Unearth your inner astronaut with NASA and the International Space Station
Who hasn’t daydreamed about what it would be like to explore the vastness of open space?
To navigate the stars, explore far off planets, and gaze in wonder and amazement at the sheer magnitude of universes yet to be explored.
Now, you can explore space without even leaving the house.
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NASA and the International Space Station (ISS) have joined forces to take you on an intergalactic virtual endeavor to teach you the ins and outs of what it genuinely involves being a real-life astronaut.
The two entities have developed a variety of fun and engaging programs and activities for children of all ages who are short on things to do while at home.
These activities include a training guide on how to become a home astronaut, how to build a hovercraft, how to make a straw rocket, and more.
“We know many students are learning at home right now, and hands-on activities are especially important to keep students engaged and learning,” ISS wrote on its website.
“Our network of ISS partners has pulled together dozens of no-cost activities for the whole family. After all, we are all in this together.”
The activities were designed by ISS partners and NASA to encourage students to remain creative, curious, and passionate about science by placing themselves in the role of an astronaut.
ISS announced the learn-from-home program in March to provide a light of hope in these particularly dark times, designed for children who do not fully understand all that is happening and are feeling anxious.
“I think of young people at home, feeling their world so suddenly tossed upside down, worried about their family and friends and their own futures,” Dan Barstow, ISS National Lab Education Manager, said in a blog post.
“In our goals for our work to offer learn-at-home opportunities for young people, we included the goal ‘inspire hope.'”
Barstow continues that the educational programs and activities convey a subtle but significant and universal message.
“Astronauts see the world from space and want to share its beauty and its wholeness,” he explains.
“They help young people see the power of the mysterious universe to pull us to explore.”