On Monday, President Donald J. Trump honored NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson after she broke the record for the longest stay aboard the International Space Station. The previous record of 534 days was set by Astronaut Jeff Williams.
During the historic call, President Trump described the “very special day in the glorious history of American spaceflight. You have broken the record for the most total time spent in space by an American astronaut. That’s an incredible record to break. On behalf of our nation and, frankly, on behalf of our world, I’d like to thank you.”
While the majority of the phone call was dedicated to the president honoring Ms. Wilson, there was a humorous moment when the astronauts aboard the ISS joked about being resourceful while in space.
From Politico:
Whitson explained that astronauts were learning how to reuse materials to continue making oxygen, water and other resources needed for long-duration missions.
“That means we right now, for instance, are making solar power that we collect and using it to break apart water into oxygen and hydrogen,” she said. “The oxygen we breathe, of course. We use the hydrogen, combine with the CO2 that we take out of the air and make more water. Water is such a precious resource up here that we also are cleaning up our urine and making it drinkable. And it’s really not as bad as it sounds.”
After Whitson explained that the astronauts reuse human urine, President Trump hilariously joked “Well that’s good. I’m glad to hear that. Better you than me.”
Check out the video below:
“Better you than me,” President Trump says when Peggy Whitman tells him they are purifying urine for drinking water https://t.co/yGc7PryhVa
— CNN (@CNN) April 24, 2017
While President Trump’s joke was certainly funny, his phone call to the astronaut confirms that he is truly committed to properly funding America’s space program. While Barack Obama used NASA as a way to push his “global warming” agenda, President Trump wants to use NASA for its intended purpose: space exploration.
The president has stressed his support for NASA sending a human to Mars in the 2030s, and in March signed a $19.5 billion spending bill that encourages NASA to renew its focus in space exploration.
Do you agree with President Trump’s pledge help NASA be able to explore space once again? Share your thoughts below!