1 00:00:01,490 --> 00:00:02,130 >> Good morning. 2 00:00:02,130 --> 00:00:05,550 Welcome to the flight International Space Station Flight Control Room 3 00:00:05,550 --> 00:00:07,330 in the Mission Control Center in Houston. 4 00:00:07,330 --> 00:00:11,730 I'm Brandi Dean, I'm public affairs officer here and I've got here with me Gary Cox 5 00:00:11,730 --> 00:00:14,450 who is the EPIC Project Manager, 6 00:00:14,450 --> 00:00:18,450 that's a station computer upgrade project that he's been working on. 7 00:00:18,450 --> 00:00:23,430 So, he knows a lot about the stations' computers and I hear we've got some questions 8 00:00:23,430 --> 00:00:28,510 from students in Georgia that we're going to try and answer. 9 00:00:28,510 --> 00:00:32,500 [ Pause ] 10 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:39,080 >> When you're giving tasks to the astronauts and cosmonauts, how do you go about doing that? 11 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,710 Do you just tell them or is there a specific order that you have to do it? 12 00:00:43,710 --> 00:00:44,230 >> I'm sorry? 13 00:00:44,230 --> 00:00:45,740 Can you repeat the question? 14 00:00:45,740 --> 00:00:49,900 When we get tasks that we have to go through is that what you said? 15 00:00:49,900 --> 00:00:50,310 >> Yes ma'am. 16 00:00:50,310 --> 00:00:57,420 When you're giving tasks to the astronauts and cosmonauts is there a specific way 17 00:00:57,420 --> 00:00:59,680 that you have to go about doing that? 18 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,400 >> Okay. That's probably a great question for Gary. 19 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,050 He just got finished giving the astronauts a really complicated task 20 00:01:05,050 --> 00:01:08,500 about upgrading the stations' computers so he can tell us a little bit about how that works. 21 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:13,320 >> Sure. [Clears throat] there's a lot of training and rehearsal that goes on prior 22 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:17,670 to the the mission or the task that's actually asked to be completed. 23 00:01:17,670 --> 00:01:22,150 Often times we write procedures on papers and and send the files 24 00:01:22,150 --> 00:01:27,110 up to the space station computers to allow the astronauts to read what their next task has 25 00:01:27,110 --> 00:01:31,020 to be, and then they follow these procedures as they perform the task itself. 26 00:01:31,020 --> 00:01:34,980 And, there's a lot of communication as well between the ground sys -- 27 00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:37,520 people here and the crew up on board. 28 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,910 >> So we give them a detailed instruction list basically right? 29 00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:43,030 >> Right. A detailed instruction list and there's a lot of training 30 00:01:43,030 --> 00:01:45,500 that happens beforehand to make sure they understand what they're going 31 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:46,660 to be doing once they're up there. 32 00:01:46,660 --> 00:01:50,640 >> And I guess even when when we do need to talk to them, we have a special person 33 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,540 in the mission control center that talks to them and they get training just to talk to the crew. 34 00:01:54,540 --> 00:01:57,370 So, there's a there's a lot that goes into getting ready to do something. 35 00:01:57,370 --> 00:02:00,050 >> Right. And all this happens before the astronauts even launch into space. 36 00:02:00,050 --> 00:02:02,170 A lot of this training is is occurring on the ground. 37 00:02:02,170 --> 00:02:04,690 Before they get up there they already know what they're going to be working on. 38 00:02:04,690 --> 00:02:04,990 >> Right. Okay. 39 00:02:04,990 --> 00:02:07,670 So does that answer your question? 40 00:02:07,670 --> 00:02:08,070 >> Yes ma'am. 41 00:02:08,070 --> 00:02:09,330 Thank you. 42 00:02:12,990 --> 00:02:17,850 >> I wanted to ask what is the mo -- what is the closest thing you've found 43 00:02:17,850 --> 00:02:20,070 to life on Mars currently? 