On Wednesday 5 August 2015, during National Science Week, the Hermanus Astronomy Club gave a presentation to the Overberg Homeschool Support group.
The theme was the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies.
International Space Station
A powertalk slide show was presented by Johan Retief focusing focusing on sunlight and its vital role in providing energy and life to the International Space Station (ISS). He explained how huge solar panels are used for this purpose.
The electrical system of the International Space Station is a critical resource for the international Space Station because it allows the crew to live comfortably, to safely operate the station, and to perform scientific experiments.
The ISS electrical system uses solar cells to directly convert sunlight to electricity by means of a process knowns as photovoltaics.
US Astronaut Sunita Williams
After the slide show, a short video clip was shown in which American astronaut, astronaut Sunita Williams, conducted a tour of the various modules of the space station, depicting life and its challenges on the ISS.
She explained how astronauts deal with daily functions such as eating, exercising and using the toilet, which are easy to perform on earth, where there is gravity, but which are challenging in a gravity-free environment.
The children were entertained by her drifting hair and her swimming and floating motions as she moved through the cluttered environment in the space station, explaining the functions of the different modules.
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