>> HI, I'M TOM MARSHBURN,
I'M THE PILOT OF NASA'S
SPACEX CREW-3 MISSION.
WATCH ME LAUNCH WITH MY CREW
TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION ON NASA TV.
>> I'M TOM MARSHBURN,
I'M THE PILOT FOR NASA'S
SPACEX CREW-3 MISSION
TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
>> SO I WAS BORN IN, UH,
STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA,
A LITTLE TOWN,
UH, IN THE PIEDMONT AREA
IN THE WOODS THERE WITH MY,
UH, MY SIX BROTHERS
AND SISTERS.
UM, WE SHARED A BED,
WE, UH, SHARED OUR-OUR BATH.
IT WAS ALWAYS, UH,
A CROWDED PLACE,
BUT IT WAS FULL OF, UH,
LOVE AND JOY,
GREAT CHILDHOOD MEMORIES.
BUT WE LOVED TO GO OUTSIDE.
UH, WE HAD, UH, WE'D GO TO
OUR GRANDPARENTS' FARM AND SPEND
THE ENTIRE TIME OUTSIDE.
SPEND SOMETIMES LATE
INTO THE NIGHT IN THE WOODS,
JUST EXPLORING AROUND.
I THINK THAT WAS WHERE
I GOT MY FIRST, UM, UH,
JOY OF EXPLORATION
AND OVERCOMING
FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.
I LOVED THAT AND GETTING
VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
BUT I-- AT FIRST
I WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST,
AND THEN I READ A BOOK
ABOUT SPACE, ABOUT APOLLO 13,
AND THAT MADE ME, UH,
FALL DEEPLY IN LOVE
WITH PROBLEM SOLVING,
THE ENGINEERS THAT SOLVED
THE PROBLEMS ON THAT MISSION,
AND SPACE FLIGHT ITSELF.
IT BECAME A PASSION,
I STARTED READING
EVERY BOOK I COULD
ABOUT SPACEFLIGHT WHILE
I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THAT LED ME ON THE TRACK
TO, UH, ENJOYING PHYSICS.
I WANTED TO BUILD SPACESHIPS,
I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED
IN SPACEFLIGHT ANY WAY I COULD
STARTING FROM, LIKE,
THE AGE OF 13.
>> SO I-I LIKED PHYSICS,
I THINK, BECAUSE IT WAS
THE SCIENCE THAT I THOUGHT
REALLY GOT AT THE ROOT
OF THE WAY THINGS WORK.
UM, AND THAT'S-THAT'S
PROBABLY-PROBABLY IT.
IT SEEMED TO ME TO BE, UH,
THE THING MOST APPLICABLE
TO UNDERSTANDING SPACE
AND PLANETS AND STARS, UM,
HOW ROCKETS MOVE AND, UH,
WHY THEY WORK THE WAY THEY DO,
WHAT AN ORBIT IS,
THAT SORT OF THING.
AND ONCE I KNEW THAT,
THE WHOLE, UH, BECAME
LESS MYSTERIOUS AND--
BUT THAT MUCH MORE EXCITING.
>> I'M NOT QUITE SURE
WHY SPACEFLIGHT GRABBED ME
THE WAY IT DID.
IT FOUND ME, REALLY,
MORE THAN ME DECIDING
TO BECOME FASCINATED WITH IT.
IT WAS SOMETHING ABOUT LEAVING
EVERYTHING WE KNOW BEHIND;
EVERYTHING, NOT JUST OUR FRIENDS
OR FAMILY OR HOME,
BUT EVEN THE PLANET,
GOING TO PLACES THAT HAD, UH,
WE KNEW ALMOST NOTHING
ABOUT AT THE TIME
I WAS READING ABOUT IT.
AND UNDERSTANDING
HOW SOMEBODY COULD CHANGE,
THEIR OWN PERSONALITY
COULD CHANGE, UH,
AND WHEN THEY CAME BACK.
SO IT WAS ALMOST LIKE,
UH, GOING UP INTO HEAVEN
OR SOMETHING
AND COMING BACK AND SEEING,
UH, HOW SOMEBODY COULD CHANGE,
AND THAT WAS JUST INFINITELY
FASCINATING TO ME.
>> SO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL,
I WENT TO DAVIDSON COLLEGE,
A LITTLE SCHOOL, AGAIN,
IN NORTH CAROLINA.
I WAS A PHYSICS MAJOR THERE
AND RAN STRAIGHT INTO THE--
THE WALL OF THE RIGOR
OF REALLY STUDYING PHYSICS
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
SO A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR ME.
UM, AGAIN,
VERY FASCINATED WITH IT.
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST
ACADEMIC CHALLENGE
THAT I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE
WAS TAKING PHYSICS IN COLLEGE
AND IN GRAD SCHOOL.
BUT THERE I HAD
A LOT OF FRIENDS THERE,
UH, BECAUSE THE COLLEGE
IS IN THE MOUNTAINS,
CONTINUED TO DO
A LOT OF BACKPACKING
AND, UH, JOINED
THE SWIMMING TEAM.
SO, UM, HAD A LOT OF BREAK
FROM THE ACADEMIC RIGOR AS WELL.
AND THAT WAS-THAT WAS
PRETTY IMPORTANT,
THAT, UM, HELPED
ROUND ME OUT A LOT.
>> SO, UH, I HAVE THREE BROTHERS
AND THREE SISTERS,
FIVE OF THEM WERE DOCTORS,
HAD DECIDED TO BECOME DOCTORS.
MY PARENTS WERE NOT DOCTORS.
SO THE ONE THING I KNEW
I WAS NEVER GONNA BE
WAS A DOCTOR,
'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA BE
JUST LIKE THEM.
BUT WHILE I WAS
IN GRADUATE SCHOOL
IN THE ENGINEERING PHYSICS,
I REALIZED THAT EVERYBODY
I WAS HANGING OUT WITH,
EVERYBODY I ENJOYED BEING WITH,
WERE EITHER MEDICAL STUDENTS
OR DOCTORS.
I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT I WANTED
TO GET OUT OF THE LABORATORY,
OUT OF THE ENGINEERING
LABORATORY,
AND-AND MEET AND TALK
WITH PEOPLE.
AND I THOUGHT, "WELL,
IF I'M-- I FEEL LIKE I'M GOOD
AT INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE
AND I THINK
I'M TECHNICALLY ABLE TO DO IT,
MAYBE MEDICINE'S
SOMETHING FOR ME."
AND AS IT TURNED OUT,
I HAD A CHOICE OF EITHER
GOING FOR AN MD OR A PhD.
I SAID, "I'M GONNA GO
FOR THE MD."
