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UK Space Agency: Train Like An Astronaut

Train Like an Astronaut  2015 – call for students.

Thousands of UK students are about to embark on a unique mission to train like an astronaut and boost their health and fitness, with the launch of Mission X 2015.

Schools can register for Mission X 2015 on www.trainlikeanastronaut.org and mission challenges start in January.

Supported by the UK Space Agency as part of the international Mission X challenge, Mission X in the UK will be lifting off at training events for teachers across the UK.   Dates arranged include:

November 6 – Science Museum
November 18 – Glasgow Science Centre
November 19 – University of Teeside
December 1 – University of Manchester
December 4 – Royal Observatory Greenwich 

Mission X UK teams participate in a number of physical exercises and classroom lessons to become as fit as an astronaut. The students, aged between 8 and 12, will take part in the mission for 8 weeks and will have scores awarded after each exercise. At the end of the mission, the winning class for each country will be announced. The Mission X website will allow teams to upload results, download educational material, check the results and share comments.

Team challenges in the UK include 18 different physical and science missions. Examples include:

o          Energy of an Astronaut

o          Base Station Walkback

o          Let’s Climb a Martian Mountain

o          Crew Assembly

o          Do a Spacewalk

Physical fitness and co-ordination are key to mission success.  Astronauts need to be in peak condition even before they journey into space so that they can help combat muscle loss and the changes their bodies will experience in a micro-gravity environment.

Schools can register for Mission X 2015 on www.trainlikeanastronaut.org from 6 October. Mission challenges start in January.

About Mission X

Mission X is an international pilot project led by NASA and ESA and involving 26 different countries.

Mission X participants will learn principles of healthy eating and exercise, compete for points by finishing training modules, and get excited about the world’s future in space and the educational possibilities for their own future. Students will practice scientific reasoning and teamwork while participating in hands-on training missions targeting strength, endurance, coordination, balance, spatial awareness, and more.

Train Like an Astronaut mission activities include Base Station Walkback, Crew Strength Training, Do a Spacewalk, Jump for the Moon, Explore and Discover, Agility Astro-Course, Speed of Light, Astronaut Core, Crew Assembly, Let’s Climb a Martian Mountain, Planet you GO, Gravity you Find, Get on your Space Bicycle, and Space Roll and Roll. Educational science modules include Living Bones, Strong Bones, Hydration Station, Energy of an Astronaut, Reduced Gravity, Low Fat.

The UK Space Agency offers a number of additional resources and activities too!

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