DAILY 09-26-06 MD RE C13 CMYK KidsPost? (or dogmonauts) …astronaut’s back has oxygen, a battery,...
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CAREER TIPS Astronaut WHEN I GROW UP I Want to Be an . . . NASA has several safety features for spacewalkers. “If I fall off, I can pull myself back” with a tether reel, Sellers says. He also has an emergency jetpack. Astronauts use a pistol-grip power tool to remove or tighten bolts. Tether hooks hold the tools. (“Otherwise they would float away,” Sellers says.) So you want to be an astronaut? Here are some things you can do to prepare for your first space flight! Build Models Sellers says constructing models teaches how airplanes work, and putting something together is part of engineering. Stay in Shape “You don’t have to be Superman, but you have got to be fit” to get through training, Sellers says. Study Something You Enjoy Sellers stresses that all astronauts had other jobs before joining NASA. Visit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Located in Greenbelt, the center regularly offers programs for kids, including model-rocket launches the first Sunday of each month. For more information, go to www.nasa.gov/ centers/goddard/visitor/events. Learn to Fly Many astronauts are pilots before they go into space. Sellers flew gliders when he was 15. Astronauts by the Numbers If you want to be an astronaut, the best strategy probably is to be something else first. The 11 men and women accepted into the 2004 astronaut training class included teachers, fighter pilots, engineers and surgeons. Here are some interesting facts about the select group who make up the U.S. astronaut corps. There are 39 international astronauts in the U.S. space program; 21 are Russian cosmonauts. There are 321 current or former U.S. astronauts. Of those . . . . . . 43 are women. . . . 70 have not gone to space. . . . 40 were Eagle Scouts as kids. 13% 22% 12% Headlights and tiny cameras help colleagues in space and on the ground see what the spacewalker is doing. The box on the astronaut’s back has oxygen, a battery, radios and a cooling system. Piers Sellers working on the international space station during a 2002 shuttle mission. P iers Sellers says it feels like someone detonated a bomb be- hind his back. “The launch is very violent,” Sellers said. “In eight-and-a-half minutes you [go from] lying on your back in Flori- da to flying around the world [at] five miles per second.” In July, Sellers was one of six astro- nauts on the shuttle Discovery crew. It was his second trip into space, where he has spent more than 500 hours. He says that the feeling of being in space is “ex- traordinary” — even if it is hard to sleep and go to the bathroom up there. The Earth looks “beautiful,” Sellers, 51, said of the view. “It is blue and almost glow- ing it is so bright. The sun is bright white, and it moves fast.” The spaceship moves so quickly (17,500 miles per hour) that it orbits Earth every 90 minutes. But even with 16 sun- sets every 24 hours, the astronauts don’t get much sleep. While in space, astronauts work 18 to 19 hours a day and then catch a nap and start over. Sellers says he has a tough time get- ting shut-eye. Astronauts are tied in sleeping bags to keep them from floating. Sellers says it is like trying to sleep in bathwater. Going to the bathroom can be tough, too. There is only one bathroom on a spaceship, and it uses a big suction fan to gather everything. The suction fan can’t be too strong; otherwise it could hurt, so sometimes it isn’t strong enough to catch everything. “You don’t have gravity to help you,” Sellers said. “You’ve just got to be care- ful, because if you aren’t you have to clean it up.” As a kid in England, Sellers was fasci- nated by anything that could fly. He watched the British National Space Cen- tre (England’s equivalent of the U.S. space agency NASA) launch rockets on television, and he built models. At 15, Sellers started flying gliders. He moved to planes with engines two years later. “I thought, ‘Wow, that is great!’ ” Sell- ers said. “I wanted to be close to it, to the whole space-exploration business; it was exciting.” Sellers’s other interest is science, es- pecially the environment. In high school he took as many science classes as pos- sible, including biolo- gy, chemistry and physics. In college he majored in ecology (how living things in- teract with their envi- ronment) and then earned a graduate de- gree in the study of how living things influ- ence the weather. Before he went into space, Sellers flew all over the world to study global climate. In 1982 he moved to Greenbelt to continue studying Earth at Goddard Space Flight Center. Then, in 1996, when he was 41 years old, he was accepted into the as- tronaut training program. NASA se- lects people including scientists, pilots and doctors to spend two years train- ing to be astronaut candidates. At the end of two years, NASA decides whether someone will become an as- tronaut. “Stay in school and do something that really interests you,” Sellers ad- vises. “If you want to be an astronaut you have to be something else first.” — Amy Orndorff The Shuttle Offers Uncommon Views, But Some Everyday Activities Can Be Tough Between 1957 and 1966, the Soviet Union launched 13 dogs (or dogmonauts) into space. TODAY: Sunny. HIGH LOW 76 58 TOMORROW: Mostly sunny. High 76. Low 60. ILLUSTRATION BY KALIKA NOWLAKNA, 13, CENTREVILLE WEATHER TODAY’S NEWS Nutritious Food Fight: Vote for Your