TEKS 7.9B Identify the accommodations, considering the characteristics of our solar system, that enabled
manned space exploration.
TEKS Lesson 7.9B: Exploring Space
What are conditions like in space?
Astronauts who travel into space face conditions that are very different from those on Earth. These conditions
include near vacuum, extreme temperatures, and microgravity.
Vacuum Even though you can’t see air, it fills every room in your home. But space has no air and is nearly a
vacuum. A vacuum is a place that has almost no matter. Except for a few stray atoms and molecules, space is
mostly empty. Since there is no air in space, there is no oxygen for astronauts to breathe. To protect astronauts,
spacecraft must be airtight in order to hold the artificial atmosphere inside.
Temperature Because there is no air in space, there is nothing to hold the sun’s heat. In direct sunlight, the
surface of a spacecraft heats up to high temperatures. But in shadow, temperatures fall to very low levels. Thus,
spacecraft must be well insulated to protect astronauts against the extreme temperatures outside the craft.
Microgravity Have you ever floated in a swimming pool? Astronauts in orbit experience a similar feeling of
weightlessness, or microgravity. Their mass is the same as it was on Earth, but on a scale their weight would
register as zero. Although they are in microgravity, they are still under the influence of Earth’s gravity. In fact,
Earth’s gravity is holding them in orbit. Astronauts in orbit feel weightless because they are falling through
space with their spacecraft. They don’t fall to Earth because their inertia keeps them moving forward. Inertia is
the tendency of an object to resist a change in motion.
Astronauts must exercise when they are in microgravity. Not walking as people do on Earth causes the body to
lose bone and muscle. Exercise helps keep bones and muscles strong. It also helps keeps blood volume at its
proper level and helps fluids circulate. Some astronauts ride stationary bicycles, some walk on a treadmill, and
others use a weight-lifting machine. Harnesses on the machines keep astronauts from floating away.
1.List What are three conditions that must be overcome so that people can live and work in space?
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What are space shuttles?
Many types of engineers and
scientists have worked together to
design accommodations that have
allowed people to go into space,
where they can live and work for
weeks or months. Two of these
accommodations are space
shuttles and space stations.
Before 1981, spacecraft could be
used only once. In contrast, a
space shuttle is like an airplane—
it can fly, land, and then fly
again. A space shuttle is a
spacecraft that can carry a crew and equipment into space, return to Earth, and then be reused for the same
purpose. Because a space shuttle can be reused, new spacecraft do not have to be built for each mission. The
main parts of a space shuttle are shown in the diagram.
During a shuttle mission, astronauts live in a pressurized crew cabin at the front of the shuttle. There, they can
wear regular clothes and breathe without oxygen tanks. Behind the crew cabin is a large, open area called the
payload bay. A shuttle payload bay might carry a satellite to be released into orbit. It could also carry a
laboratory in which astronauts can perform experiments. Engines at the back of a shuttle steer and power the
craft.
2.Describe Describe each of the three main parts of a space shuttle.
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Space shuttles have been used to perform many important tasks. These include taking satellites into orbit,
repairing damaged satellites, and carrying astronauts and equipment to and from space stations.
What are space stations?
A space station is a large artificial satellite
on which people can live and work for
extended periods of time. A space station
provides a place where long-term
observations and experiments can be carried
out. In the 1970s and 1980s, both the United
States and the former Soviet Union placed
space stations in orbit. The Soviet space
station Mir stayed in orbit for 15 years
before it fell to Earth in 2001. Astronauts
from many countries spent time aboard Mir.
In the 1990s, the United States and 15 other
countries began constructing the
International Space Station (ISS). The main
source of power for the International Space
Station is its arrays of solar panels. The first module, or section, of the station was
placed into orbit in 1998. Since then, many other modules have been added. On board, astronauts from many
countries live and work in the pressurized modules. Here they carry out experiments in various fields of science.
Scientists also study the astronauts themselves to learn more about how humans adapt to space.
How do space suits protect astronauts?
A space suit is an accommodation that allows people to be outside in
space. When working outside the ISS or a space shuttle, people must
wear space suits to protect them from the lack of oxygen, severe
temperatures, and debris moving through space. Some parts of a space
suit include more than a dozen layers of different materials that have
different functions. One layer helps regulate the pressure on an
astronaut’s body. Several others help regulate body temperature.
Different layers protect an astronaut from being hurt by rocks and other
debris that are hurtling through space.
Space suits also include rings to which tethers can be attached. A tether is
a line or strap that holds an astronaut to a spacecraft. Tethers prevent
astronauts from drifting away from their craft and out into space.
A space suit’s helmet has several functions, too. It protects an astronaut’s
head from being struck by space debris. A gold-coated visor protects an
astronaut from harmful UV rays. The helmet also directs oxygen to the
mouth and nose. Under the helmet, an astronaut wears a cap that includes
earphones and microphones so that the space walker can communicate
with the crew aboard the ISS.
Like the helmet, a space suit’s gloves are designed to perform multiple
functions. They are thick enough to protect the wearer’s hands, but they
still make it possible for the astronaut to move his or her fingers. Heaters
in the gloves keep the hands warm. A special line connects the gloves to
the rest of the suit and allows them to turn at the wrist.
3.Identify Identify how a space suit protects an astronaut from the extreme pressure and
temperature conditions that exist outside a spacecraft.
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Lesson Check
1.Review What is a vacuum?
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2.Recognize Cause and Effect Why must a spacecraft be well insulated?
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3.Explain Are astronauts in space actually “weightless”? Explain.
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4.Understand What is one advantage of a space shuttle over previous spacecraft that were sent
into space?
A
It is much smaller.
B It can leave the solar system.
C
It can be reused.
D It stays in orbit for long periods of time.
5.Identify In which of these areas of the ISS are people able to live and work?
A
along the solar panels
B in the payload area
C
in the crew cabin
D in the modules
6.Identify Considering the characteristics of our solar system, identify three accommodations that
enabled manned space exploration.
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Lesson Review 7.9B: Exploring Space
TEKS Check
1.Describe Describe three characteristics of our solar system that must be considered when people
are sent to explore space.
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2.Identify Which characteristic of our solar system requires astronauts to wear special helmets
when operating outside a spacecraft?
A
the presence of a vacuum
B microgravity
C
a lack of pressure
D constant temperatures
3.Identify Based on the characteristics of our solar system, engineers have designed
accommodations that have enabled manned space exploration.
a. Identify Identify two accommodations that enabled people to go into space and work there for
weeks and months.
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b. Describe Describe how each accommodation enabled manned space exploration, considering
the characteristics of our solar system.
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4.Identify Identify the accommodations designed into a space suit that enable people to work
outside in space during manned space exploration. Considering the characteristics of our solar
system, explain why each accommodation is needed.
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TEKS in Context
5.Infer The International Space Station orbits about 350 km above Earth. How might this satellite
help scientists in their quest to send astronauts farther into space in the future?
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