Astronaut pays a visit to college

PUPILS from a South Wales school have been visited by a former Nasa astronaut – the first UK man to perform a space walk.

Commander Michael Foale, who is a veteran of six space shuttle missions and extended missions on both Mir and the International Space Station, shared his tales of space travel at Tonypandy Community College.

He gave a presentation to students from the feeder primary schools who will be attending the college next year and year seven pupils.

While Tim Peake became the first British astronaut to do a space walk last year, Mr Foale, from Lincolnshire, became the first British-born person to do one in 1995.

He stepped outside the Discovery shuttle, but flew with Nasa, so he was wearing the American flag.

The British-American astrophysicist spoke to the pupils about how he was inspired to join the space programme and how they could develop their skills and fulfil their dreams and ambitions if they worked hard enough.

Head teacher Nathan Prygodzicz said: “We were delighted and honoured to welcome Commander Michael Foale to the college and hear his incredible stories of life as a Nasa astronaut and the many missions he undertook into space.

“I know how inspired and enthralled the students were by his presentation and how they enjoyed the opportunity to question him about his time in space during his fascinating career.”

Cdr Foale also holds the record for the most time spent in space by a US citizen of 374 days, 11 hours, 19 minutes. He still holds the cumulativetime-in-space record for a Britishborn astronaut.

Students asked him a range of questions, including his diet in space, what it was like seeing the earth from such a distance and why he wanted to join Nasa.

He also explained how space exploration benefits life on earth and what experiments can be undertaken on the International Space Station.

Cdr Foale is leading a Mission Discovery programme involving science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem), which enables pupils to work with astronauts and world-class scientists to get their ideas for a space experiment launched to the International Space Station and to be carried out by astronauts as they orbit the earth.

A group of Tonypandy Community College students will continue involvement with the Stem programme by joining a three-day Mission Discovery course at Coleg y Cymoedd in Nantgarw.