AND IT TURNED OUT
I LOVED IT.
GOT SO IMMERSED WITH IT,
INTO IT, THAT I
ACTUALLY FORGOT ABOUT SPACE
FOR A FEW YEARS.
>> I THINK THE-THE TRANSITION
TO, UH, MEDICINE WAS-WAS
ACTUALLY FAIRLY EASY FOR ME.
UH, FOR ME, THE- DOING
THE PROBLEM SETS THAT COME
IN SCHOOL, WORKING ALL THOSE,
UH, YOU KNOW, THE-THE MATH,
PHYSICS, ENGINEERING PROBLEMS
THAT TAKE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF TIME, WHEREAS AT FIRST,
AT LEAST, MEDICINE
IS LARGELY MEMORIZATION.
AND SO I FOUND THAT
TO BE EASIER, OF COURSE,
IN MEDICINE THEN YOU GET INTO
THE ANALYSIS AS YOU GET TO KNOW
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS
AND UNDERSTAND WHAT
THEIR SYMPTOMS ARE
AND FIGURE OUT
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM.
SO THAT BECAME IMMENSELY,
UH, CHALLENGING AFTER A WHILE.
BUT I FOUND THE TRANSITION,
ACADEMICALLY AT LEAST,
TO BE PRETTY EASY.
SO I-I LEFT DAVIDSON,
WENT TO UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
FOR A MASTERS IN ENGINEERING,
AND THEN WENT TO WAKE FOREST
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL.
UM, AND PRACTICED-- BEGAN TO
PRACTICE AFTER THAT IN
TOLEDO, OHIO WHERE THEY HAD
A LIFE FLIGHT PROGRAM,
AND THAT'S WHERE I DID
MY RESIDENCY FOR
EMERGENCY MEDICINE.
I WANTED TO FLY, I WAS BEGINNING
TO FALL IN LOVE WITH, UM,
UH, FLYING SMALL AIRPLANES,
SO THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO MIX THE TWO.
I NEVER FLEW HELICOPTERS,
BUT I GOT TO RIDE IN THEM UNDER
ALL KINDS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS
AND UNDER SOME PRETTY
SCARY CIRCUMSTANCES, UM,
AS A LIFE FLIGHT DOCTOR,
AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GO
TO THE MIDWEST TO, UH,
TRAIN IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE.
SO, UM, LEARNING MEDICINE,
PRACTICING MEDICINE,
CERTAINLY IS ALL ENGROSSING,
ALL ENCOMPASSING,
AND IT NEEDS TO BE TO LEARN
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS.
AND SO I-I KINDA FORGOT,
DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT,
KINDA FORGOT THE WHOLE
SPACEFLIGHT THING.
IN THE BACK OF MY MIND
I WAS GOING, "MAYBE SOMEDAY
"I CAN GET BACK TO IT.
"WORK FOR A COMPANY
"SOMEDAY, WHO KNOWS?"
UM, I WAS PRACTICING IN SEATTLE
IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE
WHEN I GOT A LETTER FROM
A RESIDENCY DIRECTOR
THAT I HAD WORKED WITH
IN MY RESIDENCY.
IT SAID, "THERE IS A NEW PROGRAM
"TO TRAIN DOCTORS
"OUT IN THE FIELD TO COME
"INTO NASA AND LEARN HOW
"TO BE FLIGHT SURGEONS.
"IT'S THE FIRST YEAR
"OF THE PROGRAM,
"MAYBE YOU'D LIKE TO APPLY."
NOW, APPARENTLY I HAD
TALKED ABOUT SPACEFLIGHT
AND DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT,
'CAUSE THEY ALL KNEW THAT
I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS.
BUT I BECAME VERY EXCITED,
AND SAID, "HEY, MAYBE THIS
"IS A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT
"GETTING BACK INTO
"SPACE RELATED STUFF,
"ESPECIALLY IN MEDICINE."
AND SO I APPLIED FOR
THE FIRST CLASS
OF WHAT WAS THEN
THE SPACE MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP,
AND MYSELF AND ANOTHER PHYSICIAN
WERE SELECTED.
AND IN, UH, '93, WE SHOWED UP
AT NASA, I WAS ALL STARRY-EYED,
EXCITED, AND READY TO START
LEARNING ABOUT SPACE MEDICINE.
SO WHEN I FIRST GOT TO NASA,
I WAS IN THIS FELLOWSHIP,
SO I WAS STUDYING,
I WAS LEARNING A LOT.
UM, BUT I HELPED, UH,
A LITTLE BIT WITH DESIGNING
SOME OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE
MEDICAL KITS.
UM, I GOT TO KNOW, UH, ABOUT
WHAT THE SPACE MEDICAL PROBLEMS
WERE AND DID SOME DEEP DIVES
INTO THAT.
BUT IMPORTANTLY, I GOT TO KNOW,
UM, THE PATIENTS, I GOT TO KNOW
THE ASTRONAUTS AND THE PILOTS
THAT I WOULD BE WORKING
WITH LATER, AND THAT WAS
AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF FUN.
NOW THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
WORKING AT JOHNSON SPACE CENTER,
I THINK, THAT IF ANYBODY
HAD EVER CONSIDERED, UH,
FLYING IN SPACE OR WANTING TO,
WHEN YOU SHOW UP AND YOU SEE
THE INCREDIBLE THINGS
THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING, UH,
IT'S HARD NOT TO GET THE BUG
TO WANT TO APPLY AND BECOME
AN ASTRONAUT.
DIDN'T THINK THE CHANCES
WERE VERY GOOD, BUT THERE I WAS,
UH, AND SOON AFTER I ARRIVED
IN MY TRAINING PROGRAM,
THERE WAS AN APPLICATION,
UH-UH, SEASON OPENED,
SO I APPLIED.
AND I DID NOT GET ASKED
FOR ANY INTERVIEWS OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT, IT STOPPED.
UH, ONE OF MY FIRST JOBS THEN
AS A FLIGHT SURGEON WAS TO GET
SHIPPED OUT TO RUSSIA TO SUPPORT
THE, UH, PHASE 1 PROGRAM,
IS WHEN-WHICH IS WHEN WE TOOK
NASA ASTRONAUTS, PUT THEM
ON THE MIR SPACE STATION
SO THAT NASA AND AMERICA
COULD LEARN ABOUT, UH,
LONG-DURATION SPACEFLIGHT
BEFORE WE STARTED
SENDING ASTRONAUTS TO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AND, UH, IT WAS DURING THAT TIME
GETTING TO KNOW THE ASTRONAUTS
THAT I WAS OUT THERE
SUCCEEDED WITH,
OUT IN STAR CITY IN RUSSIA,
THEY'RE SAYING, "TOM,
"YOU OUGHT TO APPLY AGAIN."
SO I DID, I APPLIED AGAIN,
AND I DIDN'T GET IN.
THAT TIME THOUGH, THEY HAD
ASKED FOR MY REFERENCES,
BUT THAT WAS AS FAR AS I GOT.
APPLIED A THIRD TIME, UH,
DIDN'T GET IN, AND I DID GET
AS FAR AS AN INTERVIEW, HOWEVER,
AND THAT WAS VERY EXCITING.
THE, UH, I-- SO I PASSED
THE PHYSICAL, GOT THROUGH
THE INTERVIEW,
AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, THAT WAS
"A VERY FUN ADVENTURE."
IT WAS-- I THANKED EVERYBODY
FOR LETTING ME JOIN IN THERE.
I GUESS IT'S JUST NOT
GONNA HAPPEN.
I HAD A CHANCE FOR
ONE MORE INTERVIEW THOUGH,
AND ONE MORE SELECTION PROCESS,
AND THAT WAS WHEN I GOT IN.
YEAH, THERE WAS NO, UH,
CERTAINLY THERE'S NO DOWNSIDE
TO APPLYING.
CERTAINLY, THE ONLY GUARANTEE
IS THAT IF YOU DON'T APPLY,
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET IN;
IF YOU WANNA BE AN ASTRONAUT.
UH, BUT FOR ME,
ON THAT LAST TIME, UH, APPLYING,
I THINK I WAS MOST RELAXED,
I WAS MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE,
I KNEW, PRACTICALLY KNEW,
THE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD.
I WAS VERY HAPPY
WHERE I WAS PROFESSIONALLY,
AND I THINK THAT MAYBE
MADE A DIFFERENCE
THAT I WAS JUST, UH, RELAXED
AND CONFIDENT COMING INTO
THAT LAST SELECTION PROCESS.
CERTAINLY INCREDIBLY EXCITING
TO GET THAT ONE PHONE CALL
FROM THE PERSON THAT YOU KNOW
IS GOING TO CALL IF YOU GOT IN.
I WAS STUNNED, HAD A HARD TIME
TALKING' WHEN I GOT
THAT PHONE CALL.
THE COOL THING ABOUT
BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT,
FIRST OF ALL, IS YOU MEET
YOUR CLASSMATES.
SO THERE WERE THIRTEEN OF US,
UH, JUST TEN AT THE TIME,
BUT THEN WE HAD THREE,
UH, TEN MORE THAN ME,
AND THEN HAD THREE MORE
COME ON BOARD, UH, FROM
THE JAPANESE, UH, SPACE PROGRAM.
BUT EVERYBODY'S ABOUT TO HAVE
THE ADVENTURE OF THEIR LIVES,
SOME OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES
WE'VE EVER FACED, BUT WE'RE ALL
GONNA DO IT TOGETHER.
SO YOU GET TO KNOW THEM
A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN THE FIRST TRAINING,
OFFICIAL TRAINING, UH,
EVENT WAS THEY PUT US
IN OUR FLIGHT SUITS,
MUCH LIKE THIS,
HELMET, GLOVES, BOOTS,
AND WE ALL JUMPED INTO
THE SWIMMING POOL, LEARNED HOW
TO SWIM FULLY CLOTHED,
'CAUSE YOU NEED TO DO
WATER SURVIVAL IN ORDER
TO FLY T-38S, WHICH IS NECESSARY
IN ORDER TO TRAIN TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ALL STARTED,
WE ALL GOT TO KNOW
EACH OTHER QUITE WELL.
WE WENT OFF TO PENSACOLA
FOR FLIGHT TRAINING THERE,
CAME BACK, AND THEN WERE
ALL IN CLASSROOMS,
WE'RE IN SIMULATORS.
UM, A BIT LIKE GRADUATE SCHOOL,
BUT THE PACE WAS MUCH FASTER.
SO IT WAS, UH,
ALL A VERY EXCITING TIME.
SO THAT WAS--
UH, THE FIRST FLIGHT OCCURRED
ABOUT FIVE YEARS AFTER
WE'D BEEN SELECTED.
YOU'D BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME,
I, OF COURSE, HAD BEEN WAITING
ABOUT THIRTY YEARS
FOR THIS MOMENT.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF, UH,
SOME OF THE GREATEST EXCITEMENT
THAT YOU'VE EVER HAD
IN YOUR LIFE,
MAYBE THERE'S A FAVORITE HOLIDAY
THAT YOU'VE HAD, AND THE NIGHT
BEFORE AS A CHILD, YOU'RE JUST--
YOU'RE ABOUT TO EXPLODE
YOU'RE SO EXCITED.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO THE NIGHT
BEFORE ONE OF THE BIGGEST EXAMS
YOU'VE EVER HAD.
SO THAT COMBINATION OF NOT
WANTING TO MESS UP, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME YOU CAN'T BELIEVE
IT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT LAUNCH DAY
IS ALL THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE
NEVER HAPPENED IN SIMULATORS.
NUMBER ONE,
THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THERE,
OTHER THAN THE CLOSEOUT CREW.
IT'S A BIG OLD--
AN EXPLOSIVE ROCKET
JUST SITTING ON A PAD,
SO IT'S VERY SILENT, VERY QUIET,
EXCEPT FOR THE ROCKET ITSELF.
THE SHUTTLE IS-IS MAKING NOISE,
IT'S GROANING,
AND THERE'S CHUNKS
OF, UH, CONDENSATE FALLING
OFF THE SIDES OF IT.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE A BUILDING
THAT'S-THAT'S ALIVE
AND FEELS LIKE IT.
A LITTLE BIT SCARY,
BUT THE EXCITEMENT
SO GREATLY OVERWHELMS THAT,
THAT, UH, ANY KIND OF FEAR
OR ANYTHING, YOU JUST KIND
OF PUSH IT RIGHT BACK
IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND.
THE LAUNCH ITSELF, UH,
WE HAD SEVERAL SCRUBS
BEFORE WE LAUNCHED.
WE DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GONNA
LAUNCH ON THE DAY THAT WE DID
'CAUSE OF WEATHER,
BUT AT THE LAST SECOND
THEY SAID WE'RE GO FOR LAUNCH.
SO EVERYBODY, SUDDENLY,
WE'RE LYING-BEEN LYING
FOR TWO HOURS ON OUR BACKS,
EVERYBODY SUDDENLY WENT,
"WOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY
"GONNA HAPPEN."
HAD A BIG SMILE ON MY FACE,
AND YOU COULD HEAR
THE MAIN ENGINES OF THE SHUTTLE
START TO ROAR.
