Tim in full live chat flow, and the winning members of the Astro Support Team who were also online to take questions.
The I’m an Astronaut competition culminated with the school and Astro Support team winners taking part in a live chat with British astronaut, Tim Peake. We also announced the overall winner of the event, as voted for by students.
Below is an abridged* transcript of the live chat, pulling all of the questions and answers. Take a look at this post for just the chat highlights.
| NAME | MESSAGE |
| ModAntony | Hi everyone, before we start the chat we are going to announce the overall Astro Support Team winner as voted for by all the students who took part in I’m an Astronaut this past year! So hold your questions for a sec, please:) |
| ModAntony | @all Will it be Jenn, Beth, Julia or Charlie who takes home the £500 prize to use for more space outreach? |
| ModAntony | @all We’ve counted the votes, checked them about a million Times, and now can announce….. |
| ModAntony | *drumroll* |
| ModAntony | *more drumroll* |
| ModAntony | That the winner… of I’m an Astronaut, Get me out of here…… is….. |
| ModAntony | BETH HEALEY FROM TRAINING ZONE!!!! |
| Tim | Congratulations Beth! |
| Julia | Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! Well done Beth!!!! |
| Jenn | @Beth Well done!!!!! |
| Charlie | @Charlie congrats Beth |
| Julia | Well deserved! |
| SaturnV for the win | @Tim Where are you now |
| Tim | @SaturnV for the win London. |
| hillcroft16ar | @Tim do you feel homesick at all |
| Tim | @hillcroft16ar No, but good to get back to friends and family |
| SaturnV for the win | @Beth Who was your childhood Hero |
| Beth | @SaturnV for the win Virgil Tracy from Thunderbirds 🙂 |
| SaturnV for the win | @Tim what food did you miss most |
| Tim | @SaturnV for the win fresh fruit and fresh bread |
| SaturnV for the win | @Beth @Charlie @Jenn @Tim what are your favourite subjects |
| Charlie | @SaturnV for the win : At school I always loved maths and science but I also enjoyed music and PE too 🙂 |
| Beth | @SaturnV for the win Whats yours? |
| Jenn | @SaturnV for the win Biology 😀 |
| Beth | @SaturnV for the win Mine was Art when I was at school 🙂 |
| Fowey scientists | @Charlie how hard do you have to work to in school to be a space physiologist |
| Charlie | @Fowey scientists I was a little bit naughty at school but had a passion for science. I finally realised if I worked hard I could do science as a job 🙂 |
| Best People From Hillcrof | @all @Tim Hi!! How many illnesses can you can get in space? Did you get any? And how many??? From Jessie and Harry and we Voted for JENN best person ever! |
| Tim | @Best People From Hillcrof There shouldnt be any viruses in space because we go into quaratine before launch but you can get infections. Most crew stay fit and healthy for their whole Time in space |
| Best People From Hillcrof | @Tim OMG thanks |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @Charlie how long have you wanted to work with science |
| Charlie | @Dark Matter of Fowey Since I was a little boy I always loved science |
| NWSG asteroid | @all Do allergies affect astronauts in space in the same way that they do on Earth? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid yes. There is no pollen but a lot of dust. |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Tim Did you get jet lag like you do on airplanes?? |
| Tim | @SaturnV for the win Normally ISS is on GMT, so rarely get jet lag |
| star100 | @Tim How has being in space changed your perspective on the way we live? |
| Tim | @star100 It gives you an appreacition for how small and fragile our planet is, and how we need to look after it. |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @Tim were you scared about being in space? |
| Tim | @Obi wan kenobi nil No. |
| NWSG asteroid | @all Do you think that the way astronauts respond to extreme environments will become less severe as technology progresses? |
| Beth | @NWSG asteroid I think they will be more prepared for sure but extreme environments will always be severe 🙂 |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @Tim what surprised you the most about being in space? What didn’t you expect? |
| Tim | @Fowey – Event Horizon View of the incredible Aurora Borealis |
| Briarley | @all do you believe in extraterrestrial life |
| Beth | @Briarley I do, there are so many galaxies and planets that I think there must be something hanging out there too… |
| Julia | @Briarley yeah i think there could definately be. We know that Mars is habitable so who knows |
| Ethan | @Tim What was the phsyical feeling of passing from earth to space |
| Tim | @Ethan We were doing 18x speed of sound at the Time. So exhiliration! |
| SuperNovaX | @Julia Julia- what are the possible design improvements that could be made to the current space suits? |
| Tim | @SuperNovaX Greater manoueravbility and flexibilty |
