Out of this world
It’s not often the famous purple and green colours of the All England Club can be seen in space.
Sporting a Wimbledon T-shirt, NASA astronaut Andrew J. Feustel chatted all things tennis and science in the first live interview conducted on the Wimbledon Channel from space.
“A spaceship is just like a tennis ball, falling around the earth at 17,000mph, and gravity is that thing that is helping it to curve around the planet, just like a tennis ball when you hit it,” said Feustel, as he travelled over the eastern seaboard of the US towards the Atlantic Ocean aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Although the tennis-mad American geophysicist has been busy with space walks, maintenance and science projects, Feustel said he has been able to watch a few tennis matches during his third space mission.
“To me, Wimbledon is really about iconic tennis,” said Feustel, who is in the middle of a six-month mission aboard ISS. “It’s a great inspiration to watch tennis...To me it’s an annual ritual to sit down and watch Wimbledon and see the matches unfold.”
He has also brought some special, small tennis rackets into space.
“We’re actually planning to have a game,” he said. “Without the assistance of gravity, it will be kind of tough, but we will take it easy up here and see if we can put up a show nonetheless.”
Astronauts aboard the ISS are spending close to two-and-a-half hours a day exercising their legs to keep their bone density up and muscle mass strong enough for their return to earth.
Feustel has also been carrying some precious cargo: the coin toss coins that will be used during next year’s ladies' and gentlemen’s finals at the All England Club.
During last year’s Championships, Feustel joined British astronaut Tim Peake in the Royal Box.
When Feustel mentioned his next mission to chairman Philip Brook, the All England Club decided to commission special coins for him to take into space.
“Really quite a journey to get them here,” said Feustel, as the coins floated in front of him. “But they are here now and we look forward to returning them to the All England Lawn Tennis Club.”