I REMEMBER IT BEING
LIKE A LION'S ROAR.
THIS DRY, UM, DRY
GRUMBLING ROAR THAT CAME FROM
BEHIND US BUT WAS PERSISTENT,
JUST KEPT GOING, AND GOING,
AND GOING, AND THEN WHEN
THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS LIT
AND THE BOLTS FIRED
AND THIS BIG KICK IN YOUR BACK
AS YOU GET PUSHED DOWN
INTO YOUR SEAT.
AND THERE'S A LOT
OF RUMBLING AND RATTLING.
THE, UH, SPACE SHUTTLE
IS WAS QUITE PLAYABLE,
AND YOU COULD FEEL
ALL THE VIBRATIONS AND ALL
THE DEGREES OF FREEDOM
GOING UP, AND VERY LOUD.
UH, INCLUDING THE STRUCTURE
AROUND ME, I WAS
IN THE MID-DECK, RATTLING,
AS WELL AS THE ROAR AND THE WIND
THAT'S GOING BY.
UH, THE SHOUTS OF MY CREWMATES
THROUGH THE INTERCOM
AS THEY'RE GOING, "YAH-HOO",
AND WE WENT THROUGH
A ROLL PROGRAM AS WE FLIPPED
OVER ON OUR BACKS.
THEN, WHEN THE SOLID
ROCKET BOOSTERS FALL OFF,
IT'S JUST SMOOTH
FROM THERE ON.
THE GS BUILD UP
TO ABOUT FOUR GS,
YOU START TO BREATH IN SIPS
AS YOU START TO FATIGUE
UNDER THE G STRESS,
AFTER ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES
OF THAT.
AND THEN IT STOPS
AND THERE'S SILENCE,
EXCEPT FOR A CABIN FAN,
AND MY PEN STARTED TO FLOAT
IN FRONT OF ME WHEN WE HAD
REACHED ORBIT.
SO, UM, 127 WAS AN INCREDIBLY
AGGRESSIVE MISSION.
WE HAD, UH, FIVE SPACEWALKS
WE HAD TO DO.
WE HAD, UM, A SIXTEEN-DAY FLIGHT
WITH ELEVEN DAYS DOCKED
TO THE SPACE STATION,
AND I THINK FIFTEEN
OF THOSE SIXTEEN DAYS
WERE ROBOTIC OPERATIONS,
SO THE ROBOTICS WERE GOING
ON ALL THE TIME WHILE
WE WERE DOING SPACEWALKS.
WE HAD ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF EQUIPMENT
TO PUT ON THE OUTSIDE
OF THE SPACE STATION,
AND TO TRANSFER THROUGH
THE HATCH TO THE INSIDE AS WELL.
SO IT WAS LIKE A BIG HURRICANE
THAT, UH, HAD ARRIVED AT
THE, UH, SPACE STATION.
WE WERE ALSO THE FIRST TIME
WE HAD THIRTEEN
CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD.
I THINK WE'RE STILL
IN THE "GUINNESS BOOK
OF WORLD RECORDS"
AS THE MOST NUMBER OF PEOPLE
ON ONE SPACECRAFT AT ONE TIME.
BUT THOSE ARE
THE MAIN OBJECTIVES.
WE HAD SOME SCIENCE OBJECTIVES
AS WELL, BUT OURS WAS
A CONSTRUCTION
AND RESUPPLY MISSION, LARGELY.
SO I DID THREE, UH,
SPACEWALKS ON THAT MISSION,
AND SUPPORTED A FOURTH
AS THE, UH, INSIDE,
UH, CREW MEMBER.
I WENT OUT THE HATCH WITH
DAVE WOLF, I WAS HIS SECOND
OUT OF THREE, UH, ROOKIES
THAT HE HAD TO TAKE OUT
THE HATCH AND SHOW US
OUR FIRST STEPS ON
OUR FIRST SPACEWALK.
THE, UH, MAIN GOAL FOR US
WAS TO TAKE THESE BATTERIES,
EACH WEIGHING ABOUT
200-250 POUNDS,
AND MOVE 'EM FROM, UH,
THE ROBOTIC ARM THAT WAS
HOLDING THEM FROM
THE SPACE SHUTTLE,
AND MOVE THEM ONTO
THE SPACE STATION.
THIS HAD NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE,
UH, THE BATTERIES COULDN'T BE
LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO THE TRUSS
OF THE SPACE STATION,
SO IT WAS A MATTER OF
CLIMBING OUT TO-TO GRAB
THE BATTERY, AND THEN CLIMBING
BACK TO HAND IT OVER
TO YOUR SPACEWALKING PARTNER.
SO IT WAS VERY THRILLING,
BUT A LOT OF MOMENTS,
I'VE-I'VE BEEN
A ROCK CLIMBER BEFORE,
AND A LOT OF MOMENTS
WHERE I WAS GLAD I HAD
THAT EXPERIENCE,
'CAUSE YOU JUST GOTTA TAKE
A DEEP BREATH AND MAKE THE MOVE
AND NOT THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH,
UH, FOR SOME OF THAT, UH,
SOME OF THAT SPACEWALK.
WE-WE SPENT
SO MUCH TIME TRAINING,
WHICH IS REALLY GOOD,
ON THE GROUND,
LEARNING EVERY HANDRAIL,
EVERY BOLT, BUT WHAT THEY
CAN'T TRAIN FOR SPACEWALKS
IS THE VIEW, THEY CAN'T TRAIN
THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES.
ON THE SUNNY SIDE
IT'S VERY WARM,
ON THE DARK SIDE IT'S VERY COLD.
SOMETIMES MY HANDS
WOULD GET NUMB,
MY FEET WOULD GET NUMB,
MY-MY TEETH WOULD START
TO CHATTER.
SO I LEARNED HOW TO CONTROL
MY, UM, SUIT TEMPERATURE
A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OXYGEN
IS QUITE DRY, AND SO ALL OF--
ALL OF THAT OVERHEAD
IS SOMETHING THAT CAN'T
COMPLETELY BE TRAINED
ON THE GROUND,
SO IT REMAINS-REMAINS STILL
AND REMAINED A, UH, VERY UNIQUE
AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE.
THERE WAS, UH, CERTAINLY
I'D HAVE TO SAY
THE MOST SPECTACULAR WAS OUT
ON A SPACEWALK A MOMENT
WHEN I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY
AT THE END OF THE TRUSS.