| Julia | @SuperNovaX good question. I think that comfort is of utmost importance. Thankfully we’ve managed to nail that. Next will be making sure that it can produce as much gravity as possible to help keep everything healthy |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @Charlie what inspired you to become a space physiologist? |
| Charlie | @Dark Matter of Fowey I was always interested in the human body and how it works. Then taking that one step further is figuring out what happens to it in space. |
| star100 | @Tim what feelings went through your head as the count down started |
| Tim | @star100 There is no countdown! We simply launch on Time. But at that stage I was just focused on making sure the spacecraft was in good condition |
| NWSG asteroid | @Tim @all If there is a restricted amount of things that you can bring in to space, why did the other Tim bring a gorilla suit with them? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid Gorilla suit was Scott Kelly – so ask him! Limit is large shoebox size |
| Ameen | @Tim what kept you motivated when you were training for 6 years |
| Tim | @Ameen Living and working with brillaint teams aroud the world training for such a great mission. |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @Tim Is the Wifi good on the ISS? |
| Tim | @Fowey – Event Horizon wi-fi is good on ISS but internet connection to Earth is very slow. |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @all is space still expanding also do u think we will ever get to explore all of space? |
| Tim | @Obi wan kenobi nil Space is expanding, and unless we can go faster than light we will struggle! |
| Beth | @Obi wan kenobi nil Not in our lifeTimes but forever is a long Time and perhaps one day |
| Jenn | @Obi wan kenobi nil it is and I doubt it |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @all what inspired you to become involved in space? |
| Julia | @Dark Matter of Fowey I love being challenged… space science poses continuous challenges with questions that need answers. I like being part of a team that can help find those answers! |
| NWSG asteroid | @Tim If your kids wanted to be astronauts would you support them? why or why not? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid I would support whatever my children wanted to do. |
| SuperNovaX | @Beth how often do you get supplies |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX Supplies arrive during the summer in Antarctica which runs from November to Feb, it comes by CAT tractors which drive 1,300k from the coast to the station across the snow |
| saniya | @Jenn when you do experiments were you nervous testing them? |
| Jenn | @saniya I was but you get used to it quickly 😉 |
| star100 | @Charlie what was the longest amount of Time taken to get to a planet? |
| Charlie | @star100 It depends which planet you are travelling to! Mars takes about 6 months to get there but much longer to come back… |
| Hillcroft Euan | @all Is it easier to sleep up in space or on Earth? |
| Julia | @Hillcroft Euan I would imagine on Earth, though I have never been to space.. only @Tim can answer that properly 🙂 |
| SuperNovaX | @Tim what are the physical and mental pressures you experienced in space |
| SuperNovaX | @Tim what is the possibility of people going on space holidays in the future |
| Tim | @SuperNovaX Hard to sleep in space |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @all What made you want to start your jobs? |
| Beth | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia I get to visit some interesting places and do really cool science when im there! I also got to see some penguins too which is definitely a bonus! |
| Julia | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia wanted to be continually challenged…. this field always poses questuions that need answers! |
| Jenn | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia getting my first telescope made me want to get involved in space science 😀 |
| Ameen | @Tim did the days feel shorter because of being surrounded by darkness |
| Tim | @Ameen No working day felt long and you get used to 16 sunsets and sunrises a day |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @all What’s your favourite thing about space? |
| Beth | @Fowey – Event Horizon I like the fact that there is still so much left to explore and find out about it |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @Tim where do you go if you become ill? |
| Tim | @Dark Matter of Fowey We have our own private crew quarters and an extremely good medical cabinet on the ISS |
| SaturnV for the win | @Charlie Do you help make and design space/dehydrated food |
| Charlie | @Tim @SaturnV for the win Making space food is not my job but they have to make sure it is tasty and nutritious. Not sure what it tastes like in space – perhaps Tim can tell you…? |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @Tim what did u do for fun up there? |
| Tim | @Obi wan kenobi nil mostly taking photographs! |
| SuperNovaX | @Jenn-how can the study of micro-organisms influence space exploration? |
| Jenn | @SuperNovaX we can use microbes to mine minerals for us, grow them as food and even make them produce oxygen for us 🙂 |
