>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON,
ARE YOU READY FOR THE EVENT?
>> HOUSTON, THIS IS STATION, I'M
READY FOR THE EVENT.
>> GRAND BLANC MIDDLE SCHOOL,
THIS IS HOUSTON, PLEASE CALL
STATION FOR A CHECK.
>> HOW DO YOU HEAR ME?
>> I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR,
GRAND BLANC, HOW DO YOU HEAR ME?
>> WONDERFUL, LOUD AND CLEAR.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING
THE TIME TODAY TO TALK TO THESE
INCREDIBLE 8TH GRADERS.
WE'RE HERE WERE STUDENTS,
TEACHERS, CONGRESSMAN DAN KILDEE
AND REPRESENTATIVE AND THEY HAVE
QUESTIONS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BAKE
THE FIRST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
IN PLACE AND HOW TO MAKE SPACE
MORE HOSPITABLE.
LET'S GET THE QUESTIONS BEGIN.
>> THE QUESTION I WILL BE ASKING
YOU HOW DO THE ASTRONAUT MAKE
THE COOKIES FOR THE ISS?
>> WELL, THE ANSWER IS ABOVE MY
HEAD HERE IN THE U.S. LAB ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND
THIS IS THE ZERO G OVEN.
YOU CAN'T SEE IT BECAUSE ALL YOU
SEE IS A FLAT SPACE WITH THE
NAME OF THE OVEN ON IT, BUT WE
ACTUALLY PLACED THE COOKIES IN
THERE AND I WILL SHOW YOU.
I HAVE AN EXAMPLE RIGHT HERE
WITH ME.
THIS IS ACTUALLY THE COOKIE THAT
WAS BAKED IN THIS OVEN.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S IN THIS
SMALL LITTLE PLASTIC ENVELOPE
WITH THESE ALUMINUM SIDES AND IT
CAN BE INSERTED INTO THE OVEN
AND STAYS IN PLACE AND CAN BAKE
AND THAT'S REALLY ALL WE HAVE TO
DO.
IT'S SENT UP LIKE THIS.
THE COOKIES WERE SENT UP
BASICALLY IN A LUMP OF COOKIE
DOUGH AND ALL WE HAD TO DO IS
INSERT THAT INTO THE OVEN AND
LET IT BAKE.
>> HI, MY NAME IS RACHEL CASTLE
AND MY QUESTION IS, HOW DID THE
COOKIE LOOK WHEN IT WAS TAKEN
OUT OF THE OVEN?
>> WELL, WHEN WE FIRST--
BEFORE WE FIRST PUT IT IN AND
ACTUALLY I WASN'T THE ONE THAT
BAKED THEM.
ITALIAN ASTRONAUT PARMITANO HAD
THE PLEASURE OF BAKING THE
SAMPLES.
I DIDN'T SEE IT BEFORE IT WENT
IN ABOUT YOU IT LOOKED LIKE A
RAW PIECE OF COOKIE DOUGH YOU
COULD BUY AT THE STORE OR MAKE
AT HOME AND IT WAS ALREADY IN
THIS LITTLE PACKAGE AND ONCE HE
INSERTED THEM IN AND THE COOKIES
SPREAD OUT JUST LIKE ON YOUR
BAKING SHEET AT HOME WHEN YOU
TAKE THEM OUT OF THE OVEN AND
THEY TURNED DARKER IN COLOR AS
WELL JUST LIKE YOU WOULD EXPECT
FROM BAKING A COOKIE ON THE
GROUND.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>> MY NAME IS ARIANA.
DO YOU THINK THAT COOKIES WERE A
GOOD FIRST ITEM TO BAKE IN SPACE
AND WHY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, WHO DOESN'T LIKE FRESHLY
BAKED COOKIES.
I CAN TELL YOU THE ONE THING
THAT I DO DISTINCTLY REMEMBER AS
THEY WERE BAKING.
AS I MENTIONED THE OVEN IS ABOVE
MY HEAD AND THIS IS IN THE LAB,
REALLY ONE OF THE CENTRAL POINTS
IN THE SPACE STATION.
