When mankind looks to the stars and wonders what the universe has in store for the future of humanity, there’s one pressing, vital question many need to know: can birds fly in space? No seriously, that’s one of the 50 most common questions about space that people look up on Google. But there’s a group even better equipped to answer questions like this than Google: actual NASA astronauts.
In this delightful video that we first saw at Laughing Squid, the team at Wired asked astronauts Jeffrey Hoffman, Chris Hadfield, Jerry Linenger, Leland Melvin, Mae C. Jemison, Mike Massimino, and Nicole Stott to tackle the internet’s most common queries about space, ensnaring topics like stars, Mars, probes, and the history of space exploration.
The questions range from reasonable (“Why was NASA created?”) to the strangely intriguing (“Do you age in space?”), to the myth-busting (“Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?”). But one particular question sticks out in our minds: “How much do astronauts make?”
Truth be told, our astronauts are ridiculously underpaid. These are some of the most brilliant, most talented, bravest people in the world, and they’re making the same salary as big name retail store managers. (And I mean that with zero disrespect to store managers who do likewise deserve to be paid well—you try running a big box store on Black Friday.)
So here’s a 51st question, and one that’s way more pressing than whether or not birds can fly in space: How can we get these astronauts a raise?
If you could ask an astronaut any question about space what would you want to know? Tell us your best query in the comments below.
Featured Image: NASA Godard Space Flight Center/Flickr
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