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Transcript for NASA Connect - Functions and Statistics - International Space Station - Up To Us
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[Will Shepherd:] Hi, welcome
to the Space Station Alpha.
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I am Commander Will Shepherd
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and these are my fellow space
engineer Sergei Crackalaw,
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[inaudible].
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Right now, we are
orbiting two hundred
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and thirty mile above the earth.
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On today's NASA Connect, to learn
how NASA researches are working
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together, but PAN-National
Resources
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of World Space Station Alpha.
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You have observed NASA engineers
and researchers using math, science
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and technology to solve
their everyday problems,
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but you get to construct your
own model of the Space Station
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and check out an interactive
website that out of this world.
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So stay tune and hop aboard
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for another exciting
episode of NASA Connect.
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[Van Hughes:] Great,
I think I see them.
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[Jennifer:] There they go!
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[Van Hughes:] Wow!
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They are traveling pretty fast.
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[Jennifer:] They sure
are, thanks guys.
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[Van Hughes:] Bye.
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[Jennifer:] Hey did you know
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that the Space Station is orbiting
our earth, right now and it's
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so big, that sometimes you can
see it travel across the sky.
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[Van Hughes:] That's right,
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later on in the show,
we will tell you how?
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But, first welcome to NASA Connect.
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The show that connects you to
math, science, technology and NASA.
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[Jennifer:] This is Tranquility
park in downtown Houston Texas.
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I am Jennifer Pulley.
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[Van Hughes:] And I am Van Hughes.
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[Jennifer:] Now before
we start the show,
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make sure your teacher has the
lesson guide for today's program,
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it can be downloaded from
our NASA Connect website.
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You want to keep your eyes
on our friend Norbert,
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because every time he appears
with questions like this,
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have your Q cards and the lesson
guide and your brain ready
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to answer the questions
he gives you.
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And teachers when you see Norbert
with a remote, that's your Q
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to pause the video tape and
discuss the Q part questions.
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[Van Hughes:] Today you are
at NASA Johnson Space Center,
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here in Houston.
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[Jennifer:] Why?
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To learn about the international
space station or the ISS,
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and the people who make it work.
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The ISS is a huge laboratory,
being built in orbit.
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Scientist on the ground; who send
their research to the station
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to be performed by astronauts
from all around the world.
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[Van Hughes:] There are
sixteen countries participating
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in the largest and most expensive
laboratory ever built in space.
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By working together rather
than competing, top scientist
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from around the world can
collaborate and share information.
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[Jennifer:] Using the
United States Space Shuttle
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and various rockets
from other countries.
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It will take more than
one hundred space flights
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to assemble the one hundred
plus component of the ISS.
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[Van Hughes:] The ISS will be about
the size of a footballs fields
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and will weigh approximately
one million pounds
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or over one hundred adult
elephants approximately total the
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volume of a seven forty seven
Jumbo Jet and generate enough power
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to light up more than
forty average homes.
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>> How will the international
space station get all that power?
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[Jennifer:] From the sun,
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giant solar arrays will
capture the energy from the sun
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and convert it to electricity.
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We will learn more about the
parts of the space station
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and what they do a little later.
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[Van Hughes:] As we witness
from the Expedition One Crew,
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the first full time
residence on the ISS,
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the space station now
supports human life.
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During Expedition One's
five month space stay,
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the Corbett Space
Shuttle Atlantis delivered
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and installed the first
U.S. laboratory, Destiny.
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This lab built by
the Boeing Company
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of the NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center, is the center piece
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for scientific research
on the station
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and will support many experiments.
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[Jennifer:] Space station
crews will continue
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to rotate shifts every four to
six months, preparing the station
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for the arrival of more components
and beginning scientific research.
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>> Why build international
space station?
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[Van Hughes:] Great question.
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If you like to study sound,
you go to acquire room.
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If you like to study light, you
go to a dark room and if you like
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to study the effects of
gravity, you would want to go
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into an anti-gravity room.
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But since there is no such
thing on earth, we have the ISS.
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[Jennifer:] On board the ISS
a micro-gravity environment
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is created.
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This is where the affects of
gravity are reduced compared
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to those experienced on earth.
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You see the ISS is
in a continuous state
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of free fall around the earth.
