Astronaut links up with kids to share his love of science
If you could ask an astronaut orbiting in space any question, what would it be?
Students from several Washington-area schools got to do that recently at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum as part of its “STEM in 30” program.
Among other things, they wanted to know: Is it hard to move around up there? Can you watch TV? How do you know when it’s time for bed? What if you get sick?
In a live video from space, astronaut Randy Bresnik was ready with the answers. He even had some props: freeze- dried food, floating candy and, in case of illness, a hightech barf bag.
Bresnik began a sixmonth stay on the International Space Station in July. The station’s six-member crew has three Americans. As they orbit about 250 miles above Earth, they are doing experiments about living and working in space.
Part of their job is telling young people about the challenges and rewards of space travel. The 30-minute shows aim to hook students on STEM subjects — science, technology, en- gineering and math — in fun, creative ways.
Bresnik floated around the space station-module to display weightlessness. He showed how liquids form bubbles that also float if they escape their containers. He pinged an airborne candy ball off the camera before gulping it down.
The crew exercises 90 minutes a day to stay fit.
“When we exercise ... you’ve got to be careful not to shake your head too far. Otherwise, the (sweat) goes flinging off,” Bresnik said.
The space station travels 5miles per second, circling Earth every 1½ hours. Because the crew sees 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every 24 hours, they rely on their watches to tell them when it’s bedtime.
Bresnik’s space hobby is taking photos. The colors and views from up there are “amazing,” he said, and every cloud is different. The crew members also watch lots of movies in their free time.
“STEM in 30” broadcasts are interactive. Students can connect from anywhere using the internet and submit questions for the experts. About 650 kids came to the Smithsonian to see Bresnik’s live video.
“It was really cool,” said Emily Steed, 11, a sixthgrader at Providence Elementary in Fairfax County, Virginia. “It’s not every day you get to actually talk to an astronaut in space.”