The Day I Shook Hands with Someone Who Walked in Space

As I mentioned in my last post, participating in a hackathon can lead to valuable connections and incredible opportunities. Sometimes those opportunities come when you least expect them, wrapped in a simple Facebook message. That time, I kept in touch with all the hackathon organizing staff who were in charge of the successful conduct of the Space Apps Challenge locally in Casablanca. They did a remarkable job, and I made sure not to lose contact with them.

The Message That Changed Everything

One day, I was scrolling through Facebook (as one does when procrastinating on important tasks) when one of these guys contacted me: "Hey Adil, are you interested in participating in the Moonshot Festival? I got an amazing surprise for you!"

The Moonshot Festival was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon! yes, when he stated the famous:

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

What that guy had for me was more than a surprise. It was a life-altering experience.

I was officially invited to meet, in a private group setting, a former NASA astronaut. And not just any astronaut, it was Daniel M. Tani, a man who spent 132 days in space, performed six spacewalks, and conducted the historic 100th spacewalk on the International Space Station alongside Peggy Whitson.

Yeah, we're talking about a man who literally walked in space. Can you just imagine how thrilling this experience is?

First Impression

My first impression was how surprisingly modest and friendly Mr. Tani was. The smile didn't quit his lips for a second. He made me think of all those arrogant people I've met in the past who don't even meet 1% of this man's achievements and yet think they own the whole bloody universe.

Mr. Tani has all the credits in the world, MIT mechanical engineering degrees, a 16 year career at NASA, six spacewalks, 132 days floating above Earth, and still decided to behave with humility and modesty like any other human being.

I shook his hand (yes, I shook the hand of someone who walked in space), and entered a room with the other invitees. I recognized most of them from the Space Apps Challenge. Then we started our session.

The Session: Dreams Meeting Reality

Mr. Tani presented himself briefly. He talked about his journey: how he graduated from MIT with degrees in mechanical engineering, worked at Hughes Aircraft Corporation and later Orbital Sciences Corporation as an engineer, and eventually found his way to NASA.

We presented ourselves and the projects we worked on during the hackathon. He was quite impressed with our ambition and love for innovation, solving engineering problems, and space exploration. His encouragement felt genuine, not the kind of empty praise adults sometimes give to young people to be polite.

Then we started a Q&A session, where we bombarded him with all sorts of questions. From his feelings when he first stepped into space and how he successfully fulfilled his missions, to the mundane but fascinating details, how he brushed his teeth in zero gravity, how he used the toilet in space (yes, someone asked, and yes, it's as complicated as you'd imagine).

The Question That Changed My Perspective

Then I followed with a question that had occupied my mind for a long time: "How did you become an astronaut? Was it your dream from childhood?"

His answer was both inspiring and refreshingly honest.

Like most kids, he was indeed impressed by astronauts and space exploration growing up, but he didn't think that one day he would become one. Being an astronaut seemed like a fantasy, something reserved for superheroes in movies, not something attainable for regular people.

Mr. Tani was a high performing mechanical engineer working with the world leaders in aerospace engineering. One of their clients was NASA. That's where he met astronauts for the first time.

And as I told you, Mr. Tani is naturally friendly, in just a few minutes, you'd feel like you've known him for years. So obviously, he made good friendships with these astronauts. Through these connections, he discovered something revolutionary to his thinking:

Being an astronaut was a job. Like any other job. If you meet the required conditions, you can apply.

From there, he found his way to NASA.

The Requirements (In Case You're Wondering)

We were immediately curious about those conditions. Here's what I still remember Mr. Tani mentioning:

1. The ability to get along with other astronauts and people in general from different backgrounds and nationalities. After all, you'll be assigned missions on the ISS or elsewhere where you have to work closely with others and be a good team player. You can't exactly storm off to another room when you're disagreeing with someone at 400 kilometers above Earth.

2. You must be physically capable and strong. Space is hard on the human body. You need to prove you can handle it.

3. Mostly, it's required to have a STEM background (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). NASA wants people who understand the science behind what they're doing, not just passengers along for the ride.

These are the ones I can clearly remember. There are certainly more requirements, but these were the key points he emphasized.

