NASA astronaut and scientist Dr Don Thomas visited Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya (SKV), Gwalior, on Janmashtami and interacted with students about space exploration, science and his career.

Thomas joined the school’s Janmashtami puja and attended the Inter-House Duet Bhajan Competition. During his interaction, he spoke about his journey from aspiring to become an astronaut as a child to flying on four Space Shuttle missions.

He told students that NASA had rejected his application three times before selecting him on his fourth attempt in 1990. He encouraged them to continue working towards their goals despite setbacks.

Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Case Western Reserve University and master’s and doctoral degrees in materials science from Cornell University. He served as a mission specialist on STS-65, STS-70, STS-83 and STS-94, spending more than 1,040 hours in space and completing 692 orbits of Earth.

The session included accounts from his NASA missions and a question-and-answer segment in which students asked about space, science and life as an astronaut.

“If you have a dream, work hard, do your best, and never give up. Your fifth try might just take you out of this world,” Thomas told the students.

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