What is a Spacewalk? - K5 Learning

1 Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet Reading and Math for K-5 Read the short story. Then answer each question. what is a spacewalk ? An y tim e a n as tr o nau t ge ts ou t of a veh icl e w hil e in spac e , i t is cal l ed a spacew a l k. A sp acew al k is al so cal l ed an EVA. E VA s ta nd s f or e x tr a veh icul ar ac ti vi ty. Th e f irs t pe rs on to go o n a s p acew al k w as Al exei Le on o v . H e w as fr om Russia . The fi rs t s p acew al k w as on M a rch 1 8 , 1 96 5 . I t w a s 1 0 m i nu tes l ong . Th e f irs t Am eric an to g o o n a sp ace w al k w as Ed Wh i te . H is s pac ew al k w as on June 3 , 1 96 5 , d u rin g th e Gem ini 4 m issi on . Wh i te 's s pac ew al k l as ted 2 3 m inu te s. Tod a y, as tr o na u ts go o n sp acew al ks ou ts id e th e I nter na ti o n al Space S ta ti on.

2 S p ace w al ks usual l y l as t be tw ee n f iv e a nd eig h t h ou rs , d e p end in g on th e jo b . Th e w orl d reco rd f or th e m os t s p ac ew al ks is hel d by Russia n as tr o nau t An a tol y Sol ov ye v . He h as bee n o n 1 6 s p ace w al ks and spen t m ore th an 8 2 h ours ou tsid e i n sp ace . Th a t's al m os t 3 d a ys o f w al king in s pac e ! NASA as tr o nau t M icha el Lope z-Al egria h ol d s the U .S . r ec ord fo r th e m os t sp acew al ks. He h as d one 1 0 s pac ew al ks and spen t m ore th an 6 7 h ours . Why Do Ast ron aut s Go on Sp ace wal ks? As tr on au ts g o on spac ew al ks fo r m an y r eas o ns . S pa cew al ks l et as tr o nau ts w or k o u tsid e th ei r sp ace cra f t w hil e s til l in spac e . Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet Reading and Math for K-5 As tr on au ts c an do sci ence ex per i m en ts on a s pac e w al k.

3 Ex pe rim en ts can be pl aced o n the ou ts id e o f a spac ecr a f t. Thi s l e ts sci en ti s ts l earn how b ein g i n sp ace af f ec ts d i ff er en t th in gs . Spac ew al ks al so l e t as tr on au ts tes t new equi pm en t. The y ca n re p air sa tel l i tes or sp ace cra f t th a t a re i n s pac e . B y g oin g o n sp acew al ks, as tr o nau ts ca n fix thin gs i ns te ad o f bri ng in g them b a ck to Ea r th to fix . How Do Ast ron aut s Go on Sp ace wal ks? Wh en as tr o n au ts go o n sp acew al ks, th e y w ea r sp ace sui ts to kee p th em sel ves sa fe . I nsid e s pac esui ts , as tr o nau ts h av e the o x yg en th e y need to b re a th e . Th e y h av e th e w a te r th e y ne ed to d rink . As tr on au ts pu t on thei r sp ace sui ts s eve ral hou rs b ef o re a sp acew al k. Th e sui ts a re pres s uri zed.

4 Th is m eans tha t the sui ts ar e fil l ed w i th ox ygen . Once i n th eir s ui ts , as tr o nau ts b re a the pu re ox yge n f or a few h ours . Br ea th in g onl y o x ygen ge ts rid o f a l l th e ni tr og en i n an as tr o nau t's bod y. I f th e y d id n ' t ge t rid o f th e ni tr o ge n , th e as tr on au ts m ig h t g e t gas bu bbl es in th eir bod y w he n th ey w al ked in s p ac e. These g as bub bles can cau s e as tr o n au ts to fe el pain in the ir sh oul d ers, el bow s, w ris ts and kne es . This pa in is c al l ed ge tti n g " th e bend s" bec aus e i t af fe c ts th e pl aces w here th e bod y bend s . Scub a d iv ers c an al so ge t " the bend s ." Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet Reading and Math for K-5 As tr on au ts ar e n o w read y to g e t ou t o f th eir sp acec r af t.

5 The y l eav e th e s pac ecr af t th rou gh a s peci al do or c al l ed an airl ock . The airl ock has tw o d o o rs . When as tr o nau ts a r e ins id e th e sp ac ecra f t, the airl ock is a ir ti g h t s o n o air c an ge t ou t. Whe n as tr on au ts ge t re ad y to go o n a s p acew al k , the y g o th r oug h the fi rs t d o or an d l ock i t ti g h t beh ind th em . The y c an th en o pen the sec ond d o or w i th ou t an y air ge tti n g ou t of the spac ecr a f t. A f te r a sp acew al k, as tro nau ts g o bac k in sid e th r ou gh th e airl ock . How Do Ast ron aut s St ay Saf e D uri ng Spa cew alk s? Wh en on a s p ace w al k, as tr o nau ts u se sa fe ty te th er s to s ta y cl ose to th ei r sp acec ra f t. Te th e rs a re l ike r o pes . O ne e nd is h o oked to the spac ew al ker. The o th er e nd is c on n ec ted to th e veh i cl e.

