Comments on: Contest: Ask Astronaut Rex Walheim a Question

By: Nicola Einarson

Nicola Einarson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:27:00 +0000

When planning for a career as an astronaut, would it be better to concentrate on the field of physics, for example what is the best solution for radiation shielding in deep space, or biology, for instance how does radiation affect the human body and what are the best emergency treatments?

By: Antennapedia

Antennapedia — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:03:00 +0000

Here’s hopin’. My chances are infinitesimal, but at bare minimum my education and experience falls within the “qualified applicant” criteria. The worst they can do is tell me “no,” right?

Unless somebody proposes failed astronaut applicants as a new rocket fuel…

By: Jeffrey Garriock

Jeffrey Garriock — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:37:00 +0000

Films like “The Right Stuff” show a highly fictionalized glimpse into the Astronaut recruitment/selection process – originally it seemed to fall mostly to pilots, and people associated with in-atmosphere flight. Considering how human activity in space these days is less about flight and more about science – how has the selection/recruitment process changed since you passed through it? What changes are most noticeable?

By: rosskill

rosskill — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:52:00 +0000

Rex Walheim, it should be noted that though blast off secures your super-cool status, we’re inquiring at which fighter wing of future thrust masters is most organized at ASBC (air and space basic course). It is, hats in the ring, punkin dogs, sundowners, or the thunderbirds?

Rex Walheim, it should be noted that this group of intellectuals is unable to contrive any reason for more experiments in outerspace or another weightless environment. You should help us out with that.

By: penguinchris

penguinchris — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:24:00 +0000

What can we average folk do (within Earth’s atmosphere and outside NASA training centers) that most closely simulates the various sensations of spaceflight?

I imagine that despite the training, there’s nothing else like it. But surely there’s something on the ground that can give us a little taste. Skydiving? Commercial “vomit comets”? Space camp?

I mean, most of us have experience with g-forces, including brief moments of zero-g/freefall on roller coasters. But what I’m really wondering is if there’s something here on the ground that we regularly experience that reminds you, an astronaut, of spaceflight. Not necessarily just the physical sensations, but perhaps mental state of mind and so on as well.

By: penguinchris

penguinchris — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:11:00 +0000

Well, I have one of the Jackhammer Jill pins and it’s nearly as cool as the space suit…

By: ganman

ganman — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:48:00 +0000

What reason for candidates getting the axe surprised you the most (or was the most surprisingly frequent)?

By: Nicholas Tino

Nicholas Tino — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +0000

I am truthfully very interested in the age range they take seriously for astronaut candidates. I am currently a Mechanical Engineer for the Department of Defense but I feel like they wouldn’t consider me being that I am only 25.

By: Michael Chazin

Michael Chazin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:47:00 +0000

My question is: Does God believe in you?

By: Kram LaFup

Kram LaFup — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

We’ve all seen by now the movie “The Right Stuff” with all the rigorous physical tests the early astronauts had to persevere. How much does physical endurance/ superiority factor in these days when choosing who gets to go? Another words, ” I’m smart as all hell, but I get nose bleeds when I ride a swing. Can I still go into outer space? ” or “I’m smart as all hell, but one of my thighs won’t even fit into that! (pointing at space suit)” or just plainly, “Brainy weaklings need not apply?”.

By: 明博日本語

明博日本語 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:14:00 +0000

what are the most interesting things you’ve experienced in space?

By: Titus

Titus — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:22:00 +0000

Is retirement/unemployment as an astronaut difficult in that, life can be mundane after having experienced something so few experience. I imagine a kind of PTSD, afterall the “rush” of going to space must be addicting, difficult to replicate on earth, and lives only in rare sensory flash-backs?

By: bananaenvy

bananaenvy — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:32:00 +0000

I’d be interested to hear what he thinks about Apollo astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Edgar Mitchell going on record talking about UFOs etc. These aren’t the usual stripe of fruitcake saying this stuff, these are dudes who literally walked on the moon. What’s the attitude among the current crop of astronauts to these guys. Crazy old men, or is there something to it?

Le linkage:
Buzz Aldrin talks about something weird orbiting Mars – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDIXvpjnRws

Info on Mitchell – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Mitchell#Views_on_UFOs

For bonus points this is Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper talking about stuff he’s seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlryMmr4Kqc

By: spocko

spocko — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:24:00 +0000

We all loved the Apollo 13 story about creating a C02 detox filter using duct tape and notebook binders. In your training do they ever run “MacGyver drills” where you need to fix things with improvised parts?

Are there “manual methods” you need to learn for when computers go down or equipment malfunctions?

By: know1

know1 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:51:00 +0000

Good luck on your quest.

By: know1

know1 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Thanks.

By: aimee whitcroft

aimee whitcroft — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:26:00 +0000

Here’s my question:
Given that I’ve heard stories like blueish algae-based hamburgers having freaked astronauts out too much to eat (necessitating that food was ferried up to the astronauts in the ISS), what training do modern astronauts undergo in order to get them used to eating unusual foods?

Basically, how do they get used to blue hamburgers? I’m thinking some kind of hilarious aversion therapy :P

By: Tanner Campbell

Tanner Campbell — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:23:00 +0000

Ask him what’s involved in the psychological training of astronauts. How they train recruits to deal with the harsh and, at times, frightening realities of living and traveling in space. If they ask what you mean give these examples: sleep, radiation from the solar wind, weightlessness, and the dangers of working outside of the shuttle (repairs et cetera).

By: Bauart

Bauart — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:21:00 +0000

Over the years you’ve answered SO many questions about NASA and being an astronaut… What’s the one question the reporters always miss, the one-thing you would like to share you haven’t shared before?

By: btm

btm — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:14:00 +0000

Question for Rex: If you could change one thing about people/humanity, what would it be?

By: Scratcheee

Scratcheee — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:31:00 +0000

Tell us about the least astronaut-like astronaut you know.

(edit: Note that the topic is recruitment.)

By: Antennapedia

Antennapedia — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:29:00 +0000

Yo. NASA has your hookup. http://astronauts.nasa.gov/content/broch00.htm#c

By: Bryan Hoerber

Bryan Hoerber — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:19:00 +0000

As tourism space travel takes off, pardon the pun, what do you think will be the long term benefits and, besides disasters, what do you think the consequences will be?

By: info

info — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:11:00 +0000

One thing I never managed to learn: what kind of background noise is there in a Soyuz/Shuttle/ISS/EVA suit? And what about smells? (I read that equipment coming back from EVAs smell “like barbecue”, but this sounds quite unlikely…)

By: know1

know1 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:09:00 +0000

Seriously, though, are there physical requirements, like maximum or minimum height? Do you have to be in perfect physical health, including eyesight and hearing?

By: Psychedelic George

Psychedelic George — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:09:00 +0000

Being in space must be a profound experience not only psychologically but spiritually. If that is the case, why do we hear little if anything from returning astronauts about how the experience has affected them?

By: know1

know1 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:06:00 +0000

Do astronauts have to know about math and science and stuff?

By: C.J. Weaver

C.J. Weaver — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:40:00 +0000

What is your belief in life outside of this universe on other planets, and will we ever be contacted (or contact) those other civilizations?

By: xenphilos

xenphilos — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:34:00 +0000

This is a purely self-interested question, since I’m one of those people who still wants to go to space and experience spacewalking firsthand, but what was the feeling of being in space for the first time?

By: Chang Terhune

Chang Terhune — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:28:00 +0000

What’s the weirdest thing you ever saw? In space, even, if it’s relevant.