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Today's chat will be MODERATED to help Linda keep up with our questions. This means we will post a few questions in the chat room at a time. So DON'T WORRY if you don't see your questions in the chat room immediately. We will post new questions for Linda every few minutes.

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At the conclusion of today's chat, be sure to visit our NASA QuestChat Information Center at http://quest.nasa.gov/qchats to send us your feedback about today's chat. We look forward to hearing from you!

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 5 - 12:30:37 ]
I'm ready.

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Hello and welcome to today's NASA Quest Space Team Online/Classroom Connect chat with Astronaut Linda Godwin.

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And now, here is Linda Godwin to answer your questions.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 11 - 12:33:47 ]
RE: [Wanda] What is it like to drink liquid in space when it isn't held in a container? When you attempt to drink the sphere-shaped globs of liquid, does it splatter or divide itself into smaller spheres?
Usually we keep all of our liquids in their container (with a straw), because they do make a mess. Occassionally, we "play" with them and let them out to form a ball. If the liquid ball hits anything, it will break into smaller balls! However, it can also be drunk with a straw inserted into the middle.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 13 - 12:34:51 ]
RE: [MrsHestersClass] Curtis Brown is from our area. We are very proud of him. He will be visiting our school in April.We are planning a special program at which time we will present him with a quilt made by our student body. Do you know him?
Yes, I know Curt. We worked in the astronaut office here for several years together.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 16 - 12:36:42 ]
RE: [Donald/ParsonsMiddleSchool] Did you get motion sickness on any of your flights?
I haven't always felt well the first day, but I've managed never to miss eating any of my meals! One of the items of discomfort I remember the most, especially from my first flight, is back pain. It took a few days to go away, and is probably caused by use of different body posture, and also because astronauts' spines kind of stretch without the effects of gravity, and we get taller. I always get about 1 inch taller.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 17 - 12:37:49 ]
RE: [Ashley_WhiteboroMiddleSchool] Where you nervous the first time you were about to go into space?
I think that everyone is a little nervous at liftoff. I'm always glad to get through the powered flight to orbit and get to work.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 20 - 12:39:11 ]
RE: [Wanda] Is it difficult to manuever the various buttons and gadgets on the spaceshuttle control panel? How many years of training does it take to learn how to do this?
We have good trainers to teach us about the space shuttle. The initial training when a new astronaut is a condidate takes about a year, for the shuttle part. Then, there is ongoing training all the time until getting assigned to a crew. Then, there is another year of training.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 23 - 12:41:07 ]
RE: [Peter] Hello Mrs.Godwin. I would like to know what do you think was it that made you stand out from the rest of the candidates at the beginning of your career? I mean, even after some were disqualified for medical reasons, there were still a lot of candidates. Why were you chosen, in your opinion?
It's difficult to know why some people get chosen and others don't. I have been on 4 astronaut selection boards, and it is always a difficult choice. We are always looking for applications with a broad background and ops experience. I think that having a pilot's license helped me, and also that I worked first at the Johnson Space Center on shuttle missions in Mission Control.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 25 - 12:42:36 ]
RE: [MrsHestersClass] Do you like the foods you eat?
The food is not bad. Eventually we miss things like a fresh salad. However, we have different meats like chicken and steak, and even dehydrated shrimp cocktail. We can have snacks on the menu, like cookies, nuts, pudding... so, overall, the food is much better than in the beginning of the human space program.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 29 - 12:44:10 ]
RE: [Brecheisen/ParsonsMiddleSchool] Who has been the most fascinating person you have met as a result of your career?
A difficult question to answer! I enjoy working with all the people at the Johnson Space Center, they are all very dedicated to the program, and it's a privilege to work with them. I've also got to meet other scientists and engineers around the world. One highlight, however, was getting to go to the White House after my first flight in 1991, and meeting Pres. Bush.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 30 - 12:45:21 ]
RE: [Elizabeth] Hi, I'm Elizabeth from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. I noticed that the landing of STS-59 was delayed a day because of inclement weather at the landing site. How long will Mission Control delay a landing for similar reasons, and what is the maximum a landing can be delayed, due to environmental constraints aboard the shuttle?
Every shuttle flight has two days of extension possible for weather delays for landing.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 31 - 12:46:13 ]
RE: [Sarin] You mentioned you studied fluid transfer processed in micrograviey environments, chemical processing apparatus, and an experiment to grow crystals. Why did you study this? For example, was it with the idea that humans will someday live in space or was it to help build better shuttles....?
A lot of the microgravity experiments are to try to develop new compounds or drugs which will be useful back on Earth.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 32 - 12:47:14 ]
RE: [EMILIO] Is very difficult in Phisical aspect for a woman are on the space into the Space shuttle for example 10 days??, Thanks very much
It's no problem at all. There are no problems which make it more difficult for women.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 37 - 12:48:59 ]
RE: [Mike] How will the International Space Station and the next Shuttle design affect the astronauts?
Probably there won't be a later shuttle design. We plan to keep the one we have flying until at least 2020. As far as ISS, the astronauts are very involved in planning the operations and development, and there are currently four US/Russian crews in training for the first four increments. Training for ISS does mean a lot more travel, especially to Russia, but also to Canada, Europe and Japan.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 39 - 12:50:11 ]
RE: [Peter] Could you tell me what exactly does an astronaut do? I mean,most think that it's all about flying,but you spend most of your career doing something else and get to fly 2-3 times in a lifetime. So what do yoy do on the ground?
Well, it doesn't sound very exciting, but I go to a lot of meetings, and there is a lot of paperwork! Between mission assignments, all astronauts are assigned technical duties in support of shuttle or the space station. At the same time, we do some amount of training to stay proficient.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 42 - 12:51:07 ]
RE: [Molly/ParsonsMiddleSchool] Did you have any problems on any of your missions? If so, what was the worst?
On STS-37, in 1991, an antenna would not deploy on the Gamma Ray Observatory, and two of the astronauts on the crew had to do a spacewalk to fix it. That's the biggest problem I can remember.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 43 - 12:51:54 ]
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[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 44 - 12:51:58 ]
RE: [Brecheisen/ParsonsMiddleSchool] Do you get much sleep on the space shuttle, or is it too uncomfortable, or too exciting?
I try to get enough sleep. I have no problem with actually sleeping. It's just hard to quit looking out the window and go to bed!

