Space Team Online Web Chat

Date: January 28, 1998

Featuring: Greg Katnik
Mechanical Systems Engineer
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 16 - 10:54:32 ]
Hello everyone! Welcome to today's Web chat with Greg Katnik from NASA Kennedy Space Center!

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 17 - 10:54:58 ]
Greg is part of a team at NASA Kennedy Space Center that assembles the space shuttle, external tank, and solid rocket boosters together in preparation of a launch. Once the assembly is complete, Greg inspects all parts of the shuttle, launch pad and rockets just before the launch, and later studies films made of the launch.

[ Greg/KSC - 18 - 10:55:55 ]
Hello from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida - home of the Space Shuttles!

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 21 - 10:57:54 ]
And now here is Greg Katnik to answer your questions.

[ Lauren/St.PatricksMS - 22 - 10:59:25 ]
Mr.Katnik, I feel SO honored to get to chat with you. I hope and aspire to be a MS Astronaut for NASA one day inthe near future. I was wondering, what type of things did NASA look for (in you) in order to hire you? Also, when did you decide this is what you wanted to do for a living? Also, I live really close to you! I live about 150 miles from KSC, and I will be visiting there in March.

[ Greg/KSC - 24 - 11:01:40 ]
Hi, Lauren. In terms of studies, NASA likes good, but not necessarily Ph.D. level, backgrounds in science, physics, and math. But NASA really likes practical experience. I had CO-OPed with McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis for a total of five semesters and gained a lot of valuable experience in the aerospace industry.

[ Greg/KSC - 25 - 11:02:42 ]
Panthers, frost is harmless on a Shuttle because of its light density. However, ice, which has much greater density, can damage the protective tiles.

[ Greg/KSC - 28 - 11:04:29 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What happens if something blows up while checking the Space Shuttle?
Panthers, we try very hard not to let that happen. There are many, many safety checks and practices. However, if something should happen, like a fire, we are trained to deal with it.

[ Greg/KSC - 31 - 11:05:47 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Wow, thanks! Are you ever there when KSC is giving tours? Would I see you when I go?
Yes, I am usually here and am featured in some of the movies and displays (I tried really hard not to break any camera lenses while they were filming these segments).

[ Greg/KSC - 35 - 11:07:21 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What clothes do you wear when you work?
Panthers - I where a Nomex, flame resistant flight suit and gloves, military jump boots, a special flame resistant hood for my head (if ever needed), and a bottle of emergency breathing air.

[ Greg/KSC - 40 - 11:08:38 ]
RE: [Raul/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Was your career hard for you?
Raul, my career was not that hard. Its amazing how easy some things can be if you are very interested and very excited about what you do. When that happens, you really make your own opportunities and destiny.

[ Greg/KSC - 42 - 11:09:34 ]
RE:[Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary ] Do you like to work hard?
Sofia, I guess so. I put in quite a bit of overtime, work weekends, and even some holidays. I remember one very long day when we were changing a strut between the Booster and the External Tank. I got on the launch pad when the sun was setting and was still there when the sun rose the next morning!

[ Greg/KSC - 43 - 11:09:41 ]
RE: [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Are you proud of your job?
Liseth, absolutely! This is one job the whole world is watching whenever NASA does something.

[ Greg/KSC - 45 - 11:10:28 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What happens if you got sick on launch day?
I have a backup trained to fill my position.

[ Greg/KSC - 49 - 11:11:37 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Do you get to meet famous astronauts?
Yes. I get to meet most of the astronauts. Most of them are very nice, very ordinary people and fun to be around.

[ Greg/KSC - 53 - 11:13:21 ]
RE: [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] What are some of the problems you find in the space shuttle?
Liseth, most of the problems are small cracks in the tiles or insulation on the External Tank, pressure regulator valves that need to be adjusted, the removal of ice, checking that all nuts and bolts are tight, and so on.

[ Greg/KSC - 54 - 11:13:35 ]
RE: [ Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] At frist what career did you want to have?
Liseth, my first career choice was joining the Air Force and flying jets. But the Air Force was not taking extra people at the time I applied.

[ Greg/KSC - 57 - 11:14:24 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] Have you ever had space food like space dots?
I have not had a chance to try the space food yet. But the astronauts tell me it is quite good. It is not in little tubes any more, but comes on a tray like a TV dinner that gets warmed in a microwave.

[ Greg/KSC - 59 - 11:14:50 ]
RE:[Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How long have you've been working?
Sofia, I have been working 17 years since graduating college in 1981.

[ Greg/KSC - 60 - 11:15:13 ]
RE:[Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What are your hobbies?
Panthers, I like reading Space history, building model rockets, and photography.

[ Greg/KSC - 61 - 11:15:18 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Would you ever liked to travel to space.
Sofia, not only would I like to travel in space, but it sure would be great to be the first human (Earthling?) to step on Mars!

[ Greg/KSC - 63 - 11:16:53 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Do you give any lectures, or would I probably just see you around?
Lauren, occasionally I give lectures or talks when asked. And I do try to get around as much as possible. Every once in a while a school will ask me to come do a show & tell.

[ Greg/KSC - 65 - 11:17:21 ]
RE: [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How did you feel when the Challenger exploded?
Liseth, Kind of in shock - I knew something tragic had just happened.

[ Greg/KSC - 67 - 11:18:17 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] GREG,HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU WORK?
I am supposed to work a 40 hour week. But some weeks, like the last one when we launched Endeavour, was closer to 70 hours.

[ Greg/KSC - 69 - 11:19:03 ]
RE: [LAURA/DELCASTILLOELEMENTRY-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] About how many tiles do they use for the space shuttle?
Laura, there are almost 25,000 tiles on the Orbiter part of the Space Shuttle.

[ Greg/KSC - 72 - 11:19:43 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] What do you think you'll be doing in 10 years?
Perssy, probably working on the Mars project (I would like to, anyway).

[ Greg/KSC - 74 - 11:21:08 ]
RE: [Raul/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How many years did it take to became what you are right now?
Raul,I went to college for 5 years (which included five CO-OP sessions with McDonnell Douglas). I worked for Martin Marietta for two years and then got hired by NASA in 1983. So I got onboard with NASA quicker than I expected.

[ Greg/KSC - 76 - 11:21:28 ]
RE: [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Do you have any idea why the Challenger exploded?
Liseth, the O-rings in the booster joint allowed the very hot propellant gasses to reach the outer joint and melt through. The resulting loss of structural strength caused the External Tank, which was attached nearby, to fail.

[ Greg/KSC - 77 - 11:21:29 ]
RE:[Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] Have you ever flown any type of aircraft?
Panthers, I like to fly on the NASA UH-1 Huey helicopters. Sitting on the floor with my feet out on the "skid" is an incredible rush.

[ Greg/KSC - 78 - 11:22:42 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How much time does it take to take out the rocket boosters from the water?
Sofia, the recovery ships are already close to the splash down area. It takes about a day to pull the parachutes and frustums on deck and take the main part of the rocket in tow. Depending on the sea state, one to two days to come back into port.

[ Greg/KSC - 79 - 11:23:08 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Greg,how many tiles does a space shuttle use?
Perssy, almost 25,000 tiles are used.

[ Greg/KSC - 82 - 11:23:55 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] What is the hardest thing of your job?
Sofia, the hardest part of the job is paying attention to a lot of detail. Nothing is too small and something that is missed might be the cause of another accident. So I try very hard not to miss anything.

[ Greg/KSC - 83 - 11:24:10 ]
RE:[Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Greg, I know this doesn't pertain directly to your job, but isn't there a scheduled manned mission to Mars set for the year 2018? I would certainly like to be on that flight, and in fact, plan on it. :)
Lauren, I would like to be on a mission to Mars too. But since everyone is working hard to build the space station, I don't think a scheduled flight to Mars in 2018 is firm yet until this task is complete. So right now it is just used for general planning purposes (and funding by Congress).

[ Greg/KSC - 84 - 11:24:22 ]
RE: [LAURA/DELCASTILLOELEMENTRY-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How heavy is the fuel tank?
Laura, right now the fuel tank is almost 66,000 pounds. The new super light weight tank we plan to use later this year will be 58,500 pounds. Not bad for just an empty tank!

[ Greg/KSC - 86 - 11:25:54 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Do you like your job?
Perssy, yes I like my job. Not only is it very exciting, but it is extremely important to this country to have a strong and successful space program.

