>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE EVENT?
>> HOUSTON, THIS IS STATION.
I'M READY FOR THE EVENT.
>> EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY THIS IS
MISSION CONTROL HOUSTON.
PLEASE CALL STATION FOR A VOICE
CHECK.
>> HELLO.
I READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
>> THANK YOU.
WE ARE DOING VERY WELL.
SO HAPPY YOU HAVE TIME TODAY.
WE HAVE A HANDS AROUND THE CALL
TODAY AND CHILDREN HAVE
ORGANIZED AND THEY'RE TURNED
INTO YOU.
AND WITH A CHILD REPORTER AND I
SUGGEST YOU GET GOING NOW.
>> THANK YOU.
GREETINGS TO MISSION CONTROL AND
AALL THE SCHOOLS TUNED IN THIS
MORNING AND WHO HAVE SHOWN
INTEREST IN SPACE TRAVEL.
I'M HAPPY YOU CAN BE WITH ME AT
THE ISS WITH ME TODAY, AND
ESPECIALLY I WANT TO THANK THE
CHILDREN WHO MADE SUCH WONDERFUL
PICTURES FOR ME WHICH I TOOK UP
HERE WITH ME.
I'M GOING TO SHOW THEM TO YOU.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE
WEIGHTLESSNESS AND YOU CAN SEE
HOW MY MICROPHONE WAS FLOATING
AND YOU CAN SEE I'M GOING TO GET
A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
THESE ARE ALL PICTURES YOU MADE
FOR ME.
AND THIS IS REALLY FANTASTIC.
AND SOMETIMES I LET THEM FLOAT
AROUND HERE. IT'S NOT JUST A
BEAUTIFUL PRESENT THAT SHOWS
THAT YOU'RE THINKING OF ME, BUT
I CAN ALSO SHOW YOU HOW THIS
CHAIN IS FLOATING AND DANCING,
AND SOMETIMES I EVEN HAVE A
COMPETITION WITH IT.
AND CHILDREN HAND IN HAND AROUND
THE WORLD IS THE REASON WE'RE
DOING THIS AND WE DO EXPERIMENTS
UP HERE BECAUSE WEIGHTLESSNESS
MAKES EXPERIMENTS POSSIBLE UP
HERE THAT ARE NOT POSSIBLE ON
EARTH.
WE DEVELOPED NEW MATERIALS THAT
ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICS,
BIOLOGY AND NEXT TO ME WHAT'S
GLOWING HERE IS A GREENHOUSE
WHERE WE'RE GROWING PLANTS AND
WE CAN SEE HOW THEY GROW IN
WEIGHTLESSNESS.
AND WHAT'S ESPECIALLY EXCITING
IS THIS FINDING NEW PRODUCTS AND
NEW KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE ON EARTH
AND THERE IS A LOT MORE.
AND I'M GOING TO CREATE A
LITTLE BIT OF A MESS HERE. A
LOT OF YOU MIGHT THINK THERE IS
A LOT OF MESS UP HERE ALREADY,
AND THIS WEIGHTLESSNESS -- THIS
ISS SHOWS THE COOPERATION --
SHOWS HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE FROM
MANY COUNTRIES WHO WORKED ON
THIS, AND IT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE
CAN WORK TOGETHER PEACEFULLY AND
THAT WE AS HUMANS CAN ACHIEVE A
LOT MORE IF WE WORK TOGETHER FOR
PROGRESS AND INNOVATION.
AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU
CHILDREN HAVE SHOWN THIS HAND IN
HAND AROUND THE WORLD, HOW THIS
ILLUSTRATES IT.
>> EXACTLY.
HELLO MATTHIAS MAURER.
THANKS FOR YOUR IMPRESSIVE WORK.
I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE WITH US
TODAY.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOL
CLASSES WHO ARE LISTENING TO YOU
AND WE'RE PROUD OF THIS IN HAND
IN HAND AROUND THE WORLD.