SO ALL THE WAY,
HALF A FOOTBALL FIELD'S LENGTH
AWAY FROM THE AIRLOCK,
AND I COULD HOLD ONTO
ONE HAND RAIL, MOVE MY BODY
AWAY FROM THE SPACE STATION,
AND LOOK AT THE EARTH,
LOOK AT THE UNIVERSE,
AND NOT SEE ANY HUMAN STRUCTURE,
SUCH AS THE SPACE STATION
IN MY FIELD OF VIEW,
AND FEEL THAT I WAS FREEFLYING
OVER THE EARTH.
BUT THE OTHER MOMENT THAT WAS
VERY SPECIAL WAS AT THE WINDOW
WITH JULIE PAYETTE,
WHO WAS THE CANADIAN ASTRONAUT
ON OUR CREW, AND THE TWO OF US
WATCHING AS WE WENT OVER CANADA,
WE-WE HAD ABOUT, UH,
FIFTEEN MINUTES, UH, TO SPARE,
WATCHING AS WE FLEW OVER CANADA
AND WENT OVER
A HUGE THUNDERSTORM
OVER THE EAST COAST
OF NORTH AMERICA.
AND WHILE SHE WAS ABLE
TO POINT OUT ALL
OF HER FAVORITE SITES
AROUND HER COUNTRY.
UM, ALWAYS, IN MY OPINION,
LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW
WITH SOMEONE ELSE IS ONE
OF THE MOST, UH, PRECIOUS THINGS
WE CAN DO IN SPACE.
I WAS REALLY CURIOUS
HOW THE SOYUZ WOULD COMPARE
TO THE SPACE SHUTTLE.
AND THE FACT IS, GOING FROM ZERO
TO 17,500 MILES AN HOUR,
PHYSICS WISE,
IN EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTES,
THE EXPERIENCE IS GONNA BE
SOMEWHAT SIMILAR.
BUT THE SOYUZ, I FELT,
UM, DIDN'T HAVE
THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS,
SO IT'S A LITTLE SMOOTHER,
NOT ALL THE RATTLING
IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE THAT
THE SRBS PROVIDE TO THE SHUTTLE,
AND SO IT SEEMED TO BE
A LITTLE MORE SOLID.
ONCE YOU GET OUT OF
THE ATMOSPHERE THOUGH,
IT'S JUST SMOOTH SAILING.
THE SOYUZ ALSO HAS
THIS FASCINATING STAGING
WHERE THEY FIRE AN UPPER STAGE
BEFORE THEY DROP
THE LOWER STAGE.
NOW WHAT HAPPENS IS THE PLUME
OF FIRE THAT COMES OUT
OF THAT UPPER STAGE GETS
SHOT UP AS WELL AS DOWN
BEFORE THEY DROP
THAT LOWER STAGE.
THE SHROUD HAD COME OFF,
YOU COULD SEE THE BLACKNESS
OF SPACE, YOU COULD SEE
SUNLIGHT COMING IN,
AND THEN SUDDENLY A BIG BANG
AND A JOLT, AND FLAME AND FIRE
WENT SHOOTING AHEAD OF US,
AND THEN AS WE
ACCELERATED PAST IT,
IT WAS SHOT BEHIND US.
UM, AND THAT WAS
A HUGE SURPRISE, WE HAD NO IDEA
THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN,
AND IT WAS, UH, JUST THRILLING.
THE, UM, THE LONG-DURATION
MISSION IS QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT
FROM THE SHUTTLE MISSION.
IT'S EASY TO GO THROUGH
A SHUTTLE MISSION GETTING FOUR
TO FIVE HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT,
UH, NOT ALLOWING YOURSELF
THE TIME TO EXERCISE.
YOU'RE BUSY ANYWAY
WITH SPACEWALKS, WHICH ARE
PHYSICALLY QUITE RIGOROUS.
ON THE LONG-DURATION
SPACEFLIGHT, EXERCISE
IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
AND YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS
TO, UH, CATCH YOUR BREATH,
IF YOU WILL.
THE OTHER THING
ABOUT LONG-DURATION
THAT'S VERY NICE IS,
IT'S ABOUT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS
LIVING IN ZERO G ON ORBIT,
WHEN YOU REALIZE, "OH, MY BODY
"NOW HAS REALLY ADAPTED.
IT NEVER REALLY ADAPTED IN
"THAT SHORT, UH, DURATION FLIGHT
"THAT I DID WITH THE SHUTTLE."
SO YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU'VE
BECOME A RESIDENT OF SPACE,
A RESIDENT OF ZERO G.
AND YOU START TO FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE-YOU'RE GETTING INTO
THE IDEA OF HOW THIS WORKS.
EVERY DAY IS REALLY A SERIES
OF, UM, LONG SERIES
OF PROBLEM SOLVING.
YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHERE
TO PUT YOUR PENCIL,
WHERE TO PUT YOUR DRINK,
IF YOU HAVE IT,
HOW TO SET UP YOUR LAPTOP.
THAT'S ALL BEFORE
YOU GET STARTED.
SO MAYBE TEN THOUSAND TIMES
A DAY, YOU'RE SOLVING
LITTLE PROBLEMS
LIKE THIS, AND WHEN THAT
BECOMES FLUID, THEN YOU
REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BE
A EFFICIENT AND, UH,
GET A LOT OF WORK DONE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK
TO GET DONE ON
THE SPACE STATION RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE OTHER IS THE INTERACTION
WITH THE GROUND
ON THE SCIENCE.
UH, SCIENCE WAS NOT AS MUCH
A PART OF THE SHUTTLE FLIGHT,
BECAUSE IT HAD
SO MANY OPERATIONAL THINGS
WE HAD TO GET DONE. UM, YOU'VE--
ON THE LONG-DURATION FLIGHT,
YOU ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING
FROM BEING A PLUMBER
TO A ELECTRICIAN, AND THEN
MOST OF THE TIME GOING BACK
TO YOUR LABORATORY
AND SPENDING 8 TO 14 HOURS
A DAY, UH, GETTING READY
FOR PERFORMING EXPERIMENTS.
SO HUGELY ENGAGING,
AND JUST BECAME AN ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF FUN OVER TIME.
SO FOR
THE LONG-DURATION FLIGHT,
AGAIN, IT'S THE EXPERIENCE
WITH YOUR FELLOW HUMANS.
I THINK THEY'RE SOME
OF THE MOST MEMORABLE.
I HAD A MOMENT WITH EACH
OF MY CREWMATES, UH, KEVIN FORD,
CHRIS HADFIELD, CHRIS CASSIDY,
AT THE CUPOLA,
THAT BEAUTIFUL DOME-SHAPED,
UH, WINDOW, ONE
OF THE BEST VIEWS IN SPACE,
WHEN JUST THE TWO OF US
WERE LOOKING OUT OVER
SOME PHENOMENON OR SOME, UH,
PLACE OVER THE EARTH,
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS--
THEIR-THEIR INSIGHT,
AND THE PERSPECTIVE
IT GAVE ME.
OR THE SHARED EXPERIENCE
OF SEEING, FOR INSTANCE,
WITH CHRIS HADFIELD,
THIS ELECTRIC STORM OVER
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC
WITH BOLTS OF LIGHTNING
THAT LOOK LIKE THE SIZE
OF MY ARM.
JUST HUGE EVENTS GOING ON
ON THE EARTH.
WE-WE WERE SO ASTOUNDED
AND JUST SHOUTING
WE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT
AND WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE--
DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT
GETTING OUT A CAMERA.
AND SO-- BUT I REALLY WISH
I HAD CAPTURED THAT ON A--
IN A VIDEO OR SOMETHING.
BUT, UH, THE EXPERIENCES
WITH YOUR FRIENDS IS WHAT SEEMED
TO BE THE MOST MEMORABLE
AND MOST PRECIOUS.
SO, UH, THE ASTRONAUT OFFICE
LIKES TO MAKE USE
OF YOUR EXPERIENCE
IN SPACE, OBVIOUSLY.
YOU SPEND ABOUT SIX MONTHS
WITH DEBRIEFS AND REHAB,
AND AFTER THAT,
THEY GET YOU RIGHT BACK
INTO THE FLOW OF HELPING
OTHER ASTRONAUTS TRAIN.
IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE THE JOB
OF BEING AN ASTRONAUT,
MOST ACCURATELY YOU WOULD SAY
THAT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT
HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT,
AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
WE GET TO FLY IN SPACE.
SO NOW IS MY TIME TO SUPPORT
HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT.
I WAS A BRANCH MANAGER
FOR SEVERAL BRANCHES
WITHIN THE ASTRONAUT OFFICE.
SO WHAT'S KIND OF UNIQUE FOR ME
IS THAT I WAS PULLED OUT
OF THE ASTRONAUT OFFICE
AND SPENT A YEAR HELPING START
A NEW DIVISION.
UH, SO I WAS MANAGING--
HELPING MANAGE ABOUT
135 ENGINEERS
AND A FEW ASTRONAUTS,
UH, FOR A WHOLE NEW, UH,
AREA OF SPACEFLIGHT SUPPORT.
THAT WAS, UM, AN INCREDIBLY
GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE,
UH, QUITE HUMBLING, ACTUALLY,
TO SEE HOW MUCH WORK GOES
INTO GETTING US READY TO FLY.
SO AFTER THAT, I CAME BACK
AS A BRANCH CHIEF.
I WAS ASKED THEN, UM,
BY THE CHIEF OF THE OFFICE,
WHO'S, UH, AN ASTRONAUT.
SAID, "TOM, WE WANT YOU TO
"BACK UP A MISSION,
"A SOYUZ MISSION, WE WANT YOU
"TO BACK UP LUCA PARMITANO
"WHEN HE'S GETTING READY
"TO LAUNCH.
"AND YOU DON'T HAVE
"A PRIME ASSIGNMENT."
I SAID, "ALL RIGHT,
"IF THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED,
"THEN THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO."
AND HE SAID, "I WANTED
"TO BE CLEAR, YOU DO NOT HAVE
"A PRIME ASSIGNMENT,
"YOU'RE JUST BACKING UP."
I SAID, "ALL RIGHT,
"THAT'S WHAT I WANNA DO."
SO I SPENT ABOUT TWO YEARS
BACKING UP BOTH HIM
AND JESSICA MEIR,
GOING THROUGH THE, UH,
LEFT SEAT SOYUZ TRAINING.
AGAIN, ONE OF THE MOST RIGOROUS,
UH, TOUGH, ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES
OF MY LIFE.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
IN RUSSIA, ABOUT 22 TRIPS
BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN
THE U.S. AND RUSSIA
OVER A YEAR AND A HALF.
AND, UM, ENDED UP, UH,
WATCHING JESSICA LAUNCH,
CAME BACK INTO
THE ASTRONAUT OFFICE,
AND I WAS BACK AT SUPPORTING,
UH, OTHER FOLKS,
SUPPORTING THE MISSION
AND SOME PLANS FOR GOING
TO THE MOON.
BUT AT THAT TIME,
I WAS THEN OFFERED A SLOT, UH,
TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS CREW,
UH, CREW-3 DRAGON.
UH, TRAINING IS EXCELLENT,
UH, GETTING READY FOR
A DRAGON FLIGHT.
CERTAINLY, THE--
SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES
FOR LEARNING HOW TO FLY
A SPACECRAFT, UH, SOME OF
THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT,
THE GUIDANCE, THE NAVIGATION,
THE CONTROL, UH,
THOSE WERE NOT NEW CONCEPTS
TO ME BY ANY MEANS,
BY THAT POINT HAVING WORKED,
UH, ON THE SOYUZ
FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT EVERY VEHICLE'S DIFFERENT,
EVERY APPROACH IS DIFFERENT,
ESPECIALLY WITH
A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE,
WHERE THEY HAVE TAKEN
A TOTALLY DIFFERENT APPROACH
TO HUMANS FLYING IN SPACE,
WHICH IS ALL VERY INNOVATIVE,
VERY EXCITING.
UM, AND SOME OF IT--
SOMEWHAT OF A CHALLENGE,
UH, TO LEARN AS WELL.
BUT, JUST LIKE YOU USUALLY DO,
UH, IN SPACEFLIGHT,
GOT INTO THE ACADEMICS
AND VERY QUICKLY WENT
INTO THE SIMULATIONS, UM,
WATCHING THE CREW-2 AS THEY WERE
TRAINING FOR A LITTLE WHILE,
BUT, UH, RAJA AND I IMMEDIATELY
JUMPED INTO THE-THE SEATS.
UH, HE HAS AN IMMENSE
AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE
AS A SQUADRON COMMANDER
IN THE AIR FORCE.
SO HE WAS ABLE TO SHOW ME
AND KIND OF LEAD ME THROUGH,
HE WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH
THE DRAGON AT THAT TIME,
AND SO WE DEVELOPED,
UH, MOST OF-- MOST OF THE WORK
WAS DEVELOPING OUR TECHNIQUE
FOR HOW WE'RE GOING
TO WORK TOGETHER.
WHAT HE NEEDS, UH, WHAT I CAN
DO TO-TO HELP SUPPORT HIM
AS COMMANDER OF THE DRAGON.
>> SO I WAS A-A PRIVATE PILOT,
UH, BEFORE I BECAME
AN ASTRONAUT.
