Home
NASA's Public Affairs office selected 30 questions out of the ones submitted to the NASA spaceflight website for the STS-107 crew to answer. The astronauts only chose to answer three of these questions during the STS-107 mission.
David E. Robinson
Indianapolis, Ind. U.S.A.
Age: 30
What speed must the orbiter maintain to fly at 150 miles in altitude, as opposed to the average 17,500 mph at 250 miles for the ISS?
Matthew Coleman
Bournemouth, Dorset U.K.
Age: 32
I saw you take off live. What g-forces do you endure, and how long are you subjected to them?
Alessio Tarantino
Maglie, Lecce Italy
Age: 18
You are not going to dock with the ISS. Will you be able to see the ISS?
Robert Smether
Albuquerque, N.M. U.S.A.
Age: 31
With two different shifts being utilized this mission, is it difficult to sleep when the crewmembers on the other shift are moving around and talking as they do their work?
Sydney Cross
Williamsburg, Va. U.S.A.
Age: 7
Dear Dr. David Brown,
I remember you when you came to William & Mary. I was the one holding up a pink umbrella. I have a few questions to ask you.
Can you read books in space? Since you are a doctor, do you take care of the other astronauts in space with you if they get a stomachache or any kind of sickness? Thank you very much.
Phyllis Hock
Carmel, N.Y. U.S.A.
Age: 54
My class raises silkworms during the year. What do you feed the worms in space? We always have a hard time getting enough mulberry leaves to keep them all alive. Is there another food that they will eat? They are fascinating to observe in their transformation.
Alex Dubois
Boca Raton, Fla. U.S.A.
Age: 32
Dear Colonel Ilan Ramon,
How does Israel look from space?
Pinchas Newirth
Jerusalem, Israel
Age: 49
I see on the Internet that you are working very hard. Do you have time to rest, to laugh, tell jokes and sing together?
Esther N.
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Age: 13
I was reading an article that said one of the experiments you are performing is the Mechanics of Granular Materials, which seeks to improve knowledge concerning damage to soils and foundations caused by earthquakes. My question: Does this make a difference performing the experiment in space, after all, earthquakes happen on Earth. Why not study it on Earth?
Kyle
Oconomowoc, Wisc. U.S.A.
Age: 13
How long do astronauts have to train, and what are some of the types of training astronauts do before they can go into space?
Chris McClelland
Jacksonville, Fla. U.S.A.
Age: 43
Is there a noticeable difference in cabin temperature from daylight to darkness?
Junichi Maki
Niihama-City, Japan
Age: 50
What is the main purpose of the Surface Tension Experiment on STS-107? I suppose that surface tension in not influenced in zero gravity?
Brian Bradley
St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Age: 20
I noticed in the meal menus that a lot of crewmembers have soup included in their personal menus. How do you eat soup in space? Do you drink it out of a straw?
Dwain Brown
Roswell, N.M. U.S.A.
Age: 42
When you are on the "dark" side of the Earth away from the Sun, is it pretty much pitch black, or is there any kind of light that you can see? I suppose you can see cities at night, but I am not sure. Also, can you see the planets such as Mars, Saturn, etc. as we do from Earth?
Luis Humberto Pérez Leyva
Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico
Age: 18
Question to Astronaut Laurel Clark:
Can you tell me more about the Bioreactor Demonstration System and the growing of prostate cancer cells?
Jack P. Hutchinson
Mesa, Ariz. U.S.A.
Age: 42
The MEIDEX instrument, does it give real time results for its measurements, or do they need to be looked at on the ground at a later time?
Bob Ewing
Wheat Ridge, Colo. U.S.A.
Age: 32
How much personal time do you have in any given day to look out the windows upon Earth or communicate with your loved ones back home?
Marcy Meckler Frumker
Cleveland, Ohio U.S.A.
Age: 46
For any of the rookie astronauts:
What has been the most unexpected part of space flight for you on this mission?
Pete Harmon
Lee, N.H. U.S.A.
Age: 41
For Capt. David Brown:
As a physician and Navy pilot, what is your favorite experiment on this mission, and how has your background prepared you for it? Are there any surprise results?
P.S.: We saw the launch live - and it was IMPRESSIVE! Thank you!
Andreas Zappe
Aachen Germany
Age: 30
Can you see stars while you are on the dayside of Earth, and how is it comparable to a night sky on Earth?
Marian Buckley
Stockbridge, Mich. U.S.A.
Age: 80
How many pairs of socks do you use on a 16-day mission?
Carson B. Dugal
Fremont, Calif. U.S.A.
Age: 50
So how about those ants? From what I have seen of them, it looks like they are getting around OK. Are they having any trouble with things floating around?
Sebastian R. McLeod
Thetford Mines, Quebec Canada
Age: 27
As a former CF-18 Pilot, my question is directed to Mr. William McCool.
During important maneuvers such as orbital reach and atmosphere re-entry for example, how much automation can you rely on to perform those maneuvers. What are the likely steps that you need to take care of it manually?
Erin Genz
West Lafayette, Ind. U.S.A.
Age: 20
What do you think was the one thing that got you into the astronaut program? Was it your schooling, training or just perseverance?
Mike Plumb
Carlsbad, Calif. U.S.A.
Age: 42
Willie, I used to run in races against you while you were at NAS Pensacola. You were a great runner back then. Do you still maintain your running as part of your preparation for a shuttle mission? If so, how do you feel it helps you during the space shuttle mission?
Michel Mallet
Paris France
Age: 59
I would like to know what are the reference axis for roll, pitch and yaw of the shuttle during the orbit around the Earth.
Adrian Lazenby
Swansea, Wales U.K.
Age: 38
While following the progress of STS-107, there have been a large number of trajectory changes during the mission. Are these changes implemented manually by the flight crew or by the Mission Control Center?
Richard Hall
Birmingham England
Age: 23
What would you say is the best part of the mission and why?
Brantlee Morgan
Piedmont, S.C. U.S.A.
Age: 31
I witnessed the launch in person, and I must say it was the most awesome thing I have ever witnessed next to my daughter being born. My question is what is the one meal you are looking forward to eating when you return to Earth? Good luck and God bless.