You Can't Top This For Sci-Fi Coolness
Moviegoers pretty much are required to sit in crowded
theaters to watch the new "Star Trek" movie, which premiered on May
8, but not NASA astronaut Michael Barratt. He will have the
opportunity to watch the film aboard the International Space
Station, while he and two crewmates fly 220 miles above Earth. The
only thing missing will be the popcorn.
Paramount Pictures transferred "Star Trek" to NASA's Mission
Control in Houston, which then uplinked the film to the space
station on Thursday, May 14. Barratt plans to watch the film on a
laptop computer inside the Unity module.
"I remember watching the original 'Star Trek' series and, like
many of my NASA coworkers, was inspired by the idea of people from
all nations coming together to explore space," said Barratt. "'Star
Trek' blended adventure, discovery, intelligence and story telling
that assumes a positive future for humanity. The International
Space Station is a real step in that direction, with many nations
sharing in an adventure the world can be proud of."
There is a collection of DVDs and uplinked movies aboard the
space station. The DVDs were delivered during previous shuttle and
station missions and will remain aboard for the enjoyment of future
crews.
Some crews have had movie nights as regular activities. Former
station astronaut Greg Chamitoff and his crewmates viewed the
entire "Star Trek" series as a regular weekly event.
Aside from watching movies and television shows, space station
astronauts have a number of options for their leisure and personal
time, such as reading books or magazines, listening to music, and
playing musical instruments and board games. Chamitoff played chess
in orbit with ground teams from station control centers around the
world and the public. During one game, the public voted on the next
move, choosing from four possibilities that students from Stevenson
Elementary School in Bellevue, Wash., suggested.
Films, books and music are important aspects of psychological
support for astronauts on long-duration missions.
Barratt launched to the space station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft
in March. He is scheduled to return to Earth on space shuttle
Endeavour's STS-127 mission in June. His station crewmates are
Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and Koichi Wakata of the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency. All three will become part of the
station's first six-person crew, Expedition 20, when three new crew
members arrive on May 29.