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Causing the astronauts and
objects inside to appear
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to float and be weightless.
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You can experience free fall
when you jump of a diving board.
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You are practically weightless
until you hit the water.
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>> But how does this space
station stand in orbit
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if it is falling towards the earth?
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[Van Hughes:] Here is an analogy.
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Three hundred years ago a
great scientist by the name
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of Sir Isaac Newton, imagined
an experiment in his head.
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He pictured a cannon on top
of the very tall mountain,
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when he fired the cannon,
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the cannon ball would
soon fall to earth.
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But if he used a cannon with more
power the cannon ball would go half
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way around the earth
before it landed
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and if he used a super-duper
cannon, the cannon ball would go
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so fast, that it would
fall at the same rate
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that the earth surface is
curving away beneath it.
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This super fast cannon ball
would never hit the earth,
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it would be in orbit and if you
are sitting on the cannon ball,
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you would feel weightless.
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NASA uses rockets
instead of a cannon
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and the ISS instead
of a cannon ball.
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[Jennifer:] By understanding
the affects of gravity,
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we can learn light things
behave the way they do.
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[Van Hughes:] Take that
human body for instance.
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How does a microgravity environment
affect the residence of the ISS?
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One of our guest will feel us in.
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[Jennifer:] The ISS will
also give students like you,
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first hand experience
with the space program.
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Get this from your own classroom,
you can talk via amateur radio
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to the astronauts on board the ISS.
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[Van Hughes:] Or learn about
earth from the unique perspective
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of space with earth
camp, which stands for,
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earth knowledge acquired
by middle school students.
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The earth camp has already flown
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on five shuttle missions
involving students nationally
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and internationally.
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Visit the earth camp
website to learn more.
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[Jennifer:] And don't
forget later in the show,
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you will be constructing
your own model of the ISS,
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but before we do that, let's
learn about some of the parts
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that make up the space station.
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>> How will space
shuttle attach to the ISS?
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Describes two ways
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of the international space
station will stay in earth's orbit?
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>> Describe the function of the
solar arrays, thermo radiators,
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[inaudible]?
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>> I would like to welcome
NASA Connect this morning
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to the Johnson Space
Center here in Houston.
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My name is
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[inaudible] and I work with the
international space station program
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viewing out reaching
communications.
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What we are building in outer space
is a world class research facility.
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The United States NASA is the
lead integrator of the program.
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ESA, the European Space Agency,
the Russian Space Agency,
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the Japanese Space Agency and
the Canadian Space Agency,
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all own international space station
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and as partners bring elements and
people and training and research
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and all the facilities that we are
building to our orbiting facility.
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In 1998, we began with
a Russian built U.S paid
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for module called Saria.
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And what it was; is the
initial power block and brains
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of the station, soon after
that we launched Unity;
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that was a Boeing built,
United States elements.
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Unity is one of three connecting
bridge modules; that would be put
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on the international space station.
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After we put Unity up;
came the service module,
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that's an entirely Russian
element, its Russian built
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and Russian launched and service
module actually took over much
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of the function that we had at
Saria and it also is the place
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where the astronauts
live, work and sleep.
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>> How does the shuttle
dock to the space station?
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>> Well that's what Unity provides,
Unity has six docking ports,
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so the shuttle comes up and docks
to a pressurize meeting adapter,
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which is attached to the
Unity bridge and then
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through there supplies can be
moved into the space station.
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>> So how would the station get
power for the astronauts to use?
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>> From the sun, what the
international space station has,
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is a series of giant solar arrays,
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[inaudible] solar arrays.
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We have one set of arrays up there
right now, there will be four
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in total, that the
align along the truss.
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>> What exactly is a truss?
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>> The truss is a backbone
birder like structure
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and we will see this long
almost like steel beam crake box
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and that's literally what
these solar arrays are going
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to be _____ attached to, it's
what modules are hung from
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and the astronauts will be
walking along it, also walking
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and riding along it, will be
the Canadian robotic arms system
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for the international
space station.
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>> Attached to the
arm is what we call
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as special Dexter's manipulator
system or a very smart hand
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that will go along and
pick up different parts,
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modules and move it around.