[ Lauren/St.PatricksMS - 87 - 11:26:05 ]
He already answered that, yes, he does like his job

[ Greg/KSC - 89 - 11:27:53 ]
RE: [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Do you think just anyone can become an engineer?
Liseth, I think most people can become an engineer if they work at it. It helps if you have the kind of personality that likes to build (or take things apart to see how they work) or to repair things. And engineers like to use the latest technology, so its important to stay current.

[ Greg/KSC - 91 - 11:29:15 ]
RE: [LAURA/DELCASTILLOELEMENTRY-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Have you ever seen a situation where a space shuttle exploded?
Laura, yes I was here when the Challenger accident happened. I was one of the last ground crew to leave the launch pad and I remember the Commander waving to me as I headed for the elevator.

[ Greg/KSC - 95 - 11:30:45 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Since when have you've been working in NASA?
Sofia, I have been with NASA almost 15 years. I am considered one of the "older" guys, but I do not wear a white shirt or have a short haircut like the old, old Apollo guys.

[ Greg/KSC - 96 - 11:32:03 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Greg,have you been in a ocasion where a space shuttle or a rocket has gone up?If you have,how does it feel?
Perssy, I am in the launch control center when a Shuttle launches. It is so powerful, it shakes the ground and rattles the windows.

[ Greg/KSC - 98 - 11:32:23 ]
RE: [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How many space shuttles have you seen since you've worked for NASA?
Liseth, I have worked on all the Orbiters in the fleet: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. I have worked every launch since STS-7, which is when I first joined the space program.

[ Lauren/St.PatricksMS - 99 - 11:32:24 ]
Mr.Katnik, do you know Mr.Beardall? He was the head investigator for the Challenger mission crash. He is also my best friend's grandfather.

[ Greg/KSC - 121 - 11:41:30 ]
Lauren, although Mr Bearall's name is familiar, I do not know him.

[ Lauren/St.PatricksMS - 127 - 11:43:28 ]
There is actually 2 Beardalls. Jim and Joe.

[ Lauren/St.PatricksMS - 132 - 11:44:35 ]
Joe is an engineer for NASA in Titusville, and Jim is the head of many projects

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 101 - 11:33:02 ]
DelCastillo Elementary School students, many of your questions can be answered by reading Greg Katnik's biography at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/katnik.html. In the future, please read each expert's biography prior to joining a Web chat.

[ Greg/KSC - 102 - 11:33:22 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Mr.Katnik, sir, maybe (if all goes well) I will meet you someday when I (hopefully) work for NASA, or I might even meet you this March. But, I just wanted to thank you personally, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come and chat with all of us, I certainly appriecate it. This has been a very educational and learning experience.
Lauren, it is my pleasure to talk with you. If I can ever answer more questions even after this chat, Oran will forward them to me.

[ Greg/KSC - 105 - 11:34:45 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] We will be going to Space Camp, in Titusville, in May. Do you think we could meet you when we are there?
It might be possible and the Space Camp organizers might be able to ask for me as a guest speaker. However, I will have to see how the schedule works out because I think there is a Shuttle launch in May.

[ Greg/KSC - 106 - 11:35:36 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Did you get to meet Sally Ride?
Sofia, I met Sally Ride briefly a couple of times. But it has been so long, she may not remember me.

[ Greg/KSC - 107 - 11:35:41 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Greg,how does your family feel about you working in a very dangeruos job,like when the Challenger exploded and other accidents?
Perssy, they know I try very hard to be careful, and that we do a lot of training so that everything will be as safe as possible.

[ Greg/KSC - 110 - 11:37:09 ]
RE: [LAURA/DELCASTILLOELEMENTRY-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Greg, how many flights have the space shuttle Colombia made and how many orbits has it made?
Laura, I think Columbia has made close to 25 flights and probably thousands of orbits (since each orbit takes only 96 minutes).

[ Greg/KSC - 113 - 11:37:57 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Greg/ksc/what kinds of tools do you use in your job?
Perssy, I use calculators, computers, photo equipment, digital cameras, high powered optics, and infrared scanners.

[ Greg/KSC - 114 - 11:38:06 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] Do astronauts come and watch you when you are working on the shuttle?
Panthers, sometimes they do. Other times they call on the phone and ask for details. Every once in a while I give them a tour and show them specifically what we are doing.

[ Greg/KSC - 115 - 11:39:18 ]
RE: [Sandra/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Even though you know that going into space is dangerous do you still want to go into space?
Sandra, when you think about it, almost anything can be dangerous every once in a while - a plane crash, a car accident, and so on. But people still go out and do things and just try to make things as safe as possible. Part of it is paying attention to what you do, the other part is to always check as much as you can.

[ Greg/KSC - 116 - 11:39:34 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How many people does it take to put the tiles on the space shuttle?
Sofia, quite a few, but I do not know an exact number.

[ Greg/KSC - 117 - 11:40:12 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How many hours does it take to put the tiles?
Sofia, sometimes it takes almost two weeks to install a tile because it must be manufactured, cut to the proper shape, test fitted, glued in place, an then tested.

[ Greg/KSC - 119 - 11:40:51 ]
RE: [Raul/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Have you seen Mission Control?
Raul, yes I have been in Mission Control

[ Greg/KSC - 124 - 11:42:46 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How many people does it take to put the tiles on the space shuttle?
Sofia, quite a few. There are different people to make a tile, cut and check it, install it on the Orbiter, test it, and then still more different people who check the work again.

[ Greg/KSC - 125 - 11:43:16 ]
RE: [LAURA/DELCASTILLOELEMENTRY-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Have you ever worked on a [EMU]?
Laura, I have never worked on an EMU, but I have worked on the old Martin Marietta MMU's in Denver.

[ Greg/KSC - 129 - 11:43:45 ]
RE: [Raul/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary ] Has there been something wrong with a spaceshuttle before?
Raul, not a major problem like with Challenger. But there have been smaller problems that have been found and corrected.

[ Greg/KSC - 134 - 11:44:46 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Have you ever dreamed of going into space?
Perssy, I think it would be exciting to go into space. Can you imagine being weightless and floating across the room? Being in orbit and looking down on the entire Earth? Looking into deep space across thousands of light years? Its kind of mind bogling, really.

[ Greg/KSC - 135 - 11:45:48 ]
RE: [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Do you carry heavy machinery?
Liseth, I don't usually carry heavy machinery, but a lot of little equipment like checklists, infrared sensors, camera equipment, and so on.

[ Greg/KSC - 137 - 11:47:15 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] At what speed is the shuttle traveling when it reenters the earth's atmosphere? At what speed is it traveling when it touches down?
Panthers, the Shuttle is moving 17,500 miles per hour at re-entry and 210 miles per hour at touchdown.

[ Greg/KSC - 139 - 11:48:48 ]
RE: [Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Why isn't the externan tank painted?
Perssy, we no longer paint the External Tank because we save close to 600 pounds in weight when we do that. That translates into more payload the orbiter can carry into orbit. Since the tank is going to break up and melt in the atmosphere anyway, it does not have to look pretty.

[ Greg/KSC - 141 - 11:49:48 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Why is the external tank orange and not white?
Sofia, the orange color is the natural color of the protective foam insulation. The first two tanks were painted white to match the Orbiter and boosters.

[ Greg/KSC - 147 - 11:51:58 ]
RE: [Sandra/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] I want to become an engineer. Do you have any advice I can use?
Sandra, I tried to take a good selection of science, math, and physics courses to prepare myself for the engineering classes, which I thought were really fun (the principles of building a bridge or spacecraft are amazing!). Then, if you can get any work experience, like maybe a CO-OP program, that seems to help a lot.

[ Greg/KSC - 148 - 11:52:04 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What college or university would you recommend if someone were interested in a career like yours?
Panthers, my degree is in aerospace engineering, but we also use mechanical, electrical, chemical, manufacturing, and most other kinds of engineers. I would choose any good college with an accredited program in engineering. "Good" is defined as any school that is "known" for turning out good engineers.

[ Greg/KSC - 149 - 11:53:09 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Mr.Katnik, I might also be coming down with my friend for (grand)father-(grand)daughter work day, also in March. We would come with her Grandfather and he would take us to work and then stay a few days, but it isn't certain yet. Maybe I will meet you then, too.
Lauren, let Oran or the tour guides know if things work out.

[ Greg/KSC - 150 - 11:53:12]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] [Liseth/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary ] How did you feel when the columbia left to orbit?
Liseth, I was very satisfied that all of us had done our jobs right and that there were no problems.

