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Wadsworth space hero describes wonders of shuttle trip
By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008
Michael Foreman looked.
He really did.
He's just not sure he spotted Wadsworth exactly.
But at night from the International Space Station 220 miles in the sky, the Medina County city was a little tough to see.
He pinpointed Cleveland all right. And Akron, thanks to the lights.
''We didn't see any of the U.S. during the daytime,'' said Foreman, a Wadsworth native and astronaut who returned in late March from NASA's latest space shuttle mission.
It became a running joke among crew members that they always seemed to be orbiting Australia
during the day.
Not that he's complaining.
''It was cool to see the lights at night,'' Foreman said Monday, speaking by phone from the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Monday was the first day available for the Beacon Journal to interview him since his return.
Foreman, 51, was a mission specialist on the Endeavour. It was his first trip into space after a decade of astronaut training and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
The voyage, which spanned 16 days and 6.5 million miles, exceeded his expectations.
''It was just fantastic from start to finish,'' said Foreman, whose mother, Nancy, still lives in Wadsworth. His father was the late Medina County Common Pleas Judge James Foreman.
Asked to talk about some highlights, he began with the launch.
''You're sitting there counting down and the kick in the pants when those solid rocket boosters ignited was more or less what I expected,'' he said. ''But a real thrill ride.''
The view of Earth is incredible, he said, especially that first peek. But nothing can compare to the panorama during a spacewalk.
''I've burned that image into my brain,'' he said. ''It's a pretty phenomenal view from inside the space shuttle, but from outside, it's breathtaking.''
Foreman carried some personal mementos into space, including a Wadsworth Grizzlies lanyard and a red plastic heart with the logo from Sacred Heart Parish School in Wadsworth.
The heart contained a message of prayers for a safe mission and the school even held a special Mass for him.
''We are so proud that he went to grade school here and wanted to take something up from our school,'' Principal Tracey Arnone said. ''It made our whole year that he went up in space.''
Foreman, a 1975 graduate of Wadsworth High, said he's working on returning the mementos — a decision that thrilled Arnone.
She called him an inspiration.
''He really does make you believe you can do anything,'' she said.
The school will put the heart on display in a special trophy case, she added.
Foreman is continuing his post-flight debriefing, but he will soon be on a public relations tour that includes a stop in Japan, since part of the mission involved delivering Japanese equipment to the space station.
Always one who's willing to share his time with Wadsworth, he plans to attend the Blue Tip Festival in June.
As for his long-term future, Foreman would love to ride the space shuttle again. But time is running out. The shuttle program is being retired in 2010 and he's not sure he'll be assigned another mission.
He'd also welcome a move to the Constellation program, NASA's next generation of spacecraft.
Foreman is adjusting to his newfound popularity — as if he weren't already in demand as a NASA-trained astronaut.
''There seems to be no shortage of requests from all across the U.S.,'' he said.
That's OK with him.
''It's hectic now,'' he said. ''But it's fun to talk about the mission.''
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.
Michael Foreman looked.
Get the full article here.
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