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>> Okay, so I know that the
solar arrays are around the truss
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but what are the other
rectangular things?
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>> Then you probably talking
about the thermal radiator,
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that's the heat rejection system,
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much like an air conditioning
system which function in your home,
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the job of these radiator is
to collect the build up of heat
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and power generated
internally and use it to move
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that heat outside the space
station, dump it into space.
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So that we can maintain
comfortable levels of working
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for the astronauts for the systems.
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>> Now, I know the ISS is
in state of free fall honey
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but how does it stay up in orbit?
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>> Well initially we had
adequate control thruster;
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that will continue to operate
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through out the life
of the station.
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These are the little jets that
use fuel to keep our attitude.
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>> What you mean by
attitude control?
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>> Well, Jennifer the space station
has to maintain a certain position,
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as it's being constructed, we
want to get the maximum exposure
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to the sun for the arrays,
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so the attitude control is what
keeps this position of the station.
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>> So how do you know the pieces
are going to fit together,
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when you get them in space?
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>> Well this is part of
the miracle challenge
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that confronts the international
space station program,
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because these measure
elements have to fit together
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with paralleling tolerance the
first time, when they are attached
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in a orbit, all the flight
elements are literally put in line
[00:10:33.489]
on their way to get
integrated into the shuttle,
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what we can't do physically,
we are doing through software.
[00:10:38.559]
In fact controlling the
international space station is
[00:10:41.009]
going to take more than two
million lines of computer code.
[00:10:44.159]
And we are learning valuable things
to get testing or fixing problems,
[00:10:47.749]
before they ever become
a problem line in orbit.
[00:10:50.419]
>> Thank you so much Honey.
[00:10:51.639]
Now that we have learnt about
some of the parts of the ISS,
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how would you like to
build your own model?
[00:10:57.519]
>> But wait, there is a catch.
[00:10:59.209]
You have a question.
[00:11:00.339]
>> NASA Connect travel
North-West to San Francisco,
[00:11:03.159]
California for this
programs classroom activity.
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>> Hi! Welcome all of you in
San Francisco, California.
[00:11:13.549]
>> NASA Connect has asked us
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to show you this programs
classroom activity.
[00:11:19.939]
>> You are work in groups,
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to design an alternative
space station.
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Then you create a model using
everyday items, like aluminum cans,
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cereal boxes and stars, now
analyze an interpret data
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to determine a best design
based on budget restriction,
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weight and placement of
parts that you construct.
[00:11:36.389]
Teachers make sure, you are
done with the lesson guide,
[00:11:38.439]
but this activity of the
NASA Connect website,
[00:11:41.069]
in it you find the list
of materials, directions
[00:11:44.309]
and pseudo worksheet
through our cover every thing
[00:11:47.079]
in the next few minutes, but
we will give you a general idea
[00:11:49.989]
about how all goes
together to begin,
[00:11:52.759]
your teacher will display
the label picture of the ISS,
[00:11:55.909]
as it may appear on completion.
[00:11:57.759]
Discuss each component
and its functions.
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>> Okay the National Aeronautics
[00:12:01.729]
and Space Administration
need your help.
[00:12:04.979]
They want you to design
and build the model
[00:12:07.519]
of international space station and
your budget is one billion dollars.
[00:12:11.569]
>> Your first step is to
construct the components.
[00:12:16.209]
To power your station you may
[00:12:17.609]
[inaudible] of
[00:12:17.749]
[inaudible] rays, using
transparency firm and
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[inaudible].
[00:12:20.699]
The thermal radiator used to
support the station and made
[00:12:23.739]
with the aluminum foil.
[00:12:24.599]
A car board too serves the
[00:12:27.119]
[inaudible] port.
[00:12:28.329]
The habitation and laboratory
models are made with aluminum cans.
[00:12:32.519]
The trust segments use to connect
the models and made from firm
[00:12:36.719]
[inaudible].
[00:12:38.429]
A small serial box represents the
core model of your space station.
