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Wed Sep 30 09:03:15 1998  The expert's featured url: www.asgsb.org

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 3 - 04:01:33 ]
You will need to "Refresh Screen" to see new postings during the chat.

[ GinnyMrsTaylorPaducah - 6 - 06:20:52 ]
I will have 18 students observing/participating in the chat. May we use 5 computers to communicate? In other words, can we login to the chat with five computers? Or do five of us need to use 1 computer? We have access to 13 computers in a lab, so we will all be observing and generating questions to ask.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 7 - 06:22:46 ]
Hi Ginny, and class. It's about 1 hour until start time. Thanks for joing us. We're testing out the system so we're tuned in, but the chatting will start at 10:30 our time (EDT).

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 9 - 06:23:29 ]
RE: [Warren] Hi Tom, What was it like diving with one foot?
Hi Warren, I hope you're planning on coming back to join us when Tom is on!

[ Tom - 10 - 06:30:56 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] Hi Warren, I hope you're planning on coming back to join us when Tom is on!
I kept going around in circles...Actually, it's fine with just one fin, but using both legs together in a dolphin kick... But it did take some getting used to.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 13 - 06:41:31 ]
RE: [Karen] Just a check to see if the URL comes up.
It's there!

[ Warren-Warren/WWExploration - 16 - 07:19:20 ]
Bobbie and I are here. 00:18 hrs on 1 Oct local time. Good to hear you.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 17 - 07:22:13 ]
RE: [Warren-Warren/WWExploration] Bobbie and I are here. 00:18 hrs on 1 Oct local time. Good to hear you.
Warren, can you view and hear a webcast?

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 18 - 07:24:50 ]
Hi Station, We probably should be doing the video at 11:30 after the chat. Folks are tuned in for a chat right now.

[ Warren-Warren/WWExploration - 19 - 07:25:33 ]
Tom/Pat. Unfortunately No. I only have a 16 bit socket. I am unable to get the 32 bit socket to work.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 23 - 07:28:00 ]
We are live and ready to go! Any questions for Pat Russell, Executive Director of American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology or Tom Whittaker, Professor of Adventure Education at Prescott College.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 24 - 07:28:30 ]
RE: [Warren-Warren/WWExploration] Linda. Will the video be archived?
Warren, you ARE a night-owl! We were planning on capturing and archiving beginning in an hour. I'm trying to reach my home base unsuccessfully - seems they're not morning people!

[ TheTomandPatShow - 25 - 07:29:53 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] Hi Station, We probably should be doing the video at 11:30 after the chat. Folks are tuned in for a chat right now.
We are going to off the video and stay strictly on chat til 11:30.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 27 - 07:33:31 ]
Bobbie and Warren, what are you doing up so late?? Go to bed!!

[ TheTomandPatShow - 28 - 07:34:13 ]
RE: [Krisstina-SCSAS/DryCrew] SO, Tom, how was your night?
After 8 hours of sleep in the last two nights, I slept like a baby.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 31 - 07:37:47 ]
RE: [Bonnie/SCSASCrew-Linda/NASAQuest] Pat, What is ASGSB.
ASGSB stands for American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology which has 500 members interested in the effects of gravity on living things.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 34 - 07:41:45 ]
Just a note comparing conditions on Everest to the station, pressure at the summit of Everest is approx 5 pounds per square inch, pressure at sea level is approx 14 psi and in the station is approx. 19 psi

[ TheTomandPatShow - 35 - 07:44:30 ]
RE: [BJ/CSU-Linda/NASAQuest] Give us some impressions of your resort training.
Pat and Tom were given an orientation to snuba on land, in the form of a video, and equipment familiarization. Then we went into the water. The oxygen tank in snuba is carried in a float on the surface, connected with long tubes.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 36 - 07:46:19 ]
RE: [Warren-Warren/WWExploration] Bobbie says: Did the Cyclone affect the station. Was the water turbulent at your depth?
The project was postponed for 4 days as a result of hurricane Georges. No one was in the station at the time. The visibility is still low due to the sedement that was stirred up.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 39 - 07:51:48 ]
RE: [BJ/CSU-Linda/NASAQuest] What do you hope to learn from this experience?
In terms of a personal challenge, facing a new experience and functioning in a new environment, made me overcome fears and learn about life support systems in a foreign environment.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 40 - 07:55:05 ]
RE: [Krisstina-SCSAS/DryCrew] Pat, what are some of the similarities between the ocean and space? What scientific research do you know about that could or does happen in both environments?
Being neutrally bouyant in water is similar to experiencing microgravity in space. Living in an underwater habitat has direct correlations with living in space, you have to supply oxxygen and compensate for different pressures.