The Dream vs. Reality Talk

My mind was blown by all the information we were getting from this amazing astronaut. My eyes were beaming with inspiration. I had never thought of "astronaut" as a job, it always seemed to me like a dream or a fantasy, something out of reach for someone like me.

I couldn't stop myself from expressing my awe: "Amazing!" And I followed with the question burning in my mind: "Is there any chance for a Moroccan engineering student like us to become an astronaut one day?"

Mr. Tani's answer was realistic and diplomatically not frustrating. He didn't crush our dreams, but he also didn't give us false hope.

He explained that even though being an astronaut is technically a job, only a very few people get the chance to get in. The competition is insanely fierce. He advised us to focus first on our graduation and to become so good at what we do that we stand out in our fields. Keep an eye on space agencies' news, maintain our passion for space exploration, and then, if we're meant for this path, we'll get our call and find our way to it.

We can afford to dream higher and without limits. After all, on NASA's JPL walls, it's written in large letters: "Dare Mighty Things." But we shouldn't get obsessed with becoming an astronaut to the point where it consumes us or makes us blind to other incredible opportunities.

The Public Conference: Inspiration at Scale

We followed with one or two other questions before our private meeting time ran out. Mr. Tani had a conference to present publicly to all Moonshot Festival attendees.

I took my place in the crowd, my eyes wide open to all the possibilities this life could bring us. Suddenly, my anxiety about studies, exams, and all the challenges awaiting me faded and diminished with the astronaut's inspiring words.

I attentively felt every word he spoke in that conference. I went home filled with hope and ambition for what the future would bring.

The Lessons That Stuck

From Mr. Tani's experience in engineering and space, I learned to be resilient and tackle any challenge in my way.

From his dedication to volunteering and educating the new generation after his retirement (he later taught at the American School in Japan), I learned about the importance of role models, something we desperately lack in this world.

It was simply a life-changing experience.

If Mr. Tani reads this post one day, I'd love to thank him for this amazing experience and for taking the time to inspire young engineers halfway across the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Maintain Your Network

Keeping in touch with the hackathon organizers led directly to this opportunity. Your network isn't just about career advancement, it's about opening doors you didn't even know existed.

2. Seemingly Impossible Dreams Can Be Real Jobs

What looks like fantasy from the outside is often just hard work, qualifications, and timing on the inside. The distance between "impossible dream" and "actual career path" is often smaller than we think.

3. Humility and Achievement Aren't Mutually Exclusive

Mr. Tani proved that you can reach incredible heights without developing an inflated ego. Real greatness doesn't need to announce itself loudly.

4. Random Conversations Have Consequences

Remember that girl from the English department who asked me about Jupiter? That casual conversation about planets led to the Space Apps Challenge, which led to this network, which led to meeting an astronaut. Never underestimate the power of genuine, curious conversations.

5. Role Models Matter

Having someone who's actually done the thing you dream about, standing in front of you, answering your questions, changes something fundamental in your brain. It moves the goal from "impossible" to "difficult but achievable."

6. Focus on Excellence First, Dreams Second

Mr. Tani's advice was practical: become exceptional at what you do, maintain your passion, and opportunities will find you. Don't obsess over one specific outcome, obsess over becoming undeniably good.

7. STEM Opens Doors You Can't Even Imagine Yet

Engineering isn't just about building bridges or coding apps. It's a foundation that can take you literally anywhere… even to space!

To Wrap This Up

Meeting Daniel Tani taught me that the universe has a funny way of rewarding curiosity, hard work, and genuine human connection. From a random conversation about planets, to a hackathon invitation, to sitting in a room with someone who walked in space; each step seemed impossible until it happened.

And maybe that's the real lesson: keep showing up, keep learning, keep connecting with people, and life will surprise you with opportunities you never knew existed.

Who knows? Maybe one day, one of us Moroccan engineers will join the Artemis missions, answering questions about building humanity's gateway to Mars.

Dare mighty things, indeed.

If you enjoyed this story, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter. I'd also love to hear about your own unexpected opportunities, drop me a message through my contact page or on social media. And if you haven't read Part 1 and Part 2 of the Engineer Guide yet, what are you waiting for?