1 00:00:04,408 --> 00:00:07,863 ? [music] ? 2 00:00:11,753 --> 00:00:15,180 KIDS: Our World! 3 00:00:16,416 --> 00:00:18,850 EVAN: Globey, what’s that spinning around your head? 4 00:00:18,851 --> 00:00:20,885 What a second. 5 00:00:20,886 --> 00:00:23,621 I think there’s somebody’s inside there. There is! 6 00:00:23,623 --> 00:00:26,458 I know what that is. It’s the International Space Station! 7 00:00:26,460 --> 00:00:28,960 And it’s orbiting our world as we speak! 8 00:00:28,961 --> 00:00:31,128 Do you know why they call it the “International” 9 00:00:31,130 --> 00:00:33,865 Space Station? It’s because several nations across our 10 00:00:33,866 --> 00:00:36,868 world have joined together for this huge project. 11 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:39,003 The countries and space agencies include the 12 00:00:39,005 --> 00:00:42,873 United States (which has NASA), Russia (which has the 13 00:00:42,875 --> 00:00:46,276 Russian Federal Space Agency), Japan 14 00:00:46,278 --> 00:00:49,513 (with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), 15 00:00:49,515 --> 00:00:52,716 Canada (which has the Canadian Space Agency) 16 00:00:52,718 --> 00:00:56,053 and 11 European nations which make up the European Space 17 00:00:56,055 --> 00:00:58,823 Agency, that has headquarters in France. 18 00:00:58,825 --> 00:01:01,258 All of these nations work together to build and run 19 00:01:01,260 --> 00:01:04,295 the space station. American astronauts serve on the ISS 20 00:01:04,296 --> 00:01:09,000 with astronauts from Germany, Russia, Japan, and Canada. 21 00:01:09,001 --> 00:01:12,503 In fact astronauts from 16 different countries have 22 00:01:12,505 --> 00:01:14,673 served on the International Space Station, 23 00:01:14,675 --> 00:01:16,975 making it truly international. 24 00:01:18,023 --> 00:01:21,680 Construction of the space station began in 1998. 25 00:01:21,681 --> 00:01:24,015 Much of it is finished now, but there’s still work to be 26 00:01:24,016 --> 00:01:27,551 done. NASA is working hard to complete the station before 27 00:01:27,553 --> 00:01:30,821 retiring the space shuttle. The huge cargo bay on the 28 00:01:30,823 --> 00:01:33,825 shuttle is used to carry materials and large pieces 29 00:01:33,826 --> 00:01:36,395 that are added to the ISS. 30 00:01:36,396 --> 00:01:38,930 The International Space Station is the largest man- 31 00:01:38,931 --> 00:01:41,031 made satellite that orbits Earth. 32 00:01:41,033 --> 00:01:44,068 It travels around Earth at a speed of almost 28,000 33 00:01:44,070 --> 00:01:49,273 kilometers per hour. That’s around 17,500 miles per hour. 34 00:01:49,275 --> 00:01:51,710 It means the space station can orbit around Earth 35 00:01:51,711 --> 00:01:54,980 about 16 times everyday. 36 00:01:54,981 --> 00:01:57,948 The space station is in a low Earth orbit, which means it’s 37 00:01:57,950 --> 00:02:00,385 not as high off the ground as other satellites like the 38 00:02:00,386 --> 00:02:04,890 Hubble telescope. The ISS orbit is only about 350 39 00:02:04,891 --> 00:02:08,093 kilometers off Earth’s surface. That’s about 220 40 00:02:08,095 --> 00:02:11,195 miles. That seems like a very long way off, 41 00:02:11,196 --> 00:02:13,765 but we can make a quick model to show you just how close 42 00:02:13,766 --> 00:02:16,233 low Earth orbit really is. 43 00:02:16,235 --> 00:02:19,036 Let’s use this basketball for Earth in our model and this 44 00:02:19,038 --> 00:02:22,506 softball for the Moon. Since the Moon is about 1/4th the 45 00:02:22,508 --> 00:02:25,110 size of Earth, these two spheres are close to the 46 00:02:25,111 --> 00:02:28,280 right scale. Using that scale, how far away do you 47 00:02:28,281 --> 00:02:31,883 think the Moon should be from Earth? This far? 48 00:02:31,885 --> 00:02:35,220 Maybe this far. Well, it just happens that the Moon 49 00:02:35,221 --> 00:02:38,156 and our Earth have another unique relationship. 50 00:02:38,158 --> 00:02:41,325 The distance between the two is 10 times the circumference 51 00:02:41,326 --> 00:02:44,528 of Earth. Earth’s circumference is the distance 52 00:02:44,530 --> 00:02:46,598 around Earth at the equator. 53 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,100 We know Earth has a circumference of about 40,000 54 00:02:49,101 --> 00:02:52,903 km. The distance to the Moon is 10 times that, 55 00:02:52,905 --> 00:02:57,208 or about 400,000 km. We can use a string to place the 56 00:02:57,210 --> 00:03:00,211 Moon in our model. If we wrap a string around the 57 00:03:00,213 --> 00:03:03,348 basketball ten times and stretch it out, we can see 58 00:03:03,350 --> 00:03:06,751 how far away the Moon should be. Now where on this string 59 00:03:06,753 --> 00:03:09,586 do you think we’d find the International Space Station? 60 00:03:09,588 --> 00:03:12,656 Half way? A fourth of the way? Actually, it’s much 61 00:03:12,658 --> 00:03:17,061 closer. Using this scale the ISS would be less than 1 cm 62 00:03:17,063 --> 00:03:21,800 from the surface of Earth or just about here. 63 00:03:23,003 --> 00:03:25,736 Because the space station reflects the Sun’s light and 64 00:03:25,738 --> 00:03:29,173 because it’s in a low orbit, it shines in the sky. 65 00:03:29,175 --> 00:03:31,576 In fact, if you were in the right place and at the 66 00:03:31,578 --> 00:03:33,645 right time, you could see the space station 67 00:03:33,646 --> 00:03:36,013 without having to use a telescope. 68 00:03:36,015 --> 00:03:38,550 You can tack the ISS on NASA’s website. 69 00:03:38,551 --> 00:03:41,151 So you can go outside as it passes overhead, look up and 70 00:03:41,153 --> 00:03:43,955 see it for yourself. It may look like a bright fast 71 00:03:43,956 --> 00:03:46,323 moving star in the sky. 72 00:03:46,325 --> 00:03:49,060 The space station has giant solar panels that absorb the 73 00:03:49,061 --> 00:03:52,430 Sun’s light and convert that light into electricity. 74 00:03:52,431 --> 00:03:55,433 This electricity is used to power the space station. 75 00:03:55,435 --> 00:03:57,968 And because the space station’s position to the Sun 76 00:03:57,970 --> 00:04:00,405 is constantly changing since it’s orbiting Earth, 77 00:04:00,406 --> 00:04:03,541 its panels are able to rotate and adjust to make sure they 78 00:04:03,543 --> 00:04:06,345 are always capturing the sun’s light. 79 00:04:06,346 --> 00:04:09,815 Astronauts aboard the ISS use the solar power to make the 80 00:04:09,816 --> 00:04:12,616 electricity needed for living and working in orbit. 81 00:04:12,618 --> 00:04:15,220 Scientists from all over the world can use the space 82 00:04:15,221 --> 00:04:18,356 station to conduct long term experiments. 83 00:04:18,358 --> 00:04:21,258 The US part of the space station has been classified 84 00:04:21,260 --> 00:04:24,195 as a national laboratory which will help scientists 85 00:04:24,196 --> 00:04:26,631 learn new things in science, technology, 86 00:04:26,633 --> 00:04:29,400 engineering and mathematics. 87 00:04:30,236 --> 00:04:33,171 One of the most important things they want to study is 88 00:04:33,173 --> 00:04:35,973 the effects of outer space on the human body. 89 00:04:35,975 --> 00:04:39,643 Our bodies change because of the reduced gravity in space. 90 00:04:39,645 --> 00:04:42,880 NASA conducting experiments to help us understand more 91 00:04:42,881 --> 00:04:45,450 about these changes and how to overcome them. 92 00:04:45,451 --> 00:04:47,885 And there is no better place to explore these problems 93 00:04:47,886 --> 00:04:51,523 than the ISS. The station offers a big advantage over 94 00:04:51,525 --> 00:04:54,358 NASA space shuttles because astronauts can stay on the 95 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,228 space station for much longer periods of time. 96 00:04:57,230 --> 00:05:00,098 Research conducted in space has taught doctors and 97 00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:03,035 scientist that astronauts need to exercise to stop 98 00:05:03,036 --> 00:05:06,136 bone and muscle loss. Scientists have learned much 99 00:05:06,138 --> 00:05:08,540 about sleep problems by studying the sleep habits of 100 00:05:08,541 --> 00:05:11,476 astronauts as they experience very fast day and night 101 00:05:11,478 --> 00:05:14,645 cycles because of the speed of the ISS’s movement. 102 00:05:14,646 --> 00:05:17,081 What the doctor’s and scientists learned in space 103 00:05:17,083 --> 00:05:20,051 can also be applied to the same problems on Earth. 104 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,288 Astronauts and scientists from around the world are 105 00:05:23,290 --> 00:05:25,623 working together on the International Space Station 106 00:05:25,625 --> 00:05:29,060 to solve problems and to prove new ideas. By working 107 00:05:29,061 --> 00:05:32,196 together, they can accomplish some pretty amazing things. 108 00:05:32,198 --> 00:05:34,733 Hey Globey, I wonder when the ISS is going to 109 00:05:34,735 --> 00:05:37,101 pass over my head. 110 00:05:38,071 --> 00:05:41,050 ? [music] ? 111 00:05:47,358 --> 00:05:50,738 KIDS: Our World!