All About Astronauts On Mars! | #AskAbby Homeschool Edition | The Mars Generation | Season 3 | Episode 2

Season 3, Episode 2 of The #AskAbby Space and Science Show: Homeschool Edition

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

All About Astronauts On Mars

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In the second episode of the #AskAbby Space and Science Show: Homeschool Edition, host and aspiring astronaut Abby ‘Astronaut Abby’ Harrison dives into what her dream of being an astronaut going to Mars would realistically look like. There are definitely a lot of puzzles to solve before reaching this exciting, new stage of space exploration! Note Abby is NOT an astronaut, she is an aspiring astronaut.

In this episode, Abby answers questions posed by David Phillips’ 7th grade students at Greenbrier Middle School in Georgia, USA: What would you want to look for on Mars and what personal item would you bring with you from Earth? To survive on Mars, what does a space suit have to be made of Do astronauts really have their whole meal in one food pellet? How do astronauts get air in space? Would an astronaut get claustrophobic in their sleeping quarters in the space station?

Transcription of “All About Astronauts on Mars”

ABBY
Hi everyone and welcome to #AskAbby: Homeschool Edition! This is a new series of #AskAbby, focused on providing resources–and of course, some of those all-important bad puns and space jokes–to students who are now doing distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Each episode will feature questions submitted by students from all over the world.

This episode features questions submitted by 7th grade students at Greenbrier Middle School in Georgia, U.S., and is focused completely on Mars.

*SHOW INTRO*

ABBY
Question number one:
What would you want to look for on Mars, and what personal item would you bring with you from Earth?

I’m a little biased here because my past research has been in astrobiology, or the search for life not on Earth. And so to me, going to Mars, the thing I’ll be most excited about looking for would be life. Getting to explore all the areas of Mars that we haven’t quite reached yet, and looking for life that might be there.

As far as personal item, I would want to bring something that both can help to keep my mind and body occupied, and give me an emotional connection back to humanity. And for me, that thing would be a musical instrument. I love to play music and I think it’s something that really helps me to feel connected to a lot of other people here on Earth because so many of us love music, whether it’s listening to it, playing it, or anything else.

So now I’ll ask YOU. Everyone watching: if you were going to Mars, what would you be most excited to look for or to discover? And also, if you were going to Mars, what personal item would you bring with you from Earth? Go ahead and let me know in the comments.

ABBY
Question number two:
To survive on Mars, what would your suit have to be made of?

It’s a good question. So, when you’re thinking about space suits, there are five main things to keep in mind here, and there’s a handy acronym for them. It’s called SPORT.

So the “S” in SPORT stands for space debris, little pieces of junk that are zooming through space at really high speeds that could pierce your space suit, so you need to have lots of different layers in your space suit. Any one layer or any one type of material won’t be enough to protect you from that. So that’s the “S.”

The next letter in SPORT is “P,” which stands for pressure. Obviously you’re going to be at a different pressure when you’re on Mars versus when you’re on Earth. Mars has about 1/100th of Earth’s atmosphere, which means that it has a much lower pressure, which means that you need to have your space suit pressurized to protect you from that.

The next part of the acronym… S…P…“O” stands for oxygen. Your space suit needs to both be able to either carry or connect to an oxygen container of some sort, and then also hold oxygen inside of it for you to breathe, and then circulate oxygen, and carbon dioxide when you breathe it out, through the suit, and dispose of the carbon dioxide.

After that is the “R,” which stands for radiation. There are certain types of materials that are better at protecting against radiation than others. And those are really important when you’re on Mars, because when you’re on Mars you don’t have a handy magnetic field like Earth does, protecting you from radiation. Earth, we don’t have to worry so much about radiation because we have this protection around us. When you’re on Mars, you are constantly vulnerable to radiation, and so you need to have a suit that’s built to protect you.

And finally, the last letter in our acronym SPORT is “T”: temperature. So yeah, the temperature’s quite different on Mars. Sometimes when you’re near the equator, and it’s the height of the Martian summer, it can get up to about 70°F, which sounds nice and toasty, nice and, like, you could be wearing shorts and flip flops or whatnot. But the temperature is actually only like that for very, very small amounts of time. And because Mars doesn’t have an atmosphere, even if the temperature is nice during the day when the sun’s out, when the sun sets, it drops really rapidly and really quickly, and you need to have a space suit that’s able to protect you from those kinds of temperature changes.

So in order to do all of this, to protect astronauts from all of those five things in the SPORT acronym, as well as lots of other dangers of space and of being on Mars, NASA in the past and for future space suit versions, has looked at teflons, polyurethanes, carbon fibers, and lots of other different materials. And at this point, we really don’t know what the space suit of the future will look like.

Question number three:
Do astronauts really have their whole meal in one food pellet? And if so, how does it taste?

That’s not true — anymore. It used to be that astronauts’ options of what they could eat in space were really limited and not very tasty. Thankfully, after decades and decades of having people in space, and having all kinds of research go on, food in space has gotten a lot better. There are actually whole teams of people here on Earth who are working to try and figure out how they can make food in space as close to food here on Earth as possible. Not only does this help with nutrition and other things for astronauts, but a big part of why that’s important is that if food is delicious and interesting and like it is at home, then astronauts don’t get something called “Menu Fatigue,” or they don’t start to feel disconnected from being home, which is something that’s really hard when you’re in space to not feel, and food can help.

So to answer how, if they’re not eating food out of a pellet or squeezed out of a tube, how can astronauts get their food in space? Well, the answer is through a couple different ways. It can be freeze dried, it can be frozen, it can be treated with various chemicals to make it more shelf stable, it can be dehydrated. And then there are some foods that are just naturally pretty good to take to space.

Think about the kinds of things you’d want to take with you camping–something that won’t spoil while you have it, and that’s easy to eat, that’s not going to get crumbs everywhere, which in space is a problem because of microgravity. If you have crumbs they might float off into an electrical panel, they might end up getting stuck somewhere and forgotten about and eventually mold and smell bad. Or a crumb from your sandwich or something might even end up going up one of your astronaut buddy’s noses, and that’s not fun for anybody.

