>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE EVENT?
>> AND HOUSTON, WE ARE READY FOR
THE EVENT.
>> WYPR, THIS IS MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON.
PLEASE CALL STATION FOR A VOICE
CHECK.
>> STATION, THIS IS TOM HALL
WITH WYPRs NEWS DAY.
HOW DO YOU HEAR ME?
>> HI, TOM.
THIS IS EXPEDITION 67.
WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
>> WELL, IT'S FANTASTIC TO HEAR
YOU, DR. WATKINS AND DR.
LINDGREN.
I GUESS WE CAN JUST JUMP RIGHT
IN.
DR. WATKINS, THIS IS YOUR FIRST
TRIP TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION.
YOU TRAINED A LOT TO GET HERE.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PART
SO FAR?
>> YES.
IT'S BEEN A LOT OF TRAINING TO
GET TO THIS MISSION.
FOR ME, THE FAVORITE PART IS
BEING ABLE TO LOOK OUT THE
WINDOW AND SEE EARTH, AND AS A
GEOLOGIST, TO SEE SITES THAT I
WANT TO GO TO OR THAT I'VE BEEN
TO, TO SEE THEM FROM SPACE, HAS
BEEN REALLY AMAZING.
>> AND WHAT IS THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE
PRESENTED THEMSELVES TO YOU THAT
YOU WEREN'T QUITE 100% PREPARED
FOR ME?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK, AS YOU
MENTIONED, MISSIONS LIKE THIS,
THESE ARE VERY COMPLEX, AND I
THINK MAYBE FOR OUR MISSION, THE
MOST CHALLENGING THING HAS JUST
BEEN THE CHANGE IN PLAN, SO OUR
LAUNCH WAS DELAYED A LITTLE BIT.
WE'VE HAD SOME CHANGES IN THE
SCHEDULE FOR OUR CAR GO
VEHICLES, FOR OUR RETURN TO
EARTH, AND -- BUT I THINK THAT
IS SOMETHING THAT WE TRAIN FOR,
AS WELL.
WE WANT TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE AND
ADAPTABLE, AND WE -- WE ARE VERY
WELL TRAINED, AND SO WE'RE
EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE
THE MISSION HOWEVER IT TURNS
OUT.
WE JUST HAD SPACEX 25 CARGO
VEHICLE ARRIVE, SO WE'RE BUSY
DOING VEHICLE OPERATIONS AND
DIVING INTO THE SCIENCE THAT ALL
THAT VEHICLE HAS BROUGHT UP.
>> AND DR. WATKINS, WHEN YOU'RE
IN, YOU KNOW, CLOSE QUARTERS
WITH THREE OTHER PEOPLE, IS THAT
A CHALLENGE, AS WELL?
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, YOU ALL GET
ALONG, YOU TRAIN TOGETHER, BUT
WHAT ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
PART OF THIS MISSION?
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT PART OF
THE CHALLENGE?
>> YEAH, WELL, LUCKILY FOR ME, I
GET TO FIGHT WITH THESE GUYS.
I HAVE THREE AWESOME CREW
MEMBERS, AS WELL AS OUR RUSSIAN
COLLEAGUES, AS WELL, ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF STATION, SO WE GET
TO -- REALLY, IT'S A PLEASURE TO
BE IN EACH OTHER'S COMPANY AND
REALLY RELY ON EACH OTHER.
WE'RE REALLY A FAMILY WHEN WE'RE
UP HERE, SHARING MEALS TOGETHER,
LEANING ON EACH OTHER, BOTH
PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY,
AS WELL.
IT'S REALLY A PLEASURE TO BE UP
HERE WITH THESE GUYS.
>> AND THIS IS NOT YOUR FIRST
MISSION.
WHAT DO YOU FIND DIFFERENT FROM
SOME OF YOUR PREVIOUS TRIPS, DR.
HINES?
>> IT'S AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY
TO GET TO FLY AGAIN AND, YOU
KNOW, THE MORE THINGS CHANGE,
LIKE THE SAYING GOES, THE MORE
THEY STAY THE SAME.
STATION WAS VERY SIMILAR AS IT
WAS WHEN I WAS UP HERE IN 2019.
INSTEAD OF FLYING ON A SOYUZ, I
HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO FLY UP HERE
ON A CREW DRAGON.
WE'RE DOING HUNDREDS OF
EXPERIMENTS IN THE TIME THAT
WE'RE UP HERE AND CONTINUING TO
DO THE MAINTENANCE AND
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TO
MAINTAIN STATION, AND THAT IS
GREAT.
