In this experiment, objects which weigh more, have a greater mass than objects which weigh less. There is emphasis on how a space suit can protect astronauts from the space environment. In the play, children act out what they have learned. It can be partially written by the children and is therefore adaptable to different levels. There are directions for making the space suits, shuttle and background, which all may be used afterwards as a dramatic play center.
Students then apply their understanding in a search to find the center of mass of their own body.
They discover that to stay balanced, they must keep their feet directly below their center of mass. Students then compare their own stability as their center of mass shifts when they make postural changes and lift heavy objects. They try to imagine how these situations would be different aboard an orbiting spaceship. Since the launch of the first canine space traveler from the former USSR in 1958, many life science missions have rocketed into orbit to study the effects of the space environment on living organisms. Most recently, NASA scientists have been working with Russian and French colleagues in a joint project called Bion.