How does it feel to be in space, so far from Earth? What to do in your free time on the International Space Station? How do you eat, drink, shower, sleep? What do you miss the most? And what is the first thing you do when you get back to Earth?
If you also find yourself asking and pondering such questions, we have the perfect opportunity for you!
Israel Space Week, which will take place from January 28th through February 1st, 2024, will provide exceptional opportunities for an online meeting with two NASA astronauts. Submit your questions - using the form for submitting questions at the link here.
רנדי ברזניק – Randy Bresnik
Randy Bresnick studied aviation and flight training in Florida and advanced flight training in Texas and trained as a Navy pilot in 1992. In 1999, he entered the prestigious Test Flight Course at Paxton River, Maryland, and was later assigned as a test pilot and project officer in the squadron to test improvements and upgrades to new aircraft. Bresnik has logged more than 6,000 flight hours on 81 different aircraft.
Bresnick was selected as an astronaut in May 2004, one of two pilots selected that year. In February 2006, he completed astronaut training. Among other things, he participated as a mission specialist, flight engineer in various launches to the International Space Station and was even the station's commander in 2017.
ג'סיקה מאיר – Jessica Meir
An American, NASA astronaut of Jewish descent. Born on July 1st, 1977, in Caribou, Maine, USA.
Her mother is Swedish, and her father is a Jewish-Israeli doctor. Meir also identifies culturally as Jewish, went to synagogue, and even celebrated a bat mitzvah, and she also has many relatives in Israel.
In 1999 she received a bachelor's degree in biology from Brown University, in 2000 she received a master's degree in space research from the International Space University, and in 2009 she received a doctorate in marine biology from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Her doctoral research focused on the diving physiology of the emperor penguin and the northern elephant seal.
Meir worked at NASA's Manned Flight Research Facility at the Johnson Space Center, studying the effects of prolonged space flight on the human body. In 2002, Meir participated as an aquanaut on NEEMO 4, a joint NASA-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mission, where she and the rest of the crew stayed in an underwater research laboratory for five days.
In 2019, Meir was launched aboard Soyuz MS-15 together with her colleagues Oleg Skripochka and Haza Al Mansouri (from the United Arab Emirates) to the International Space Station. During the mission, she embarked on a spacewalk from the space station with astronaut Christina Cook, undertaking the first spacewalk performed by an all-female crew.
Astronauts are allowed to bring a number of personal belongings with them to the International Space Station, some of Meir's choices were the Israeli flag, socks decorated with Stars of David, menorahs, postcards of Israel, a medal in memory of Israeli space pilot Ilan Ramon, and a painting by his wife Rona Ramon. Meir even photographed Israel from space.
In total, Meir spent 205 days in space.
ריד ווייזמן – Reid Wiseman
Reid Weisman, a Baltimore native, is set to make history next year when he becomes commander of the first mission that will return astronauts to the moon since 1972. NASA's Artemis II mission will send him and his three crew members on an orbit of the moon in preparation for the manned landing on the lunar surface as part of the Artemis III mission.
Reid served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41 in 2014. During the 165-day mission, Reid and his crewmates completed more than 300 scientific experiments in a variety of fields. They set a milestone for station science by completing a record 82 hours of research in a single week! It was Reid's first spaceflight, which also included nearly 13 hours of spacewalking.
לי מורין – Lee Morin
Dr. Lee Morin was a captain in the U.S. Navy and in 1996 was selected by NASA to become an astronaut. He was born in New Hampshire in 1952 and holds several degrees, including a Ph.D. in medicine and microbiology from New York University. As an astronaut, Morin flew on STS-110 in 2002, which provided the International Space Station's first robotic arm used for space walking. On this mission, he even accumulated 14 hours on spacewalks. Today he is affiliated with the research branch, where he works on the manned spacecraft Orion, which will be used by astronauts in the Artemis program.
דאגלס וילוק – Douglas H. Wheelock
Douglas H. Wheelock was selected by NASA in 1998. Since then, the retired colonel has logged more than 178 days in space. Wheelock flew STS-120 in 2007 and in 2010 served as a flight engineer for Expedition 24 and was also commander of Expedition 25. During this last mission, Wheelock performed three unplanned spacewalks to replace a faulty ammonia pump module.
Wheelock is a native of New York City, with a bachelor’s degree in science and applied engineering, and a master’s degree in science and aerospace engineering.