Timeline
About many years ago was the ISS built?
A. 15
B. 22
C. 30
D. 57
B. 22
The space station is a laboratory where scientists work in low gravity environment. What is a word that means low gravity?
microgravity
How do people on the ISS get energy to power the station station and all the equipment?
Solar arrays/panels. The spacecraft is completely solar powered!
Note: There are 8 miles of wire running throughout the space station to power all the equipment.
Can you see the ISS from Earth?
Yes, it is the 3rd brightest object in the sky
The space station is approximately 357 feet or 108 meters long. WHAT IS something on Earth that is about the length of the space station?
The ISS is about the length of a football field.
Which president directed NASA to build the ISS?
A. Ronald Reagan
B. George Bush
C. Jimmy Carter
D. John Adams
A. Ronald Reagan
What are the different parts (or rooms) on the ISS called?
Modules
The living and working space in the station is larger than a six-bedroom house, and has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window. How many hours to astronauts typically work out each day?
A. 0.5 hour (30 minutes)
B. 2 hours
C. 4 hours
D. 6 hours
B. 2 hours
About how many miles is the ISS above Earth's surface?
A. 5.5 miles
B. 94 miles
C. 240 miles
D. 675 miles
C. 240 miles
The ISS could range in orbit from 174-285 miles above Earth's surface.
The space station has a pressurized volume of 32,333 cubic feet (916 cubic meters), with a habitable volume of 13,696 cubic feet (388 cubic meters). WHAT IS the number of people (astronauts) that can stay in this space at a time.
6 (or 7) astronauts
About how many years did it take for the ISS to be built?
A. 5
B. 7
C. 13
D. 30
C. 13 years
What is the word for the parts that connect the modules, or different rooms on the ISS, together?
Nodes
What are 2 reasons that an astronaut might do a spacewalk?
Possible answers: space station construction, maintenance and upgrades, experimentation / research.
How long does it take to get home from the ISS?
Only about 3-6 hours
Note: it would take 3 days to get home from the moon and 6-9 months to get home from Mars.
Astronauts are people trained and certified by NASA, ESA, CSA, or JAXA to work in space. WHAT IS the term for people trained and certified by the Russian Space Agency to work in space?
Cosmonauts are people trained and certified by the Russian Space Agency to work in space.
Note: NASA astronaut training to go to the ISS requires learning Russian!
The ISS is a partnership between 5 space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. What countries are responsible for building the ISS.
Name 4 of the 5 countries/regions.
United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and Europe (European countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom)
NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). The ESA had eleven participating members: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
What is the room that opens to the outside?
Airlock
How do people get to and from the ISS?
-Rocket & space capsule
-Russian Soyuz spacecraft or SpaceX Dragon spacecraft
What is one thing that is unique related to "the bathroom" on the ISS?
The urine is filtered into water that can be turned into drinking water and used again.
There is no "flush" but solid waste is vacuumed into a bag.
Very little water is used to shower. Rinseless shampoo is used.
Note: MOST water in space is used for drinking and cooking.
The ISS moves at a speed of 17,500 mi/hr (28,000 km/hr) or 5 mi/sec, which is pretty fast! WHAT IS the amount of time it takes to orbit the Earth?
90 minutes per orbit around Earth
About 256 individuals from 20 countries have visited the International Space Station. Which country has had the most people go to the ISS?
United States (156 people) followed by Russia (54 people)
How can work be done outside the ISS without conducting a spacewalk?
Robotic Arms: There are several external robotic arms that can tackle maintenance issues remotely, such as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), also known as Dextre, and the Canadarm2, which is a 57.7-foot-long robotic arm.
Robonauts: Dexterous humanoid robots, such as R2, built and designed at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas
Astronauts typically stay on the space station for about 6 months or 182 days. How long has the NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei spent on the ISS?
A. 206 days
B. 327 days
C. 355 days
D. 437 days
C. 355 days
Note: update: Astronaut Frank Rubio has now been in low-Earth orbit for more than 355 days, breaking the record for the longest space mission by a US astronaut. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei spent a consecutive 355 days on the ISS, longer than the former 340 day record set by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly.
The ISS is making critical contributions to the ARTEMIS MISSION. What is the "next step" and the goal of the ARTEMIS MISSION?
Goals: return humans to the moon, specifically the lunar south pole. This will be the first lunar landing since the Apollo mission. Then go to Mars.
Short-term goal is landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon
Mid-term objectives include establishing an international expedition team, and a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
Long-term objectives for Artemis include making crewed missions to Mars and beyond feasible.
WHAT IS the name of the vehicle that brings people to the ISS?
SpaceX Dragon or Russian Soyuz spacecrafts
Typically, astronauts travel to the space station via a Russian Soyuz capsule (first launched in 1967), which has long been the only spacecraft that ferries people to the ISS, since NASA’s space shuttle programme retired in 2011. However, on March 3, 2020, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule became the first privately-owned spacecraft to transport people to the ISS.
Note: The ISS is expected to operate until 2030. In the future there may be commercial space stations, like Axiom Space .