Glenn gets the hang of floating

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It's easier on old folks, he tells kids

Sunday, November 1, 1998

BY TIM BONFIELD
The Cincinnati Enquirer

John Glenn's flashlight floats in weightlessness as he conducts experiments in the Spacehab. (AP - NASA photo) | ZOOM |

John Glenn spent Halloween in space learning the tricks of zero gravity and giving a treat to students in three cities who got a chance to talk to him.

During his 1962 Mercury flight, Mr. Glenn was strapped down the entire time. This time he can float around. The result: a few bumps on the head and a bit of trouble managing his breakfast.

"You can't let food get loose or it goes all over the place," Mr. Glenn said. "Yesterday, I was eating some oatmeal and a piece got loose. Instead of it falling on my chest, it went up and got stuck on my glasses."

Mr. Glenn and the rest of the space shuttle Discovery crew stayed busy Saturday collecting data from the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker payload, working in Spacehab and starting their medical experiments. The mission is proceeding well, NASA officials reported.

On Saturday, Mr. Glenn gave his first blood and urine samples, swallowed an amino acid tracer pill (alanine) and later received a different amino acid injection (histidine). Both will be used to measure how fast his body makes and breaks down protein in space. Tonight he will wear his blue sleep monitoring cap for the first time as part of a four-night sleep disorders study. Mr. Glenn also will work on a microencapsulation experiment that could lead to better cancer-fighting drugs on Earth.

Saturday morning, students at John Glenn High School in his hometown of New Concord, Ohio, as well as students in Columbus and Alexandria, Va., spent half an hour questioning Mr. Glenn and Cmdr. Curt Brown.

While they talked, the shuttle passed from the East Coast of the United States to the east coast of Africa.

Q: Do you feel younger in space?

Mr. Glenn: "I guess I feel young all the time. It's an advantage up here for older folks because in zero-g you can move around much more easily. I've been bumping my head a lot on things as I float around here, but that's all right."

Q: Are you concerned that the bone loss you will experience will be permanent because older people can't regenerate their bones as quickly?

Mr. Glenn: Yes, I'm concerned. But I'm more interested in the experiment. The length of time I'll be up here is not long enough that my bones will weaken to the point it will be a danger to me."

Q: How much does microgravity affect your ability to comprehend and process information?

Mr. Glenn: One of the experiments I will be doing is in cognitive response. I'll be taking tests on a computer (about 25 minutes each) to measure my reaction times and how well I remember things.

Q: How fast are you going?

Cmdr. Brown: We're traveling at about 17,500 mph. That means if you live about five miles away from school you could get there in one second.

Q: Have you had any trouble sleeping?

Cmdr. Brown: No. The biggest trouble I have is getting everybody to go to bed.

Mr. Glenn: I was pleasantly surprised. I probably got five or six hours last night. You're in something like a sleeping bag, except it gets tied down.

Q: Who were your biggest influences in life?

Mr. Glenn: My dad was probably my biggest single influence, but also some of my teachers.

Q: Was the experience worth waiting 36 years?

Mr. Glenn: "Yes! A one-word answer. I guess I should just stop there."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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