Going to Infinity and Beyond Begins Right Now!

           Last week, I discussed the history of NASA, from 1958-2009.  Today I’m going to tell you all about some of the missions that are going on AS WE SPEAK!  Isn’t that cool.  There are people orbiting the Earth, flying around the planet at 17,150 miles per hour.  Add that to the fact that the Earth is flying around the sun at about 66,000 miles per hour and you start to become a bit afraid that the astronauts may just fly off into a black hole or something.  Don’t worry… they won’t.

            Right now, in the International Space Station (ISS), NASA has two missions that are taking place.  Expedition 43 is composed of astronauts from the USA, Russia and Italy.  Additionally, of those astronauts, two men are a part of the “Year in Space” mission.  These two men will remain in space for a full year, in order to complete additional research.

              The astronauts aboard the ISS are Commander Terry Virts (USA- NASA), Anton Shkaplerov (Russia-Roscosmos), Samantha Cristoforetti (Europe/Italy- ESA), Scott Kelly (USA- NASA), Mikhail Kornienko (Russia-Roscosmos),  and Gennady Padalka (Russia-Roscosmos).   Some of these Astronauts launched in late March, but three of them have already been aboard the ISS for 185 days.  That’s more than half a year!

               Life in space isn’t all fun and games.  The astronauts are conducting many types of research, all at the same time.  There isn’t enough time to discuss all of the projects going on in the ISS, but this link will take you to a list of current and past research done. Missions

iRAT

A woman walks on a vertical treadmill on Earth, to simulate exercise in the ISS           

        One of the projects that are going on in space and on Earth is the iRAT/Sprint study.  NASA’s Integrated Resistance and Aerobic Training study (iRAT) evaluates the effectiveness of certain types of exercise.   In space, you don’t have gravity holding you down, so your muscles don’t have to work as hard to keep you upright.  Because of this, Astronauts’ bones and muscles weaken quickly.   They have to exercise for several hours a day, just to make sure that their body will be ready to return to Earth. (Learn about it here)

          In order to learn more about this, NASA is changing the way that the astronauts exercise and simulating the same type of exercise here on Earth.  Their experiment is designed to discover if it is more effective to exercise vigorously for less time or to take part in light exercise for a longer time.  In order to do this, they are simulating microgravity on Earth and changing up the Astronauts’ routines.  (Read more about this experiment here )

                                                               Roundworms

        NASA is also studying the effects of space on roundworms.  Their typical life cycle lasts 2 months.  Scientists are trying to find out if living in space can lengthen or shorten their lives.   These worms are observed every day.  When they eventually die, they will be frozen and brought back to Earth for further study. (Read more about this experiment here)

Earth KAM

This is an image of Chile under clouds, taken by the Earth KAM in January of 2015.

        NASA also partners with school-aged students to inspire learning.  One way that they are currently doing this is by using the Sally Ride Earth KAM (Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students).  Students from all over the world are able to request or program locations into a camera on the International Space Station.  The camera then takes a photo of that location and transmits it back to students on Earth.

Year in Space- Twins

Scott Kelly (right) will spend a year in space, while his brother Mark (left) will stay on Earth.

            Another fascinating experiment is the “Year in Space” mission.  Astronaut Scott Kelly will be living for a year in space.  His identical twin brother, Mark (who is also an astronaut), will be living on Earth during that time.  Throughout the year, and when Scott returns, NASA will monitor the changes in his physical, behavioral, microbiological (organisms in your guts- EW!) and molecular (your cells) health.

            Scott has been in space since March of 2015 and has plans to come home with Expedition 46 in 2016.  Along with Astronaut Kelly, a Russian cosmonaut named Mikhail Kornienko is also spending a year in the ISS.  They have already been in space for 61 days!  (You can learn more about the Twins study here)

            Who knew that all of this awesomeness was flying through space!?!?  Even though it’s serious scientific work, the Astronauts do manage to have lots of fun.  I leave you with a video playlist showing Astronauts testing out common Earth toys in space.  It’s cool to see the effects (or lack thereof) that microgravity has on these familiar objects.  T-minus 13 days to Space Camp!

Toys in Space Video Playlist

NASA History

       It’s hard to think of a time before space exploration, especially for those of you who are in elementary school.  I bet if you ask your grandparents, they will have stories about watching some of the first space missions take place, on TV.  It’s pretty amazing considering the fact that less than 70 years before we put a man on the moon, humans weren’t even flying yet. 

Inception

            In 1958, President Eisenhower commissioned the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA.  That year, NASA had its first launch and also launched the first satellite into orbit.  The next year, the first meteorological satellite was launched, helping to predict the weather all over the world.

Groovy Sixties

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy officially started the “space race”.  He committed to putting a man on the moon before the year 1970.  He made this commitment only 20 days after the first American was launched into space.  During the next few years, NASA continued testing space travel with Project Mercury.  John Glenn piloted one of the most famous Mercury flights, becoming the first American to orbit the earth. 

            Eventually, Project Mercury was ended and NASA moved to Project Gemini.  These flights put humans in orbit for days at a time. In 1965, Frank Borman and James A. Lovell stayed in orbit for 14 days, setting a record that would last for five years.

