I'm Astronaut Col. Terry Virts – Ask Me Anything!

When you did finally arrive back on earth, what would you say was the biggest struggle adjusting to being back on an actual planet?

Being dizzy! Things felt heavy, but I was definitely dizzy. Felt like 🍷🍷🍷

One of the rare AMAs where the person is simply here to answer questions and not sell something.

Thanks for your service and being here. /r/spacex and /r/nasa should get in here!

What is your favorite space film? And why?

It was INTERSTELLAR, because I love the story about the father and his daughter. But now the new APOLLO 11 film, directed by Todd Miller, is my fave, as my heart was racing faster than when I first launched when I watched it!

You like space?

oh yeah

Hi all, I'm gonna leave it here because of the Notre Dame news. Thanks so much for all your questions, I've loved answering them. Anybody wanna do it again?

What's it like trying to fall asleep in microgravity? Is it easy or difficult to adjust to mentally?

I was worried about that at first, but it was actually the easiest and best sleep I've ever had in my life!

This is interesting. Is that because of the true complete weight distribution your body has in space where as on earth there are pressure points?

IDK why, but I think that's it. You're just floating, so no pressure points.

Since you are a government employee, do you get to take off for federal holidays while in space?

They give us a few. We combine them between U.S. and Russian holidays. Orthodox Russia celebrates Xmas on Jan. 7, so we do a lot of holidaying between Dec. 25 and Jan. 7.

What does xmas look like in the ISS?

It's really difficult to keep the gifts under the tree.

LOL!

Messy ;-) We have a tree and decorations and a Santa Claus. So yeah, lots of stuff.

What do you think about SpaceX?

I'm a big fan of SpaceX. They sent up two cargo ships of food and clean underwear for me while I was up there, so I'm 100% supportive of commercial space flights!

What are some “next big things” that you think humans need to do or achieve in space in the coming decades?

I think getting to Mars is the 21st century goal, but we need to get back to the moon first and use it as a testing ground

Hey Terry! I'm 21 years old and my dream is to be an Astronaut. I've decided that the best path I can take to do this would be to join the Air Force this year and try to become a pilot, before eventually applying at NASA. Is there anything you would recommend to a young man starting this journey? Things you had wish you had known or done differently? The biggest thing that concerns me is when I select from the variety of jobs that are available upon entering the Air Force, I imagine being any kind of aircraft mechanic, or an engineer would be the best job experience I could have before I'm a pilot, and ultimately try to get selected by NASA, but a few other jobs, such as SERE and Linguistics are very attractive to me as well. If I want to follow this dream, would you recommend that I all in on mechanics/aircraft maintenance jobs?

Do what you love and are passionate about -- that will give you your best chance to succeed. Being a mechanic is a great thing. When I was going through the last astronaut applications, one was a NASCAR mechanic and that stood out as something really interesting.

Is a hotdog a sandwich?

I think of it as a vegetable actually

What kind of entertainment does the ISS have?

NASA uplinks us mp3 files to watch. Sports and movies and GOT and my Pandora radio stations.

Did you watch 2001 Space Odyssey? Or Alien?

I don't think I could handle it

Yes, I watched both while in space. I love great storytelling and that's why I want to work in the entertainment business in the future.

I'm sure the crew would enjoy Gravity.

The guy who shot GRAVITY, Chivo (Emmanuel Lubezki), is a friend and hero of mine :) That was a fantastic movie!

Ever watched the original Solaris?

Have only seen the Clooney one, but it's on my watch list :)

What was unexpected or surprising about being in space? Something you didn’t expect until you were there?

Seeing a shade of blue I'd never seen before.

What was the most badass thing you ever did in space?

Spacewalking is cool, cutting my crewmate Samantha's hair was pretty stressful, but filming the IMAX movie "A Beautiful Planet" was the most impactful

Scott Kelly wrote that you messed up that haircut. It was one of the funniest parts of the book.

It would be way less stressful to cut Scott's hair ;-)

What was your biggest "oh shit!" moment while in space?

There were a few- but a small piece of equipment came loose during my first launch and it banged against the back wall and made a loud noise- we were all 😳😳😳. Luckily it was OK! we found it floating a few minutes later once we were in space)

What inspired you to become an astronaut?

Apollo. The first book I ever read when I was in kindergarten was about Apollo.

Is there any competitive nature left vs the Russians?

Definitely - I watched the Hockey world championships with my Russian friends, that was a big friendly competition.

• What did you like the most about life on the ISS?

• What did you dislike the most about life on the ISS?

Most- the view (floating was a close second)

Least- being gone from my family

How did space affect your mental health?

Pretty badly, but then the voices in my head calmed me down. kidding

What were your space walks like? Was it hard to get your bearings?

You've lived a dream life, sir! Thanks for your hard work and dedication to science!

They were 99% work and 1% OMG- this is incredible. When I had a chance to take a peek it was like I was seeing things that humans weren't meant to see

Do you guys still get Omega Speedmasters while deployed?

Yes, we wore Omega Speedmaster x33 watches. They are awesome!