AND HERE WE HAVE A CHILD
REPORTER.
WE HAVE ELISE.
GO ON AND ASK YOUR QUESTION.
>> HELLO.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST TRIP TO
SPACE.
WHAT IMPRESSES MOST
>> HELLO.
I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE A CHILD
REPORTER AND BRAVE ENOUGH TO ASK
QUESTIONS AND ASKING QUESTIONS
IS SO IMPORTANT.
THAT'S THE FIRST STEP TO GAINING
KNOWLEDGE.
WHAT I MISS MOST OF ALL UP HERE
IS FRESH FRUIT, IRONICALLY WE
HAVE GROWN CRESTS, BUT WE'RE
SENDING IT HOME TO THE
SCIENTISTS AND WE CAN'T EAT IT
UP HERE.
BUT I MISS WALKING THROUGH THE
FOREST AND BREATHING FRESH HE
AIR AND JUMPING IN THE WATER
LIKE IN A SWIMMING POOL.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SHOWER UP
HERE.
SO THESE ARE THE BASIC THINGS
YOU KNOW FROM CHILDHOOD ON THAT
WE MISS -- THAT WE TAKE FOR
GRANTED AND THAT WE MISS UP
HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
YOUR QUESTION.
>> WE'RE GOING TO THE CLASSROOM
IN YOUR OWN AREA.
IT'S YOUR TURN.
>> HELLO.
THIS IS THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHAT DO YOU RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU
LOOK OUT THE WINDOW?
>> GREETINGS TO YOU AT THE
SCHOOL.
WHEN I LOOK DOWN AT EARTH, I SEE
A SUPER BEAUTIFUL PLANET AND
SOMETIMES IN THE MORNING I'M
TIRED IN THE MORNING AND THAT'S
BECAUSE I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW
TOO MUCH AT NIGHT.
I SEE BEAUTIFUL PLANET.
I SEE -- I DON'T SEE COUNTRIES,
I SEE THE OCEAN.
AND I SEE BIG CITIES AT NIGHT
AND THEN I LOOK DOWN WITH MY
CAMERA AND IF I MAGNIFY MY
VISION WITH THE CAMERA, THEN I
LOOK AT THE BIG CITIES, AND IT
ROUSES ALL KINDS AND OF EMOTIONS
IN ME.
GOING AROUND EARTH EVERY 90
MINUTES, I REALIZE IT'S REALLY
QUITE SMALL IF WE CAN GO AROUND
IN 90 MINUTES.
AND IT SHOWS ME THAT EVERYTHING
IS CONNECTED AND THAT YOU CAN
JUST FORGET ABOUT THE PROBLEMS
THAT WE FOCUS ON EARTH.
SOMETIMES WHEN I SEE THE OCEANS
AND SOMETIMES THE RAIN FOREST, I
SEE THE CLOUDS OF SMOKE AND THAT
MAKES ME SAD.
I SEE THAT THE RAIN FOREST IS
BEING DESTROYED BECAUSE IT
CREATES FRESH AIR.
AND IF WE DESTROY THE RAIN
FOREST THEN IT DESTROYS THE
FUTURE FOR CHILDREN, AND THAT'S
OF COURSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'RE GOING TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.
YOUR QUESTION.
>> AT WHAT AGE DID YOU KNOW YOU
WANTED TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT?
>> YES.
IN MY CASE IT WASN'T REALLY A
CHILDHOOD DREAM.
I THOUGHT IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE
OTHER ASTRONAUTS AND I THOUGHT,
WELL, THEY MUST BE SUPERMEN AND
NOW I KNOW THAT IF I COULD DO IT
ANY CHILD CAN DO IT BECAUSE I'M
A PERFECTLY NORMAL PERSON.
YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU
WANT TO ACHIEVE IN LIFE AND THEN
YOU HAVE TO WORK TOWARD THAT.
AND THIS ASTRONAUT DREAM REALLY
ONLY BEGAN FOR ME WHEN I WAS AN
ADULT.
