The astronaut as an Outback handyman or handywoman

Elizabeth Howell — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 00:01:59 +0000

Working in space is just slightly more remote than working in the Outback. Credit: NASA

Perhaps the ultimate expression of Australian self-sufficiency is those workers in the remote areas of the Outback, digging for oil or dinosaur treasure or perhaps using a telescope to gaze at the stars, far from light pollution. In much of Australia, if something breaks, you’re going to have to find a way to fix it yourself.

That’s pretty similar to what astronauts face on the International Space Station. If a toilet or treadmill snaps, or if a solar panel fizzles, the astronauts can surely call for help to Mission Control to get some procedures. Ultimately, however, the men and women on board will need to fix the problem themselves with whatever tools are there.

Enter these pictures of an astronaut toolbox making the rounds in several media reports. Tim Peake, an astronaut with the European Space Agency, posted a photoset of a toolbox that astronauts use on the space station. The array of screwdrivers and washers and clamps is impressive, and demonstrates how the station partners are trying to prepare for just about any eventuality.

A single drawer in a toolbox used aboard the International Space Station. Credit: Tim Peake/Flickr

What’s even more impressive is the tools that are used during spacewalks. This, in fact, prompted one astronaut crew (STS-61) to find itself on the American show Home Improvement during the 1990s — simply because they had fixed the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit.

“It’s a lot like using tools here on Earth, except there’s no gravity, so you don’t have to worry about dropping a tool on your foot,” joked commander Richard Covey on the show, a Season 3 episode called “Reality Bytes.” At least two other NASA crews appeared in future seasons of the show because of their work during spacewalks.

Just goes to show you that a repair, whether in space or on Earth, can take you to unexpected places.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-07-29 00:01:59). The astronaut as an Outback handyman or handywoman. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 07, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/the-astronaut-as-an-outback-handyman-or-handywoman/

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Could The Next Australian In Space Be A Paying Tourist?

Elizabeth Howell — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 00:32:31 +0000

Australian Andy Thomas during a spacewalk on mission STS-102 in 2001. Credit: NASA

A flurry of press articles went out this week after NASA announced its eight new astronaut candidates. The agency touted these people, who range from doctors to fighter pilots, as a generation of astronauts that will at last be trained for missions beyond Earth’s orbit.

The agency is eyeing the moon, and Mars, as eventual destinations for astronauts in the coming decades. The long-term plan for NASA keeps shifting every few years, but right now it is embracing a sort of “flexible destination” approach that is intended to bring humans further into space.

Australia, of course, does not have an astronaut program of its own. But it does have Andy Thomas, an Adelaide-born mechanical engineer who flew four times in space, most recently on STS-114 Discovery in 2005. When asked by NASA about his aspirations as a kid in a country without an astronaut program, he expressed optimism about the situation:

Andy Thomas aboard Discovery on STS-114. Credit: NASA

“I think for a young kid growing up in Australia at that time, the prospects of becoming an astronaut were remote, to say the least,” he said in a 2005 interview with NASA.

“But I’ve always believed that the pathway to many interesting experiences can be opened if you have the right kind of education, and certainly that’s true in my case. I think education, in fact, can open doors that you can’t even imagine and that would forever remain closed if you did not seek good education. And that’s been true in my case.”

While he ended up working in the United States and becoming a citizen there, it is worth noting that Thomas is a product of Australian education: he received two mechanical engineering degrees (including his Ph.D.) at the University of Adelaide.

Paul Desmond Scully-Power (right) with fellow STS-41 astronaut Marc Garneau, a Canadian. Credit: NASA

Another Australian graduate was Paul Desmond Scully-Power, who flew into space aboard STS-41G Challenger. A graduate of the University of Sydney, he also began the first oceanographic group for the Royal Australian Navy.

Upon realizing that it’s been eight years since an Australian has been in space, and that few of the country have made it there, it might be natural for some to worry about whether one will make it again there soon.

There are initiatives within the country, however, to continue promoting educational opportunities that could one day set up students for that career path. One prominent example is Young Astronauts Space Schools Australia, a network focusing on both space and science education. Even if the path does not lead to space, there are opportunities in the country to perform astronomy and other forms of space science.

WhiteKnightTwo, the carrier craft aiming to eventually bring Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo into space. Credit: D. Miller/Wikimedia Commons

But with no Australian professional astronauts currently bound for space, it’s quite possible the next person from the country to make it into orbit will be one paying for a ticket aboard a private spaceship. Virgin Galactic is expected to fly its first flights in 2014, and XCOR is projecting flights in the next couple of years as well.

Hundreds of people have expressed a willingness to climb on board these flights, and there are at least eight companies in Australia willing to help you buy that ticket.

Perhaps the next Australian in space will be a “tourist”. This could be a business person who has spent their lifetime building up products in the country. Or perhaps they are simply an ordinary person who stashed away thousands of dollars in savings for what was an impossible dream a few years ago, but seems closer than ever today.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-06-21 00:32:31). Could The Next Australian In Space Be A Paying Tourist?. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 07, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/could-the-next-australian-in-space-be-a-paying-tourist/

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The post Could The Next Australian In Space Be A Paying Tourist? appeared first on Australian Science.

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The astronaut as an Outback handyman or handywoman

Could The Next Australian In Space Be A Paying Tourist?