Meeting an Astronaut

Since we went to the Tellus Science Museum in February and bought our annual passes we have been back probably 5 times.  We have been a couple of times to just visit the museum, and we have now gone to two of their "Lunch and Learn" events.

As soon as I got the email announcing that Astronaut Shane Kimbrough was coming to the museum to speak, I called and signed up to go.  I also told my sister about it and she signed up with her three kids.  I only took Caroline--I wanted to take Alex and Carter, but Carter had standardized testing that day and I didn't think I could justify him missing it.  Aaron was going to attend, but ended up staying with Lisa and Ellie for the day.

When I was 12, my dad spent a few months one summer working on programming flight simulations for an astronaut training program.  We spent the summer in California and at the end we had a cookout with all the astronauts.  I had broken my arm right before we came to California and I had all the astronauts sign my cast before we went back.  Once we got home, the doctor removed the cast and cut through all of the autographs.  I was so upset!  Thinking back on it, I don't think I would have kept that smelly old cast all this time anyway.   The doctor probably did me a favor by thwarting any attempt to keep it!

I loved meeting the astronauts and I was excited that Caroline would get to as well.  Then I entered a drawing to be one of 12 people to go (with a guest) to a special meeting with Captain Kimbrough before the lunch--we would have the chance to take pictures, ask questions, and get autographs.  I was excited (and surprised) that I was selected--so Caroline and I were even more excited to go.

 Meeting Captain Kimbrough was really fun.  They had refreshments and we were able to ask questions.  After the question period we took pictures and he signed autographs.  There was a little boy that was dressed in an astronaut costume--it was really cute and when it was his turn to take a picture Captain Kimbrough said to him (calling him by name) "Can I get my picture taken with you?"  It was a really great experience.

 After that we had about an hour so we met up with Shanna and her family and did some gem mining and fossil digging and looked at the minerals area. 

The hour went quick and it was time to get in line to get our lunches and wait for the presentation to start. 

Luckily we all got to sit together.  Technically they had reserved seating for the winners of the contest, but we didn't see anything obvious so Caroline and I decided to just sit with Shanna and her family--there were only two tables between us and the front podium--it was perfect seating! 

I have to admit that I never have been really into "space stuff".  I like it, but it has never seemed all that fascinating to me.  Until today.  Hearing about traveling to the International Space Station, seeing pictures that were taken there, hearing him talk about what life was like and what they did was pretty amazing.  At one point he talked about a new machine that they installed that would convert urine into usable water that they would then drink.  At that point he asked who wanted to still be an astronaut!  During the Q&A session someone asked what NASA was doing now and he talked about the Orion project.  He said that up until now the biggest problem was not being able to take enough water to take humans to Mars.  But with the new machine that they had at the ISS (converting urine to water) that was more possible.  He said that Orion should be ready around 2017--that is only 4 years away and they may be taking people to Mars!  Several times he talked about the ISS "only" being 200 miles up in space and "not that far".  It struck me how far things have come since the idea to go to the moon was unbelievable and now it was considered close and they wanted to go to the places that were far--like Mars.   He talked about trying to see the stars on the ISS (apparently there is too much light pollution and you couldn't really see much) but on the way back to earth they turned off all lights and he said it was amazing--but "because it is only 200 miles from Earth it doesn't really look that different--the sun isn't bigger".  The time flew by and I was amazed to see that an hour had passed.  I wished he could have talked for another hour--or two, and I have since thought of all kinds of questions I wish I could ask him!

 Afterwards, he signed autographs and took pictures for those that didn't get to go earlier. Jack was excited to get his picture taken. 

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 I had to rush home right after it ended to meet Carter and Alex's bus and pick up Aaron, but Caroline stayed a little longer with Shanna and her kids.  Apparently, when they went to leave, Shanna's car wouldn't start.  After one person tried (unsuccessfully) to help her, Captain Kimbrough came out to his car (parked next to Shanna's) and his battery was dead too.  Tellus tried to jump Shanna's car, without it working, then jumped the battery to Captain Kimbrough's car (it worked).  Captain Kimbrough tried to get Shanna's car working and still it wouldn't work.  Another person from NASA that was there got in and found the problem--her car was in reverse, but not started.  Problem solved and Shanna was able to make it home.  Of course, now Shanna has had an Astronaut sit in her car and is the very coolest person Caroline has ever met.  Caroline's first words on getting home were "I sat in the same car where an Astronaut sat!!!!!!!!!!!" I guess it was small potatoes to get to take pictures and talk with him--the fact that he sat in Shanna's car has trumped everything!

I was telling Matt all about it and I told him that it was so cool that I now want to be an Astronaut!  :)  He reminded me that besides being way too old my fear of heights might be a problem when going to space.  I guess I will have to agree with him on that point...but space is pretty amazing!