Antarctic Space 2Sea Marking the maiden voyage of a series produced by FUTURE of SPACE (FoS). This innovative journey blends Earth’s uncharted territories with inspiring narratives of human curiosity and exploration. It encapsulates FoS’s core mission: to embrace new frontiers, celebrate human experience and elevate conversation. Gabe Castro-Root, a student journalist at American University, is documenting FoS’s mission. You can read his latest coverage below.
Astronauts, scientists and explorers gathered on a ship bound for Antarctica on Friday for a panel discussion aimed at inspiring young people’s curiosity about the ocean, outer space and their own backyards.
According to Antarctica expedition organizer Space Futures, students from 46 countries will watch the live broadcast of the conversation. Future of Space co-founder Daniel Fox said this is Drake Passage first live broadcastA notoriously rough stretch of ocean between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Speaker – Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson“Star Wars” actor William Shatnerfilmmaker Céline Cousteau and Astronauts Scott Kelly and Jose Hernandez — shared stories of their own early interest in exploration and answered questions from students around the world. The panel was moderated by Janet Ivey, host of the PBS children’s television show “Janet’s Planet.”
Tyson, perhaps the world’s best-known science communicator, said in response to a question from a 15-year-old in Finland that he first became aware of his ability to explain complex concepts in his eighth-grade math class. When students didn’t understand the teacher’s description of the matrix, Tyson tried to explain it in his own way. For other students, he said, it’s fun.
“I realized that if my job is to explain something, then the job of the person who understands it falls on me,” he said. “It’s not their responsibility to know what I’m talking about. It’s my responsibility to make them understand.”
He says that commitment to understanding remains the driving force behind the prolific career he has built as a communicator.
“I’d rather be in the lab at home, but I feel a sense of responsibility to bring the universe to its lowest point. Earth For anyone who’s curious, because I can,” Tyson said. “If I didn’t do that, it would be disrespectful to the people who did it for me when I was promoted.”
Cousteau highlighted the moment she encountered a humpback whale while diving off the coast of Hawaii.
“I feel so small and I want all of you to feel this incredible feeling of smallness because it really gives you a sense of who we are,” she said.
But she also emphasized that exploration does not require going deep into the ocean or going out to sea. space. “We don’t need to go far,” she said, adding that curiosity can happen anywhere.
Sometimes the conversation turns into a light-hearted debate about whether it would be more difficult to get to the bottom of the ocean or to get to space.
While the focus was primarily on the awe of using curiosity to push new frontiers, Kelly also explained some of the physical challenges he faced during and after the space mission—skin rashes, reduced blood volume, legs that “were like swollen.” water balloon.
“You’re not a good ambassador for getting people into space,” Tyson mocked him at one point.
The second conversation of the afternoon was moderated by journalist Ann Curry, and featured mostly the same speakers, focusing more on the science, but also on the practical limits behind advances in space travel, and what humans might one day colonize The possibility of another planet or. moon.
“Antarctica is warmer, warmer and wetter than anywhere on Earth. Marsbut no one is lining up to build apartments here,” Tyson said. “Dreams are one thing, but ultimately someone has to write the check to make the dream come true. The person who writes the check has different motivations than the person who makes the dream come true, and they rarely agree.”
Kelly said his brother, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly Another former astronaut often said that getting humans to Mars “isn’t rocket science, it’s political science.” Funding and interest from politicians are bigger obstacles than engineering, he said.
“No matter how bad we mess up this planet, it’s always going to be easier to live here than on Mars,” Kelly said. “But I still believe we should go to Mars, and I think one day we will.”
When a student from Iran asked for advice on becoming the first person to travel “to Mars and beyond,” Shatner encouraged young people to use the idea of space travel to inspire them to focus on their studies.
Kelly agreed, explaining that before reading, he struggled to find motivation in school.the right thing“, Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book chronicling the postwar development of rocket-powered aircraft.
Hernandez, who applied to be an astronaut 11 times before NASA selected him, reminded students to stay persistent and optimistic when facing daunting challenges.
“I always tell people it’s okay to dream big,” he said. “I encourage people to dream big. But you need to back it up with hard work and preparation.”
This article was provided by Space2Sea Antarctica and FUTURE of SPACE. For more information about expeditions and FoS, please visit Space2Sea Antarctica expedition site,as well as space future initiative.