44 00:02:20,070 --> 00:02:23,150 >> The closest thing we've found to life on Mars? 45 00:02:23,150 --> 00:02:29,100 Well we've got some really cool rovers that are on Mars right now and looking for signs of life 46 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:32,780 on Mars, and I think let's see they've they've maybe found signs of water is that right? 47 00:02:32,780 --> 00:02:37,010 >> Yeah found signs of water, ice, and some evidence of where there was flowing water 48 00:02:37,010 --> 00:02:39,190 and ice, which could lead you to believe there might be something there. 49 00:02:39,190 --> 00:02:42,250 But, right now they you know they're just finding the basics at this point. 50 00:02:42,250 --> 00:02:43,730 >> So no little green aliens yet? 51 00:02:43,730 --> 00:02:45,310 >> Yeah nothing yet. 52 00:02:46,540 --> 00:02:51,720 >> Is it hard for astronauts to go to sleep in space? 53 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,210 >> Is it hard for astronauts to what in space? 54 00:02:55,210 --> 00:02:56,700 >> Sleep. 55 00:02:56,700 --> 00:02:57,680 >> To sleep. 56 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,090 >> To sleep? 57 00:03:00,190 --> 00:03:00,860 >> Yes. 58 00:03:00,860 --> 00:03:05,850 >> Okay. Well I I think they work really hard so they're probably pretty sleepy at the end 59 00:03:05,850 --> 00:03:08,510 of the day, but they do have to do some special stuff to be able to sleep 60 00:03:08,510 --> 00:03:12,510 because without gravity holding you down to the to the bed you just float away 61 00:03:12,510 --> 00:03:14,840 so they've got kind of special sleeping bags. 62 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:15,630 >> Sleeping bags right. 63 00:03:15,630 --> 00:03:20,850 >> Right. That are attached to by Velcro I think to the to the stations' space stations' wall 64 00:03:20,850 --> 00:03:23,840 so they don't float away and they've got a special pillow that they kind 65 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:28,070 of strap their head onto so that they can rest like they do at home. 66 00:03:31,430 --> 00:03:38,360 >> What's the main goal for the space center for the year 2012 2013? 67 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:43,640 >> The main goal for the space center for 2012 and 2013? 68 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:44,730 >> Yes ma'am. 69 00:03:44,730 --> 00:03:46,840 >> Okay, well we've got a few different goals that we're working on. 70 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,760 Of course the big one is always to keep the space station and its crew safe 71 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,190 because we've got a lot of really cool experiments that are going on up there 72 00:03:54,190 --> 00:03:56,920 that we definitely want to get good good information from. 73 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,730 So, that's that's always the big one, but we've also got a lot of cool new projects 74 00:04:00,730 --> 00:04:05,880 that we're working on as well that we're going to use to to go further out into space. 75 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,180 So, we're we're doing a lot of interesting work with that too. 76 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,700 >> What process what what pro -- processes do you have to go 77 00:04:16,700 --> 00:04:18,530 through [inaudible] the different planets? 78 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:20,410 >> I'm sorry? 79 00:04:20,410 --> 00:04:22,790 Can you repeat that one a little louder? 80 00:04:22,790 --> 00:04:23,010 >> Louder. 81 00:04:23,010 --> 00:04:28,050 >> Hey hey guys, you may want to stand up and the microphone is right beside the projector, 82 00:04:28,050 --> 00:04:29,310 so if you'd kind of speak towards 83 00:04:29,310 --> 00:04:31,890 that microphone they can hear you a little bit better. 84 00:04:31,890 --> 00:04:32,120 >> Right here. 85 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,830 Right there okay. 86 00:04:34,830 --> 00:04:39,730 >> What processes do you go through to send a rover to different planets? 87 00:04:39,730 --> 00:04:44,390 >> What processes do we go through to send a rover to the planet? 