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Life on Earth
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Space Exploration
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What does Earth have that supports life?
Atmosphere - The earth has a protective atmosphere made of different gasses. It helps regulate our temperature and is rich in oxygen.
Distance from the sun - We are in the "Goldilocks Zone," meaning we're not too close to the sun and not to far from it either. This makes our temperature juuuuuuust right for liquid water. Water - Earth has abundant water, which all living things need to survive. Gravity - Earth's gravity is strong enough to hold our atmosphere and water in place, but not so strong as to crush us beneath our own weight. |
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How have we adapted in space?Sleeping - When we sleep, we don't move around much because of gravity. But on the space station, astronauts have to strap their sleeping bags to a surface so they don't float around while they are sleeping.
Brushing your teeth - With the number of important (and expensive) electronics on the space station, it's important to not have liquids floating around. They brush their teeth using the least amount of water possible... and then have to swallow it! Using the Bathroom - Remember what we just said about floating liquids? They had to invent specialized toilets that had a vacuum system. The airflow keeps everything... moving. Eating - NASA's website says it best: "How would you feed a crew of six astronauts on an 80-million-mile, three-year mission to Mars, where there are no grocery stores, gardens, farms, fertile soil or resupply vehicles?" Since there is nowhere to get food out in space, astronauts have to bring large amounts of food with them. Exercise - Think about it... most of the exercises we do rely on gravity. Jogging, lifting weights, sports... all of these wouldn't provide the same kind of exercise if there wasn't any gravity. |
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