[00:12:42.979]
Buttons are used to stimulate
the attitude control thrusters
[00:12:47.069]
and for the robotic arm
[00:12:48.409]
[inaudible] flexible drinking
straw, find the total math
[00:12:51.569]
and total cost of each
component using formulas provided
[00:12:54.729]
in the lesson guide
and record the values
[00:12:57.689]
[inaudible] work sheet
before you design some
[00:12:59.789]
of your space station you
need to pay close attention
[00:13:02.149]
to constrains listed in Appendix A.
[00:13:04.939]
>> Okay remember the budget
for the space station is one
[00:13:07.789]
billion dollars.
[00:13:09.049]
If you break component or
sexual space station you have
[00:13:12.659]
to purchase a new one.
[00:13:13.699]
>> Now decide how
are the components
[00:13:17.089]
of your space station
would be arranged.
[00:13:19.429]
Make a sketch before you
start your actual assembly
[00:13:21.919]
and don't forget you constrains.
[00:13:23.729]
Use taping glue to
put it all together
[00:13:26.339]
When your space station is
assembled the next step is
[00:13:28.729]
to calculate the total math,
because the ISS is been
[00:13:32.189]
[inaudible] orbit and
that can its impossible
[00:13:35.069]
to get the total math at one time.
[00:13:37.149]
Therefore NASA determines the
total math by taking the sum
[00:13:40.629]
of the individual components
before they are lost into space.
[00:13:44.619]
Since we are working with
the model there are two ways
[00:13:46.729]
to calculate the total math.
[00:13:48.629]
First take a some of the math
with the individual components.
[00:13:51.769]
Then use your balance to
weight your completed model.
[00:13:53.859]
All the difference between the two
masses and compare the accuracy
[00:13:57.699]
of massing individual
pieces with the math
[00:14:00.219]
of the entire space station.
[00:14:02.259]
If the difference is great
[00:14:03.199]
than five grams you
will be charged a tax
[00:14:05.519]
of one million dollars per gram.
[00:14:07.269]
If the difference is
less than or equal
[00:14:09.579]
to five grams then the
space tax to modify,
[00:14:13.129]
avoid any space tax in data table.
[00:14:15.449]
Finally cut for the total
cost of your space station.
[00:14:18.639]
By taking the sums of cost
for all your components
[00:14:21.459]
and any space tax you own.
[00:14:23.349]
Did you meet you budget
or are you over budget?
[00:14:26.669]
>> We would like to thank the
[00:14:28.179]
[inaudible] AIAA student branch
for helping us in this activity.
[00:14:31.849]
If you would like to learn more
[00:14:32.759]
about then AIAA interim
program check
[00:14:35.269]
out the NASA connects website.
[00:14:37.529]
[00:14:40.559]
>> So far we have learned about a
few of the parts that actually make
[00:14:43.499]
up the international space station.
[00:14:44.889]
>> That's right and you
been given the opportunity
[00:14:46.849]
to put together your own
model of the space station
[00:14:49.489]
>> You know I wonder how
difficult it is for the Astronauts
[00:14:52.159]
to actually dock the
shuttle to the space station.
[00:14:54.999]
>> Technology is the key.
[00:14:56.489]
Let's connect to
[00:14:57.449]
[inaudible] and one more.
[00:14:59.439]
>> NASA connect traveled
Northeast to Chicago Illinois
[00:15:02.769]
for this programs
web based activity.
[00:15:05.999]
>> You are right Jennifer
technology can
[00:15:08.119]
and will transform the
way we train and educate,
[00:15:10.729]
and that's why we brought hear the
Chicago Illinois to introduce you
[00:15:14.459]
to NASA Connect's
museum partner The
[00:15:16.289]
[inaudible] Planetarium and its
strongly museum and to tempt
[00:15:19.349]
to apply your hands and your minds
[00:15:21.459]
to an online space
flight experience.
[00:15:23.829]
As you can see and the officer
public many different ways to learn
[00:15:28.199]
about into explore
science and astronomy.
[00:15:35.049]
>> We are now here in the solar
system gallery, we have students
[00:15:38.039]
from Bright Elementary School
and the inevitably student branch
[00:15:41.249]
of the Illinois Institute
of Technology have gathered
[00:15:43.639]
and are waiting for
you to introduce you
[00:15:45.229]
to a new website created specially
for NASA Connect or the NASA
[00:15:49.389]
[inaudible] of the feature
which is located in
[00:15:51.709]
[inaudible] West Virginia.
