WEBVTT

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[upbeat music]

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- "OUR WORLD."

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- OH, HEY, EVERYBODY.

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I'M LILY,
AND THIS IS "OUR WORLD."

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I JUST GOT DONE CHATTING
WITH MY BIG BROTHER.

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HE'S IN COLLEGE
AND STUDYING COMMUNICATION.

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COMMUNICATION
IS HOW WE SHARE IDEAS.

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IN FACT, I'M COMMUNICATING
WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.

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COMMUNICATION IS VERY IMPORTANT,
ESPECIALLY TO NASA

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AND THE ASTRONAUTS ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

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IF THE ASTRONAUTS WEREN'T ABLE
TO COMMUNICATE UP THERE,

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THEY WOULD GET PRETTY LONELY,

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SINCE THEY LIVE
ON THE SPACE STATION

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FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS AT A TIME.

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AND NASA WOULDN'T HAVE
ANY WAY OF CHECKING

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HOW WELL THE EQUIPMENT
ON BOARD THE ISS IS WORKING

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OR HOW THE ASTRONAUTS
ARE FEELING.

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BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

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WE CAN ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE
WITH ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD THE ISS

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TO LEARN MORE.

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- THE MAP OF THE WORLD BEHIND ME

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LOOKS A LOT LIKE WHAT YOU
MAY HAVE STUDIED IN SCHOOL

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ABOUT SOME OF THE EXPLORERS
THAT DISCOVERED NEW CONTINENTS

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AND NEW WAYS AROUND THE EARTH.

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THE GREEN LINES ON THIS MAP

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DON'T REPRESENT
SAILING SHIP LINES.

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THOSE ARE ACTUALLY OUR
ORBITAL TRACKS OVER THE GROUND.

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AND UNLIKE OUR PREDECESSORS,
WHO WENT FOR LONG TIMES AT SEA

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WITHOUT BEING ABLE
TO TALK TO PEOPLE,

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WE HAVE ALMOST CONSTANT
COMMUNICATION

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WITH PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.

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ALL THOSE CIRCLES THAT YOU SEE,
THE RED ONES AND THE BLUE ONES,

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REPRESENT GROUND SITES.

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WHEN WE'RE FLYING
OVER THOSE CIRCLES,

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WE CAN ACTUALLY TALK
DIRECTLY TO THE GROUND.

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AND THOSE SIGNALS
THEN GET RELAYED

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EITHER TO MOSCOW,

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WHERE THE RUSSIAN
CONTROL CENTER IS,

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OR TO HOUSTON,
WHERE OUR CONTROL CENTER IS,

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AND THEN RELAYED TO THE
APPROPRIATE FLIGHT CONTROLLER

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OR FLIGHT DIRECTOR
FOR THEM TO RESPOND TO.

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- YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND

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WHAT HE MEANT
BY AN ORBITAL TRACK.

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LET ME SHOW YOU.

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NASA MARKS THE PATH
THE ISS TAKES

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AS IT ORBITS AROUND THE EARTH.

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ON A FLAT MAP,
THE PATH LOOKS LIKE THIS.

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IT REMINDS ME
OF A ROLLER COASTER RIDE.

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THE TRACK CHANGES
JUST A LITTLE BIT

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EACH TIME THE ISS
MAKES A COMPLETE ORBIT.

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SEE, WHEN AN OBJECT,
LIKE THE ISS, ORBITS THE EARTH,

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IT BASICALLY MAKES A CIRCLE,

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AND THAT CIRCLE IS LINED UP
DIAGONALLY AROUND THE EARTH.

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BUT THE EARTH IS ALSO SPINNING

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AT A DIFFERENT SPEED
THAN THE ISS.

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THAT'S WHY THE ORBITAL TRACK
LOOKS LIKE AN UP-AND-DOWN CURVE

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WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT
ON A FLAT MAP.

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AND THE ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD

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HAVE SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES
TO LOOK DOWN AT EARTH.

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THE ISS IS REALLY BIG,

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ABOUT THE SIZE
OF A FOOTBALL FIELD.

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IF THE SKY CONDITIONS
ARE JUST RIGHT,

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YOU CAN SEE THE ISS
WITHOUT A TELESCOPE

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AS IT PASSES OVER YOUR CITY.

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YOU CAN TRACK THE ISS
ON THE NASA WEBSITE

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TO FIND OUT
WHEN IT WILL PASS NEARBY.

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BUT WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT
DO ASTRONAUTS NEED

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TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE
BACK HERE ON EARTH?

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LET'S CHECK IN WITH OUR
ASTRONAUT FRIENDS TO FIND OUT.

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- YOU CAN HEAR MY VOICE
RIGHT NOW

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BECAUSE I'M TALKING
ON A MICROPHONE.

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THE OTHER END OF THIS CORD

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IS CONNECTED
TO AN AUDIO TERMINAL UNIT.

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THE AUDIO TERMINAL UNIT
ALLOWS US

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TO TALK
TO VARIOUS GROUPS OF PEOPLE,

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SOME OF THEM INSIDE THE STATION
AND SOME OF THEM ON THE GROUND,

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DEPENDING ON WHICH CHANNELS
WE SELECT,

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LIKE A TELEPHONE,
WHO WE DIAL, IF YOU WILL.

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YOU'LL SEE
THAT THE AUDIO TERMINAL UNIT

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LOOKS A LOT LIKE A TELEPHONE.

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IT HAS NUMBERS.

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IT ALSO HAS SOME SPECIAL CODES
THAT WE USE

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TO KNOW IF THERE ARE DIFFERENT
AUDIO TERMINAL UNITS

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SPREAD OUT
THROUGHOUT THE STATION.

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- WOW, THOSE THINGS DO
LOOK A LOT LIKE TELEPHONES.