88 00:04:44,390 --> 00:04:50,090 Okay. Well there there's a lot of work that goes into sending anything into space, 89 00:04:50,090 --> 00:04:54,520 and I haven't personally sent a rover to a planet, we don't really do that here 90 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,590 at Johnson Space Center because we send astronauts to the space station and to -- 91 00:04:58,590 --> 00:05:00,330 we've sent them to the moon of course. 92 00:05:00,330 --> 00:05:03,130 But, Gary can maybe talk about what what goes into that. 93 00:05:03,130 --> 00:05:06,570 >> Yeah. There's there's a list it's a long process a lot of coordination has to happen. 94 00:05:06,570 --> 00:05:10,320 You have to be able to design the rover that's going to work in that environment 95 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,590 that you're going to, that planet that you're going to be putting this rover onto. 96 00:05:14,590 --> 00:05:18,430 You have to find a launch vehicle that will take the rover to it for you. 97 00:05:18,430 --> 00:05:20,600 So, there's a lot of planning and coordination that has 98 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,610 to happen many many years in advance of that. 99 00:05:23,610 --> 00:05:27,630 A lot of times when you do send rovers to these other planets it takes months or years 100 00:05:27,630 --> 00:05:32,760 to actually arrive there as well, so there's a lot of foresight, again planning that takes 101 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,410 and the coordination to get that accomplished. 102 00:05:35,410 --> 00:05:40,950 >> Like right now, we actually here in Houston are working on a rover for people to to stay 103 00:05:40,950 --> 00:05:45,420 in when they go to say the Mars or as asteroid that they would live 104 00:05:45,420 --> 00:05:47,490 in for a few weeks at a time as they're exploring. 105 00:05:47,490 --> 00:05:52,360 So, right now we've got a version that that we're using here on the ground to try and test 106 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:57,180 out oh where do the windows need to be so that you can really see what what you need to see 107 00:05:57,180 --> 00:06:00,810 as you're exploring, and how is it going to be controlled, and all sorts of things. 108 00:06:00,810 --> 00:06:03,510 So, you've got to look at every little detail before it actually goes into space. 109 00:06:03,510 --> 00:06:09,040 [ Pause ] 110 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,500 >> How many projects are being done to the space center as of now? 111 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:14,500 >> How many projects? 112 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:17,630 I don't know that we have an exact number on hand, but it's a lot. 113 00:06:17,630 --> 00:06:21,470 We've got thousands of people working just here at Johnson Space Center 114 00:06:21,470 --> 00:06:23,860 and there are ten NASA centers across the country. 115 00:06:23,860 --> 00:06:27,510 So, there are lots and lots of projects going on right now. 116 00:06:27,510 --> 00:06:34,620 [ Pause ] 117 00:06:34,620 --> 00:06:39,030 >> How many people usually work in mission control? 118 00:06:39,030 --> 00:06:39,790 >> How many -- 119 00:06:44,990 --> 00:06:43,540 >> How many people work in mission control? 120 00:06:44,990 --> 00:06:46,740 It kind of depends on what you count. 121 00:06:46,740 --> 00:06:52,610 We've got a lot of people that work here in the front room that you that we're in right now 122 00:06:52,610 --> 00:06:55,880 that are the ones who who you usually see on TV a lot, 123 00:06:55,880 --> 00:07:01,600 but behind behind the scenes there's a whole lot of other people working in the same building 124 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,610 to do some of the some of the behind the scenes work. 125 00:07:04,610 --> 00:07:05,770 And, I don't know Gary you probably -- 126 00:07:05,770 --> 00:07:11,250 >> I we have other rooms similar to this room and we have some we we that perform many 127 00:07:11,250 --> 00:07:15,880 of the same tasks and duplication of tasks to tell the people up here in in front be ready 128 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:17,720 for any occurrence of any issues or anything. 