I decided to do my International Space Station "Mission .......... SPACE"  homework by using LEGO.  Here's what we did ...

  1. We looked inside my "See Inside Space" book where there is a page called Space Travel that has a big picture of the ISS.
  2. Then we used LEGO to create the solar panels (this was a bit fiddly)
  3. Then we built a bar to hold the solar panels together.
  4. After that we built the base, the solar panel arm, the labs and living space (explained below).
  5. Finally we made an arm with a space man on the end. And some space spiders* on the front for fun.
  6. Then we took photos of the different parts and used the computer to invert the colours to make it look like we were taking photos in space. 

My LEGO model of the International Space Station - it is 29 cm long. The real ISS is 10,900 cm long.

This bit of the ISS is where all the astronauts eat their food, which doesn't float off their plates (it must be sticky - maybe it's sticky toffee pudding), and they sleep in beds on the walls with straps around them to stop them floating around.  

This is the Zarya module. It was the first part of the ISS in space, but it is now used for storage. We don't know what they keep in there (maybe socks, or maybe sticky toffee pudding)

I worked out (as shown the left) that the real ISS is 375 times bigger than my one - making my model a 1:375 scale model. So - I want 375 times as much LEGO as I currently have for my birthday!

I hope you like my ISS facts presented in the form of LEGO and special space effects with space spiders*. 

 

 

Spacemen go our on a mechanical arm to fix the ISS. They need a space suit - which give them all they need to survive. Spacemen even do a wee in their space suits. They use a urine pouch.

This is the Columbus laboratory where the astronauts make discoveries about how things work with less gravity. 

These are the solar panels. They use the sun's energy to make electricity on board the ISS and swivel to follow the sun. This is very cool. The scientists use electricity to power their running machine, their computers and lights. And perhaps to heat up sticky toffee pudding.

 

 

FRED DYKES

February 2015

Tilton on the Hill

* there is no such thing as a space spider - well, we haven't discovered any yet at any rate. Or they haven't discovered us yet. Phew!