Episode 26: Ricky Arnold
08.14.07
: Ricky Arnold, Educator Astronaut
(0:00) Intro
(0:19) Interview with Ricky Arnold. Educator Astronaut and NEEMO 13 crewmember Ricky Arnold discusses his current undersea mission, lunar exploration, NASA's plant growth Engineering Design Challenge and student involvement with the space agency.
NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations
Biographical Data: Ricky Arnold →
NASA Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber
NASA Learning Opportunities →
(7:34) Registration opens Sept. 5, 2007, for Team America Rocketry Challenge 2008.
Team America Rocketry Challenge →
Team America Rocketry Challenge 2008 Rules → [.pdf]
(9:21) End
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Transcript
Deana Nunley: This is NASA Student Opportunities -- a podcast connecting high school and college students with learning opportunities inside America's space agency.
Episode 26. Aug. 14, 2007. I'm Deana Nunley.
This week we're taking the podcast underwater -- where three astronauts and a Constellation Program aerospace engineer are engaged in a NASA mission in the ocean depths off the Florida coast. The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, 13 crew began a 10-day undersea mission aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Aquarius Underwater Laboratory on Aug. 6. They're testing lunar exploration concepts and long-duration spaceflight medical objectives.
One of the crewmembers is Educator Astronaut Ricky Arnold, and he joins us now from the Aquarius underwater habitat. Good morning, Ricky.
Ricky Arnold: Good morning.
Deana: Why is the NEEMO project important to NASA, and what can we learn from it about exploration?
Ricky: Well, it's important to NASA because we can do autonomous operations in a harsh environment, where we can simulate one-sixth gravity. We can do a lot of things down here that help us learn how we're going to operate on the moon.
Deana: During the mission, your NEEMO crew is performing activities related to the next human lunar exploration. Tell us about that.
Ricky: Well, we have a couple of things we are working on. First, the past few days we have been providing data to engineers who are working to design the next lunar spacesuit. They can weigh us out to simulate one-sixth gravity, and place weights in different parts of our bodies to see how mobility is affected and what kind of tasks we are able to do. Then they will take that data and go back to the labs, and work on the next spacesuit.
The other thing we've been working on, and that just started today, is autonomous operations. When we send people onto the moon and Mars, and they are living and working, they are going to have to be able to do things on their own, make decisions on their own and operate on their own with overall goals put together by NASA. We are able to simulate that down here. We're actually on a 20-minute "com" delay each way. So when we have a question to ask the ground, the rules are that it will take 20 minutes for our message to get to the ground and 20 minutes for the message to come back here -- so that kind of autonomy. We've been given tasks. We'll go out and do them, but the ground really is not going to know until they hear from us, what's going on and what was the outcome of the day's events.
Deana: You're no stranger to marine research. Are you excited about "getting back to your roots" somewhat on the NEEMO mission? And what were you most looking forward to about the experience?
Ricky: Oh yeah, it's been great. The really unique thing is that Aquarius, the habitat that we're living in, it's about the size of a school bus in about 60 feet of water, and it has really become part of the reef. It is completely encrusted with coral and sponges and sea fans, and surrounded by fish. And as we're down here, we're really living in the reef. And at night, when we're in and the lights come on, the fish actually swim up to the window and look in to check on us and see what we're up to.
Deana: Tell us about the plant growth research you're conducting on Aquarius.
Ricky: Well, we have down here a plant growth chamber similar to the one that has just been flown up into space on STS-118 and will be used by Expedition 15 crewmembers to grow basil seeds. We have it down here, and we're just kind of looking to see how plants do under, having 60 feet of water sitting on top of them, and how they react to pressure. We are really curious, obviously, as to how plants grow in extreme environments.
Deana: What can we learn about plant growth from the experiment being conducted on Aquarius?
Ricky: Well, I think we're learning that plants can grow in extreme environments if they're given the resources that they need. Obviously, this is really important as we set off for long-term stays on other planets in the solar system.
Deana: Is that why this plant growth research is important to NASA?
Ricky: Well, exactly. If we're going to be living and working on the moon and Mars, we're going to have to be able to grow some of our own food. And after five days of eating freeze-dried food down here, I can tell you, having a fresh apple sounds like a really good idea right about now.
Deana: Tell us about what has happened with the experiment so far since the NEEMO 12 crew began working with it.
Ricky: Well, as I said, we are learning that the seeds will grow, and even with the reduced light and the artificial light we are getting fairly rapid growth of the basil. The only unfortunate thing is I don't think it's going to be big enough for us to harvest in time to have a nice Italian meal before we come to the surface.
Deana: By this point, you're quite familiar with working with the plant growth chamber. Could you offer tips or suggestions for students who will be participating in NASA's plant growth Engineering Design Challenge after STS-118?
Ricky: Yeah, it would be really good to get them thinking about -- we're obviously looking at pressure and reduced light down here -- and it would be good for them to be thinking about what are some of the challenges we are going to have on the lunar surface and on the Martian surface. What are the challenges for trying to grow food and grow plants, and how can they simulate that here on Earth?
As far as practical information on using the chamber, one thing that I have noticed is, you don't get a lot of feedback as to the moisture in the chamber, so just be careful not to overwater.
Deana: Beyond the plant growth Engineering Design Challenge, do you have advice for high school and college students who would like to become involved with NASA?
Ricky: Well, obviously, yes. First, we need you. So we would love to have you come work for NASA and help us get back to the moon and on to Mars. And we will need you to study math and science. So, we need you to do something you really enjoy. You are not going to be doing this for money or for fame or for power. But it's a great team to be a part of, and we're going to accomplish some really good things, and we would love to have you.
Deana: Your stay on Aquarius is taking place at the same time that STS-118 mission specialist Barbara Morgan becomes the first Educator Astronaut in space. Why was the addition of education to the qualifying mission specialist fields significant?
Ricky: Yeah, that's a great question. And I think it comes down to what I said earlier. NASA needs talented people to come work for them, and our nation's classrooms are full of really talented, capable people, who can come in and do a very difficult job. They're doing a difficult job teaching, and they can do the difficult job of living and working in space, as well.
Deana: Ricky, thanks so much for taking time to talk with us.
Ricky: My pleasure. Nice talking to you.
Deana: You can learn more about Ricky Arnold, NEEMO, the Engineering Design Challenge and NASA learning opportunities by following links in this week's show notes. Go to
www.nasa.gov/podcast, and click on the NASA Student Opportunities podcast.
[Music]
Registration opens soon for Team America Rocketry Challenge 2008, a national model rocket competition for U.S. students in seventh- through 12th-grades. Thousands of students compete each year in the Team America Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest model rocket contest. Cash prizes are awarded to the top finishers.
Teams of three to 15 students design, build and fly a model rocket to carry two raw eggs for a precise flight duration of 45 seconds and to an exact altitude of 750 feet. The team whose rocket comes the closest to both, and brings the eggs back unbroken, wins.
To be eligible for the national fly-off, teams must make a qualifying flight observed by an adult member of the National Association of Rocketry. The top-scoring 100 teams in the country will be invited to participate in the final fly-off to be held in May 2008. Registration opens Sept. 5 and closes Nov. 30, 2007, or when 750 teams have registered -- whichever comes first.
For more information about Team America Rocketry Challenge, go to
www.nasa.gov/podcast. Click on the NASA Student Opportunities podcast, and follow the links in this week's show notes.
We want to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about NASA learning opportunities, send an e-mail to:
educationpodcast@nasa.gov
Thanks for listening.
NASA Student Opportunities is a podcast production of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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