Space Station Science: Life in Free Fall

Featuring an introduction from Buzz Aldrin, a former NASA scientist, reveals what life is really like in space, from living without day and night to the effect of no gravity on muscles, and includes photographs, a glossary, an index, and web site references.

Your kids may not be able to live and work in space (at least not yet), but they can learn what it is like for the astronauts who do. For example, most people know that astronauts experience weightlessness in orbit, but how many people know that a lack of gravity means more than dealing with simple inconveniences such as having to learn how to get dressed while floating? Many astronauts suffer from space sickness (which is similar to feeling nauseated after a carnival ride) until their bodies adjust to the new environment, a process that can take several days. No more sleeping curled up on the edge of the bed, either: in space all astronauts sleep in a floating posture, with their arms drifting in front of them. And at mealtimes they can't even sprinkle salt on their food, because the salt grains would float all around the cabin (they squirt on a liquid salt solution instead).

Weightlessness is only one of the subjects in Space Station Science. The book is divided into five sections: Getting There, Space Basics, Living in Space, Working in Space and Coming Home. Each is filled with wonderful descriptions, comments from astronauts, and amusing factoids. (Did you know that astronauts don't burp while in space?) Share some "Oh, wow" moments with your child as you read about the challenges of surviving in space, the solutions NASA is using to overcome these difficulties and why it's worthwhile going into space in the first place. The book also includes about a dozen hands-on activities, as well as suggestions on where to turn for more information.

Joan Silberlicht Epstein

Grade 5-8-"In space, a gallon of water costs as much as a house, you can't get any TV stations, and opening a window will kill you." Gathering information from astronauts and other scientists, Dyson takes readers through crew training and launch; covers physical necessities and hazards, including a detailed look at space toilets; describes the kinds of tasks and research that can be performed on a space station; then brings astronauts back to Earth for a study of the effects of an extended stay off-planet. Artfully mixing big questions ("If people stayed in space, would they end up as blobs?") with well-chosen scientific and personal details, Dyson at once excites and informs young readers. Clever, low-tech demonstrations and experiments elucidate physical principles. The illustrations include lucid cartoons and color photos, and a concluding list of Web sites will expedite further inquiry. Though the author only focuses on the U.S. and Russia and is weak on historical background, with the upcoming construction of the International Space Station, this consciousness raiser couldn't be better timed. A lively, up-to-date replacement for Don Berliner's Living in Space (Lerner, 1993) and Larry Kettelkamp's Living in Space (Morrow, 1993).
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.