| Judith | @Tim Did you have to eat fruit in space to get vitamin D? |
| Tim | @Judith We got to eat fruit everyTime a cargo arrived (for about a week), but we had vitamin D tablets |
| NWSG asteroid | @Tim Is there a particular language that is spoken in Space? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid English and Russian |
| hillcroft16ar | @Tim what did you want to be when you were a kid |
| Tim | @Ethan Wanted to be helicopter pilot |
| Ethan | @Tim Was it emotional not seeing your parents for 26 weeks |
| Tim | @Ethan No I felt very well cconnected to friends and family because I could talk to them everyday |
| NWSG asteroid | Do you think commercial flight into space is a good idea? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid yes – commercial spaceflight in the future will open up spaceflight for everyone and enable the national space agencies to focus on exploration further into our solar system |
| star100 | @Charlie if you faint in space, is it any different to fainting on earth |
| Charlie | @star100 If you faint on Earth it is to make it easier for blood to get back to the head and brain. In space fluid is already moved up more towards the head so there is actaully no benefit of fainting… |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @Julia Thats amazing I love how people like you strive to find the asnwers that some people are to scared to find. |
| Julia | @Dark Matter of Fowey Thank you! Could be you too one day 🙂 |
| Best People From Hillcrof | @all What does flying feel like related to something on earth. On a scale from 1 to 10 how fun is it??? From Jessie and Harry |
| Julia | @Best People From Hillcrof I havent been in space, but i have been on the vomit comet so have experienced weightlessness just like @Tim! its amazing…. effortless |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @Tim What was it like eating Heston’s bacon sandwich in space? Did it taste nice? Did it taste strange? |
| Tim | @Fowey – Event Horizon It tasted great and we even had tomato ketchup up there. |
| hillcroft16ar | @Tim would you want to go back into space if you could? |
| Tim | @hillcroft16ar Absolutely |
| Hillcroft Euan | @Tim HOW DID IT FEEL TO GET BACK TO EARTH AND NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK??? |
| Tim | @Hillcroft Euan Felt weired for first week and disorientating, but then pretty normal |
| SuperNovaX | @all are languages important in your job |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX Yes definitely! Its really important to be able to speak different languages when working internationally and for ESA. It’s also fun to be able to speak to people from different countries. I’m learning French now |
| Tim | @SuperNovaX Languages are very important because space is international |
| SuperNovaX | @Beth We learn german and french |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX Ah cool Bonjour & Guten Taag! That will be really useful if you apply to work for the European Space Agency |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @all what effects does space flight have on the body? |
| Julia | @Obi wan kenobi nil so most processes and functuions in your body change. But nothing that cant be helped 🙂 |
| Judith | @Tim What was your biggest fear when being in space? |
| Tim | @Judith Something happening to friends or family at home and not being able to help |
| Ameen | @Tim did you find any impressive experiment results |
| Tim | @Ameen Yes. Everything that happened to the human body was amazing to experience first hand. The results of all the other experiments are still being analysed but we are seeing great results with our medical research |
| Briarley | @all with all the poverty in the world, why is it important to spend money on things like missions to space? (not saying it isn’t, just interested to hear your view on this) |
| Beth | @Briarley Because lots of space research and technology can also benefit life back on Earth – especially for healthcare, farming and disaster relief |
| Jenn | @Briarley technology developed for space missions can be applied to problems like recycling water here on earth |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Briarly I think that we should spend more money on the bigger problems on earth. This is just my opinion though. |
| hillcroft16ar | @Tim what was your favourite thing about being on the ISS |
| Tim | @hillcroft16ar View of planet Earth |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @Tim what did launch feel like? |
| Tim | @Obi wan kenobi nil it’s the most exciting ride of your life! |
| Fowey science stars | @Tim what was it like running the London Marathon in space ? |
| Tim | @Fowey science stars Hard work on shoulders and waist |
| Fowey scientists | @Tim how many other people were there on the ISS |
| Tim | @Fowey scientists Usually crew of six |
| hillcroft16ar | @Jenn what did you want to be when you were a kid |
| Jenn | @hillcroft16ar Indiana Jones 😀 |