So they’re very careful about the types of foods that they send up with astronauts. But nowadays, those types of food, thanks to technologies like freeze drying and such, are really broad-ranging, and an astronaut’s diet in space looks almost just like yours and mine does here on Earth.

*Abby looks up at food floating around her* Hey! Microgravity’s stealing my lunch again!

Question number four:
I know astronauts get air from the air tanks, but where do the people who stay up there for a year get air from? Do they just stock up on air on Earth, or do they make more in space?

That’s a good question to ask, and the answer is actually both things that you already brought up. Astronauts, or the people who are planning the missions that the astronauts are on, make sure to send up plenty of oxygen with the astronauts for them to breathe. And then they use a really, really good recycling system to make sure that after the astronauts have breathed in that oxygen and breathed it out, it gets collected and it gets cleaned and turned back into usable oxygen again.

So they bring it with them, they recycle everything that they bring, but sometimes they end up also having to make more. And the way they do this is through electrolysis. Electrolysis is when you run a current of energy through water, and as one of the components of that, you get oxygen. Now water is H2O, and if you break up the H’s and the O’s in water, you end up with free O’s, or oxygen.

Question number five:
Would you get claustrophobic in your sleeping quarters in space?

As an astronaut, all of your time in space is going to be in pretty tight quarters. And so if you get claustrophobic, space might just not be the best place for you. But if you don’t, you shouldn’t have any problems with your sleeping quarters or anywhere else.

Today we learned a lot about what it would be like to be an astronaut on a journey to Mars! We learned things about what they’ll eat to what they’ll wear, and even how they’ll breathe. But what we also learned is that there are still a lot of puzzles to be solved before we can put anyone on the Red Planet.

If you have an idea what astronauts might wear or use, on the journey to or on the surface of Mars, feel free to go ahead and draw it, and send it to me either through Twitter with the hashtag #AskAbby, or through the email linked below. And hey – your space-tastic design might get featured!

Thanks for watching, and until next time keep safe, keep healthy and keep learning. So long fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

Season 3, Episode 1 of The #AskAbby Space and Science Show: Homeschool Edition

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

All About Astronauts: From Training to Living in Space

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In the Season 3 premiere of #AskAbby Space and Science Show: Homeschool Edition, host and aspiring astronaut Abby ‘Astronaut Abby’ Harrison breaks down all aspects of being an astronaut! From what it takes to get to space from earth Earth to what some of the challenges are when you’re in space, Abby will discuss the exciting (and dually scary) reality of being an astronaut! Note Abby is NOT an astronaut, she is an aspiring astronaut.

In this episode, Abby answers questions posed by 6th grade math and science students from Marissa Elementary School located in Marissa, Illinois, USA: How long do you have to go to school? How do astronaut’s sleep in space? Do you know how many people went to space? How many days are astronauts up there for? How heavy are the space suits? Is there anything about being an astronaut that scares you? Do you ever get scared thinking about going into space? How long are astronauts in training?

Transcription of All About Astronauts

ABBY
Hi everyone and welcome to AskAbby: Homeschool Edition. This is a new series of AskAbby focused on providing resources and of course, some of those all important bad puns and space jokes, to students who are now doing distance learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Each episode will feature questions submitted by students from all over the world.

This episode will feature questions from 6th grade students at Marissa Elementary School, and is focused on all things being an astronaut.

*Show Intro*

The first question is: How long do you have to go to school to become an astronaut?

And the short answer to that question is basically a really really long time. Why’s that? Well, because the most current requirements, or most recent requirements from NASA, to apply to become an astronaut, include that you have to have a Master’s degree in a STEM or STEM-related field. And, to be honest, most astronauts who get selected have a PhD as well.

So when you think about it, you’re starting out in Kindergarten – that’s one year. Then you do all the way first grade through 12th grade – that’s another 12 years. Then you have to go do your undergraduate program, which is about 4 years. And then a Master’s degree, which is maybe 2 years. And then you could start applying, but you probably will want to get your PhD before you get accepted, so that’s another 4-6 years. And when you add all of that up, it adds up to about somewhere between 17 and 25 years. I hope you like school!

Question number two: How do astronauts sleep in space?

Well, astronauts have to strap themselves into a sleeping bag, and then strap that to a wall or the ceiling or the floor. Because if they didn’t, and they were in microgravity, they’d just be floating around, and they could bump into something, they could bump into a science experiment, or maybe even one of their crew mates. No one wants that to happen.

So, they go ahead and they sleep in things that are kind of like mummy sleeping bags. And really important that they strap their arms into the sleeping bag as well, because let’s say your body’s in a sleeping bag but your arms are out. If you’re not in gravity, while you’re sleeping your arms are going to float up to about here, and that’s really disconcerting to wake up to zombie arms. Whooooo.

Question number three: Do you know how many people have gone to space?

Yes, I do know how many people have gone to space, and the answer is 566 people have gone to space since 1961.

Although, is that the answer? There might be some wiggle room around that number 566. And the wiggle room comes from the definition of what counts as outer space. The internationally recognized definition of the boundary between Earth and space actually comes from the Federation Astronautic International, and is defined as being 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, above Earth.

However, the department of defense from the United States has a different definition. They define it as being 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, off of the surface of Earth, which means that there are a couple people – about 10, actually – who didn’t launch any rockets, but instead were flying airplanes. Test pilots flying airplanes, who went higher than 50 miles above the Earth’s surface, and were awarded astronaut badges by the U.S. government.

One of the interesting things to think about here, whether you define the boundary of space as being 50 miles or 60 miles, as it more commonly is defined, is that the International Space Station, which is where our astronauts currently are, and have been for about the last 20 years, is roughly 5 times farther away than that “boundary” of space. The International Space Station is 250 miles away from Earth, which means that our astronauts who are currently up there are a lot farther than some of the early astronauts back in the ‘60s were going.