129 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,280 They help them be ready for that. 130 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,930 So, we have a lot of folks in different rooms in this building supporting the people up here. 131 00:07:23,930 --> 00:07:26,890 >> And it also depends on the kind of the time of day and things like that, 132 00:07:26,890 --> 00:07:27,990 so there are a lot of different factors, but -- 133 00:07:27,990 --> 00:07:28,180 >> Um hum. 134 00:07:28,180 --> 00:07:29,510 >> A lot more than you would think. 135 00:07:29,510 --> 00:07:35,380 [ Pause ] 136 00:07:35,380 --> 00:07:39,270 >> Where would you say where astronauts usually train at? 137 00:07:39,270 --> 00:07:40,170 >> Where do they train? 138 00:07:40,170 --> 00:07:42,120 >> Where do astronauts train? 139 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:42,570 >> Yes ma'am. 140 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,260 >> They train right here in Johnson Space Center for one thing. 141 00:07:46,260 --> 00:07:51,410 They train a lot of places but they actually live and work here in Houston and, 142 00:07:51,410 --> 00:07:54,860 I think Gary has been involved in training them for some of the work we were talking 143 00:07:54,860 --> 00:07:57,300 about earlier with the stations computers so maybe you can talk about that. 144 00:07:57,300 --> 00:08:00,920 >> Right. We have a a facility here in Houston that has what we call mock ups. 145 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,660 They look like the space station, they're extra modules on the ground 146 00:08:03,660 --> 00:08:06,540 that the astronauts can train as if they were in space. 147 00:08:06,540 --> 00:08:10,730 We also have some in this giant swimming pool where they can act like train as though they're 148 00:08:10,730 --> 00:08:12,410 in space, they're floating around inside the pool. 149 00:08:12,410 --> 00:08:17,130 So, we have different facilities here at Johnson Space Center that allow them to train 150 00:08:17,130 --> 00:08:20,120 and get ready for their task when they get on board. 151 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:21,220 >> Right. 152 00:08:24,690 --> 00:08:27,650 >> How many computers do you have at mission control 153 00:08:27,650 --> 00:08:31,890 and does a certain computer do a certain task or do all of the computers work 154 00:08:31,890 --> 00:08:34,300 on the same task or something like that? 155 00:08:34,300 --> 00:08:37,110 >> Do you want to take that one? 156 00:08:37,110 --> 00:08:39,200 >> I I don't know a number of how many computers. 157 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:40,270 There's many many computers. 158 00:08:40,270 --> 00:08:45,230 We have rooms full of computers that help us manage the vehicle. 159 00:08:45,230 --> 00:08:49,670 We have a lot of data that comes down from the vehicle itself that's processed here 160 00:08:49,670 --> 00:08:50,840 on the ground. 161 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,630 Many many different rooms with different computers, different ways to look at the data. 162 00:08:54,630 --> 00:08:57,920 All of them are doing different tasks in many cases. 163 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,110 Here in the front room all of these computers that you see 164 00:09:00,110 --> 00:09:03,370 on the television have access to all of those, all the data. 165 00:09:03,370 --> 00:09:06,810 Anybody can see anything pretty much they want to see at any one time. 166 00:09:06,810 --> 00:09:09,100 But, we have a lot of computers a lot of computing power here. 167 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:12,930 >> I think there there's at least two just behind me right here 168 00:09:12,930 --> 00:09:17,370 and that's just just one little part of this room in mission control and there's lots 169 00:09:17,370 --> 00:09:20,120 of rooms and they all have lots of computers. 170 00:09:21,670 --> 00:09:28,360 >> What are the effects on astronauts going into space on their human body? 171 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,970 >> What are the effects of astronauts going into space on the human body? 172 00:09:32,970 --> 00:09:34,820 >> Correct. 173 00:09:34,820 --> 00:09:37,270 >> Okay. Well they're that's one of the things we're studying 174 00:09:37,270 --> 00:09:38,680 with the International Space Station. 