AND I LOOKED AT WHAT ASTRONAUTS
DID AND OF COURSE NOW I KNOW
IT'S -- WE HAVE TO BE
TECHNICIANS.
WE HAVE TO BE SCIENTISTS AND WE
HAVE TO BUILD THINGS UP HERE.
THE WE HAVE TO WORK WITH
INTERNATIONAL TEAMS AND WE HAVE
TO SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES,
AND IS SO THAT SOUNDED LIKE
FUNNY AND I APPLIED AND I WAS
TOTALLY EXCITED TO HAVE BEEN
CHOSEN.
>> NOW WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM
LEVERKUSEN.
>> WHY DOES WATER FLOAT IN A
CIRCLE SHAPE?
>> I'M SO GLAD THAT SOMEBODY
FINALLY ASKED THIS QUESTION.
AND IS I GOT READY FOR IT
BECAUSE IT'S A WONDERFUL THING
TO DEMONSTRATE.
I'M GOING TO MAKE MORE OF A
MESS.
I DO HAVE A TOWEL HERE. OKAY,
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THE WATER
IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA.
WHEN THE WATER COMES OUT, YES,
SO IT BECOMES A SPHERE, SO THAT
THE SPHERE DOESN'T CAUSE ANY
DAMAGE HERE. I'M GOING TO DRINK
IT VERY QUICKLY.
THIS SPHERE IS THE SHAPE WITH
THE LEAST SURFACE.
I CAN PACK A LOT INTO A SPHERE
WITHOUT -- AND THAT'S WHY A
BALLOON ROUND, AND THAT'S WHY
ALL THE PLANETS HAVE THE CIRCLE
FORM.
BECAUSE YOU GET A LOT OF MASS
WITHOUT A LOT OF SURFACE.
AND IS YOU HAVE SURFACE TENSION
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE
LOOK AT UP HERE. BECAUSE ON
EARTH IT'S NOT SO OBVIOUS BUT UP
HERE WE CAN STUDY THE PHYSICAL
AND CHEMICAL REACTIONS.
ONE THING IS THAT IF WE WANT TO
SOLDER SOMETHING AND YOU COULD
SEE HOW A LIQUID COMES IN
CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE AND I
CAN SHOW YOU BY PUTTING THE DROP
OF WATER ON MY SKIN.
I HAVE TO SEE HOW I'M GOING TO
MANAGE THIS CHAOS.
SO I CAN MAKE IT WOBBLE BACK AND
FORTH.
OKAY, THERE'S STILL A LITTLE
EDGE ON THE CORNER AND IT
DOESN'T ACTUALLY FALL DOWN.
IF WE WANT TO SOLDER SOMETHING
OR WANT TO LACQUER SOMETHING WE
HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS VERY
LITTLE ANGLE.
SO WE WANT -- IF WE HAVE -- IF
WE'RE PAINTING SOMETHING IN A
HOUSE THIS ANGLE HAS TO BE
REALLY LARGE.
>> THANK YOU, SUPER.
THANK YOU AND WE'RE GOING GO ON
TO THE SCHOOL IN ESSEN.
>> WHAT HAPPENS IF THE ISS IS
DAMAGED?
>> WELL, OF COURSE, WE'RE IN
SPACE AND SOMETHING CAN GO
WRONG.
WE CAN'T EXACTLY JUST OPEN THE
DOOR AND GO OUTSIDE BECAUSE OF
THE VACUUM, SO WE HAVE TO PAY
ATTENTION THAT OUR SPACECRAFT IS
COMPLETELY SEALED.
INITIALLY WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT
WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH OLD ROCKET
PIECES AND WE THOUGHT, WELL,
THEY WERE FINISHED.
AND NOW WE REALIZE THAT ALL THIS
DEBRIS UP HERE COULD COLLIDE
WITH US AND THAT WOULD BE A
MAJOR PROBLEM.