Question number 4: How many days are you up there for?

Well, it really just depends on the mission itself and the mission parameters. For example, the longest continuous time spent in space by one person was 438 days by Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov. 438 days – that’s a really long time to be up essentially in, like, a tin can. Do you think that you could do it? Think about it.

On the other hand, the shortest amount of time spent in space was by American astronaut Alan Shepard, who was only up there for 15 minutes, which isn’t even enough time for one full orbit of the Earth. I think I’d be a little dissatisfied with just 15 minutes, but I don’t know.

And who knows? In the near future the answer to this question might change drastically. Once we start doing missions to Mars, and potentially elsewhere in our solar system, we’ll be spending a lot more time than 400 or 438 days in space.

Question number five: How heavy are the space suits?

Super heavy. But if you want to know a real number, the answer is about 280 pounds. That seems like it would be way too heavy for one person to wear, let alone wear for up to 6 or 8 or even 10 hours to do a spacewalk. And you’re right, that would be way too heavy.

But here’s the thing–space suits were made for space. And that means that when they’re in space, they don’t weigh that 280 pounds anymore. Just like how an astronaut is in space and floats in microgravity, the space suit that they’re wearing, again, it’s in microgravity, it doesn’t weigh anything. Or, if they were wearing it on the surface of the Moon, it would only weigh about 46.5 pounds because the Moon has so much less gravitational pull than Earth does. Now I think 46.5 pounds sounds a lot more manageable than 280 pounds, don’t you?

Question number 6: Is there anything about being an Astronaut that scares you? Or do you ever get scared thinking about going into space?

This is a really good question and I’m glad that it was asked. And my answer to that, to both of them actually, is yes, absolutely. Being an astronaut can be really scary, and thinking about going to space, that’s also scary. Space is really dangerous. It’s one of the most inhospitable places for humans. There’s no oxygen, there’s all kinds of radiation, there’s crazy temperature fluctuations. Really, so much in space, not even counting getting to and coming back from space, is really dangerous for humans. And that does scare me.

But, then again, roller coasters also scare me, and I still go on those. And I’m sure that you can think of something that scares you as well that you still do, regardless of being scared. And for me that’s what space is like, is knowing that it’s dangerous. Knowing that yes, I do feel fear when I think about it sometimes. But also knowing that it’s more worthwhile to do, and more important to me, than my fears are.

So in the long run, that overcomes fear.

And finally, question number seven: How long are you in training for?

Well, the answer is two years – to start with, that is. Once you’re selected as an astronaut, you’re actually known as an astronaut candidate, and you spend two years doing all kinds of basic training that will be related to being an astronaut or going to space. Once you finish those two years of more basic training, and if you get assigned to a mission to go to space, you usually spend about two more years doing mission-specific training, where you learn and practice all of the intricacies and details related to your particular mission.

To me, being an astronaut seems like the coolest job in the world. And apparently, it seems like the coolest job–meow, meow, meow–in the world to Cupcake the Rodent Slayer as well. Or even the coolest job in the universe?

And I hope after learning all the things such as training, studying, and even how different it is to sleep in space from here on Earth, that you think it’s a really cool job too. And also that we can understand now why only a little bit over 550 people have ever gone to space.

But with increasing innovation and technology, pretty much every single day, I hope that more and more people can go to space in the very near future. And who knows? Maybe one of those people who can explore the mysterious and exciting world of outer space is you.

*To cat* or you, Space Kitty.

CUPCAKE THE RODENT SLAYER
*Purrs*

ABBY
Yeah, sounds like a yes to me.

Thanks for watching, and until next time, keep safe, keep healthy, and keep learning. So long fellow travelers of spaceship Earth.

Season 2, Episode 14 of The #AskAbby Space and Science Show

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

“Abby, what are some of your favorite questions asked?”

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

While here at The Mars Generation we love tackling space/science topics, in the final episode of #AskAbby Season Two, we have something special in store! Please join our co-founder and president, aspiring astronaut Abigail Harrison, aka Astronaut Abby, for a special episode in which we acknowledge the best (and worst; we’ll let you decide) questions submitted to The #AskAbby Space and Science Show!

Watch to find out: What were the wackiest, most out-of-this-world questions? What question was so complicated even Abby had trouble answering? Which questions make us concerned for the public school system? Either way, we’re grateful for all of the questions asked of us! Now, be prepared to think, laugh, and scratch your head in our final episode of Season Two of the #AskAbby Space and Science Show!

Tune in on Tuesdays for new releases of The #AskAbby Space and Science Show! To submit a question to #AskAbby go to ► http://bit.ly/2DfPz7b

Transcription of Best/Worst Questions

ABBY
“Abby, is space good for your back, or bad for your . . . digestion?”

Uhhhhh….

*SHOW INTRO*

ABBY
Hi everyone, I’m Astronaut Abby, an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first person to walk on Mars! Welcome to Ask Abby, where I answer questions about space and science submitted by you, the viewers!

I will say though, we’ve gotten some pretty…interesting questions submitted by some of our viewers.

So today, I’m going to be answering the BEST questions and the WORST questions that we’ve received. AKA why we need to fund the science programs at public schools more.

No? I can’t say that? *Sighs* network censorship.

Anyways, which questions are the best and which are the worst? Well, I’ll leave that up to you guys to decide in the comments down below! Let’s get started!

Ahem, alright.

“Abby, suppose we planted a huge amount of trees on Mars in greenhouses..” Good forethought. “Then the trees have grown big. What would happen if we opened all the greenhouses around Mars at the same time?”

So, while I like where this question is going, the idea’s a little bit off. Terraforming is a really really long process; we’re talking hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of years. And so, just planting a ton of trees and then opening a greenhouse up really wouldn’t work. You’d just kill all the trees, and then you’d be back where you started?

“Why don’t Astronauts experience gravity in space?”

*stares at camera*

Well, you know what, actually they do. In space, there’s something called microgravity, so gravity still exists, it’s just so, so, so, so, so miniscule that astronauts don’t experience it almost at all. It’s imperceptible. Ha, just ask Sandra Bullock.

