Science

Astronauts Answer 50 Most Googled Questions About Space in New Video

Incoming rapid-fire answers.

Wired

Ever wonder what it’s truly like to be an astronaut? Here is your chance to hear about it straight from the mouths of astronauts themselves.

A new video of astronauts titled “Astronauts Answer 50 of the Most Googled Space Questions,” had them answer the rapid-fire questions from Google. For example: Did you know you can become an astronaut simply by sending in an application to NASA?

NASA astronauts including Tim Kopra and Jeff Williams, as well as Tim Peake of the European Space Agency, addressed various space curiosities as part of Wired’s Autocomplete Interview series. The rapid-fire questions included one about whether birds can fly in space, to which the answer is “only inside a spacecraft.” They also confirmed that yes, you can shoot a gun in space.

One Google inquiry asked how much the space shuttle weighs, and the team of astronauts used the opportunity to showcase their senses humor: “A quarter of a million pounds…that’s with the crew on board that just ate.” Some of Google search questions were pretty straightforward, such as whether you see a space station from Earth. The answer is, of course, yes. One of the more trivial history questions asked and answered included how Mars was named. (The space experts revealed that it was the Romans who named it after the god of war.)

Following their session answering some of Earthlings’ most pressing questions about space, the astronauts will get back to exploring space aboard the International Space Station. Two Americans are scheduled for a spacewalk around the station.

And in case you’re wondering how cold it’ll be on their walk: Space is “very cold,” they confirmed.

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