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Skyping in Space
In what would have been
science fiction a mere
decade ago, students
and professors had the
opportunity to enjoy
a video chat with Col.
R. Shane Kimbrough,
currently working on the
International Space Station
(ISS). Col. Kimbrough is the
father of TCU freshman
Taylor Kimbrough, who
hails from Houston and
is majoring in Motion
Science.
Diane Snow, dean of the
Honors College, facilitated
the call. She has an avid
interest in space herself
and currently conducts
research with Kentucky
Space related to the
effects of microgravity on
nervous system function.
Snow also serves on the
advisory board for both
the Exomedicine Institute
(a nonprofit dedicated
to the health benefits of
microgravity) and Space
Tango, Inc. (a for-profit
company focused on
the commercialization of
space).
Col. Kimbrough started
the Skype call with brief
background about living
and working on the ISS.
In contrast to the slow,
quiet Hollywood images
we picture, the ISS races
250 miles above the Earth
at a speed of 17,500 mph.
Kimbrough described
great joys, like observing
repeated sunrises
and sunsets, seeing
abundant aurora borealis,
experiencing the beauty of
the turquoise water of the
Bahamas and the intense
reds of the Sahara Desert,
and working daily in a
collaborative environment
with multiple nations. He
repeatedly talked about
enjoying his service to
human advancement
through the research being
conducted on the ISS.
The call lasted for about
36 minutes, while the
ISS was in range, and
students were able to ask
Col. Kimbrough questions.
Dean Snow also shared
some details of her
research and encouraged
students to be open to
opportunities in space
science. “Our life paths
are rarely linear, and you
just never know where an
opportunity might take
you,” she shared.
Cultural
Routes
Cultural
Pilgrimages
Cultural
Pathways