(Radio Iowa) – Cedar Falls native and astronaut Raja Chari, who’s aboard the International Space Station, did a long-distance question-and-answer session today with cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Chari, who graduated from the academy in 1999, was asked via NASA-TV about how his mission on the orbiting station is related to future missions to Mars. “We’re increasing our sample size of people who’ve been here longer than six months, up in space,” Chari says. “The reason we’re doing that is we want to see — is the progression of human change linear, with months to years as we look at Mars, or is there a cliff? Does something happen at a year? Does something happen at 15 months? We’re trying to solve that problem. As we look at a Mars mission, we need to understand that.”

Beaconsfield native Peggy Whitson spent a record 665 days in space during three separate missions. Chari is in his second month of what’s scheduled to be a six-month stay on the space station. With current technology, it would take about six months for astronauts to fly to Mars. Chari appealed to the academy cadets who are studying rocketry and astrophysics to seek out new ways to propel our spacecraft. “If we can get there faster, that will solve the problem. Most of our problems, whether it’s radiation, human psychology, water, consumables, getting there and back and living there, it’s all because it takes so long to get there,” Chari says. “If we could have a quantum leap in propulsion technology, whether it’s electric, whether it’s nuclear propulsion — getting to accept that politically and socially — I think that would solve a lot of our problems.”

Astronaut Raja Chari talks with cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy from International Space Station. (NASA-TV)

While astronauts endure many months of training for all types of tasks, Chari says there’s one aspect about being in space for which no amount of preparation could ready you. “The thing that you can’t ever completely experience is the weightlessness and then actually how your brain is going to respond to that,” he says. “Everyone responds a little differently and you can’t quite train for that on the ground. For me, I think that was the most — not unexpected — but the most surprising thing, but what’s most amazing is how quickly your brain does adapt to it and it eventually becomes something you just naturally do, just like breathing.”

Chari is a 44-year-old Air Force colonel and this is his first mission in space, though he’s flown a multitude of aircraft, including the F-15E Strike Eagles during combat over Iraq. He’s only the 8th Iowan to reach space. His wife, Peggy, is also a Cedar Falls native and they have three children.

(Anita, Iowa) – An accident involving a semi-tractor trailer has both lanes of Interstate 80 eastbound blocked, at mile marker 69. The accident happened a little after 6-a.m. Anita Fire/Rescue & Cass EMS responded to the scene. A detour is in-place via Highway 148 and White Pole Road.

Iowa DOT Traffic CAM at mm 72 near Adair

(Red Oak) — Montgomery County became the 34th out of Iowa’s 99 counties to become a second amendment sanctuary. According to reports, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, voted 3-2 on approving a resolution declaring the county as a sanctuary for the U.S. Constitution’s second amendment. Montgomery County joins other area counties, including Page, Mills, Adams, Taylor, and Pottawattamie. Fremont County added itself to the list passing a resolution Wednesday morning, making them the 35th County.

The move did not come without opposition, however. That came from some board members, the public, and other county officials. Assistant County Attorney Bruce Swanson reminded the board that the resolution had zero policy impact but is rather symbolic and political. Swanson also strongly advised the board to avoid any language in the resolution that could impact the enforcement of current gun laws.

Supervisor Mike Olson said the resolution wasn’t about changing gun laws about where and when people can use a weapon but instead defending and standing up for the U.S. Constitution.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place Wednesday. Authorities say 40-year-old Rebecca Larocco was arrested on 12 Felony counts of Forgery, with additional charges pending. Larocco was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $60,000 cash bond. And, 25-year-old Mathew Avila was arrested on a valid Adams County warrant for Failure to Appear. He was being held without bond in the Adams County Jail.