Do-It-Yourself Podcast: Topics

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STEM Disciplines Legend

S in a blue block denoting Science standards -- Science

T in a blue block denoting Technology standards -- Technology

E in a blue block denoting Engineering standards -- Engineering

M in a blue block denoting Mathematics standards -- Mathematics

Do-It-Yourself Podcast Topics

Exploration Careers

Two people dressed in spacesuits work in the desert

What kind of workers does it take to send humans to space? NASA astronauts, scientists, engineers and human resource specialists explain their jobs and give tips on how to work at NASA.

This module contains these resources:

A partial transcript of a speech by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.
17 video clips from human resource specialists.
22 video clips of other NASA experts who explain their jobs and how they came to NASA.
39 audio clips of NASA experts.
27 links to career-related images.

› Go to Exploration Careers E in a blue block denoting Engineering standards

Failure Prevention

The goal of every mission is success. But sometimes, when technology is being created or improved, a mishap occurs. So NASA deals with failure. It can even be part of the engineering design process. In this module, engineers and astronauts discuss how NASA plans for, prevents, analyzes and handles failure.

This module contains these resources:

19 video clips of experts talking about NASA and failure prevention.
Four video clips of rocket launch failure and successes.
Seven video clips show how NASA tests equipment to prevent failure.
16 audio clips, including the historic "Houston, we've had a problem."
27 links to failure and testing images.

› Go to Failure Prevention E in a blue block denoting Engineering standards

Recycling

Earth, the space station and the moon with a drop of water surrounded by the recycle symbol

Compare Earth's life support system with that of the International Space Station. In space, recycling is a necessity. A microbiologist who helped design the space station's life support system explains the importance of recycling in space and how it is accomplished.

This module includes these resources:

17 video clips of a scientist and astronaut explaining the methods of and reasons for recycling on the space station, including two clips from the first time astronauts drank from the space station’s new water processor.
Six b-roll clips, including animations of how urine is processed into water.
16 audio clips of experts discussing recycling on the station.
16 links to images related to recycling and Earth's water cycle.

› Go to Recycling E in a blue block denoting Engineering standards

Space Station

The International Space Station is the largest structure ever built off the planet. World-class scientific research that benefits all humanity takes place on the space station. In this module, experts describe the station and how the work done up there helps us down here.

This module contains these resources:

A page with 30 links to station-related sites.
13 video clips of a NASA scientist discussing the benefits of the space station.
11 video clips of an astronaut who has spent more than a year total in space.
11 video clips of an astronaut giving a tour of the space station.
Five video clips of astronauts living and working on the station.
25 audio clips of NASA experts talking about the space station.
40 links to station-related images and galleries.

› Go to Space Station E in a blue block denoting Engineering standards

Micro-g

Floating sphere of water with colorful candies inside

In microgravity (micro-g), you can do things that you can't do on Earth. That is why it is important to perform science experiments in space. Flames, liquids and the human body all respond differently to being in a microgravity environment.

This module contains these resources:

21 video clips of an engineer or astronaut explaining gravity and
micro-g.
34 video clips of micro-g experiments and floating astronauts.
20 audio clips of experts discussing microgravity.
30 links to microgravity-related images and image galleries.

› Go to Micro-g S in a blue block denoting Science standards

Rocket Science

Newton’s Laws of Motion help explain why rockets are able to launch. There are other basic scientific concepts to consider, such as center of gravity and center of pressure. The principles used to build a model rocket, a paper rocket or a plastic bottle rocket are the same as those NASA uses to build rockets that carry humans and cargo into space.

This module contains these resources:

16 video clips of a rocket scientist describing rocketry principles.
17 video clips that include rocket launches and animations of launches.
16 audio clips of a rocket scientist discussing rocketry concepts.

› Go to Rocket Science E in a blue block denoting Engineering standards

Fitness

Staying in shape is as important in space as it is on Earth. But on Earth, gravity puts a load on our muscles and bones to help us work out. In microgravity, muscles and bones easily weaken. Astronauts explain how and why fitness is important to them as they work out on the International Space Station.

This module contains these resources:

13 video clips of astronauts explaining and demonstrating exercise.
12 audio clips of astronauts explaining their workouts.
21 links to fitness-related images.

› Go to Fitness S in a blue block denoting Science standards

Lab Safety

Two students smile as they look into microscopes

The International Space Station is an orbiting science laboratory. Safety rules are important whether you work in the classroom or in space. Compare classroom lab safety to space station lab safety as an astronaut describes the rules that apply in his lab.

This module contains these resources:

10 video clips of an astronaut discussing lab safety on the station.
10 audio clips of an astronaut explaining lab safety on the station.
Four links to images related to lab safety.

› Go to Lab Safety S in a blue block denoting Science standards

Newton's Laws

See Newton’s Laws of Motion in a way that they are best understood -- without the effect of Earth’s gravity. A NASA astronaut explains and demonstrates Newton’s laws on the International Space Station.

This module contains these resources:

30 video clips of an astronaut explaining and demonstrating Newton’s laws.
18 audio clips of an astronaut explaining Newton's Laws.
Three links to images related to this module.

› Go to Newton's Laws S in a blue block denoting Science standards

Robots

Robots are becoming a part of everyday life. At NASA, robots help build vehicles and explore Earth and other worlds. A robotic engineer talks about robots and explains why they are important to NASA.

This module contains these resources:

11 video clips of a robotic engineer.
11 b-roll clips of different kinds of NASA robots.
11 audio clips from an interview of a robotic engineer.
19 links to pictures of different kinds of NASA robots.

› Go to Robots E in a blue block denoting Engineering standards

Solar Arrays

Electricity is vital for survival on the International Space Station. The life support systems are powered by electricity. The sun powers the space station. Eight solar arrays capture sunlight to produce 75 to 90 kilowatts of power.

This module contains these resources:

20 video clips of an astronaut on the space station as he explains how the station is powered.
Three video clips of the station orbiting Earth in and out of sunlight.
18 audio clips of an astronaut explaining station power.
30 links to images related to solar arrays and life support.

› Go to Solar Arrays T in a blue block denoting Technology standards

Spacesuits

Lee floating in space above a partial view of Earth

A spacewalk or extravehicular activity takes place when astronauts venture outside a spacecraft to work. To astronauts on a spacewalk, a spacesuit is like a personal spacecraft -- it provides what they need to keep them safe against the harsh elements of space.

This module contains these resources:

12 video clips of an astronaut and a cosmonaut on the space station discussing spacewalks and NASA and Russian spacesuits.
Seven b-roll video clips of spacesuit demonstrations and spacewalks.
Nine audio clips of an astronaut describing spacesuits.
10 links to spacesuit images and galleries.

› Go to Spacesuits T in a blue block denoting Technology standards

Sports Demo

Basketball, soccer ball, softball, baseball and golf ball grouped on a white surface

Imagine playing a sport without the constant tug of gravity. An astronaut on the International Space Station, with the help of Newton’s Laws of Motion, demonstrates what it might be like to play baseball, football and basketball in space.

This module contains these resources:

16 video clips of an astronaut explaining Newton’s laws and how they relate to sports.
11 audio clips of a space station astronaut describing how you might play sports in space.
10 links to images related to sports on the International Space Station.

› Go to Sports Demo