Science show: Living in Space

Explore what it takes to launch an astronaut into space and how the entire crew of scientists, engineers, and trainers have a role to play.

Discover the wonders and challenges of life in space including how to stay healthy, deal with the effects of microgravity and investigate the materials to use for a spacesuit.

Learning objectives:

• Learn that ESA stands for European Space Agency and that Tim Peake is the first British ESA astronaut.
• Discover how astronauts get into space and how they return back to Earth.
• Learn that the International Space Station is a big science lab in space and what the challenges of living and working in space are.
• Find out about the people involved in sending astronauts into space.
• To identify the best material to make a spacesuit from.

Curriculum links:

Working scientifically

• Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
• Observing closely, using simple equipment
• Performing simple tests
• Identifying and classifying
• Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions

Everyday materials

• Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made
• Identify and name a variety of everyday materials
• Describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials

Uses of everyday materials

• Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials for particular uses