Space Station Close Encounters With Space Junk
Space Debris and ISS Information Which Support Science Education
Debris in space is a constant problem for the international space station (ISS). Even with constant monitoring by mission control, there are invariable near misses with the space station. For example, the current near miss situation is with a three year-old piece of an Arian Rocket 5 rocket, an old European rocket, which will come with seven miles of the space station.
The current near miss of space junk is of even more concern, because the space shuttle is currently connected to the ISS, possibly impacting the safety of all astronauts and both spacecraft. If the space station and shuttle are forced to maneuver away from the debris, important space walks to install new equipment may be delayed.
Science Education Resources
The space debris data collected by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's (NASA) mission control for protecting the ISS and space shuttle provide resources for science teaching and learning. Teachers and students can use this near real time data for project based learning, problem solving situations, and case studies activities.
Space Debris Facts
The reason NASA’s mission control is wary and keeps constant eyes on space junk is that there are more than 50,000 pieces of debris circling the earth. This number continues to grow as more countries join the space community, launching their own satellites and space exploration missions.
According to the European Space Administration’s report on Space Debris Accumulation 1957-2000 (2003), only 10,000 pieces of debris are identified and cataloged. Identified objects and pieces of junk include:
- Operational Spacecraft – 7 percent
- Mission Related Objects – 13 percent
- Rocket Bodies – 17 percent
- Old Spacecraft – 22 percent
- Fragments – 41 percent
Fragments include spent satellites, cast off Yo-Yo de-spinners (used to de-spin spacecraft after launch), tools dropped during spacewalks, discarded rocket upper stages, and the remains of craft that have exploded or otherwise broken up.
International Space Station Facts
The first module of the ISS was launched in November 1998 and the station was scheduled for completion in 2003. Due to delays while the space shuttle was grounded for almost two years, the new target completion date is 2011. According to NASA’s International Space Station Guide, there are many interesting facts about the space station, such as:
- When complete, a total of 80 space flights using five different types of launch vehicles will have been used to transport all materials into space.
- When completely assembled, the ISS will be as large as 1.5 Boeing 747s and will be larger than a five-bedroom home.
- As of June 2006, the number of crew members and visitors who have traveled to the ISS included 116 different people representing 10 countries.
- A year of Space Shuttle operations (seven crew members, 11-day missions, five flights per year) results in 9,240 total crew hours. One year of ISS operations, 26,280 total crew hours (three crew, 365 days), is almost three times that amount.
- Based on input from ISS crew members, the most popular foods are shrimp cocktail, tortillas, barbecue beef brisket, breakfast sausage links, chicken fajitas, vegetable quiche, macaroni and cheese, candy-coated chocolates, and cherry-blueberry cobbler. Their favorite beverage to wash it all down is lemonade.
- From 2000 through 2006, 24 unique types of educational programs involved 31.8 million students and over 12,500 teachers participated in ISS based education workshops.
Scientific Research
One of the main goals of the ISS is to provide a platform to conduct scientific experiments that require a near-weightless environment. The main fields of research include biology, physics, astronomy, and meteorology. One research goal is to improve the understanding of long-term space exposure on the human body. Astronauts conduct scientific research on muscle atrophy, bone loss, and fluid shift. The data is being used to determine whether space colonization and lengthy human spaceflight are feasible.
Education Activities
Students also have the opportunity to incorporate the information collected from this real time tracking into science projects. Investigations involving the space station are adaptable for web-based inquiry science learning centers. The real time tracking data of the ISS is good for online science projects in middle and high school science. A third option for integration of the space station in science teaching and learning is through the use of case studies and problem based learning around current and potential problems with the station.
Making Connections between Space Junk and Science Education
As the space station turns nears completion, with a life expectancy near 2020, the on going scientific research and threat from space junk provides near real time data for teachers and students to use in classroom. Education activities focusing on the space debris problem are ideal for problem based learning in science education.
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