On June 16th, 2023 the A.P.O.I.K.I.A. team had the chance to meet with ESA's astronaut, Reinhold Ewald, listen to his stories and experiences from his time on space, pose questions and learn what it takes to become an astronaut and what benefits and dangers this profession entails.
A few words about Mr. Reinhold Ewald:
As a German astronaut, Reinhold Ewald flew to space in the late 90s. During his missions he performed experiments in biomedical and material sciences and carried out operational tests to prepare for missions to the International Space Station. After he returned to Earth, he spent the rest of his career training new astronauts and managing ISS operations including the coordination of the assembly of the International Space Station Columbus module. He has been retired from ESA since 2018. For more information about Reinhold Ewald follow this link.
Astronaut Reinhold Ewald with Mir-23 commander Vasily Tsibliev in the background in Mir's Base Block.
This meeting was a gift from ESA to all the winning teams of all categories at the Moon Camp Challenge 2022-2023, thus there were 12 participant teams from all over the world (two from Bolivia, two from China, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, two from Turkey, United Kingdom)! Each team was asked to pose two questions to Mr. Ewald, one of which would have been chosen for answering.
This is the 1-hour webinar, that was recorded by ESA.
Let's take a look at the teams' questions and Mr. Ewald's answers!
Q1) How long were you in space and what was your motivation for going? Team “Los astronautas lunares” - Bolivia - 3rd Place - Explorers Category - Non ESA member states
A1) Mir ’97 was the second German–Russian mission on Russia’s Mir space station, from 10 February to 2 March 1997. Reinhold was a research cosmonaut on the Russian Soyuz TM-25 spacecraft and spent 18 days on Mir. He performed experiments in biomedical and material sciences and carried out operational tests to prepare for missions to the International Space Station. He returned in Soyuz TM-24.
Q2) What is the feeling when you are travelling in space?
Team “Next Generation” - UK - 3rd Place - Pioneers Category - ESA member states
A2) The feeling when you travel in space is the same as when you are being ill, due to space motion sickness. It is uneasy. What every astronaut loves to do is to spend time at the cupola, the observatory from where they have a clear view of the Earth and enjoy taking pictures.
Q3) During your space mission, you stay away from your loved ones. You are socially isolated. How did you deal with it?
Team “Shining Stars” - Turkey - 1st Place - Explorers Category - Non ESA member states
A3) The astronauts' training is a tough process that lasts about two years. There are training centers all over the world, that each astronaut has to visit and participate. So, staying away from the loved ones, it is starting here, on Earth. Some astronauts chose to travel with their families.
The space flight could last from three weeks up to six months, nevertheless, the communication is not a problem. It is 100% possible to communicate on the ISS with your loved ones back at Earth. In case of a mission to Mars though, the communication would not be as easy, since the delay of the signal lasts about an hour, which means that when the person on Earth says something, the person on Mars will hear it with an hour delay, and his answer will take one more hour to return to Earth!
Q4) Having experienced the 90's and watching the current developments in space exploration, would you rather start your career today or keep your experience from the 90's?
Team “A.P.O.I.K.I.A” - Greece - 3rd Place - Explorers Category - ESA member states
A4) Being an astronaut back in the 90's it was a fun and exciting experience for him that he cherishes. He loves to share this experience, knowledge and feelings with his students, thus providing them with the necessary "equipment" in order to go out and seek for their own space experiences. So now, space exploration is calling for the new generation of astronauts.
Q5) Could you explain the definition of the Interstellar Molecular Cloud, the shape and evolution of its internal structure, and the significance of studying it?
Team “Skyhook” - China - 1st Place - Pioneers Category - Non ESA member states
A5) An Interstellar Molecular Cloud (IMC) is the birthplace of stars, that consists of H2 molecules. It takes millions of years and very low temperatures (around 3 degrees Kelvin) for these molecules to form a cloud. Then, when they heat up, this results to a molecular vibration which leads to a signal detection, thus a signal that stars are being born!
The Orion Nebula is an IMC that needed a couple of million years to be formed.
The far side of the Moon is a great choice for placing radiotelescopes, since from there it is possible to look at lower radio frequencies that are otherwise heavily polluted by human radio transmissions on Earth. This means that a radiotelescope at the far side of the moon could sense the weak signals that denote the birth of stars.
Q6) How has the technical and research side of experiments shifted over the years?
