Whether someone imagines it’s a place of wonder, exploration, or a galaxy far far away, Americans are obsessed with space. Countless kids dream of one day becoming an astronaut Originally, even Mark Vande Hei brushed off such a goal as unattaniable: “I believed becoming an astronaut was about as realistic as becoming Spider Man or Superman or a Professional Football player at 5’6”.” However, in his eyes now, anyone with an interest in science has infinite possibilities. The NASA astronaut, who grew up in Minnesota, attended St. John’s Univeristy,  met with Cannon Falls High School’s Robotics Team in his son’s bedroom turned office at 11 a.m. on Friday April 24 via Microsoft Teams. It’s safe to say he was a much needed bright spot not only for the high schoolers who didn’t get to finish their competitive season, but for all of the students who tuned in to the call on YouTube Live as well. 

Riley Buchheit, CFHS’ seventh grade STEM teacher, ninth grade physical science teacher, and assistant robotics coach, spearheaded the call. After he filled out an Astronaut Appearance Request Form on NASA’s website, plans began taking shape. Buchheit is a firm believer in students learning from other’s experiences; he also recognized the gravity of the current situation. “I knew going into distance learning four weeks ago that I could try and make the most of this unique time period by reaching out to NASA and ask to have such an intelligent and amazing person, like an astronaut, talk to our students,” the coach revealed. 

And Vande Hei’s 45 minute chat was truly out of this world. He began the conference call with a brief presentation. While showing immaculate images, the astronaut highlighted what his journey looked like on the International Space Station (ISS) from September 2017-March 2018 before beginning the live Q&A with the team and those watching live. 

Throughout, honesty was his policy. Vande Hei compared blast off to an epic six hour roller coaster ride which only went up. When he was on board the ISS, he experienced multiple mishaps and was unapologetic while sharing them. He pointed out, “There’s a stain on the ceiling of the space station because I opened up a can of Russian soup and forgot to put a napkin over the top like I was trained to do. I couldn’t get that one cleaned up no matter how hard I tried,” giving everyone a good laugh. 

Two senior robotics team members—Kristy Allen and Blake Hernke—got to ask Vande Hei a question. Both plan on going into engineering next year. Allen, who acts as the team’s project manager, questioned Vande Hei on his education background. He reassured her that any scientific field is the way to go. As the Design Team Captain, Hernke has been drawn to NASA for quite some time. “I always have thought it would be cool to be an astronaut,” Hernke shared. Vande Hei’s views on space, young people, and science in general, only confirmed the 18-year-old’s belief. 

But, beyond Hernke, all who listened to Vande Hei got a little taste of space. Who knows, maybe a member of CFHS’ Robotics Team, like Allen or Hernke, might be working for NASA someday. Regardless, these students will take Vande Hei’s remarkable stories, lessons, and advice to infinity and beyond.