Maintenance of the International Space Station

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/maintenance-of-the-international-space-station

1. What is the orbital velocity?
2. What is the first module launch?
3. What is the International Space Station and why does it need constant fixing?
4. How do astronauts repair things on the ISS?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the orbital velocity?Approximately 17,150 miles per hour (27,600 kilometers per hour)
2. What is the first module launch?Zarya module, launched November 20, 1998
3. What is the International Space Station and why does it need constant fixing?The ISS is a giant house in space made of many parts that astronauts and engineers keep working on, just like fixing toys, to make sure it stays safe and useful.
4. How do astronauts repair things on the ISS?They do spacewalks, wearing special suits called EMUs, and they are tied to the station while they replace batteries, fix cameras, or add new experiments.

Telemetry: Data transmitted from the space station to ground control about its status and performance.
Microgravity: The condition of near-weightlessness experienced in orbit, crucial for certain scientific experiments.
Extravehicular Activity (EVA): Any activity performed by an astronaut outside the space station, commonly known as a spacewalk.
Modular Design: A construction approach where the station is built from interconnected, independent units or modules.