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Md. Astronaut Discusses Time In Space

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- He spent six months living without gravity in the middle of outer space.  A Maryland native and Loyola graduate was back on earth Monday night to share his out of this world experience.

Kai Jackson has his story.

Colonel Timothy Creamer has a long list of accomplishments, but it's talking about space that sends this Maryland astronaut soaring.

He's flown in jets, trained in deep water and even survived weeks in the wilderness.

"We exercised two and a half hours a day," Creamer said.

The multitude of experiences prepared Creamer for one of his biggest missions: nearly six months in space at the International Space Station.

"Basically, we launched on Dec. 21, 2009, landed on June 2, 2010," Creamer said.

Creamer, a mission specialist, spent 163 days off the planet Earth.

He grew up in Prince George's County and graduated from Loyola University.  A distinguished career in the Army led him to NASA, where he became an astronaut.

Monday night, he returned to his Baltimore alma mater to share his story and love of space.

"It is so overwhelmingly humbling because of the beauty that you see," Creamer said.

Creamer hasn't flown the shuttle into space.  He traveled in the Russian Soyuz rocket. 

"President Obama has told us...we're going to go into Mars," Creamer said. 

Colonel Creamer is married.  He and his wife have two children.

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