*Plays clip of Sandra Bullock in movie “Gravity”*
MATT KOWALSKI
Houston, I’ve lost visual of Dr. Stone!

“Is the salvation of humanity in space exploration?”

I don’t really know if the salvation of humanity is anywhere. I mean, there are more fake flamingos in the world than real ones. Like, that’s our fault–we did that. I don’t know if that’s forgivable. We may be beyond saving.

“Why do you suppose more people are more interested in studying Mars and possibly colonizing Mars rather than studying and considering colonizing Europa, or one of the Moons of Jupiter, that is deemed more suitable for sustaining life?”

To be honest, when we look at it from a scientific perspective there are really two answers to this. The first one is that there are a lot of different opinions in the scientific community of what’s a more suitable place for life, what’s more habitable. And the second one is that it really comes down to distance. It only takes 130-300 days to get to Mars, whereas it would take 6 years to get to Europa. That alone makes Mars a much more reasonable first foray into interplanetary travel.

“So basically, would there be a theoretical limit to how much the universe could expand, due to the fact that there is a “set” amount of matter in the universe and (I don’t exactly know how to word this next part to be honest) but gravity exists (meh).”

*Abby laughs*

So first off, I really like that question and appreciate it because I can strongly relate to ending sentences with ‘meh.’

But to answer it, theoretically yes? Because we know that matter can neither be destroyed nor created, there is a set amount of matter within the Universe. And some theories do hold that once all of that matter has expanded, it will eventually collapse in on itself as well.

But as always, take this theory with a grain of salt, because there are a lot of conflicting ideas about it.

Haha okay, so…buckle down for this question and listen up.

“If the universe has no stationary objects as reference and time slows down the faster you move – how could humans make an appointment to meet aliens at a particular time and exact x/y/z location in space?”

Ummm…Can I call a friend on this one?

Okay, so I’ll admit, this is a hard question to answer. Go ahead and comment down below with your ideas on it. And who knows, maybe you’ll be featured in a future episode of AskAbby.

“Abby, do you believe you have your own celestial mansion residence in that celestial city in the Heavens as was spoken of in the Bible? Given all the photos taken of the celestial heavens and space, where would you speculate that celestial city might be located?”

Uhh… Pluto I guess? That’s as good an answer as any…right? Yeah, we’ll go with that.

And now…

“For someone with a degree in astrobiology, what function would you have as one of the first humans to set foot on Mars? What is your friend Emily majoring in?”

Emily, care to answer?

EMILY
*hesitantly walks in, chuckling nervously* Good question…

ABBY
Guys, she’s just a sophomore. Plenty of time.

But also Emily, what are you majoring in?

“Are there spiders in space?”

*hears a scream off-camera*

EMILY
I hope not!!

ABBY
Well, I’m very sorry Emily, but right now, the answer is actually yes.

*Plays clip from Harry Potter*

RON WEASLEY
*whimpering* Why spiders? Why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies?

ABBY
Much to many people’s dismay, during the Shuttle program, NASA actually sent two Golden Orb spiders to the International Space Station named Gladys and Esmerelda. This was so that they could observe how they spun webs without gravity. If you ever want to have a terrible nightmare, imagine being out on a space walk and seeing one of those VENOMOUS spiders crawl across your face plate…on the inside…You’re welcome.

EMILY
Abby!!

ABBY
Muahahaha

EMILY
*cries*

ABBY
Hey, if I have to have nightmares about it, so do all of you.

EMILY
I already do!!

ABBY
I actually think spiders are cool.

But come on, even spiders in space– that can’t be much worse than Australia, right?

*Cuts back to Harry Potter clip*

RON WEASLEY
Can we panic now?

ABBY
“Do you believe that NASA has already sent a manned mission to the Jupiter moon Europa and have already set up a base camp there? Why is it not common knowledge and who knows the absolute real truth?”

No, because they haven’t. But… *mouths secretly* me, obviously.

And finally, last but not least…

“Is the speed of light at the time of big bang, it was faster than the today in speed?”

Well, no, it wasn’t faster. The speed of light is 3.0 X 10^8 m/s. And it’s a constant, which means that it doesn’t change.

Well, that’s all the time we have today for #AskAbby. Thank you all so much for joining me for this special segment of The Mars Generation’s Space and Science Show. And a big thank you to everyone who has sent in questions, whether or not they’ve been featured or answered on the show.

And as a special portion of this episode, if you have an answer to any of the questions that were asked, please go ahead and comment it down below.

As always, make sure to give us a Thumbs Up if you liked this episode, and subscribe so that you don’t miss any of our awesome episodes in the future.

Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

–BLOOPERS–

EMILY
Yayyyy

ABBY
Yayyy

EMILY
Is that a wrap?

ABBY
That’s a wrap–

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
“Abby, why do astronauts wear socks in space?”

Because they’re fun, obviously.

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
I just want to say “celestial” one more time.

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
… 3 x 10^8. Okay so my favorite part of this question is that, having just read it out loud again, Emily asked me.. “Wait, right?”

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
–travelers of space ship.. *catches globe* Earth.

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
Once you put two or three layers of newspaper papier-mâché, you’ll want to go ahead and– *Abby slams table exasperatedly*

NICOLE
Hahahahah

EMILY
Just keep going!

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
*Placing beard on her face* Okay… My face was not made for a beard.

Once your papier-mâché has dried. God, why do I have an accent?

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
*Throws popcorn in air and tries to catch it in her mouth*
*Fails*

Hahahaha, apparently I just can’t do this.

I have a lot of talents, this isn’t one of them.

*Cut to new scene*

ABBY
Fellow travelers– *Abby braces herself for globe*
*Walks off camera*

EMILY
Sorry, sorry.

I want to throw the tardigrade.

THE END

 

Season 2, Episode 13 of The #AskAbby Space and Science Show

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

Abby, why is Mars your favorite planet?

