National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov NW-2012-03-003-JSC

Joseph M. Acaba Dominic A. Antonelli Richard R. Arnold, II Serena M. Aunon Michael R. Barratt Robert L. Behnken Eric A. Boe Stephen G. Bowen Randolph J. Bresnik

2012

NASA Astronauts

Andrew J. Feustel

E. Michael Fincke Jack D. Fischer C. Michael Foale Kevin A. Ford Michael E. Fossum Ronald J. Garan, Jr. Michael S. Hopkins Douglas G. Hurley

Daniel C. Burbank Christopher J. Cassidy Gregory E. Chamitoff Catherine G. Coleman B. Alvin Drew James P. Dutton, Jr. Tracy C. Dyson Jeanette J. Epps

Gregory H. Johnson

Scott J. Kelly R. Shane Kimbrough Timothy L. Kopra Kjell N. Lindgren Michael E. Lopez-Alegria Sandra H. Magnus Thomas H. Marshburn Richard A. Mastracchio K. Megan McArthur

Dorothy M. Metcalf-Lindenburger Karen L. Nyberg Nicholas J.M. Patrick Donald R. Pettit Mark L. Polansky Kathleen Rubins Nicole P. Stott Frederick W. Sturckow Steven R. Swanson

Daniel M. Tani Scott D. Tingle Mark T. Vande Hei Terry W. Virts, Jr. Rex J. Walheim Shannon Walker Douglas H. Wheelock Peggy A. Whitson Jeffrey N. Williams

Sunita L. Williams Barry E. Wilmore Stephanie D. Wilson G. Reid Wiseman
Astronauts

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be an astronaut? 

	 • What are their backgrounds?

	 • How do they train?

	 • What do they do in space?

Since the first seven astronauts were selected in 1959, there have 

been over 350 astronauts at NASA. These men and women represent 

nearly every state in the U.S., the District of Columbia, and countries 

throughout the world. The astronaut corps is made up of civilian and 

military astronauts, and each branch of the military has been represented 

in the corps. 

To become an astronaut, you must go through an extensive application 

and interview process. You can view astronaut job requirements at 

http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/astronauts/content/broch00.htm.

Once selected as an astronaut candidate, or ASCAN, the training really 

begins. You spend the first two years learning all the general information 

you need to be an astronaut and training for space flight. The training 

includes physical training, flight training, classroom work, survival 

training, spacewalk simulations, and much, much more. The activities 

on this poster were selected to give you a brief glimpse of some of the 

activities astronauts do.

Activity 1 – Physical Fitness

Astronauts must be healthy and fit to endure the rigorous training 

that prepares them for space flight. The Fit Explorer set of activities 

gives students an idea of the physical training astronauts undertake. 

The Mission Control activity shown below is one of several activities 

and video resources that can be used to help students “train like an 

astronaut”.

Fitness Resources

• Fit Explorer: http://www.nasa.gov/education/fitexplorer

Activity 2 – Robotics 

Robotics is an integral part of space exploration. From the automatic 

systems on spacecraft to robotic arms used to manipulate equipment, 

astronauts must be familiar with a wide range of robotic systems. In the 

activity below, students will assemble a simple robotic arm as well as 

design, build, and test an end effector. 

Robotics Resources

• NASA Education’s Robotics Web Site: http://www.nasa.gov/education/

robotics 

• Robotics Alliance Project: http://robotics.nasa.gov 

• Liftoff to Learning Robotics Resource Guide: http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/

SEH/Let’s_Talk_Robotics.pdf

Activity 3 – Earth Observation

From the beginning of manned space flight, astronauts have commented 

on the views of Earth from space. In addition to just checking out the 

view, astronauts have taken over 800,000 images of the Earth. In the 

activity below, students put together a map of the United States using 

images taken from space at night.

Earth Observation Resources

• Mission Geography: http://www.missiongeography.org

• Gateway to Astronaut Photography: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

• ISS EarthKAM: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/

teachingfromspace/students/earthkam.html

Activity 4 – Mission Patches

For every space flight, astronaut crews work with graphic designers to 

create a patch representative of their mission. The patch design contains 

various elements describing the different phases of the particular mission 

and usually includes the names of the crew and the mission number. In 

the activity below, students will work in groups to create a mission patch 

of their own.

Mission Patch Resources

• Mission Patch Images: http://history.nasa.gov/mission_patches.html

Activity 5 – Spacesuits

A spacewalk is one of the most challenging and exciting parts of a 

mission. Astronauts must wear spacesuits to venture outside their 

spacecraft to assemble components, repair satellites, or conduct 

experiments. In the activity below, students will learn how astronauts 

keep cool on spacewalks.