6 The sa fe ty te the rs kee p a s tr o nau ts f rom fl oa ti n g aw a y in to s pa c e. As tro nau ts al so use te th er s to k ee p to ol s fr om fl oa tin g aw a y. Th ey te th er th ei r to ol s to the ir s pa c esui ts . Ano the r w a y a s tr on au ts s ta y s a fe d urin g sp acew al ks is b y w e ari ng a SAFER . S A FER s ta n d s f or S im pl ified A id f or E VA Re scue . S AFER is w o rn l ike a ba ck pac k. I t u ses sm al l je t th r us ters to l e t an as tr o nau t m ov e a rou nd in s p ace . I f an as tr o nau t w er e to bec om e un te th er ed and fl oa t aw a y, SAFER w oul d hel p him or h er fl y bac k to th e s p acecr a f t. As tr on au ts c o n tr ol SAFER w i th a sm al l joys ti ck , l ike on a vid e o gam e . Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet Reading and Math for K-5 How Do Ast ron aut s Tr ain fo r S pac ew alks ?

7 One w a y as tr o na u ts tr ain f or sp ace w al ks is b y g oin g f or a sw im . Fl oa ti ng in s pac e is a l o t l ike fl oa ti n g in w a ter . As tr o n au ts pr ac tic e spac ew al ks und er w a ter i n a l ar ge s w imm ing p o ol . Th e p o ol is cal l ed th e N eu tr al Buo ya ncy L ab or a to r y, o r N BL . I t is ne a r N ASA's Jo hns on Spac e C en te r i n Ho us to n , Te xa s . Th e p o ol hol d s m il l ion gal l ons o f w a ter . A s tr on au ts tr a in se v en h ou rs i n the p ool fo r e ve ry o ne h ou r th e y w il l spend o n a sp acew al k. Ano the r w a y a s tr on au ts pr ac ti ce f or a s pac ew al k is b y usin g vi r tu al real i ty. This i s s or t o f l ike pl ayin g a v id eo g am e. A s tr o nau ts w ear a hel m e t w i th a vid eo sc ree n in sid e . Th e y al so w ear sp ecial gl oves.

8 A vid e o o f w ha t the y w il l see d uring a spac ew al k is sh o w n on th e scree n ins id e th e helm e t. Wh en th e as tr o nau t m ov es , the s peci al gl oves al l ow th e m ovem en ts to be show n w i th the vi d eo . Th e v ir tu al real i ty s im ul a tio n l o oks and fe el s just l ike a sp acew al k. [ V i a N AS A E d u c a t i o n a l T e c h n o l o g y S e r v i c e s ] Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet Reading and Math for K-5 Ques tio ns: 1. Wh o w as th e f irs t pers o n to g o on a n E VA ? _____ 2. Wh ich m iss io n w a s the fi rs t Am er ica n on w hen h e w en t o n a spac ew al k? _____ 3. Wh a t d o as tr o na u ts d o w i th equ ipm en t th a t need s to be rep ai red ? _____ 4. Wh a t cau ses as tr on au ts to ge t the bend s ?

9 _____ 5. Wh ich pi ece o f sa fe ty equ ipm en t f o r sp ace tr a v el uses a con tr ol l er tha t is s im il ar to a vid e o gam e c on tr ol l er? _____ 6. Wh er e is the u nd e rw a ter tr ain in g fa cil ity f or as tr o n au ts l oca ted ? _____ Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet Reading and Math for K-5 Answ ers : 1 . Wh o w as th e f irs t pers o n to g o on a n E VA ? Th e f irs t pe rs on to go o n a n E VA w a s Al exei Le on o v . 2 . Wh ich m iss io n w a s the fi rs t Am er ica n on w hen h e w en t o n a spac ew al k? Th e f irs t Am eric an w as on the Gem i ni 4 m iss io n w hen he w en t on a s pac ew al k. 3 . Wh a t d o as tr o na u ts d o w i th equ ipm en t th a t need s to be rep ai red ? As tr on au ts m end equi pm en t th a t n eed s to b e re p air ed.

10 4 . Wh a t cau ses as tr on au ts to ge t the bend s ? Ni tr o gen in th ei r b od ie s caus es as tr on au ts to ge t the bend s . 5 . Wh ich pi ece o f sa fe ty equ ipm en t f o r sp ace tr a v el uses a con tr ol l er tha t is s im il ar to a vid e o gam e c on tr ol l er? Th e SA FER use s a con tr ol l er sim il ar to a v id e o g am e con tr ol l er. 6 . Wh er e is the u nd e rw a ter tr ain in g fa cil ity f or as tr o n au ts l oca ted ? The underwater training facility for astronauts is near NASA s Jo hns on S p ace C en te r in H ous to n , Te xas.