Ready to talk GRAVITY? Former NASA astronaut & International Space Station commander Leroy Chiao here. AMA.

When in space, how often does a hallucinatory George Clooney visit you to help out?

I'm still waiting!

Thank you for doing this, has there ever been a "near disaster" moment during your time in space?

Yes, the Soyuz autopilot failed and tried to crash us into ISS! We took manual control and got the vehicle stopped 50 meters from the station....

holy shit

Yes, indeed!

What was one example of a larger misconception portrayed by Gravity that stood out to you the most?

The scene where Bullock lets go of Clooney's hand, and he flies away. They were both stopped! He would not have flown off!

is being in space bitchin' or what?

Absolutely, yes! You sound like you're from my era!

Thanks Everyone, I enjoyed it! Until next time, Ad Astra!

Leroy Chiao

What's the difference between American and Russian suits? Like differences in safety, comfort, utility etc?

American suit is more flexible, better visibility, but more complex logistically, and in getting prepared to go outside.

Russian suit is one size fits all, easy to prepare and go EVA, but more stiff and difficult to work in.

Did you have any certain protocol to follow if you were contacted by any alien lifeforms whilst you were in space? If so, what was it?

No, and if we had, I'm sure we would have forgotten them!

Astronauts train in giant swimming pools, right?

How would you compare the weightlessness feel of a pool to actually being in space?

Feel is totally different, but it lets you practice all the things you need to do, in 3D. Great procedures training, but doesn't at all mimic the feel!

Great AMA you are doing here! Are there any odd effects from watching the sunrise 15 times per day for 6 months?

Surprisingly, you get used to it!

Thanks for doing this! What was the hardest thing to get used to after arriving back on earth?

You are very dizzy, because your brain has forgotten how to interpret the signals coming from your balance systems. It takes several days to a few weeks before it clears up!

So it's like you become a baby again?

Kind of, even the callouses come off of your feet! You have baby feet again after a long mission.

even the callouses come off of your feet

Wow. What's the explanation for this?

You're not using your feet in space, so the skin sloughs off and doesn't get tough again!

Of course, walking on Earth toughens them back up.

Just like a baby when it starts walking! Thanks for the nice response, Doc! Can I call you Doc? I feel like I can call you Doc.

Sure!

Wow... thank you for doing this! What's the most memorable experience or event from your missions?

Let's see, most memorable moment was during a spacewalk. I was on my third shuttle mission and I was being moved by the robotic arm from one part of the space station to another, and for several moments I could only see the earth, I was facing straight down at the earth, and I felt like a satellite flying over. I was watching the continents and clouds roll by and it was just very surreal.

Hi Dr. Chiao, I was your student back when you taught public policy at LSU. Truly an honor to have you in that class. Anyways, just want to know if you have experienced seeing cosmic rays while in space and how did it feel like? (e.g., did you see it with closed eyes?). Also, can it explain UFO sightings that are common with astronauts?

When a particle hits your retina, you see a bright flash. It doesn't happen that often, but it is bright enough to see when in the light, with your eyes open too!

Many astronauts have seen odd things in space, but in all the cases I know if, they have all been explained.

Great to hear from you, glad you liked the LSU class!!

Sure, I'm ready to talk gravity. What do you want to know?

:)

Hi Leroy! What's the most amazing thing you saw while on your missions, was there any specific moment where you were just completely taken aback?

My first look at the Earth's limb (horizon). The sunlight makes the atmosphere glow bright bands of blue! I was totally taken aback.

Thanks for doing this AMA! Do you astronauts have your own version of the "mile high club?"

If we did, don't you think it would have leaked out? How would a guy keep that secret??

NASA = Never A Straight Answer

I thought it was! The answer is, I don't think it's happened, because we would all have heard about it!

What about being in space surprised you the most?

What surprised me the most the first time I got up there, the first time I got up into orbit, and the sunlight going through the atmosphere caused the horizon to glow all these beautiful bright bands of fluorescent blue. That usually does not show up on photographs because it gets washed out by sunlight reflecting through the clouds. It's hard to capture in pictures, you can see it, but it's not as bright as when you see it with your own eyes.