Spacesuit Resources

• NASA Education’s Spacesuits and Spacewalking Web Site:

http://www.nasa.gov/education/spacesuits

Additional Resources

Astronauts and Space Flight Resources

• Astronaut Biographies: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/bios 

• Human Space Flight: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov 

• Mission Homepage: http://www.nasa.gov/missions/index.html

NASA Education

• NASA Education Home Page: http://www.nasa.gov/education

Activity 1 – Physical Fitness 

Activity 2 – Robotics 

Background: One of the important objectives in the development of 

robots is to enable robots to interact with their environment. Interaction 

is often accomplished with some sort of arm and gripping device or end 

effector.

Materials: Wooden craft sticks, drill, small brass paper fasteners, 

assorted materials

Procedure:

1. Drill holes through the craft sticks as shown in the diagram. Each 

 student will need four drilled sticks and four brass paper fasteners. 

 Dampening the sticks before drilling can reduce the risk of cracking. 

2. Have students assemble robot arms as shown in the diagram. 

3. Have students try to pick up a pencil or other object with their arm.

 (This task will be difficult.)

4. Tell students to design some sort of end effector and attach it to the 

 ends of the arm with glue.

5. Evaluate their work by having them demonstrate picking up an 

 object. Ask students what other objects they can pick up with 

 the arm.

6. Extend the activity by drilling some craft sticks with three holes to 

 allow students to build longer arms. Challenge students to design an 

 arm with an end effector to accomplish a specific task, such as 

 retrieving an object from the bottom of a bucket. 

Download the resource that includes this activity at:

http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/SEH/Let’s_Talk_Robotics.pdf

Activity 3 – Earth Observation

Background: NASA has been observing and studying Earth since 1958. 

These observations have generated millions of images and tremendous 

amounts of data. NASA Earth observations have helped geographers 

worldwide study and answer many questions about human migration 

and settlement patterns by providing researchers with large-area views 

of our planet.

Download the resource that includes this activity at:

http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/SEH/Let’s_Talk_Robotics.pdf

Materials: Scissors, puzzle pieces

Procedure:

1. Cut out the eight puzzle pieces. 

2. Arrange the pieces to correctly show the U.S., plus some regions of 

 Mexico and Canada, as seen from space at night. 

Activity 4 – Mission Patch

Background: NASA’s astronaut crews design mission patches to 

symbolize the goals and objectives of their missions. The patches 

are usually personalized with the astronauts’ names and are used to 

represent the crew’s mission. 

Materials: White poster board, pencils, markers, crayons, example 

patches (http://history.nasa.gov/mission_patches.html), round stickers 

(optional)

Procedure:

1. Demonstrate and share 2 or 3 mission patches. Describe mission 

 and explain symbols on patch.

2. Divide participants into groups.

3. Give each group a NASA mission patch.

4. Ask the group to observe and describe the patch. The group can 

also be given the crew’s mission explanation, which can be found 

 online at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov. 

5. Direct the groups to pay close attention to the symbols on 

 the patch.

6. Have each group report their observations to the class. Ask them to 

 make inferences about the meaning of the patch.

7. Have each group design their own mission patch, using appropriate 

 symbols, which represent each member

Download the resource that includes this activity at:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/239517main_Calculator_Controlled_Robots_Exploration_Ext_3.pdf.

Activity 5 – Spacesuits

Background: In space, temperatures can vary greatly from extreme 

heat to extreme cold. For this reason, spacesuits are made from different 

colors and materials to keep astronauts comfortable and safe. 

Materials: Thermometers, black construction paper, white construction 

paper, tape/staples/glue, cotton balls/tissue paper, stopwatches

Procedure:

1. Create 2 construction paper envelopes – 1 with white paper 

 and 1 with black paper. 

2. Stuff cotton balls or tissue paper inside the envelopes and then 

 carefully place a thermometer inside each envelope. The 

 thermometers should be upright in the envelope and the bulb of the 

 thermometer should touch the cotton or tissue, not the envelope, as 

 shown on the right.

3. Let the thermometers rest in the envelope for about 1 minute to 

 record the temperature of the new environment. Check the 

 temperature and record. Also, record the temperature from the 

 control thermometer.

4. Take each envelope from the box and place them in the “test site” 

 where they will receive direct sunlight. Make sure that both 

 envelopes received the same amount of sunlight.

5. Predict how many degrees the temperature will change in each 

 envelope over the 5-minute period. Record the predicted 

 temperatures. Discuss your predictions with the group.

6. After 5 minutes, collect data by reading the temperature on the 

 thermometers and recording the data in a data table.

7. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the next thirty minutes. After taking all 

 measurements, study the data, discuss with your group and draw 

conclusions. Write a summary of your conclusions.

Download the resource that includes this activity at:

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Cool_Suits_Activity.html