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Grades K-4
Grades K-4 02.26.04
Stories Living in Space
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Picture Dictionary Living in space is not the same as living on Earth. Many things are different.
Stuff You Can Do Our bodies change in space. The way we stay clean and neat is different
Homework Topics
too. Learn how astronauts stay strong, clean and neat.
Grades 5-8
Grades 9-12
Higher Education Staying Strong
Living in space is not the same as living on
Earth. In space, astronauts' bodies change.
On Earth, our lower body and legs carry our
weight. This helps keep our bones and
muscles strong. In space, astronauts float.
Image above: An astronaut walks on a They do not use their legs much. Their lower
treadmill to stay strong and healthy
backs begin to lose strength. Their leg
muscles do too. The bones begin to get weak and thin. This is very bad for
astronauts' bodies. So, how do astronauts help their muscles and bones?
They must exercise in space every day.
The heart and blood change in space, too. When we stand up on Earth,
blood goes to our legs. The heart has to work extra hard against gravity to
move the blood all around the body. In space, without the pull of gravity, the
blood moves to the upper body and head. Water in the body also does the
same thing. It makes the astronauts' faces look puffy. The blood and water
are fluids in the body. These fluids move from the bottom of the body to the
top. The brain thinks that there are too many fluids. It will tell the body to
make less. When the astronauts come back to Earth, they do not have
enough fluids in their systems. It takes their bodies a few days to make
more blood and water. The astronauts have to rest so their bodies have
time to make new blood and water. If they don't, they can feel very weak.
They might even faint!
Staying Clean
On Earth, people need to stay clean. In space,
astronauts need to stay clean, too. Staying
clean takes more work in space. In space, the
astronauts do not have a bathroom as we
have at home. But, they do have their own
toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, brushes, Image above: An astronaut brushes his
teeth while in space
and shavers. These are kept in a Personal
Hygiene Kit.
Astronauts use toothpaste and toothbrushes just like yours. There is no sink
like yours on the Space Shuttle, though. Astronauts have to spit into a
washcloth.
People take baths a different way in space, too. Astronauts use special
kinds of soap and shampoo. These soaps do not need water to rinse.
Astronauts must use them carefully. They do not let the soap bubbles go all
over the place. After washing, they use a towel to dry off. They do not rinse.
These special soaps and shampoos were made for hospitals. Patients who
cannot get in the water use these soaps.
Staying Neat
Doing chores is not always a fun thing. But we have to keep our rooms and
houses clean and neat. In space, astronauts live in a very small space.
They have to keep their area clean in space just like we do on Earth.
In space, the astronauts wipe the walls, floors, and windows to keep them
clean. They use a soap that kills germs. The astronauts also use wet wipes
to wash things. They use the same kind of wipes and cleanser on their
forks, spoons, and eating trays.
Astronauts have to take out the garbage, too. There are four trash bins on
the Space Shuttle. Three are for dry trash and one is for wet trash. Wet
trash is anything that could smell bad. Each trash container has a trash liner
placed inside. It is like a plastic garbage bag. If the liner becomes full, it is
closed. Then it is moved far away from the astronauts. The wet trash is
closed up tight. It is then connected to a hose. The hose helps move bad
smells away from the astronauts.
Astronauts must use a vacuum cleaner in space. The vacuum has a normal
hose. It also has extra parts. These parts can clean areas that may be hard
to reach. They also use it to keep dust out of the air filters. And sometimes
things get loose. When things get loose, they float. Astronauts use the
vacuum to "catch" floating objects that are out of their reach.
Excerpted from NASA Life Sciences Data Archive
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