ALL THE CREW MEMBERS ARE PASSING
THROUGH HERE AND GOING TO
DIFFERENT WORK SITES AND TO
THEIR SLEEPING QUARTERS, GOING
TO THE BATHROOM, ANYWHERE ON THE
SPACE STATION THEY GO THROUGH
HERE AND THE LAB WAS FULL OF
WONDERFUL SMELL OF BAKED
COOKIES.
YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THAT
AND YOU COME HOME, YOUR MOM,
YOUR DAD, YOUR SIBLINGS OR YOU
ARE BAKING COOKIES AND HOW IT
FILLS UP YOUR NOSTRILS AND YOU
CAN IMAGINE WANTING TO EAT A
COOKIE AND HAVE A GLASS OF MILK,
TOO, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT
SENSATION AND WE HAVE THAT HERE
IN THE LAB.
I COULD SMELL THOSE COOKIES
BAKING AND IT WAS A GREAT SMELL.
>> MY NAME IS LYNNESE CHILTON,
IN WHAT WAY DID BAKING THE
COOKIES MAKE THE ISS FEEL MORE
AT HOME?
>> WELL, I THINK IT FELT AT HOME
JUST IN THE WAY THAT I DESCRIBED
IT.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHEN I'M
BAKING, I ACTUALLY LOVE TO BAKE
ON THE GROUND.
I BAKE A LOT OF COOKIES AND
MUFFINS AND THAT KIND OF THING
AND OFTEN BRING THEM TO SHARE AT
WORK.
IT REMINDED WHEN I BAKE MYSELF
OR WHEN I WAS A KID AT HOME AND
MY MOM WAS MAKING, SHE'S A
WONDERFUL CHEF AND A WONDERFUL
BAKER, TOO.
SO THAT DID -- SMELLING THAT
AROMA OF SOMETHING FRESH BAKING
IN THE OVEN HERE ON THE SPACE
STATION REALLY DID MAKE ME FEEL
AT HOME.
>> HELLO, MY NAME IS STEVEN
MCDONALD WHEN YOU'RE ON THE ISS
WHAT THINGS FROM EARTH DO YOU
MISS MOST?
>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASK ME A LOT
ABOUT WHAT I MISS ON THE SPACE
STATION AND THE ANSWER ACTUALLY
IS NOTHING.
I REALLY DON'T MISS ANYTHING UP
HERE.
YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, IT WOULD BE
NICE TO SEE MY FAMILY AND
FRIENDS AND I THOUGHT THAT I WAS
REALLY GOING TO MISS THE
OUTDOORS.
I LOVE BEING OUTSIDE.
I LOVE NATURE, HIKING IN THE
TREES OR SKIING IN THE WINTER
AND OF COURSE, IT WOULD BE GREAT
TO DO THAT AND WHEN I LOOK DOWN
ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER AND SEE
ALL THE SNOW, I THINK ABOUT
SKIING AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT,
BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY DID I
UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT THE SAME AS
IF I'M MISSING ANYTHING.
I THINK THAT THAT IS BECAUSE
WE'RE UP HERE IN THIS REALLY
UNIQUE EXCEPTIONAL, VERY, VERY
SPECIAL ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S
TOTALLY ALIEN.
EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT THAN
ANYTHING YOU'VE EVER EXPERIENCED
IN YOUR LIFE.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU'RE AT
HOME AND SITTING ON THE COUCH
AND LET'S SAY COOKIES, FOR
EXAMPLE, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO
HAVE A COOKIE AGAIN, YOU
PROBABLY WOULD MISS THE COOKIES,
BUT IF YOU'RE IN A TOTALLY
DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT THAT
YOU'RE NOT USED TO HAVING
ANYTHING UP HERE BECAUSE
EVERYTHING IS SO NEW AND
DIFFERENT, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF
THE REASONS WHY I DON'T REALLY
MISS ANYTHING.
EVERYTHING UP HERE IS SO
EXCEPTIONAL, UNIQUE AND
BEAUTIFUL, THINGS WE EXPERIENCE
LOOKING DOWN ON THE EARTH AND
GOING OUT FOR A SPACE WALK.