| littlemartian | @Tim are there any places you now really want to visit on earth? |
| Tim | @littlemartian Patagonia and the ice fields. |
| star100 | @Tim when you go up to space, does your view on your religion change |
| Tim | @star100 No. |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @all do you enjoy what you do? |
| Beth | @Obi wan kenobi nil For sure 🙂 I love my job |
| Jenn | @Obi wan kenobi nil Yes!! Look where it got us! 😀 |
| Ameen | @Tim did you ever have a moment when you wanted to go back on earth |
| Tim | @Ameen Never – though I missed friends and family |
| Best People From Hillcrof | @Tim @Julia @Jenn @Charlie @Beth @all what was your daily space routine?? Was is different compared to Earth?? |
| Julia | @Best People From Hillcrof I hjavent been in to space 😉 I have been in weightlessness though 😀 |
| Hillcroft Euan | @all How does space interest you?? |
| Beth | @Hillcroft Euan I like the fact that there is still so much left to explore and find out about space |
| Julia | @Hillcroft Euan Hi Euan. I love learning about space science because it always has questions that needs answers! |
| Jenn | @Hillcroft Euan how can it not?! it’s so weird and vast!! |
| saniya | @Charlie why do astronauts bones and muscles get weak in space? |
| Charlie | When we are on Earth out bodies have to work against gravity. Although it is not difficult this loading helps keep muscles and bones strong. When we take away the gravity forces the body no longer has to work against it so the bone and muscles adapt |
| NWSG asteroid | @Tim Does your mental state change whilst in space? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid Nothing that my flight surgeons have told me 😉 |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @all are there any alternatives to rockets to get us to space if not could there be any in the near future? |
| Jenn | @Obi wan kenobi nil maybe a space elevator (though not any Time soon sadly) |
| Beth | @Obi wan kenobi nil At the moment no but technology is always advancing and who knows what we might come up with in the future!! Have you got any ideas??! |
| Judith | @Charlie what inspired you to be a physiologst? |
| Charlie | @Judith The human body fascinates me and I wanted to learn how it works. |
| Fowey scientists | @Tim How close do you think we are to being able to colonize Mars? |
| Tim | @Fowey scientists Probably 50 to 100 years away |
| Charlie | @Fowey scientists We’re probably going to Mars in about 20 years or sooner…!!! |
| Fowey scientists | @Charlie we would we in our late 20’s |
| NWSG asteroid | @Tim What it mentally exhausting or exhilarating when training to go into space? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid Mostly exhilirating but space walk training is both mentally and physcially challenging |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @all if you got 1 million pounds to spend on anything to do with space what thing to do with space would you spend it on |
| Beth | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia Im really interested in the human side of space so do some more research about the effects of space on the astronauts. What would you spend it on? |
| Julia | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia some clever technological way to keep all of our body healthy in space! |
| Jenn | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia building a lunar base! 😀 |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Beth i would spend it on astrobiology and robots to find life form on mars 🙂 |
| Beth | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia ahh cool, are you interested in the ExoMars mission?! |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Beth yes i find astrobiology and mars interesting its my favourite part of science |
| SuperNovaX | @Tim now that you have been ISS would you go to mars |
| Tim | @SuperNovaX In furture we need to reduce transit Time to Mars, which would make it a great mission to go on |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @all What would happen if someone was born in space? |
| Jenn | @Fowey – Event Horizon a massive mess |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @all what obstacles did you come across/are facing that involve your work? |
| Jenn | @Dark Matter of Fowey designing experiments is always harder and takes longer than expected. Science is full of unexpected hurdles but part of the joy is figuring out how to overcome them 🙂 |
| Julia | @Dark Matter of Fowey not too many, thankfully. Trying to find someone who will fund you to research ways to protect astronauts in space isnt easy. Thankfully there is a lot of application to Earth-based populations so I managed to get funding that way |
| Judith | @Tim Is being organised essential and why? |
| Tim | @Judith Yes, you can’t afford to make mistakes in space. |
| Ethan | @Tim Was it hard to look at the sun when it rised |
| Tim | @Ethan Yes – sun is the most brilliant white light and you have to protect your eyes |
