The videotape concludes with a farewell by the STS-54 crew. The introduction of the tape is followed with toy demonstrations. 2 Experiments of this guide. Suggested activities, brief descriptions of what happened during the flight, and science and mathematics links also follow. Additional information about these links begins with the Glossary section.
Many people misunderstand why astronauts appear to float in space.
A common misconception is that there is no gravity in space. Another common idea is that the gravity from Earth and the Moon each pull on the astronauts from the opposite direction and cancel out. The real reason astronauts appear to float is that they are in a state of freefall around Earth. To help your students understand microgravity, show them the videotape Space Basics or use the Microgravity - A Teacher's Guide with NASA educational products, refer to the References and Resources List on page 24. Understanding why astronauts appear to float in space first requires an understanding of how the astronauts and their space vehicle stay in orbit.