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In the 13th episode of Season Two of #AskAbby, please join aspiring astronaut Abigail Harrison, aka Astronaut Abby, as she answers the question, “Abby, why is Mars your favorite planet?” Abby would probably need a whole season just to answer that question alone, but find out her Top 10 Reasons why Mars is the most interesting planet in the solar system. Hold on to your socks, (especially if they’re fun ones), because this episode has a lot in store!

Includes answers to questions including: What color are sunsets on Mars? Where is the tallest mountain in the solar system? What is the weather on Mars like? How does the Valles Marineries compared to the Grand Canyon? What makes Mars red? What crazy legal battle happened in 1997? How will Mars someday look like Saturn? How cool is Mars *literally*? And most importantly, why is Mars the most likely candidate for finding life in our solar system?

Tune in on Tuesdays for new releases of The #AskAbby Space and Science Show! To submit a question to #AskAbby go to ► http://bit.ly/2DfPz7b

Transcription of Top 10 Cool Facts About Mars

ABBY
Why should we go to Mars next? Well, basically because Mars is the closest planet to Earth that’s not a flaming ball of gas. Venus, I’m looking at you.

But also because Mars is super interesting and has a lot to offer! So hold on tight to your socks (*Abby reveals funny socks*), because I’m comin’ at you with the 10 coolest facts about Mars!

*Show Intro*

ABBY
Hi everyone! I’m Astronaut Abby, an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first person to walk on Mars! Welcome to #AskAbby, where I answer questions about space and science submitted by you, the viewers!

The question for this episode is, “Abby, what makes Mars so interesting?”

If there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I love to talk about Mars. So let’s get into it! I’ll be counting down 10 cool facts about Mars. Make sure to watch until the very end to see my favorite.

10. Mars has some of the worst dust storms in our entire solar system. They can cover the entire planet and last for weeks on end.

However, because of Mars’ extremely thin atmosphere, the storms aren’t actually that strong. So you know that scene in The Martian where they get blown around by the dust storm? Sorry to tell you, not super accurate. But it does make for a great plot point.

So why does Mars have these extreme dust storms? Well, it’s mostly due to the orbital pattern that Mars follows, but there are also other factors at play, like temperature, pressure, and the size of dust particles on Mars’ surface.

9. Even though Mars is much smaller than Earth, the two planets actually have the same land mass. This is because Earth has oceans on its surface, whereas Mars doesn’t.

8. I’m sure you’ve all seen sunsets here on Earth, whether it’s outside or on your Instagram feed (hey, no shame). However, sunsets on Mars are on a whole ‘nother level…and that’s because they’re blue!

Pretty cool, right? The atmospheric pressure on Mars is much lower than that on Earth, which causes light rays to scatter differently. You can go check out our episode about how light forms to learn more about the science of light and its color.

7. Sometimes it’s colder in Minnesota than it is on the surface of Mars. As someone who’s lived in Minnesota, I can tell you that that’s very true.

Let me tell you a story. Back in 2016 winter in Minnesota, the temperature dropped to -42℉. I was there, it was terrible.

However, the temperature on Mars actually ranges from -195℉ up to 70℉, which means that there were places on Mars that were literally a tropical vacation compared to being in Minnesota. *In Minnesotan accent* Oh yeah, you betcha Minnesota. Or should I say . . . Minne-snow-ta.

But guess what? Minnesota is Minne-so-tired of my puns.

6. Have you ever wondered how the Red Planet got its signature red color? Well, it’s actually because Mars is covered in a layer of rust, or as scientists call it: iron oxide.

The reason that Earth isn’t covered in rust is because in the early stages of Earth’s development, the planet actually reached temperatures that were high enough to melt the iron oxide into molten iron. I guess that Mars was just . . . too cool. (*Ba dum ching*)

Almost all of the red iron oxide on Mars was formed many, many, many millenia ago, back when Mars had enough water on its surface to turn iron into rust. That said, there’s not as much iron on the surface as you would think. Dig down just a couple centimeters and you’ll find good ol’ brown dirt.

5. One day, Mars will have a ring around it. This is because one of Mars’ moons, Phobos, is going to be torn apart in about 20-40 million years, turning it into a ring.

*Singing to the tune of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”* Goodbye Phobos, Mars is gonna put a ring on it. Sorry Phobos, Mars is gonna put a ring on it.

4. Mars has the tallest known volcano and second tallest mountain in our entire solar system.

Olympus Mons is a shield volcano that formed billions of years ago, and is 21 km tall (or 13 miles), and 600 km wide (or 373 miles).

But not only does Mars have an extremely large mountain, it also, on the flipside, has an extremely deep canyon.

Which leads us to number three.

3. Mars is home to the Valles Marineris, which puts our Grand Canyon to shame.
The Valles Marineris is five times deeper, four times wider, and 20 times longer than our Grand Canyon.

Since it’s so wide, sometimes Valles Marineris Snapchats the Grand Canyon and is like, “Hey man, do these pants make me look wide?” And the Grand Canyon, being the kind soul that it is, replies “Nahh, you’re fine!”

2. In 1997, NASA was sued by three men for invading Mars. The men claimed that they had inherited Mars from their ancestors 3,000 years ago and therefore, owned it as private property.

You know what? Emily, call my lawyer! I’m calling dibs on Pluto! Even if it’s not a planet, I still love you Pluto.

But, back to the case. To no one’s surprise, they did not win ownership over Mars.

And finally, number one!

1. To cap it all off…Mars is the only planet in our solar system other than Earth that has ice caps! While one of Mars’ ice caps is made mostly of frozen CO2, the other one is made mostly out of water!

So if any planet on our solar system other than Earth were to have life, or have had life, Mars is a pretty good candidate because it has water. I think that the potential for having life is what makes Mars really stand apart from the other planets.

So if you didn’t already think that Mars was the coolest planet and the next one that we should go to, I hope that these 10 cool facts about Mars changed your mind. And if not, well, too bad… because Mars is the closest planet that we could realistically explore. Sorry Venus, we’re not going to come visit you. *Rolls eyes* Venus.

