VOICE ONE:
This is Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English programEXPLORATIONS.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour returned to Earth last month. Itcarried the fourth crew to live and work on the International SpaceStation. One member of the crew kept a written record of what it islike to live in space. Today we tell what astronaut Daniel Burschwrote.
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VOICE ONE:
American astronaut Daniel Bursch returned to Earth Junenineteenth after a total of one-hundred ninety-six days in space. Heand the other American crewmember Carl Waltz now hold the Americanrecord for the longest time spent in space on one flight.
Astronaut Bursch was chosen tolive on the space station crew because he had spent almostthree-thousand flight hours in more than thirty-five differentaircraft. He had also flown three times as a crewmember of the spaceshuttle. Before living on the space station, he spent more thanseven-hundred-forty hours in space.
VOICE TWO
Daniel Bursch is an officer in the United States Navy. He wasborn in the eastern state of Pennsylvania in nineteen-fifty-seven.He is married and has four children.
Mister Bursch is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy.He has advanced education in engineering science. He was selected byNASA in January nineteen-ninety and became an astronaut in July,nineteen-ninety-one.
VOICE ONE:
The space shuttle Endeavor was launched into space Decemberfifth, two-thousand one. It was carrying two American astronauts andone Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station. DanielBursch began writing on his one-hundredth day in orbit, Marcheighteenth. He wrote the diary in an effort to give others a feelfor what it is like to be a crewmember on the International SpaceStation.
Mister Bursch said the trip to the International Space Stationwas a little different experience for him. It was the first time hehad flown in the space shuttle as a passenger, not a member of thecrew. Bob Doughty reads from the diary of Daniel Bursch.
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VOICE THREE:
The launch was the first time for me on the middeck, inside thespace shuttle. There are no windows there and you can not seeoutside. It surprised me when the shuttle began to roll as part ofthe launch. All space shuttles do this. But I was used to being onthe flight deck where we can see outside through the forward andoverhead windows. Up there you can see what is happening.
We soon were in orbit and linked with the International SpaceStation. Everyone became very busy. Things did not slow down untilthe shuttle left for the return flight to Earth. There is a limitedamount of time to do all of the planned tasks. This caused a gooddeal of pressure as we worked hard to do all that was required.
The commander of our crew, the fourth crew to live and work onthe International Space Station, is Russian Cosmonaut YuryOnufrienko. When we arrived at the station, Yury already had spentmore than one-hundred-ninety-three days in space on the Russian Mirspace station.
Yury told us that it would be a strange feeling when the shuttlereturned to Earth and we three were the only ones left. It was alittle like a family party…very busy…and it suddenly came to anend…everyone left.
Our working days slowed a little, but we were still busy. Weworked outside the space station two times in January and we had tomove cargo into the space station from the Russian cargo shipProgress.
The Christmas and New Year holidays were a nice break from ourwork. It was very hard for me to be away from my family. We spentmost of the holidays catching up on sleep, writing electronic mailand watching movies. We also called friends and family on a specialtelephone linked to the Internet communications system. It was veryspecial to be able to call my family. It was a lot of fun to callsomeone and listen to their surprise when we said we were callingfrom space.
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VOICE TWO:
Daniel Bursch wrote in detail of the tasks he performed each day.He explained how they planned for future jobs such as the arrival ofthe next space shuttle, or Russian cargo spacecraft. And, he toldabout the food and how important it became.
VOICE THREE:
Our days are controlled by “Universal Time.” We start at sixo’clock each morning and our day ends at twenty-one-thirty hours.
Sometimes we have to change our workday because of a coming eventsuch as the shuttle or a Soyuz spacecraft linking with our spacestation.
Each day we get several messages that we need to read that arepart of a daily work plan. We read these messages and print themwith the aid of small computers. We read our mail, wash, eatbreakfast, read the plan of our work day. We also have a morningconference with our teams on the ground at Mission Control inHouston, Texas, the Operations Control Center, in Huntsville,Alabama and Russian Mission Control in Moscow. Each control centerprepares questions for us about our work or sends us new tasks.
Our daily work includes safety inspections of all of ourequipment, taking pictures inside and outside. We work on scienceexperiments, and inspect and repair any equipment that needs work.
We also have about two and one-half-hours of physical exerciseevery day. We usually have our last meal of the day about seventeenhours-thirty.
We have a combination of Russian and American food. Yury told usour tastes would change in space. And, he was right. Food that Ithought was hot or spicy…is no longer spicy. Also, some foods that Ireally liked on Earth no longer appeal to me anymore. I still can’twait to try some pizza when we return to Earth. We all like to seethe space shuttle arrive, or the Russian cargo ship because it meansfresh fruit, different food and mail and gifts from our family andfriends.
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VOICE ONE:
Members of the space station crew can fly from one part of theirhome to another because of the lack of gravity in space. AstronautBursch liked to play a game. He would throw an object across theroom and then try to fly in exactly the way it did, like twoaircraft flying together. However, he said he had to be carefulbecause if you hit something, it hurt! Here he explains howdifficult living on the space station can be for extended periods oftime.
VOICE THREE:
One important part of space flight is the mental challenges thattake place when you live with two other persons in what is really alarge can. Living with someone is very different than just workingwith them. And living and working together with only two otherpeople for several months can be difficult.
If you have a bad day, you can’t just go for a walk. I have cometo accept that all of us will have good days and bad days. You haveto quickly learn that you can not let small problems bother you. Youcan’t think about small problems, you have to let them go. And soonyou will realize how unimportant they are and will probably laughthat they even bothered you in the first place.
I learned that it is important to let the others know whensomething bothers you. Like any other relationship, if you letthings go all the time they will collect inside and always come outat the wrong time. So, relations in space are a balancing act thesame as on Earth.
VOICE TWO:
Astronaut Bursch likes photography. He explained that heespecially enjoyed taking pictures of Earth from the space station.One morning he saw the highest mountain on Earth…something he wouldnever forget.
VOICE THREE:
I happened to be up early. Ilooked at our world map and saw that we would be passing near MountEverest soon. I looked at our computer and saw our flight path wouldbe over this famous mountain. I looked out the window and there wasMount Everest. It almost seemed to jump out at me. It was just afterdawn there and the sun was low in the Earth sky. This made themountains look very beautiful. I began taking photographs. It wasjust one of those sights that will be forever burned into my brain.
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VOICE ONE:
You can see Daniel Bursch’s beautiful photograph of Mount Everestif you have a computer that can link with the Internetcommunications system.
The Web site address is WWW.VOA-STORY.COM. Then look for SpecialEnglish and the picture.
This Special English program was written by Paul Thompson anddirected by Cynthia Kirk. The diary of Daniel Bursch was read by BobDoughty. This is Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for anotherEXPLORATIONS program on the Voice of America.