Terry Virts has spent the past eight years training as a space shuttle pilot to prepare for his mission to the International Space Station next fall. Virts, 40, was raised in Columbia and attended Oakland Mills High before enrolling at the Air Force Academy. He prepared for his career as an astronaut by spending nearly a decade flying F-16 fighter planes for the military, including several flights over Iraq. Virts, who resides in Houston with his wife, Stacy and two kids Matthew, 9, and Stephanie, 6, returned to his hometown to speak at the Maryland Science Center last week, a day after throwing the first pitch at the Orioles’ game ? and yes, he threw a strike.
It’s common for children to say they want to be an astronaut when they grow up. When did you say it ? and when did you believe it?
When I was 5 the first book I read was about Apollo and the moon program and from that point on, I wanted to be an astronaut. Once I became a fighter pilot, I was like, I really have a chance to be an astronaut and that?s where I got to where I am today.
You are a devout Christian. How does religion play a part in your life?
It?s a big part. It?s really important because it gives me my foundation. As far as my views of life in the universe in regards to my views as a Christian, I believe we have a really smart God who made everything. That?s why The Bible is the book that inspires me the most.
The nation?s economy is reeling. With all of the country?s financial troubles, why is NASA important to our country?s future?
I think one of the foundations of America is its dominance in science and technology ? that?s why the last century is the American Century in terms of the advances we made in science and technology. NASA made a huge down payment in what we did in the last century. Look at how our country has benefited from what we?ve discovered in NASA. A huge one we?ve given is satellite and global positioning. A lot of people can?t imagine life without [Major League Baseball] On Demand or the NFL Sunday Ticket. There was just a nationwide poll taken asking Americans how much money NASA got from the federal budget, and the average response was 24 percent. I don?t know where to even begin with that. We get about 2/3 of 1 percent. That?s it. If we got 3 percent, we?d be on Mars already.
Do you believe in aliens? What would you do if you saw one?
I honestly don?t know if I believe in them, but I don?t think so. I think if they were out there, we would have seen them already.But if I saw one, I?d probably be nice to him.
What did you learn in kindergarten that you still use today?
How to work well with others. On a space mission, you can be with the same group for two weeks and up to six months. If you are going to be successful, you have to work together.
As an astronaut, what do you do all day?
The best thing about being an astronaut is there is no typical day. Some days, we work in a space shuttle simulator, which is kind of like a big video game that moves and rotates upward to simulate a launch. Some days, we work on a spacewalk in a gigantic pool [a person has much less gravity in water to simulate space-like conditions], and other days we work on learning Russian [to communicate with foreign astronauts] and on others, we have flight training in supersonic jets.
You went to the Air Force Academy. Which team do you hate more: Army or Navy?
Whichever team we have to beat to win the Commander-In-Chief?s Trophy. I work with a bunch of Navy grads and we always give each other a hard time. When Air Force beats Navy, When I would give a briefing and I would put the score on some of the slides in my presentation.
If your house was on fire and all of your family members were safe, which item would you want to save the most?
My family pictures. It?s our family history. Almost everything else in your house can be replaced, but pictures of your children and your family throughout the years can?t be.
What will you tell your wife and kids the night before you fly into outer space since you have such a dangerous profession?
You know, I have already thought about what I?m going to say. I?m going to tell them that I have an important job and a worthwhile job. In my job, we have accidents, but we need to keep exploring space more and more. What we?re doing is never going to end.