ALL THE DIFFERENT SCIENTIFIC
EXPERIMENTS THAT WE PARTICIPATE
IN HERE, THERE'S SO MUCH
EXCITING STUFF ALL THE TIME IT'S
HARD TO MISS ANYTHING ELSE.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
>> MY NAME IS TAYLOR FIELDS AND
MY QUESTION IS, IN WHAT WAYS DO
YOU THINK THAT HOSPITABLE
TOUCHES LIKE BAKING CAN IMPROVE
SPACE TRAVEL?
>> I THINK ANYTHING THAT WE CAN
DO, FIRST OF ALL, FOR
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT, JUST TO
BRING SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS
FROM HOME LIKE WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT, THOSE ELEMENTS BECOME
EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT LONG DURATION
MISSIONS.
SO I'M UP HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR
SEVERAL MONTHS.
MY COLLEAGUE UP HERE, DREW
MORGAN, HE'S UP HERE FOR NINE
MONTHS AND ONE OF OUR OTHER
COLLEAGUES, CHRISTINA KOCH, YOU
PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT HER, SHE
WAS UP HERE ALMOST A YEAR.
SO BRINGING SOME ELEMENTS IN TO
REMIND US FROM THINGS BACK HOME
ARE IMPORTANT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL
SUPPORT.
THE OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT
FACTOR IN FOOD SOURCES AND THE
WAYS THAT WE CAN GROW AND
PREPARE FOOD IN SPACE ARE
IMPORTANT FOR LONG DURATION
MISSIONS, FOR DEEP SPACE
MISSIONS.
WHEN WE GO FURTHER THAN THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND
WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE MOON AND
EVENTUALLY TO MARS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE
SUSTAINABLE ON THE MISSIONS AND
NOT BRING EVERYTHING WITH US.
IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH CARGO TO
TRANSPORT.
SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING
UP HERE ARE LOOKING AT SOME
SUSTAINABILITY OF FUTURE FOOD
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS THAT WE MIGHT
USE FOR DEEP EXPLORATION
MISSIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ANOTHER THING THAT
WE HAD UP HERE, PERHAPS
HEALTHIER THAN COOKIES, WE WERE
ACTUALLY GROWING LETTUCE, A TYPE
OF VERY, VERY TASTY LETTUCE HAS
A STRONG MUSTARDY TASTE IN
FLAVOR AND I LOVE EATING SALAD
AND LETTUCE ON THE GROUND.
SO WE WERE GROWING IT UP HERE
FOR SEVERAL OF THE FIRST MONTHS
OF MY MISSION.
WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT HARVESTS
AND EVALUATING THE GROWTH OF
PLANTS UNDER TWO WAVE LENGTHS OF
LIGHT.
ONE WAS RED AND ONE WAS BLUE AND
FERTILIZERS IN THE ROOT MAT.
LIKE I MENTIONED IT'S GOING TO
BE IMPORTANT TO GROW AND PROVIDE
A FOOD SOURCE FOR DEEP SPACE
MISSIONS AND THAT HAD A LOT OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT.
JUST LIKE THE SMELL OF FRESHLY
BAKED COOKIE, IT WAS SATISFYING
FOR ME TO TAKE CARE OF THE
PLANTS AND SEE SOMETHING ALIVE
AND GROWING.
EVERYTHING ELSE WE HAVE IS
PACKAGED FOOD, WE DON'T HAVE
PLANTS, WE DON'T HAVE NATURE
AROUND US HERE AND THAT WAS A
CRITICAL PART OF THE EXPERIMENT,
SEEING HOW THE INTERACTIONS OF
GROWING AND TAKING CARE OF THOSE
PLANTS, WATERING THEM EVERY DAY,
HAVING THE SENSATION, THE
TEXTURE OF THE PLANTS AND
GETTING TO EAT THEM AS A SALAD.
THAT DID A LOT FOR OUR
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT AS WELL.
>> HI, I'M ELENA.
HOW DID YOU GET UP TO THE ISS
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN
THERE?
>> I THINK YOU ASKED HOW DID I
GET UP TO THE ISS AND HOW LONG
DO I SPEND.
I CAME UP JUST LIKE ALL SINCE
THE SPACE SHUTTLE RETIRED, WE
FLY UP ON THE SOYUZ ROCKET AND
SPACECRAFT.
IT TAKES TRAINING IN RUSSIA IN
STAR CITY, WHICH IS THE TRAINING
CENTER WHERE OUR RUSSIAN
COSMONAUTS WORK.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN RUSSIA
LEARNING HOW TO CO-PILOT THE
SPACECRAFT.
WE WENT FROM BAIKINOUR WHERE IT
LATCHED AND I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE
SEPTEMBER 25TH.
I'LL BE HERE ANOTHER FEW MONTHS
AND ABOUT A SEVEN MONTH MISSION.
IT'S GOING QUICKLY AND I WILL
TELL YOU.
I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO
LEAVING SOON, THERE'S A LOT OF
EXCITEMENT AND ADVENTURE UP
HERE, I'LL BE SAD TO LEAVE IT
ALL BEHIND.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HI, HOW DO YOU TALK TO YOUR
FAMILY, KIDS OR FRIENDS FROM
SPACE?
>> SO AGAIN, ALONG THESE LINES
OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR
AMAZING GROUND TEAMS DO FOR US
IS TO MAINTAIN THOSE CONTACTS
WITH OUR FAMILY.
JUST LIKE THE COOKIES, JUST LIKE
THE LETTUCE, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
US TO KEEP THOSE CONNECTIONS FOR
OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR
WELL-BEING, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE
WEEKLY FAMILY CONFERENCES WITH
OUR LOVED ONES AND WE CAN EVEN
ROTATE THROUGH DIFFERENT PEOPLE
IF WE WANT.
FOR EXAMPLE FOR ME, I'VE HAD
THOSE CONFERENCES WITH MANY
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, MY MOM, MY
SIBLINGS AND OTHER FRIENDS, TOO.
OTHER PEOPLE ARE TALKING TO
THEIR SPOUSES TO THEIR CHILDREN
AND IT'S A TWO-WAY VIDEO CHAT
JUST LIKE SKYPE OR FACE-TIME
WOULD BE AND WE'RE ALLOCATED ONE
PER WEEK AND SOMETIMES WE GET
EXTRA ONES IF IT'S SOMEBODY'S
BIRTHDAY OR A HOLIDAY AND WE
HAVE TIME TO CONNECT ON A
PERSONAL LEVEL WITH OUR LOVED
ONES.
WE ALSO MAKE PHONE CALLS AND
WITHOUT THE VIDEO PORTION, BUT
WE CAN CALL FROM A COMPUTER
PROGRAM AS WELL.
WE CAN CALL A CELL PHONE AND IF
WE NEED TO TALK TO ANYBODY ON
THE GROUND, THEN WE CAN CALL
THEM AND DO THAT AND CATCH UP A
BIT ON THE PHONE.
THE NICE THING IS WE CAN STAY IN
GOOD CONTACT WITH OUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS WHILE WE'RE UP HERE.
>> HELLO, MY NAME IS TAYLOR AND
HOW DO YOU BECOME AN ASTRONAUT.
DID YOU KNOW WHEN YOU WERE A
KID?
IF YOU WEREN'T AN ASTRONAUT,
WHAT WOULD YOU BE?
>> I ACTUALLY DID WANT TO BE AN
ASTRONAUT MY ENTIRE LIFE PRETTY
MUCH.
I STARTED SAYING IT WHEN I WAS
FIVE YEARS OLD.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS VERY
FASCINATED WITH SCIENCE AND WITH
NATURE AROUND ME AND REALLY JUST
THIS WHOLE SCHEME AND THIS WHOLE
IDEA OF EXPLORATION, AND TO ME I
JUST WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT EVERYTHING AROUND ME SO IN
ADDITION TO WANTING TO BE AN
ASTRONAUT.
BIOLOGY WAS MY FAVORITE SUBJECT.
I WAS JUST REALLY FASCINATED BY
THE REMARKABLE DIVERSITY IN THE
ANIMAL KINGDOM, IN THE PLANTS
AND ANIMALS ALL AROUND ME SO I
ACTUALLY DID HAVE A PREVIOUS
CAREER BEFORE BECOMING AN
ASTRONAUT.
ACTUALLY ALL OF US DO.
WE ALL GET SELECTED TO BE
ASTRONAUTS AFTER WE HAVE ALREADY
HAD ANOTHER CAREER.
SO FOR ME, I WAS WORKING AS A
SCIENTIST, AS A COMPARATIVE
PHYSIOLOGIST, MEANING I WAS
LOOKING AT THE PHYSIOLOGY OF
ANIMALS AND SPECIFICALLY AT
PHYSIOLOGY OF ANIMALS IN EXTREME
ENVIRONMENTS.
SO I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN
ANIMALS THAT LIVE AND PERFORM IN
EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS LIKE DEEP
DIVING ENUNDERWATER, SEALS AND
PENGUINS IN THE ANTI-ARCTIC AND
HIGH ALTERNATIVE ANIMALS, THAT
LIVE IN HIGH ALTITUDE MORE
CHALLENGING THAN AT SEA LEVEL.
THE THINGS THAT BOTH
ENVIRONMENTS HAVE IN COMMON, LOW
LEVELS OF OXYGEN.
IF YOU'RE A DIVING EMPORER
PENGUIN, OR A SEAL.
A SEAL CAN DIVE FOR TWO HOURS.
HOW THE ANIMALS CAN EXHIBIT
INCREDIBLE BEHAVIORS AND
SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY MANAGE
THEIR OXYGEN STORES JUST LIKE WE
DO AS HUMANS TO BREATHE.
>> HI, MY NAME IS EMILY AND WHEN
DO YOU YOU THINK NORMAL PEOPLE
OR NON-ASTRONAUTS WILL BE ABLE
TO VISIT SPACE?
>> WELL, WE DO STILL CONSIDER
OURSELVES NORMAL PEOPLE, EVEN
THOUGH WE ARE ALSO ASTRONAUTS.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE
INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT OUR
JOB.
WE ALL WERE ONCE CHILDREN JUST
LIKE YOU.
WE ALL CAME FROM VERY DIFFERENT
BACKGROUNDS AND FROM DIFFERENT
PLACES, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IS
REALLY IS A TESTAMENT TO SHOW
THAT ANYBODY CAN DO IT, ANYBODY
CAN REALLY DO WHAT THEY SET
THEIR MINDS OUT TO.
AND INCLUDING NOW, I THINK IN
THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, SPACE IS
BECOMING MORE AND MORE AVAILABLE
TO EVERYBODY.
NOT JUST ASTRONAUTS.
WE ALREADY--
THERE ARE ALREADY SEVERAL
DIFFERENT COMPANIES ON THE
GROUND THAT ARE DOING SORT OF
COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS, WHETHER
THEY'RE SUBORBITAL, WHETHER TO
IT'S THE SPACE STATION AND I
THINK AS MORE AND MORE COMPANIES
GET INVOLVED IN THIS JUST LIKE
ANYTHING ELSE, THE COST WILL
COME DOWN AND IT WILL START
BECOMING MORE AND MORE
ACCESSIBLE TO AS YOU SAY, NORMAL
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HI, MY NAME IS DANI POSH,
DOES YOUR TECHNOLOGY WORK IN
SPACE JUST LIKE IT DOES ON THE
EARTH OR IS IT DIFFERENT?
>> WELL THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF
BOTH.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT
OPERATE EXACTLY LIKE THEY DO ON
THE GROUND BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED
TO IMPLEMENT ANYTHING DIFFERENT
SO I WOULD SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE
EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT
NOW, THIS IS A NORMAL VIDEO
CAMERA, A NORMAL MICROPHONE AND
A NORMAL RECEIVER AND
TRANSMITTER SYSTEM.
WE'RE USING SATELLITES TO SEND
THESE SIGNALS DOWN TO THE GROUND
AND ALL OF THAT IS REALLY THE
SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT IS
USED ON THE GROUND.
BUT THEN THERE ARE DIFFERENCES
AS WELL BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME
FACTORS THAT ARE UNIQUE UP HERE
IN MICROGRAVITY WHEN WE DON'T
HAVE THE ELEMENT OF GRAVITY THAT
DRIVES EVERYTHING ON THE GROUND.
AND AN EXAMPLE FOR THAT IS THIS
ZERO G OVEN WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT TODAY.
SO THERE WERE CERTAIN TYPES OF
OVENS ON THE GROUND CONVECTION
OVENS THAT USE FANS FOR
CONVECTION.
I'M SURE YOU'VE LEARNED WHAT
CONVECTION IS IN SCHOOL, IT'S A
NATURAL MOVEMENT OF AIR ON EARTH
BECAUSE HOT AIR RISES AS I'M
SURE YOU'VE HEARD AND THAT
CREATES A NATURAL FLOW OF AIR AS
THE HOT AIR RISES AND YOU HAVE
THIS CYCLE OF MOVING AIR.
NOW, UP HERE WITH MICROGRAVITY,
THERE IS NO CONVECTION BECAUSE
HOT AIR DOES NOT RISE WITHOUT
GRAVITY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE
ZERO G OVEN RELIES ON, IT'S
BASICALLY USING ELECTRICAL
HEATING ELEMENTS FOR EVERYTHING
THE OVEN NEEDS TO OPERATE.
THEY'RE PROVIDING THE HEAT FOR
THIS OVEN AND IT'S HEATING UP TO
350 DEGREES TYPICAL FOR WHAT
YOU'D USE FOR BAKING ON THE
GROUND.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HI, I'M CONGRESSMAN DAN
KILDEE, I REPRESENT ALL OF THESE
PEOPLE.
THIS MIGHT BE THE COOLEST THING
I'VE EVER DONE AS A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS SO THANK YOU FOR THIS.
I WONDER IF YOU MIGHT TELL US A
LITTLE ABOUT WHY YOU THINK IT'S
SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE
OUR COMMITMENT TO SPACE
EXPLORATION AND SECONDLY, HOW
HAS THIS EXPERIENCE CHANGED THE
WAY YOU VIEW THE EARTH AND HOW
HAS IT CHANGED YOU, IF IT HAS,
AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
>> WOW, THOSE ARE SOME REALLY
BIG QUESTIONS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO
TALK ABOUT THAT AND THANK YOU
FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT.
OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF
IT WEREN'T FOR EVERYTHING THAT
YOU DO FOR US ON THE GROUND.
I THINK THAT SPACE EXPLORATION
IS REALLY TO ME AN INHERENT PART
OF US AS A HUMAN SPECIES, WE
HAVE THIS DESIRE TO EXPLORE, TO
GO FURTHER, TO LOOK AROUND THE
CORNER AND IF WE DIDN'T HAVE
THAT AS HUMANS, WE WOULD HAVE
NEVER EVEN EXPLORED THE WHOLE
EARTH.
WE WOULD HAVE NEVER VENTURED OUT
IN SAILING SHIPS TO SEE WHAT WAS
AROUND THE CORNER AND NEVER
WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE
CONTINENTS.
SO I THINK IT IS JUST A NORMAL
AND NATURAL INHERENT PART OF US
AS HUMANS AND I THINK IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT IN ORDER FOR US TO
PROGRESS AS A SOCIETY, AS A
CIVILIZATION.
I ALSO THINK THE SCIENTIFIC
IMPACTS, EVEN ONES THAT WE DON'T
FORSEE, ARE VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE KNOW AS
SCIENTISTS IS THAT SOMETIMES THE
UNINTENDED RESULTS, THE
UNANTICIPATED RESULTS ARE OFTEN
THE MOST FRUITFUL ONES.
MAYBE NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE
QUESTION OF A HYPOTHESIS THAT
YOU'RE ASKING, YOU MAY UNFOLD
AND UNCOVER A WHOLE DIFFERENT
REALM OF ANSWERS TO SOMETHING
YOU WEREN'T LOOKING AT AND BASIC
SCIENCE ALLOWS THOSE THINGS TO
HAPPEN.
