![]() There were two deaf ambassadors, including me, and we were testing a lighting system for notifications. We had about 20 to 30 seconds of free fall for each parabola. The plane flew a bunch of parabolas, first pitching up and then plunging down to create weightless conditions. ![]() But my main goal really was to help broaden the opportunities for disabled people to get into space. I know it wasn't actually going to space, but I still achieved my dream of feeling weightless. Credit: AstroAccess/Al Powers for Zero Gravity Corporation I just want to inspire people, make sure they know they can do whatever they want.Īpurva experiences weightlessness on an AstroAccess parabolic flight on Oct. We may have certain disabilities, but we can still do anything everyone else can. ![]() I participated in the AstroAccess parabolic flight was because I wanted to show that disabled people – they can do anything an enabled person can. It was one of my first projects at NASA, back when the spacecraft was in the early phases of construction. I learned so much about how to build a system and work with a team. It takes pictures of the Sun 24/7, and it is designed to help us understand the Sun's influence on Earth by studying the Sun in many wavelengths. I would probably have to say the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which was launched back in 2010. What have been some of your favorite projects to work on? She really, really has inspired me to work hard, and to study hard. She inspired me to work hard, and to study hard because she knows that a lot of people don't have those opportunities. It takes time, but it's just one of those continuing things. Now we can just send information via text with our cell phones. I know it's something that I won't ever be able to overcome completely, but there have been a lot of improvements. That's the hardest thing to overcome, and I'm still working on overcoming that. I would definitely have to say communication with people because most people don't know how to sign. What has been your biggest challenge, professional or personal, and how did you overcome it? When you are focused and have passion, you can definitely do anything you want. There's nothing that can stop you from meeting your dreams. You can't do it, you’re deaf.” But, if you work hard, you have these opportunities. A lot of people said, “No, you wouldn't be able to do it. And, if anyone says “No” to you ask, "Why not?" Don't let it bother you. That's what I've done ever since I was a child. Find a good role model or mentor who can support you all way through. If you feel challenged, if you feel a struggle, I'd recommend a few things. If you're passionate about space and you love space, then study hard, don't give up your passion or knock it for anything. What advice would you give to others interested in a similar career? That's the most critical portion because that's the whole point of the satellite – to collect the data that helps us here on Earth to understand things about our planet, the Sun, the Moon, and beyond. I make sure the spacecraft operates properly, and that it gets all the science data it needs. Now I manage a team that operates spacecraft. ![]() I don't remember which shuttle it was, but I do remember it was after the Challenger disaster, probably in 1988 or 1989 – somewhere in that range. It was just this really cool feeling I got when I saw them shaking while they were lifting off in their orange suits. I started feeling the excitement of the people in the stands, and the launch of the shuttle. I started getting more and more fascinated as it counted down to T-minus 1 second to liftoff. They quickly switched to show the astronauts in their orange suits, and I saw the countdown. I noticed a space shuttle on the launch pad. What first sparked your interest in space and science?īack when I was in ninth grade – maybe 13 or 14 years old – I was flipping through the TV channels. 17, 2021, to help determine how to adapt spacecraft for disabled astronauts, and to develop and test the technologies to remove barriers to spaceflight. Each ambassador has a disability and participated in a zero-gravity airplane flight on Oct. He tells us how channel surfing led to his dream of becoming an astronaut, and about how being deaf has impacted that dream.Īpurva also shares his experience as one of 12 ambassadors for the first crew of the privately funded AstroAccess project. He’s currently serving as Mission Operations Director for three NASA missions: Parker Solar Probe, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Apurva Varia has worked for NASA for more than 19 years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |