[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 1
- 13:12:06 ]
If you have not read Estella's profile, please do so prior to joining the
chat. This can be found at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/bios/ehg.html.
After the chat, please take a moment to fill out our brief survey at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys
so we can make our chats a better experience for you.
[ MikeMrMike - 7 - 12:40:24 ]
RE: [Mike-Mr.Mike] Hola Estella esperamos hayas recibido
nuetro mensaje del dia de ayer y en esta oportunidad nos des tu opinion
del proyecto " Cuestion de Espacio "..
Si recibi su mensaje...
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 12 -
12:45:59 ]
RE: [Sabrina-SabrinaSingh/GeorgiaTech] Hi Estella!
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I am a freshman at Georgia
Tech and want to become an astroanut. I am interested in biomedical engineering
and was wondering what kind of demand NASA will have for this field. Also,
I do wear contacts and how does ethis affect my chances of becoming an
astronaut?
Sabrina--hi! Specific standards for distance visual acuity: 20/200 or
better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye... As long as you meet
those requirements, vision is not a problem.
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 13 -
12:46:57 ]
RE: [Hector-Hector/SanAntonioTexas] Hola Estella
muchas gracias por permitirme hablar contigo, primeramente felicitarte
por todo lo que has luchado por llegar hasta donde te encuentras y sobretodo
por ser hispana. Quisiera que me consideraras coomo tu amigo y que el
dia que te sintieras tristes te puedas comunicar conmigo para poder platicar
y asi que pudieras olvidar por un rato tus problemas, ademas me encantaria
platicar contigo por una parte por ser una persona inteligente me encantaria
explorar tu mundo que pienso ha de ser bastante interesante. Por favor
contactame tan pronto como tu puedas y tu tiempo te lo permita este es
mi e-mail: TOY10@webtv.net. Por favor escribeme Tu amigo
""Hector"".
Hector-- Gracias por amable nota. Me da gusta que nuestros jovenes se
interesen en nuestro programa espacial. Este programa es para todos!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 14 -
12:48:44 ]
RE: [Paty] Hola Estella, espero nos
puedas responder al mensaje enviado sobre cuestion de espacio, para nosotros
es muy importante entrar en contacto contigo para tomar una decision sobre
nuestro viaje a la NASA. Ojala nos envies tu e-mail para enviarte mensajes
mas directamente.Gracias y Saludos Nuevamente. Paty y Miguel (Mr. Mike).
Paty-- He leido tu nota. Ojala me encuentres en el e-mail--nuevamente,
mi direccion es estella.h.gillette1@jsc.nasa.gov
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 15 -
13:02:30 ]
RE: [MissPatyGonzalez/TVProducer] Hola
Estella: Esperamos que hayas recibido nuestro mensaje del Proyecto Cuestión
de Espacio que conducirá el Dr. Neri. Es muy importante para nosotros
entrar en contacto contigo para tomar una decision sobre nuestro próximo
viaje a la NASA. Nos gustaria saber cual es tu e-mail para enviarte mensajes
mas directamente. Te agradeceriamos contestarnos al e-mail: maavila@df1.telemx.net.mx Gracias
y saludos Miguel Angel Acevedo (Mr. Mike en el chat) Paty Gonzalez
Paty-- He leido tu nota y la de Mike. Por lo pronto ya hice una lista
de hispanos que son parte de la familia de NASA aqui en Houston y creo
que podremos ayudarles con su proyecto. Voy a hacer mas preguntas de la
oficina de relaciones publicas para poder decirles a ustedes que mas tienen
que hacer para poder hacer su visita de orientacion.
[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 16 - 13:05:36
]
Good Afternoon - We will be starting our chat with Estella Gillette now.
Estella is on-line and ready. As you might know we open our chat room
2 days before the chat for those of you who cannot attend live. The q
& a you see above are the results of questions submitted earlier. We welcome
you to begin submitting questions now. If you haven't read Estella's profile,
please do so at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/bios/ehg.html
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 20 -
13:21:02 ]
RE: [Arlene] Hola Estela, nosotros queremos
saber si usted se puede comunicar con los astronautas cuando estan en
el espacio o como obtienen la informacion acerca de su trabajo en el espacio
en ese momento. Tambien queremos saber cuales son los requisitos para
poder trabajar en la NASA como astronauta. Nos gustaria saber si alguna
vez algun astronauta ha muerto durante el viaje espacial. Yo quiero ser
un abogado, podria trabajar en la NASA. Esta preguntas son de un grupo
de estudiantes del 4 grado de la escuela elemental Garfield en Elgin Illinois
Distrito 46. Nos sentimos muy contentos por la oportunidad de conocerte
y poder hacerte algunas preguntas, te deseamos muchos exitos y que puedas
continuar ayudando a muchas personas con tu trabajo.
