Here is the collection of questions previously asked by explorers just like you and have received an answer by an actual astronaut!

Jason from New Jersey asks:
        How did you drink in space?

Col. Robert “Bob” Springer, USMC (Ret) answers:
        Drinking in space is easy- - and FUN! The physical action of drinking is just like it is here on earth- -but in space, you don’t need a container for the fluids. You can actually release a fluid in space (inside the shuttle), and the surface tension of the fluid will make it form a perfect sphere or ball, and you can put a straw into the center of the sphere and drink the fluid out of mid-air.

Denise from Dallas Texas asks:
        How did you become an astronaut?

Mr. Charles Walker answers:
        I was a research engineer whose company was making biotechnology developments that NASA was interested in supporting with space flight mission during which to conduct research. I wanted to fly with the research and when my company supported that, and NASA said ok if I went through the astronaut selection processing and a short form of the career astronaut training. I became a payload specialist astronaut, that’s someone with a specialty that gives them the opportunity to fly with the specialty work.

Marvin from North Carolina asks:
        What do you think will be the hardest obstacle to overcome in planning a mission to Mars?

Col. Donald “Don” McMonagle answers:
        Logistics – that is, the planning it takes to operate for a long time away from the place where you get your supplies. All of the food and equipment necessary for a journey of 7 months to 2 years would have to be brought with you. If we were able to find usable materials on Mars to make fuel or structure, that would help. But we would still have to bring along the equipment to manufacture that fuel or build those structures. Until we have a routine flow of materials from Earth to Mars, a Mars mission would truly have to be a well- planned and self-contained expedition.

Eugene from Kentucky asks:
        How big is the Space Station?

Col. James “Jim” Buchli, USMC (Ret) answers:
        Currently the Space Station is about 444,000 pounds and will be about 900,000 pounds when it reaches assembly complete. In size it currently is 240X 146 feet. When complete it will be 356X290 feet. A good web site for ISS data is space flight. nasa. gov/station

Henry from Colorado asks:
        How long were you in space?

Dr. Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, Jr. answers:
        I was in space 688 hours or a little over 28 days.

Keith from Kansas asks:
        Do you think there will ever be a space war, why, or why not?

CAPT Winton Scott, USN (Ret) answers:
        Great question! I hope there will never be a space war. If we examine history it will tell us that most likely there will be a space war at some point in the future. Such a war may be far from earth with beings we currently do not know. We tend to fear and dislike those who are foreign to us. We fight them until we get to know them. This may (or may not) prove to be the case in the future of space travel. Also, who is to say that the first beings we encounter in space might not be hostile to us. We may find a genuine need to defend ourselves from their aggression! Again, I certainly hope we will not have a space war.

Tina from New Orleans asks:
        Do you think there is life on other galaxies?

Col. Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., USAF (Ret) answers:
        I believe that the universe is so huge, with so many stars, and so many planets, that it would be extremely presumptuous of us to think that Earth has only intelligent life forms, or even the only life forms. I believe there are other life forms that exist but have no idea what they would be like. There are just too many possibilities.

Rachael from Ohio asks:
        What kind of subjects should I study, so that I can become an astronaut?

Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden, USMC (Ret) answers:
        You should take a large variety of subjects in school – English, Foreign language (s), history, etc., but by all means take as much math and science as possible. The academic requirement to become an astronaut is that you be a college graduate with an undergraduate degree in a technical area – math, science, engineering, or medicine.

Josh from Wyoming asks:
        How long does it take to get back to Earth?

Captain Winston Scott answers:
        It takes approximately 1.5 hours from the time of the deorbit burn to touchdown at Kennedy Space Center. The deorbit burn is the maneuver during which the Shuttle fires its Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines in a reverse direction to slow down and renter the earth’s atmosphere for the trip home.

Priscilla from Colorado asks:
        What was your job on the space shuttle?

Col. Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., USAF (Ret) answers:
        I have flown three missions on the Space Shuttle. On the first, my role was that of the pilot. That is like the co-pilot on an airplane. I was responsible for operating many of the systems on the Space Shuttle and for backing up the Commander. On both the following missions I was the Commander. Then I was responsible for the lives of my crew members, the successful conduct of the mission, and protecting the valuable national assest in which were flying.

Jacob from Nebraska asks:
        Can you see city structures from space?

