A Cosmic Classroom

Astronauts Teach Kids About Life, the Universe and Everything

Kids, even in space you have to brush your teeth.

That's what teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan was doing yesterday morning, 225 miles from Earth, as she and other crew members floated inside the space shuttle Endeavour. In Old Town Alexandria, elementary and middle school students watched, transfixed by the dreaminess of her movements.

In space there are no sinks, so astronauts have to spit into a small towel. Morgan adjusted her collar and then, with astronaut Benjamin Drew, began a video conversation with 23 participants in a camp at the Challenger Learning Center for Space Science Education.

It is one of more than 50 such centers founded by relatives of astronauts who died in 1986 in the Challenger disaster.

The chat, moderated by the Challenger commander's widow, June Scobee Rodgers, came as NASA officials decided not to repair a gouge in the shuttle's thermal protection system, Reuters reported. Officials have said that the seven-member crew is not in danger and that the shuttle can withstand reentry Wednesday.

Morgan, 55, who was born in California, was the backup for Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher NASA chose to send into space, who died aboard Challenger. On Aug. 8, after 21 years of waiting, Morgan entered orbit on a mission to the international space station.

There, she confronted some of the universe's deepest mysteries, some put to her by students such as Sarah Nakata of Indiana.

"If an Olympic-sized swimming pool could be built in space, would you be able to swim faster on Earth or in space, and where would you burn the most calories?"

It turns out that a celestial swimming pool is not practical. To demonstrate why, Morgan and Drew pulled out a bag of water and squeezed enough out from a straw to form a big ball that floated in front of their faces. When Morgan put out her hand, the ball hit it, then broke into floating pieces. Drew opened his mouth like a giant fish and took in a bite-size water orb.

Which brought up another question: "What is your favorite space food?"

Answer: m&m's. Morgan held a bag of them, let a blue one float into Drew's mouth. "One of our favorite things to eat," she said.

Washing a face in space is easy, Morgan said, rubbing soapy water on hers. Coiffure is another story: In pictures of Morgan on Earth, her brown hair is neatly groomed and falls below her chin. In space, it took on a wildness reminiscent of Roseanne Roseannadanna's on Saturday Night Live.