From left are 8-18 Media correspondent Iris Dohrenwend and astronauts Dr. Anna Fisher and Suni Williams. (Photo courtesy 8-18 Media director Marnie Foucault)

By IRIS DOHRENWEND

8-18 Media

I got the wonderful opportunity this summer to interview NASA astronauts Dr. Anna Fisher and Suni Williams.

Have you ever wondered what rules astronauts have to follow in space? Here are some funny things that astronauts can’t bring into space:

A big factor in space allowance is crumbs. Because of zero gravity, any particles of food that don’t end up in an astronaut’s mouth will end up floating around the spaceship and might interfere with sensitive equipment.

The first corned beef sandwich to orbit Earth was smuggled aboard Gemini III on March 23, 1965, according to NASA. As contraband unapproved for flight by NASA, pilot John Young had hidden the sandwich in a pocket of his spacesuit shortly before the launch.

When I was researching for this article and came across this information, I was thinking, “Shouldn’t an astronaut know better than to bring nonregulated food on a spacecraft?” I was curious, so I kept researching and came across an article by Jennifer Ross-Nazzal, NASA human spaceflight historian, stating that “Young described the chicken bites as ‘barely edible’ in his post-flight debriefing.”

Don L. Lind, a scientist-astronaut selected in 1967, described the early Gemini food as “strange.” The food might be gross, but in my opinion, all that trouble is not worth it for a spaceflight that lasted just under five hours. I would have saved the treat for after my flight.

In the same article, NASA director Robert R. Gilruth states, “To be too strict in the future by laying down a lot of rules for men who have this responsibility and who, in all the flights so far, have done such good jobs.” I think this ties into what Suni Williams said when I interviewed her about slightly pushing the rules.

Williams said, “I don’t know what you are not supposed to do. Sometimes you don’t ask the question. I’m a Navy guy, so we don’t ask the question.”

There are rules NASA sets in place to keep people safe and the equipment in good condition, but I feel they generally accept that the astronauts will find a way to make their time in space more enjoyable. Williams also mentioned that sometimes they will stay up a little later and share food with the other segments (Russians) and share stories.

I believe the genuine connection and camaraderie that unite these astronauts and their cultures are crucial for fostering unity among countries. Anna Fisher described her space travels as camping trips, which I thought was a fun way to put the experience of going to space.

Most people will probably never get the privilege of going up into space, but the lessons and insights these astronauts bring back are truly valuable. As we move forward through these tough times, it is truly important to remember that, at the end of the day, no matter where you are from, what language you speak, there are meaningful things that we can all learn from each other.

Instead of focusing on what makes us different, by shifting our view to what brings us together, we can do so much more than we were previously capable of. We all share a planet, and that isn’t changing any time soon.

Iris Dohrenwend, 14, is in ninth grade. She has a sister along with two cats and a rabbit. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking and baking.