On Monday, we brought our Space project to an end with another very exciting Skype conversation with an astronomy expert. This time, we were lucky enough to speak to Dr. Joseph Roche, an astrophysics lecturer in Trinity College Dublin. He worked in NASA's Space Flight Centre where spacecraft, instruments and technology are developed to help us study Earth, the sun, the solar system and our universe. Joseph Roche has been short-listed for the Mars One Project, which hopes to establish a human colony on the Red Planet on a one-way trip that will take seven months before landing on Mars.
We were very excited to speak to Dr. Roche and were grateful that he would take the time out of his busy schedule to answer all of our questions. We had practised what we were going to say in advance. Darren recorded the Skype on a video and Hannah took photos.
We were very excited to speak to Dr. Roche and were grateful that he would take the time out of his busy schedule to answer all of our questions. We had practised what we were going to say in advance. Darren recorded the Skype on a video and Hannah took photos.
Joseph was very patient and gave us detailed and fascinating answers to the following questions:
- Were you interested in astronomy when you were younger? (Amara)
- What made you interested in Mars and why do you want to go there? (Darragh R)
- How are the interviews going? How many people will be going and do you think you'll make the squad? (Aoibhínn)
- How long will it take to get to Mars? How much fuel will it take to get the rocket there? (Darragh H)
- What kind of training, preparation and planning would you have to do before going to Mars? (Amy)
- Have you any doubts about going on the mission? How do you feel about saying goodbye to family and friends and what do they think? (Laura B)
- Do you think there is going to be any advanced life on Mars? (Éabha)
- How will food be grown on board? What would happen if you ran out of food or water? (Adam)
- Would you be living on Mars or in the rocket? What kind of things would you do on Mars when you arrive? (Ben)
- How many of your own things would you be able to bring with you, and what would you bring? What would you miss most? (Aidan)
We all learned a lot from Joseph and we thank him for taking time to Skype us - we hope he enjoyed it as much as we did!
- Were you interested in astronomy when you were younger? (Amara)
- What made you interested in Mars and why do you want to go there? (Darragh R)
- How are the interviews going? How many people will be going and do you think you'll make the squad? (Aoibhínn)
- How long will it take to get to Mars? How much fuel will it take to get the rocket there? (Darragh H)
- What kind of training, preparation and planning would you have to do before going to Mars? (Amy)
- Have you any doubts about going on the mission? How do you feel about saying goodbye to family and friends and what do they think? (Laura B)
- Do you think there is going to be any advanced life on Mars? (Éabha)
- How will food be grown on board? What would happen if you ran out of food or water? (Adam)
- Would you be living on Mars or in the rocket? What kind of things would you do on Mars when you arrive? (Ben)
- How many of your own things would you be able to bring with you, and what would you bring? What would you miss most? (Aidan)
We all learned a lot from Joseph and we thank him for taking time to Skype us - we hope he enjoyed it as much as we did!