[ Krisstina-SCSAS/DryCrew - 41 - 07:55:11 ]
Tom, what do you do to maintain fitness on a regular basis?

[ BJ/CSU-Linda/NASAQuest - 43 - 07:57:03 ]
When you prepared to climb Mt. Everest, were there special breathing or fitness exercises you needed to do?

[ SCSAS/DryCrew - 44 - 07:57:10 ]
Pat, what is your background? Have you ever been a p.i. on a shuttle experiment? How would a scientist go about applying for that?

[ TheTomandPatShow - 46 - 07:58:04 ]
RE: [Krisstina-SCSAS/DryCrew] Pat, what are some of the similarities between the ocean and space? What scientific research do you know about that could or does happen in both environments?
Plant research is done in space and on earth, physiological effects on living systems is also studied in both environments. In space research, you always have controls at 1 G, and thats why the centrifuge is so important on space station.

[ cameron-Mrs.Taylor/PaducahHighSchool - 48 - 07:58:12 ]
Tom, what is it like under water? What kinds of fish do you see?

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 49 - 07:58:40 ]
Kyle, Could you help us know - what State are you in, and what level of high school?

[ Kyle-Mrs.Taylor/PaducahHighSchool - 50 - 08:00:38 ]
I am from Texas and I am a sophomore.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 51 - 08:02:30 ]
RE: [Kyle-Mrs.Taylor/PaducahHighSchool] Tom, how did it feel to climb Mt. Everest being disabled?
Kyle, I am an amputee, having lost my right foot and kneecap. I wear a prosthesis made out of graphite which is super light weight and flexes, none the less, I still have to put out about 30 percent more energy than an able bodied person...So climbing Mt. Everest is harder work, but it is still is a great deal of fun!!

[ TheTomandPatShow - 53 - 08:04:39 ]
RE: [Nikki-Mrs.Taylor/PaducahHighSchool] How long is the training period for the astronauts?
The training period varies, once you are selected they like to train a crew for at least a year for a particular science mission.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 54 - 08:08:25 ]
RE: [James/Becca-Mrs.Taylor/PaducahHighSchool] Tom, Did you have to use any special equipment when climbing Mount Everest?
Yes, I had an artificial foot that was developed by Van Phillips of Flex-Foot and could be used without a boot, thus saving weight, and maximizing efficiency. The crampons, metal spikes that attach to your boots so that you can grab on ice were also specially adapted to fit the prosthesis, otherwise I had no special needs.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 56 - 08:11:37 ]
The water is almost as warm as bath water, but a little more murky than most people like in their tubs. We've seen lobster, shrimp and several varieties of fish...Fortunately, none of them were looking at us like we were lunch!

[ TheTomandPatShow - 59 - 08:14:26 ]
RE: [cameron] Tom and Pat, what kind of training do the astronauts do under water?
The Neutral Buoancy Laboratory for astronaut training is at Johnson Space Center in Houston TX. Astronauts train in the space suit underwater. Hand movements are particularly important for doing extra vehicular activities in space.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 61 - 08:18:40 ]
If you've not done so yet, see: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/challenge/events/9-30.html at the bottom of the page and download RealPlayer. We have a special treat at the end of this chat. The underwater crew has agreed to expand to video. Access is at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/challenge/events/video.ram

[ TheTomandPatShow - 62 - 08:19:05 ]
RE: [Warren] Pat. Did the plants in the station survive the Hurricane? I gather they were looking a bit sick.
The plants did survive the hurricane and are looking frisky! For those of you who don't know, we are growing a special strain of plants that go from germination to seed production in 3 weeks. These are the same plants that are used in space shuttle experiments. The wheat was grown in the Russian MIR station.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 63 - 08:20:12 ]
RE: [James/Becca] Tom, What part do you have in training the astronauts?
Hi James, Though we have some folks here involved in the space program, we are not directly involved here in astronaut training!

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 66 - 08:22:34 ]
RE: [CLAY] Do you train the space shuttle astronauts as well as the space station astronauts?
Hi Clay, Training of astronauts typically is done in Houston at the Johnson Space Center. That's not what this project is about. Our crews are "crewing" the Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station underwater. This is a submersible habitat designed to help teach the parallels between space and underwater.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 67 - 08:22:50 ]
RE: [Kyle] Would you like to go into space some day?
Going into space would be a very exciting and special experience for anyone that gets the opportunity.

