Exploring the Frontiers of Space: A Q&A with Former Astronaut Dr. Scott Parazynski
Few things capture the imagination of children quite like the boundless expanse of space. For many young dreamers, the ultimate aspiration is to become an astronaut, venturing beyond our planet to explore the unknown.
These children, brimming with curiosity and innovative ideas, are the very individuals who will one day become the next generation of pioneers, responsible for shaping the future of space exploration.
With that adventurous spirit in mind, the International Space Association (ISA) is proud to continue its 'Future Of Space' project with primary schools across Western Australia. Similar to the inaugural event, three Year 5 classes from a school in Perth were invited to share their questions about space with a former NASA astronaut, Dr. Scott Parazynski.
Divided into groups, the children were encouraged to express their ideas and thoughts, as they inquired about space and the future of humanity in it. Dr. Parazynski took the time to address the budding astronauts, who covered a wide range of topics (in keeping with the vastness of space).
Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly distinguished figure with an impressive background that undoubtedly makes him an ideal figure for such an initiative. A 17-year NASA veteran of five Space Shuttle missions and seven spacewalks, he has logged over eight weeks in space, including more than 47 hours conducting extravehicular activities.
Beyond his remarkable career as an astronaut, Dr. Parazynski is also a decorated physician and an expert in human adaptation to extreme environments. In fact, he is the first astronaut to have also summited Mount Everest, showcasing his extraordinary spirit of exploration and resilience both on and off the planet.
Best of all, Dr. Parazynski knows how captivating space and everything related to it can be to a kid. As an eight-year-old, he witnessed live the launch of Apollo 9, which largely shaped his desire to pursue a career in science.
Watch the video right here:
Former NASA Astronaut Dr. Scott Parazynski
Space Missions: Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour
STS-66, STS-86, STS-95, STS-100, STS-120
Three year 5 classes from Scotch College Perth were tasked to create an artwork that shows their understanding about space including:
- A labelled picture of the solar system (to their knowledge)
- A list of questions they have for Dr. Parazynski
- Ideas about what we could learn from space or what might happen in the future (predictions).
The focus was on understanding the following idea: Exploring the solar system provides insights for life on Earth
- The key features of the solar system
- Past and present space exploration
- Insights for life on Earth in the future
The top three submissions chosen by Dr. Parazynski were presented with a special certificate at the school assembly. Congratulations to Aaron, Josh and Ivan and to the rest of the year 5's for your amazing work.
Here are some of the more creative and curious questions from the Year 5 students, with answers by our esteemed guest.
Will we ever be able to live on Mars?
In fact, yes. There are plans to send explorers there in the not-too-distant future to colonize Mars and, basically, create an Earth 2.0, if you will. It'll be really exciting, and maybe by the time you guys finish your education, you'll have an opportunity to go live and work on Mars.
What is the longest anyone's stayed in space?
There was a Soviet-Russian cosmonaut by the name of Valeri Polyakov, and he spent 437 days on one trip up into space. Very long time - over one year living aboard the Mir space station.
How close could a satellite get to the Sun?
The Parker Solar Probe, back in December of 2024, got really, really close - just 6.1 million miles away. The Sun is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers away from us right now, and this particular satellite got so close that it was scorched by some of the plumes that come off the Sun.
What are the chances that there are aliens in our solar system?
It's kind of fun to think about, but even us earthlings may have come from someplace else, or at least some of our predecessors might have.
What I mean by that is that there are emissaries from other parts of our universe that travel between solar systems. They're called comets and asteroids, and some of them travel not just here within our solar system but from distant solar systems, so it's likely that the water we have on our planet came from comets that touched down on Earth many, many years ago - millions and even billions of years ago. Maybe, it’s possible that somehow our predecessors came from some faraway star system.
