Maddie, Space and You

Join Maddie as she finds out how space rockets work and how they take astronauts into space. We discover how thrust and rocket fuel work when a rocket engine blasts off from the launch pad and into space and learn about the different parts of the rocket and what they are for. Next, we find out about the special computers on-board that guide astronauts through space, and Maddie rides a very fast rollercoaster to show us how G-force works when a rocket launches. Finally, we find out how a rocket lands safely to bring the astronauts back to Earth.

Maddie takes us on a journey into space to explore planets, astronauts and rockets.

Join Maddie as she discovers that astronauts live in space on a spacecraft called the International Space Station and that there have been different astronauts living there for over 20 years. Maddie shows us how astronauts live and work on the International Space Station and do lots of different jobs and research in order to learn more about space and our planet Earth. We explore a laboratory where they do experiments, the food they eat, how they wash and even how they go to the toilet. We find out that the space station is made from thousands of parts that were put together by astronauts in space, and we learn that it’s also a home because it’s a place where astronauts eat, sleep and have fun.

Join Maddie as she finds out how the robots astronauts use in space have helped us to create robots we use here on Earth. We discover there are lots of different types of space robots, robonauts that help astronauts to do jobs, space probes that travel to far off parts of the solar system, and landers and rovers - robots that land on planets like Mars to collect information. We learn how robots are sent on special missions to Mars and how they take pictures and send information back to Earth. Maddie visits a research centre to meet a Mars rover robot and uses her special cameras to help us see how it moves over the ground.

Join Maddie as she finds out about the exciting things people do to train to become an astronaut. Maddie explains the different layers of our atmosphere and how astronauts travel through it into space and the special suits they wear to protect them. She tries on a real spacesuit and learns about the types of spacesuits they wear to do different jobs. Maddie discovers astronauts need to be fit, healthy and have good agility. She finds out how they learn how to move in space when they can’t keep their feet on the ground! We discover there is less gravity in space than on Earth and although astronauts look like they are floating, they are free falling.