>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE EVENT?
>> HOUSTON, THIS IS STATION.
WE ARE READY FOR THE EVENT.
>> HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY,
THIS IS MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON.
PLEASE CALL STATION FOR A VOICE
CHECK.
>> STATION, THIS IS PATTY SMITH
WITH THE HOUSTON SPORTS
AUTHORITY.
HOW DO YOU HEAR ME?
>> HI, PATTY!
THIS IS THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND
CLEAR.
>> Reporter: AWESOME, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON
TODAY.
IT'S AMAZING.
WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT
HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OUR 5K
ANYWAY RACE, AND ARE HERE
TONIGHT TO JOIN US FOR THIS 5K
CELEBRATION, SO YOU GUYS ARE
AMAZING TO DO THIS, WE'RE SO
EXCITED TO HAVE YOU.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IT'S LIKE
TO BE UP THERE FOR SIX MONTHS
IN SPACE?
>> YEAH, IT'S AMAZING.
IT'S INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL TO BE
IN SPACE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SO
STRIKING IS THE VIEW OF OUR
PLANET, AND YOU THINK YOU GET
USED TO THIS, AND JUST
YESTERDAY I WENT TO CLOSE THE
SHUTTERS ON SOME OF OUR WINDOWS
THAT FACE DOWN TOWARDS EARTH,
AND I WENT IN INTENDING TO
CLOSE THEM AND I STAYED FOR
ABOUT 60, 70 MINUTES DOING
ALMOST A COMPLETE ORBIT OF THE
PLANET BECAUSE IT WAS SO
BEAUTIFUL.
THERE WERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER
AFRICA AND SUNRISE AND SUNSET.
SO IT NEVER GETS OLD UP HERE.
>> Reporter: AND I CAN'T DO
THAT WITH MY MIC, IF I DO THAT,
IT'S GOING TO DROP.
YOU TWO, SHANNON AND KATE --
YEAH, GREAT, RUB IT IN.
DOING AMAZING THINGS.
TELL US WHAT YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
IS OTHER THAN LOOKING OUT OVER
THE SUNSETS ON AFRICA?
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
REALLY NO ROUTINE DAY UP HERE,
I WOULD SAY, OTHER THAN GETTING
UP IN THE MORNING.
AFTER WE GET UP, WE HAVE
CHECK-INS WITH THE CONTROL
CENTERS AROUND THE WORLD.
THERE'S FIVE DIFFERENT CONTROL
CENTERS.
WE CHECK IN WITH THEM AND THEN
WE START OUR DAY.
IT COULD BE A DAY FILLED WITH
MAINTENANCE, DAY FILLED WITH
SCIENCE OR PREPARATION AND
CONDUCTING SPACEWALKS.
IT DEPENDS WHAT THE PRIORITIES
OF THE GROUND ARE AT THE TIME
AND HOW EVERYTHING IS SCHEDULED
FOR US.
>> Reporter: ASK YOU A TWO-PART
QUESTION, YOU CAN ANSWER IT ONE
WAY OR THE OTHER.
TELL ME THE COOLEST PART OF
BEING UP THERE AND TELL US THE
WORST PART OF BEING UP THERE.
>> OBVIOUSLY, THE COOLEST PART
ABOUT BEING IN SPACE IS
FLOATING AROUND.
SO YOU JUST DON'T HAVE TO SIT
OR -- YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HANG
OUT IN SPACE.
THAT'S THE COOLEST PART.
>> YEAH, ONE OF THE MORE
CHALLENGING THINGS IS THAT WE
ARE ISOLATED, AND I THINK FOLKS
IN THE PLANET UNDERSTAND THIS,
YOU KNOW, WITH COVID AND THE
PANDEMIC, EVERYBODY HAS HAD TO
BE ISOLATED FROM THEIR FAMILY
AND FRIENDS, AND ASTRONAUTS
HAVE KNOWN THIS FOR A LONG
TIME.
WE KNOW THAT FEELING.
IT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY EASIER
BUT IF IT DOES HELP FOLKS ON
THE PLANET, WE KNOW WHAT IT
FEELS LIKE.
WE GET THE CHANCE TO KEEP IN
CONTACT WITH FAMILY AND
FRIENDS, VIDEO CALLS ONCE A
WEEK AND WE CAN CALL THEM, WE
CAN DO E-MAIL.
WE HAVE WAYS TO STAY IN TOUCH
WITH LOVED ONES BUT IT IS HARD
BEING AWAY FOR SO LONG.
>> Reporter: SHANNON, I WANT TO
START WITH YOU, AS A MISSION
SPECIALIST AND FLIGHT ENGINEER,
TELL US SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOUR
ROLE IS.
>> MY ROLE IS TO DO WHATEVER
THE GROUND NEEDS US TO DO.
SERIOUSLY.
