D.C. Students Treated to Postflight Event with Astronauts
Middle school students from Washington Global Public Charter School visited the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 14 to attend the taping of “Back on Earth with Astronauts Anne McClain and Nick Hague.” The NASA astronauts treated students to personal stories and video footage of their entire journey, from launching in Kazakhstan to life aboard the International Space Station and, finally, a safe return home.
Hague captivated students when recounting his aborted flight aboard the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft bound for the space station in October 2018. Hague shared that while his first flight into space, Expedition 57/58, was a memorable one and the culmination of his lifelong dream — he didn’t realize just how intense it would end up being. When one of the boosters failed to separate from the rocket, the launch was aborted mid-flight. Hague, tucked safely inside the Soyuz, landed back on Earth. He then traveled to station — this time making it all the way to the orbiting laboratory — in March 2019.
McClain arrived at the the space station in December 2018, sharing that she felt completely at ease traveling through the cosmos following the aborted flight. Within a week of welcoming Hague to station, the pair embarked on their first spacewalks to upgrade batteries supporting the research outpost.
Hague and McClain shared personal stories from their missions, helping students to better understand what daily life is like aboard the space station. Though the astronauts have full and busy schedules, they still carve out time to connect with family and friends on Earth and enjoy the communal nature of spaceflight through shared meals and games.
McClain talked about the hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth being conducted by crews aboard station. When one student asked the duo about their favorite science experiment in the unique microgravity environment, Hague described using 3D printers, which could one day lead to the 3D printing of human tissue.
The students were also curious about the paths the two followed to become astronauts. McClain spoke of astronauts embarking on many different careers to arrive at the same end goal. Some begin as scientists, some are engineers and others hail from the more traditional military background. Each crew member, though, has an area of expertise they bring forward that helps the group function as a cohesive unit. When McClain and Hague were asked about the most important class they took in school that prepared them for being an astronaut, Hague surprised the rapt audience again. He mentioned the importance of his public speaking class and his past experiences with forensics and debate.
“I was delighted students were able to speak directly with the astronauts and receive answers to their questions about their preparation for the mission and life in space,” said Dr. Elizabeth Torres, co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Washington Global. “These types of experiences immerse Washington Global’s students in real-world STEM and have an important role in inspiring them to participate in STEM and internships.”
Hague most recently spent 203
days living and working aboard the space station as part of Expeditions 59/60.
McClain, meanwhile, spent 204 days living and working on the orbiting
laboratory as part of Expeditions 58/59. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
