Natural Sciences and Technology Grade 6 Term 4

Natural Sciences and Technology Grade 6 Term 4: Planet Earth and Beyond Systems to Explore the Moon and Mars (ppt 1)

Topic 5 Systems to Explore the Moon and Mars Spacesuits Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

Why does an astronaut wear a spacesuit? • • There is no air in space, so there is nothing to breathe. A spacesuit protects the body from cold and heat. It provides you with air to breathe. It is a machine, with air to breathe, water to drink, air conditioning and heating. • It even has a built-in toilet! • Spacesuits worn with backpacks that are rocket powered, allows the astronaut to fly around in space. Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

The first spacesuits • Invented 80 years ago. • Made of rubber and cloth, very bulky and stiff, which made it difficult to move around when wearing it. • The first NASA spacesuits were silver in colour to reflect the hot sun rays. • A built-in tube allowed the astronaut to go to the toilet. [They could not take off the spacesuit]. Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

Emblems on spacesuits • A mission patch is sewn onto every spacesuit. • It is sometimes designed by a crew member. Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

Suits that can fly in space • This spacesuit is attached to a rocket powered backpack called a Manned Manoeuvring Unit (MMU). • It has 24 tiny rocket motors which allows the astronaut to fly freely around in space, while being unattached to the spacecraft. Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

Suits that can fly in space • A camera is attached above the astronaut’s head - it enables the scientists on Earth to observe everything. • All the controls to fly the MMU are attached to the ends of the armrests. Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

Modern-day spacesuits • Astronauts do not wear space suits all the time. • They mostly wear blue overalls or even their own clothes when travelling in a Space Shuttle. • They only wear the white suits if they must go out into space to do experiments or fix a satellite. • Lately the orange ESS space Shuttle suit is worn for take off and landing for the crew’s protection and it can be spotted easily by a rescue team. Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

What is in a spacesuit? Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

What is in the back of a spacesuit? Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6

What is in the front of a spacesuit? Natural Sciences and Technology - Grade 6