Taiwan-born NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren (林琪兒) told an audience in Taichung on Thursday, April 23, that space travel is like a team sport, and said humanity also needs to take better care of “Spaceship Earth.”

The astronaut and Flight Operations Directorate Deputy Director at Johnson Space Center in Texas made the remarks at an event hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). 

“Space is the ultimate team sport. An astronaut does not get into space on their own. We have an incredible team on the ground that trains us, that builds the rocket, that mans the flight control in order to execute a successful mission,” he said.

Lindgren described his experiences living on the International Space Station, including his difficulties adjusting to weightlessness. On his first space flight, Lindgren used up all the vomit bags, he said.

Lindgren, who said he was born in Taipei but spent the first two years of his life in Taichung, also likened Earth to a spacecraft: “We are a crew together on Spaceship Earth. It gives us air to breathe, food to eat, protection from the crazy temperatures of space. And yet, I don't think any of us spend 30% of our time taking care of Spaceship Earth. We are a crew. And we need to take better care of Spaceship Earth together.”

Lindgren also said that NASA is looking for partners to help the agency achieve future Moon landings by 2028, and that he is hopeful Taiwan can be one of those partners.