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♪ music ♪
KJELL: Hi, my name is Kjell. DOTTIE: And I'm Dottie
KJELL: And we're NASA astronauts.
DOTTIE: As astronauts, we spend a lot of time in the gym
working out and preparing to go into space.
KJELL: For each mission, astronauts spend 2 hours a day,
3 days a week in the gym and classroom
until they fly into space.
DOTTIE: The cool part is that most of the training we do here
in the astronaut gym you can do too, wherever you are.
DOTTIE: This important task, such as operating a robotic arm
or landing a spacecraft, astronauts must have
great concentration and good reaction time.
KJELL: Today, we're going to share an activity
that will help you improve your coordination. So get ready!
The Speed of Light will help you Train Like An Astronaut.
YAMIL: For the Speed of Light activity,
you will need to work in pairs.
One of you will be the crew member,
and the other will be the trainer. Using a ruler and a
stopwatch, you will both work to improve your reaction time.
Begin by standing directly across from one another.
Make a fist with your hand, thumb side up.
Point your thumb and index finger forward,
keeping them 2 centimeters apart. Your goal is to catch
the ruler immediately after it is released by the trainer.
The trainer will hold the ruler between their thumb and finger,
level with the zero centimeter line.
The trainer's roll is to release the ruler without
a warning, allowing it to fall between your thumb
and forefinger. When the crew member catches the ruler,
determine the distance between the bottom of the ruler,
and the top of the crew member's thumb
and record it in your journal.
Repeat the exercise 10 times and then switch rolls
with your teammate. Improving your hand-eye coordination
will help you, both, physically and mentally.
These skills are also essential for astronauts
as they operate the robotic arm, land a spacecraft,
or perform complex missions with fellow astronauts.
The Speed of Light activity will help you
and your teammate Train Like an Astronaut.
♪ music ♪
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