[00:15:53.089]
Our friends at the
[00:15:54.419]
[inaudible] of future had put
together the unique experience
[00:15:56.679]
that combines internet
based simulations,
[00:15:58.799]
hands on activities and
[00:16:00.669]
[inaudible] mechanics.
[00:16:02.369]
>> No, no it's not about
good seen things in space
[00:16:07.529]
but it's how things like
motion, acceleration
[00:16:10.179]
and enforce affect artic and
space-like the planets, the moon,
[00:16:14.679]
the stars the U.S. space shuttle
in the international space station.
[00:16:18.559]
So how about again, do
you have the right stuff
[00:16:21.039]
for this programs online challenge.
[00:16:23.889]
>> Some
[00:16:24.149]
[inaudible] lab on the
NASA connect website quick
[00:16:26.499]
on the activity button.
[00:16:27.909]
Here you will find the first
hands on experiment designed
[00:16:30.439]
to get you ready to use the
web based orbital simulator.
[00:16:33.749]
Using a classic ruler, two glass
or metal bowls, a few cans,
[00:16:37.679]
masking tape and a stop
watch, you will be able
[00:16:40.379]
to define the difference between
fairy motion and acceleration.
[00:16:44.359]
This simulator gives
you the opportunity
[00:16:46.229]
to give two objects
orbiting a planet or star
[00:16:49.239]
by adjusting a orbital
radius of one of the objects.
[00:16:52.059]
You can begin to explore
how radiuses spin
[00:16:54.629]
over a period are all connected.
[00:16:56.419]
After using a simulator
you begin to understand how
[00:16:59.699]
to answer this question.
[00:17:01.069]
How can we use our
knowledge of orbits
[00:17:03.599]
to help the shuttle rendezvous
[00:17:05.219]
with the international
space station?
[00:17:06.909]
This shuttle ISS orbital
simulator will get you ready
[00:17:10.509]
for the actual docking activity
you will do with your classmates.
[00:17:13.959]
On this website you will
start with the shuttle
[00:17:16.689]
and ISS orbiting the
earth at the same altitude
[00:17:19.049]
at ninety degrees apart.
[00:17:20.049]
The challenge is to determine the
most efficient right to position
[00:17:23.599]
that two objects so that they
are traveling at the same speed.
[00:17:27.109]
And close enough to each other
[00:17:28.139]
to perform the visible
docking man hours.
[00:17:30.549]
Now let's start an
activity that Joe's directly
[00:17:33.149]
with the international
space station.
[00:17:35.909]
>> I'm Deon Watson; I'm with NASA's
classroom of the future and part
[00:17:39.279]
of the international space
station challenge website activity.
[00:17:42.199]
Today we're doing a
docking simulation,
[00:17:44.699]
when you do that actually building
[00:17:46.029]
and docking simulator using
office chair on wheel, tri-pad,
[00:17:50.319]
video camera, docking
[00:17:52.059]
[inaudible] nominated
fund and a TV.
[00:17:54.519]
We're also going to do the man
in control with 2-way radios,
[00:17:57.619]
we are having thrusters
having using ropes for control
[00:18:01.129]
and commanding control
is from mission control.
[00:18:04.679]
Mission control's only reference
is the video events that they see
[00:18:07.449]
on the screen they give
movement commands to the pilot,
[00:18:10.959]
the pilot relays that information
to the thrusters and thrusters move
[00:18:15.169]
and hopefully we successfully
rendezvous
[00:18:16.819]
and dock to the space station.
[00:18:19.139]
All additional information
about how
[00:18:20.709]
to construct the docking
challenge, amateur
[00:18:23.909]
and our activity relating material
is at NASA's Connect website.
[00:18:28.629]
>> Bringing to you that power
of digital learning, I'm
[00:18:31.699]
[inaudible] for NASA
Connect online.
[00:18:33.879]
>> Bye.
[00:18:37.999]
>> Technology really is the
key to Astronaut training
[00:18:40.969]
and the tools they use.
[00:18:42.149]
>> Right but what about the
research being conducted
[00:18:44.919]
for the International
Space Station.
[00:18:46.749]
>> Yeah and micro
gravity environment.
