Astronaut Logbook: A week in the life of an astronaut with Samantha Cristoforetti

Your Mission: Follow Samantha's routine at the ISS for one week and compare her daily tasks to yours. Observe your everyday routine and keep a record of it.

Brief description:

In this logbook activity set, students will learn about a typical week in the life of an astronaut. They will identify how life is different on Earth than it is in space and compare their week to that of ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. They will analyse and compare their daily exercise and nutrition, assess how the choices they make in their clothing and hobbies, and discuss the skills they need to work in a team.

Subject: Science, Social Studies

Learning Objectives:

Learn about the differences between life in space and on Earth
Learn about the importance of eating healthily
Identify why exercise is important in space and on Earth
Identify key skills needed to work in a team
Learn what an astronaut’s typical week looks like in space

Age range:

8 – 12 years old

Time

Lesson: 30 minutes per activity (2 hours 30 minutes in total)

Resource available in:

English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, Swedish

All About Astronauts

What is an astronaut?

An astronaut is a space traveller. Astronauts are professional crew members in spaceflights that travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Due to the challenges and hostility of life in space, astronauts spend a large part of their career training for their missions.

Where do astronauts travel?

Astronauts have travelled to stations orbiting the Earth, like the International Space Station (ISS), and to the Moon. In the future we will probably see astronauts visit further away locations, like Mars.

The International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is a large laboratory in space and is an international collaboration between lots of different space agencies across the world. Humans have lived onboard the ISS since 2000, with up to six astronauts at a time living and working alongside each other. In the ISS environmental conditions are a bit different than on Earth. The astronauts are in an environment of micro-gravity (due to its big speed orbiting Earth) and are less protected from radiation and temperature fluctuations. The ISS is also outside of Earth’s atmosphere, so there is no air when astronauts step out of the space station.

What do astronauts do when they are in space?

The main job of an astronaut is to conduct scientific experiments and keep the space station in working order. It is important that they work well as a team and collaborate efficiently with the controllers and scientists back on Earth.

Most of the time their tasks are performed inside the ISS, but when they venture outside, for example to maintain the solar panels, they must wear special spacesuits for protection.

Astronauts must stick to strict routines whilst living in space, to make sure they stay safe, healthy, and happy. Astronauts do daily exercise and eat nutritious foods to keep fit and healthy in space. In their free time, astronauts do a lot of things similar to what we do on Earth, like relaxing, cleaning and talking to friends and family.

Be An Astronaut For A Week

Meet ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti

Samantha Cristoforetti is an astronaut working for the European Space Agency (ESA). As an astronaut, Samantha has travelled to space twice, and lived on the ISS for over 350 days.

In April 2022, Samantha began her second journey to space on the ESA Minerva mission. She spent a long time preparing for her mission, training for how to live and work in space. During her Minerva mission, Samantha became the first European woman to command the ISS.

You are now ready to start your astronaut mission with ESA!

Astronaut Logbook: Day 1 – Food

Astronaut Logbook: A week in the life of an astronaut with Samantha Cristoforetti Your Mission: Follow Samantha’s routine at the ISS for one week and

Astronaut Logbook: Day 2 – Exercise

Astronaut Logbook: A week in the life of an astronaut with Samantha Cristoforetti Your Mission: Follow Samantha’s routine at the ISS for one week and