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Durban – Former NASA astronaut, Dr. Don Thomas, veteran of 692 earth orbits, will be in Durban next week as part of the global celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
In the hope of inspiring the "Mars Generation", Thomas, who arrived this week in the country for the Living Maths Space tour of 2019, said: "I am convinced that the first astronauts on Mars could well figure among the learners of today. "
For the man whose first launch took place in July 1994, entering the space for the first time was the most unforgettable moment of his life.
"After four years of training, it was time to head for space. About three hours before launch, I sat aboard the Columbia Space Shuttle. I was lying on my back on a lumpy parachute and, even though it was not very comfortable, it did not matter to me at all.
"It was like I was in the simulators at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and I had to remember a few times that it was not a simulator, but the real thing and I was on Six seconds before take-off, our three main engines ignited and reached their maximum power.
"Then, as we took off, our two powerful, powerful, solid-powered propulsors ignited and we were on our way." Lie on the back, securely fastened to my seat, I could hear the roar of the engines and feel the tremor vibrations when the engines have reached their maximum power.
"The take-off gave me the impression that someone was holding my hand in the middle of my back and was pushing me straight up." Sensing this thrust, I knew that I was finally on my way to space. After dreaming of being an astronaut for nearly 33 years, it was now my turn and I was on my way. For the first few seconds, I shouted inside my helmet "YAAAAAHOOOOOO".
"Eight and a half minutes later, the engines were stopped as planned. He became strangely silent. I undid my seat belt and left my seat. I had it done in the space. "
And seeing our world "from afar", Thomas stated that although he has seen many images of the Earth taken from space, "the most surprising thing for me to be in the world." Space was the beauty of the Earth.
"I thought I knew what to expect when I would look at my home planet with my own eyes from the space. But I was totally wrong. When I first looked out the window, I gasped at the beauty below.
"The sky in space had a much darker black color than the one I had ever seen before, and, to meet that darkness, there was a bright blue coat, thin as paper, which surrounded our planet. I looked at our atmosphere. It was an incredibly powerful moment and a point of view that I wish all the inhabitants of planet Earth.
"The images we take from Earth from space do not do it justice. It's a million times more beautiful when you see it from the space with your own eyes. Seeing the Earth from above is a powerful event that changes your life. "
In the half-century since the man first landed on the moon, Thomas pointed out that there had been so many successful missions, including "all the rovers and landers of Mars, the New Horizons trip to Pluto and beyond, Osiris Rex, the Hubble, the James Ellis telescope and the new generation of rockets called Space Launch System ".
He added that with regard to the return to the Moon, a program called Artemis includes eight launches and a lunar orbit mini-station by 2024.
He said NASA is building larger and better rockets with trading partners, as well as vertical rockets and reusable boosters, printed in 3D. This, along with large-scale projects such as the launch of SKA and the expansion of the travel sector into the commercial space, predicted Thomas "this will be one of the fastest growing sectors in the world. world".
But it is Mars that, according to Thomas, should be the next major step in space.
"Realistically, we could see the first humans on Mars in the next 20 to 30 years. The goal of NASA is to send astronauts on Mars and bring them back safely … I am convinced that the first astronauts on Mars could be among the learners of today. hui. "
He said NASA did not support one-way missions or immediate settlements.
He said that living on Mars would be difficult. There is an atmosphere largely composed of carbon dioxide, extreme temperatures and temperatures well below zero. NASA has created sites around the world where scientists are subjected to extreme conditions.
"The complexity is further compounded when you realize how far Mars is and how difficult it would be to return to Earth in an emergency. We hope to identify any major issues that future astronauts may encounter on Mars. You can never prepare too much. "
This includes problems such as living in isolation, growing food, creating oxygen from the water on Mars, generating energy and coping with emergencies.
He said that the Earth was considered a "Goldilocks planet" in that it was the perfect distance from the sun. "We have found some planets that fit this description, but they are too far to explore."
He said that with the rapid pace of technological change, the scarcity of being an astronaut and working onboard an orbit shuttle would change, while any space mission "does not concern a or two astronauts. There are thousands of people behind every mission.
Thomas was in Cape Town this week and will travel to Johannesburg on Monday (University of Pretoria) and Tuesday (Sakhikamva Foundation STREAM Lab, Lanseria Airport) and Roedean Senior School.
He will deliver his speech in Durban Friday at St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls.
Tickets cost between R50 and R100. For more information, visit www.livingmaths.co, / living-maths-space-tour /.
The independent Saturday
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