Guest Speaker from NASA Shares about International Space Station

Erik Lopez spoke to high school students about how his personal experiences studying graphic design and computer science prepared him to become an electrical engineer at NASA. Students listened attentively as Erik highlighted how the International Space Station is a collaborative effort amongst several countries, committed to performing scientific research in the special microgravity environment that would be impossible to conduct on Earth.

Did you know…?

• The International Space Station travels at 17,500 mph, orbiting the earth every 90 seconds? Astronauts on board see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in 24 hours.
• The human body loses muscle mass and bone density quickly in space. Astronauts have to work out at least 2 hours a day and follow a strict diet.
• Water tension in microgravity causes water to envelope the entire surface of all objects.
• Most water on the International Space Station is recycled. Even urine is purified to extract potable water!