Hello Leroy! Thank you for doing this Ama. I'm currently studying Physics and nanotechology. Many of the courses are nanotechnology, solidstate physics, magnetism and quantum mechanics etc. My issue is that I would very much like to work at ESA / NASA and I don't know if any of the fields i'm currently studying are relevant for a job there ? I am thinking about changing program and joining the Spacetechnology program where the courses range from planetary physics to spacecraft instrumentation systems. Which one of those do you think would yield the greatest chance of getting a job at ESA / NASA ?
Also What do I have to do to enhance my chances of becoming an astronaut / which way in life would ”be better” so to speak ?
Have a nice ama :)

Wow, the short answer is that you should stay in whatever interests you the most, because NASA selects people from a lot of different backgrounds, and that doesn't mean you have to study aerospace engineering or anything like that, and so you should not change your major because you think it will improve your NASA chances. I think the best thing you can do is to do well in whatever field you choose, because the most important things are your references and letters of recommendation.

Thank you very much :)

You're welcome!

Can you describe what it's like to look down on earth from space?

Magical. The Earth looks "painted" sometimes, like it's not real!

Do you think aliens are observing us?

I firmly believe there is life elsewhere in the universe, but I am skeptical that we have been visited!

What is your favorite science fiction novel?

2001: A Space Odyssey

What daily routine is the hardest to get used to once you arrive back on earth?

Walking. Getting your balance back is the first, hardest thing!

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The suit is about 350 pounds. Fortunately we're weightless up there. That includes the backpack and the backpack contains the systems, O2 packs, cooling systems, that you need up there.

The inertia must make it feel different as you climb around, no?

Yes, you move slowly, but deliberately.

When you watch television shows or movies about space travel, does anything ever stand out as an inconsistency, or factual error?

Yes, I mean, there are technical inaccuracies in most space movies and space shows. Some they really tried to get correct, like Apollo 13, but some of the classic inaccuracies - the physics are almost always wrong, in Star Wars or Gravity there are depictions that are incorrect. I have to take a step back and realize that it's a movie, it's trying to be entertainment and not be a documentary.

Between you (the Americans) and the Russians, were there any communication problems that resulted in unintended results? Also, what were they like to work with?

Once I got to know them, I loved the Russians. I loved learning the language, the culture, the history, the positives and the negatives.

We never had a serious communication problem. I realized early on that learning Russian was going to be the most important part of my training.

Thank you Dr. Chiao for the IAMA and i have 10 curious questions to ask about the past and the future?

1. What would have been the first module to launch for the Space Station Freedom (USOS) if it did not join with the Mir2 (ROS) as ISS?
2. Today, can the USOS and ROS of the ISS orbit independently of each other in current configurations?
3. Why is there a long delay in the NAUKA module, which was suppose to have been up even before the end of the last decade, and why is there a need for the OKA T free flying platform?
4. How would the ISS be deorbited upon reaching its full utilization age in 2024 or 2028? Is there a posible cooperation utilizing the SLS/ORION/ARRM together with the Russian OPSEK for a BEO missions to Mars?
5. Is Bigelow Aerospace BA330 up for launch this decade and is NASA formulating missions utilizing it to replace the ISS for space laboratory requirement, and have joint cooperation in the Tiangong (Tianhe, Wentian, Xuntian, Tianzhou, Shenzhou) before deorbit?
6. Is it not posible to have a Space Launch System utlizing a modern built F1 engines, with a Delta IV or Falcon Heavy configurations to make it simple as the Chinese Long March is just upgrading its present system from CZ5 to CZ9?
7. Is SpaceX really ahead in the Commercial Crew Program or Blue Origin, Boeing and SNC have surprises that will launch Astronauts next year ahead of not breaking the Apollo-Shuttle gap record in 1stQ of 2017?
8. Will you return to space if the space ships are teeming by decades end and a Planetary Expressway (Earth Lunar Asteroids Mars Orbital Stations and Terrestrial Bases that have Reusable Shuttles and Landers) is available for everyone?
9. With the present discoveries of Exoplanets, and the realities that they are very far away wherein physical travel is impossible, but is telepresence technology possible wherein humans will send signal that will mobilize the targeted planet natural resources to build equipments for a faster two way communications for exploration?
10. I came to the know of Mr. Miles O’Brien medical condition in your tweet, and was surprised to see in his tweet that he had an haircut from my country prior that unfortunate incident. Related to it, does NASA have the capability now to provide Mr. O’Brien a prosthetic arm controlable just like a real one?

Thank you

What would have been the first module to launch for the Space Station Freedom (USOS) if it did not join with the Mir2 (ROS) as ISS?

The answer is it would have been something similar to the Russian Service Module. Because the first module needs to be self-sufficient to a large degree.

Today, can the USOS and ROS of the ISS orbit independently of each other in current configurations?

No, they are attached and they always have been so they cannot separate and orbit independently.

Why is there a long delay in the NAUKA module, which was suppose to have been up even before the end of the last decade, and why is there a need for the OKA T free flying platform?

I believe that you're discussing the Russian Science module? I don't know the reason for the delay, but I suspect it has to do with events in Russia, because it is a Russian module. I'm not familiar with the OKA T platform.

How would the ISS be deorbited upon reaching its full utilization age in 2024 or 2028? Is there a posible cooperation utilizing the SLS/ORION/ARRM together with the Russian OPSEK for a BEO missions to Mars?

The answer is: we don't yet have a deorbit plan. But I believe it makes sense that it would be using the onboard SM engines, possibly in conjunction with a Progress module.

Is Bigelow Aerospace BA330 up for launch this decade and is NASA formulating missions utilizing it to replace the ISS for space laboratory requirement, and have joint cooperation in the Tiangong (Tianhe, Wentian, Xuntian, Tianzhou, Shenzhou) before deorbit?

The answer is that a version of the BA 330 will be launched to the ISS as a test but will not replace any of the current modules.

Is it not posible to have a Space Launch System utlizing a modern built F1 engines, with a Delta IV or Falcon Heavy configurations to make it simple as the Chinese Long March is just upgrading its present system from CZ5 to CZ9?

Is SpaceX really ahead in the Commercial Crew Program or Blue Origin, Boeing and SNC have surprises that will launch Astronauts next year ahead of not breaking the Apollo-Shuttle gap record in 1stQ of 2017?

Will you return to space if the space ships are teeming by decades end and a Planetary Expressway (Earth Lunar Asteroids Mars Orbital Stations and Terrestrial Bases that have Reusable Shuttles and Landers) is available for everyone?

With the present discoveries of Exoplanets, and the realities that they are very far away wherein physical travel is impossible, but is telepresence technology possible wherein humans will send signal that will mobilize the targeted planet natural resources to build equipments for a faster two way communications for exploration?

I came to the know of Mr. Miles O’Brien medical condition in your tweet, and was surprised to see in his tweet that he had an haircut from my country prior that unfortunate incident. Related to it, does NASA have the capability now to provide Mr. O’Brien a prosthetic arm controlable just like a real one?

If you got invited to fly on the first manned SpaceX mission. Would you jump on the opportunity and why?

It may surprise you that I wouldn't go, unless offered some big incentive. The reason is that I've been in orbit for almost 230 days. If I had never gone before, of course I would jump at the chance!

May sounds strange, but one thinks more about the risk/reward with each successive flight.

Congrats on making it to being an Astronaut! It's a very gnarly process!

Did you ever have any anxiety up there? Like..."Holy shit...I'm not on earth, oh God, WHAT IF WE JUST FLOAT AWAY?!" I feel like that would be really heavy.

Thanks for all your work and rock on.

I wouldn't call it anxiety, but during spacewalks, you are hyper aware of what you are doing. Because, the very worst thing to have happen, would be to "fall off" of the station!

What do you think of the movie Gravity?

Enjoyed it! I had to tell myself that it was entertainment, and not try to look for technical errors, although there were some big technical inaccuracies!

Would you mind expanding on that for us?

What were the three most glaring inaccuracies that jumped out at you?

1. Clooney flies off after letting go of Bullock. Totally wrong!
2. The idea of space debris going "critical"though not impossible, is not really credible to me.
3. The idea of changing orbital planes with an MMU, or with any existing spacecraft is ludicrous. No way you have nearly enough fuel!

Thanks for the reply, you're being super active on this AMA and I assure you we all appreciate the hell out of it!

So judging by your bio, you're basically George Clooney's character from the movie, does that mean you have a lot of funny stories which you entertained the ISS crew with during your stint as commander? :)

Ha ha! I'd like to think I'm a little like Clooney! Good memories of being ISS CDR!

Thanks so much for doing this AMA, Mr. Chiao! What is your favorite freeze-dried food? Least favorite? Also, what was the hardest normal, everyday task to complete whilst in zero gravity?

Favorite freeze dried food was Russian mashed potatoes with onions!

Hardest normal day task was using the bathroom, as you might guess!

Thanks for doing this AMA! I have two questions:

1. Did time feel like it took longer while in space?
2. How do bathrooms work on space shuttles?

Time seems to pass the same as on Earth. That is, if you are doing something really cool, it goes by quickly. More mundane tasks seem to make time drag on.

Bathrooms, or more specifically toilets, are designed to use airflow to get things where they are supposed to go. Gravity works better. By international agreement, you clean up your own mess!

If you were portrayed in a movie, who would you want Hollywood to cast as you?

Ooh wow that's a good one! How about John Cho? And he plays Sulu in Star Trek.

Does being in space for 6+ months ever get boring?

Happy AMA!

Not boring, but after 4 months, I thought "I wouldn't mind going back home now!"

The answer is: it doesn't get boring, but after about four months, I was thinking I wouldn't mind going home.

do you think time is linear or cyclical?

Both?

What type of physical training did you partake in that one might find surprising?

Maybe the most surprising thing is that there is no formal physical training program! Of course we are expected to keep ourselves in good shape, and they provide us with a gym and trainers if we would like to use them to exercise (and they expect us to exercise and stay in shape) but there's no formal program.

At which point in your life did you decide you would like to be an astronaut?

Oh, I wanted to be an astronaut since I was an 8 year old kid watching the first Apollo moon landing!

What do you think space agencies will look like in 10 years when kids and young adults who play space-related games now, and get into the subject of space, graduate and enter the work force? I am one of those people and I started playing Kerbal Space Program a few years ago. Now, I try to watch any rocket launches that are livestreamed and stay on top of all of this space stuff.

Another question I thought of during all of this Ukraine/Russia stuff: What do astronauts talk about on the Station? Politics, religion, girls, food? You spend 6 months up there with 8 different people; you're bound to run out of science stuff to talk about.

Now that you are on Reddit, there are a few subreddits that would love astronaut input. One of these is /r/space. Every week there is a "No Stupid Questions" thread where people can ask, you guessed it, any question they want that relates to space. Having you there would be awesome.

Hi! Glad to hear that your grandfather and I share the same building. Come introduce yourself sometime when you are visiting again.

I think we are going to be more international in the future. It makes sense. We already are, but we need to bring in other major players, including China.

In space, we talk about the same stuff as you would here on Earth, once you get settled into a routine. So, all of the above!

Thanks for familiarizing me with Reddit. This is my first time.

What's the feeling you get when you've landed and you're weaker than when you went to space, is it like having a dead leg?

Never had a dead leg, but.....

You do feel weaker!

How did you get to be an astronaut? Did you start off in the military?

No, the astronaut office is about half military, half civilian. I was a research engineer when I applied.

Hello Leroy Chiao, thank you for doing an AMA. I am a biochemistry student in health and am very curious (if it's not too personal) how your health is doing, regarding bone strength? What was it like to take your forst step after landing on earth again?

The exercise program works great. We exercise two hours per day. My health is fine, I didn't lose any measurable bone!

What was your most incredible experience in space and why?

Doing spacewalks and helping to build the ISS. Really surreal experiences!

What is your favourite thing to do while in space?

Mostly look at the Earth. Different parts are so different, yet all are beautiful in their own ways.

Hello Mr. Chiao! Thanks for the AMA. I'm a high school student currently studying anything and everything that will help me become an astronaut, which is my life's goal. My question is what would you recommend me to study, and the path I should take through my college years? Should I go down the engineering/science path or should I go towards being a military pilot? I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve my goals. I want to do everything I can to further humanity's presence in space, and I feel hearing the ways other astronauts did that same thing will be very beneficial on my path.

How do you feel about the rise of private industry in spaceflight? With CCtCap, Orbital Science, and especially SpaceX leading the charge towards the privatization of space, do you feel like this is a good or bad thing? Also, would you feel comfortable sharing your experiences at NASA? Especially in the astronaut selection process, and what you feel gave them a reason to select you. Thank you for your service to our country, and for the AMA.

You should pursue the direction that interests you, but also qualifies you to apply to NASA! The most important things are your work record, and your references. You will do the best at what you love!

Commercial space is exciting. I am hopeful that one or more will be successful. It is a good thing, and dove-tails with NASA exploration. We are working commercial to take over Low Earth Orbit services, so that NASA can focus on going farther and longer into space.

Thanks for the reply, and the encouragement. I'll be sure to follow your advice. Have an excellent day!

You're welcome, you too!

Hi Leroy! what are the pro's and con's of being in space?

Pros are that it's cool, good work gets done there that helps make life better here on Earth!

Cons are that you really miss your loved ones during long flights.

Thanks for doing this! What's the one thing you miss the most about being in space?

The view of the beautiful Earth!

Hi, and thanks for doing an AMA! Do astronauts ever play pranks on each other in the ISS?

We never really did, we did enjoy some good laughs though! I'm sure there are a few pranks played! :)

Hello Mr. Chiao, what are the thought that came to your mind, while you were out of the station for a spacewalk?

Did you always want to become an astronaut?

Spacewalking is surreal. I thought "am I really doing this, or is this a dream?"

Space has always fascinated me and I have always wondered what daily activity becomes significantly more difficult while in orbit?

All little things! Keeping things organized, not losing things, clipping your fingernails, brushing your teeth.....