OF COURSE, WE FLY T-38s
AS PART OF OUR TRAINING.
ONE OF THE-THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT THAT,
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE
FLY JETS IN THE AIR TO GET
READY FOR FLYING SPACECRAFT
IN SPACE, IS ONE OF THE MINDSETS
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT
IS TO ALWAYS STAY AHEAD
OF THE AIRPLANE.
YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE AWARE
OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN,
AND BE PREPARED FOR
WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN
SO THAT YOU'RE NOT SURPRISED.
IF YOU, UH, ARE LOOKING
FOR SOMETHING TO DO
AND YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO,
YOU'RE ALREADY BEHIND.
AND SO THAT'S-THAT MENTAL,
UH, TRAINING IS SO ESSENTIAL
FOR SPACEFLIGHT, AND YOU GET
THAT FROM AVIATION.
THE OTHER IS BEING ABLE TO ACT.
UH, BY THAT I MEAN
ACTUALLY OPERATING, UH,
A MACHINE WHILE YOU'RE UNDER
A LOT OF HEAT STRESS
AND VIBRATION AND G-STRESS
AND YOU'VE GOT VOICES
IN YOUR HEAD AND YOU'RE TRYING
TO TALK AND COMMUNICATE
AND NAVIGATE ALL
AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, THOSE ARE-ARE SKILLS,
ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNICATION,
IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SKILL
THAT TAKES, CAN TAKE,
YEARS TO LEARN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY AVIATION
IS SO IMPORTANT.
>> SO I'LL BE THE PILOT
OF THE CREW DRAGON.
UH, I SEE IT AS FILL IN
THE GAPS THAT THE COMMANDER
DOESN'T HAVE TIME, UH,
TO, UH, TO LOOK AT.
FOR INSTANCE IF WE'RE-- IF WE,
UH, EXPERIENCE A MALFUNCTION,
HE'LL BE LOOKING AT KEEPING
THE CREW SAFE,
LOOKING AT THE NEXT ACTION,
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
FOR THE MISSION?
AND I MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE
TO DIG IN ON MY SIDE
OF THE DISPLAYS
AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
AND WHAT-WHAT COMPONENT
OF IT WAS THAT, UH,
WENT WRONG, IF ANYTHING.
THIS IS ALL IN SIMULATIONS,
OF COURSE.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE
DISTINCT ROLES.
AT SOMETIMES-- AT SOME POINT,
HE HAS TO GET OUT OF THE SEAT
TO GET SOMETHING DONE, UH,
IN WHICH CASE THEN
I'M MONITORING THE DISPLAYS
AND VICE VERSA.
SO, UM, IT'S A-A KIND
OF A INTRICATE TAG TEAM A LOT
OF TIMES BETWEEN THE TWO OF US.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW,
IT'S-IT'S EXCITING TO FLY
ON A NEW SPACESHIP FOR SURE,
AND A NEWLY-DESIGNED--
A NEW DESIGN OF A SPACESHIP,
BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD MORE
TO FLYING WITH THREE PEOPLE
THAT HAVEN'T FLOWN
IN SPACE BEFORE.
THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE CREW,
THEY ARE INCREDIBLY
OPERATIONALLY SAVVY ALREADY.
THOSE-- I'D IMAGINE
FROM THEIR PRIOR JOBS,
UM, AT EASE,
UH, AND IN THE MILITARY.
SO I KNOW THEY CAN DO THE JOB,
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
UH, SO WHAT I TRY TO DO
IS IF THERE'S ANY GAPS
IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE
OF HOW THEY'RE GONNA FEEL,
HOW THEY'RE GONNA OPERATE,
WHAT IS THE, UH, ZERO GRAVITY
GOING TO BE LIKE,
HOW THAT MIGHT CHALLENGE
OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT
WE CAN GET DONE,
I'M SORT OF THERE TO SAY,
IN A SIMULATION SAY,
"YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT,
"MYSELF OR SOME OF US
"MIGHT NOT FEEL VERY GOOD,
"'CAUSE WE JUST GOT TO SPACE."
UM, AND I'M TRYING TO
ANTICIPATE THOSE THINGS,
HELP TAKE CARE OF THE CREW,
UNDERSTAND WHAT MY LIMITATIONS
ARE SO THEY CAN HELP ME.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY,
UM-- MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND, UH,
PROVIDING, MAKING SURE I HAVE
THE SOLUTION FOR, UH,
IF THERE IS ANY, UH, PHYSICAL,
UH, ISSUES ONCE WE GET
INTO SPACE.
>> WORKING, UH, WITH
A PRIVATE COMPANY
IS FASCINATING.
I'M VERY IMPRESSED BY WHAT
THEY'VE TAKEN FROM, UH,
NASA AND SPACEFLIGHT,
'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN
A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE TWO.
ALL THE GOOD THEY'VE TAKEN
FROM THAT, AND THEN INNOVATED
WITH SOME OF THEIR OWN IDEAS
AND THEIR OWN APPROACHES.
FOR INSTANCE, UM,
WE DO SOME OF THE ACADEMICS.
THEY LISTEN TO WHAT
THE CREW SAYS, AND THEY TRY
TO CHANGE IT, IF THEY FEEL
IT'S APPROPRIATE, SO THAT,
UH, WE CAN FLY, UH,
MOST COMFORTABLY IN WHAT
WE THINK IS-IS A GOOD WAY
TO OPERATE.
BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UH,
INCREDIBLY DEDICATED
TO SCHEDULE,
WHICH IS A GOOD THING,
'CAUSE WE DO HAVE
TO FLY EVENTUALLY,
TO MAKING IT VERY SAFE,
AND UNDERSTANDING
HOW THAT VEHICLE WORKS,
TAKING CARE OF THEIR VEHICLE
AND ACCOMPLISHING THE MISSION.
SO FOR ALL OF US,
SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE,
BUT ACCOMPLISHING THE MISSION,
TAKING CARE OF THE-THE ASSETS
WE HAVE IS NUMBER TWO.
AND, UM, I AM JUST VERY
IMPRESSED BY HOW DEDICATED
THEY ARE AND HOW HARD THEY WORK
TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS MISSION
IS SUCCESSFUL, AND TO INCLUDE,
INCORPORATING, SOME OF OUR IDEAS
AND OUR APPROACHES.
>> SO, UH, GRINDER,
UM, IS A--
WAS A SQUADRON COMMANDER,
HE WAS GIVEN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF RESPONSIBILITY WHEN HE WAS
IN THE AIR FORCE.
YOU CAN SEE IT WHEN HE'S WORK--
HE'S, UH, ALWAYS TAKING CARE
OF EVERYBODY.
