By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
The first Korean astronaut Yi So-yeon brought kimchi to outer space. Guess what the first Italian astronaut brought to space.
``(It was) actually Parmesan cheese,'' the astronaut Franco Malerba said in a meeting with Yi last week.
It was different Parmesan ― hard and cut in small pieces ― from what one can find in a grocery store, Malerba said, because, ``We don't want crumbs or drops. They float around.''
Malerba, who is now a member of the Italian Permanent Delegation to the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, came to Korea to participate in the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy last week.
The meeting between the two astronauts was arranged by the Italian Embassy in Seoul together in collaboration with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Marlerba flew to orbit for eight days in 1992 at the age of 44 via the space shuttle Atlantis.
Both astronauts said they had a wonder of space in common.
``It was really a blue marble,'' Yi said in English.
``I always complained about my circumstances, but I thought I shouldn't do that. It was really beautiful and we'd better thank God for what he had created.''
Malerba said.
He said, ``It is an experience that we keep in our memories forever.''
What sticks in his mind nearly 15 years after the flight was that ``the earth was below us. We were looking down the earth,'' instead of looking up as people do on earth. He said he also had a chance to watch a meteor shower, which occurred below him.
Another vivid memory was liquid disposal from the shuttle. ``It (the shuttle) needs to dump some liquid. I don't want to say what liquid it is,'' the Italian astronaut said bursting into laughter.
``(As soon as it was were released), it immediately froze like snowflakes. It was thrown out like a fountain of ice,'' he said.
They talked about restrictions on alcohol in the space shuttle.
Yi explained why the crews in Soyuz had to cheer with glasses of orange juice instead of wine. ``It's not allowed on the International Space Station (ISS).''
An old rumor was that vodka-loving Russians had wanted to have vodka on board, and, once, they actually held a hearing to allow it on the ISS. And the answer was no.
Yi said the magnitude of shock that she faced on her landing was nothing to compare and imagine. ``I have never experienced that kind of shock.''
But she dismissed speculations on her health. ``I am totally fine now.''
Malerba said of the ``shaking component'' that he had felt on his take-off, which wasn't experienced during his numerous simulations.
Yi said the celebrity status that she has earned constraints her from speaking freely in public.
There was a piece of advice from her predecessor ― be engaged actively in public education.
The Korean astronaut has spoken in public about her experience at the ISS, as well as her continued research at the KARI's Korea Astronaut Project Division.
Malerba has switched his career path completely since 1992, becoming an elected member of the European Parliament and working for the OECD.
He jokingly suggested her running for an elected position using her status.
She answered it would take more glamour to win popular votes, and essentially, her interest lies in space research rather than policymaking. ``At least for now, I will continue working on research.''