>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE EVENT?
>> WE ARE READY FOR THE EVENT.
>> THIS IS MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON.
PLEASE CALL FOR A VOICE CHECK.
>> HOW DO YOU HEAR ME?
>> WE HAVE YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
>> AND WITH THAT, LET'S GET
UNDER WAY.
JOINING US HERE ON TRACKING THE
TROPICS FOR MORE THAN 200 MILES
ABOVE THE WEATHER NASA
ASTRONAUTS MEGAN McARTHUR AND
SHANE KIMBROUGH.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE SPEAKING TO
YOU TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US, WE LOOK
FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU
TODAY.
MEGAN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE ROLE
THAT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION PLAYS IN MONITORING?
>> WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VANTAGE
POINT 250 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH.
WE HAVE A LOVELY VIEWING AREA
CALLED THE CUPOLA THAT GIVES US
A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE EARTH AS
WE GO AROUND.
SHANE AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING
OVER THE WEEKEND.
HE SAID IT WOULD BE A NEAT IDEA
TO SEE WHAT WE CAN SEE AS ELSA
WAS DEVELOPING OVER THE
CARIBBEAN.
THE LAST TIME WE WERE PASSING
OVER THAT AREA, SHANE WAS BUSY
DOING SOMETHING ELSE, SO I WENT
IN THERE, GRABBED THE CAMERA AND
TOOK SOME PICTURES.
YOU CAN SEE THE CIRCULAR
FORMATION OF THE STORM.
AS WE APPROACHED WE GOT SOME
INTERESTING VIEWS.
IT WAS INTERESTING AS A BACKDROP
FROM SOME OF THE DIFFERENT
STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE.
SO I TRIED TO CAPTURE THAT
FEELING AS MUCH AS I COULD FOR
FOLKS ON EARTH TO SEE THAT.
AND AT THAT TIME--UP HERE, I'M
NOT TRACKING THE WEATHER AS MUCH
AS I WOULD DO AT HOME.
CERTAINLY IF I LIVED IN THAT
AREA, SO I WASN'T SURE OF THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE STORM AND HOW
DANGEROUS IT WAS GOING TO BE.
I WANTED TO SHARE WHAT IT LOOKS
LIKE TO US AS IT WAS DEVELOPING
AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE AT
HOME COULD SEE THAT AS WELL.
>> GOING ALONG WITH THAT, MEGAN,
WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR ORBIT WITH
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
IS GOING OVER THE TROPICAL
ATLANTIC OR A TROPICAL SYSTEM,
DO YOU CHANGE ANY OPERATIONS ON
THE ISS TO GET ANY KIND OF DATA?
DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU GET
PICTURES?
TALK A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU KNOW
YOUR ORBIT IS GOING OVER A
TROPICAL SYSTEM.
>> SO THERE IS A PROGRAM AT NASA
CREW-EARTH OBSERVATIONS.
WE WILL GET ASKED TO TAKE
PHOTOGRAPHS OF CERTAIN THINGS.
SOMETIMES IT'S TROPICAL WEATHER.
IT MIGHT BE VOLCANIC WEATHER,
WILDFIRE OR BIRD MIGRATIONS.
WE'LL GET NOTIFICATIONS THAT
WE'RE GOING OVER DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE PLANET.
NORMALLY OUR WORK IS ON THE
RESEARCH WORK THAT WE'RE DOING
ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION.
IF WE CAN STOP AND TAKE PICTURES
OF DEVELOPMENTS ON EARTH, WE
WILL ABSOLUTELY DO THAT.
>> WE ARE OF COURSE, MONITORING
THE TROPICS CAREFULLY, BUT YOU
HAVE SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE
ONGOING.
I WAS READING ABOUT THE
WEATHER-RELATED CUBESATS.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD
EXPLAIN HOW THAT HELPS US WITH
FORECASTING ON EARTH.
>> I DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT
ABOUT IT, BUT I'LL TAKE A CRACK
AT IT.
CUBESATS WILL LOOK AT THE
IONOSFERE.
THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
WE DON'T GET THE DATA OR
RESEARCH FROM IT, BUT THE
RESEARCHERS ON THE GROUND WILL
GET THAT DATA AND WILL KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR
AND KNOW WHAT THEY'LL GET OUT
THAT HAVE SCIENCE EXPERIMENT.
>> AGAIN, WE'VE GOT MEGAN
McARTHUR AS WELL AS SHANE
KIMBROUGH JOINING US AS WE TRACK
THE TROPICS.
WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM OUR
AUDIENCE MEMBERS ON SOCIAL
MEDIA.
WE'LL TAKE SOME OF THOSE
QUESTIONS NOW.
WE'LL START HERE FROM HARRY
SPENCER HERE IN OUR COMMENT
SECTION.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE
BODY TO READJUST TO THE EARTH'S
ATMOSPHERE AFTER BEING ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, SAY
SIX MONTHS.
>> SO THE BODY AND.
BRAIN ARE PRETTY AMAZING IN THAT
WE ADAPT TO NEW ENVIRONMENTS
PRETTY QUICKLY.
IT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK FOR ME TO
FEEL REASONABLY WELL ADAPTED,
AND I THINK IT WILL TAKE A WEEK
OR TWO TO GET BACK TO EARTH
NORMAL AGAIN.
YOU COME HOME TO EARTH.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT LESS BLOOD
VOLUME, SO YOUR BODY IS
REGENERATING ALL OF THAT, AND
YOUR VESTIBULAR SYSTEM GETS
MESSED UP.
IN SPACE WE'LL KEEP MOVING
UNLESS WE GRAB SOMETHING TO STOP
OURSELVES.
IF AT HOME THAT CONTINUES.
IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE FOR YOUR
BRAIN TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
I WOULD SAY TWO WEEKS.
NO, WE DON'T GO INTO QUARANTINE
WHEN WE COME HOME.
WE'RE ABLE TO SEE OUR FRIENDS
AND FAMILY RIGHT AWAY.
WE'LL GO THROUGH MEDICAL TRIALS,
BUT THAT'S TO TEST THE EFFECTS
OF THE LONG DURATION SPACE
FLIGHT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MEGAN.
NOW THIS IS METEOROLOGIST AMANDA
HOLLY FROM WFLA.
THIS IS COMING FROM OUR
INTERACTIVE PRODUCER AT WFLA.
IT HAS BEEN TEN YEARS TO THE DAY
SINCE THE LAST SHUTTLE MISSION.
OBVIOUSLY YOU DIDN'T FLY ON THAT
MISSION, TALK A LITTLE BIT HOW
YOU WHAT THE DIFFERENCE NOW
LAUNCHED ON AN REUSABLE ROCKET
AND CREW DRAGON.
>> YEAH, WE BOTH ENJOYED OUR
SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHTS FOR SURE.
IT WAS A MASSIVE VEHICLE VEHICLE
AND AN ENGINEERING MIRACLE.
I FLEW A FEW MONTHS BEFORE MEGAN
ON THE SHUTTLE.
SHE WAS GOING TO THE HUBEL SPACE
TELESCOPE.
THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE
EXPERIENCE.
WE BOTH JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO
HALLELUJAHED FROM THE LAUNCH,
AND WE HAD HAD AN INCREDIBLE
RIDE UP HEEL, AND WE'RE LOOKING
FORWARD TO GOING HOME ON THE
CREW DRAGON.
>> HEY, I'M METEOROLOGIST
REBECCA BARRY.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF YOUNG
WOMEN IN SPACE AND BEYOND AND
WILL THEY PLAY A ROLE IN OUR
RETURN TO THE MOON?
>> I WOULD SAY ABSOLUTELY, THERE
IS A PROMINENT ROLE FOR YOUNG
WOMEN AND YOUNG MEN IN OUR
RETURN TO THE MOON.
I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE
NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN BECOMING SPACEX
EMPLOYERERS.
WHEN I JOINED ASTRONAUT OFFICER
THERE WERE MAYBE 20% WOMEN, AND
WE'RE SEEING THAT NUMBER GOING
UP AND UP.
WE'RE SEEING MORE WOMEN APPLYING
TO BECOME RESTAURANTS.
I THINK THEIR REPUTATION IS
IMPORTANT AND AM WE GET NEW,
FRESH IDEAS WHEN WE BRING NEW
PEOPLE INTO A GROUP.
