It was an out of this world conversation.
A group of Gwinnett County students interviewed astronaut Reid Wiseman who is aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday morning.
Questions ranged from the motivation for becoming an astronaut to whether astronauts conduct cool experiments to “Can you dance in space?” The answer to the last question was yes.
About a dozen students from elementary to high school participated in the radio chat, which took place at Lanier High School. The conversation lasted about 15 minutes. At times, it was difficult to hear the answers. The space station is, after all, about 250 miles above Earth’s surface. The chat ended after the signal was lost.
Lanier High School chemistry and engineering teacher Janelle Wilson had worked about a year on arranging the early morning chat. She wanted the students to make a connection with what they are learning in science and technology.
“It was like a dream come true,” Wilson said. “How often do you get to talk to someone in space?”
America Coli, a third-grader at Sugar Hill Elementary School, said Tuesday’s experience made her more interested in becoming an astronaut. She asked how much an astronaut weighs in his suit on Earth? The answer: about 400 pounds.
“I really liked to do it,” the 8-year-old said. “As first, I was nervous, but when I did it, it was fun.”
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