Julie Payette interview

This interview is with Canadian astronaut Julie Payette. Let’s see what she has to say!

Hello, my name is Julie Payette and I am a Canadian astronaut.

Eddy the Eco-Dog: Why do we explore space?

Julie Payette: We explore space to know more, just like Christopher Columbus set sail to discover a new continent. Today we know where the continents on earth are so we go to space because that is where our frontier is. And by going to space and use the environment of weightlessness we know all kinds of scientific experiments but we also know about ourselves, our place in the solar system, our place in the universe.

Eddy the Eco-Dog: When did you decide you wanted to become an astronaut?

Julie Payette: I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut. When I was in elementary school, when I was ten years old and people were asking me what I wanted to do I said oh, I’d like to be an astronaut. Because at the time the Apollo mission was sending people to the moon and I saw that in some magazines for kids and I just wanted to do the same.

Eddy the Eco-Dog: How long does it take to train for an astronaut and then to train for a mission?
Julie Payette: Oh, it takes several years to train for an astronaut, first you have to school to school, then to university and take a science degree because that is a prerequisite to apply to be an astronaut and once you get selected as an astronaut, in my case my the Canadian Space Agency then you have to train again 2 - 3 years and sometimes more on the ground before you are qualified to be assigned a space mission and finally when you are assigned you are assigned to a space mission, there is usually a year before your mission, so you train for that year too. It is worth it!

Eddy the Eco-Dog: What would you say to young kids that are dreaming about becoming an astronaut?
Julie Payette: Very simple, becoming an astronaut today is a reality. I was born in Canada, grew up in Canada, went to school in Canada and today I’m training to be an astronaut and to go and work in space. Because it is a reality doesn’t mean it comes without effort. The efforts has to do with studying, going to school, studying science and be the kind of person you want to be. Do all kinds of other things because we what we are looking for astronauts now a days, people who are very good at many different things but do all kinds of activities, not just one.

Eddy the Eco-Dog: Wow! That was awesome, thanks Julie! So if somebody wants to become an astronaut develop your interest, do a lot of things, study science.