>> I'M JOINED HERE BY MEGAN
McARTHUR AND SHANE KIMBROUGH,
250 MILES ABOVE WHERE WE ARE IN
TAMPA, FLORIDA.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION
ON BEHALF OF BOTH OF YOU.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ALWAYS
HAD AS A KID.
IS THERE WEATHER IN SPACE.
WE TRACK WEATHER, OF COURSE,
WHEN IT COMES TO HURRICANE, THE
TROPIC DEVELOPMENTS AND THE HOUR
SEASONS.
BUT IS THERE ANYTHING, ANY KIND
OF WEATHER YOU HAVE TO MONITOR
ON BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION.
>> YES, IT'S CALLED SPACE
WEATHER, RADIATION FROM THE SUN,
AND IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT
OPPOSITE OUR BODY.
IF THERE IS SOME BIG EVENT
COMING UP, WE'LL GET IN A
SHIELDED PART OF THE SPACE
STATION TO PREVENT OUR BODIES
FROM THE GETTING ALL OF
THROEDATION.
NUMBER.
>> NO HURRICANES TO WORRY ABOUT
OR TROPICAL STORMS?
VERY FORTUNATE YOU DON'T HAVE TO
DEAL WITH WHAT WE HAD TO DEAL
WITH IN 2020.
>> BACK--OUR FAMILIES ARE HAVING
TO DEAL WITH THOSE THINGS.
>> TRACKING THE TROPICS.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR
SPACE TRAVEL IN GENERAL.
BEFORE CREW DRAGON THERE WAS A
TEN-YEAR LAUNCH ASTRONAUTS FROM
THE UNITED STATES SOIL.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE
UPCOMING BOEING STAR LINER
CAPSULE AND POTENTIAL TO NOW
HAVE MULTIPLE RIDE VEHICLES AT
OUR DISPOSAL?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT'S GREAT.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
BOEING WILL GET THEIR VEHICLE
OFF THE PAD IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING
ON BOARD AND SEEING THE ORBITAL
FLIGHT TEST NUMBER TWO VEHICLE
FOR BOEING.
ONCE THAT PLIGHT HAPPENS THEY'LL
GET READY TO GET THEIR CREW ON
BOARD.
THAT'S VERY EXCITING.
IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO
LAUNCH INTO SPACE AND TO HAVE
THE, AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED
THERE WAS A TEN-YEAR GAP BETWEEN
THE LAST SHUTTLE FLIGHT AND THE
FIRST CREW MISSION WHICH
HAPPENED A YEAR AGO WITH
MEGAN'SEL R HUSBAND, BOB.
>> I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE
COOL PHENOMENON THAT WE'VE SEEN.
WE LOVE THE PICTURES OF TROPICAL
STORM ELSA, BUT WHAT ELSE HAVE
YOU SEEN UP INTEREST?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS FUN
TO DO WHEN THERE IS A NIGHT
PASS.
WE GO AROUND THE EARTH EVERY 90
MINUTES, SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE
TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND YOU
SEE THUNDERSTORMS OVER HUGE YOU
SEE IT REFLECTED IN THE CLOUDS.
YOU CAN SEE WHEN THE LIGHTNING
FLASHES, AND YOU CAN SEE THE
FLUKETURE INSIDE.
INSTEAD OF GOING DOWN TO EARTH,
I CAN IS HE IT.
I HAD NEVER SEEP ANYTHING LIKE
THAT BEFORE.
I WAS AMAZED.
I CAME FLYING DOWN TO THE MAIN
AREA, AND SAID YOU WILL NEVER
GUESS WHAT I JUST SAW.
IT'S CALLED A BLUE JET WHERE IT
PROJECTS AWAY FROM THE EARTH
INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
THAT WAS PRETTY AMAZING TO SEE.
>> IT'S REALLY AWESOME TO HEAR
YOU TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER THAT
YOU SEE FROM UP THERE.
BECAUSE WELL, WE GET TO SEE IT
FROM DOWN HERE.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN ABOVE THE CLOUDS VERSUS
BACK HERE BELOW.
