ISS astronaut talks about life in space | New

Summer camp participants live transmission between astronaut Alexander Gerst International Space Station and students of the NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia Tuesday afternoon

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

" Flying in space seems fun at first, but it does have some tricky situations, "says Gerst

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

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

A student asked about the first thought of the astronaut when he reached the space. "The first thing that comes to mind is, oh my god, we have to really take care of this planet, this small, fragile atmosphere, "said Gerst. "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 that, well we could destroy it, we could make it impossible for us. live on this planet. We do not have another planet on which we can stop.

"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 at Langley could be heard applauding after the passionate words of Gerst about the necessity, 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. ISI recycles its water, and scientists continue to look for ways to create a closed loop system that recycle each drop.

For food, astronauts count Supplies are sent through another spaceship every few months, so the space station can not carry fresh fruits and vegetables, but astronauts are currently trying to grow vegetables and seaweed on the ISS. at the experimental stage.

W When astronauts undergo medical emergencies or serious health problems, astronauts are sent home in the spaceship rescue capsules during a trip of about a day. 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 the leaves whispering … running in the rain … these things only exist on this little planet. "

A student asked if astronauts When doing serious work, it is important to have fun and laugh, says Gerst.

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

The astronaut encouraged the students to watch to follow their dreams – because one day they could also float on the ISS.

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

But for those 20 minutes, the kids were "really engaged," said Kurt Jefferson, an aviation instructor of Aviation M "There are something of a space that is so real, it's just amazing, "says Jefferson.

He believes that children ages 10 to 16 who attend the camp are at the right age to start to imagine ways to space or aviation, and that the camp "opens them to the concept."

"Maybe 9; one day one of them will become an astronaut, "said Jefferson. [ad_2]
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