From Cosmos To Campus: NASA Chief Astronaut in BracU

Beneath the expanse of stars, the universe came closer to Brac University on 15 December 2024. In the campus auditorium, Brac University hosted the Chief Astronaut of NASA, Joseph M. Acaba, to share his exceptional journey of spending 306 days in space. The Vice Chancellor graced the event, Dr. Syed Ferhat Anwar, who was accompanied by an abundance of students exceeding 500. 

Titled “From Earth To Orbit: An Astronaut’s Tale,” Joseph M. Acaba shared insights into his journey with a video that he called “306 days in 6 minutes.” Revealing his humorous side, he called walking in spacecraft in microgravity “Spider-Man in Space,” echoing laughter in the audience. The video also showed water floating in space and a zoomed glimpse inside the droplet. It showed us how Earth looks from space. We could see the layer of atmosphere around the surface. The visual of northern lights from outside of Earth was enchanting. The video truly transported us to the universe. 

Later, Joseph Acaba answered questions from the audience, which led to beautiful anecdotes about his experience. He shared what living on Earth feels like after spending so much time in microgravity. He shared eccentric information like how one’s spine stretches in microgravity. He ended the question-answer session by mentioning how Earth is the most beautiful place, and that space is not habitable. 

Joseph M. Acaba ended his session by providing an overview of his life, including his background, and journey to joining NASA. He emphasized that education is the key to achieving dreams, saying, “Never be afraid of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations,, as this is how you will grow.” His words left a lasting impact on the audience, and his voyage inspired all to dream and do bigger things.