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The Week in Germany: Culture June 22, 2007 Take a Walk on the Stellar Side: Astronaut Thomas Reiter Inspires
Kids at the German School in Washington
In the second installment of an occasional series of essays written
by German high school students in America, TWIG brings you a report by
Denise Kotulla on a recent visit by German astronaut Thomas Reiter at
the German School in Washington. Kotulla describes the excitement of the
visit, which more than likely inspired several children and teenagers
in attendance to reach for the stars, and recounts the day-to-day life
on board a space station as presented by Reiter. Ever wonder how astronauts
'shower' or what they have for dinner? Read on … "A trip into space is really no casual stroll." That was how German astronaut Thomas Reiter began his presentation on May 18 in the German School Washington, D.C. assembly hall in front of students, teachers and parents. Young and old listened intensely and full of interest to perhaps presently the most famous European astronaut, who recalled his exciting adventures thousands of miles from planet Earth. "To have a speaker of this caliber at our school is a truly unique event, and everybody should take advantage of this opportunity and listen to the presentation," said Christoph Zänglein, a secondary school teacher and lecture series coordinator with visible anticipation. He did not need to tell the students twice: the assembly hall was crowded, and the excited children and teens were there to learn more about the mysteries and endless vastness of space. Reiter initially explained his career and how he first thought of becoming an astronaut. He told the audience that he joined the Bundeswehr, the German Armed Forces, after his secondary school graduation, and studied aerospace technology. He then became a fighter jet pilot at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, and received further training as a test pilot. The opportunity to fly into space presented itself by sheer coincidence. "I read in a newspaper advertisement that ESA [European Space Agency] was looking for new astronauts, and I just decided to send in my résumé," Reiter said nonchalantly, as though he had only submitted an application as a supermarket cashier. After a six-year selection process, only six out of 22,000 candidates were chosen to enter the challenging training program. Thomas Reiter was one of those few individuals. "As part of my training, I also had to learn Russian, which was rather difficult for someone who has never been linguistically talented," said Reiter with a little smirk and added that he considered himself lucky that it's over. The long anticipated day arrived on Sept. 3, 1995 when Reiter boarded Soyuz TM-22 to travel to the Russian space station MIR. Upon his return to Earth, he immediately prepared for his next mission to the International Space Station, which was scheduled to start on July 4, 2006. He explained this one-of-a-kind event in great detail during his presentation, showcasing its uniqueness with memorable highlights such as photos, images and short film sequences. The start of the journey already sounded incredibly exciting to the assembled students. Four hours prior to the countdown the astronauts had to board the space shuttle and buckle into a complicated safety belt system. Within a few minutes the shuttle reaches supersonic speed and then travels at an amazing 28,000 kilometers per hour (17,500 miles per hour). The film images from the space station's interior that showed astronauts floating weightlessly through the ISS were very well received and also elicited a few outbursts of laughter. "It's really a great experience to float through the air and to be able to do a flip," said Reiter with a longing look at the video screen. His smile seemed to imply that weightlessness in space can bring out the inner child in every adult again. Equally impressive was another clip that showed Reiter playing with glistening water drops that floated through the station, and how he admired the water's movement and the slight changes in shape. "Of course, we also worked very hard," Reiter said reassuringly. "We completed several scientific tests that led to new discoveries in medicine, astrophysics, and also in biology." And if that was not interesting enough, he also talked about his walk through space. "Such a mission requires about two weeks of preparations and planning. For safety reasons, you are attached to a thick steel cable and you are in constant contact with your colleagues through a radio system." He also emphasized the great view of Mother Earth and the breathtaking beauty of sunrises. However, he did not hide the downsides and difficulties of a six-month stay in space. In space the virtually weightless body has to move very little and the few movements that are necessary require very little strength and energy, so muscles start to shrink and atrophy. This means that astronauts must exercise a lot, and must spend substantial amounts of time on a special treadmill and on a stationary bicycle to pass the obligatory monthly fitness evaluations. After all that strenuous exercise the astronaut really wants a shower -- and this poses the next problem. In space, showers are an impossible luxury, and personal hygiene has to be accomplished with moist wipes. Should one become hungry, there is an assortment of delicious canned food items that can be heated up and consumed directly from the can. It's very understandable that space travelers can hardly wait to return to earth to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. "It's never boring up there, but one does look forward to seeing family and friends again," said Reiter in response to a question about homesickness posed by a curious little girl. Despite all the anticipation to return home, the first few days back on our planet are not exactly comfortable. "The body feels very heavy. It's very difficult to get up and you suffer from nausea and dizziness," he said. Nonetheless, Reiter would return to space in a heartbeat. That's also what he told a fourth-grader who was trembling with excitement. The children's interest never seemed to cease, and every time Reiter offered to answer more questions, fingers flew into the air. At the completion of the two-hour presentation, Reiter was surrounded by young people who were hoping to get an autograph or the chance to exchange a few words. "It was great how he approached the students; he was very modest and did not overwhelm the audience, but he managed to present his experiences and the scientific information in a very lively and engaging manner," said Fred Thommes, one of the German School's librarians. Holger Bachlechner, a French, Latin and P.E. teacher, also expressed his admiration: "He gave us a really good impression of life in space, and I especially liked the video of the space station tour." Reiter's presentation was not only well-received by adults and children, secondary level students also appreciated his lecture. Phillip Brown, a 12th-grader, was particularly enthusiastic: "I would really like to become an astronaut now. Mr. Reiter managed to rekindle my passion and reawaken my childhood dreams of space," said the 17-year-old teenager with a slight smile and shining eyes as he packed up his books. Although Thomas Reiter has met neither Star Wars' Han Solo nor Star Trek's
Captain Kirk (and definitely not ALF, the furry TV alien), he succeeded
in captivating the entire school community and took them on a vivid journey
through the depths of space. Thank you! Links: Astronaut Reiter: "View from Space Never Gets Old" (Germany.info) The
German School of Washington Talks to Astronaut Thomas Reiter More about Thomas Reiter (European Space Agency) "For the Dead and the Living we Must Bear Witness" (TWIG, Jan. 26, 2007) |
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