Arlene-- Cuando los astronautas estan en el espacio, se pueden comunicar
con en centro de control constantemente. Pero tambien se pueden comunicar
con sus familias y sus companeros y amigos por e-mail, una cosa que los
hace muy contentos. Para ser astronauta, es necesario tener la educacion
de un ingeniero, cientifico, o alguna otra carrera tecnica, pero advanzada;
tener por lo menos 3 anos de trabajo en esa carrera; y estar en excelente
condicion fisica. Aparte, hay otros requisitos, pero estos son los basicos.
10 astronautas han muerto durante la mision espacial--3 durante una prueba
del cohete en el Cape Kennedy, y 7 durante el lanzamiento, tambien en
Kennedy. Gracias por comunicarse conmigo--les deseo muy buenas costumbres
de estudio!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 21 -
13:22:26 ]
RE: [Sabrina] My vision is corrected
to 20/20 becasue I wear contacts, does that count? ALso, what about biomedical
engineering as a future for NASA astronuts?
Sabrina--Yes, your correctable vision with contacts would count. And biomedical
engineering definitely counts!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 25 -
13:24:27 ]
RE: [Thai] Hi Estella! I am very willing
to become a part of nasa, but math is my number 1 weackeness. what should
I do?
Thai-- Math used to be my No. 1 weakness too! Until I discovered as an
adult that it really wasn't all that bad. I actually made A's in algebra
once I got into college, when I had made C's in high school. I think if
you understand that there are definite steps to take when dealing with
math solutions, you will see that it really isn't that difficult. I would
advise you to get a tutor, take your time, and try to understand the process
that math is. It's more a question of being patient than lack of intelligence,
I believe. So, don't underestimate yourself--don't let math scare you!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 26 -
13:28:04 ]
RE: [Yaitza] Hi Estella! I wanted to
know if I could be an astronaut or even a payload specialist. I'm asking
you because I'm hispanic, female and have a mild case of cerebral palsy.
and because I'm doing a research paper on a controversial topic!
Yaitza-- As long as you are a citizen of the U.S., can pass the academic
and physical requirements of the astronaut program, you can be an astronaut.
But, it is still a highly competitve program! Women and minorities have
been selected as astronauts since 1978. We have several minority and female
astronauts at this time. If you would like more information about the
program qualifications, or a brochure about the requirements, send a note
to Duane Ross, NASA Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Road 1, Mail Code
AHX, Houston, TX 77058. Good luck!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 29 -
13:31:20 ]
RE: [Melissa16] Did John Glenn's second
flight to space anger you becuase he had already gone, and some women
have never been up?
Melissa-- On the contrary, seeing Astronaut Senator John Glenn return
to flight was really exciting. There are lots of women--and men--who haven't
gone up, so it's not a matter of who hasn't gone up, but rather a matter
of flying people who can bring value to the Space Program, including the
right kind of attention from the public. Remember, Senator John Glenn
was a test pilot for years as well as an engineer. And, now that he's
been a Senator, it's good for him to understand why it's good for America
to support the U. S. space program!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 30 -
13:34:24 ]
RE: [Sabrina] Also, i want to co-op
at Johnson Space Center? What is your advice for me as I start to interview?
Also, are their any summer interships at JSC?
If you want to be a co-op at JSC, contact Bob Musgrove at 281-483-5266.
He is the co-op coordinator at JSC. You need to be enrolled in a school
that has a "partnership" agreement with us, you need at least 30-45 hours
of academic study, a GPA (varies for technical versus administrative professional).
As far as an internship is concerned, Bob is also the person who can address
that. We normally don't hire a lot of interns during the summer (budget
cuts, you know), but there are a few.
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 34 -
13:37:20 ]
RE: [Vanessa] Hi Stella! I am a freshman
taking computer science and My number one ambition is to become an astronaut
someday or just to become a part of nasa! why should i do?!
If you want to work at NASA, there are a couple of ways. You need a 4-year
degree if you want one of our "professional" jobs (about 70 percent of
our jobs require a degree). We hire engineers, scientists, mathematicians,
computer scientists, accounting majors, business administration. You can
apply once you graduate by submitting your resume to us. Or, better yet,
you can apply to become a co-op before you graduate, maybe around your
sophomore year (but the school has to be in partnership with us). Your
best best is to contact Bob Musgrove, co-op coordinator at JSC, 281-483-5266,
and ask him to send you the brochure (or look on our JSC web page)...
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 35 -
13:39:43 ]
RE: [Melissa16] Does John Glenn's space
flight anger anyone that you know at NASA? How does his flight make you
feel?
I'm not sure anyone got upset about John Glenn's flying again. I suppose
if I were waiting in line to be assigned for a mission, then got "bumped"
because he was assigned, that might upset me. But, our astronauts are
very professional and very flexible. Remember, many of them are military
and know that things change constantly. And, it's important for us to
make the public aware of our programs, and look at how much attention
this mission got us!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 36 -
13:41:36 ]
RE: [Yaitza] Thanks! I called KSC and
they referred me to the 'astronaut office' at JSC but no one answered
the phone!
