Brains On! Science podcast for kids · Brains On Universe

The life of a NASA astronaut

June 3, 2025·35 min·3 clips

Astronaut Kayla Barron reveals how astronauts train in giant pools and avoid sunburn in space.

The episode opens with a fictional sketch in which Brains On characters Sandin and Mark present their invention, the Whopper Stopper, a spacesuit with a smell-triggered engine that extracts flatulence from the wearer and captures it in a container. The sketch is played straight while being absurd, and Molly connects it to the real problem: in a space station without air currents, odors from any source linger and can distract astronauts from their work. The main content is a listener question-driven exploration of astronaut life. Questions include: how do astronauts train for low gravity, where they use neutral buoyancy pools that simulate weightlessness; how they sleep, where they use sleeping bags anchored to walls in small compartments; how they eat, where all foods are either vacuum-packed, freeze-dried, or specially formulated to avoid crumbling, since crumbs float freely and can damage electronics or be inhaled; how they exercise, where two hours of daily resistance and cardiovascular training is required to slow bone density and muscle loss; and how they become astronauts, where the application process is intensely competitive and includes advanced degrees, professional experience, and rigorous physical testing. Child co-host Vincent contributes questions throughout and Molly answers with explanations calibrated for young listeners, relating space concepts to familiar childhood experiences. The tone is enthusiastically educational and comedy-tinged. The audience is children roughly ages six to twelve and the adults who listen with them.

As heard by us

Space travel gets funny, specific, and surprisingly edible.

Brains On keeps the attention on astronaut food, opening with playfulness and moving through a quick quiz and a handful of details that are easy to remember.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the weird, practical side of astronaut life, with a few space-food surprises.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Brains On! Science podcast for kids