October Lecture 2011 with Dr. Andy Thomas, NASA Astronaut

Andy is Adelaide born and raised and is currently a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He has flown into space on board the space shuttle on four separate occasions including a 20 week stay on board the Russian Space Station, Mir.

Andy gave a first-hand account of what it is like to be an astronaut in space. He talked about his early experiences training to become an astronaut and shared anecdotes of his time in zero-gravity. He talked about his vision for the future, particularly his hopes for further exploration of the moon and Mars. The audience at RiAus, as well as schools viewing online, were given the opportunity to have Andy Thomas answer their questions.

Andy said that South Australia is beautiful from space — blue ocean, vibrant green land and red desert to the north of the state. He fondly recalled that on his first space trip, residents of Adelaide left their lights on for him so that he could spot his hometown from high above.

Related Content 

Have you always wanted to be an astronaut? (6 October 2011) By Rose Wodecki

Andy Thomas visited ABC 891 while he was in Adelaide, and was interviewed by Ian Henschke. You can listen to the podcast.

Andy’s chat with Ian Henschke

View photos from the event

Additional Information

Have you always wanted to be an astronaut? (6 October 2011) By Rose Wodecki

Andy Thomas visited ABC 891 while he was in Adelaide, and was interviewed by Ian Henschke