Humans have traveled beyond our planet since the mid-twentieth century. In 1957, Soviet scientists sent the dog Laika into space. Four years after that, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit our planet. Twelve years after Laika’s trip, two U.S. astronauts stepped on the moon. Traveling out of Earth’s atmosphere and to other destinations is a complex endeavor, whether we send humans or robots to explore. What are we learning about space travel as we go?
This collection of adapted research articles introduces students to research on space travel. Engage students with standards-matched adaptations, introductory video content, comprehension questions, and vocabulary to further the lesson outcomes. Each adapted article also comes with additional suggestions for activities to enhance the readers’ understanding and make the class more exciting.
1. What happens to astronauts’ DNA in space?
Abstract: Space is a really cool place. It is even becoming popular as a tourist destination! But space is also a dangerous place. Floating around sounds fun, right? But weightlessness can have negative impacts on human health. Think muscle and bone loss or vision problems. And exposure to cosmic radiation can actually damage our DNA. So, it is important to better understand how the human body responds to being in space. We studied DNA from the 2021 SpaceX Inspiration4 mission crew. We looked at it before, during, and after their 3-day trip to space. We were particularly interested in telomeres – the “end-parts” of chromosomes that protect the DNA. Telomere length relates to aging and the risk of other diseases. We found that telomeres got longer while the crew was in space. When the astronauts returned to Earth, telomeres quickly shortened. Exposure to cosmic radiation might have triggered this dynamic response. Keeping people safe from cosmic radiation is essential for any long-duration spaceflight. In the future we can use this information to help keep people healthy as we explore the cosmos.
This article is suitable for middle school and lower high school students. An audio version is available in English. This article includes a Lesson Idea video to engage students in modeling DNA with gumdrops.
- Key terms: genetics, molecular biology, space travel
- Scientific figures: bar graph, pictograph
- Scientific method: DNA sequencing, observation, PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
2. What can we learn from carbon on Mars?
Abstract: Mars is currently dry and cold and doesn’t have much of an atmosphere, but what was it like in the past? Did Mars ever have a climate or environment that could support life? Luckily, we have rovers on Mars that can help us investigate! We used the Curiosity Rover on Mars to sample the planet’s surface where there might have been a lake long ago. We looked at the carbon in our sample to see how much there was and where it came from. This could give us clues about what the environment was like and if there used to be organisms living in the area. Our data suggest that there is more carbon on Mars than we had expected. Most of the carbon came from meteorites and volcanic rock. We can’t rule out that it came from living things, but we need a lot more information to help us figure it out.
This article is suitable for middle school and high school students. This article offers both an upper reading level and lower reading level adaptation. An audio version is available in English, and a written translation is available in Spanish. This article also includes an Ask-A-Scientist interview with original research Dr. Jen Stern, who talked with us about life on Mars, the best space-related movies and dragon boat racing.
- Key terms: astronomy, dual reading level, molecular biology, physics, space travel
- Scientific figures: bar graph
- Scientific method: experiment, field study, mass spectrometry, proxy data
3. Can we use bacteria to make renewable rocket fuel?
Abstract: NASA’s space shuttle has to reach speeds of almost 18,000 miles per hour (29,000 kilometers per hour) in only 8.5 minutes. That’s necessary for it to reach outer space. That’s 300 times faster than a car traveling at 60 mph (97 km/h)! To reach these speeds, rockets need particularly high-energy fuels. It’s the same for airplanes and cargo ships, too. At the moment, these high-energy fuels are made using petroleum – a fossil fuel, and the leading cause of global climate change. So, there’s an urgent need for scientists to develop more sustainable high-energy fuels. We explored whether bacteria could make molecules we could turn into high-energy biofuels. We looked into bacterial DNA and used clever chemistry to produce new biofuels using Streptomyces bacteria. These “POP biofuels” seem to be even better (higher energy) than the current petroleum-made rocket fuels!
This article is suitable for elementary school, middle school, and high school students. This article offers both an upper reading level and lower reading level adaptation. Audio versions are available in English and Spanish, and a written translation is available in Spanish.
- Key terms: aviation, biotechnology, climate change, dual reading level, fuel, genetics, microbiology, renewable energy, space travel
- Scientific figures: bar graph, pictograph
- Scientific method: experiment, gene editing, PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
4. How can we predict bone loss in astronauts?
Abstract: Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Exploring outer space sounds exciting, and astronauts get to do that. However, going into space can lead to health problems. The lack of gravity has a negative impact on bones, called bone loss. Astronauts try to compensate for bone loss with a lot of exercise – both in space and on Earth. But even exercising doesn’t prevent bone loss in some cases. We wanted to find out what factors affect bone loss. We also wanted to find a way to predict bone loss in astronauts before spaceflight. We analyzed the leg and arm bones of 17 astronauts before and after a space mission. We also looked for markers of bone change in their blood and urine. We found out that bone loss happens quickly in space. The longer the space mission, the bigger the problem. More exercise before spaceflight predicted greater bone loss! Elevated markers of bone metabolism before flight also predicted greater bone loss.
This article is suitable for middle school and lower high school students. An audio version is available in English, and a written translation is available in Bulgarian. This article includes a Lesson Idea video to engage students in experimenting with bone densities using corn pop cereal.
- Key terms: gravity, metabolism, physics, space travel
- Scientific figures: line graph
- Scientific method: case study, CT, experiment, field study, representative sampling, risk analysis
5. Can we grow safe and nutritious food in space?
Abstract: Have your parents ever told you to eat your vegetables because they’re “good for you”? Well, vegetables have a lot of nutrients in them that are essential to a balanced diet. While you might get these foods at the store, astronauts rely on processed meals. We wanted to find out if there was a way to grow safe and nutritious salad crops on the International Space Station (ISS) to help supplement their diets. We used a growth chamber called Veggie to grow crops of red romaine lettuce over three different years. We found that our lettuce was safe to eat, although the nutrient content of our lettuce varied slightly each year. For future long-duration space missions, it will be important to make sure that astronauts can create the same growing conditions for every crop of salad.
This article is suitable for middle school and lower high school students. An audio version is available in English, and a written translation is available in Bulgarian. This article includes an Ask-A-Scientist video with original researcher Dr. Gioia Massa discussing what it is like to grow plants on a space station.
- Key terms: gravity, infectious diseases, nutrition, physics, plants, space travel
- Scientific figures: bar graph
- Scientific method: agricultural yield data, DNA sequencing, experiment
Title image is from NASA/JPL’s awesome student activity: Imagine You’re an Astronaut!
That’s Not All!
Check out our vetted collection of teaching activities about space, or browse all of our adapted research articles on Astronomy, Galaxy, and Space Travel.
