Children in Kongsberg receive answers from astronauts aboard the ISS - NRK Oslo og Viken

Hundreds of twinkling starry eyes stare at the big screen at Krona in Kongsberg.

Live from the International Space Station International Space Stationastronaut Andreas Mogensen flips around in weightlessness after answering a series of questions.

The hall clearly applauded so hard that Krona was almost lifted off and sent into orbit, just like the 109-meter-long and 72-meter-wide International Space Station in space.

– It was so cold! interesting! Very interesting, say students Linnea Mikalsen Tontland and Felix Dannenberger after “talking to outer space”.

Teams chat with the space station

Each year, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station is selected to participate in a 20-minute live broadcast with school children around the world.

For the first time in history, this space session was organized with the Scandinavian astronaut, Danish Mogensen.

In Kongsberg, all the municipality’s sixth grade students gathered in the city’s Knowledge and Culture Park for a live chat via Teams.

Two of the people who were lucky enough to ask questions to the astronaut floating 400 kilometers in orbit around Mother Earth were the aforementioned students Linnea and Felix.

– So excited, it tickles the stomach, as they said before the “chat room.”

-What will you ask?

– How can he contact his family, from the space station to Earth, Lenya answers.

Urine recycling on the International Space Station

Among others, NRK Super presenters stand on stage and cheer the audience on. As if there was a need.

The hall shakes and the tension rises. Bellies full of butterflies and comets. Excited faces. The children clap.

Suddenly, an English-speaking astronaut greeting appeared on the big screen in the movie theater.

Students wonder a lot and ask questions in English.

“Do you drink water on the space station?” “How do you actually sleep in ‘cosmic space’?” “Are you guys doing any cool experiments over there?”

Mogensen answers to the best of his ability.

Perhaps the answer to the questioner made some people wrinkle their noses. Mogensen explained that water is too heavy to be transported into space.

Therefore, 95 percent of what is on board is recycled.

This means that urine, sweat and moisture are collected and converted into drinkable water.

– We usually say that the water we drink today is the water that, uh… we drank yesterday, reads the message from the space station.

Linnea then wonders if they can contact the family on Earth. How can this be done?

-Do you have a satellite phone?

– Good question! It is answered from space.

– Questions that adults do not dare to ask

Anne-Margret Horsrud works at Andøya Space Education as Director General of the National Center for Space-Related Learning. She was very happy with this commitment.

– Interesting question! After all, children often dare to ask questions that we adults don’t dare, but probably ask anyway. Very good questions, water, how they sleep, basic things like that. She says it was exciting to hear the answers.

– What is the benefit of holding such events where children can ask questions to astronauts?

Our mission is to facilitate interest in technology and science. The fact that we can use such an opportunity, such a tool, to stimulate this interest is very special.

Horsrud hopes the talk of space has attracted a future astronaut candidate, or at least someone who wants to work in space.

– I think some will likely leave here with a renewed or increased interest in outer space. And I think the students understood that this was a big thing to be involved in,” Horsrud says.

At least that’s what Kongsberg’s interviewees think.

– I think it is interesting to hear that they have 3D printed cells from the body, Felix answered, adding that they are the only children in Norway who have actually spoken to an astronaut.

And dream of becoming an astronaut?

– It’s a bit difficult to get there, but it could have been a lot of fun, concludes Linnea.