14: Astronaut Leroy Chiao

In this episode, Beth and Leroy discuss:

• Changing technology: how far we've come and the exciting changes in our future.
• What we need to master (on the moon) before we go to Mars
• What it was like to fly on board the International Space Station for more than 6 months.
• How do you eat in space? What was it like to be weightless? Kids questions and astronaut Chiao answers!!

Key Takeaways:

• A successful space mission is a success for all of humanity.
• The moon is only 3 days away and is similar to Mars with reduced gravity and atmosphere.
• Being weightless in a plane does not fully prepare you for continuous weightlessness in space.
• Some of the most desolate areas are some of the most beautiful.

"The moon is the perfect place to develop and test all of your hardware. You want to make sure all of the stuff's going to work before you send it to Mars. You probably even want to train crews on the moon." — Leroy Chiao

Connect with Leroy Chiao:

Website: LeroyChiao.com & OneOrbitCDR.com

Book: One Orbit

About Beth Mund:

Beth's love for space started as a Space Camp attendee at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where she would return years later as an instructor. After grad school, Beth worked as a journalist, a technical writer for Motorola, and then went on to serve as a Public Affairs Officer for the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In addition, Beth worked to support the International Space Station program as a communication specialist. In Chicago, Beth worked as a corporate communication advisor to Fortune 50 companies including Allstate and United Airlines. She's worked as a college instructor, a political advisor, and public relations manager for her hometown city. Beth recently founded Stellar Communications, LLC and travels the country as a keynote speaker- inspiring audiences with her lessons learned from our nation's space program. She's the host of the Casual Space Podcast, and a self-proclaimed space geek.

Connect with Beth Mund:

Email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Website: bethmund.com

Facebook: @BethMund

Show notes by show producer/podcastologist: Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie