Post date: Apr 10, 2017 5:40:1 PM
Schedule Change!
The live video feed of my team testing our Experimental Launching Device will be from 8:00am-9:00am on Tuesday and Thursday!
This week is truly the experience of a lifetime! By 11:00 this morning our heads were spinning and we weren’t even halfway through the day yet! Here are some of the highlights!
The Space Vehicle Mockup Facility
All of our time today was spent here.
The building is an astronaut training facility that contains a full size ‘high fidelity’ replica of the International Space Station, among others.
While we are here current astronaut classes are being trained. We were given the reminder to not take pictures of people just doing their jobs!
The Design of Space Suits
An engineer from the Advance Space Suit Assembly Team gave a presentation on the current and future designs of space suits. This is one of the most interesting things I have ever learned about! It is amazing how many details need to be considered in the design process!
Suits are designed around two main concepts
Environment: Where are you going?
Task: What will you be doing?
Space suits are white because white reflects heat
There are about 48 glove sizes, but only two boot sizes. Upper body mobility is a necessity when working outside the spacecraft because your hands often serve as your feet when moving around while floating in microgravity.
All text on the outside of a space suit, and various other instructions outside the spacecraft, are written backwards. Astronauts carry a wrist mirror so that they can easily read the instructions despite their limited mobility!
Helmets are gold coated to reflect radiation.
New space suits are currently being designed for the journey to Mars.
Because there is now an ‘astronaut population’ (how cool is that!) more adaptability in sizing is needed. (Think of the body types of early male astronauts compared to modern petite female astronauts.)
Different space suit materials will be spent up with the next Mars rover to see how they hold up with the dust and other unique characteristics of space past the moon.
In the pictures below you’ll see parts of the space suit we got to try on and pass around!
Go to this website to learn more! There is so much cool information!
Fluid Shift Lesson
How does microgravity affect fluid shifting in human bodies?
You can simulate this by laying with your back on the floor and your feet up in the air against the wall. If you measure the circumference of your legs before you put your feet up and after, they shrink!
In space, fluid shift also causes eyes to flatten changing vision. Because of this, multiple sets of eye glasses with varying prescriptions are sent up to the ISS for the astronauts!
The International Space Station (ISS)
The ISS is the length of a football field, including end zones, and roughly the size of a 5 bedroom house.
One of its major functions is its role as a microgravity scientific laboratory.
Building the ISS and its current functioning is a stunning example of global communication and cooperation.
The first time modules were put together was in space. They were built in different countries and the assembly was never tested on Earth!
The Russian module has instructions in Russian and the American module has instructions in English. All astronauts going up to the ISS must know both English and Russian, including those from Europe and Asia!
Ways that students can be involved with the ISS
Apply to have a radio conversation with astronauts currently on station
Be part of the HUNCH program: High School Students United with Nasa to Create Hardware. High school design and build items that are sent up and used on the ISS.
We also took a 3-D tour of the ISS using the Google Expeditions cell phone app and virtual reality goggles. If you ever have the chance to complete a 3-D google Expedition, it is quite the experience! You truly take a 360 degree tour. It is very easy to almost fall out of your chair as you’re looking around trying to see everything!
Round 1 of SLED (Satellite Launching Experimental Device) Work
Our SLED shipped safely from MN with no broken parts!
This afternoon we met our NASA mentor. He has spent his career working in systems controls. He worked with the space shuttle program and is now working on the Orion capsule.
We completed our safety review with a panel that included the director of the space vehicle mockup facility and the chief safety officer. We had a few minor adjustments to make, but we were cleared to test tomorrow!
Fun Facts!
There is a lot of wildlife on the JSC campus, including longhorn cattle. JSC has a partnership with local schools where students raise and show the cattle. More information can be found here.
Look up “This is JSC” on YouTube. Humorous, short, and informative videos made by JSC interns. Anyone that parks a car can relate to this one!
Tomorrow we will be testing our SLED device and participating in more workshops!