Magnus is Scheduled to Return to Space This Fall

Belleville’s own astronaut, Sandra H. Magnus, is preparing to spend a few weeks on the International Space Station.

"It’s been a long road, but it has definitely been worth it," Magnus said Tuesday from Houston. "It’s very exciting."

Magnus, 43, is scheduled to lift off on Sept. 18, depending on the weather, and return to Earth in October. She already has spent 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes in space.

During her time on the space station she will serve as a flight engineer and NASA science officer and will conduct experiments and complete research. She is planning some life-science experiments where she’ll volunteer to be the "guinea pig," but didn’t know exactly what experiments will be conducted during the trip. As the lift-off date approaches, more details will be available, she said.

"The work is always interesting, but I think it will be most interesting to see what it will be like to establish a life up there," she said. "You’re basically moving somewhere and establishing a whole new lifestyle."

She is scheduled to replace Gregory E. Chamitoff aboard the space station.

"The biggest challenge for flying a station mission for any crew member is to remain flexible," Magnus said. "What I’m training for now could change, and we have to be prepared to do what they ask you to do, whether you are trained for it or not."

The International Space Station will be near completion when Magnus gets there. She has spent 10 years working on its pieces on the ground.

She operated the space shuttle Atlantis’ robotic arm during her first mission in October 2002 to install the third of 11 trusses for the space station. The mission was accomplished in 170 orbits, traveling 4.5 million miles in 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes.

Local school children may get a chance to talk to Magnus while she’s in space. There are no precise plans, and Magnus said she still has to go to meetings to arrange and schedule the space-to-earth connections with schools.

"I’m going to try to do that, and I really hope to be able to connect with schools in Belleville," Magnus said. "I’m hoping to be able to do a few of those kinds of events. I think it’s important and will be a lot of fun."

Magnus is training alongside another astronaut, who is scheduled to go to the space station in October. If something were to happen and that astronaut could not go, Magnus would go in his place.

She expects, more than anything, she’ll miss her family the most during her space flight.

"Being away from my family is going to be tough," she said. "We have ways to communicate; I can call my parents in Belleville and I will be able to videoconference once a week. But missing my family is going to be tough."