[ Lauren/St.PatricksMS - 154 - 11:54:51 ]
thanks :)

[ Greg/KSC - 152 - 11:54:10 ]
RE: [Raul/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Have you ever put on a MMU?
Raul, I have never put an MMU on - mostly because it is sized to fit a space suit first.

[ Greg/KSC - 153 - 11:54:48 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] How many gallons of water flood the pad at lift-off?
Panthers, I think we use almost 500,000 gallons of water to flood the pad in about 15 seconds.

[ Greg/KSC - 156 - 11:55:31 ]
RE: [Raul/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] How many workers are there?
Raul, there are about 1800 NASA and 12,000 contractors.

[ Greg/KSC - 158 - 11:56:45 ]
RE: [Sandra/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Greg, Why isn't the astronauts suits another color?
Sandra, I think the astronaut suits are white to reflect the heat of the sun and keep the person inside cooler. We can tell the different astronauts apart by the different red stripes on their suit legs.

[ Greg/KSC - 159 - 11:57:31 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What would happen if one of the tiles were placed incorrectly?
Panthers, a tile place incorrectly would allow the 3,000 degree plasma of re-entry to reach the Orbiter aluminum skin and melt it.

[ Greg/KSC - 163 - 11:58:47 ]
RE: [LAURA/DELCASTILLOELEMENTRY-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Have you tried to sent any satelites to other galaxies?
Laura, right now, the Pioneer satellites have left the solar system and are headed OUT THERE! But I have personally worked on satellites that went to the planets Venus and Jupiter.

[ Greg/KSC - 169 - 12:00:25 ]
RE: [Raul/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] What happens to the grass?
Raul, the grass will be brown for a few days, then return to green before too long.

[ Greg/KSC - 176 - 12:03:13 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Mr.Katnik, do you have any advice in colleges or courses to take that would make it easier for me to get a job as a MS Astronaut at NASA?
Lauren, there are many schools across the country with accredited programs in engineering. Your school counselors can help you find the best ones.However, astronauts can have other degrees too, like Biology and Medicine.

[ Greg/KSC - 179 - 12:04:33 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Also, do you know an E-mail address or regular mail address where I can write to a MS Astronaut at NASA? Thanks!!!!
Lauren, the astronaut office is located at the Johnson Space Center, which I believe can be reached at http://www.jsc.nasa.gov, or Oran can help you with the exact address.

[ Greg/KSC - 181 - 12:06:07 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What positon on a shuttle crew would you like to be? pilot? commander? mission specialist? etc.
Panthers, I would like to be the commander or pilot first just to be able to maneuver in orbit and fly the shuttle like an airplane to a landing.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 182 - 12:06:28 ]
RE: [Greg/KSC] Lauren, the astronaut office is located at the Johnson Space Center, which I believe can be reached at http://www.jsc.nasa.gov, or Oran can help you with the exact address.
That's correct, Greg. Lauren, try visiting the Johnson Space Center Web site for more information about contacting NASA folks there.

[ Greg/KSC - 185 - 12:07:37 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Bye DelCastillo students, wonderful having you here! Mr.Katnik, do you reccomend Medicine or Aeronautics as a better way of getting into NASA?
Lauren, if you want to do the flyer, aeronautics and astronautics. If you want to work with payloads, experiments, or be on the space station, then Biology, Medicine, manufacturing technology, communications etc.

[ Greg/KSC - 187 - 12:08:57 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Thanks again, Mr.Katnik. Also, correct me if I am wrong, please, but which people get to do the space/lunar/martian walks. Mission Specialists, right?
Lauren, I suspect mission specialists will take over the majority of space work and pilots will have the job of getting you there.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 188 - 12:09:22 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Thank you, Oran. Oran, how can I contact you if I have any more questions?
Lauren, you can reach me at ocox@mail.arc.nasa.gov. My e-mail address is listed on all of the Space Team Online pages, as well.

[ Greg/KSC - 190 - 12:10:04 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] What other training will you need to be a commander or pilot?
Panthers, lots of flight time - preferably in high performance aircraft (after all, who else lands at 210 miles an hour in a big heavy glider?)

[ Greg/KSC - 191 - 12:12:14 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Mr.Katnik, sir, what would you reccomend if I want to be a Mission Specialist?
Lauren, almost any field is now eligible for space work. Just looking at all the experiments being done right now shows new interest in space grown agriculture, medicine (not only new drugs, but how about the need for surgery in weightless conditions), manufacturing new materials and crystals. The list goes on and on. Just try to be very knowledgeable or an expert in your field.