YOU SAID THAT YOU TRACK THE
WEATHER WHEN YOU'RE ON THE
GROUND HERE.
BUT BEING ABOVE IT, WHAT IS THE
BIGGEST DIFFERENCE?
>> YEAH, BIGGEST DIFFERENCE FOR
US IS THAT WE DON'T EXPERIENCE.
WE DON'T HAVE WIND BOEING ON OUR
FACE FOR SIX MONTHS OR RAIN
FALLING US LIKE YOU DO ON PLANET
EARTH.
BUT WE'RE CONCERNED WHEN STORMS
TOWARDS OUR FAMILY, AND THAT'S
THE DIFFERENCE.
WE DON'T EXPERIENCE IT
PERSONALLY BUT THROUGH OUR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS WE HEAR ABOUT
IT, AND WE'RE CONCERNED WHEN
THINGS ARE HEADING THEIR WAY.
>> WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE MINUTES
HERE WITH YOU GUYS AND WE'RE NOT
DONE JUST YET.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRAPS
SIGNIFICANCE FROM OUR TRACKING
THE TROPICS AUDIENCE.
WHICH IS BASICALLY WORLDWIDE.
BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK
ABOUT OUR WFLA AUDIENCE HIRE IN
THE TAMPA BAY AREA.
WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU SOME
GENERALLY FUN QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MEGAN THAT
IS REALLY EXCITING.
MEGAN, I READ IN YOUR BIOGRAPHY
THAT YOU LIKE TO SCUBA DIVE.
CAN YOU COMPARE BEING NEUTRALLY
BOUYANT WHILE DIVING AND BEING
IN NEUTRAL GRAVITY.
>> I LOVE SCUBA DIVING, THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT I MISS AND IT WAS
SOMETHING THAT I COULDN'T DO AS
MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO.
IN THE WATER YOU CAN USE YOUR
BODY AS FINISHES, TO MOVE
AROUND.
IN SPACE THAT'S NOT EFFECTIVE.
YOU HAVE TO PUSH OFF A SUR VAS
IN SPACE BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENT
IS JUST FIELD "F" FILEDFUL WHEN
YOU'RE FLOATING YOU CAN PROPEL
YOURSELF THROUGH THE WATER.
WHEN WE EXPLORE UNDERWATER AND
IN SPACE THERE ARE A LOT OF
SIMILARITIES.
WE'RE NOT UTED TO MVP I'M ALWAYS
FASCINATED BY THE OCEAN
EXPLORATION, AND I SEE A LOT OF
PARALLELS WITH WHAT WE DO UP
HERE.
>> GUYS, AGAIN, ON WFLA NOW, AND
WE'LL TAKE THIS NEXT QUESTION
HERE--THIS IS JUST A QUESTION
THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME
FUN WITH.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE UNITED
STATES FROM SPACE, IT CAN BE A
LITTLE HARDER, I'M SURE TO, PICK
OUT A STATE LIKE KANSAS OR
OKLAHOMA BUT FLORIDA STICKS OUT
LIKE A SORE THUMB.
WHEN YOU SEE FLORIDA FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT
COMES TO MIND?
IS IT OUR WHITE SANDY BEACHES?
IS IT TOM BRADY AND THE
BUCCANEERS?
IS IT DISNEY WORLD?
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT
COMES TO MIND?
>> THIS MORNING THERE WAS THE
LIGHTNING AND CON GRANDALATIONS
TO LIGHT ANYTHING FANS.
TO ME WHEN I SEE FLORIDA, I
THINK FAMILY.
>> AND FOR ME WHEN I SEE
FLORIDA, I THINK ROCKETS.
I IMMEDIATELY TRY TO GET THE
CAMERA AND GET PICTURES OF THE
CAPE.
EVERY TIME I GET TO GO FLORIDA,
IT'S USUALLY RELATED TO A LAUNCH
IN SOME WAY.
FOR MOST FLORIDA IS ALL ABOUT
ROCKETS, AND FOR ME THAT'S
ALWAYS A GREAT TIME.
>> DO YOU GUYS HAVE A MOMENT, DO
YOU JUST THINK.
I'M DOING THE COOLEST THING ON
THE PLANET, AND OFF THE PLANET
RIGHT NOW.
