane describe how astronauts use each of their five senses and learn how these senses adapt to life in microgravity. Learn how your own senses provide you with important information and keep you safe in your environment – whether in outer space or on Earth!

Watch NASA astronaut Joe Acaba demonstrate kinetic and potential energy on the International Space Station by showing how an object’s potential energy changes due to its position. How can potential be converted into kinetic energy?

Watch NASA astronaut Scott Tingle demonstrate the importance of astronaut nutrition on the International Space Station! Do you have what it takes to stay healthy in space?

NASA Astronaut Shane Kimbrough discusses centripetal force and its connection to keeping the International Space Station safely orbiting Earth. Watch JAXA astronaut Aki Hoshide demonstrate centripetal force in the weightless-simulated environment aboard the space station and find out what happens to a revolving object when the centripetal force is lost.

Watch NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik as he discusses one of the best parts of an astronaut’s time aboard the International Space Station, the view of our Earth. The space station serves as an Earth monitoring and diagnosis station with astronauts observing and even resolving environmental issues like natural disasters and the ongoing issue of climate change. Want to see some of these spectacular images taken from the space station? Watch this episode to learn more and see some of the amazing views of our planet from space.

In this educational ‘Liftoff to Learning’ video series, astronauts from STS-49 Space Shuttle Mission (Thomas Akers, Bruce Melnick, Pierre Thuot, Kathy Thornton, Kevin Chilton, and Richard Hieb) compare their mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor and their shuttle with its namesake, the ship ‘Endeavor’, commanded by Captain James Cook of England in the late 1700s. Using historical paintings, drawings, and computer graphics, Cook’s Endeavor is brought to life. Its voyage path, problems, biological experiments, and discoveries are shown and compared to the modern-day Endeavor, its mission and experiments. The Space Shuttle Endeavor was named in 1988, through a nationwide school contest. It is the fifth Space Shuttle to be built and employs new technology in its design, for example, its drag shoot for shuttle landings. One part of the STS-49 Mission was the retrieval of the Intel satellite.

Four astronauts have been selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. Artemis II will be NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon to verify today’s capabilities for humans to explore deep space and pave the way for long-term exploration and science on the lunar surface.