Big dreams can start in small places.
Nasa astronaut Rex Walheim (53), a veteran of three Space Shuttle flights, who will be in Dunedin as a special guest of the Otago Museum when it opens its Perpetual Guardian Planetarium next Saturday, knows plenty about the value of dreaming big.
''It's amazing, space.''
''You dream big dreams and have them come true.''
He has spent more than 36 days in space, having flown as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle's 135th and final mission in 2011.
And during his three visits to the International Space Station, he completed five spacewalks, totalling more than 36 hours.
The museum's new $1 million facility is believed to be the southernmost planetarium in the world.
The 50-seat planetarium and its 9m-diameter dome will enable visitors to watch three spectacular planetarium shows already developed in Dunedin.
Astronaut Walheim, a colonel in the US Air Force, retired, will sign autographs at the museum for an hour from 1pm next Saturday.
He will give an illustrated talk at 5pm the next day at the University of Otago's College of Education Auditorium.
The planetarium is part of a wider $3.5 million science engagement centre redevelopment at the museum, which aims to inspire museum visitors of all ages.
Museum director Dr Ian Griffin believes young people excited by science will ultimately help create new high technology jobs in the city.
In a Skype interview, Astronaut Walheim empathised with those aims and said ''big stuff does come in small towns''.
His own home town, San Carlos, on the San Francisco Peninsula, California, has a population of about 30,000.
He remembers reflecting on his dreams and small town origins from the Space Shuttle Orbiter hurtling along 250 miles above Earth.
''Flying over your home at 25 times the speed of sound, you know how far you've come.''
Flying so high, he also realised the fragility of the environment and life on Earth.
''You can see this little thin band that's our atmosphere.''
And working with astronauts from many other countries, including Russia and Japan, also highlighted the value of international co-operation.
''We all work together as one team.''
Returning to life on Earth after spending time in space could be challenging for some people, he acknowledged.
Going into space was ''not risk free'', and it was an ''incredible'' feeling to be back on Earth, having become well aware of the ''most important things''- in his own case, ''that's your family and friends and your faith''.
But a yearning to return to space always remained.
''After you spend several weeks and months [back on Earth], you start thinking about space.''
Astronaut
Nasa astronaut Rex Walheim.
Age 53.
Assistant director of operations in the Nasa Flight Operations Directorate.
Flew as a mission specialist on the 135th and last Nasa Space Shuttle mission in 2011.
Veteran of three Nasa Space Shuttle flights, has spent more than 36 days in space, including more than 36 hours spacewalking.
The Space Shuttle Orbiter re-entered the atmosphere travelling at more than 27,000kmh, about 25 times the speed of sound.