Did you always want to be an astronaut? this is so cool.

Yes, since I watched the Apollo 11 Moon landing when I was 8!

Can you talk more about those lights you saw in 2005? Do you believe in extraterrestrial and if you do, do you think they have/will visit earth?

The lights were explained! You can watch the Science Channel tonight, I believe at 10:00 to see it all. I do believe in life elsewhere in the universe, but I don't think we've found each other yet. I am skeptical that Earth has been visited.

Which way is 'up' when you're in space?

There is no real up or down in space! You can make the directions whatever you like. It's kind of fun changing.

What was your favorite part of astronaut boot camp?

Fortunately, no boot camp, but a one year training program. We are expected to exercise and keep ourselves in shape though. Some are better at it than others, as you can see from our pictures!

The internet famous video of some object moving away quickly, then a few seconds later a beam of light shooting right through where it was, wtf?

Why are there so many instances of public broadcasting of mission control/station cutting out immediately after an astronaut says they see something strange?

What the hell is that giant tower thing on the moon, and why hasn't nasa taken better pictures of it?

Strictly speaking, UFO's are unidentified. Doesn't mean they are aliens! Most are explained later and correlated with something else.

What was your best experience while in space or while training to go to space? Thanks!

Best experience was during a spacewalk. I was on the robotic arm, and for several moments, could only see the Earth. I felt like a satellite, watching the continents and clouds roll by underneath!

Awesome! Thanks!

You're welcome!

Thanks for doing this. What went through your head at the most risky moments of the mission? You surely were busy enough, but i guess knowing there had been disasters you knew death was a real possibility. How did your family deal with that?

I was single for most of my flying career, so it was relatively easy. It's easy to risk your own life for doing something you love, but hard to watch a loved on being put at risk.

Hello Leroy! Thanks for doing this AMA, I have some questions.

1: How did it "feel" like when you got in space? (How does microgravity feel like?)

2: Since you were on the space shuttle, would you rather be on the shuttle or the ISS and why?

3: What was your favorite thing about space and what was your favorite thing to do in space?

Floating is weird, feels a bit like being in a pool. ISS is bigger, but I miss Space Shuttle! Favorite was looking back at the beautiful Earth

How do you become and astronaut, how much training is involved with it. Also what is space like, i really would find interesting what you felt like up there.

You apply to NASA. You need at least a bachelor level degree in science or engineering to qualify.

Space is very cool, the view is the best part. The IMAX movie, and even Gravity give you a pretty good idea!

What were the first moments like when you left Earth for the first time?

Very dizzy, hard to walk!

Hi, Leroy!

On Earth we still have wars, hunger, poverty, lack of education etc etc... Do you think we are ready for colonizing other planets? Should not we use all resources available to make our planet better place than for exploring bunch of (super cool, if you ask me) things out there?

NASA only gets about 0.5% of the federal budget, so we get a lot out of that tiny amount! Adding it to social program wouldn't make a noticeable difference.

Just 0.5%?! I thought it is much much more... Thank you for your answer!

You're welcome!

I'm confused is NASA still functional but just a private company and not with the government? I heard funding was cut and I've always thought NASA was a thing of the past until today

NASA is still there, but the government is not focused on what NASA should be doing!

Hello Leroy. (: thanks for doing this AMA. It's pretty awesome of you. Anyway I have two big questions.

Have you seen the movie Gravity? If so, how do you feel about the movie Gravity? As someone who loves space but couldn't possibly imagine myself going there, it honestly seemed like a really surreal movie; almost like that couldn't ever POSSIBLY happen.

My second cluster of question is what's the worst situation you've had to deal with? What's the most uncomfortable thing about space? How did you spend your vacation time?

I did see Gravity, and wrote a review on Space.com, and an Op-Ed on CNN.com!

I enjoyed the movie. It was technically inaccurate in key places, but they did a nice job of creating the right look and feel of space and doing spacewalks.

The most dangerous situation I've been in during spaceflight, was when we were coming in to dock to the ISS. We had a malfunction in the autopilot, and we had to take over manually. We nearly collided with the station due to this problem. It was pretty dangerous.

Have you seen Apollo 18, and if so, did it put a different feeling on about being in space?

I unfortunately didn't get to see it! Should I??

Has the viral success of Chris Hadfield and the attention it has garnered for the ISS put the pressure on fellow astronauts to deliver? What sort of conversation do you want astronauts to foster down here among 'Millenials' and STEM students?

I think Chris has helped raise awareness of what we are doing in space, and that's a good thing!

It is good to inspire young people and show them the cool things we are doing in space. That is part of my mission too!