Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Astronaut misses home
Yearns for Earth, John Taylor grad Thirsk tells students
KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image
Grade 12 student Cameron Baydock asks his question to astronaut Dr. Bob Thirsk on board the International Space Station.
Orbiting the Earth at eight kilometres per second, Dr. Bob Thirsk laughed as he said he really misses snow.
Seriously.
The things a high school student can learn when she asks an astronaut.
John Taylor Collegiate Grade 10 student Faith Keep asked John Taylor Collegiate grad Thirsk what he misses most while he's on the International Space Station.
His wife and three kids, said Thirsk from outer space, but he really misses nature. "I miss the wind on my face, the smell of flowers. You're going to laugh at this, but I miss winter, the crunch of snow on my boots," said Thirsk.
Of course, most students can't just pick up the phone or text Thirsk and his crewmates in space.
Principal Scott Lockhart said teacher Rick Wiebe began filing applications to NASA last school year and has been working weekends sorting out all the arrangements. Wednesday morning, seven science keeners in grades 9 to 12 anxiously awaited their eight-minute communications window as the space station flew above the Pacific, connected to Thirsk through an amateur radio club operator in middle-of-the-night Honolulu.
Grade 9 student Hunter Lavallee wanted to know what space feels like.
"It feels surreal, it feels magical," said Thirsk. "It takes a different way of operating in a weightless environment," but it also allows him to fly like Superman.
Grade 12 student Jordan Doe asked the importance of the discovery of water on the moon. That's major for colonies and longer flights, said Thirsk: "Water is a wonderful substance to use as the source for oxygen, for hydrogen for fuel."
Thirsk told Grade 12 student Cameron Baydock that he studied the traditional academic courses at John Taylor, including chemistry with teacher -- wait for it -- George Bush. Being on the varsity soccer and wrestling teams taught him the teamwork essential for space missions, said Thirsk.
Thirsk told Grade 12 student Zach Zimmerman that among the 100 or so experiments being conducted on the space station, he's studying human physiology and the effects on bones of long space flights.
Grade 10 student Kara-Lynn Sorenson asked about the physical challenges once Thirsk returns. His legs are definitely thinner, despite his exercising in weightless conditions, and his face is puffy from the way blood settles in orbit, said Thirsk.
And Grade 10 student Alora Delang was eager to hear the funniest moments in space.
"We play jokes on each other up here," said Thirsk. "We had a little Halloween party up here and got dressed up," he said, but did not have time to elaborate.
"Of course, we didn't have any trick-or-treaters knocking on our door."
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 5, 2009 A2
- Rate this

-
-
We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.
You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.
Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.
The comment period for this story has ended.
Ads by Google
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
-
Working in Winnipeg
A close-up look at the jobs people do and why they do them
-
Helping Haiti
Where to make donations
-
Open Secrets
Red River students mine government data banks
-
Ski with WFP
Register here to ski Asessippi with the Winnipeg Free Press
-
Random Acts of Kindness
Your encounters with goodness
Poll
Most Popular
- No peace for dead girl's mom
- Falls from operating table prompt new procedures at hospitals
- Murder charges against top CFB Trenton officer leave military community reeling
- Bombers sue over cancelled Aerosmith concert
- Should have been listening, Tiger
- No support for Winnipeg's 'Homeless Hero' in days before attack: stepdaughter
- Checking out sex show all part of journalist's job
- Body found in Delta airplane wheel well after arriving in Tokyo from New York
- MPI playing politics with poll question: Tories
- Larger garbage carts may become available
- Little boy left cold, crying outside locked daycare
- Woman arrested in Faron Hall beating
- Pilot burnt plane as signal before walking to shore
- Storm warning issued
- Built-in text messages ruined life, says city man
- LaPolice named as Bomber head coach
- City streets very slippery; several vehicles involved in crashes
- No peace for dead girl's mom
- 26 cats too many, woman told
- Car stolen at gunpoint recovered
- Guns N' Roses show a massive rock 'n' roll spectacle
- Extended family pulls together
- Two dead after crash on Bishop Grandin
- Water pressure drop caused by power outage: city
- Little boy left cold, crying outside locked daycare
- Avoid Perimeter: RCMP
- Winter storm warnings issued for Winnipeg, southern Manitoba
- Woman arrested in Faron Hall beating
- Pilot burnt plane as signal before walking to shore
- Cheap Vancouver rentals, if tiny's OK
- Larger garbage carts may become available
- No peace for dead girl's mom
- Take one downtown, fill it with people
- No support for Winnipeg's 'Homeless Hero' in days before attack: stepdaughter
- Councillors nix oversized rolling garbage bins
- Got more trash? It'll cost you
- MPI playing politics with poll question: Tories
- Bombers sue over cancelled Aerosmith concert
- Brian Sinclair's family should get more money for lawyer
- City looking at adding bike lane on Pembina
- Little boy left cold, crying outside locked daycare
- 300 pounds of marijuana found in semi
- LaPolice named as Bomber head coach
- Sick days spike during blizzard
- Woman arrested in Faron Hall beating
- 26 cats too many, woman told
- Car stolen at gunpoint recovered
- Shielding buyers, or 'cash grab'?
- Bad cocaine results in grave illness, hospitalization
- Built-in text messages ruined life, says city man
- 300 pounds of marijuana found in semi
- Girl not a bully, shouldn't have been suspended, says mom
- Arrest tape kills auto-theft case
- Little boy left cold, crying outside locked daycare
- Don't dock students for missing deadlines: NDP
- Alleged mobsters seek to stay
- RCMP investigating after video shows police beating suspect
- U.S. fighter slams Canada's 'Third World' health system
- LaPolice named as Bomber head coach
- Drunk cop crashes motorbike, gets fined
- Site for parents' sore eyes
- Falls from operating table prompt new procedures at hospitals
- Iran playing its hand
- No peace for dead girl's mom
- First female boss for Destination Winnipeg
- Happy 111th birthday to oldest Manitoban
- Steamy weekend
- Murder charges against top CFB Trenton officer leave military community reeling
- Footprints in snow lead to stolen goods
- Bone-chilling temps become hot commodity
- Little boy left cold, crying outside locked daycare
- LaPolice named as Bomber head coach
- Cat came back: 14 years later
- 26 cats too many, woman told
- A super-lab to fight superbugs
- Hutterite biography to debut despite legal chill
- Pilot burnt plane as signal before walking to shore
- Built-in text messages ruined life, says city man
- Happy 111th birthday to oldest Manitoban
- Site for parents' sore eyes
- 'Tough guys' wanted as film extras
- Nylons still smooth as silk
- Bath & Body Works coming to St. Vital
- Cat came back: 14 years later
- Little boy left cold, crying outside locked daycare
- Guns N' Roses show a massive rock 'n' roll spectacle
- Winnipeg desserts are a piece of cake
- LaPolice named as Bomber head coach
- VIDEO: A winter wonderland?
- Harper really is dangerous
PREVIOUS

0 Comments