Call 281-483-5907 and ask for Teresa Gomez. She is the assistant manager
in the Astronuat Selections Office and she can talk to you or mail you
the information. If she's not there, just ask for the information to be
sent to you. Good luck! If you don't get a response, send me an e-mail
to estella.h.gillette1@jsc.nasa.gov
and I'll forward your note to them.
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 39 -
13:42:52 ]
RE: [bruce] puetho acer astronata Jose
y Yancy
Bruce-- I think you're asking me if you can be an astronaut? It depends--if
you have a technical degree (engineering, math, biological science, physics,
for example), are in good physical condition, and are a U. S. citizen--yes.
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 40 -
13:44:19 ]
RE: [Tina16] John Glenn is 77 years
old and you are a lot younger, does the age make a difference in choosing
who goes up?
Age is not a factor in the determination of who can fly in space or can
be an astronaut. It's physical and mental shape that counts. Remember,
some of us may be young at heart and spirit, even if we're 86 (like my
mom), yet others of us can be 35 and act 86!!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 41 -
13:44:52 ]
RE: [Jennifer] What about if I want
to volunteer as part of nasa?
It depends on what you want to volunteer for...
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 42 -
13:45:27 ]
RE: [Vanesa] Since I'm still a freshman,
do you have any training or what if I want to volunteer?
What type of training are you thinking about? And what type of volunteering?
[ Susie - 45 - 13:58:45 ]
How have proceedures changed since the originla Mercury 13 were not selected
based on being female and now having a female commander scheduled for
STS-93?
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 48 -
14:03:05 ]
RE: [Jennifer] Estella, can you give
me an example?!
Well, it depends on what it is you want to do as a career. Actually, though,
we don't have a lot of volunteers, except for special events, but those
are mostly Public Relations type of activities. But, tell what you think
you might want to do as an adult and maybe I can think of something. Right
now, I'm stuck!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 49 -
14:04:39 ]
RE: [James] Hi Estella - Do you know
anything about the original Mercury 13? Were these only women? Where can
we find out more about them?
I have mostly found information about the Mercury 13 on the internet,
then some articles in the newspaper. Where I read most about them is in
Dr. Joseph Atkinson's book "The Real Stuff" which is all about the astronaut
program...
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 52 -
14:13:34 ]
RE: [Susie] How have proceedures changed
since the originla Mercury 13 were not selected based on being female
and now having a female commander scheduled for STS-93?
At the beginning, the criteria to be selected to be an astronaut was to
be a test pilot and to have an engineering degree. Those were the primary
qualifications. At that time, women (even those that had served in the
military during World War II) were not recognized as military persons.
So, much less could they be allowed to be test pilots. The Mercury 13
were pilots, but not test pilots, nor had (to my knowledge) they flown
1500 hours of high-performance jet aircraft time, which was the stipulated
requirement for the astronaut program at that time. Therefore, since that
was the criteria they were not selected because they did not meet those
qualifications. Remember, we were anxious to get into space because the
Russians had flown Sputniks 1 and 2 and we were in the middle of the cold
war. That's from history--and that's the way it was at that time. Now,
as to Eileen Collins, Eileen was one of the women who benefited from the
struggles of past women who persisted in demanding they be acknowledged
as full military persons, including allowance into the test pilot programs.
Eileen was fortunate to have been born at a later time and surely she
proven that women can be test pilots, Shuttle pilots, and Shuttle commanders.
To be a Shuttle commander, you must be a Pilot Astronaut (you can either
be a pilot or mission specialist astronaut). You must have flown at least
1000 hours of high-performance jet aircraft, that's 3000 pound thrust
per engine. Young women today have now idea what older women have had
to go through to get to where YOU can go today! It's wonderful that you
have so many choices--hopefully, you will make use of those choices!
[ EstellaHernandezGillette - 53 -
14:14:04 ]
RE: [Yaitza] She wasn't there, but I
was told when I could call again. I'll try again thursday because my research
paper requires an interview as well as information. Thanks!
Great! Hope you succeed!
[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 55 - 14:17:33
]
Estella will need to log out now. Thank you for joining us and thank you
to Estella for your insight into your work and the Astronaut Selection
Committee. Estella will be escorting Pedro Duque and his family at the
Houston parade tomorrow honoring STS-95! Remember this chat will be archived
and linked from Estella's profile later today.
[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 56 - 14:20:07
]
RE: [EstellaHernandezGillette] That's a question for Tish
Krieg! Tish?
Women of NASA is planning a series of events in honor of STS-93 the mission
in which Eileen Collins will be the first female space shuttle commander.
This will include a number of on-line interactive events around the theme"women's
firsts" and coinciding with Women's history month in March. More detailed
information will be available in the WON home page next week.
[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 57 - 14:23:19
]
Please take a moment to fill our out short survey to give us feedback
on improving the quality of our chats. Go to: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys