00:00Did you ever wonder what it's like to live in space?
00:03Taiwan-born NASA astronaut Chao Lingren has an answer.
00:06He's in Taiwan speaking to students at National Central University about his path to the cosmos.
00:11Lingren is part of NASA's Artemis program, aiming to send humans to the moon.
00:16But his journey wasn't a straightforward one.
00:18He started as a U.S. Air Force pilot, but a medical discharge changed everything.
00:23I know with almost 100% certainty that had I stayed in the Air Force and become a pilot
00:28like I was planning, I would not be here today.
00:31So recognizing that even our hardest days are not necessarily as bad as we think they are.
00:40Recognizing that those hard days are actually challenges to overcome, mountains to climb.
00:47Now a veteran of long missions aboard the International Space Station, he's sharing his life in orbit,
00:52everything from space medicine to the freedom of zero gravity.
00:57So even though you've been in space for months, floating, zero gravity never gets old.
01:04The ability to do things that you could never dream of doing back here on Earth, doing front
01:09flips, doing back flips, just tumbling around the space station is absolutely amazing and fun.
01:14For many in the audience, the visit felt personal, seeing someone with roots in Taiwan reach space.
01:19I saw the video on Earth, there was a light on Earth, and I felt so happy.
01:27I felt so happy. I felt so happy.
01:30I felt so happy.
01:30And then he said that he was talking about the moon in the sky.
01:34I felt so sad.
01:56Lingrin's visit, hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan, also signifies the growing space partnership between Taiwan and the U
02:03.S.
02:04Taiwan's government sees space as a key driver for future technology, everything from communications
02:09to defense.
02:10And for these students, Lingrin's visit may just inspire them to become the next generation
02:14of future scientists and engineers.
02:16Justin Wu and Lily Lamatina in Taiwan for Taiwan Plus.
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