SO SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE AN
EVASIVE MANEUVER AND YOU CAN'T
SEE IT WITH YOUR BARE EYES BUT
ON EARTH THERE ARE TELESCOPES
AND RADAR TO HELP SCIENTISTS SEE
WHERE THIS IS AND IS THE
TECHNICIANS CAN GUIDE US TO
AVOID THESE THINGS.
AND MUCH MORE IMPORTANT
SOLUTION, WE HAVE TO AVOID
DEBRIS AND IS TRASH.
WE CAN'T JUST THROW IT ON EARTH.
WE CAN'T JUST THROW IT IN THE
WATER OR ON THE STREET.
AND THIS WILL INSOLATE OUR LIFE.
UP HERE WE HAVE TO FIND A
SOLUTION ON HOW WE AVOID ROCKET
DEBRIS AND CLEAN UP THE OLD
DEBRIS SO THAT IN FUTURE
ASTRONAUTS CAN SAFELY COME INTO
SPACE.
>> THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE
--
>> OH, OKAY. I UNDERSTOOD THE
SECOND QUESTION.
CAN YOU HELP ME?
I DIDN'T GET IT CLEAR.
>> HOW DOES IT FEEL TO ARRIVE
WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE ISS AND
FULFILL YOUR LIFE'S DREAM?
>> VERY GOOD.
I WORKED FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO
ACHIEVE THIS DREAM, AND THEN
THERE WERE LOWS AND HIGHS IN
BETWEEN AND MOMENTS, AND I
THOUGHT, MAYBE IT WASN'T JUST
MEANT TO BE AND I'LL HAVE TO
GIVE UP ON THIS DREAM.
BUT I'M THE PERSON WHO ALWAYS
TRIES TO ACHIEVE MY OBJECTIVES
AND I TRY NOT TO GIVE UP WHEN I
RUN INTO PROBLEMS.
WHEN I ARRIVED UP HERE, THE
OTHERS SAID IT'S A GOOD THING
THAT I HAD EARS BECAUSE MY GRIN
WAS SO BIG MY HEAD -- THE TOP OF
MY HEAD WOULD HAVE COME OFF.
AND I REALIZED THIS DREAM OVER
AND OVER EVERY DAY AND I LOOK
OUTSIDE AT NIGHT BEFORE I GO TO
SLEEP, I LOOK OUTSIDE AND I HAVE
TO PINCH MYSELF, AND IT'S HARD
TO BELIEVE FOR ME THAT I'M
ACTUALLY UP HERE. IF YOU HAVE
DREAMS I CAN ONLY ENCOURAGE ALL
OF YOU TO WORK HARD FOR YOUR
DREAM.
MAYBE YOUR DREAMS WON'T ALL COME
TRUE, BUT IF YOU HAVE NO DREAMS
AT ALL THAT REALLY WOULD BE VERY
SAD.
NOW WE HAVE TO HURRY A LITTLE
BIT.
>> TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
>> GREETINGS.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO FLOAT IN
WEIGHTLESSNESS?
>> GREETINGS.
I CAN ONLY SAY TO FLOAT IS JUST
FANTASTIC.
AT NIGHT BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP I
SIT IN THE COLUMBUS MODULE
BECAUSE I SLEEP IN THE BACK.
I JUST HANG BACK THERE AND IT'S
SO RELAXING IT'S HARD TO
DESCRIBE.
YOU CAN'T IMAGINE.
IT'S LIKE HANGING IN THE WATER
WITHOUT BEING WET AND YOU LIE
DOWN MUCH BETTER THAN ON A WATER
BED.
IT'S RELAXING AND YOU'RE FREE AS
A BIRD.
>> I CAN DO A BACK FLIP THAT
NORMALLY ONLY CHILDREN CAN DO,
BUT THIS ONE WASN'T PERFECT.
IF NO ONE IS WATCHING I CAN DO A
BETTER JOB.
>> LAST ONE.
I'M PHILLIP AND I WANT TO KNOW
HOW YOU SPEND CHRISTMAS AND NEW
YEAR'S IN THE ISS?
