It’s Earth Day! It’s also the premiere of The Nerds of Color’s favorite Daniel Dae Kim’s space drama Stowaway on Netflix. 

To celebrate this event, the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) brought together NASA astronaut and research engineer, Leroy Chiao, and Kim for an exclusive Actor Astronaut vs NASA Astronaut interview. 

Sure, Kim’s arms looked fantastic in the film as he donned his space gear, but can the actor cut it in space in real life? Probably, he can do anything. 

In Netflix’s Stowaway, Kim portrays David Kim, an astronaut and research biologist. The film follows a crew on a mission headed to Mars when an unexpected passenger accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems.

Moderated by SASE board member Pia Muyot, Kim and Chiao chat about film space versus traveling in space in real life. It’s actually pretty interesting to see how Kim describes a scene and Chiao putting the real spin to it. Both Chiao and Kim are supportive on how many Asian Americans are becoming more involved in all types of trades – ranging from film and space exploration. 

“As we near Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, it’s really an important time to celebrate our achievements not just collectively, but individually, and to be proud of being Asian American,” Kim said. “Just as importantly, if you’ve had the good fortune to ascend to a high level the way Leroy has, don’t forget to send the elevator back down, because there are plenty of other people that you can lift back up with you.”

For more information on SASE and the full video here.

Stowaway is out now on Netflix.