WE ARE TRAINED IN EVERYTHING
THAT COULD POSSIBLY COME UP, UP
HERE.
SO THIS FLIGHT, THE WAY THE
TASKING WORKED OUT, I'VE DONE A
LOT OF MAINTENANCE ON THE
STATION.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF UPGRADES
GOING ON.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN UPGRADING
THE STATION SO IT WILL BE READY
FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF WHATEVER
IS TO COME IN THE FUTURE.
>> Reporter: KATE, I TALKED A
LITTLE BIT IN THE INTRO OF YOU
BEING THE FIRST TO SEQUENCE DNA
IN SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS, YOU
CAN GIVE US AN OVERVIEW?
WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY?
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE
SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS UP HERE.
THIS STARTED IN 2016 ON MY LAST
MISSION AND WE CONTINUED IT UP
HERE.
DNA IS IN EVERY CELL AND MAKES
US WHO WE ARE.
WE HADN'T SEQUENCED IT IN SPACE
BEFORE 2016.
PART OF THAT WAS PROOF OF
PRINCIPLE TO SEE IF THAT
TECHNOLOGY WOULD WORK UP HERE.
WE DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WOULD,
THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES IN
MICROGRAVITY.
NOW THAT IT'S WORKING, WE CAN
USE THIS TO DETERMINE THINGS
LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH GENE
EXPRESSION IN HUMANS AS WE'RE
IN THE STRANGE ENVIRONMENT OF
MICROGRAVITY OR DETECT MICROBES
INSIDE THE SPACE STATION.
WE DID A COMPLETE MAP, 800
SAMPLES IN THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, WE'RE LOOKING AT
MAPPING.
ALL OF THE LIVING, NONHUMAN
THINGS INSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
DNA SEQUENCING TECHNOLOGY IS
ONE WAY WE DO THAT.
>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, BEING
THE FIRST TO DO ANYTHING IS
MONUMENTAL AND A HUGE DEAL.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE
THE FIRST?
>> WELL, I WAS KIND OF THE
HANDS IN THIS EXPERIMENT, BUT
REALLY IT WAS THE ENTIRE TEAM.
THERE'S A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE
THAT WORKED YEARS TO GET THIS
TECHNOLOGY READY TO FLY.
THEY HAVE DO A LOT OF
INTEGRATION TO FIGURE OUT HOW
IT'S GOING TO WORK IN THIS
CLOSED ENVIRONMENT.
THEY WERE THERE WITH ME, THEY
WERE ON VIDEO AND I WAS TALKING
TO THEM ON AUDIO WHEN WE
SEQUENCED DNA FOR THE FIRST
TIME, AND I THINK EVERYBODY WAS
SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO SEE
THE REALLY, REALLY HARD WORK
OVER ALL THESE YEARS COME TO
FRUITION AND BE AN ACTUAL
EXPERIMENT THAT WE CONDUCTED ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION.
>> Reporter: AS WE MENTIONED,
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY HERE WITH
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE
WORLD, CELEBRATING
TRANSPLANTATION, WHETHER YOU'RE
A DONOR, A RECIPIENT, AND YOU
GUYS UP THERE WITH THE DNA
SEQUENCING AND POTENTIALLY THE
ABILITY TO GROW ORGANS IN
SPACE.
YOU CAN KIND OF TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THAT.
I WAS READING NOTES WHY IT CAN
BE DONE AND HOW THE GRAVITY
AFFECTS RESEARCH AND WHAT
YOU'RE DOING, CAN YOU GIVE US A
SENSE WHAT'S BEING DONE, THE
PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE AND
WHAT YOU FORESEE HOPEFULLY IN
THE NEAR FUTURE?
>> YEAH, SO WE'RE PRETTY EARLY
IN THIS.
SOME OF THE REALLY INTERESTING
THINGS WE'VE DONE ON THIS
FLIGHT HAVE STARTED TO GROW
MORE COMPLEX TISSUES, SO WE'RE
NOT QUITE AT THE ORGAN LEVEL
YET, BUT DID, FOR EXAMPLE, GROW
CARDIO MYOCYTES, THE CELLS IN
YOUR HEART AND ADDED ADDITIONAL
CELLS, ENDOTHELIAL CELLS, ALL
THE CELLS THAT MAKE UP THE
HEART TISSUE.
THESE WEREN'T HEART SIZE, VERY
SMALL PLUGS OF TISSUE, BUT
COULD LOOK AT THEM IN THREE
DIMENSIONS WITHOUT THE FORCE OF
GRAVITY AND SEE THEM BEATING.
SO SHANNON WAS AROUND WHEN WE
WERE DOING THE MICROSCOPY AND
WE COULD SEE THE CELLS
CONTRACTING, WE'RE DOING DNA
SEQUENCING AND GENOME
EXPRESSION ON THEM, THEY'VE
ALREADY RETURNED TO THE PLANET.
WE HAVE INTERESTING TECHNOLOGY
THAT WE'RE WORKING ON,
SOMETHING CALLED BIOPRINTING,
WHERE YOU CAN PRINT DIFFERENT
LAYERS OF CELLS AND EVENTUALLY
GET UP TO THREE DIMENSIONAL
ARCHITECTURE.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG
TIME BEFORE WE GET TO THE ORGAN
LEVEL UP HERE, BUT ARE LOOKING
AT WAYS THAT MICROGRAVITY IS
DIFFERENT FOR LARGER PIECES OF
CELLS AND LARGER STRUCTURES IN
HUMAN TISSUES, AS THEY START TO
FORM THAT STRUCTURE, IF YOU
DON'T HAVE GRAVITY, ARE THERE
DIFFERENT WAYS, FOR EXAMPLE,
THAT THE CELLS CAN INTERACT IN
THE THREE DIMENSIONAL
STRUCTURE?
THESE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS
WE'RE ASKING UP HERE.
REALLY GOOD FUNDAMENTAL
RESEARCH WE HOPE IS GOING TO
HELP US LEARN ABOUT TISSUE
STRUCTURE AND ORGANS IN SPACE.
>> Reporter: YEAH, WHAT COMES
TO MIND IS THE OLD PETRI DISH,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A DISH,
YOU CAN SET YOUR STUFF RIGHT
THERE.
SHANNON, LET ME -- EXACTLY.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS, YOU WON
NUMEROUS AWARDS FOR THINGS HAVE
YOU DONE IN GROUP ACHIEVEMENTS
AND OBVIOUSLY, THIS TAKES A
TEAM.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HOW
IMPORTANT THE TEAMWORK IS UP
THERE.
NOT JUST THIS BUT REALLY IN
EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO?
>> YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT
IS JUST IT.
TEAMWORK IS IMPORTANT IN
EVERYTHING WE DO AND JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING IN LIFE, I WOULD
SAY.
VERY FEW THINGS HAPPEN ON YOUR
OWN.
WHEN WE'RE UP HERE, AS KATE WAS
SAYING WITH THE EXPERIMENT
SHE'S BEEN CONDUCTING FOR THE
TEAM ON THE GROUND, IT TAKES A
WHOLE TEAM OF PEOPLE, YOU CAN
IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE
TO KEEP US HEALTHY, KEEP THE
STATION RUNNING.
NOT JUST PEOPLE AT NASA, WE
HAVE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
BECAUSE IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, AND TOGETHER WE
CAN GET IT ALL DONE.
AND KATE AND I JUST HAPPEN TO
BE THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM UP
HERE CONDUCTING ALL THE
RESEARCH FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND, AND IN LIFE, LIKE I
SAY, TEAMWORK IS KEY, YOU
DEPEND ON YOUR TEAMWORK, OR
TEAM MEMBERS TO ACCOMPLISH
GREAT GOALS AND IT'S EVERYBODY
WORKING TOGETHER IS HOW BIG
THINGS HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: I KNOW YOU'RE A
RUNNER ALSO, AND I DON'T KNOW
HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS
EVENT.
I KNOW WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT IT.
WE'VE GOT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD DOING THE 5K ANYWAY
THEY WANT TO, RUNNING IT,
BIKING IT, SWIMMING IT, BOWLING
IT, GOLFING IT.
HOW WOULD YOU DO IT, EACH OF
YOU, IF YOU CHOSE, AND GIVE US
A WAY YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO IT
UP THERE IN SPACE?
>> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION.
TO DO A 5K UP HERE, YOU HAVE
TWO POSSIBILITIES, A TREADMILL
WE CAN RUN ON THAT WE HAVE TO
WEAR A HARNESS TO HOLD US DOWN
ON THE TREADMILL, OTHERWISE WE
FLOAT OFF OF IT, AND WE'VE GOT
AN EXERCISE BIKE.
DIFFERENT FROM THE BIKES ON THE
GROUND, OUR FEET CLIP INTO
PEDALS LIKE MANY BIKES HAVE ON
THE GROUND BUT DON'T HAVE A
SEAT.
WE ARE CLIPPED IN AND CAN RIDE.
THOSE ARE THE TWO
POSSIBILITIES.
IF WE TRIED TO SWIM, WE
WOULDN'T GO ANYWHERE, SWIMMING
IS NOT SO MUCH AN OPTION,
BIKING AND RUNNING IS WHAT WE
CAN DO UP HERE.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FIND IT
DIFFERENT?
OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE A RUNNER,
WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING ON EARTH
VERSUS A TREADMILL, WHAT'S THE
BIGGEST DIFFERENCE?
ARE YOU GOING FASTER, SLOWER,
THE SAME THING?
