INDIANAPOLIS — As a child, Andrew Feustel never really dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
But somehow, he knew, deep in his heart, that he would one day travel to outer space.
"When I was growing up," Feustel said, "I just somehow believed that I would have an opportunity to eventually to work in the Human Spaceflight program."
He put in the work, investing years into making himself a NASA candidate. He exercised, honed his mechanical skills and got an education, earning two degrees from Purdue University along the way.
Feustal became a NASA astronaut and traveled to space three times — twice on a space shuttle and again on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. On his last last voyage in 2011, Feustel commanded the International Space Station and lived in space for more than six months.
The Michigan native returns to the Hoosier state on April 8, when he joins other former astronauts, scientists and academics as NASA and Purdue host a total eclipse-viewing celebration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
WRTV asked Feustel about joining the space program, living in outer space and the April 8 total solar eclipse that will put central Indiana in the moon's shadow and cause several minutes of day-time darkness.
Question: Many of us dream about becoming an astronaut when we were kids. When did you know it really might happen for you?
Feustel: When I was growing up, I just somehow believed that I would have an opportunity eventually to work in the Human Spaceflight program.
And as I got older and was studying both in community college and university, I sort of had this goal in my mind, that I was hopefully going to find my path to it, and it worked out. So when people ask me when did I first think about it or dream about it? I really didn't. I just had the thought that that was what I was going to end up doing as a career. So, I was fortunate to have made it that way along the path.
Question: How difficult was it to make it through NASA’s screening process?
Fuestel: It's a pretty challenging process. It probably takes from start to finish several months. You visit the Johnson Space Center on a few different occasions as you make it through each goalpost. I was fortunate to apply once and be accepted that time. There are individuals who apply on multiple occasions and I encourage anybody who's interested in becoming an astronaut or working in Human Space Program within NASA to continue to apply to the program because standards change, requirements change, the competition changes.
Question: What is the training like?
Fuestel: Astronauts are not Olympic athletes necessarily, although some are Olympic athletes. You have to have good general health and fitness with no critical or long-standing health problems that may impact your ability to perform your work. The training is primarily focused on, I would say, textbook work to teach astronauts about the the academic aspects of living and working in space. So, we learn about the spacecraft that NASA operates. We learn about the spacecraft that other per service providers operate so that we can learn to, to use those for space transportation and also for living in space.
We also focus a bit on expeditionary skills, which is that group living, group dynamic environment. We work a lot on culture within our organization to be sure that everybody is on board with the same standards and expectations for what the job entails.
It usually takes about two years to complete that work before you're eligible for an assignment.
Question: You made three trips to space, can you describe for us what it’s like living and working in space?
Fuestel: I traveled to space three times. In 2009, it was the last Hubble servicing mission on STS 125. In 2011, it was the final or last flight of space shuttle Endeavor. The (Space Shuttle) program itself completed a few months later with the final flight of Atlantis Space shuttle.
And then in 2018, I was fortunate to travel to space to live on the International Space Station for about 6.5 months. I launched and returned on a Russian Soyuz rocket launching out of the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
So, I had those three space flights over the course of my career, accompanied by nine spacewalks totaling I think over 62 or almost 63 hours of time working out in space in that spacesuit. I've enjoyed every minute of it and am very proud to have had the opportunity, proud of the career and fortunate to have had those opportunities to be there in space, working and living.
Question: You are a geologist with two degrees from Purdue University. How did that experience lead you to NASA and the space shuttle?
Fuestel: My education actually started in community college in Detroit where I worked as a mechanic at the time, restoring classic cars. I, then, attended Purdue University and finished out my bachelor's degree in what we call Solid Earth Sciences, which is essentially geology, (then earned a) master's degree in Geophysics. And then I went to Canada to do a PhD in seismology with Queens University.
Purdue is the great alma mater and one that encouraged me so much to be engaged with space and space exploration. I chose Purdue for a couple of reasons. It was the only school that I applied to out of community college, partly because I had a great uncle who graduated from Purdue around 1905, and my father and uncle were both the engineers at Purdue University in the mid-60s.
And also because we consider Purdue to be the cradle of astronauts. Purdue has graduated 27 astronauts in the history of space program. Loral O’Hara who is also a Purdue graduate is in space right now on the International Space Station and will be coming home soon.
And that's it's pretty amazing for the school to continue to produce astronauts and individuals of a caliber that end up within the human space program.
Question: We have a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse coming on April 8 and you will be in Indianapolis for it. Can you talk about what you will be doing?
Fuestel: The sun, which is 98 million miles away — it's hard to believe that it's going to become dark with the moon passing in front of it. No matter what the weather is, we will all see the changes and the darkness overcome that part of the earth.
And if you've never seen one, it's worth taking the time to experience it. I would say it's even better to take the time to experience it in a place where there's other programming, other educational activities, other promotional events going on.
NASA is working hard, Purdue is working hard, IMS is working hard to try to create a good, great learning environment there at the IMS to learn about science, technology, engineering and encourage folks to get engaged and think about ways that they might be involved with space exploration or technology advancement in the future, which is I think good for the whole planet.
Watch the interview below:
2024 Total Solar Eclipse at IMS
What: Purdue and IMS are putting on a day’s worth of events surrounding the eclipse at the track. There will be a STEM symposium, presentations, displays and exhibits including NearSpace Education experts, a data balloon launch, Kiss The Bricks Tours, autograph sessions with NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers and astronauts.
When: April 8, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4790 W. 16th St.
Cost: $20 adult; under 17 free with adult ticket
Tickets: indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/eclipse.
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on X/Twitter: @vicryc.
