A PLACE IN SPACE The Thanksgiving holiday is a day off work for most Americans Yet on this (cid:31) anksgiving Day researchers including two Americans buzz around a laboratory Some conduct science experiments Others unload supplies and repair a broken control panel Finally these researchers sit down to their (cid:31) anksgiving meal turkey green beans yams cornbread dressing and mashed potatoes There’s just one difference some of the food is pre-made in pouches Other food is dehydrated All the food floats Where on Earth is this lab 4
This lab is not on Earth at all It’s aboard the International Space Station ISS which orbits 240 miles 400 kilometers above the Earth Designing a space-based structure like the ISS for living and working presents a major engineering challenge How do you power the lab when you can’t just call the electric company Where can you find air to breathe And without a sewer how do you get rid of waste flushed down the toilet 6
Science in Space Sometimes there is no place like space when it comes to science The ISS is the only place scientists can study the effects of microgravity on the human body They also examine how near-weightless conditions affect plants These experiments could pave the way for future trips to Mars 7