WHAT IS YOUR MOMENT THAT
CAPSULIZES THE FACT THAT YOU'RE
AN ASTRONAUT ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION?
IN WELL, WE HAVE LOTS OF MOMENTS
LIKE THAT.
WE FEEL VERY BLESSED TO HAVE
THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK SITTING AROUND THE TABLE
EATING DINNER.
HEY, I CAN TOSS THIS THING TO
YOU, AND YOU CAN JUST OPEN YOUR
MOUTH AND IT FLOATS OVER TO YOU.
THOSE ARE MOMENTS YOU CAN'T
DUPLICATE ON EARTH.
>> I NEED TO GET SOMETHING OVER
THERE.
I CAN GO ACROSS THE CEREAL TO GO
GET SOMETHING ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF SHANE OUT MAKING HIM MOVE.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS PRETTY FUN.
>> WE LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS
FLYING AROUND AND FLYING THROUGH
THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
HERE AT WFLA, METEOROLOGIST, I
WATCHED YOU GUYS IN APRIL.
I WAS VERY JEALOUS WATCHING YOU
TO LEAVE THE GROUND.
VERY MUCH A DREAM OF MINE TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT HERE.
BUT TALK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD
GOING TO ARTEMIS.
YOU GUYS WILL COME HOME WITHIN
THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
WHAT ROLE WILL YOU PLAY MOVING
FORWARD WITH NASA, AND HOW
EXCITED ARE YOU TO CONTINUE TO
BE STACKED, AND.
>> THAT'S A GREAT SUSPECT.
WE'RE DOING SOME EXPERIMENTS
THAT WILL HELP ARTEMIS.
THERE IS SOME EQUIPMENT THAT
WE'RE TESTING OUT FOR THEM SO
THEY CAN HAVE VIABLE.
MAYBE MEGAN AS WE SEND OTHER
FOLKS TO THE MOON IN NEXT FEW
YEARS.
WE'LL BE MENTORS FROM THE LONG
DURATION ASPECTS TO OUR
COLLEAGUES WHO MAY BE GOING ON
THERE.
AND WHO KNOWS WHAT JOBS WE'LL BE
WORKING IN WHEN WE GET BACK, BUT
WE COULD BE IN ROBOTICS.
>> I HAVE TO ASK ABOUT THE
PENGUIN THAT WE SEE FLOATING
AROUND.
IT LOOKS SO CUTE.
WHAT IS THE STORY?
>> THIS IS GUIN-GUIN.
HE'S OUR ZERO GRAVITY INDICATOR.
THE TRADITION WAS WROUGHT OVER
BY BOB AND DOUG.
WITH THEM THEY BROUGHT A
SEQUINNED DINOSAUR.
WE CHOSE--OUR SONS CHOSE THIS
PENGUIN TO COME ALONG WITH US.
SO IT IS IN THE CREW DRAGON WITH
US.
WHEN WE REACH OUR ENGINE CUT
OFF, WE'RE IN SPACE, WE'RE
FLOATING, BUT WE'RE ALSO CUT
ABOVE, IN OUR SEATS.
THAT HELPS US TO SOW MVP, BEFORE
WE LET THE TWO OF YOU GO FOR OUR
AUDIENCE SPECIFICALLY HEAR INTO
TAMPA BAY FLORIDA, WHAT ELSE DO
HAVE NUMBER WE'LL HAVE GREAT
PICTURES, AND IT IS NEAR AND
DEAR TO MY HEART BECAUSE FAMILY
IS JUST NORTH OF YOU GUYS.
WE'RE DOING A LOT OF
PRESIDENTIAL PER' GNOME, IT'S
INCREDIBLE TO BE PART OF
SOMETHING THIS GRAND AND SO BIG,
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN MEET YOU
GUYS WHEN WE GET BACK TO EARTH.
>> SHANE AND MEGAN, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING HAD A
YOU.
[.
>> SEPARATION, THAT CONCLUDES
THE EVENT.
>> THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE
APARTMENTS FROM WFLA TV.
STATION, WE'RE KNOW RESUMING
OPERATIONAL AUDIO COMMUNICATION.