What Do Astronauts Do in Space?
What Do Astronauts Do in Space?
Owlo! Owlo! You have to see what I found in the art room this morning.
Good morning, Koko. What has you so excited before class even starts?
I was looking for glitter for my project, and I found this old poster of a rocket ship blasting into space. It was so cool.
Ah, that poster has been on that shelf for years. It is one of my favorites.
It made me wonder, what do astronauts actually do up there? Like, do they just float around all day?
That is a wonderful question, Koko. Astronauts are actually very busy. Their days are packed from morning to night.
Wait, is there even a morning in space? Is there a sun rising and everything?
Great thinking. On the International Space Station, astronauts see the sun rise sixteen times every single day. They orbit Earth that fast.
Sixteen sunrises? That is wild. I can barely wake up for one.
The space station moves so quickly around Earth that a full orbit only takes about ninety minutes.
Okay so what is their actual job up there? What do they do all day?
Their most important job is science. They run experiments that can only be done in space, where there is no gravity pulling things down.
What kind of experiments?
They study how plants grow without gravity, how the human body changes in space, and even how fire behaves differently up there.
Fire in space? That sounds really dangerous.
Scientists study it very carefully and safely. Understanding fire in space helps make things safer here on Earth too.
Oh, so what they learn up there actually helps us down here?
Exactly. A lot of things we use every day, like memory foam and water filters, came from space research. Let me show you something.
Here in the science lab, I want you to try something. Hold this ball and let it go.
It just fell straight down. That is just normal gravity.
Right. Now imagine you are on the space station. There is no up or down. Everything floats, including you, your food, and your tools.
How do they even eat without food flying everywhere?
Most of their food comes in sealed pouches or is sticky enough to stay on a spoon. Drinks come in sealed bags with straws.
That actually sounds kind of fun. Like a picnic but floating.
It does sound fun, but it also takes a lot of practice. Astronauts train for years before they ever go to space.
Years? What else do they have to do besides eat floating food and do experiments?
They also do repairs and maintenance on the space station. Sometimes they go on spacewalks, floating outside in a suit to fix things.
Outside the spaceship? With nothing around them but space?
Just them, their suit, and the whole Earth below. Astronauts say it is one of the most incredible feelings imaginable.
I think I would be too scared. But also maybe really want to try it.
That mix of scared and excited is exactly how most astronauts describe it. They also exercise for about two hours every single day.
Two hours of exercise? Why so much?
Without gravity, muscles and bones get weak very quickly. Exercise keeps their bodies strong so they can walk normally when they return to Earth.
So space is actually really hard on your body. I did not know that.
It is. That is why scientists on Earth work closely with astronauts to keep them healthy throughout the whole mission.
Owlo, I think I want to be an astronaut. Or maybe a space scientist. Or both.
Both sounds like a brilliant plan. Now, can you tell me the most important things you learned today about what astronauts do?
Okay. Astronauts are super busy in space. They do science experiments that help people on Earth too. They eat special food in pouches because everything floats.
They go on spacewalks to fix things outside the station, and they exercise a lot to keep their bodies strong. Oh, and they see sixteen sunrises a day, which is just showing off.
That is a perfect summary, Koko. Next time, maybe we can explore how rockets actually launch and escape Earth's gravity.
Yes please. I am going to go look at that poster again and imagine I am up there.
What Do Astronauts Do in Space?
Ages 6โ8 ยท ~5 min
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the busy lives of astronauts in space, discovering fun facts about their daily routines!
What you'll learn
- Understand what astronauts do in space
- Learn about the International Space Station
- Discover how time works in space
What Do Astronauts Do in Space?
Ages 6โ8 ยท ~5 min
What Do Astronauts Do in Space?
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