175 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:44,530 What we want to learn is exactly how living in microgravity affects human bodies so that 176 00:09:44,530 --> 00:09:49,720 when we want to send them further out and they're away longer we know how to how to deal 177 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,480 with them and be ready to to fix them if we need to. 178 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:57,720 So, one of the things that we we know happens is that when you don't have to use your muscles 179 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,200 because you're just floating around all day, you start to lose lose muscle mass. 180 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,230 And so, one of the things we do is we keep the astronauts working 181 00:10:05,230 --> 00:10:07,380 and exercising while they're in space. 182 00:10:07,380 --> 00:10:10,610 They have to exercise so much each day and they've got a bunch 183 00:10:10,610 --> 00:10:14,940 of really interesting cool equipment that they use to do that on the space station, 184 00:10:14,940 --> 00:10:19,110 ways that they are able to pretend like they're running on a treadmill, 185 00:10:19,110 --> 00:10:22,170 even though if they were just running on a regular treadmill they'd float up 186 00:10:22,170 --> 00:10:25,250 and that wouldn't [inaudible] they've got tethers that hold them down 187 00:10:25,250 --> 00:10:29,430 and then they've got things that help them kind of act like they're lifting weights 188 00:10:29,430 --> 00:10:31,510 in space, and an exercise bicycle too. 189 00:10:31,510 --> 00:10:39,040 [ Pause ] 190 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:43,660 >> What type of degree do you have to have to work in mission control? 191 00:10:43,660 --> 00:10:44,470 >> What kind of degree -- 192 00:10:44,470 --> 00:10:44,840 >> Degree. 193 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:45,840 >> Do you have to have? 194 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:47,420 Why don't you talk about that Gary? 195 00:10:47,420 --> 00:10:49,780 >> Mostly the science degrees are are what you're looking for. 196 00:10:49,780 --> 00:10:51,000 Science and engineering. 197 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:55,950 I have an electrical engineering degree so it's electronics, aerospace is another good type 198 00:10:55,950 --> 00:11:01,520 of degree to get, computers, but very technical degrees are are the key ones to look at. 199 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,810 >> Anything in science or technology, or math is usually a good bet. 200 00:11:04,810 --> 00:11:05,150 >> Um hum. 201 00:11:05,150 --> 00:11:06,970 >> But not not everybody does. 202 00:11:06,970 --> 00:11:09,430 I have a a journalism degree because I I write things. 203 00:11:09,430 --> 00:11:10,070 >> Um hum. 204 00:11:10,070 --> 00:11:12,250 >> So, there's a bunch of different things we can use. 205 00:11:12,250 --> 00:11:17,430 >> Right. Better. 206 00:11:17,430 --> 00:11:19,230 >> Does equipment ever break down while in orbit? 207 00:11:19,230 --> 00:11:21,910 And if so, how do they fix things? 208 00:11:21,910 --> 00:11:24,380 >> Equipment definitely breaks down and Gary might be able to talk 209 00:11:24,380 --> 00:11:26,340 about that a little bit with the computers? 210 00:11:26,340 --> 00:11:29,370 >> Yeah we do we do have to main -- make sure we maintain the vehicle 211 00:11:29,370 --> 00:11:33,040 to make sure things don't -- when they do break down we have limitations because, you know, 212 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,980 we don't have all the tools that we have on the ground to go 213 00:11:35,980 --> 00:11:37,800 in there and make the modifications. 214 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:43,410 So, the the first thing we have to do is try to prevent the things from breaking down 215 00:11:43,410 --> 00:11:44,930 and the upgrade project we just did -- 216 00:11:44,930 --> 00:11:45,020 >> Right. 217 00:11:45,020 --> 00:11:46,020 >> Is is one of those things we've done. 218 00:11:46,020 --> 00:11:48,020 We try to upgrade and keep the compu -- 219 00:11:48,020 --> 00:11:51,550 the equipment modern or up to date so that we don't have to worry about it breaking down. 220 00:11:51,550 --> 00:11:55,770 But, once it does, we we have to get the crew involved, heavily involved in trying 221 00:11:55,770 --> 00:11:57,670 to help repair their the equipment on board. 