[ Greg/KSC - 193 - 12:13:17 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] Thank you for taking your time today to chat with us. We appreciate your fantastic answers!! We are the Young Astronauts Club at Frontier Elementary in Clearwater, FL. We will be in Titusville in May. Hopefully we will see you then! We have learned a lot from you! We have had a great time!!!!!
Panthers, if things work out, I would enjoy seeing you there! Have fun!!

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 194 - 12:13:55 ]
RE: [Panthers-Ilene/FrontierElem] Thank you for taking your time today to chat with us. We appreciate your fantastic answers!! We are the Young Astronauts Club at Frontier Elementary in Clearwater, FL. We will be in Titusville in May. Hopefully we will see you then! We have learned a lot from you! We have had a great time!!!!!
Thank you very much for joining with us today, Panthers. We hope you can join us again. You can find out about upcoming Web chats at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/events/interact.html.

[ Greg/KSC - 197 - 12:15:54 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Mr.Katnik, what would you do if you wanted to be a MS?
Lauren, I guess the tough part is getting an advanced degree. There are so many people that want to be an astronaut, that NASA will mostly select those candidates that have Ph.D.'s in a related field. So the academic background is very important, at least now. When space flight is more routine and more people get to go, the requirements won't be so difficult.

[ Greg/KSC - 200 - 12:18:51 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Mr. Katnik, I just wanted to thank you once again for taking the time to talk to us today. Thanks.
Lauren, I hope I answered your questions, but realize more depth is needed. Feel free to ask more through Oran and I will be able to respond.

[ Greg/KSC - 202 - 12:19:56 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Thank you SO much. Also, do you have any other advice on becoming a MS?
Lauren, this is a bold step, but I would try to contact an actual MS in Houston and talk one on one about the methods he or she used.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 203 - 12:21:01 ]
RE: [Greg/KSC] Lauren, I hope I answered your questions, but realize more depth is needed. Feel free to ask more through Oran and I will be able to respond.
Lauren, you can send questions to Greg and other members of NASA by using the Q&A feature on the Space Team Online site ( http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/index.html).

[ Greg/KSC - 204 - 12:22:15 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] One more question, sir, do you have any ideas for a Science Experiment that I could do involving anything to do with Space, also, it can be a 2 or 3 year project. I am 14, and it can be rather difficult
Lauren, sometimes nearby universities, or even Space Camp, are working on current experiments that you may be able to join. Once you see the direction the experiment is headed, you might choose some kind of parallel effort, or even a way out tangent, that will catch NASA's interest.

[ Greg/KSC - 209 - 12:23:45 ]
RE: [Greg/KSC] Lauren, sometimes nearby universities, or even Space Camp, are working on current experiments that you may be able to join. Once you see the direction the experiment is headed, you might choose some kind of parallel effort, or even a way out tangent, that will catch NASA's interest.
Lauren, another method of determining the current line of research is to closely follow the SpaceLab flights and the experiments they are doing. Sometimes contacting the researchers behind the experiments will give you a good idea.

[ Sandra/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary - 164 - 11:59:18 ]
Good bye From F. Guillen's Class.

[ Greg/KSC - 166 - 11:59:22 ]
RE: [Sofia/DelCastilloElem-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] WEll Greg it has been a wonderful time chating with you.
Sofia, it has been great chatting with you too.

[ Lauren/St.PatricksMS - 167 - 11:59:52 ]
Bye!

[ Perssy/DelCastilloE-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary - 168 - 12:00:25 ]
Well,Greg it was very fun chatting with you. P.S.Take care!

[ LAURA/DELCASTILLOELEMENTRY-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary - 170 - 12:00:30 ]
Thank you for answering my questions and I will see you later alligater.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 172 - 12:01:21 ]
RE: [Sandra/DelCastillo-Jennifer/DelCastilloElementary] Good bye From F. Guillen's Class.
Thank you to Del Castillo Elementary School for joining us today. Please join us again.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 207 - 12:23:36 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Thanks Greg and Oran! :)
Thanks again for joining us today, Lauren.

[ Greg/KSC - 210 - 12:24:45 ]
RE: [Lauren/St.PatricksMS] Thanks again!!!!! BYE
Lauren, you're welcome!