Hello, space cadets!
N.Y. schoolkids get out-of-this-world chat with orbiting astro
Students at a downtown Manhattan middle school enjoyed an out-of-this-world experience Monday when they talked to an orbiting International Space Station astronaut.
NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold told kids at Spruce Street School about scary fire alarms and the threat of orbiting space debris.
Seventh-grader Jordan Yuen wanted to know about different kinds of orbiting space junk.
“It’s kind of a game of dodgeball,” Arnold answered.
He told the students that space station astronauts saw a Chinese space station falling out of orbit.
The students also asked about the scariest things that happen aboard the space station.
Arnold answered that the crew’s three biggest worries are losing air pressure, toxic ammonia and fire.
He said that although he and his crew know what to do in an emergency, there are times when they get a false alarm at night.
“That’s probably the scariest thing,” said Arnold. “That moment between when you wake up till you get outside and figure out what’s going on — you don’t know if it’s for real or a false alarm.”
Eighth-grader Natalie Boettle said she was glad Arnold talked about the behind-the-scenes jobs available for people interested in space exploration.
“A lot of the people behind the scenes don’t get a lot of credit,” Boettle said. “They have very important roles. They’re the reasons the astronauts can go into space.”
After a 12-minute video conversation with Arnold, a panel of college professors and NASA employees answered more questions about space travel.
NASA education program specialist Matthew Pearce told students about upcoming projects like plans to go to Mars and to the moon.
“It’s your responsibility to keep moving us out of the solar system,” Pearce told the kids.