| SuperNovaX | @Julia could we possibly be buying spacesuits as fashion statements |
| Julia | @SuperNovaX ha! Yeah probably at some point if you wanted to! |
| Hillcroft Euan | why do people think the moon is made of chese |
| Beth | @Hillcroft Euan Because it is right?! |
| hillcroft16ar | @Jenn how long have you been doing your job |
| Tim | @hillcroft16ar 7 years as an astronaut |
| Jenn | @hillcroft16ar ‘only’ 2 years so far 😉 |
| hillcroft16ar | @Jenn @Tim thanks for aswering |
| SuperNovaX | @Tim how do you wash in space |
| Tim | @SuperNovaX Wet towel and hot water. |
| Fowey scientists | @Charlie how long till we go to mars on a one way trip |
| Charlie | @Fowey scientists I think it would be sensible to go on a return trip to Mars… Don’t you? The USA plan a return trip to Mars in the 2030s – so maybe you lot will be the right age to go at that Time?!!! |
| star100 | @Julia how can you have a healthy diet when you only have a certain amount of food to eat in space? |
| Julia | @star100 great question. The nutritional intake of astronauts is extremely carefully worked out. They make sure that they get everything they need, and take into account all the activity they will be doing to make sure they have enough. Going to Mars will |
| NWSG asteroid | @Tim Did you feel claustrophobic in the ISS? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid No – it’s about the size of a 747 and there are only 6 people onboard |
| SuperNovaX | @all How does weightlessness affect an astronauts body once they go into space? |
| Tim | @SuperNovaX I lost bone mass and had to work hard to keep muscle mass |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX lots of ways, one is that all the fluid in your body floats around too! This is why astronauts look a bit fatter around their faces when they are in space! |
| Briarley | @all what do you think about sending animals into space |
| Beth | @Briarley I think if the animal is looked after (as they are) then it can provide some really interesting results. Have you heard about all of the animals going to space? Which is your favorite? |
| Julia | @Briarley I think that it is necessary at Times to use animals in space. They help teach us a lot about what will happen to the human body in space |
| SaturnV for the win | @Jenn Is your Job hard work |
| Jenn | @SaturnV for the win it is mentally challenging (not always physically) :p figuring out how to design and interpret experiments can take quite a while to get the hang of! |
| SaturnV for the win | @Beth do you have huskies to take you round antartica |
| Beth | @SaturnV for the win Not in Antarctica but I have done that in the Arctic – its amazing!! Have you ever fancied doing that? |
| SaturnV for the win | @Beth Yes |
| SaturnV for the win | @Tim Did you feel the speed of the iss when you where inside |
| Tim | @SaturnV for the win You get a sensation of speed, but you get used to it quickly |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @Charlie Is a situation like the plot of The Martian possible in Mars? |
| Charlie | @Fowey – Event Horizon Yes I think it is perfectly possible but one major thing the film misses out is the effect of space radiation. Mars does not have a magnetosphere so it unprotected from potentially deadly radiation. |
| hillcroft16ar | @Tim are you planning to help with mission to mars |
| Tim | @hillcroft16ar Lots of our work on ISS is helping future exploration missions to Moon, Mars and beyond |
| Ameen | @Beth is concordia interesting to work in |
| Beth | @Ameen Yeah Concordia is great, I had always wanted to go to Antarctica so it was amazing to see. Also all the research for long duration spaceflight was fascinating! |
| Fowey science stars | @Tim how did you feel when the rocket flew you up to the ISS? |
| Tim | @Fowey science stars Most exciting ride of my life |
| plomt | do you think we could live on mars |
| Jenn | @plomt I think /hope so! |
| star100 | @Tim how did you get rid of cravings in space |
| Tim | @star100 I didn’t really have any to get rid of, and we’re kept pretty busy taking our mind off anything else. |
| Tim | From Twitter: Do you believe aliens exist what would you say/do if you met one? Answer: I believe there is life elsewhere in the universe. I think we are close to finding evidence of life past or present on Mars but we’re talking single cell microorganisms. Complex organisms (to talk to) might be harder to find, and we might not want to 😉 |
| Ethan | @Beth How many years/months have you spent training about the human body in space? |
| Beth | @Ethan I was in Antarctica for 14 months! Without going home 🙂 |
| Fowey scientists | @Tim how do you go to the toilet in space |
| Tim | @Fowey scientists My YouTube video explains it all! |
| Ameen | @Tim how did you feel when you first put on a space suit |
| Tim | @Ameen remarkably calm and relaxed. I actually found it quite peaceful and soporific. |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @Tim what was the highest G-force you reached in the centrifuge? |