I THINK THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS
THE PEOPLE.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY
WITH A DIFFERENT CREW, AND NOW,
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY
WITH JESSICA AND SAMANTHA, AND
THE RUSSIAN CREW, AND IT'S A
PLEASURE TO GET TO FLY WITH
THESE FOLKS.
>> AND DR. WATKINS, YOU'RE A
GEOLOGIST.
WHAT KIND OF EXPERIMENTS THAT
YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING, AND
THE FACT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO DO THE RESEARCH AND
DISCOVER THINGS THAT YOU
WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DISCOVER
HERE ON EARTH?
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
IT HAS BEEN PRETTY NEAT FOR ME
IN PARTICULAR TO BE ABLE TO KIND
OF SEE EARTH FROM A PLANETARY
PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU WILL, SO I
DID A LOT OF MY WORK ON
PLANETARY GEOLOGIST, SO I DID MY
WORK LOOKING AT A LOT OF OTHER
PLANETS, PARTICULARLY MARS AND
THE MOON, SO TO BE ABLE TO VIEW
EARTH IN THE SAME WAY, TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE KIND OF THE SAME
VANTAGE POINT AS MANY OF OUR
SENSORS HAVE, AND TO MAKE THE
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE
ORBITAL PERSPECTIVE AND GROUND
PERSPECTIVE, BE ABLE TO MARY
THOSE TWO, AND BE ABLE TO APPLY
IT TO OUR FUTURE PLANETARY
PURSUITS, THE ARTEMIS MISSION
THAT'S COMING UP, IS REALLY
IMPORTANT, AND REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT THAT.
ALSO, JUST COME UP ON SPACEX 25.
THERE ARE SEVERAL EARTH SCIENCE
EXPERIMENTS, ONE OF WHICH IS
LOOKING AT DUST IN THE
ATMOSPHERE AND REPAIRING REFINE
OUR UNDERSTAND -- AND HELPING
REFINE OUR EXPERIMENTS IN THE
ATMOSPHERE AND HOW IT'S
CHANGING, SO LOTS GOING ON UP
HERE THAT IS REALLY EXCITING.
>> AND DR. LINDGREN, YOU'RE A
PSYCHOLOGIST
DOCTOR.
HOW IS THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE
AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE
MEDICINE ENHANCED BY YOUR TRIPS
TO SPACE?
>> WELL, I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT
MY PREVIOUS EXPEDITION AND THIS
ONE, I'VE NOT HAD TO USE THE
SKILLS THAT I HAVE HAD TO USE IN
THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, BUT
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT
EXPERIENCE.
THE PRACTICE OF AEROSPACE
MEDICINE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IT
DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS TO
TERRESTRIAL PRACTICE -- IS
DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS TO
TERRESTRIAL PRACTICE IN THAT WE
WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE AS HEALTHY
AS POSSIBLE UP HERE AS LONG AS
POSSIBLE.
IF WE HAD A SERIOUS EVENT, WE
WOULD EVACUATE OUR MEMBERS BACK
TO CRITICAL EFFORT BACK ON
EARTH, AND AS WE PROCEED TO THE
MOON AND TO MARS, THAT PRACTICE
IS GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE A
LITTLE BIT.
BUT FOR ME, BEING UP HERE ON THE
SPACE STATION AND BEING ABLE TO
STUDY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I
GOT TO STUDY WHEN I WAS IN GRAD
SCHOOL, THE SPACE STATION SERVES
AS A TERRIFIC -- IT GIVES US
INTERESTING PERSPECTIVES INTO
DISEASE PROCESSES, BONE DENSITY
AND MUSCLE ATROPHY, BY STUDYING
ASTRONAUTS UP HERE, WE CAN STUDY
THOSE CHANGES AND PERHAPS COME
UP WITH TREATMENTS FOR FOLKS
THAT ARE STILL ON EARTH.
>> IF YOU'VE JUST JOINED ME, I'M
TOM HALL WITH FLORIDA MIDWAY,
AND I'M TALKING WITH DR. WAJESSA
WATKINS AND DR. KJELL LINDGREN.
DR. WATKINS, WHAT IS YOUR
EXPERIENCE ON BEING THE FIRST
BLACK WOMAN ON BOARD THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN
THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT'S AN
IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THAT IT
ILLUMINATES A LONG LEGACY OF
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT OF AFRICAN
AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS, BOTH IN THE
PAST AND IS A TESTAMENT TO AN
EXCITING FUTURE AHEAD AS WE LOOK
TO THE MOON AND MARS, SO I'M
CERTAIN HONORED AND PRIVILEGED
TO BELIEVE A PART OF THAT LEGACY
AND JUST WANT TO BE A GOOD
STEWARD OF THAT LEGACY.