>> OH, WELL, AT CHRISTMAS WE ATE
DELICIOUS FOOD TOGETHER.
WE HAD AN ARTIFICIAL TREE.
WE EXCHANGED GIFTS AND IT WAS
UPSIDE DOWN AND WE HUNG UP
STOCKINGS AND ATTACHED IT ALL.
WE PUT GIFTS IN THESE STOCKINGS
AND IT WAS REALLY NICE.
THERE WERE NICE SURPRISES.
OF COURSE THEY WERE SMALL
BECAUSE WE COULDN'T TAKE TOO
MUCH HERE. AND FOR NEW YEAR'S,
WE CELEBRATED AND DANCED AND YOU
CAN IMAGINE IN ZERO GRAVITY, IT
WAS A WILD PARTY.
THE
>> AND THE LAST QUESTION IS FROM
ELISE.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE EXPERIMENT
ON THE ISS?
>> CAN YOU REPEAT THAT, PLEASE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE
EXPERIMENT ON THE ISS?
>> OKAY. I UNDERSTOOD.
SOMETIMES WE'RE TRAVELING TOO
FAST AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO
HEAR.
MY FAVORITE -- I HAVE MANY
DIFFERENT FAVORITE EXPERIMENTS
BUT I'M A SCIENTIST AND I WANT
TO DEVELOP NEW MATERIALS THAT
WILL BE USED IN THE YEARS TO
COME.
AND SO, WE MELT DIFFERENT METALS
UP HERE AND THERE IS ONE WHERE I
HAVE TO MIX CEMENT, AND YOU
THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CRAZY
IDEA.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD A HOUSE
UP HERE BUT IT'S AN EXPERIMENT
THAT'S GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO
OUR ABILITY TO MAKE SOMETHING
LESS DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT
BECAUSE CEMENT PRODUCES CO2, SO
WE'RE ABLE TO OPTIMIZE THIS AND
IS SEND OUR RESULTS DOWN IN
HOPES IN CREATING A CEMENT THAT
WE CAN CREATE WITHOUT CREATING
SO MUCH CO2.
THERE IS AN EXPERIMENT DOWN
HERE -- AS SOMEONE WHO IS A
BRICK LAYER WITH THE NAME LIKE
MINE THAT WOULD COME TO MIND
RIGHT AWAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
ANSWERS.
THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING.
AND SPEAKING LIVE WITH AN
ASTRONAUT WHO IS IN SPACE.
EVERYONE TOGETHER WISHES YOU A
SAFE FLIGHT ALL TOGETHER.
THE
>> 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
>> I THINK HE COULD HAVE KNOWN
THAT WITHOUT IT.
IT'S CRAZY.
TOGETHER WITH HAND IN HAND
AROUND THE WORLD, WE THANK OUR
COLLEAGUES AT NASA, ISA AND IS
GERMAN CONTROL CENTER AND THE
TEACHERS AND IS OF COURSE
MATTHIAS MAURER, AND THANK YOU
IN HOUSTON.
WE DON'T WANT TO FORGET THEM.
MATTHIAS IS LOOKING AT THE STRIP
OF PAPER AND NOW YOU GET TO ROLL
UP ALL THOSE PICTURES.
BYE.
GREETINGS FROM THE ISS, THIS IS
MY JOB FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES
TO ROLL ALL THIS UP AGAIN.
YES.
BECAUSE I WANT TO TAKE GOOD CARE
OF THIS AND BRING IT BACK IN ONE
PIECE AND BE ABLE TO SHOW IT TO
MANY CHILDREN.
IT'S A GREAT MESSAGE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE
CHILDREN WHO PARTICIPATED.
BYE.
I WAS SO HAPPY TO DO THIS.
>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON ACR,
THANK YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES THE EVENT.
>> THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS
FROM ISA AND STATION WE ARE NOW
RESUMING OPERATIONAL AUDIO