I personally believe that there must be life elsewhere in the universe. Every star that we look at is likely to have planets orbiting it, and the conditions for life among these trillions and trillions of stars are really great. So, whether there are earthling-like aliens out there, intelligent life forms, or just single-cell bacteria and things like that elsewhere in our universe - potentially even our solar system - it's hard to say, but I do believe that they probably do exist, and it'll be so exciting one day for us to discover them.
How far away do you need to be from a rocket launch to be safe?
When we launched in the space shuttle, the closest people would be about three and a half miles away, just in case there was some contingency or emergency. It's a lot of energy required to get a rocket ship off the planet, so that was as close as people could be safe.
There's a lot of noise, of course, and vibration, and if you were within 800 feet - a little over half a kilometer away - you could actually be killed just by the shock waves of a space shuttle launch. It's for everyone's safety that people stay well away from a rocket ship when it's taking off.
Can you do the moonwalk in space?
Yes, you can. In fact, the Apollo astronauts did the real moonwalk when they touched down on the lunar surface back in the late sixties and early 1970s. Michael Jackson kind of invented another kind of moonwalk, which you can do in the weightlessness of space, but it's not nearly as cool as Michael Jackson made it look.
Is Mount Everest scary tall and why did you go up?
It is pretty scary tall and very beautiful. I wanted to challenge myself. I thought I could do it with safety, because I have the right mindset to put safety in my team first, which I did. It was really a rewarding thing to be up there where you can very clearly see the curvature of the Earth.
I saw the sunrise from the top of our planet - it almost reminded me of seeing a sunrise from up aboard the International Space Station. The Sun came up from behind the Earth's limb, and I could see the full curvature of the Earth and the full rainbow spectrum of light. It was really awesome.
What's the most beautiful thing you've seen in space?
Seeing the Northern and Southern Lights - Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis. You have to be at a very high latitude to be able to see those. It was sort of like this beautiful curtain of light, very pale light - reds, yellows, oranges, and greens. It was very, very pretty - and to be outside on a spacewalk and to actually fly through them!
How do you sleep in space?
It's interesting. You don't need quite as much sleep when you're in space, just because your body isn't physically working as hard. Your heart and your muscles aren't resisting gravity all day. You're floating there, flying wherever you go.
We do work really hard when we're out on a spacewalk, but you don't need quite as much sleep time up in space as you might here on Earth. When we do go to bed, we're in a sleeping bag that's floating there, and we can velcro it to the wall. It can be on the ceiling, on the floor, upside down - whatever position you can find that's free. You're floating inside of it, and it's peaceful and relaxing.
For some of us, though, it is kind of difficult because there's no contact between you and your pillow or your bed. We have a clever solution for that. NASA engineers found a way to create a strap that would hold our head in contact with a pillow, and it gives us some grounding and enough stability that allows us to relax enough to fall asleep.
Dr. Parazynski then shared one final message for all the students:
“I want to wish you the greatest success in school and in your futures. If you're really interested in space exploration, there could be a place in space for all of you. Good luck!”
ISA’s mission continues
For as long as humanity has gazed skyward, the stars have captivated our collective imagination, igniting an inherent wonder about our solar system and the enigmatic universe beyond. This urge to dream beyond Earth is deeply ingrained in our spirit, driving us to constantly push the boundaries of exploration.
Projects like the ISA's 'Future Of Space' are invaluable in nurturing this innate human desire to explore and understand. They serve as a powerful conduit to capture children's imaginations, inspiring them with the wonders of the cosmos while simultaneously imparting the crucial importance of stewardship for our own planet.
Board member Dr. Jeremy Nunn had this to say following another successful event:
“By connecting Australian schools with former astronauts, we aim to create and inspire the next generation, and cultivate a deeper understanding of both Earth and space. Ultimately, such initiatives help to shape individuals who will, one day, possess the knowledge, ingenuity, and compassion to contribute significantly to the betterment of all humankind - whether through groundbreaking discoveries in space or by applying their broadened perspectives to challenges here on Earth.”
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