222 00:11:57,670 --> 00:12:02,680 We have a lot of spares up there, so if one computer breaks down we can take a spare 223 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:07,510 up there that's already up there and install it and keep the the space station operating. 224 00:12:07,510 --> 00:12:12,560 [ Pause ] 225 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:17,390 >> Okay so how has the government affected the space center? 226 00:12:17,390 --> 00:12:19,340 >> Say that one again? 227 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:24,110 >> How has the government affected the space center? 228 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:28,120 Well the space center is part of the government. 229 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:36,110 We're a federal agency, so we we are part of the government and we get our our money our budget 230 00:12:36,110 --> 00:12:42,170 from the US Government, so that affects everything we do, everything from, you know, 231 00:12:42,170 --> 00:12:48,040 how many rockets we can send into space to how many computers we can work on all of that sort 232 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,860 of thing, so, it's all very much interconnected. 233 00:12:54,880 --> 00:13:01,950 >> Do you plan to do you plan to send rovers to any other planet than Mars? 234 00:13:01,950 --> 00:13:03,670 >> Do we plan to send rovers where? 235 00:13:03,670 --> 00:13:06,840 >> To any other planet than Mars? 236 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,780 >> Do I'm sorry? 237 00:13:09,780 --> 00:13:12,050 >> To any other planet other than Mars? 238 00:13:12,050 --> 00:13:13,650 >> To other planets other than Mars okay. 239 00:13:13,650 --> 00:13:19,840 We actually have kind of flying rovers that are already going all over the the solar system, 240 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:24,070 and you can find out about a lot of them on NASA.gov if you want to want to take a look. 241 00:13:24,070 --> 00:13:26,970 But, I think yeah, that we we definitely have thought to do that. 242 00:13:26,970 --> 00:13:27,040 >> 243 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:33,490 [ Pause ] 244 00:13:33,490 --> 00:13:35,420 >> How do you keep satellites from ramming 245 00:13:35,420 --> 00:13:40,560 into each other during during the time period that they're in space? 246 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:40,960 >> I'm sorry? 247 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:42,780 We can't hear you very -- oh did you hear that Gary? 248 00:13:42,780 --> 00:13:42,850 >> Yeah. 249 00:13:42,850 --> 00:13:43,990 >> How do you -- 250 00:13:43,990 --> 00:13:45,110 >> I think Gary got it go ahead. 251 00:13:45,110 --> 00:13:48,940 >> Yeah how do you keep satellites from hitting one another in space? 252 00:13:48,940 --> 00:13:49,690 >> Correct. 253 00:13:49,690 --> 00:13:54,090 >> Right. So, we have a monitoring system here on Earth where we monitor all the satellites 254 00:13:54,090 --> 00:13:58,840 that are orbiting the Earth itself, including space station as just another big satellite, 255 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:04,250 and we understand it can map their locations everyday every moment of the day. 256 00:14:04,250 --> 00:14:08,520 So, we know where they are and each satellite has a way of maneuvering 257 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:12,680 in space you can fire a little jet engine on that satellite to make it move out of the way 258 00:14:12,680 --> 00:14:17,100 and a lot of the pre-planning happens before the satellites' launched to make sure it's going 259 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:20,510 to go into a location in space that won't interfere with anybody else. 260 00:14:20,510 --> 00:14:26,040 [ Pause ] 261 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,350 >> How was some of the science [inaudible] research done 262 00:14:28,350 --> 00:14:34,410 on board [inaudible] the space station help people living on Earth? 