President takes phone call from International Space Station
Halonen invites astronaut Timothy L. Kopra to Finland
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President Tarja Halonen received a call from outer space on Monday. Speaking at the other end of the line was astronaut Timothy L. Kopra, the grandson of Finnish immigrants, who is on the International Space Station.
“So far, interesting conversations have taken place on the planet earth, so this was an exciting experience”, said Halonen, soon after the end of the call.
The space-to-earth conversation took about ten minutes. The tone was relaxed and pleasant.
President Halonen emphasised that international scientific work is very important for all of humanity. According to Kopra, each day in space is different, and full of fantastic experiences. He told the President that sunsets and sunrises are particularly amazing.
He also said that he hopes that he might inspire children to take up science. Kopra’s experience also reinforced his view that the earth needs to be cared for.
“Everyone here has a passionate and deep connection with space. International cooperation is necessary for progress”, Kopra said.
President Halonen asked about daily routine at the space station. Kopra said that time is spent exercising, doing service work, and performing scientific experiments.
Kopra added that he has never slept as well as he has in space. It was hard to pinpoint his location at any time, because the shuttle orbits the earth once every 90 minutes. Kopra said that he takes pictures of the earth whenever he can.
“Everything is planned well, and we are trained very well for our task.”
Kopra’s grandparents moved from Finland to the United States 100 years ago. His grandfather was from Karelia and his grandmother was from Helsinki.
Kopra said that it was a great honour for him to speak with the President of the Republic of Finland.
“I am a Finn at heart. It is great to look at our planet with a Kalevala medal with me. Finland is a clean and beautiful country”, Kopra said.
The President invited the astronaut to visit Finland. He hoped that he could make it as soon as possible. After three weeks on his mission, Kopra said that he most missed his family and the sauna.
Timothy Kopra is one of six astronauts on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. He is scheduled to spend several months on the ISS.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 4.8.2009 - TODAY |
 President takes phone call from International Space Station |
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