>> AND DR. WATKINS, WERE YOU
THAT KIND OF LITTLE GIRL THAT
SAID TO HERSELF, GEE, ONE DAY, I
WANT TO BE AN ASTRONAUT?
AT WHAT POINT DID THAT BECOME A
GOAL OF YOURS?
>> YEAH, IT BECAME A GOAL OF
MINE AT A PRETTY YOUNG AGE.
I FIRST VOICED WANTING TO BE AN
ASTRONAUT AT THE AGE OF NINE,
BUT I WAS LUCKY BECAUSE I HAD
PARENTS, TEACHERS, COACHES THAT
SUPPORTED ME ALONG THE WAY,
HELPED ME PURSUE PATHWAYS THAT
ALLOWED ME TO PURSUE MY DREAMS,
SO I'M JUST SUPER GRATEFUL FOR
THEIR ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELPING
ME GET TO THIS POINT.
>> AND DR. LINDGREN, I WONDER
IF, IN YOUR CAREER PATH, THERE
WAS EVER A DESIRE OF PURSUING A
CAREER IN MEDICINE AND A CAREER
IN ASTRONAUT.
YOU WERE ABLE TO MELD THEM,
PERHAPS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS,
BUT WAS THERE A POINT WHERE YOU
HAD TO CHOOSE ONE OVER THE OTHER
OR DECIDE ONE OVER THE OTHER?
>> WELL, IT IS THE BEST OF BOTH
WORLDS.
IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE A
PRIVILEGE OF BEING A DOCTOR AND
TAKING CARE OF THE COMMUNITY,
BUT BEING AN ASTRONAUT, IT'S
SOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS DREAMED
OF THE POSSIBILITY BUT
UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ODDS WERE
REALLY AGAINST IT.
I'VE PURSUED THE PASSION OF
WORKING IN MEDICINE, WORKING AS
AN EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN
AND HAVING COMPLETED THAT
TRAINING AND WORKED IN THE
COMMUNITY FOR A WHILE, I
DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A
POSSIBILITY OF MERGING THOSE TWO
WORLDS, SO I TRAINED IN
AEROSPACE METS AND ULTIMATELY
GOT A JOB AS A FLIGHT SURGEON, A
DOCTOR THAT TAKES CARE OF THE
FLIGHT CREWS AND THEIR FAMILIES,
AND THAT CERTAINLY WAS A
PRACTICE IN THE DOMAIN OF HUMAN
SPACE FLIGHT, AND THEREFORE SOON
AFTER, HEARD THEY WERE HIRING
ASTRONAUTS, AND I APPLIED, AND
HAD THE GREAT FORTUNE TO BE
SELECTED FOR THE CLASS OF 2009.
>> AND DR. WATKINS, WE HAVE
PEOPLE HERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE
WEBB TELESCOPE, ASSOCIATED WITH
CAPTURING AND SENDING BACK
PICTURES FROM DEEP IN SPACE.
I WONDER, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE
THAT THERE'S A RENEWED INTEREST,
A RENEWED ENTHUSIASM IN SPACE
EXPLORATION AMONG AMERICANS?
>> YEAH, IT IS CERTAINLY
EXCITING.
I THINK ALL OF THE KIND OF
PROGRAMS THAT NASA IS
PARTICIPATING IN AND SUPPORTING
HAVE REALLY PUSHED US TOWARDS
PURSUING FURTHER AND FURTHER
INTO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, AND AS
YOU MENTIONED WITH THE JAMES
WEBB TELESCOPE, FROM IN SPACE.
IT CERTAINLY IS AN EXCITING TIME
TO BE IN SPACE FLIGHT AND IN THE
SPACE BUSINESS IN GENERAL.
