Max Goes to the Space Station: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog
A Note from the Author We are living at perhaps the most important turning point in human history Our science and technology have brought us wonders that our ancestors could scarcely have imagined but they have also given us power that is too often used for destructive purposes Our future therefore rests on the hope that all of us can learn to use our power wisely so that we turn the future only toward the better I write books about space exploration because I believe that we’re far more likely to succeed in building a better future if we know what that future might look like In prior books of this series I’ve tried to show what we could do for real in the not-too-distant future by sending Max on fictional journeys to the Moon Mars and Jupiter But there is one place in space where humans are already living and working and that is the International Space Station Built through the cooperative efforts of people representing virtually every nationality race and religion the International Space Station is a shining example of what humans are capable of when we work together for the common good This particular book is actually a prequel to Max Goes to the Moon which opens with a parade celebrating Max’s trip to the Space Station This book will tell you how that parade came to be but its real goals are to educate you about science and the International Space Station to show you the incredible new perspective that we gain by looking at Earth from above and to inspire you to make your own contributions to the future of the human race After all if we all make our best efforts it is only a matter of time until our children will travel widely among the planets of our solar system and our descendants will set sail for the stars Reach for the stars Jeffrey Bennett Astronaut Alvin Drew works outside the International Space Station
TT his is the story of how Max’s adventures in space began with a trip to the International Space Station 5
Tori and her family had just arrived at the playground with Max Tori and her brother ran ahead Max could barely contain his excitement but he waited obediently until Tori’s dad gave him the OK Then Max raced to the merry-go-round where he began circling it and pushing it with his paws Soon it was spinning fast Tori and her brother held on tight Max hopped on and off sometimes riding and sometimes pushing it along faster Max and Newton The real Max really did love to play with merry-go-rounds and in doing so he demonstrated a dog’s ability to understand how motion works Max learned through experience that he could speed up the merry go-round only if he pushed both down and forward as he ran not if he pushed straight down We humans also learn through experience but we can do much more We can take our experiences and use them to discover laws of nature that allow us to understand how things work and to predict future events Among the most important laws of nature are the laws of motion and the law of gravity all published by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687 These laws can be applied not only to merry go-rounds but to all types of motion In fact scientists and engineers use these laws to figure out exactly how to get a spacecraft into orbit or beyond and to predict exactly where the spacecraft will be tomorrow next week or next year In case you were wondering The real Max never went down a slide and never went into space but he was once invited to perform his merry-go-round trick on David Letterman’s show Unfortunately the show crew was unable to set up a merry-go-round on stage so Max’s appearance was cancelled Watch a video of Max on a merry-go-round at www BigKidScience com maxvideo 6
When the merry-go-round finally came to a stop a woman walked over to Tori Your dog is amazing said the woman Does he go down the slide too I don’t know replied Tori He might if we help him up the ladder The woman helped Tori and her dad and sure enough Max sailed down the slide The woman turned to Tori’s dad Please call she said handing him a business card with a photo of the International Space Station I have an idea for your dog The International Space Station The International Space Station is the largest and most complex structure ever assembled in space Including its solar panels it spans an area larger than a football field If it were on the ground it would weigh about 450 tons The International Space Station orbits at an altitude that varies between about 330 and 410 kilometers 205 255 miles above Earth’s surface It circles our planet at an average speed of about 28,000 kilometers per hour 17,000 miles per hour which means it goes all the way around our world about every 90 minutes The International Space Station is a partnership between the space agencies of the United States Russia Canada Japan and the European Union and scientists and engineers from virtually every country in the world have contributed in at least some way The first module was launched in 1998 and the last major U S built module was delivered in 2011 Delivery and assembly required more than 100 rocket launches including 37 Space Shuttle missions Most of the other launches were Russian rockets Today the International Space Station is used primarily for scientific research but it also has secondary roles in promoting education international cooperation and the development of space-related industries 7