263 00:14:34,410 --> 00:14:36,310 >> Did you hear that? 264 00:14:36,310 --> 00:14:37,780 >> How how does -- 265 00:14:37,780 --> 00:14:37,850 >> [Inaudible] 266 00:14:37,850 --> 00:14:40,720 >> Oh okay well there are lots of different types of research going 267 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,810 on on the International Space Station right now. 268 00:14:43,810 --> 00:14:46,260 So, there are lots of different ways that that could be affecting Earth, but, 269 00:14:46,260 --> 00:14:48,240 for instance you know one of the things we talked 270 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:53,290 about earlier was how space affects astronauts and how they have to exercise. 271 00:14:53,290 --> 00:14:58,250 Another thing that we've found out that that astronauts tend to experience when they've been 272 00:14:58,250 --> 00:15:02,300 in space for a long time is they start to lose bone density and that's also something 273 00:15:02,300 --> 00:15:07,910 that is a problem for people who are confined to bed rest here on earth, so things that that 274 00:15:07,910 --> 00:15:13,370 that we can figure out to do for for astronauts to help them combat that can also be used here 275 00:15:13,370 --> 00:15:20,890 on earth to help people who are confined to bed rest also avoid avoid bone density loss. 276 00:15:20,890 --> 00:15:23,590 Not just one way, there are a bunch of different different experiments going 277 00:15:23,590 --> 00:15:26,240 on that all have lots of different uses here on earth. 278 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:32,660 >> When is the next time you're going to send an astronaut 279 00:15:32,660 --> 00:15:37,380 like to the moon or to a different planet? 280 00:15:37,380 --> 00:15:41,760 >> Well we're still working on the system that would help us go to an asteroid 281 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,640 or Mars or a moon, things like that. 282 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:46,460 But, we send the astronauts into space all the time. 283 00:15:46,460 --> 00:15:50,370 We've got six, and you probably know, living at the international space station right now 284 00:15:50,370 --> 00:15:55,620 and in a a few months three of them will come home and then we'll send up three more, 285 00:15:55,620 --> 00:15:59,110 so we keep people, people in space all the time and there's been somebody 286 00:15:59,110 --> 00:16:01,510 in space for more than ten years now. 287 00:16:01,510 --> 00:16:06,800 [ Pause ] 288 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:11,380 >> What is your more efficient fuel for shuttles? 289 00:16:12,490 --> 00:16:16,220 >> The most efficient fuel for a shuttle? 290 00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:17,520 >> Yes. 291 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:21,530 >> Well, I think it depends on the kind of engines you have 292 00:16:21,530 --> 00:16:24,780 as to what what fuel you'll use, but one of the things we're looking at here 293 00:16:24,780 --> 00:16:29,380 at Johnson Space Center is how we can use what we're calling kind of green fuels, 294 00:16:29,380 --> 00:16:33,720 things that aren't bad for the environment to to fuel rockets. 295 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:39,670 And, things also we could find say if we went to Mars or the moon things that we could find there 296 00:16:39,670 --> 00:16:45,910 that we could use to fuel the rockets as well so that we could not have to carry all of our fuel 297 00:16:45,910 --> 00:16:50,450 into space because it takes a lot of fuel to get any amount of weight into space. 298 00:16:50,450 --> 00:16:56,090 You want to weigh as little as possible, so if we can carry less fuel, then we can we can get 299 00:16:56,090 --> 00:16:59,700 into space easier and then if we can get the fuel -- 300 00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:03,510 more fuel where we're going then then that makes it easier to get in space. 301 00:17:03,510 --> 00:17:07,810 [ Pause ] 302 00:17:07,810 --> 00:17:12,960 >> What do astronauts do for fun up there in space? 303 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,770 >> I'm sorry we didn't hear that one? 304 00:17:21,380 --> 00:17:19,390 >> What do astronauts do for fun up in space? 