| Tim | @Fowey – Event Horizon 8g for 40 seconds |
| star100 | @Jenn how can you predict that your medical experiments will work in space? |
| Jenn | @star100 my experiments aren’t medical, but to help predict outcomes we test them extensively on earth 🙂 |
| NWSG asteroid | Do you enjoy the fame you received after going to the ISS or do you find it daunting? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid I don’t enjoy the celebrity aspects of being an astronaut. To me it is a professional occupation but it is important of course to explain to people what we are doing in space and why |
| Ameen | @Tim what was your favourite food in space |
| Tim | @Ameen Fav food was maple muffin pancakes at the weekend |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @beth Why is your work based in antarctica? |
| Beth | @Dark Matter of Fowey Because Antarctica is really isolated which means we can’t get help in case of emergency. This is what it will be like for Astronauts going on long missions in the future so we can learn lots from Anarctica to help prepare the |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @Beth that is so cool that it would be like that |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @all if we can’t find aliens could we just try recreate what made us on another planet like earth to see how that turns out? |
| Beth | @Obi wan kenobi nil Thats an interesting ethical idea – we have to be careful about what we do in science sometimes though |
| Briarley | @all could we ever have the sort of technology seen in sci-fi franchises like Star Trek? |
| Julia | @Briarley We could make it for sure, but unfortunately its just not practical. It costs too much money, and has too much mass |
| plomt | @all if you could go to mars would you do it |
| Julia | @plomt Not sure….. would you? |
| Jenn | @plomt YES |
| NWSG asteroid | If you could change the colour of your astronaut suit, what would you choose? |
| Beth | @NWSG asteroid Blue is my favorite colour |
| Judith | @Tim was going to space a goal in life? |
| Tim | @Judith Yes, when I became an astronaut – absolutely! |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Jenn if you could live on mars what type of experiments would you do? |
| Jenn | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia I’d see how I could reduce radiation damage and maybe try and grow some microbes to see if they could survive!! |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @Tim did you ever get bored on the iss? |
| Tim | @Obi wan kenobi nil Never – we’re way too busy! |
| star100 | @Tim what things do you miss about space |
| Tim | @star100 The view of Earth |
| NWSG asteroid | @Jenn Is there a reason that astronauts suits are white? |
| Jenn | @NWSG asteroid they’re visible in the dark background of space, but some of them used to be silver! |
| Dark Matter of Fowey | @Tim I heard somewhere that the Earth’s air smells rotten after coming back from space- is this true? |
| Tim | @Dark Matter of Fowey Only when the hatch is first opened because everything around the spacecraft is burning. |
| saniya | @Tim can you explain why water goes into a ball when released from the packet |
| Tim | @saniya Surface tension holds it together like a balloon |
| SuperNovaX | @Tim is there any photos in the book thats coming out soon |
| Tim | @SuperNovaX The book is mainly photos! About 240 of them… |
| Briarley | @Charlie did you have to learn german to work for the german space agency? |
| Charlie | @Briarley Yes I had weekly lessons and now speak German |
| SaturnV for the win | @Julia Is science your favourite subject |
| Julia | @SaturnV for the win Yesssss!! without a doubt. I love it – always has questions to answer 😀 what is your faveourite? |
| SaturnV for the win | @Julia Science by a mile specificly space in any form |
| Julia | @SaturnV for the win great:) keep it up!! One day you’ll be able to work in the space science field 🙂 |
| Ameen | @Beth what is the protype called when you analyse the water |
| Beth | @Ameen We just called it the water recycling machine 🙂 but FIRMUS is the brand.. |
| SuperNovaX | @Beth did you ever feel estranged from everyone |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX Its tough living in close proximity but we had training at the European Astronaut Center before we left to help us prepare for that |
| Best People From Hillcrof | @Jenn who or what inspired you to become an astronaut# |
| Jenn | @Best People From Hillcrof well I’m not an astronaut yet. but the person who inspired me the most about space was Carl Sagan – a great scientist and educator 🙂 |
| Best People From Hillcrof | sorry wrong person |
| NWSG asteroid | @Julia Is it hard for astronaut suits to be lightweight and comfortable? |
| Julia | @NWSG asteroid no.. its not difficult for them to be lightweight and comfortable… but it is if you want them to also provide gravity! Because providing gravity means making the suit extra tight in a downwards fashion from the shoulders to the feet, and |
| sam | did the tempreture change in space @Tim |
