February 29, 2008

Blast Off with Two TFK Kid Reporters!

Samantha Stokes and Sade Kammen speak with two NASA astronauts

This week, NASA officials are meeting to judge the readiness of the flight crew and the space shuttle for the next mission to the International Space Station. If all goes well, officials will give the space shuttle Endeavour the thumbs up to launch on March 11, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Astronauts Jim Pawelczyk and Stephanie Wilson know all too well what the Endeavour astronauts are going through. Both astronauts have flown on important missions.

In 1998, Pawelczyk circled the Earth 256 times aboard the space shuttle Columbia to study the effects of microgravity on the human body. And last November, Wilson boarded the space shuttle Discovery to deliver an expansion nodule called "Harmony" and make repairs to the International Space Station (ISS).

TFK Kid Reporters Samantha Stokes and Sade Kammen spoke to Pawelczyk and Wilson for an inside look at their jobs. Here's what they said.

Experiments in Space

One man takes science to a whole new level

By Samantha Stokes

Imagine yourself strapped to the front of a speeding freight train. Suddenly, the train stops short, and you are floating. That's how Jim Pawelczyk (pa-wel-zik) felt when he launched into space.

Courtesy Stokes Family Astronaut Jim Pawelczyk with TFK Kid Reporter Samantha Stokes

In 1998, Pawelczyk, a professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State University, joined the crew of the space shuttle Columbia. From April 17 to May 3, he performed experiments in space. The experiments, called Neurolab, studied how the brain and nervous system adapt to microgravity. Microgravity is a state of weightlessness that occurs when gravity is very weak.

Medical doctors can apply the research done on that trip to help patients they see today. The research addressed such issues as blood pressure, blood flow to the brain and improving sleep. When Pawelczyk wasn't studying microgravity, he was enjoying it. Floating in space is "one of the most fun things!" he says.

A Child's Dreams Take Flight

Pawelczyk grew up in Elma, New York. By the age of 6, he had his eye on the sky. After college, he applied for a job at NASA and began the two-year training process to become an astronaut. While training, he practiced the experiments he would be doing in space and learned the basics of living in space. But it wasn't all work. On "fun days," he and other trainees learned to parasail and skydive.

Pawelczyk doesn't think he will go into space again, but would like to see other young people get the chance. His advice for kids: Do well in math and science. Find something that you are good at and strive to become even better, and never stop believing in yourself. "Don't ever let anyone stop you from pursuing your dreams!" he says.

An Interview with Stephanie Wilson

The second African-American woman to go into space talks about her experiences

By Sade Kammen

TFK:

What made you want to become an astronaut?

WILSON:

When I was 13, I had to interview someone in a career field that I was fascinated by. I was interested in astronomy at the time, and I interviewed a professor at Williams College. Later, I wanted to become an engineer, to build my own spaceship to travel to the stars. I wanted to get as close to them as I could.

NASA Astronaut Stephanie Wilson

TFK:

What's it like in space?

WILSON:

Space is a very special place. It is neat to float, and the view is amazing. The colors are very vivid. Looking down at Earth is very inspirational.

TFK:

What went through your mind when you saw that the solar panel on the International Space Station was ripped?

WILSON:

I was in shock. I wanted to try to understand how it happened and how we could fix it.

TFK:

Have you always wanted to be a mission specialist?

WILSON:

Yes. Since I have no military experience I would not be eligible to be a pilot. They have to have at least 1,000 hours of flying, and usually that experience comes through the military.

TFK:

What kind of training did you have to go through to become an astronaut?

WILSON:

We have to have military, land and water survival, T-38 Flight training, classes on the shuttle and space station systems, and then we have simulations for entry into Earth's orbit. We also have geological training and Russian language training.

TFK:

How did you feel when NASA accepted you?

WILSON:

I was excited to start a new chapter in my life. I was also happy that some day I would have an opportunity to fly in space.

TFK:

Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman in space and you are the second. Have you had any contact with her?

WILSON:

Yes, I have. She has been a great mentor and supporter to me.

TFK:

What do you think of the Mars and Moon missions that NASA is working on?

WILSON:

I think that the Moon and the Mars missions are great. They do pose a lot of risks. We chose to go to the Moon first because it's closer, and we can test our procedures there. I think going to Mars would be a great opportunity.

TFK:

If you had the option to go on the Moon and Mars missions, would you take it?

WILSON:

Yes! Absolutely, I would. Part of it is personal curiosity. But I also think we can learn a great deal from our space program. Many of the things we use every day come from what we learned from the space program, for example, computers, cell phones and light-weight sports equipment.

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