Yeah, Venus is pretty much a flaming ball of toxic gas and anger. Basically teenage angst in planet form. Sounds like my sister. *Shivers*

Either way, Mars is better.

That’s all the time we have today for #AskAbby. Thank you all so much for joining me for this episode of The Mars Generation’s Space and Science show.

If you enjoyed it, and I hope that you did, please go ahead and hit the “Thumbs Up” button to give us a like, and make sure that you subscribe so that you see all of our exciting upcoming episodes.

And as always, if you want to ask a question about space or science, and potentially see it answered here on AskAbby, you can do so by Tweeting it to me with the #AskAbby, or submitting it at TheMarsGeneration.org/askabby, which is linked below as usual.

Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of Spaceship Earth!

Season 2, Episode 10 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

Does an Astronaut’s DNA Change in Space?

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In the 10th episode of #AskAbby Season Two, please join Astronaut Abby as she answers the question, “Does an astronaut’s DNA change in space?” In early 2018, NASA reported that astronaut Scott Kelly, after returning from a year in space, had 7% different DNA than his twin brother, Mark Kelly. So, did space really change his DNA? Find out by watching this episode of the #AskAbby Space and Science Show!

Includes answers to questions including: What are the effects of space on DNA? What exactly are the factors about space travel that could affect DNA? What is the difference between DNA and gene expression? What’s an example of DNA expression? What is mRNA? What would happen if 7% of your DNA really changed?  And much more! 

Tune in on Tuesdays for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series! To submit a question to #AskAbby go to ► http://bit.ly/2DfPz7b

Transcription of ASTRONAUT DNA CHANGE

In March of 2018, news broke out that during his year-long stint in space, Astronaut Scott Kelly’s DNA had changed. But does space really change your DNA?

*SHOW INTRO*

Hi there! I’m Astronaut Abby, an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first person to walk on Mars! Welcome to Ask Abby, where I answer questions about space and science submitted by you, the viewer!

This episode, we’re going to be talking about the very popular and relatively recent news that being in space can change human DNA, based on the study done on NASA identical twin astronauts, Mark and Scott Kelly.

Several sources have reported that when Astronaut Scott Kelly returned from his year in space, his DNA had changed by 7% from that of his twin, Mark, who had stayed here on Earth.

Naturally, the internet went abuzz with this information – the idea that space could change your DNA seems to be straight out of science fiction – but is it really true?

Well… the short answer is no.

If 7% of your DNA changed, you wouldn’t even be human anymore. And since Scott Kelley still looks and acts like a living, breathing human, it’s pretty obvious that 7% of his DNA couldn’t have changed. Unless he’s a secret lizard person. Huh, that must be it.

What the sources got wrong is that it wasn’t 7% of Scott’s DNA that changed, it was 7% of how his DNA expressed itself that changed. But wait, what even is gene expression?

Gene expression is the activity of the DNA. So not what the DNA is, but rather what the DNA does. Scott Kelly’s DNA itself is the same, but what his DNA does is 7% different.

An example of a change in gene expression is that Scott’s DNA may produce more or less mRNA than it normally would. mRNA, for those of you who don’t know, is a messenger that tells proteins what to do. Kind of like parents.

But why does space change the expression of your DNA?

Seeing as this is such a recent discovery, research is still being done and we don’t concretely know. BUT one of the simplest answers is that space is a really stressful environment, and stress has been shown in the past to change the way that DNA expresses itself.

So it’s not some mystical, mysterious quality about space that’s causing astronauts’ DNA expression to change, but rather just the stress of living in really difficult situations. Kind of like finals. Probably why I seem like a different person then.

With limited room to move around, radiation, homesickness, detachment from Earth and humanity, constant pressure to perform, and your sleep cycle being thrown off from the lack of a proper night and day schedule, it’s understandable that astronauts are under a pretty significant amount of stress (and by stress we don’t just mean mental stress, but also stress on their physical bodies).

Fortunately though, once astronauts return to Earth and are no longer in those same stressful conditions, their DNA expression can change back to much closer to what it was before they went to space.

Not all of it changes back though. Scott Kelley’s DNA will never be 100% of what it was before he went into space. So going into space does have a small, but permanent effect on an astronaut’s DNA.

That’s all the time we have today for AskAbby. Thank you all so much for joining me for this segment of The Mars Generation’s Space and Science Show.

If you enjoyed it, and I hope that you did, please go ahead and click the “Thumbs Up” button to give us a like, and make sure to subscribe so that you see all of our super cool and interesting episodes that will be coming out in the future. And as always, if you’d like to ask me a question, and potentially see it answered here on AskAbby, you can do so by Tweeting it to me with the hashtag #AskAbby, or by submitting it at themarsgeneration.org, which is linked below.

Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

Season 2, Episode 8 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

What are the 10 Best Space Movies Ever?

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In the eighth episode of Season 2 of #AskAbby, please join Astronaut Abby as she talks about what she thinks are the best space movies ever! Looking for a recommendation for your next movie night or a film that will make you think more deeply about space? You’re in good hands! We’re going to be counting down our favorite, must-see space films.

Includes discussion on both the scientific accuracy and cinematic qualities of E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982) directed by Steven Spielberg, Interstellar (2014) directed by Christopher Nolan, Apollo 13 (1995) directed by Bill Paxton, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick, and many more! Feel free to comment down below if you think there’s any out-of-this-world space films that YOU think belong on this list that we didn’t get the chance to mention!

Tune in on Tuesdays for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series! To submit a question to #AskAbby go to ► http://bit.ly/2DfPz7b

Transcription of WHAT ARE THE 10 BEST SPACE MOVIES EVER

For all my sci-fi fans out there, grab your popcorn and silence your phones, because today we’re talking about the 10 best space movies of all time.

Hi everyone, I’m Astronaut Abby, an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first person to walk on Mars. Welcome to Ask Abby, where I answer questions about space and science submitted by you, the viewers! This week’s question is, “Abby, what are your favorite space movies?”

