Rio Grande Valley boy scouts are shown Tuesday at Camp Perry just north of Rio Hondo listening to a telephone conversation from astronaut Mike Fossum, who was stationed in space at the time. (Photos by Cristina M. Garcia)
By CRISTINA M. GARCIA
Special to the NEWS
It might be a long shot for anyone on planet earth to receive an opportunity to speak with an astronaut, much less when he is relatively 200 miles above the earth’s atmosphere.
The Rio Grande Valley’s Boy Scouts of America reached for the stars and landed such an opportunity via a phone call from Michael Fossum, a National Aeronautical and Space Administration astronaut.The boy scouts at Camp Perry, just north of Rio Hondo, were given the extraordinary chance to converse with Fossum, who is presently at the International Space Station (ISS).
Years prior, Fossum attended McAllen High School and was also a Boy Scout who enjoyed himself at Camp Perry
As the phone rang, the room speedily went silent while over 100 boy scouts listened with anticipation. After Fossum and ISS made a stellar connection with the boy scouts, he greeted them and said it was good to hear from the boy scout troops.
Nathaniel, a boy scout out of troop six, inquired on the training required in becoming an astronaut. “It is a lifetime of preparation, learning, and questioning,” Fossum said. Many astronauts have different college degrees, outside the areas of primarily science, Fossum added.
Sergio Cisneros was inquisitive about how the weather, like hurricanes, looked from outside the earth’s atmosphere. “You can see hurricanes from space, but fortunately I do not see any right now,” Fossum said. He added that he hopes he does not see any hurricanes headed for the shores of Texas.
Fossum’s life in space consists of sleeping in a sleeping bag, like many of the boy scouts do, but it is attached by bungee cords and will be his bed for six months. Fossum told the boy scouts that they exercise in space by doing resistance training, running on a treadmill attached by a harness and bungee cords, and use an exercise bike to keep from losing too much bone and muscle.
“Camp Perry is really one of my favorite places in the world. I have so many great memories there, and I love the place,” Fossum said. He added that when he would head out to Camp Perry, he would look forward to hanging out with his friends, and it is something he still does on his missions. “A big thing you learn is taking care of your buddies and working together,” Fossum said about his experience as an astronaut.
“If you love it, you’re going to be good at it. Follow your passion,” he said.
Teddy Green, an RGV boy scout, said he believes that the Boy Scouts of America opens many doors and helps him do whatever it is he may want to do in life. He felt honored to speak with Fossum at Camp Perry.
Fossum, a flight engineer, will return to earth after he commands Expedition 29. The mission will be complete in November of this year.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of the June 26 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.
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