The Relationship Between Science and Science Fiction
If you enjoy reading, then it’s possible you’ve read a science fiction book. Science fiction, or sci-fi, is a genre of fiction that usually deals with futuristic themes such as advanced technology, time travel, space exploration, alternate reality, artificial intelligence, and alien life. The sci-fi genre is related to, and often intertwines with fantasy, horror, and superhero genres as well. Reading sci-fi books and watching sci-fi movies are often exciting, since the stories are usually action-packed and fantastical.
Saturday STEM Challenge: Landing on Another Planet
Using a few office supplies and recyclables, we can simulate the physics required to land on the Moon. So here’s this week’s STEM challenge: using three index cards, two pieces of cardboard (each about 4 inches by 5 inches), some tape, and a small cup (you can make this yourself, if necessary), create a landing module that will safely land an astronaut (here, represented by a marshmallow, ping pong ball, or other small, light object) on another planet.
Just for Fun: Design a Mars Mission Patch
This week’s focus is life in space—and today, we’re designing our own mission patch. Mission patches are worn by the astronauts and people affiliated with a particular space mission. Each patch has a unique design, which includes a picture relating to the mission and usually the crew members’ names. Since 1965, patches have been created for all NASA manned missions, as well as many crew-less expeditions.
Now that you’ve been accepted to participate in the first-ever crewed mission to Mars, you’ll need to design your own patch for this historic mission! Download & print our patch template, or start from scratch on blank paper. Let your creativity run wild, and share your work when it’s complete!
Virtual Storytime: Go for the Moon
Today’s upcoming SpaceX Dragon-2 rocket launch is momentous for two reasons: it’s the first time NASA has ever launched astronauts into orbit on a private spacecraft, and this is the first launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.
In the spirit of anticipation and ground-breaking, join one of our museum educators as she reads Go for the Moon: A Rocket, A Boy, and The First Moon Landing, by Chris Gall!
Distance Learning Module: Recycling Water in Space
This week’s Distance Learning theme is “life in space.”
All living organisms—from the tiniest bacteria to the biggest jungle predators, and all the plants on Earth—require water to survive. Of course, people need water, too—even when they are traveling or working in space. Water is dense—so even a little bit of it is heavy. This makes it very expensive to send water from Earth to space—more than $83,000 per gallon to be exact!
For this reason, astronauts—like the ones on the International Space Station (ISS)—need to find ways of reusing the water that they already have. The process of recycling wastewater is also known as water reclamation. Water reclamation is vital to space travel as we know it, and would be a “must” if we ever got to the point of sending people to live for long periods of time on extraterrestrial (outside of Earth) colony.