            In 1969, space travel really started to get exciting!  On July 20, just months before the end of the decade, Apollo 11 landed on the surface of the moon.  Two men, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, planted an American Flag and took samples of moon rocks.  During this landing, as he stepped onto the surface of the moon, Neil Armstrong told the world that it was “one small step for man-one giant leap for mankind.” 

Psychedelic Seventies

1973 brought the launch of Skylab, an orbiting workshop for space research and technology.  This first space station was the precursor to the International Space Station (ISS), which would be launched and docked for work in 1999.  Currently 15 countries participate in the ISS project, including the United States, Russia, Japan and England. (For more info on the ISS, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html)

A photo of the International Space Station.

Tubular Eighties

In the 1970’s and 1980’s the space program launched many probes, set to explore other planets and outer regions of space.  NASA also tested many types of shuttles, leading to the familiar design from the most recent shuttle missions.  Additionally, America sent the first African American, Guion S. Bluford, and the first woman, Sally Ride, into space. 

Guion S. Bluford

Sally Ride

A Tragic Turn of Events

Although there were many triumphs, there were also some tragedies.  These included the fire that overtook the astronauts, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee while they were rehearsing the launch of Apollo 1. 

Space Shuttles Challenger and Colombia exploded while in flight, killing seven astronauts in each instance.  These astronauts included Christa McAuliffe, who is especially close to my heart, as she was a teacher chosen to be a part of the Challenger crew.  She was born in Boston and taught in New Hampshire, before perishing, while fulfilling one of her dreams.

Radical Nineties

The 1990’s held many new missions.  Much work was done on the ISS during this time.  The Hubble Telescope was also launched.  We are still getting information and images from the Hubble today.  It is currently orbiting the Earth at 5 miles per SECOND.  At that speed, you could get from New York to Los Angeles in 10 minutes!

The Hubble Telescope

           

Mad-Tight Millennium

In the first decade of the new millennium, NASA stayed the course and continued space explorations, beginning to focus on Mars and other terrestrial planets.  They also continued to expand the use of the ISS.  All of these new developments would set the stage for upcoming missions in a new era of space travel.

Space Shuttle Endeavour-  This type of shuttle has been retired, making way for a new design as we go to Mars

             

          Next week, we’ll discover the current missions of NASA, including some that are going on RIGHT NOW in space!  Be sure to visit the NASA 50th Anniversary Timeline (Linked on the right), it's actually reallllyyyy interesting and interactive!  Until then, keep your eyes on the sky.  T-minus 20 days until Space Camp!

Becoming an "Astronaut"

     My name is Lyndsi Mason and I get to pretend to be an astronaut for a week.  I am a fifth grade teacher at Boston Renaissance Charter Public School in Hyde Park, MA.  I love my job and I think it is a privilege to work with the future astronauts of the world!

 This is me at the Mickelson- ExxonMobil Teacher's Academy in July.  Clearly, I was a little too excited about the goggles.

            In the summer of 2014 I was selected as a part of the Mickelson-ExxonMobil Teacher’s Academy (MEMTA) in Jersey City, NJ.  This academy was a week long teacher development opportunity.  I learned so many new ways to teach and inspire students to learn in the areas of Math and Science.  I also met over 100 3^rd-5^th grade teachers from all over the United States.

           

      One of the teachers that I met at MEMTA had just returned from a visit to Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, AL.  I was captivated as she told me how she had been selected for a scholarship to attend educator space camp.  She even had pictures of herself in a flight suit!

My friend, Sushma, is on the left.  She is an elementary science specialist in Chicago, IL.

            I instantly pulled out my phone and Google led me to “Honeywell Educators Space Academy” (HESA).  I had to wait two months before the application for the 2015 camp was available.  I told Siri to remind me to apply in September.

            When September rolled around, I didn’t need a reminder.  I was so excited to apply for space camp.  I hoped that my application showed my passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and the kids that I get to interact with every day.  After I sent my application into cyber space, I settled in for a long wait.

            Months later, in Mid December, my dreams came true.  I was selected for SPACE CAMP!  I was at a friend’s house for dinner when I got the e-mail.  I screamed in excitement and came close to giving everyone a heart attack.  I couldn’t stop smiling and at the end of the night, my cheeks hurt.

            On June 10, I’ll fly from Boston to Alabama to start my adventure.  I will take part in training that includes lessons, resources and experiences focused on space science and exploration.  Over the 5 days, I will be spending 45 hours in these training sessions, including a flight simulation.

             Honeywell is a company that invents and manufactures new technologies, used in planes, homes and to create cleaner energy.  This academy is a part of their Hometown Solutions program, which focuses on five areas of vital importance: Family Safety and Security; Housing and Shelter; Science and Math Education; Habitat and Conservation and Humanitarian Relief.  Because of this initiative, my flight, room and board and the actual space program are free for myself and 199 other educators.  

            Although I would prefer an earlier end to the school year, “Snowpocalypse 2015” has lengthened it by quite a few days.  This means that I get to interact with my class, through this blog, while I’m at camp.  I’ll update the fifth grade (and any other readers) on my activities, the things that I am learning and the ways that we can apply this knowledge to our lives.  

            So strap in, future astronauts!  This is going to be a wild ride and you’ll be with me every step of the way!

Love,

Ms. Mason