[ Tom/KSC - 68 - 08:22:55 ]
Greetings from KSC! The Fast Plants (Brassica rapa) actually flower in about 2 weeks and produce seed in about five.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 72 - 08:25:39 ]
RE: [Nikki] How many different crews do you have in training underwater at the present time?
We are not doing training here in Florida, but we do have the guests performing microgravity simulation activities before they go into the station. The descriptions may be on the website.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 73 - 08:26:29 ]
RE: [Tom/KSC] Greetings from KSC! The Fast Plants (Brassica rapa) actually flower in about 2 weeks and produce seed in about five.
Thanks Tom!

[ Tom/KSC - 74 - 08:26:47 ]
Nikki: Wheat is one of the candidate crops for space exploration. It is very efficient at using light, giving oxygen, taking up carbon dioxide and producing food.

[ SCSAS/DryCrew - 75 - 08:27:04 ]
What's it like inside the Scott Carpenter Station?

[ TheTomandPatShow - 76 - 08:27:34 ]
RE: [smashley] Tom and Pat, how long do you stay in the water @ a time?
The activities are taking about 30 minutes each, so we have gone down for a few 30 minute sessions. It has been huge fun and very interesting work.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 77 - 08:28:16 ]
RE: [SCSAS/DryCrew] What's it like inside the Scott Carpenter Station?
I'm glad you asked since we can give them a look very soon. Again, if you've downloaded RealVideo, go to: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/challenge/events/video.ram

[ TheTomandPatShow - 78 - 08:28:21 ]
RE: [Nikki] Are you trying to grow these plants to hopefully one day grow them on Mars?
Tom Dreschel, can you respond to this question?

[ TheTomandPatShow - 79 - 08:29:11 ]
RE: [SCSAS/DryCrew] What's it like inside the Scott Carpenter Station?
Cozy, light and a very functional environment.

[ Warren - 80 - 08:30:51 ]
Bobbie asks: Why is Wheat preferred to Rice?

[ TheTomandPatShow - 82 - 08:31:29 ]
RE: [James/Becca] Pat, We couldn't find your bio. could you tell us about yourself? Thanks.
I'm a biologist and have working with NASA's Life Sciences Division for 20 years helping to identify experiments to be conducted on Earth and in space.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 83 - 08:31:55 ]
Now that the time for the chat is officially over, we will answer questions on video. Tune in! but send your questions here.

[ Tom/KSC - 84 - 08:32:14 ]
Nikki: The current plan is to use crop plants such as wheat, soybeans, and potatoes to provide food, regenerate the atmosphere, and recycle water for exploring both the Moon and Mars. The Brassica rapa plant is a very nice model which grows fast, for investigating the effects of the space environment on plant growth and reproduction.

[ TheTomandPatShow - 85 - 08:34:09 ]
RE: [James/Becca] How cozy is cozy?
The space we are in is about 5 feet wide, 8 feet long and 6 feet high. A third of the space is taken up with electronic equipment.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 88 - 08:38:41 ]
RE: [Andrea/Ames] Linda - can you confirm for us in the chat room when we should be seeing the video signal? Thank you.
They are transferring over right now.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 93 - 08:44:04 ]
The Station is now live to you in video! Lunch is served!

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 97 - 08:50:00 ]
RE: [Alan-Alan/Webmaster] I hear I think Linda - Questions - What special equipment did you need to climb the Mt.?
You're hearing me over 2-way radio. Amazing!

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 98 - 08:50:42 ]
RE: [Nikki-Mrs.Taylor/PaducahHighSchool] How many people can fit into the capsule at one time?
Answered on video

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 100 - 08:53:38 ]
RE: [Warren-Warren/WWExploration] Linda, Thanks. As Tom Suggested, we are going to bed! Sorry we can't see the video.
You can see it archived later! 'Nite

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 102 - 08:55:59 ] As you hear on the discussion on video, the Station is logging off. Lunch and evacuation of crew is in process. Thanks for joining us!

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 103 - 08:57:04 ] RE: [Alan/Webmaster] Leave camera ON - We want to see you eat!
Sorry, they escaped before I could catch them.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 105 - 08:59:56 ]
RE: [Alan/Webmaster] Linda - Archive captured in process of installing on quest destination will send by Email
Thanks for your support! This afternoon here 2:30 pm EDT/ 11:30am your time. See schedule for the chat room we'll be using there: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/challenge/events/9-30.html (bottom of page!)