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    Fun in zero gravity: the real reason astronauts go to space

    Being an astronaut is generally thought of as one of the world’s most thrilling jobs, but the excitement of take-off, re-entry and missions in between is frequently offset by days and even weeks of downtime. Using 1980s-era archival video from NASA, this video from NPR shows how everything from sleeping and dressing to tossing a paper airplane is delightfully novel in space.

    Producers and Editors: Emily Bogle, Mito Habe-Evans

    6 September 2016
    A spacecraft in orbit above Earth with a green aurora visible in the background.

    videoAstronomy

    The majestic Earth as seen through the eyes of astronauts orbiting above

    6 minutes

    Illustration of two astronauts holding hands, floating near a space shuttle against a background of concentric black and yellow circles.

    videoBiology

    Everything you always wanted to know about sex in space

    4 minutes

    A satellite with a spherical body and multiple antennas extending outward, set against a black background.

    videoSpace exploration

    ‘Space junk’ is a calamity in the making and a threat to anyone venturing off Earth

    11 minutes

    Inside the International Space Station, with a view of Earth and a docked spacecraft through a window with cables nearby.

    videoSpace exploration

    The high life: take a majestic, guided tour of the International Space Station

    18 minutes

    Digital illustration of a low-poly human figure standing on a beach facing the ocean and mountains under a twilight sky.

    videoSpace exploration

    Could we make a home on Mars? It would be a very unique psychological situation

    3 minutes

    A woman in a green shirt floating inside a spacecraft with Earth visible through a round window in the background.

    videoSpace exploration

    Spacewalks above, pandemic below – how one ISS crew member experienced 2020

    15 minutes

    Earth from space showing the curvature of the planet with visible landmasses, oceans, and cloud formations set against black space.

    videoPhilosophy of science

    How humanity’s first glimpse of the earth from space changed our species forever

    19 minutes

    A chimpanzee in a space suit inside a capsule with human hands assisting, suggesting space exploration preparation.

    videoSpace exploration

    The rarely told story of the fruit flies, primates and canines that preceded us in space

    12 minutes

    Sketch of a chaotic scene with reporters surrounding a central figure holding microphones, in front of a red and white abstract background.

    videoGender

    Did you cry in astronaut training? and other dumb questions put to Sally Ride

    7 minutes