What’s your Space Height?
Your MissionHow tall are you? Are you sure you know the answer?
Studies show that the height of an astronaut increases approximately 3% over the first 3 to 4 days of weightlessness in space. As soon as astronauts return back to Earth, gravity pulls on them once again and astronauts will typically return to their pre-flight height in a short amount of time. In space, almost all of this height increase comes from changes in the spinal column, which affects body measurements such as sitting height, eye height, standing height, how space suits fit, and much
more.
more.
In this activity, your team will measure different body parts and explore how these measurements might change in space.
Skills
Measuring, Comparing, Teamwork
Learning Objectives
- Measure body for height, leg length and arm span
- Compare measurements
- Record observations about Earth vs. space height in the Mission Journal
Equipment
- Tape measure
- For students: Mission Journal and pencil
Time
15 minutes per class
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