posted 06-01-2015 10:20 AM
I attended events at the Ultimate Science Street Fair yesterday, Sunday, as part of the World Science Festival. It was the closing day of the week-long event, and three astronauts participated (Michael Lopez-Alegria gave an earlier lecture at the Intrepid museum but did not attend on Sunday).At the NASA Orbit Pavilion, there were exhibits and videos on climate change and earth satellites and NASA astronaut Lee Morin had a brief presentation and Q&A session. When asked if he would go on a Mars mission, he said yes but only if the modules and living conditions were as good or better than what he experienced on board ISS.
Next up was astronaut Nicole Stott, who appeared at an Astronaut Training Zone where young future astronauts were given white 'space suits' and helmets and were hoisted three at a time, horizontally, to simulate 'spacewalking.' While suspended, Stott and the event host would talk to the kids and encourage them to 'swim' like the real astronauts do in space. Stott then answered some questions and related how the view from space was breathtaking and 'ginormous,' in the words of Stott's own son.
She then moved on to the NASA Mobile Exhibit, which had mockups of two Mars rovers, Orion and the future SLS. Before arriving, she ran into a volunteer dressed in a shuttle EVA suit; she posed behind him and then the 'astronaut' bowed down before the real one in jest. Cute moment.
Former astronaut Clay Anderson gave a presentation and book signing for his memoir The Ordinary Spaceman. It was a mostly loud audience, composed primarily of school kids. He started off by measuring off how big a shuttle cabin was, and used kids to show where the commander, pilot, etc. sat. He humorously related that the commander could 'eat everybody else's food' and one of the pilot's duties was to clean the toilet. That got big laughs. He also good-naturedly pitched his new book by saying it was 'way better than Mike Mullane's (Riding Rockets).'
To end the day's events, both Morin and Stott participated in a long presentation and Q&A where they related how both are deeply involved in crew cockpit display and integration for Orion. Stott then said Morin not only is involved in current NASA exploration programs but, as Morin himself said, as a 'hobbyist,' is investigating the mining of lunar soil for manufacturing of materials.
The day ended literally with a bang, as a thunderstorm rolled over Washington Square Park near New York University, where the festival events were held. It was an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
posted 05-04-2015 03:38 PM
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