Q&A with astronaut and speaker John B. Herrington

John B. Herrington, an astronaut and an advocate for education, was recognized as the first Native American man to go to space.

The Gillings School of Global Public Health recently announced that Herrington will deliver its spring commencement speech. He talked to Staff Writer Mona Bazzaz about his experiences in space and his upcoming speech.

The Daily Tar Heel: What made you decide to agree to give the commencement speech for the School of Public Health?

JOHN B. HERRINGTON: My brother, Dr. Jim Herrington, was recently hired at the School of Public Health.

One thing led to another ... and I’m honored to be invited.

DTH: When did you first want to go into space?

JH: I was selected to NASA in 1996 after applying twice. I was in NASA for about six years partaking in a variety of training as well as engineering work. Finally, I was selected to fly in 2000 and we took off in 2002.

DTH: How selective was that process?

JH: There were 3,000 applicants the year I applied, and of those 3,000, 44 students were chosen. In order to be considered, you have to have a technical background — either math- or science-related. I was a Navy test pilot previously and had recently earned a master’s degree in agronomical engineering, which I think gave me a competitive edge.

DTH: What was space like?

JH: I was in space for 14 days. We went to the international space station, and our mission was very unique. There were four people on our crew and we took an additional three people to space to stay there for six months and brought back three people who had been there for six months. We also had an assembly mission where I did three spacewalks to help install a large truss on the outside of the space station.

DTH: What was the training like for spacewalks?

JH: So you spend an average of seven to 10 hours of training in the pool for every hour of spacewalk you’re planning. I conducted nearly 200 hours of training myself. The training gives you the experience of being neutrally buoyant because it is easy to move in space but hard to stop because there is nothing pushing against you.

DTH: What was it like knowing you are the first Native American to go to space?

JH: It was very cool, and I did not realize I was in that position until I came to NASA. I was able to share my experience with other people who were native. It put me in the position of a role model, which I did not expect to be in, but I take it very seriously.

DTH: How was the food?

JH: Half of us became dehydrated because, for every pound of weight, it costs $10,000 to take something to space. So water was sparse. We ate a lot of shrimp cocktail because it cleared your sinuses well. Nothing is pulling the fluid in your body down anymore so you get congested and your face looks puffy.

DTH: What have you taken away most from this experience and from other experiences in your life?

JH: Flying in space allowed me to see this world on a macro level ... I also lived underwater for 10 days for this space flight stimulator program called Nemo. It allowed me to see life on a much more micro level. My final experience was the cross-country bike ride I took. I wanted to do something special with it, though, so I stopped along my way to speak to NASA explore schools and Native American reservations ... I met fascinating people including this woman who ended up becoming my wife, and you end up experiencing the world on a more personal level.