Dr. Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, Jr., answers:
        You can’t really see any individual city structures from on-orbit without using powerful telescopes. We didn’t carry those types of instruments on the Shuttle.

Kathy from Utah asks:
        Who is the oldest astronaut?

Captain Winston Scott answers:
        The oldest astronaut to fly in space was Senator John Glenn. The next oldest astronaut to fly in space was Dr. Musgrave. Senator Glenn was the first human to orbit the Earth. He was originally a Naval Aviator (Marine Corp) and later became a U.S. Senator from the state of Ohio. Dr. Musgrave flew six space shuttle missions and conducted several space walks. Both men are retired and no longer active astronauts.

Donald from Texas asks:
        How fast do you travel in the Space Shuttle when in orbit around the Earth?

Dr. Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, Jr., answers:
        The Shuttle travels approximately 18,000 miles per hour in space.

Brittany from Kansas asks:
        Do you have perfect vision, like a pilot, to be an astronaut?

Col. Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., USAF (Ret) answers:
        No you do not need perfect vision. Your vision only has to be correctable to 20/20 to be a pilot and less than that to be a mission specialist.

Kylie from North Dakota asks:
        Do the animals that travel in space have to wear space suits?

Charles Walker answers:
        No they don’t. They are housed inside several containers, one inside the other. These boxes, or enclosures, provide several layers of protection just as space suits do for humans.

Nathan from North Carolina asks:
        How fast does the space shuttle travel while traveling in space?

James F. Buchli answers:
        The Space shuttle needs to reach a velocity of roughly 17,500 miles per hour to stay in low earth orbit. At the altitudes which the Space Shuttle flies (150-300 miles above the Earth) the drag from gravity and the small amount of atmosphere which is present even at those altitudes would eventually cause the orbit to decay to a lower altitude and re-enter the lower atmosphere. For reference, to escape earth orbit, a velocity of 24,000 miles per hour is required.

Steve from Oregon asks:
        Do you think we should exploit the resources of the Moon for our own use?

Capt. Winston Scott answers:
        I think we should “use” the resources of the Moon! I think we should use but conserve and protect the resources of the moon much as we are attempting to do here on Earth. If we do not wisely use the resources of the Moon, then a permanent Moon base is probably out of the question. It would be impractical to transport all resources needed for permanent Moon inhabitance from Earth.

Lacy from Arizona asks:
        How many astronauts are there now?

Col. Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., USAF (Ret) answers:
        Currently there are about 135 active astronauts that are eligible to be assigned to a mission.

Timothy from New Hampshire asks:
        If an astronaut got sick on the Space Shuttle, how would you get him/her back to a hospital soon enough?

Charles Walker answers:
        The flight plan of each shuttle flight has an emergency procedure that the crew can perform and return from orbit to a landing site on Earth within a few hours time. But during that time the patient would be cared for by one of the crew-there is always someone on each crew with medical training often a medical doctor.

Irene from Iowa asks:
        Is it always dark in space?

James F. Buchli answers:
        Yes and no. When you directly look into the sun, moon or any other bright celestial body, it appears about as bright as on Earth. Since there is no atmosphere to diffuse the light, everything away from the light sources themselves is extremely dark or black. The Space Shuttle, being in low Earth orbit is close to the Earth and when looking down at the Earth’s surface, it is not too much different than looking down from a highflying jet aircraft. What is different is the scale (how large objects appear and relative motion – how fast you travel over the surface). In looking down at the Earth jet contrails and interstate highways are visible – the eye is able to pick up and integrate long linear features.

Thomas from West Virginia asks:
        I heard you had to exercise everyday. What kind of exercises did you do?

Charles Walker answers:
        Astronauts do exercises daily, for two or more hours. The exercises are of both aerobic and impact types. The aerobic exercises, like running in place on a treadmill or pedaling on an Exercycle, are to work out the heart and lungs, keeping them strong. This is because without the pull of gravity as on the Earths surface astronauts hearts don’t have to beat as strong to keep blood flowing throughout the body so the heart muscle would tend to weaken. With the heart not working very hard the lungs don’t get a good workout either. To keep them clear we exercise. The impact exercises come in a couple of forms. One is running on the treadmill, which puts force in the foot, leg, hip, and backbones with each step. The other is pulling against elastic straps, stimulating the lifting of weights against gravity. Both of these work on bones and muscles to give them the message that they need to stay strong.

Jessica from Colorado asks:
        Is it always dark in space?

Col. James “Jim” Buchli, USMC (Ret) answers:
        Yes and no. When you directly look into the sun, moon or any other bright celestial body, it appears about as bright as on Earth. Since there is no atmosphere to diffuse the light, everything away from the light sources themselves are extremely dark or black. The space shuttle, being in low Earth orbit, is close to the Earth and when looking down at the Earth’s surface, it is not too much different than looking down from a highflying jet aircraft. What is different is the scale (how large objects appear and relative motion—how fast you travel over the surface). In looking down at the Earth jet contrails and interstate highways are visible—the eye is able to pick up and integrate long linear features.

Robert from Arizona asks:
        Why does the shuttle fly upside down?

Col. Donald “Don” McMonagle, USAF (Ret) answers:
        Good question! Since there is no atmosphere that would affect the shuttle aerodynamically in space, there is no reason for it to fly right side up or nose forward as it must in the atmosphere. So that begs the next question. If there is no aerodynamic reason to fly right side up or nose forward, then are there any other factors that would help decide which vehicle “attitude” is best?

        It turns out that the risk of damage from impacting micrometeoroids and space “junk” is the primary factor on selecting tail forward and upside down as the best attitude. It makes sense if you think about the speeds. The shuttle is “flying” at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour. That’s about three times the speed of a bullet coming out of a rifle! If you run into something at that speed it can cause considerable damage, even if the object is small. So it makes sense to point the least vulnerable part of the spacecraft into the direction of potential impact. Since the main engines are not needed for entry (and the pressurized crew cabin is always needed), the tail is pointed forward.

        Of course small objects like micrometeoroids are mobbing pretty fast in space as well. Many are coming from deep space and are headed for Earth. If the underbelly of the shuttle is pointed up, it provides more protection from these objects. Hence, upside down and backwards! It doesn’t seem very intuitive does it?

        Another consideration for the shuttles “attitude is solar heating. It gets hot on the surface of the shuttle when that surface is in the suns radiation. By contrast the shaded side of the shuttle stays cool (sometimes very cool). So, when the shuttle is on the sunlit side of the Earth, an upside down attitude naturally points the heat tolerant underbelly at the sun. If there is no other reason to keep a part of the shuttle warm (or cool), the upside down attitude helps keep the shuttle thermally (heat/cold) balanced.

        One final point. Upside down means that the crew compartment overhead windows are pointing down toward the Earth. This provides great Earth “viewing” and results in opportunities for several thousand pictures of Earth to be taken by astronauts during the flight. If the shuttle were right side up, the astronauts would only get angle shot photographs from the pilot and commander windows in the front and the cargo bay windows in the back.

Michael from Nebraska asks:
        Can you e-mail your family and friends from a shuttle?

Col. Robert “Bob” Springer, USMC (Ret) answers:
        Yes, you can e-mail your family and friends from a shuttle. This capability was not available when I flew on Discovery and Atlantis in 1989-1990—but since that time, both the shuttle fleet and the International Space Station have the capability to send e-mails back to Earth.

Ashley from California asks:
        How heavy is your space suit and when do you wear it?

Col. Robert “Bob” Springer, USMC (Ret) answers:
        There are actually two types of space suits: The launch and entry suit—what the astronauts refer to as the pumpkin suit, because of its orange color—weighs about 100 pounds when you include all of the equipment—oxygen systems, parachute, helmet, etc. We also have the suit we wear when we conduct space walks—EVAs—this suit is much more complex since it is really a miniature “space vehicle”. It has its own oxygen system, heating, and cooling system, communication system, etc. and weighs-in at about 300 pounds.

Leon from Nevada asks:
        Do you brush your teeth in space, if so how?

Dr. Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, Jr., answers:
        You brush your teeth on orbit the same way you do on the ground.

Betty from Wisconsin asks:
        Do you think extraterrestrials have visited our Earth before?

Col. Robert “Bob” Springer, USMC (Ret) answers:
        I do not personally believe extraterrestrials have visited earth- - but anything is possible, and if there is more evidence to support this theory I would be interested in finding out.

James from Hawaii asks:
        Do you get lonely in outer space?

Mr. Charles Walker answers:
        I don’t feel alone in space because I flew in crews of five and six others. The volume we work in is so small you can’t loose track of each other. But a feeling of distance from all the human and natural things that we grow up because looking out the window you see all that from a great distance “down” on that planet below you. The Apollo astronauts, the last astronauts to really leave the vicinity of the Earth when they went to the Moon, have said they experienced a real feeling of separation from the Earth because there were times when the Earth was completely out of their sight. Then you really find yourself grateful that you are part of a crew larger than one.

