Meeting Apollo 17 moon walker Harrison Schmidt for the first time and trying not to get flustered!
I was in Athens, Ohio last week participating in International Space University (ISU). Ohio University is hosting ISU’s Space Studies Program for nine weeks this summer. 101 young professionals from 35 different countries are in attendance and learning about space across theme areas that include sciences; engineering; applications; policy, economics and law; management and business; human performance; and humanities. Canada is always well represented in the student body by talented individuals who are passionate about space exploration and development.
In addition to my astronaut friends Paolo Nespoli from Italy and So-yeon Yi from South Korea, I had the pleasure to serve on an ISU international astronaut panel with Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmidt. This was the first time that I had met Dr. Schmidt. I tried to present a calm demeanour when I met him this week but inside my heart was doing cartwheels! The Apollo astronauts who ventured to the Moon in the 60s and 70s are cut from a different strip of fabric than the rest of us. They have impressive skills and experiences as well as unique perspectives.
I also delivered a couple of lectures to the International Space University participants. One of the lectures was entitled ‘What has space brought us?’ Some citizens erroneously believe that the benefits from the space program are insignificant and characterized best by the development of teflon, Tang and velcro. Furthermore, they believe that we should not be spending billions of taxpayers’ dollars on space exploration when we have more pressing social problems here on Earth.
In my hour-long lecture, I illustrated that investment in space has brought hundreds of substantial benefits to society. I provided a broad overview of several of my favourite benefits (and, of course, I mentioned the neuroArm from the University of Calgary!). Indeed, the way that we conduct our individual and collective lives on Earth today would not be possible without space assets like satellite telecommunications and remote sensing. At the end of my lecture, I verbalized a brief ‘elevator pitch’ that I had personally developed to highlight a few noteworthy benefits of the space program.
Since many of the non-western ISU participants were not familiar with the concept of an elevator pitch, I explained that it is a compelling tailored narrative told to a listener in the time it takes to ride an elevator from the ground to the top floor of a building (i.e. about 60 seconds). It is a useful communication tool that can be used in several settings to promote a big idea. Its purpose is to capture the listener’s attention enough to inquire more. After this explanation, I encouraged the ISU participants to prepare and practice their own elevator pitch using two or three examples of space benefits that would be relevant to their target audience’s life and work.
As professionals, we have a responsibility to not only know how space has contributed to society but also to communicate the benefits succinctly and without technical jargon and truisms. A well-crafted message moves hearts and minds. If the public and politicians understand how space contributes to our productivity and well-being, then they are more likely to support what we do. We cannot expect support without this awareness.
I really enjoyed reading your blog post and I completely agree with you, Dr. Thirsk.
This year, I was involved with Sophomore Leadership Program at the University of Calgary. As part of the civic engagement activity for the program, I prepared a presentation to a few other students in the program on the same topic you discussed in your blog post – lack of public awareness of how space exploration benefits us. The space program is dependent on politicians and public opinion so it is crucial both understand the benefits of space exploration. We tend to forget that the things we use every single day (and sometimes take for granted) like cells phones, computers, radio, and TV could be traced back to the space program. Space exploration contributes to so many different fields including health and medicine, information technology, environmental protection and monitoring, communication and transportation, just to name a few.
Here are a few specific examples of the benefits of the space program that we see in our everyday life. Satellite technologies that allowed for the creation of cell phones and radio also allowed for the creation of GPS and programs like Google Maps and Google Earth. CT Scans and ultrasounds use digital image processing that was pioneered at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A pill with a tiny camera used to take photographs/videos of the inside of the digestive system to diagnose related diseases was also something developed with the help of Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A lot of tiny powerful sensors that were developed for the space program are now used to assist in surgery. Studying how human body is affected by microgravity environment is another significant benefit from the space program as it helps us understand how our bodies function back on Earth. As an example, the studies on muscle atrophy and bone loss in microgravity environment can be related to similar problems in bed-ridden patients and diseases such as osteoporosis back on Earth. There are a lot more examples out there. But my favorite one is the neuroArm and I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to see the facility myself.
An “elevator pitch” is indeed a very useful tool. I should practice my own elevator pitch as well… In terms of attracting public attention to the space program, I think social media is a great tool. I love watching videos from the ISS and looking at pictures of Earth shared by astronauts through social media. It’s hard to imagine what it’s like seeing it in real life, but I would love to have an opportunity to see it for myself someday.
Thank you for sharing your experiences!! So awesome that you had an opportunity to meet Harrison Schmidt, that’s very exciting! I am confident that our space program will continue to inspire a generation of explorers, but it is important to spread the awareness of the benefits it has.
Alina