>> HELLO, CHRIS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR NASA.
AS YOU TRAVEL FOR FINAL LAUNCH
TRAINING, WHAT HEALTH
PRECAUTIONS AND QUARANTINE
RESTRICTIONS WILL YOU BE
OBSERVING TO ENSURE YOU AND YOUR
CREW MATES ARE HEALTHY ON LAUNCH
DAY HEADING TO THE ISS?
>> AS WE TRAVEL, WE'RE GOING
WITH A VERY SMALL TEAM.
ALL OF US HAVE BEEN IN
QUARANTINE TOGETHER, EVERYBODY
PRACTICING THE SAME HEALTH
PRECAUTIONS THAT WE NORMALLY DO,
BUT NOW THE WHOLE WORLD IS USING
THOSE SAME PRECAUTIONS.
SOCIAL DISTANCING, CLEANING OUR
HANDS ALL THE TIME, AND THESE
SORT OF THINGS.
WE'LL DO THE EXACT SAME THING.
>> SECOND QUESTION.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
COMPONENTS OF YOUR FLIGHT IS
EXPECTED TO BE THE ARRIVAL OF
SPACEX CREW DRAGON TO INAUGURATE
THE FIRST COMMERCIAL CREW
VEHICLE MISSION TO THE ISS.
HOW IMPORTANT AND HISTORIC WILL
THIS FLIGHT BE IN EXPANDING
TRANSPORT CAPABILITY TO THE ISS?
>> WELL, THIS FLIGHT IS GOING TO
BE VERY HUGE FOR US AS A NATION
AND AS AN INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIP FOR OPERATIONS ON
THE SPACE STATION.
IT'LL ALLOW US TO BE LAUNCHING
CREWS FROM FLORIDA AGAIN AND
JUST GIVE MORE REDUNDANCY AND
ABILITY TO GET TO AND FROM THE
SPACE STATION AND ANOTHER SEAT.
WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR FOUR
PEOPLE TO COME UP IN THE SPACEX
AND BOEING CRAFTS.
WE CAN HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE ON
BOARD THE SPACE STATION.
SO IT'S A VERY EXCITING TIME.
I'M REALLY -- I CAN'T WAIT FOR
THAT DAY WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO
LAUNCH AND THEY ARRIVE AND WE
OPEN THE HATCH AND I SEE THEM.
I'M GOOD FRIENDS WITH BOTH OF
THEM.
I FLEW WITH DOUG ON MY FIRST
MISSION, STS-127.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE SUPER
EXCITING TO SEE THEM PERSONALLY
BUT ALSO SUPER EXCITING FOR US
AS A NATION, USES A A
PARTNERSHIP, AND US AS NASA.
>> LAST QUESTION, PLEASE.
NOVEMBER 2nd MARKS THE 20th
ANNIVERSARY OF CONTINUOUS HUMAN
PRESENCE ON THE ISS.
HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THAT
MILESTONE IN HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT
HISTORY?
>> WELL, IT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR
THE SPACE STATION TO HAVE BEEN
OPERATING BRILLIANTLY FOR THOSE
20 YEARS.
FOR ME, PERSONALLY, BILL
SHEPHERD WAS THE COMMANDER OF
EXPEDITION ONE.
I'LL BE THE COMMANDER OF
EXPEDITION 63 AT THE 20-YEAR
MARK.
WE BOTH HAVE OUR ROOTS IN THE
NAVY S.E.A.L. TEAMS.
SO I HAVE A PARTICULARLY FOND
THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THE NAVY
GUYS, PARTICULARLY S.E.A.L. TEAM
GUYS, ARE IN COMMAND AT THE
BEGINNING AND END OF THAT
20-YEAR PERIOD.
BUT IT ALSO SHOWS WE, AS A
COLLECTION OF NATIONS, HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO BUILD, SUSTAIN, OPERATE
THIS AMAZING THING CALLED THE
SPACE STATION, AND ALL THAT
WE'RE LEARNING IS GOING TO HELP
US GO TO THE MOON AND TO MARS.
SO THE SPACE STATION IS A
MARVELOUS PIECE OF MACHINERY.
JUST IMAGINE YOUR CAR WORKING
FOR 20 YEARS, YOU KNOW.
YOU'D BE VERY HAPPY WHEN YOU GET
TO THAT 20th YEAR.
AND THE SPACE STATION IS DOING
MUCH BETTER THAN YOUR CAR.