Robert Laniel (grade 4) - Tallahassee Community School, NS

What astronauts do during their free time in space depends upon whatever they individually prefer. Each astronaut takes their own preference kits along on missions. Some chose to read or write e-mails home on their laptops. Others listen to music or play games. Again, others just chat with other crewmembers or with people on earth via ham radio. However, at least in the early stages of the mission, the most preferred pastime is looking out into space and watching the earth roll by underneath.

Kakisa Lake School, NWT

Recreation in space is as important to good health as it is on earth. Cards and other games, books and writing material are all available for astronauts to use while they are on a mission. Astronauts also choose the music they want to bring with them into space, which they can listen to on CD players.

Do regular watches work in space? If not do you have a special way of telling time? 

Kakisa Lake School, NWT

The microgravity environment does not affect watches. On the space shuttle, there are three parameters astronauts can use to define time. The measure called Mission Elapsed Time defines the number of days, hours and minutes since the launch. Astronauts may use this time definition to guide them during their daily activities. Greenwich Mean Time is the standard measure of time used by the Russian space agency. When Mission Control activities are transferred to Russia, astronauts calculate time using this measure. Astronauts may also want to know when they can reasonably contact their friends and family at home and so rely on their local measure of time as well.

When you drop a screw in space where does it go?

Shane O’Neil (grade 5) - Oldfield Consolidated, NS

If an astronaut where to drop a screw in the space shuttle or Space Station it would float, weightless, within a reasonably limited area. The air currents inside the spacecraft that ensure airflow to the various parts of the craft would likely carry the screw toward an air vent. In the worse case scenario, the screw (depending on its size) could lodge itself in a spacecraft system causing certain systems to malfunction.

Answer provided by Chris Hadfield, CSA Astronaut.

There have been just 4 humans who have lived in space for a year at a time.

A man named Valeri Polyakov has the record, staying over 14 months in a row (437.75 days!) on Space Station Mir. Shannon Lucid holds the record for the longest stay in space by an American - she was on Mir for 6 months. As for Canadians, Dr. Bob Thirsk, who was on Space Shuttle Columbia for 17 days in a row, holds the record.

Living apart from the rest of humanity can get quite lonely, especially if you're not busy with work and experiments. It can be difficult psychologically, plus the deconditioning of the body and increased radiation exposure are hard to endure. The experience the Russians gained on Mir helped us decide that about 6 months is as long as people should normally live in space.

Answer provided by Chris Hadfield, CSA Astronaut.

On Earth, dust gently falls to the ground, so we have to regularly dust, sweep, and vacuum. In space, since we're weightless, nothing ever falls to the floor! So spills float away and stick to the walls of the spacecraft. And, as the dust slowly drifts around in the air, it gets caught in the filters on our fans. To clean up, we have to wipe down the walls with wet-wipes. To remove the dust from the filters, we use gray tape with the sticky-side out, and we also have a little vacuum cleaner to get at the filters in hard-to-reach places. But we don't do dishes! Everything comes in its own package, and we just throw the empty containers into our dry trash. Finally, we have to clean the toilet every day, to make sure it doesn't get overfull, and to keep it hygienic.