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BUT THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY WAY
ASTRONAUTS COMMUNICATE.

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- ONE OF THE REALLY NICE
FEATURES WE HAVE UP HERE

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IS CALLED THE IP PHONE,
OR INTERNET PROTOCOL PHONE.

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BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
THAT ALLOWS US

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TO DIAL ANY TELEPHONE NUMBER
ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH

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AND TALK TO THEM.

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AND THIS IS INTERFACE
THAT WE USE.

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YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN,
IT LOOKS LIKE A TELEPHONE,

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AND YOU JUST DIAL
A NORMAL TELEPHONE NUMBER

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AND THEN HIT SEND.

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SOONER OR LATER, YOU END UP
TALKING TO SOMEBODY.

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- BUT I KNOW
THERE'S NO PHONE LINE

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RUNNING UP TO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,

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SO HOW DO THE ASTRONAUTS'
PHONE CALLS

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ACTUALLY GET TO PEOPLE
DOWN HERE ON EARTH?

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- YOU CAN SEE THAT WE FLY
THROUGH ONE OF THOSE CIRCLES

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SOME OF THE TIME BUT NOT
ALL THE TIME DURING OUR ORBIT,

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SO LUCKILY,
WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT

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UNTIL WE'RE OVER ONE
OF THOSE GROUND SITES.

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WE CAN ACTUALLY TALK
TO OUR CONTROLLERS

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THROUGH THE SATELLITES.

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AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE SPEND
MOST OF OUR TIME DOING

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IS TALKING VIA WHAT WE CALL

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THE TRACKING AND DATA RELAY
SATELLITE SYSTEM, OR TDRSS.

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THERE ARE ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT
SATELLITES THAT WE CAN USE,

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AND WE'RE ALMOST ALWAYS IN VIEW
OF ONE OF THEM.

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- HEY, THAT'S JUST LIKE
HOW CELL PHONES USE SATELLITES

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TO GET A SIGNAL
FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

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ASTRONAUTS PROBABLY
WON'T BE GIVING YOU OR ME

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A PHONE CALL ANYTIME SOON.

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BUT ONE WAY
WE COULD CONTACT THEM

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WOULD BE THROUGH AN ARISS TALK.

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ARISS STANDS FOR AMATEUR RADIO

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ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.

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THERE'S AN AMATEUR
RADIO STATION,

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OR HAM RADIO STATION,
ON THE ISS,

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AND STUDENTS HERE ON EARTH
CAN SET UP APPOINTMENTS

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TO CONTACT THE ASTRONAUTS
ON THE ISS

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WITH THEIR OWN HAM RADIOS.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS,

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CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE
ON YOUR SCREEN.

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WELL, THAT'S HOW WE HEAR
THE ASTRONAUTS.

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BUT WHAT ABOUT SEEING THEM?

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- WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS,

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IT'S EASY FOR US TO THINK
ABOUT TALKING TO EACH OTHER,

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BUT ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART
OF COMMUNICATION IS VIDEO.

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WHEN WE HAVE
CERTAIN SATELLITE COVERAGE,

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WE CAN ACTUALLY SEND VIDEO

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FROM ONBOARD CAMERAS
TO THE GROUND.

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THAT'S GOOD
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.

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ONE IS, IT KEEPS US IN TOUCH
WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROL TEAM

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SORT OF IN A PERSONAL WAY,

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AND SECONDLY, THEY CAN LOOK
OVER OUR SHOULDERS

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AND MAKE SURE
WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MISTAKES.

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- ANOTHER CAPABILITY
THAT WE HAVE UP HERE

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IS VIDEOCONFERENCING.

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USING A PROGRAM
CALLED NETMEETING,

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THROUGH OUR COMPUTERS,

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WE CAN ACTUALLY
DIAL IN TO A PERSON'S HOUSE

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OR A PLACE
WHERE THEY'RE HAVING A MEETING

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THAT HAS THE SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT

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AND ALSO
THE NETMEETING CAPABILITY,

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AND WE CAN SEE EACH OTHER
AND TALK DIRECTLY TO EACH OTHER.

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SO THAT'S A PRETTY COOL
CAPABILITY THAT WE HAVE.

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- ASTRONAUTS CAN EVEN LOG ON
TO THE INTERNET

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WHEN THEY'RE ON THE ISS.

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AND SOMETHING
SOME ASTRONAUTS LIKE TO DO

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WHEN THEY HAVE A SPARE MOMENT

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IS TO SHARE WHAT THEY'RE DOING
BY SENDING TWEETS AND PICTURES

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FOR PEOPLE LIKE US
TO READ AND LOOK AT.

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YOU CAN SEE THESE TWEETS
AT WWW.NASA.GOV,

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OR GO TO
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NASA/ASTRONAUTS

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TO FOLLOW ALL THE ASTRONAUTS
ON TWITTER.

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SO WHAT DID WE LEARN TODAY?

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WE LEARNED THAT COMMUNICATION
IS VERY IMPORTANT

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FOR ASTRONAUTS ON THE ISS.

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WE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS

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ASTRONAUTS CAN COMMUNICATE.

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AND WE LEARNED
THAT WE CAN FOLLOW

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WHAT THE ASTRONAUTS ARE DOING
ON THE ISS.

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IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT MORE

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ABOUT HOW YOU CAN TALK
WITH ASTRONAUTS,

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GO TO NASA'S
TEACHING FROM SPACE WEBSITE

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AT THE ADDRESS ON YOUR SCREEN.

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[phone rings]

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[gasps]
OH, I'D BETTER ANSWER THAT.

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IT MIGHT BE AN ASTRONAUT.

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I'M LILY.
THANKS FOR WATCHING "OUR WORLD."

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BYE-BYE.

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- "OUR WORLD."