"The great thing that I found when I began to live my life as an astronaut was that the world seemed so different. It was as if I was viewing my environment with a fresh pair of eyes."
- John Barlow, Independent Astronaut
How many kids dream of blasting off into space in puffy white spacesuits and gleaming bubble helmets? Watching NASA's astronauts pilot Atlantis on its last mission, we got to live out that fantasy one more time, making the end of this era of space travel that much more of a bummer because we all had to return to Earth today. There is an eerie and amazing kind of vertigo that arises from watching an astronaut float out into space on an extra vehicular activity. What they do is extraordinary (in its original meaning) compared to our ho-hum everyday experiences.
David Wilson's short film, Life as an Independent Astronaut, introduces us to a young man who has figured out a way to experience the wonder of space travel here on Earth. Both the director and the star of the film, David took a moment to share some insights on inspiration, spacesuits, and space-themed carnival floats.
The Atlantic: What was your inspiration for Life as an Independent Astronaut?