Oh boy….

So not necessarily a science question, but as a big sci-fi geek, I think this is really fun. So let’s dive right in! I’m going to be counting down my top 10 space movies. Make sure to watch until the end to see what my very favorite space movie is.

To kick things off with number 10, is E.T. — The Extraterrestrial, directed by Stephen Spielburg and released in 1982. This 4-time Oscar winning film explores alien life through the eyes of a child, which conveys a sense of wonder for the unknown. So is E.T. accurate? Well, we can’t say that an alien like in E.T. doesn’t exist, but if you check out the episode that we did on the truth about extraterrestrial life, you’ll see that it’s pretty unlikely. So go ahead and click on the video. Although I will say, if we ever do encounter alien life, it will be a lot smaller, dumber, and way less cute than E.T.

Number 9: the extremely iconic 2001: Space Odyssey. Because no science fiction list would be complete without having this film on it. Directed by Stanley Cubric and released in 1968 (it’s the oldest film on our list), it deals with the evolution of human kind and our grand transcendence into higher beings. While the heavy breathing, floating baby head, and people jumping around in monkey suits might be a little too out there for some people, it did win an Oscar for best special effects. It’s also incredibly artistic and forces you to think outside of our normal conventions. You might love it, you might hate it, but it’s definitely one that you need to see.

Moving on to number 8, the adorable film, Wall-E, directed by Andrew Stanton and released in 2008. What I really love about this film is it makes its intended younger audiences think about the consequences of consumerism and the value of our home, Earth. While Wall-E is a really funny and lighthearted film, the message about not taking care of our planet is very dark and real. The film won the Oscar for best animated feature film. And c’mon, that fire extinguisher scene between Wall-E and Eve? Still a better love story than Twilight.

And now for number 7–Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan and released in 2014. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain. From the music to the advanced science, the different worlds, and the incredible acting, Interstellar opens our eyes to more radical science, but through the filter of more normal human relationships. The cinematography and visuals are gorgeous and keep your attention throughout the entire film. And, while the science might not be the most accurate, seeing as we don’t yet know if wormholes are real or how they work, it does explore some of science’s most radical theories and is arguably one of the most original sci-fi films out there.

Number 6: Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard and released in 1995. This two-time Oscar-winning film stars Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton, and is one of my absolute favorite space movies of all time because it shows the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the early NASA space program. The film centers around the real life Apollo 13 mission, which nearly ended in disaster after the ship suffered massive internal damages. Apollo 13 shows the fight to keep the three astronauts on this mission alive. The film stays true to what actually happened and doesn’t add anything extra. But it doesn’t need to either since the story itself has everything from action, to near tragedy, to adrenaline, to humor, and even some romance. And the acting is quite good, make sure to grab your tissues because the end can be a real tearjerker.

Number 5: This one is actually a comedy spoof–Spaceballs. Released in 1987 and directed by Mel Brooks. If you’re a Star Wars fan like me, you’re going to love this parody film. It includes many iconic lines. Such as, “The Schwartz!”

Number 4 was a huge box office hit: Guardians of the Galaxy, released in 2014 by director James Gunn, it included stars such as Chris Pratt, Zoey Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper. I loved all the different characters in it, but especially Groot and Rocket. Plus, it blessed us with these hysterical moments.

Now we’re getting close. My number 3 favorite space movies is–Star Trek. Ok, so there are actually a lot of Star Trek movies, 13 to be exact, but I’m going to include all of them here for the sake of time and because, well, it’s Star Trek. The representation of a futuristic society peacefully exploring our universe is extremely powerful. And, let’s be honest, we’ve all dreamt about being in the Star Fleet Academy.

And now for my top 2 favorite space movies. And possibly–no, definitely–a controversial choice: Star Wars! And yes I put Star Wars above Star Trek. Fight me! While it may not be the most scientifically-accurate portrayal of space, it does allow our imaginations to run wild, and had incredibly compelling heroes and villains. (Cuts of Abby going on and on about the merits of Star Wars until it’s 80 years later and she had a grey beard.) It just doesn’t get better than that. It really doesn’t.

And finally, my number 1 favorite space movie of all time–The Martian! The Martian, which was based on the book by the same name by author Andy Weir, which was really good and you should definitely read, was released in 2015 and directed by Riggly Scott. And it was nominated for 7 Oscars, which is pretty amazing. What I really love about this movie is how incredibly accurate it is. Not only is it exciting and futuristic, but it also stays true to real science, and it’s a depiction of what we could be seeing happen in space exploration within our lifetimes. I think that’s pretty exciting. However, it does have some inaccuracies, so you definitely shouldn’t take it for fact. But it’s the closest we have to a realistic depiction of modern space exploration. And the inaccuracies in The Martian play an important part in moving the plot forward, so, we’ll allow it.

Well, that’s it for my top 10 favorite space movies! Do you guys agree? Would you add anything or take anything out? Go ahead and comment down below, and either way, I hope I gave you some good ideas for your next movie night!

That’s all the time we have today for Ask Abby, thank you all so much for joining me for this segment of the Mars Generation’s Space and Science show. If you liked it, which I hope that you did, go ahead and click the thumbs up button to give us a like, and also subscribe so that you don’t miss our next episode, which is going to be a countdown of the absolute worst space movies of all time. Also, as always, if you would like to ask a question and potentially see it answered here on Ask Abby, make sure to go ahead and tweet it to me using the hashtag #AskAbby or submit it at TheMarsGeneration.org which is linked below. Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth.

Season 2, Episode 7 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

How Can *You* Become a Pilot?

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In the seventh episode of season two of #AskAbby, please join our founder and aspiring astronaut, Abby ‘Astronaut Abby’ Harrison who is a *newly licensed private pilot,* as she discusses the steps it takes to earn a pilot’s license! Having joined the elite ranks of women who hold pilot licenses (only 7% of pilot licenses are held by women), Abby will discuss everything you need to know to become a pilot yourself, from the different types of flight schools to the examination process in this crash-course episode of the #AskAbby Space and Science Show!

