The structure of the International Space Station relies heavily on a series of trusses engineered to withstand compression, tension, torsion and shear forces the station may encounter in low-Earth orbit.

In this episode, Expedition 55/56 Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold explains the significance of these resilient structures and the forces they are up against in microgravity.

Use the lesson plan that coincides with this video to emphasize the value of the engineering design process in your STEM classroom.

Visit https://nasa.gov/stemonstation for more educational resources that explore the research and technology of the International Space Station.

In this lesson, student teams will explore how different shapes
hold up to forces. Using their knowledge, they will build models
of a truss structure and test their designs by adding weights.

Grade Level: 6-8

Time Required: 50 minutes

Next Generation Science Standards:
MS-ETS1-4
Engineering Design: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.