THE BASIC SCIENCE WE ACCOMPLISH
HERE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION, FOR EXAMPLE, IS REALLY
IMPORTANT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING
AT THINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
SPACE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE EVER
PRESENT VARIABLE OF GRAVITY,
ALWAYS DRIVING AND PERHAPS
MASKING SOME OTHER PROCESSES ON
THE GROUND.
WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'LL UNCOVER UP
HERE.
SO I THINK TO ME PERSONALLY
THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN REASONS
WHY I THINK THAT SPACE
EXPLORATION IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND IT DOES CHANGE YOUR YOU AS
A PERSON UP HERE.
THIS IS SOMETHING I THOUGHT OF
MY ENTIRE LIFE.
REALLY IN TWO DIFFERENT MAIN
REALMS.
I'VE HEARD IT DESCRIBED TO ME
FROM PREVIOUS ASTRONAUTS THAT
HAVE FLOWN UP HERE AND THE
IMPACT IT HAS.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON THE EARTH
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME WITH
YOUR OWN EYES, THAT WAS QUITE A
PROFOUND RESULT DURING APOLLO
MISSIONS WHEN HUMANS FIRST WENT
TO THE MOON AND FIRST LOOKED
BACK ON OUR PLANET FROM THE
OUTSIDE, AND THAT WAS REALLY
PIVOTAL IN ONE WAY FOR STARTING
THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT.
WHEN HUMANS LOOKED BACK AND SAW
THIS VERY THIN BAND OF THE
ATMOSPHERE AROUND THE EARTH AND
REALIZED HOW SPECIAL AND UNIQUE
OUR HOME PLANET WAS AND THAT WE
REALLY NEED TO PROTECT IT, NEED
TO TAKE CARE OF THE ATMOSPHERE
AND TAKE CARE OF THE LAND MASSES
AND WATER AND OUR OCEANS, IT'S
SPECIAL AND FRAGILE.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON THE EARTH
WITH YOUR OWN EYES AND YOU SEE
THAT, YOU SEE THIS FRAGILE BLUE
BALL DOWN THERE IN ITS ENTIRETY
WITH EVERYTHING YOU KNOW, EVERY
EXPERIENCE YOU'VE EVER HAD,
EVERY PLACE, EVERY PERSON IS
DOWN THERE IN ITS ENTIRETY, YOU
REALLY, IT REALLY DOES GIVE YOU
A PROFOUNDLY DIFFERENT FEELING
FOR YOUR PLACE IN IT.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE SECOND--
THE SECOND MAIN ROLE TO ME OTHER
THAN REALIZING OUR PRECIOUS OUR
PLANET IS REALIZING HOW REALLY
INSIGNIFICANT WE ARE AS HUMANS
AND EVEN AS AN ENTIRE PLANET IN
THE GRAND SCHEME OF OUR SOLAR
SYSTEM AND OUR UNIVERSE AND HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE THAT
PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK AS HUMANS IT'S VERY EASY
FOR US TO GET CAUGHT UP IN SMALL
THINGS, SMALL MINUTIA THAT DON'T
MATTER.
IT'S A HUMAN CHARACTERISTIC TO
FEEL THAT WAY, BUT IT'S
IMPORTANT TO TAKE A STEP BACK TO
GAIN THAT PERSPECTIVE AND
REALIZE THAT WE'RE ALL PART OF
SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER AND WE'RE
ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE
STUDENTS AND CONGRESSMAN KILDEE
FOR YOUR QUESTIONS TODAY AND
LET'S ALL THANK ASTRONAUT
JESSICA FOR HER TIME WITH A BIG
ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[APPLAUSE]
>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON,
ACR.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR EVENT AS WE
COUNT DOWN TO 20 CONTINUOUS
YEARS OF HUMANS LIVING AND
WORKING ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU TO ALL
PARTICIPANTS FROM EAST MIDDLE
SCHOOL.
STATION, WE ARE NOW RESUMING
AUDIO COMMUNICATIONS.