• Question: Is FRED a nice guy? How many people worked on FRED with you? How many times has FRED been used?

    Asked by Zaphod_Beeblebrox to Andrew on 10 Dec 2015.
    • Photo: Andrew Winnard

      Andrew Winnard answered on 10 Dec 2015:

      Me and FRED get along pretty well so I would say he is nice 🙂 Although he does not like moving around very much, he is really heavy and so sometimes we fall out when he goes on trips to the local museum. Once he gets there he cheers up again though 😛 I have been taking him to the museum every summer for the last few years where we do science experiments open to anyone to watch or take part in 🙂 So around 400 or so people have been on him now! FRED also has some twins, also called FRED and FRED (although I wonder about calling one of them FREDA, but not sure what the A could stand for?) 🙂 So there is a FRED at the European Astronaut Centre too where they are also doing some science with him.

      I have had lots of side kicks and helpers during my research. In total I had 3 side kicks and 4 helpers 🙂 One of my side kicks even came all the way from Germany to stay with me for 2 months and work on one of my research projects at the science museum!

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