Students make long-distance call to ISS

May 14, 2008 — If you could ask an astronaut stationed at the International Space Station anything, what would it be? Students from New York and California had that dilemma, after being chosen to call Expedition 17 astronaut Garrett Reisman and learn more about living and working in space in the first coast-to-coast NASA Teaching in Space downlink chat. Students from a science after-school program, One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center, in Richmond Hill, New York, and students from Valley Christian Elementary School, Bellflower, California participated in the 20-minute conversation on Monday, talking to Reisman as he traveled 250 miles above Earth. Here’s some of what they asked: What language do you speak on the ISS? “We speak a combination of English, and Russian – probably 40 percent English and 60 percent Russian.” How is living on NEEMO different from living on the ISS? “It’s similar in a lot of ways,” Reisman said. “We eat the same food and we’re in an enclosed environment.” But it’s different, too, he said. “When I look out the window here, I don’t see any fish.” What does Dextre do? “Dextre is a lot like a person with a body and two arms, and two eyes in the form of two cameras,” he said, noting that it is designed to help the astronauts repair and assemble things on space walks. How does wilderness survival training help you in space? “Some of the stuff hasn’t helped too much,” Reisman said. “I haven’t had to trap any animals for food or to find any water.” But he said the training does help you learn how to take care of yourself, be a good team member and leader — and that has been useful. What’s the most extraordinary thing you’ve done in space? That was easy, Reisman said — a space walk with a full view of the Earth. What event in the past 50 years of NASA was the most meaningful to you? Personally, Reisman said it was the March 11 launch of STS-123 because he was inside and en route to the ISS. “But when I was your age, I was captivated by all the Apollo flights to the moon. It really is what inspired me to study math and science.” What is the most fun thing to do in microgravity and can you show us? “You can play with your food and play with water,” Reisman said. But floating is a lot of fun, almost like being a superhero, he said, as he demonstrated a flip to the students’ applause. "This was phenomenal," Bellflower Mayor Randy Bomgaars told the Press Telegram after the live chat. He described the chat as "spine-tingling" and said it helped to put the city on the map internationally.		Valley Christian Elementary School students Pauline Woo, left, Nikolai Marson and teacher Pam Leestma chat with astronaut Garrett Reisman, in space. (Stephen Carr/Staff Photographer with the Press Telegram) Reisman floats through the International Space Station to demonstrate the lack of gravity in space. Photo courtesy of the city of Bellflower, taken from LA Times blog. Valley Christian elementary students watched the live chat from the multi-purpose room at the school. Photo credit: Valley Christian schools. Astronaut Garrett Reisman aboard the ISS. Photo credit: NASA

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