Do you believe there is a future in commercialized space travel in the next 100 years as far as being accessible to anyone other than the highest income earners? Do you think that any commercial/industrial opportunities aside from space tourism will arise within the next 100 years? Thank you very much for your time.

In the next few decades, it will be too expensive for ordinary humans to go to space. You need to go 25, 000 km an hour to stay in orbit, so the cost of fuel etc is prohibitive. It's going to be a long time until we can go as fast as we need to at affordable rates.

Would you like to go back to space?

Yes!

I hear often about how viewing the earth from space changed the attitude/perspective some astronauts have towards people and politics and wars and such.

Did your time in space effect how you feel or think about people as a group? Or the earth itself?

I think I'm a lot less black-and-white than I used to be and I can see why we should be getting along and not having all this conflict we're having on this planet.

Have you ever had to handle conflicts on the ISS? How was it solved in such a confined and dangerous place with only a handful of people for months?

I was really lucky on expedition 43. We had a great crew and we're all still friends. But we're all still human and we were there for many months. But we never had anything major!

What did you do before being an Astronaut? Naval Pilot?

I was an Air Force test pilot.

Did you get taller during the trip?

I gained about 5 cm while in space. I was finally six foot tall! Sadly, as soon as our feet hit the plant we go back to our original height :(

😳 Was that your spine extending? Didn't it hurt once you got back on the ground?

Yep. All your joints open up. And yes, even though we train hard for a couple of hours a day, being back on earth is HEAVY for a while.

Does that come with any unique sensations or feelings?

My back was in a lot of pain for the first week or two while I was in space. I could tap my feel on the floor, and I would have a feeling of electric shocks running up my legs and back. It was my nerves stretching out. It hurt and was really bizarre.

Now that you've been to space -- do you think extraterrestrial life exists?

This requires a long answer- there are billions of planets out there, so you would think yes. But life is so complicated that I think it requires a creator- so maybe. At any rate, those planets are SOOOO far away that I doubt that we will ever meet them.

How often did you get distracted by the view on a spacewalk?

Not very often, because 99% of the time I was extremely busy. But when I did it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It was like I was seeing God's view of creation

What is the most awe-inspiring experience you had while aboard the ISS or during your time in space in general?

One moment on a spacework, I got to stop my work and I turned around and got to watch the sun rise. It was the most awe-inspiring moment I've ever experienced.

Was there ever a time when you were in space, that you regretted being there?

Never. I knew I'd be back to earth in a short time and I'd have the rest of my life down here, so I tried to enjoy it

Now that you can speak freely, tell us the truth...

Do you really not have astronaut ice cream?!?!

No I had Ben & Jerry's and Klondike. That astronaut ice cream was a marketing ploy.

In your opinion, what was the most important experiment you conducted, and why was it performed in space?

I did some experiments for a major drug company that were focused on bone and muscle health. We had to do them in space because weightlessness intensified problems with our bones and muscles.

- Did being in space change your perspective on the human condition (if so, how)?

- How long did it take for the view from orbit to stop impressing you (if ever)?

- If you could give one piece of advice to an astronaut going up for the first time, what would it be?

- What experiment(s) that you conducted in space stands out to you as most interesting?

- What do you think about the shift of space travel technology from government agencies to commercial companies?

It did. I realized that we're all primates on this spaceship together and we need to focus on working together and less on dividing ourselves.

- Never.

- Have a good idea of the pictures you want to take, because the time will fly by faster than you think. Even if you're there for six months

- Capillary Flow Experiment!

- I think it's a great thing and commercial companies are much better at being innovative and making things happen. The government has the primary job of keeping itself employed and not losing jobs or budget, but private companies have to make things happen or they go out of business.

How did it feel like being in a rocket going so fast and so high? Also, did you feel the "rollercoaster drop feeling" when you went up to space, and went down to earth?

A drop makes you feel weightless, on a roller coaster it only lasts for 20 seconds and in space, it lasted for 2 months.

I've heard from Russian cosmonauts (on the Mir), that Space smells like burning metal and that it is VERY loud. Is the ISS loud?

Also, who's your favorite fictional space related character?

It depends on the module. They've improved the fans so some of the Russian modules used to be very loud, but now they can be quieter than the American ones. but it depends on the location -- in some areas it can be pretty loud, and in others, like our sleep stations, it's pretty quiet.

​

Jar Jar Binks Luke Skywalker!

What was your biggest roadblock to becoming an astronaut, and how did you overcome it?

being able to be brave enough to actually apply. Too many people are too shy or afraid of failure. If there's something you want to do you just have to go for it.

How do you perform dentistry (in space) while not being a dentist? Did you train for that particular assignment? Have you replaced your own fillings since then?

Absolutely at the UT dental school in Houston. We learned to do the basics and I actually did the first ever filling replacement in space- it was fun!

What was the thing that you thought when you looked at earth from space for the first time?

About 15 minutes after launch I flew into my first sunrise- and I had the distinct thought "I've never seen that shade of blue before"- it was the most intense bluish color

Which would you say is worse, leaving earth, or coming to earth?

