ISS astronaut talks to students about his life in space | Local news

L & # The amiable German astronaut answered questions about his life in orbit around the Earth. "

" Flying in space seems amusing at first, but there are some tricky situations, "says Gerst

There are challenges and adjustments at the beginning, like feet getting stuck on Velcro or objects If it's not properly tidy, says Gerst.

But floating in the air, watching the Earth and arriving at the hallucinatory realization that you live in the space asset "When I think of the fact that I live here right now in the most complex machine that the # Humanity has built … it's one of the best things I can imagine, "Gerst.

A student asked about the first thought of the astronaut when he reached the space.

"The first thing that has come to my mind is, oh my god, we really need to take care of this planet." Gerst said. "The sky no longer seems infinite, it's just that little thin air that surrounds this tiny little planet.

"If we do not take care of it, we could destroy it, we could make it impossible for us. live on this planet. We do not have any other planet on which we can jump.

"We really have this little oasis in a dark universe, so we have to cherish it and take care of it," Gerst said. The older audience who was attending Langley could be heard bursting into applause after the astronaut's passionate words about the need, and also the privilege, of ecological preservation.

Students also asked about water, food and safety. "The short answer is that we have to bring it with us," Gerst said. The ISS recycles its water, and scientists continue to research methods to create a closed loop system that recycles every drop.

For food, astronauts rely on tin cans. Supplies are sent via another spacecraft every few months, so the space station can not support fresh fruits and vegetables. However, astronauts are currently trying to grow vegetables and seaweed on the ISS, but Gerst says they're still in the experimental stage.

When astronauts experience medical emergencies or serious health problems, they are sent home in the lifejackets.

But he also said that they were lucky enough to have a doctor in hand – Dr. Serena Aunon-Chancellor, who is the only woman currently on board the ISS

A student asked what Gerst failed to do on Earth

"I miss the Earth a lot," says Gerst, "walking in a forest and hearing him whisper … go running in the rain … these things only exist on this small planet. "

A student asked if the astronauts were joking with each other.

When you do serious work, it's important to have fun and laugh, says Gerst.

"Without that, it would be boring," he said

The astronaut encouraged students to follow their dreams, because one day they too could float on the ISS.

After the end of the transmission, the spell was broken and the children resumed normal, juvenile dialogues.

But during those 20 minutes, the kids were "really engaged," said Kurt Jefferson, a Kentucky-based aviation instructor in Lexington who teaches in state camps.

Jefferson said:

He believes that young people ages 10 to 16 who attend the camp are at the ideal age to begin to imagine ways to space or aviation and that the camp "opens them to the concept."

"Maybe one day one of them will become an astronaut," said Jefferson. [ad_2]
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