Astronaut from space thrills CAU

IMPHAL, Feb 8 : Space technology perhaps had its first brush with Manipur, when the Commander of the 18th Expedition to the International Space Station, US Astronaut Mike Fincke had a telephonic talk with students of College of Agriculture, Central Agriculture University for 10 minutes today. Mike Fincke immediately struck a rapport with the awe struck students when he greeted them with the Manipuri word ‘Khurumjari’ and described Loktak lake as ethereal. The interaction progra-mme was jointly organised by Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters and NASA. Mike Fincke is not exactly a stranger to the North East as he is married to an Assamese woman, Renita Saikia, who also works at NASA. Fincke had on an earlier occasion also traversed to the Russian space station, SOYUZ-TMA-13.The telephonic talk was relayed via the control room of NASA to the auditorium of CAU today at 3.25 pm. A total of 400 people including students and teachers were present at the auditorium hall during the brief interaction programme. The talk was facilitated by the Amateur Radio Ground Station based at Queensland in Australia which linked up NASA to the space station and the talk was relayed to the auditorium at CAU. Fourteen students took part in the interaction with the Astronaut. Fielding questions from the enthusiastic students, Fincke said that the Astronauts carry Oxygen with them while at the same time Oxygen is also manufactured at the space station. Fincke further said that Loktak could be seen from the pace station and added that it looks beautiful from up there. Numerous expeditions aimed at the betterment of human lives are also being conducted at the space station continued the US Astronaut. Fincke is also fluent in many languages.