When 300 children get together, things can get pretty loud—a challenge for any instructor. Not so for Olaf Kretzer, director of the Suhl Observatory and adjunct professor at Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. He quickly captured the elementary school students’ attention and gave a presentation on life in space.
Olaf Kretzer made it clear that astronauts don’t have it all that easy—especially during their first few days in space: Due to weightlessness, they’re exposed to a number of physical stresses. For the first three days, they feel constantly nauseous—a condition also known as space sickness. “Astronauts get puffy faces and thin legs,” said Kretzer. But after a week, everything returns to normal. They also get taller and can grow up to seven centimeters. Since their muscles aren’t being used, astronauts have to do up to two and a half hours of strength training every day. Eating and drinking are also completely different from what they are on Earth: “Astronauts drink from pouches and have to chew very thoroughly.” A loud murmur rippled through the lecture hall when Olaf Kretzer explained that a space toilet costs 20 million.
At the end, the children had the opportunity to ask numerous questions. Some even took the opportunity after the lecture to talk with the professor.
The organizers, led by Annemarie Walter and Susann Saarmann, expressed their satisfaction: “It’s important to us that all children have the opportunity to visit a university and take advantage of this program.” Building on this experience, Schmalkalden Elementary School is planning a field trip to the Suhl Observatory next year to further expand on the knowledge the children gained today. A total of 300 third- and fourth-grade students from Schmalkalden, Wernshausen, and Meiningen attended the Children’s University in Schmalkalden today.
