1. What types of temperatures would astronauts have to contend with while building the space
station? How where spacesuits designed to deal with temperature variations?
In space the expected temperatures are around 150-200 degrees below zero in space. They have
been redesigned so that astronauts can lower the cooling during frigid orbital nights and activate
fingertip heaters in the gloves.
2. How big would the space station be? How would the astronauts move across the space station?
The space station is 40 million gallons large. The station has neutral buoyancy so they can just
jump around it.
3. How do they account for astronaut safety while they are working on the space shuttle?
They have restraints and they have a special space life jacket named SAFER to help them not drift
away from the spacecraft.
4. How did the astronauts test their suits and equipment in zero-gravity conditions?
They have a large 6.5 million gallon pool they use specifically to rehearse space station assembly
5. What types of tasks will they use robots for on the space station?
They will be assembling the space station in ways humans will not be able to, such as work on
the chassis.
6. What will the space station be used for?
It will be used for a variety of tests that cannot be performed on earth.
1. How do astronauts sleep in zero gravity? Where are the sleep stations located?
You sleep in sleeping bags, and just kinda sit. It does not have the sensation of lying down. They
look a bit like a phone booth. They are located in the center of the ship and have 4 sleep stations
on the walls, floor and ceiling.
2. How have the spacesuits changed since first designed in 1997?
Spacesuits now have computers on them that are used to monitor oxygen and carbon dioxide
levels, they can change their internal heat levels to match the temperature of space.
3. What continent was the space station viewing? How did Sunny know this?
They were over Africa at the time, and she could tell from the soil and cloud types from the
cupola.
4. How do spacecraft attach to the space station?
They attach to the spacecraft
5. Do you think Sunny should have put her hair in a ponytail? Why or why not?