Favorite K What’s your favorite school lunch? School nutritionists — the people who try to make sure that your school lunch is healthy — want to know. The school lunch program has been around for 60 years, and about 100,000 public and private schools participate in it. That’s about 95 percent of schools around the country. whole-grain flour and low-fat cheese. K Ricky Chicken, chicken nuggets that are baked, not fried. K Rocco Taco, includes whole-wheat tortillas, beans, lettuce and tomatoes. K Sally Salad, includes vegetables, eggs, grilled meat and low-fat dressing. All choices include fruits, vegetables and milk to create a lunch that provides kids with a third of the vitamins, minerals and other good, nutritious stuff they need to stay healthy. The nation’s favorite lunch will be announced on Oct. 11, during National School Lunch Week. This is the last week for kids to vote for their favorite healthy school lunch. Kids can go to www.voteforschoollunch.org and choose among these candidates: K Heddi Spaghetti, made with whole-wheat pasta. K Pete Pizza, made with BY MELINA MARA—THE WASHINGTON POST The candidates include Sally Salad, left, Ricky Chicken and Pete Pizza. WRITE KIDSPOST, THE WASHINGTON POST, 1150 15TH ST. NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20071. K E-MAIL US AT [email protected] K FAX US AT 202-496-3780. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME, AGE, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER. The Washington Post R Tuesday, September 26, 2006 C13 SPEAK OUT THIS WEEK’S TOPIC Fly You to the Moon? Going into space sounds real- ly cool, but also probably a bit scary. And if you read today’s story about astronaut Piers Sell- ers, a little uncomfortable, too. So would you go? Go to www. kidspost.com and tell us: K Would you want to go into space? A. Yes, absolutely! B. No way! C. Not sure BY MARVIN JOSEPH — THE WASHINGTON POST Are you suited for space travel? Piers Sellers, left, has flown on two shuttle missions and spent more than 500 hours in space. Below (circled), he is wrapped up tight and wearing a sleep mask while resting on a 2002 mission. Lacking gravity, the space shuttle toilet has a suction fan. w w w . w a s h i n g t o n p o s t . c o m / k i d s p o s t Did you miss yesterday’s KidsPost? Check it out online. PHOTOS COURTESY NASA
Transcript of DAILY 09-26-06 MD RE C13 CMYK KidsPost? (or dogmonauts) …astronaut’s back has oxygen, a battery,...
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CAREER TIPS
AstronautWHEN I GROW UP
I Want to Be an . . .
NASA has several safety features for
spacewalkers. “If I fall off, I can pull myself
back” with a tether reel, Sellers says. He also has
an emergency jetpack.
Astronauts use a pistol-grip power tool to remove or tighten bolts.
Tether hooks hold the tools. (“Otherwise they
would fl oat away,” Sellers says.)
So you want to be an astronaut? Here are some things you can do to prepare for your fi rst space fl ight!
Build Models Sellers says constructing
models teaches how
airplanes work, and putting
something together is part
of engineering.
Stay in Shape“You don’t have to be
Superman, but you
have got to be fi t” to
get through training,
Sellers says.
Study Something You EnjoySellers stresses that all
astronauts had other jobs
before joining NASA.
Visit NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterLocated in Greenbelt, the center regularly offers
programs for kids, including model-rocket
launches the fi rst Sunday of each month.
For more information, go to www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events.
Learn to FlyMany astronauts
are pilots before
they go into space.
Sellers fl ew gliders
when he was 15.
Astronauts by the NumbersIf you want to be an astronaut, the best strategy probably
is to be something else fi rst. The 11 men and women
accepted into the 2004 astronaut training class included
teachers, fi ghter pilots, engineers and surgeons. Here are
some interesting facts about the select group who make up
the U.S. astronaut corps.
There are 39
international
astronauts in
the U.S. space
program; 21
are Russian
cosmonauts.
There are 321 current or former U.S. astronauts.
Of those . . .
. . . 43 are
women.
. . . 70 have
not gone to
space.
. . . 40 were
Eagle Scouts
as kids.
13% 22% 12%
Headlights and tiny cameras help
colleagues in space and on the ground
see what the spacewalker is
doing.
The box on the astronaut’s back
has oxygen, a battery, radios and a cooling system.
Piers Sellers working on the international space station during a 2002 shuttle mission.
P iers Sellers says it feels likesomeone detonated a bomb be-hind his back.
“The launch is very violent,”Sellers said. “In eight-and-a-half minutesyou [go from] lying on your back in Flori-da to flying around the world [at] fivemiles per second.”
In July, Sellers was one of six astro-nauts on the shuttle Discovery crew. Itwas his second trip into space, where hehas spent more than 500 hours. He saysthat the feeling of being in space is “ex-traordinary” — even if it is hard to sleepand go to the bathroom up there.
The Earth looks “beautiful,” Sellers,51, said of the view. “Itis blue and almost glow-ing it is so bright. Thesun is bright white, andit moves fast.”
The spaceship movesso quickly (17,500 milesper hour) that it orbitsEarth every 90 minutes.But even with 16 sun-sets every 24 hours, theastronauts don’t getmuch sleep. While inspace, astronauts work 18 to 19 hours aday and then catch a nap and start over.
