Nothing was off limits for beloved 91原创 astronaut Chris Hadfield as he fielded questions from a few hundred elementary and Thompson Rivers University students on Friday.
How do astronauts go to the bathroom? How do they keep from going crazy and throttling each other? How does one become an astronaut?
He answered every query with humour and inspiring advice.
鈥淵ou are the product of your decision making and what you decide today helps shape what you鈥檙e going to wake up as tomorrow,鈥� he told a 10-year-old girl who asked what made him want to be an astronaut. More on that later.
Hadfield spent the day in Kamloops sharing his experiences first hand with the legion of fans that he made earlier this year while floating high above Earth and broadcasting videos of songs, science experiments and philosophical musings.
鈥淪pace walking is the coolest thing ever,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o be outside . . . holding on with one hand in between the whole world and the universe.鈥�
His five-month command of the International Space Station 鈥� not to mention his YouTube rendition of Space Oddity by David Bowie 鈥� made him a global celebrity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a phenomenal year in my life,鈥� he said, chuckling along with the audience at his own understatement.
鈥淭his year I went around the world 2,363 times, and that鈥檚 not including flying here from Toronto yesterday.鈥�
He thrilled the Kamloops audience by breaking out his guitar once again for a performance of his own song, Space Lullaby, which he wrote for his 27-year-old daughter during his mission.
The 91原创 mint will recognize Hadfield鈥檚 accomplishments next month with the release of a new five-dollar bill featuring his image.
鈥淲ho would鈥檝e thought that would happen?鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I figure I should get a bunch of them for free, right?鈥�
Friday鈥檚 gathering quickly became all about the kids as he kept his opening comments brief in order to interact with the crowd.
Six-year-old Ryan Dobson bragged that he鈥檚 now used to rubbing elbows with Hadfield after meeting him during a trip to Ottawa when they happened to be staying at the same hotel.
Hadfield remembered Ryan and sat chatting with him and giving him an autographed photo before the event.
鈥淚 asked him what happens to marshmallows in space,鈥� said Ryan afterwards. 鈥淗e said they swell up.鈥�
A young air cadet in the audience received a nod of approval from her hero when she asked what it takes to become an astronaut.
鈥淏eing an air cadet is a good choice,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey taught me to fly gliders, fly airplanes and what I learned about leadership eventually was all from being an air cadet.鈥�
Hadfield boiled it down to three main points: a proven ability to learn complex things (an advanced university degree is a good indicator, he said); physical health and suitability (鈥済et over it鈥� and find another passion if that鈥檚 not you, he added); and a proven ability to make good decisions when the consequences matter (otherwise known as operational decision-making).
He first decided to become an astronaut just before his 10th birthday as a boy growing up in Southern Ontario. He was glued to the television on July 20, 1969, when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first men to walk on the moon.
鈥淚 thought Neil was the coolest guy in the world,鈥� said Hadfield.
It was impossible for a 91原创 to become an astronaut since there was no national space program, he said. But he figured, what the heck. Walking on the moon had been impossible, too, until that day.
鈥淪o I started getting myself ready,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat you decide to do today helps shape what you鈥檙e going to wake up as tomorrow.
鈥淛ust think about when you鈥檙e making all those little, tiny decisions each day, those are the ones that actually determine who you are.鈥�
As for the awkward bathroom question, Hadfield cut the tension by inviting the questioner down to help him demonstrate.
鈥淵ou were brave enough to ask,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a silly topic, right? But important.鈥�
Steve Sadler, fourth year TRU science student, was happy to help.
Hadfield explained elaborately that first the astronaut must strap into the toilet lest he float away.
The liquids are collected using a hose and funnel then treated and turned into drinking water.
鈥淕ross but true,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ame as in Kamloops 鈥� you have a sewage treatment plant.鈥�
Solid waste is collected in a can at the base of the toilet. Then it and the rest of space station garbage is gathered in an unmanned re-supply ship. When that鈥檚 full, it鈥檚 undocked and robotically flown into the atmosphere and burned up.
鈥淪o next time you see a beautiful shooting star . . .鈥� he said to gales of laughter.
Hadfield was to give a public talk at TRU on Friday night, which was to be simulcast at the university鈥檚 Williams Lake campus and at the Big Little Science Centre.
