Iowa Astronaut Raja Chari Advances STEM Education in Des Moines
Raja Chari made her first appearance in Des Moines on Wednesday since becoming the 10th Iowan astronaut.
NASA astronauts spent 177 days in orbit from November 10, 2021 to May 6, 2022. This is the equivalent of his 175 days on the International Space Station. , a conference hosted by the Governor’s STEM Advisory Committee to promote education and innovation in science, technology engineering, and mathematics.
Chari, 45, grew up in Cedar Falls, graduated from the University of Waterloo-Columbus, and had an illustrious career in the United States Air Force before joining NASA’s Astronaut Corps in 2017. International Space Station.
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In a 30-minute speech, Chari told educators and business owners that Iowa schools are well prepared for students in engineering and science careers. But if you have a kid who wants to work in the space industry, you should find a different path than he took.
Prioritizing STEM Education in Iowa
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds spoke Wednesday ahead of Chari’s appearance. Her office is where she founded the STEM Advisory Board in 2016. Chari pointed to the commission and Iowa’s strong education system as a benefit to all Iowa children considering a career in science, engineering, or math.
“You have this unique blend of agricultural upbringing, hardworking ethic, and academic influence, and it all comes together,” Chali said. All the pieces are there.
“You have a great foundation, but I don’t think it’s very well known outside of Iowa.”
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“Go find your own way”
Chari said in June that kids interested in space should find something they’re passionate about in science, math, or medicine and “grab it.” His path to NASA began when his parents immigrated to the United States from India and settled in Cedar Falls. Shari eventually became an Air Force Colonel and later a test he became a pilot.
“Our paths are all completely different,” Chali said. “If you are going to be an astronaut or go to space, the last thing you should do is look at our background and try to do it. Because we already have it.Find your own way.”
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He said there will be setbacks, big and small, along the way. Crew 3 was scheduled to launch on his October 31st, but Chari woke up with a sore throat from the respiratory syncytial virus.
“Tell me about something that really doesn’t feel right,” Chari said. “That you’ve been working all your life and you have to send everyone home.”
Kids should dream big and like him and Peggy Whitson from Beaconsfield, spent 665 days in space – more time in space than any American or woman in the world. But there are only about 40 astronauts, he said.
Space industry jobs are available in Mission Control, Rocket Building, Payload and Experimental Services. Private space companies are booming and are “looking for people to come in,” Chari said.
“NASA has an IT guy and a public relations guy. It’s like a small city,” Chari says. “It’s not just engineering and science jobs.
Spacewalks feel like they’re having a ‘really bad fight’
At the end of his speech, Chari played a video highlighting recent missions. He performed spacewalks on March 15 and March 23 to perform maintenance on the space station exterior.
Spacewalks look fun and might be, he said, but they’re also physically taxing.
“It’s not comfortable to be on the ground,” he said, because Space Shuttle-era spacesuits aren’t custom-fit. It makes you feel like you’re fighting a “really bad fight”.
“Every movement you make is opposed by a force of 4.5 pounds per square inch for seven hours,” said Chari. I just got shot in the hand.”
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Return to Iowa to ‘energize’ astronaut Rajah Chali
Chari gave a speech at her alma mater, Columbus High School, in January 2020, during her first public relations campaign as an astronaut. But he hadn’t been back in Iowa since before his COVID-19 pandemic began.
During his return home Wednesday, his second public relations trip as an astronaut will also include a speech scheduled at Central College in Perak on Thursday. Breaks the intense monotony when you can meet and talk to ., constant training in Houston.
Around 10:30 a.m. after Chari finished his speaking and media duties, more than 100 students from Indian Hills Junior High School in West Des Moines rushed to the ballroom to meet him.
Talking about meeting the next generation of engineers and astronauts, Shari said: “You live vicariously through the youth. Going on public relations visits … you can’t see concrete long-term results, but you can see faces.”
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Philip Joens is responsible for Public Safety, City Government and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at 515-443-3347 (pjoens@registermedia.com) or Twitter @Philip_Joens.
