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Students learn harsh truths of space travel

A veteran astronaut discusses his experiences in space with some Homosassa Elementary students.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE
Published May 5, 2005

HOMOSASSA - There are some things a person's just got to do, whether he is firmly planted on the good old Earth or zipping around it 150 to 250 miles up at 17,500 miles per hour. He needs to eat, bathe, sleep and, oh, yeah, use the bathroom.

For the vast majority of earthlings, these basic needs are not difficult to perform. For someone struggling with weightlessness, it's another story. Students at Homosassa Elementary School recently had an opportunity to question someone who has been there and done that.

Col. James David Halsell, a 48-year-old pilot astronaut, has logged 1,250 hours in space and was well prepared to answer questions and explain to youngsters what it is like to take off and orbit.

Halsell made two presentations: the first to prekindergarteners through second-graders and then to third- through fifth-graders. He was presented to each group by principal Regina Allegretta and U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite.

He liked using volunteers. There was no lack of them. To explain takeoff he asked three students to help. Halsell dragged a chair out on the floor and asked second-grader Todd Duval to lie on the floor and put his feet on the chair. This was to simulate the position an astronaut assumes for liftoff. Then Halsell instructed first-grader Stephanie Bandstra to hold Todd's knees and second-grader Scott Powell to hold Todd's arms.

The entire group of students did the countdown - "three, two, one ... " and Stephanie and Scott started to shake Todd. Halsell said the tremendous shaking ends after two minutes when the boosters break off. The ride becomes smooth but, with Stephanie and Scott now pressing on Todd's knees and stomach, Halsell said there is a lot of heavy pressure on the astronauts.

After about 81/2 minutes, the pressure is released and the astronauts become weightless. Having no gravity is interesting.

"It's kind of fun, but it sometimes can be a pain," Halsell said. "You have to organize your life a little more than you do on Earth."

Astronauts use a lot of Velcro, special sleeping bags that strap their heads to the pillows, and take great care when eating. If an astronaut eats too fast, he said, the food will fly off the spoon and get all over the diner's face and mouth. It can even escape to the walls, and they don't like that to happen. They want to return a tidy shuttle to Earth.

Halsell invited second-grader Kristopher Thompson to look at a package of freeze-dried spaghetti and meat sauce. Kristopher did not appear interested in having it for lunch. Halsell explained how food is dehydrated and heated and how astronauts use drink bags. He handed Kristopher another space-age food package. This one contained something comfortingly recognizable: M&Ms.

Halsell told Kristopher to go ahead and open the package. "Come on, Kris," he said, "What's the problem?"'

The problem was the bag was simply impossible to open without scissors. Scissors, Halsell told the children, are very important to a hungry astronaut.

When the floor was opened to questions for both groups, they flew. "How do you get your electricity to cook your food?"

Halsell explained how oxygen and hydrogen can be combined to produce water and give off heat in the process.

"Will you land on the moon?"

"I personally will not land on the moon. I'm too old."

"How do you wash your hands?"

"Wet wipes." And baths are usually sponge baths, he said, although there is a cubicle for showers, but the water has to be vacuumed up afterwards and it is too much trouble.

"How do you use the bathroom?"

"There is a toilet in space. There's no water in it. It has a suction fan," Halsell said. During long space walks, though, astronauts use adult diapers, which he demonstrated over his coverall much to the delight of his young audience.

Halsell concluded his program by telling the children how he has always wanted to fly. "When I was your age, flying was my dream," he said. If they have dreams, he said, pursue them.

[Last modified May 5, 2005, 01:27:18]