Sellers says he has a tough time get-ting shut-eye. Astronauts are tied insleeping bags to keep them from floating.Sellers says it is like trying to sleep inbathwater.
Going to the bathroom can be tough,too. There is only one bathroom on aspaceship, and it uses a big suction fan togather everything. The suction fan can’tbe too strong; otherwise it could hurt, sosometimes it isn’t strong enough to catcheverything.
“You don’t have gravity to help you,”Sellers said. “You’ve just got to be care-ful, because if you aren’t you have to
clean it up.”As a kid in England, Sellers was fasci-
nated by anything that could fly. Hewatched the British National Space Cen-tre (England’s equivalent of the U.S.space agency NASA) launch rockets ontelevision, and he built models. At 15,Sellers started flying gliders. He movedto planes with engines two years later.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that is great!’ ” Sell-ers said. “I wanted to be close to it, to thewhole space-exploration business; it wasexciting.”
Sellers’s other interest is science, es-pecially the environment. In high schoolhe took as many science classes as pos-
sible, including biolo-gy, chemistry andphysics. In college hemajored in ecology(how living things in-teract with their envi-ronment) and thenearned a graduate de-gree in the study ofhow living things influ-
ence the weather. Before he went into
space, Sellers flew allover the world to study global climate. In1982 he moved to Greenbelt to continuestudying Earth at Goddard Space FlightCenter. Then, in 1996, when he was 41years old, he was accepted into the as-tronaut training program. NASA se-lects people including scientists, pilotsand doctors to spend two years train-ing to be astronaut candidates. At theend of two years, NASA decideswhether someone will become an as-tronaut.
“Stay in school and do somethingthat really interests you,” Sellers ad-vises. “If you want to be an astronaut youhave to be something else first.”
— Amy Orndorff
The Shuttle Offers Uncommon Views, But Some Everyday Activities Can Be Tough
DAILY 09-26-06 MD RE C13 CMYKC13CMYK
C13CMYK
Between 1957 and
1966, the Soviet
Union launched
13 dogs
(or dogmonauts)
into space.
TODAY: Sunny.
HIGH LOW
76 58TOMORROW:Mostly sunny. High 76. Low 60.
ILLUSTRATION BY KALIKA NOWLAKNA,
13, CENTREVILLE
WEATHER
TODAY’S NEWS
Nutritious Food Fight:Vote for Your FavoriteKWhat’s your favorite schoollunch?
School nutritionists — thepeople who try to make sure thatyour school lunch is healthy —want to know.
The school lunch program hasbeen around for 60 years, andabout 100,000 public and privateschools participate in it. That’sabout 95 percent of schoolsaround the country.
whole-grain flour and low-fatcheese.K Ricky Chicken, chicken
nuggets that are baked, not fried.K Rocco Taco, includes
whole-wheat tortillas, beans,lettuce and tomatoes.K Sally Salad, includes
vegetables, eggs, grilled meatand low-fat dressing.
All choices include fruits,vegetables and milk to create alunch that provides kids with athird of the vitamins, mineralsand other good, nutritious stuffthey need to stay healthy.
The nation’s favorite lunch willbe announced on Oct. 11, duringNational School Lunch Week.
This is the last week for kids tovote for their favorite healthyschool lunch. Kids can go towww.voteforschoollunch.organd choose among thesecandidates:K Heddi Spaghetti, made with
whole-wheat pasta.K Pete Pizza, made with
BY MELINA MARA—THE WASHINGTON POST
The candidates include Sally Salad,left, Ricky Chicken and Pete Pizza.
WRITE KIDSPOST, THE WASHINGTON POST, 1150 15TH ST. NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20071. K E-MAIL US AT [email protected] K FAX US AT 202-496-3780. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME, AGE, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.
The Washington Post R Tuesday, September 26, 2006 C13
SPEAK OUTTHIS WEEK’S TOPICFly You to the Moon?
Going into space sounds real-ly cool, but also probably a bitscary. And if you read today’sstory about astronaut Piers Sell-ers, a little uncomfortable, too.So would you go? Go to www.kidspost.com and tell us:
K Would you want to go intospace?
A. Yes, absolutely!B. No way!C. Not sure
BY MARVIN JOSEPH — THE WASHINGTON POST
Are you suited for space travel?
Piers Sellers, left, has flown on two shuttlemissions and spent more than 500 hours inspace. Below (circled), he is wrapped up tightand wearing a sleep mask while resting on a2002 mission.
Lacking gravity, the spaceshuttle toilet has a suction fan.
ww
w.w
ash in gtonpost.co
m
/kidspost
Did you missyesterday’s KidsPost?
Check it outonline.
PHOTOS COURTESY NASA
Proofed by: moorescott Time: 14:04 - 09-25-2006 Separation: C M Y K HIGH-RES PROOF. IMAGES ARE RIPPED. FULL PROOF INTEGRITY.Product: DAILY LayoutDesk: STY PubDate: 09-26-06 Zone: MD Edition: RE Page: KIDPST