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 48 - 12:53:00 ]
RE: [Ben] How do you bathe in space? 8th grade
On the shuttle, there is no shower. We have body wash, which is in a bag and can be heated in our food warmer. Then we put it on with a washcloth and wipe dry with a towel. We use no-rinse shampoo for hair.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 49 - 12:54:25 ]
RE: [Lesley/ParsonsMiddleSchool] Have you had any other job than astronaut?
I came to NASA directly from graduate school. My first job at NASA was in the Missions Operations Directorate, supporting shuttle flights in the payloads area. We worked with shuttle customers and then in Mission Control during actual flights.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 50 - 12:55:34 ]
RE: [Dalton/ParsonsMiddleSchool] What was the hardest part of training?
The training is all interesting. Physically, the training in the water tank for space walks is a little more demanding than some of the other training. We spend a lot of time in shuttle simulators and in classroom sessions.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 55 - 12:56:58 ]
RE: [Kelly_CrestonMiddleSchool] Linda Godwin, What is the job of a Payload Commander? 8th grade
A payload commander is the lead astronaut on a crew for the payload or experiments which are flying on that mission. The payload commander will be the main point of contact for all those issues, and the crew operations of them, although the entire crew gets involved.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 56 - 12:57:32 ]
RE: [PeterJames] We'd like to know what your next mission might be?
I'm not assigned to another mission right now.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 57 - 12:59:28 ]
RE: [JD/Pines] Could you elaborate on your space experiments and how they have become useful to humans on Earth?
On my second mission, we had an imaging radar which studied the Earth - an Earth science mission. Its goal was to learn more about deforestation, volcanoes, hydrology, geology, oceanography, etc. I think that a great benefit from our space program is learning more about our own planet.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 59 - 13:01:16 ]
RE: [Peter] Having been on 4 Astronaut Selection Boards what would be your advice for young people that would one day like to be astronauts? I ask this because many of us here probably wish to become astronauts. So, what increases our chances?
Get a good education in a field which you will enjoy, regardless of whether you become an astronaut or not. To be eligible today, the degree has to be in some field of science, engineering or medicine. An advanced degree is extremely helpful. Try to have a diversified background - something which shows operational experience or an interest in other challenging areas like flying.

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 60 - 13:01:51 ]
RE: [DAIN] LINDA HAVE YOU WORKED WITH JON GLEN
I didn't get to work with John Glenn while he was here training for his last mission, but I did get to meet him.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 65 - 13:03:39 ]
This concludes today's NASA Quest Space Team Online/Classroom Today chat with Astronaut Linda Godwin. Thank you to all our chatters for your great questions, and for Linda's terrific responses to all our questions. THANK YOU, Linda!

[ LindaGodwin/JSC - 66 - 13:03:42 ]
RE: [Barbara/Teacher_CrestonMiddleSchool] Linda Godwin, Hi Linda. Several of my students want to know what requirements does NASA stress the most when choosing its astronaut candidates?
There no "average" astronaut, of course, but we definitely look for people who can get along well with others, are very capable and efficient, have done well in their field, who have done things other than just within research or their career, but interact with others in sports, aviation, or community activities.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 67 - 13:05:43 ]
An archive of today's chat will be available soon. Be sure to check online at http://quest.nasa.gov/space/events/cc for archives of today's chat and this week's previous panel discussions with NASA experts.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 68 - 13:06:25 ]
As a final reminder, visit our NASA QuestChat Information Center at http://quest.nasa.gov/qchats to send us your comments about today's chat.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 69 - 13:07:54 ]
This concludes our special week of NASA Quest Space Team Online/Classroom Today chats and panel discussions with NASA experts. We hope you have enjoyed this special series, and that we are able to bring such events to you in the future. Thank you again for joining us, and have a great day!