Team “MRLB” - Czech Republic - 1st Place - Pioneers Category - ESA member states
A6) The experiments that took place in 1997 were part of space shuttle missions with well equipped labs that performed experiments in space. These were focusing on how the human body works and reacts in low gravity (weightlessness). As it turned out, the human body adapts to the new conditions, without depending its function on gravity. It is an intelligent system for what we eat or how we gain weight.
During his mission, he researched the impact of salt to the human body, the bones and the energy exchange, while in space. He performed experiments by detecting himself for 18 days in space and then he performed experiments upon his arrival to Earth. He realized that salt is quite dangerous for the human body, the bones, since it stocks up, creating a "storage of salt" within the body.
Q7) We would like to know whether medical rehabilitation equipment such as exoskeleton can be used in the field of space to assist astronauts with physical disabilities to work and live normally?
Team “Twinkler” - China - 3rd Place - Pioneers Category - Non ESA member states
A7) Extra Vehicular Activities (EVAs) last from 7 to 8 hours. During each EVA, an astronaut loses an average of 11/2 liters of sweat, thus it s a strenuous and demanding activity. An exoskeleton would assist an easier movement and holding of things. Any robotic help would be appreciated.
In weightlessness it has been noticed a loss of muscle strength, that's why when upon arrival to Earth, astronauts are not able to even walk in a straight line. It would be very difficult with the current technology, for a person with physical disabilities to work and live normally in space conditions.
Q8) Is plant growth possible in a low gravity environment and can moon dust be used to plant seeds and have them germinate?
Team “PCE AEPAS” - Portugal - 2nd Place - Explorers Category - ESA member states
A8) Regolith, the dust that cover the moon surface, is rich in minerals and oxygen, thus it is a good source of nutrition for plants. Water is necessary for plant growth and thanks to recycling, more than 95% of water is being recycled on the ISS. The plants of choice for cultivation are plants that do not have great demands in water or care.
On the ISS they are recycling expanded polystyrene foam, in other words known as Styrofoam, which can be used for plant growth.
Q9) Is it a good idea to bring flying insects to space?
Team “Cserepka trio” - Hungary - 1st Place - Explorers Category - ESA member states
A9) Because of gravity, flying insects fly around due to a balance of lift forces upon their wings. If they get transferred to an environment of low or no gravity, the wings will produce a high lift force that will cause them to fly uncontrollably in rotation, thus losing orientation.
An option would be to have a beehive and bees in space, but it takes too much time to produce honey, so it is not a useful option.
On the other hand, instead of flying insects, they could choose to bring insects in space. Insects feed on algae, they are a rich source of proteins, they proliferate easily in space and they can be fed to fish, which, according to research, are adaptable in space conditions.
Q10) How can we combine space conquest with the protection of the Earth's environment?
Team “Bartholdi Space Program” - France - 2nd Place - Pioneers Category - ESA member states
A10) One would be very humble when is looking in the depths of the universe. "Conquest" is quite a strong word to use. Most preferably we could use the term "exploration".
Mars is a planet in the habitable zone, but where did the water go? Here on Earth the resources are limited. If we find ways to balance the distribution of resources on Earth, then we would make a good use of these resources.
Q11) If you had the opportunity to do research on a planet, which planet would you like to go to, and which research and experiment would you like to do?
Team “Terra Mimesis” - Turkey - 2nd Place - Pioneers Category - Non ESA member states
A11) When it is possible, I would go to Mars with my family, or visit the icy moons of Jupiter ("JUICE" mission). Jupiter would also be interesting, but it is quite far away.
Q12) Have you ever been afraid of not coming back to earth? And if so, how did you deal with that situation?
Team “KILLA WASI” - Bolivia - 2nd Place - Explorers Category - Non ESA member states
A12) As part of their training, astronauts attend the rocket production procedures, in order to view first hand the strict and careful process that is taking place and be able to trust the people who work towards the creation of rockets. It is quite risky to sit on top of tons of fuel, so it is essential to trust that every part of the construction procedure is being done meticulously and with great care.
There was a fire on the SOYUZ rocket and the crew did their best in order to survive. No one was expecting them to return to Earth, especially after they lost the communication with the base. It was trust that kept them going on and trying to survive even from the most difficult situation. You are nothing but a piece of meat thrown to space. For space tourists is a totally different balance of things.
After answering the students' questions, Mr. Ewald left them with an advice for future careers in space. He told them that they should not be disappointed, focus on their studies and that they should first and foremost learn how to interact with each other, as it is a very important skill.
The A.P.O.I.K.I.A. team would like to thank ESA and Mr. Reinhold Ewald for the great opportunity, experience and expertise sharing via this fruitful and exciting webinar!
Comments