Leaving Earth is loud, exciting, thrilling and dynamic, unlike, returning to Earth which requires more time because gravity is so disorientating.

Did anything happen while you were in space that you weren't expecting/hadn't prepared for?

Seeing the planet. I thought I was prepared for everything, but you can't prepare for the emotional impact of seeing your planet down there and realizing you aren't on it. Plus it's just such a beautiful planet.

Colonel,

I’m a senior in college and was selected for naval aviation last semester. I am still holding onto the dream of being an astronaut one day... any advice? Test pilot school necessary? Thank you, sir!

Congrats! Not necessary but it is a HUGE help

how quiet space is? are you feeling lonely there?

Inside the space station there's fans running constantly, and that's what you hear. Outside, of course there's no sound, but you do hear the sound of the fan running inside the space suit

Do you ever see any debris from previous missions floating around orbit? I always heard there is a belt of essentially garbage in orbit. That true?

you could always see a cloud of debris around the shuttle, dust or frozen water or something from the payload bay, all small and harmless. But you can't see debris flying around from other orbits because it is moving at miles per second

what is it like to get back to your casual meals on Earth? Was it easy to adapt?

It was like a light switch, I went from space to earth immediately. Which surprised me – I thought it would be harder, but it wasn't.

What was it like going back to gravity on earth?

HEAVY! I felt like a super hero who was being pulled down to earth with a big magnetic ray

What personal item did you want to bring with you, but you couldn't because it wouldn't fit under your seat?

my golf clubs

Do they still have to quarantine you all when you get back to Earth? If so, how long and for what?

Not anymore, the Apollo guys had to be in quarantine, but now we just do quarantine before launch to make sure we don't bring germs with us. When we get back to earth they give us a room in "crew quarters" that gives us some personal space, but it's not a proper quarantine

Have you ever seen a UFO?

nope

Would You Rather Fight a Horse-Sized Duck in space or a Hundred Duck-Sized Horses in space?

As long as it had its wings tied back, I'd take the horse-sized duck.

The wings are part of the package, Terry. Adapt and overcome, you were picked for space travel for a reason!

Then I need my lightsaber if I'm gonna fight that thing!

Besides friends and family, what did you miss most about Earth when you were in space?

Pizza!!

Did your brain ever do that falling thing when you were trying to sleep?

whenever I closed my eyes I would feel like I was pitching forward and rolling left, it was very bizarre, but I felt that for months. I would feel that for 10-20 seconds and then it would end

How much Russian did you know before you went up? How much did you pick up while you were there?

До полета я знал русский немного. А на станции мы вместе общались, смотрели кино и я узнал много нового! I guess I have to translate too) My russian was okay when I launched. And on ISS we spend time together with our Russian crewmates, enjoyed our meals and watched movies together and I think my Russian got better!

Being in space were you anxious about any medical issues? Obviously you cannot go to a hospital in space, so I'd imagine if I randomly had pain anywhere my anxiety would be through the roof.

There are a lot of medical issues you deal with- back pain from stretching out, skin rashes, eyesight changes, dizziness. The most concerning one is radiation and cancer- there's nothing that's really been done about this, and it's a risk for long term astronaut spaceflight

What is your favorite picture you took from space and what is your favorite picture you've taken on Earth?

So hard to say cause I took so many (over 300k!). The last picture I took from space was pretty awesome though, it's a sun over the earth, wide angle shot, with "starburst" effect (f/22 aperture). I loved that one. And on earth- soooo many. I took some cool pics of the Sheikh Zayid Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and also in Antarctica and also of the Eclipse last year that were pretty cool.

Thoughts on SLS and the latest plans for moon landings?

I'm hopeful we can make it happen but a lot of things have to go right in order to do this within 5 years. SLS has been in development since 2005 and it isn't that close to flying yet. I think building the gateway will just slow us down.

How did u survive without pizza?

I barely did

Whats the best song about space?

The new movie, Apollo 11, soundtrack!

If you could suggest one thing for an aspiring astronaut, what would it be and, more importantly, why?

Do what you love and do it well- that's most important.

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Hey everyone! I'm getting read to start our AMA at 10:15 PDT. Get read for blast off!

What is the anxiety level like in the arc of pre-flight, time in space, and return? Were there moments that you were surprised by feeling fear when you didn't expect, or feeling calm about things you expected to be anxious about?

I was actually surprised how un-stressed I was, I fell asleep on the launchpad waiting for my STS_130 launch But once the engines lit it was of course all business. I really think the two "scariest" moments I face were cutting my female crew mate's hair (no kidding) and robotically moving Node 3 out of Endeavour's payload bay, it had "settled" a few inches from the wall and I had to be really careful

Hello ! I've always wondered: how does it feel like to finally being able to breathe all sorts of diffenrnt odors, after being trapped in a tin can for 6 month ? I guess that there is not a lot of scents in the recicled air of the ISS...

Actually there isn't really an odor on the ISS, it's pretty sterile and clean

Any advice for astronaut hopefuls? Thanks for your service!

do what you love and DON'T TELL YOURSELF NO