305 00:17:21,380 --> 00:17:24,700 Well, they've got a lot of things they can do. 306 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:30,610 They, actually, are connected to the internet and they blog and they send 307 00:17:30,610 --> 00:17:32,330 down tweets and they can watch movies. 308 00:17:32,330 --> 00:17:32,830 >> Watch movies right? 309 00:17:32,830 --> 00:17:34,500 >> And read books and -- 310 00:17:34,500 --> 00:17:37,830 >> They can also talk to their families on the ground with these laptop computers 311 00:17:37,830 --> 00:17:41,500 that they have they can have video conferences with their families in their free time. 312 00:17:41,500 --> 00:17:43,070 >> Now have you all done that before? 313 00:17:43,070 --> 00:17:45,620 Had a a video chat with your computer? 314 00:17:45,620 --> 00:17:47,740 They can do that in space too. 315 00:17:49,660 --> 00:17:58,500 >> Has space debris ever seriously ever seriously I guess messed up a satellite 316 00:17:58,500 --> 00:18:02,280 or something that was important you were trying to get into space? 317 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:06,170 >> Space debris did it ever mess up a satellite or anything important? 318 00:18:06,170 --> 00:18:09,820 >> There have been some instances in the past, many years ago, 319 00:18:09,820 --> 00:18:13,370 where some satellites have actually collided yes. 320 00:18:13,370 --> 00:18:15,720 >> And then they break up and they cause more space debris -- 321 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:15,980 >> They they they -- 322 00:18:15,980 --> 00:18:16,700 >> That we have to watch out for. 323 00:18:16,700 --> 00:18:20,580 >> Break up and they do create more space debris that we have to worry about and we track 324 00:18:20,580 --> 00:18:23,970 on a daily basis to make sure they don't interfere with anybody else. 325 00:18:23,970 --> 00:18:27,540 >> We've got a lot of people keeping really close track on all the the debris that's 326 00:18:27,540 --> 00:18:30,900 in space so that we can move the space station and other satellites 327 00:18:30,900 --> 00:18:32,350 around and make sure we avoid it. 328 00:18:32,350 --> 00:18:35,800 >> Um hum. 329 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:41,420 >> What are the foods that astronauts eat to keep healthy and strong? 330 00:18:41,420 --> 00:18:42,580 >> Food. 331 00:18:42,580 --> 00:18:43,930 >> Astronauts food? 332 00:18:43,930 --> 00:18:44,490 What do they eat? 333 00:18:44,490 --> 00:18:48,730 They have a lot of different things they can eat, but what we do is we send it up, 334 00:18:48,730 --> 00:18:51,240 we call it dehydrated, we take all the moisture out of it 335 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,480 and it gets not it looks kind of gross. 336 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:58,450 But when they get on orbit they have a special kind of kitchen that they hook it up to 337 00:18:58,450 --> 00:19:02,960 and it puts hot water back into it to re-moisturize it and then it tastes good. 338 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,650 So, they have a bunch of different choices. 339 00:19:05,650 --> 00:19:09,570 They've got American food and Russian food and also when they have an international partner 340 00:19:09,570 --> 00:19:14,220 up there from Europe or Japan or Canada, they bring some food sometimes as well, 341 00:19:14,220 --> 00:19:20,020 so they have a a wide variety and they don't get so tired of eating the same thing over and over. 342 00:19:20,020 --> 00:19:20,720 >> All right. 343 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:21,740 Thank you so much. 344 00:19:21,740 --> 00:19:25,530 And South Effingham can you hear me at the Digital Learning Network? 345 00:19:25,530 --> 00:19:26,570 >> Yes. 346 00:19:26,570 --> 00:19:27,060 >> All right. 347 00:19:27,060 --> 00:19:30,630 It looks like we're just about out of time for questions to mission control, 348 00:19:30,630 --> 00:19:34,750 but I wanted to thank Brandi and Gary for participating today 349 00:19:34,750 --> 00:19:37,650 and answering all these great questions. 350 00:19:37,650 --> 00:19:42,080 Brandy, would you like to say good bye to the students at South Effingham Middle School? 351 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:43,910 >> Sure. Thank you all so much for your questions. 352 00:19:43,910 --> 00:19:45,530 We had a lot of fun talking with you, right Gary?