Includes answers to questions including: How do you get a student aviation and aviation medical certificate? What’s the difference between a Part 61 and Part 141 flight school? How do I pick which flight school to attend? What are FAA requirements to become a pilot? What are the minimum age and language requirements? What’s the difference between a sport, private, and commercial pilots license? What does pilot training look like? What is the examination process like? What is a checkride? Should Astronaut Abby now be called “Pilot Abby”? And much more!

Tune in for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

Transcription of HOW TO GET YOUR PILOT’S LICENSE: 

I know that I’m always excited about a 3 day weekend- whether it’s because of a holiday or a snow day! But, it always makes me wonder… what exactly can you do in a 3 day weekend?? You could watch the entirety of The Office, you could have a Harry Potter marathon THREE times over

OR…

You could go and get a private pilot’s license! Well, in theory…

A three-day weekend is 72 hours, and a pilot’s license takes on average 60-75 hours of flying time to complete, so if you plan on not doing anything but flying, so no eating, sleeping, drinking…any of that…I guess you could do it.

Today, we’re gonna talk about getting your pilot’s license!

(Intro)

Hello! My name is Abigail Harrison or as I’m more commonly known, Astronaut Abby. and I’m an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first astronaut to walk on Mars. Welcome to my show #AskAbby!

Today’s episode is very special because this is the first episode that I’m doing where I can officially say that I’m a pilot! That’s right! I successfuly got my private pilot’s license.

Maybe I should be called “Pilot Abby” instead? Eh, just doesn’t have the same ring to it. (calls off-screen) Hey Tony, change it back!!

Alliterations, ya know? *wink*

Anyways, today I’m going to walk you through the steps of how I became a private pilot and how you can too!

While being a pilot isn’t necessary for all positions to become an astronaut, it is a useful skill, and will definitely boost your resume! For more information on how you can become an astronaut, make sure you go ahead and check the video that I did about exactly that, “How to Become an Astronaut,” which, as usual, is linked below!

All right, let’s get started!

Step One: You have to decide which kind of pilot’s license you want to get.

There are different kinds of pilot licenses, ranging from the least time consuming to most strenuous, such as a sports, a private, or a commercial license. I decided to get a private pilot’s license because I know that I want to, not pursue this as a career, but do more than the occasional hobbyist aviation. So private was perfect for me.

Step Two: Are you eligible?

To be eligible for a pilot’s license, you need to be at least 17 years old and you need to be able to speak, read, and write in English, which is the international language used by flight control towers.

You’ll also need a student aviation certificate and an aviation medical certificate, both of which are issued by the FAA or Federal Aviation Administration.

Step Three: Choosing your flight school and instructor.

Believe it or not, but this should take more time and effort than just a simple Google search. That’s because there are different kinds of flight schools that have different procedures and requirements that may or may not fit with what you’re able to do, so make sure that you spend time doing your research on this because I promise you it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run if you pick the right flight school!

There are two different types of flight schools, or two basic categories that they fall into, which are called Part 61 flight schools and Part 141 flight schools.

The main difference between the two categories of schools is really just flexibility. Part 141 schools are federally mandated by the FAA to follow a specific curriculum and so they have less flexibility for their students. I chose to go to a Part 61 school because as a part-time aviation student but a full-time college student and someone running a non-profit, that flexibility was really important to me.

Fun fact- while the names “61” and “141” may seem like kind of weird and random things to call a flight school, they actually are called that because they refer to the sections of the FAA manual that outlines the requirements those schools are run by.

Now, that you’ve decided what kind of flight school you want to train with, it’s a good idea to either call up or go visit in person the flight schools and ask some questions. These questions could include:
• What kind of aircraft do you train with and how many do you have in your fleet?
• What do I do if there’s inclement weather? Can I reschedule my flights?
• What’s your student-to-teacher ratio?
• What insurance do you have?

And, another question that I would add is really important for women and non-binary people who are looking to get their pilot’s license is:
• How many female instructors does your school have?

This will help to shine a light on how welcoming the school will be to you, as you go through the effortful and time-consuming process of getting a pilot’s license. It’s super important because aviation is still one of the most gender-segregated industries out there, with only 7% of pilots being women. Let’s change that.

Step Four: And no, sadly, we’re still not flying yet.

Before you can take off, you need to do something called “ground school.” Ground school is really just all the book learning involved with flying. It’s things like maintenance, regulation, safety, weather…all those types of things that allow you to be a safe pilot. You can either do ground school in person, with an instructor, or you through an online course–it really just has to do with your personal learning style!

Step Five: Flying! (with an instructor first!) But, before you know it, you’ll be flying solo! Student pilots can actually fly on their own before they get their pilot’s license. There are just a lot more limitations and regulations on them. I loved my first solo flight because it made me a more confident pilot. Knowing that you can trust yourself to handle whatever happens really raises your level of assertiveness in flying.

And finally…

Step Six: Passing your examinations!

Depending on what kind of license you’re getting, you’ll take a different set of exams. But for me with the private pilot’s license, I had to take3 different exams. The first was a written knowledge test by the FAA, the second was a verbal exam testing all things aviation. So basically I had to know everything in this book. Not too much, right, it’s only like 1,100 pages? Blaah. The third is what’s called your check ride. A check ride is a basically just like a driver’s test. A designator pilot examiner from the FAA comes and flies with you for 1-2 hours and evaluates your ability to be a safe pilot.

After that, congratulations! If you pass all your examinations, you’re a pilot! Let’s fly!

All right, folks, that’s all the time we have today for #AskAbby! If you liked this episode, make sure that you go ahead and like and subscribe and share it with all your friends! If you have a question that you’d like to see answered here on AskAbby, you can submit it either on our website, which is linked below, or by tweeting it to me, @astronautabby, with the hashtag #AskAbby.

Also, if you’re starting your pilot’s license or thinking about starting to learn to fly, make sure that you comment down below and let us know how it’s going!

That’s all for now. Farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth! And, I’ll see you from the skies!