WASHINGTON – Students at Fort Belvoir Elementary School had the chance to get up close and personal with U.S. astronauts Wednesday, if you can call 17,500 miles close.
A grant allowed the students the chance to speak with the astronauts aboard the International Space Station, which at the time was somewhere above South America providing a sometimes fuzzy and crackly connection.
But it was a once in a lifetime opportunity meant to foster a love for science. And sixth-grader Collin Peterson was ready.
“How much does your space suit weigh?” Collin asked. An astronaut responded that the suits are very heavy.
“My mom was really proud of me that I got (chosen) to do this and it was really fun and cool,” Collin says.
Kaylin Brown couldn’t make out the answer to her question, she wanted to know what the astronauts like most about their jobs, but she did learn something new.
“Drinking water up there is like really the same because they have it in like a pouch and they use a straw,” Kaylin says.
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty reported from Fort Belvoir, Va. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on Facebook.