| Tim | @sam On the ISS it is kept pretty contact at 20 degrees C |
| NWSG asteroid | @all What would you take if you got stranded in space? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid A jet pack! |
| SuperNovaX | @all do you feel pround to be helping humans understand more about the world around them |
| Tim | @supernovax Yes – huge privilege to help understand |
| Julia | @SuperNovaX without a doubt. Fuels me to get up everyday! |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX Yeah its great to be involved |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX Definitely – there is loads which we learn from space which can help life back on earth |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Jenn would you ever want to go in to space |
| Jenn | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia YES! where can I sign? 😉 |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Jenn cool i would as is well |
| Jenn | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia nice one 😉 |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @all are there any known planets that we could one day live on and if so how far away from our planet is it? |
| Jenn | @Obi wan kenobi nil if we terraformed Mars we could eventually.. |
| NWSG asteroid | Do you have a favourite memory on the ISS? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid My favourite memory is seeing Antartica from space |
| Best People From Hillcrof | what inspired you to become a scientest |
| Beth | @Best People From Hillcrof I like finding out new things and exploring things so I love science, what about you? |
| NWSG asteroid | Did you celebrate your birthday on the space station? How was it? |
| Tim | @NWSG asteroid Yes, Tim K and myself had birthday 2 days apart and we shared a cake. |
| Julia | @Tim hah thats amazing! |
| Best People From Hillcrof | @Tim who or what inspired you to become an astronaut. |
| Tim | @Best People From Hillcrof The list of people who insprired me throughout my career is too long for the chat but there was a element of being in the right place aat the right Time with the right qualifications |
| Fowey – Event Horizon | @Jenn What would happen to the ISS if it was hit by a Coronal mass ejection ??? |
| Jenn | @Fowey – Event Horizon baaaad stuff. The electronics might yet fried and the astronauts onboard would get a bad dose of radiation 🙁 |
| SuperNovaX | @all if you wanted to pursue a job in the ‘space business’ what qualifications would you need to have |
| Julia | @SuperNovaX great question. pursue any of the STEM subjects. Science, Tech, Engineering, and or Maths. You’ll find a way in with any of them |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Jenn what would be the first thing you did in space |
| Jenn | @Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia do a weightless summersault 😀 |
| NWSG asteroid | Does going into space decrease your life expectancy? |
| Beth | @NWSG asteroid It can have some long term effects for some people but for most things normalise so long as you dont go for too long! |
| Briarley | @all what’s the most accurate space movie? |
| Tim | @Briarley I loved Interstellar for their ambitious attempt to explain gravitational Time dilation and what happens beyond the event horizon of a black hole! |
| Hillcroft-Ella&Olivia | @Tim what was your favourite thing about being in space |
| Tim | @hillcroft16ar Inside the ISS very easy. Inside a space suit, very hard. |
| SaturnV for the win | @all Whats youre favourite space movie |
| Beth | @SaturnV for the win Wall-E |
| SuperNovaX | @all what advice would yuo give for budding scientists and astronauts |
| Beth | @SuperNovaX Go for it!! |
| Julia | @SuperNovaX pursue STEM subjects at school, and through into higher education |
| Tim | @all Find out what you are good at and passionate about |
| sam | @Tim is it good to be back home |
| Tim | @sam Great. Great to se friends and family again. |
| NWSG asteroid | @all Would you say that working in the space industry is rewarding? |
| Julia | @NWSG asteroid definately. How can it not be when you get to do things like this?! |
| Beth | @NWSG asteroid I think its always rewarding to work in an area which you feel passionate about 🙂 |
| star100 | @Tim what was the best thing you learnt from this experience |
| Tim | @star100 Teamwork is crucial – as are good communication skills…and patience! |
| Obi wan kenobi nil | @all will we ever run out of new things to know? |
| Julia | @Obi wan kenobi nil nope! |
| Best People From Hillcrof | @Tim what was your best day |
| Tim | @Best People From Hillcrof Space walk day was the best day |
* There were so many fantastic questions from the students — and a few from the Astro Support Team too — and unfortunately not all were answered. The transcript above pulls just the questions which were answered by Tim and the Astro Support Team. If you are interested in the full, unabridged transcript, drop us an email at admin@imanastronaut.uk and we’ll see what we can do.
