Astronauts Boldly Go Where Southland Has Gone Before

By MCCARTHY, Phil

ASPIRING Southland astronauts got a heads-up on the space race from visiting members of the European Space Agency yesterday.

The members are in Southland for the opening of the Awarua Tracking Station which will play a vital role in monitoring the rocket taking supplies to the International Space Station this weekend.

European Space Agency head of launchers programmes department Markus Bertschi and principal engineer Pier-Michele Roviera visited several schools yesterday to talk about the European Space Agency’s missions, in particular the launch of the Ariane 5 launcher from French Guiana, which will take fuel and supplies to the space station.

At Southland Girls’ High School, Mr Bertschi said the mission would be repeated every 18 months as supplies were needed on the space station.

The rocket would cross Australia, passing about 200km south of New Zealand on its way into orbit before docking at the space station.

The rocket would go through three ignition phases before the automatic transfer vehicle (ATV) Jules Verne was thrust into the space station’s orbit.

The second phase of ignition would be monitored from the Awarua station, he said.

The rocket launcher and ATV cost about $300 million (NZ) and would be destroyed as their individual components re-entered the earth’s atmosphere. The agency is funded by European countries, Mr Bertschi said.

Pupils were invited to ask questions about the mission and space travel in question and many were curious about the life of an astronaut.

The space station had a permanent crew of three, two of whom did maintenance while the third carried out scientific experiments. Up to eight people could be accommodated.

Potential astronauts went through physical and mental pre- testing before being accepted. They then study for two years. They usually had backgrounds as pilots, doctors or scientists, Mr Bertschi said.

Astronaut Roberto Vittori will be speaking at the Invercargill Workingmen’s Club today at 8pm. The public is welcome.