[00:18:49.209]
How does that affect the astronauts
working and living in space?
[00:18:52.849]
>> Well for answers we
can hear to building nine
[00:18:55.929]
at the Johnson's Space Centre.
[00:18:58.119]
>> What to meet about
the research environment
[00:19:02.379]
on the International Space Station.
[00:19:04.329]
>> How does zero gravity
affects fluids in your body?
[00:19:09.239]
>> Describe relationship
between time and space and
[00:19:13.529]
[inaudible]?
[00:19:14.359]
>> As the research manager
for the ISS program here
[00:19:17.629]
at the Johnson's space centre,
it's my job to communicate
[00:19:20.379]
with scientists who
want to do research
[00:19:22.469]
on board the space station.
[00:19:24.089]
>> I also work with the
builders of the station
[00:19:26.099]
to be sure it's both a
well-equipped laboratory
[00:19:28.539]
and observatory.
[00:19:29.729]
>> You see the ISS is about
exploration, human exploration.
[00:19:33.899]
>> It's the place where we will
learn to leave and work in space.
[00:19:37.289]
It's where we will establish a
permanent human presence in space
[00:19:40.889]
and advance human exploration
of our solar system.
[00:19:44.259]
>> What kind of work will
be conducted on the ISS?
[00:19:47.009]
>> Research!
[00:19:48.079]
We will work on improving
manufacturing processes,
[00:19:51.479]
developing better health care
[00:19:53.889]
and researching tomorrow's
products today.
[00:19:56.779]
>> All this research
will take place
[00:19:58.139]
in the laboratory you saw
earlier and in the unique
[00:20:00.999]
out of this world
environment of space.
[00:20:03.399]
You see the micro-gravity
environment
[00:20:05.039]
and high advantage
point for viewing earth
[00:20:07.079]
and the universe are unique.
[00:20:09.039]
The permanent space station allows
experiments to run for longer times
[00:20:12.629]
than we used to on
the space shuttle
[00:20:14.369]
and give the scientist repeated
access to these experiments.
[00:20:17.939]
This research cannot
be done on earth.
[00:20:20.399]
>> Well, Doctor
[00:20:21.409]
[inaudible] sounds like a
micro-gravity environment,
[00:20:23.239]
we will have scientist
make new discoveries,
[00:20:25.169]
but how will micro-gravity
affect the people living
[00:20:28.269]
on board the space station?
[00:20:29.609]
>> Very good question Jennifer.
[00:20:31.109]
The human body reacts
immediately and dramatically
[00:20:34.999]
to the micro-gravity
environment we feel when we go
[00:20:37.239]
on to orbit around here.
[00:20:38.779]
>> Remember how you explained
being on the station is like being
[00:20:41.259]
in the state of free power.
[00:20:42.859]
It feels like there is no gravity
that's why we often call it zero-G.
[00:20:46.819]
>> One of the first reactions
of the body to zero-G is
[00:20:49.569]
to push our internal
fluids upward in our body.
[00:20:52.669]
>> You see on earth,
in one-G our body works
[00:20:55.289]
to push the fluids inside upwards.
[00:20:57.369]
So all the water, blood and other
fluids don't collect in your feet.
[00:21:01.879]
When the body first
experiences zero-G it continues
[00:21:04.819]
to push the fluids up as on earth
but since there is no one-G point
[00:21:08.819]
down any more, the upper body
and head ends up with too much
[00:21:11.969]
[inaudible].
[00:21:12.379]
If you've ever seen pictures of
us in space on the first day,
[00:21:16.289]
our faces are popped up like
[00:21:17.809]
[inaudible] because of the
extra fluid in our upper body.
[00:21:21.299]
But the body quickly senses
this condition and begins
[00:21:24.229]
to move the fluids to
different parts of the body.
[00:21:26.569]
And about two or three days we
reach a new point of balance
[00:21:29.879]
where our bodies have less
fluid in our blood stream
[00:21:32.439]
than the average person on earth.
[00:21:34.309]
If you return to earth one-G
[00:21:35.969]
in this state you
would probably faint.
[00:21:38.999]
The
[00:21:39.999]
[inaudible] we fluid low just
before returning to earth.
[00:21:43.139]
For instance we drink at least the
one code of water within one hour
[00:21:46.479]
of returning along with soft
tablets which keeps the water
[00:21:49.449]
from passing directly
through your bladder.
[00:21:51.739]
>> Wow! Well how
[00:21:53.469]
[inaudible] does micro-gravity
affect the human body.
[00:21:55.599]
>> Well
[00:21:55.699]
[inaudible] on a longer term affect
[00:21:57.269]
which also begins immediately
is the loss of bone mass.
[00:22:00.499]
When you loose bone mass,
your bones become brittle
[00:22:02.989]
and break very easily.
[00:22:03.929]
>> Anyway only about four
hundred humans of Colonial Space
[00:22:07.539]
and only a fraction of them were
tested carefully for bone loss.
[00:22:11.319]
The number so far, are startling,
[00:22:13.539]
healthy space travelers loose
bone mass ten times faster
[00:22:16.399]
than people here on earth.
[00:22:18.059]
Whether in space for one
week or one year the rate
[00:22:20.829]
of bone loss is about the same.
[00:22:23.139]
>> Let me show you the
how important math is
[00:22:25.039]
when determining bone loss.
[00:22:26.839]
The percent of bone
loss is a function
[00:22:28.599]
of length of time and space.
[00:22:30.989]
AL is the percent of bone loss, R
is the rate of bone loss per month
[00:22:35.639]
and T is the time and space.
[00:22:38.239]
So far the data we
collected tells us that humans
[00:22:41.039]
in space loose bone mass at a
rate of one percent per month.
[00:22:44.729]
The function L equals RT tells
us that the longer you are
[00:22:48.759]
in space the more
bone mass you loose.
[00:22:51.909]
We have values of T
upto fourteen months
[00:22:54.739]
and the function appears linear.
[00:22:57.329]
So far we haven't had
any Astronauts in space
[00:22:59.709]
for more than fourteen months.
[00:23:01.589]
This rate of bone loss could
be a problem if we want to go
[00:23:04.359]
on a three year trip to margin back
[00:23:07.049]
that trip would cause a bone
mass loss of thirty-six percent.
[00:23:10.789]
Our bones would be
so brittle any type
[00:23:13.089]
of physical activity would
be out of the question.
[00:23:16.809]
>> This is not good news.
[00:23:18.359]
We wish the function would
level off eventually with time
[00:23:21.159]
and further bone loss would stop.
[00:23:22.999]
>> So how do you measure bone loss?
[00:23:25.149]
>> Well, we measure bone loss
by conducting test like x-rays
[00:23:28.359]
on the crew, both before
and after they fly.
[00:23:31.419]
>> Each person reacts
differently to zero-G,
[00:23:34.179]
so we need to put the data
from many Astronauts altogether
[00:23:37.289]
and use statistics to predict the
effect on future crew members.
[00:23:41.129]
>> We calculate means, medians,
and standard deviations.
[00:23:45.049]
Our statistics so
far are not that good
[00:23:48.539]
because we have data
on so few people.
[00:23:50.939]
>> You see when your average
data from only a few people
[00:23:53.829]
out of a large group resulted
among those few people may not
[00:23:57.219]
match the average
of the larger group.
[00:23:58.989]
>> However if you
collect data on hundreds
[00:24:07.219]
of people like ground based
medical research does,
[00:24:11.649]
the average is more reliable
and easier to predict.
[00:24:15.379]
Because the
[00:24:16.199]
[inaudible] handful of good
measurements on space flyers,
[00:24:19.049]
our predicted average
is less reliable.
[00:24:21.539]
We just need to make
many more measurements.
[00:24:23.599]
>> We will also study why
we loose our bone mass?
[00:24:27.889]
Then maybe we can develop
drugs to stop the effect.
[00:24:31.219]
In fact the National
Institution of Health is working
[00:24:33.569]
with us on this research.
[00:24:35.349]
So you see research on IFS is not
only about improving life in Space
[00:24:39.529]
but also improving
life here on earth.
[00:24:41.879]
>> Well, thanks so much Doctor
[00:24:43.339]
[inaudible].
[00:24:43.339]
>> Yeah, very welcome.