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
>> YEAH, I CAN ACTUALLY GO A
LITTLE FASTER UP HERE BECAUSE I
CAN ADJUST HOW MUCH THE HARNESS
IS PULLING ME DOWN.
IF I HAVE IT PULL ME DOWN A
LITTLE LESS THAN I WEIGH ON THE
GROUND, I CAN RUN A LITTLE BIT
FASTER, AND THAT'S FUN BECAUSE
I FEEL LIKE I'M A GAZELLE, I'M
RUNNING BEAUTIFULLY FAST.
>> Reporter: KATE, IF YOU ARE
RUNNING UP AGAINST SHANNON,
WHO'S GOING TO WIN ON A 5K RACE
ON EARTH?
>> WELL, I HAVEN'T BEEN
TRAINING FOR MARATHONS RECENTLY
BUT DID DO THEM AWHILE AGO.
SHANNON SAID IT IS VERY
DIFFERENT.
OUR FORM IS DIFFERENT.
AND SHANNON TRIED RUNNING,
WALKING BACKWARDS ON THE
TREADMILL THE OTHER DAY.
THAT IS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
A VERY ECENTRIC WORKOUT.
MAYBE WE CAN ATTEMPT IT.
>> Reporter: YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN
UP THERE FOR A WHILE NOW, AND
BY THE TIME THIS -- BY THE TIME
WE SHOW THIS TO PARTICIPANTS,
YOU WILL BE BACK.
WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE
FIRST THING IS THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO DO WHEN YOU GET BACK?
>> OOH!
KATE SAYS EAT A SALAD, I'M WITH
HER, EAT A SALAD.
EAT FRESH FOOD THAT WE DON'T
HAVE ACCESS TO UP HERE.
FOR ME, TAKE THINGS SLOWER.
UP HERE, OUR DAYS ARE
INCREDIBLY BUSY.
HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE SPRINGTIME
WHEN WE GET HOME, I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TO SITTING IN THE
SUNSHINE AND RELAXING A LITTLE
BIT.
>> Reporter: KATE?
SAME FOR YOU?
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU'RE
GOING TO DO WHEN YOU GET BACK?
>> YEAH, SHANNON'S GOT SOME
REALLY GOOD IDEAS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO ENJOY
BEING ON THE PLANET.
IT IS A LITTLE TOUGH WHEN WE
GET BACK, THINGS LIKE WALKING
ARE HARD.
WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF
REHABILITATION.
TAKING IT SLOW IS A GOOD IDEA
AND JUST ENJOYING THE
INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT
WE'VE HAD UP HERE, GETTING A
CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THE
MISSION WITH FAMILY AND
FRIENDS, SHOW THEM PHOTOS UNTIL
THEY SAY ENOUGH!
[LAUGHTER].
>> AND JUST ENJOY ALL THE
THINGS OUR PLANET HAS TOOR.
BEING OUTSIDE IN NATURE IS
DEFINITELY ON MY PLAN.
>> Reporter: THIS IS A QUESTION
I ALWAYS THINK OF WHENEVER I
THINK ABOUT YOU GUYS UP THERE.
AS COOL AS THIS IS, IT'S
AMAZING, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN
PAY ME ENOUGH MONEY BECAUSE I'M
CLAUSTROPHOBIC.
DOES CLAUSTROPHOBIA KICK IN FOR
EITHER ONE OF YOU?
>> I WOULD SAY NO.
THE STATION IS A PRETTY BIG
PLACE.
YOU CAN SEE THE SIZE OF SPACE
WE'RE IN HERE, THIS IS ONE TINY
CORNER OF THE SPACE STATION.
IT'S PRETTY BIG, WE HAVE LOTS
OF ROOM, NO CLAUSTROPHOBIA.
>> Reporter: ALL RIGHT, WE ARE
SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU ON
HERE, AGAIN, ALL OUR
PARTICIPANTS.
THIS IS A REAL TREAT FOR THEM.
MEANS A LOT FOR THEM.
THEY WORKED HARD TO ACCOMPLISH
WHAT THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED.
SO THANK YOU, BOTH, AND IS
THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO
SHOUT OUT TO THE PEOPLE
WATCHING YOU ON THIS ZOOM EVENT
TODAY?
>> WE JUST WANT TO GIVE OUR
BEST WISHES TO EVERYONE.
WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS
INCREDIBLE, AND WE REALLY
SALUTE YOUR EFFORTS AND
EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
>> Reporter: ALL RIGHT, THANK
YOU, BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
GOOD LUCK AND LOOK FORWARD TO
SEEING YOU WALK WITH NICE,
STERN, STEADY LEGS ON EARTH
REAL SOON.
THANK YOU.
>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON
ACR, THAT CONCLUDES THE EVENT.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU TO ALL
PARTICIPANTS FROM HOUSTON
SPORTS AUTHORITY.
STATION, WE ARE NOW RESUMING
OPERATIONAL AUDIO