CERTAINLY, AT NASA, WE ARE RIGHT
IN THE THICK OF THE COMMERCIAL
CREW PROGRAM WITH SPACEX SENDING
UP DRAGONS LIKE THE ONE WE RODE
UP HERE ON, AS WELL AS THE
BOEING STARLINER JUST ARRIVED
EARLIER IN OUR MISSION TO THE
SPACE STATION FOR THEIR
CHECK-OUT MISSION, SO THAT'S
SUPER EXCITING TO HAVE THOSE TWO
VEHICLES ON-LINE, AND THEN, AS
WE MENTIONED, HAVING THE ARTEMIS
PROGRAM COMING UP THIS SUMMER, I
BELIEVE, OR EARLY FALL, HAVING
THE ARTEMIS LAUNCH WILL BE
REALLY EXCITING, AS WELL, SO
THERE'S A LOT TO BE SUPER
EXCITED ABOUT IN TERMS OF SPACE,
AND WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE THAT
IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
>> AND DR. LINDGREN, HAS YOUR
EXPERIENCE IN SPACE CHANGED IN A
WAY THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY, YOU
KNOW, SORT OF FUNDAMENTALLY YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF HUMANITY, YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN
CONDITION AND THE WORLD AS WE
HAVE MADE IT AND THE WORLD AS IT
PRESENTS ITSELF IN TERMS OF THE
FUTURE?
IS YOUR PHILOSOPHICAL
UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN BEINGS,
HAS IT BEEN -- HAS IT BEEN
INFORMED IN A WAY THAT HAS
CHANGED YOUR -- THE WAY YOU USED
TO THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF
YOUR PERSPECTIVE LITERALLY FROM
SPACE?
>> YEAH, THAT'S -- THAT'S A
REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION.
I THINK THERE ARE TWO MAJOR
PARTS TO THAT.
ONE IS LOOKING BACK AT THE
EARTH, HAVING THIS PLATFORM TO
LOOK BACK AT OUR AMACING HOME
PLANET.
YOU CAN SEE VISUALLY THE CHANGES
THAT HUMANITY HAS HAD ON THE
EARTH, AND CERTAINLY, MANY OF
THOSE ARE FOR GOOD.
THE AGRICULTURE -- AMAZING HOME
PLANET.
YOU CAN SEE VISUALLY THE CHANGES
THAT HUMANITY HAS HAD ON THE
EARTH, AND CERTAINLY, MANY OF
THOSE ARE FOR GOOD.
THE AGRICULTURE EFFECTS ARE
GOOD, BUT CERTAINLY, THE NOT SO
GOOD, THE DEFORESTATION AND THE
EFFECTS OF POLLUTION ON THINGS
LIKE WATER.
CERTAINLY, OUR SPACE STATION,
PROTECTING US WITH AIR TO
BREATHE AND FOOD TO EAT AND
WATER TO DRINK.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BLACK VOID,
YOU SEE THAT THERE IS NOTHING
LIKE EARTH IN OUR EXPERIENCE.
IT IS SURROUNDED BY AN
ATMOSPHERE, A VERY THIN
ATMOSPHERE, AND WE RECOGNIZE
THAT THAT IS WHERE HUMANITY IS,
THAT THAT IS OUR SPACESHIP, AND
I KNOW THAT MANY OF US DO NOT
SPEND 30% OF OUR TIME TAKING
CARE OF EARTH, SO I THINK THAT'S
OUR FIRST MAJOR POINT, THAT WE
REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT OUR
HOME AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
THE SECOND POINT, AS YOU LOOK AT
THE SPACE STATION --
[indiscernible] -- I WAS JUST
GOING TO SAY, LOOKING AT THE
SPACE STATION, THE INCREDIBLE
THING THAT WE'VE CREATED, IT IS
AMAZING WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO
WHEN WE JOIN TOGETHER AS A
COMMUNITY FOR PEACEFUL SPACE
EXPLORATION AND ENDEAVOR, IT IS
A GREAT THING.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW SECOND DS, T
LET ME ASK YOU, DR. WATKINS, HAS
IT CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE
BEING UP IN SPACE, AS WELL?
>> YEAH, I THINK DR. LINDGREN
SAID IT WELL.
BEING PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL
TEAM KEEPING SPACE STATION
RUNNING, KEEPING US RUNNING, IT
IDENTIFIES FOR YOU, ILLUMINATES
FOR YOU HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT
WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS, AND
THATTUN IDENTIFYING ASPECT IS
WHAT ALLOWS US TO ACCOMPLISH THE
IMPOSSIBLE.
>> WELL, DR. JESSICA WATKINS,
DR. KJELL LINDGREN, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
BE WELL, SAFE TRAVELS, GODSPEED.
>> STATION, THIS IS HOUSTON ACR.
THAT CONCLUDES THE EVENT.
>> THANK YOU ALL PARTICIPANTS
FROM WYPRs MIDDAY.
STATION, WE ARE NOW RESUMING