[00:24:45.519]
>> Earlier in the program Jennifer
and I said you could see the ISS
[00:24:49.409]
in this type from
your own backyard.
[00:24:51.529]
>> Visit this website to see if the
ISS will be flying over your city.
[00:24:55.129]
>> Speaking with the
internet, how would you like
[00:24:58.399]
to take a virtual tour of the
ISS from your own computer?
[00:25:02.649]
[00:25:03.679]
>> NASA Connect traveled
Northeast to NASA Line
[00:25:06.339]
and Research Center in
[00:25:07.299]
[inaudible] of Virginia to find
[00:25:08.459]
out about the virtual
International Space Station.
[00:25:12.109]
>> The virtual International Space
Station or the ISS is an immersive
[00:25:16.509]
[inaudible] model
of the Space Station
[00:25:18.199]
that could be installed
on your computer.
[00:25:20.359]
Once installed you will be able
to walk about the interior and fly
[00:25:23.339]
around exterior of the ISS as
it if you are on a Space Walk.
[00:25:26.879]
The virtual environment similar
[00:25:28.249]
to virtual computer
games you may play.
[00:25:29.959]
You can take a tour of each
model of the station and click
[00:25:32.869]
on the red question marks
for additional information.
[00:25:35.759]
The VISS allows to have you
realistic Astronaut perspective
[00:25:38.839]
and whatever we like to work
and live in the station.
[00:25:41.669]
>> But
[00:25:42.199]
[inaudible] why was the
Virtual International Space
[00:25:44.009]
Station created?
[00:25:45.149]
>> That's a good question as you
learned earlier, the space station
[00:25:48.039]
who have many different experience
we conducted all at once,
[00:25:50.949]
but problem is, this can
also make things difficult
[00:25:53.109]
for the scientist and researchers.
[00:25:55.449]
We see there are hundreds and
hundreds of documents that are go
[00:25:58.039]
into a bunch of detail about
what the station can do?
[00:26:00.789]
Scientist and researchers
who are familiar
[00:26:02.729]
with the station capabilities
back to solve all
[00:26:05.119]
of those documents to find out
[00:26:07.159]
[inaudible] could help them
with their experiments.
[00:26:09.239]
The VISS was created so
potential users of the station,
[00:26:12.419]
like scientist can use their
computer and actually walk
[00:26:15.099]
up to an experiment facility
on the station just by
[00:26:17.749]
[inaudible] to a book in library
then quickly skin information
[00:26:21.299]
to see
[00:26:22.059]
[inaudible] would help
with their research.
[00:26:23.999]
Currently the VISS is the only
publicly available 3D environment
[00:26:28.269]
introduced people to the
many capabilities of the ISS.
[00:26:30.749]
>> That's awesome, how can
we get the virtual ISS?
[00:26:35.169]
>> You can download the virtual
international space station
[00:26:37.869]
at this website because the
tour includes the completed
[00:26:40.809]
international space station,
the files are quite larger
[00:26:43.819]
so lots of time to download.
[00:26:47.109]
[Jennifer:] Well you that wraps up
another episode of NASA connect.
[00:26:50.349]
We would like to thank
everyone who helped
[00:26:51.679]
to make this episode possible.
[00:26:53.709]
>> Ya, Jennifer I are waiting
for your questions, comments
[00:26:56.799]
and suggestion so write
us at NASA connects.
[00:27:00.099]
NASA
[00:27:00.579]
[inaudible] the research
centre mail stop four hundred,
[00:27:03.009]
[inaudible] Virginia 23681 or email
us at connect@edu.larc.nasa.gov.
[00:27:11.959]
>> Teachers if you
would like to video tape
[00:27:13.599]
of this program and the company in
[00:27:16.359]
[inaudible] check out
the NASA Connect website.
[00:27:18.519]
From outside you can link to
core the NASA Central Operation
[00:27:22.289]
of Resources for Educator or link
[00:27:24.949]
to the NASA educated
resource centre network.
[00:27:28.679]
>> Until next time stay
connected through math.
[00:27:31.849]
>> Science
[00:27:32.759]
>> Technology and NASA.
[00:27:35.269]
>> see you then
[00:27:35.839]
>> see you.
[00:27:36.049]