Russell from New Mexico asks:
        Where do astronauts sleep?

Col. Donald “Don” McMonagle answers:
        Pretty much anywhere! It’s easy in space to just relax your body while you float and fall asleep. Practically, people will either sleep in a sleeping bag (attached to the wall, ceiling, or floor) or sleep in the Commander or Pilots seat with a seat belt on. For flights with multiple shifts of operations, where not everyone sleeps at the same time, there are sleep “bunks” installed into the shuttle’s middeck (lower level). Each of these sleeping compartments are boxes just big enough for one person and have ventilation and doors that close to block out light and noise (from the other crew shift).

Aaron from Rhode Island asks:
        What was the scariest part of your space flight?

Col. James “Jim” Buchli, USMC (Ret) answers:
        I would have to say the most exciting phase of flight is powered launch when all 3 main engines and the solid boosters are accelerating you to orbital velocity speed in a little over 8 minutes. One is not necessarily frightened as much as aware of the enormous amount of thrust pushing you and the spacecraft into the heavens. The crew is too focused and busy to be scared.

Monique from Englewood California asks:
        Did you have any physical problems associated with your space flight once you returned back to Earth?

Dr. Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, Jr. answers:
        I had no physical problems associated with my space flights.

Gregory from New York asks:
        How do you go to the bathroom in space?

Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden, USMC (Ret) answers:
        We presently utilize a Waste Management System (WMS) that is somewhat similar to the toilet in a commercial airplane away from our bodies- the solid waste, or fecal matter, goes into a tank of the WSM just like the commode in your house, while the liquid waste, urine, is caught in a personal urine collection funnel that is attached to the end of the urine collection hose and moved into proper position by the individual astronaut, male or female. The same fan that pulls the fecal matter into the WMS tank suctions the urine through the hose and into a waste water tank under the floor of either the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS).

Pam from Chicago asks:
        What do you do with all your trash in space?

Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden, USMC (RET) answers:
        The trash generated in space is stored on board either the Shuttle or ISS until for return to Earth. On Shuttle, it simply remains in trash compartments Onboard and is flown back to Earth with the astronauts. On the ISS, it is transferred to progress spacecraft for a return to Earth’s atmosphere where it burns up on rentry with the spacecraft, or it is transferred to the Shuttle for the trip back home with the astronauts and their Shuttle trash.

Michael from Austin Texas asks:
        Does floating in space make you dizzy?

Col. Robert “Bob” Springer, USMC (Ret):
        Floating is space, by itself, does not make you dizzy --in fact it is a lot of fun. In fact, one way to go to sleep at night is to just relax, and “float off” to sleep. Some of the combined effects of being weight less and being in space does make some people sick --kind of like getting sea sick. But there are many medical reason why this occurs.

Denise from Colorado Springs, CO asks:
        What would happen to you if you did not exercise?

Mr. Charles Walker answers:
        First the muscle of our bodies would get flabby. That would make it not only hard to stand up and walk when we returned to the surface of the Earth (or in the near future for an astronaut to walk and explore across the surface of Mars) but it could be dangerous to us too. That’s because the heart muscle, if it weakens it doesn’t pump blood around the body very well and that’s clearly not good. The second thing that would happen is that the bones would weaken and be susceptible to breaking easily. That’s because without the forces that bones feel when they hold us up against the constant pull of gravity they have an internal biological programming that tells them to loose some of their calcium. Calcium is an element that is the major thing making up bones.

Devon from Alabama asks:
        Can astronauts take showers?

Col. Donald “Don” McMonagle USAF (Ret) answers:
        Nope, no shower on the shuttle. But there are washcloths and hot water and soap to wash your body. The soap is a kind that wipes off with a towel so that you don’t have to rinse and the shampoos are the same way. (Candidly, I didn’t like the shampoo much). But it works and you don’t have to deal with free water flying around with you and going places that you don’t want liquids to go (like electronic equipment). A shower would be a design challenge since the water would have to be contained and then “drained”, probably using airflow to move the air into water separators and then collectors. A shower is a “nice thing to have” for a short duration mission, but might be more important for a several month journey as on the International Space Station or trips to Mars.