IN TERMS OF SCHEDULES
AND GETTING THINGS DONE,
HE'S SUPER FAST AT GETTING
THAT DONE.
HE, UM, HIS, UH, ABILITY
TO ANALYZE SOMETHING
IS-IS VERY QUICK,
SO WHEN HE'S ON THE DISPLAYS,
UH, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH
A STAGE OF FLIGHT OR WORKING
THROUGH A MALFUNCTION
THAT HAD HAPPENED,
HE GETS TO A-AN ANSWER
VERY QUICKLY.
UM, HE'S ALSO, UH,
VERY GOOD, AND WE'VE ALL--
HE AND I HAVE TRIED
TO ESTABLISH A CULTURE OF,
UM, OF MAKING EVERYBODY
FEEL COMFORTABLE TO SAY,
"HEY, I MADE A MISTAKE ON THIS,
"AND BUT THAT'S OKAY,
"AND WE'RE GONNA WORK
"THROUGH IT,
"'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S--
"EVERYBODY IS GOOD AT SOMETHING,
"BUT NOBODY IS GOOD
"AT EVERYTHING."
AND SO MAKING SURE
WE'RE ALL COMFORTABLE
WITH FILLING EACH OTHERS' GAPS.
AND GRINDER'S, UH,
NATURALLY FALLS
INTO THAT ROLE AS WELL.
>> KAYLA BRINGS TO THE TABLE--
UH, FIRST OF ALL,
SHE'S IN A SEAT NEXT TO GRINDER.
SO SHE'S NOT IN CONTROL
OF A DISPLAY NECESSARILY,
NOT IN A-IN CONTROL OF PART
OF THE SPACECRAFT,
BUT SHE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON
AND SHE CAN MONITOR
WITH PROCEDURES
THAT SHE HAS IN HER LAP.
AND SHE IS INCREDIBLY GOOD
AT SAYING, "I DON'T UNDERSTAND
"THIS PART OF THIS PROCEDURE,
"THEREFORE, MAYBE NO ONE ELSE
"TOTALLY UNDERSTANDS IT EITHER."
AND WE HAVE ALL,
INCLUDING THE TRAINING TEAM,
GOTTEN TO UNDERSTAND
THAT VEHICLE BETTER BY SOME
OF THE QUESTIONS SHE'S ASKED
AND SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS
SHE'S COME UP WITH.
AND SHE IS REALLY GOOD
AT SAYING,
"LET'S STOP WHAT WE'RE DOING
"AND THINK ABOUT WHAT
"WE'RE DOING SO WE MAKE SURE
"WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING."
UH, SHE WAS A COMMANDER
OF A, UH, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
INSIDE OF A SUBMARINE,
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT COME OUT.
UH, SO SHE AND GRINDER BOTH
HAVE GREAT LEADERSHIP SKILLS
ALREADY COMING INTO THE MISSION.
>> SO MATTHIAS IS GONNA
BE SITTING ON MY RIGHT SIDE.
UH, HE DOES NOT HAVE QUITE
THE VIEW OF THE DISPLAYS,
BUT HE IS ALWAYS THINKING,
ALWAYS MONITORING.
WHEN MATTHIAS TALKS,
WE ALL LISTEN,
'CAUSE HE'S GOT AN IDEA
OR AN OBSERVATION THAT
IS ESSENTIAL FOR IMPROVING
THE FLIGHT OR MAKING SURE
THE FLIGHT STAYS SAFE.
SO, UM-- AND HE-HE BRINGS
WITH HIM A LOT OF OBSER--
OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE AS,
UH, WORKING AS A CAPCOM
AND AS A MANAGER WITHIN ESA,
AND AS A MATERIAL
SCIENCE-SCIENTIST.
UH, HE'S, UH,
VERY FOCUSED ON THE SCIENCE
THAT WE'LL BE DOING AS WELL.
>> AS WE GET READY
FOR A SPACEFLIGHT,
MY FAMILY'S PRETTY GOOD
AT IT NOW.
IT HELPS THAT THEY SUPPORT
THE FLIGHT AND THAT
THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND SO IN ORDER TO ENSURE
THAT IT REMAINS EXCITING,
UM, I WANT THEM TO GET
TO KNOW THE CREW,
I WANT THEM TO GET TO KNOW
THE-THE NASA SYSTEM
AND PEOPLE THERE.
IF THERE'S ANYONE
THAT THEY WANNA MEET,
I WANNA MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS.
IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY
TO COME OUT TO TRAIN WITH ME,
I WANNA MAKE SURE
THAT HAPPENS TOO.
I WANT THEM TO BE AS ENGAGED
IN THE MISSION AS MUCH
AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
TO INCLUDE TRAVELING OUT
TO SOME OF OUR, UH,
TRAINING SITES AROUND
THE WORLD, MAKES IT FUN
AND ADVENTUROUS FOR THEM.
WHEN I'M SEPARATED,
WHICH IS QUITE A BIT,
CONTACT EVERY DAY.
UH, EVEN IF WE'RE TIRED
AND HAD A LONG TRAINING DAY,
I GOTTA GET A WORKOUT IN,
THE CONTACT IS ESSENTIAL.
JUST TO GET INTO THE HABIT,
BUT ALSO TO TRADE
THOSE FEW WORDS
OR THOSE THROUGH IMAGES, UH,
TRADE THOSE FEW IMAGES,
SO THAT WHEN I COME BACK,
I'M NOT SPENDING A LOT OF TIME
TRYING TO CATCH UP.
MY MINDSET IS ALREADY READY
TO JUMP IN WITH THE FAMILY
AND WITH THE FLOW OF THINGS
AS SOON AS I GET BACK.
AND THAT'S TRUE,
THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA DO,
UH, OUR SPACEFLIGHT AS WELL.
STAYING IN CLOSE CONTACT,
EVEN IF IT'S JUST A COUPLE
OF WORDS, AS MANY DAYS
AS POSSIBLE, UH, EVERY DAY,
IF POSSIBLE, WE'LL HAVE
SOME VIDEO CONNECTIONS, UM,
BUT ALSO TO KEEP MY FAMILY,
UH, INVOLVED WITH
THE GROUND TEAM,
MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING ALL
THE COMMUNICATION THEY NEED.
ONE OF THE, UH,
GREAT LEGACIES
OF THE SPACE STATION IS NOT
JUST GONNA BE THE SCIENCE,
BOTH THE-THE SMALL INNOVATIONS
THAT, UH, OF WHICH THERE
ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS, UH,
BUT ALSO THE-THE BIG SCIENCE
QUESTIONS THAT'LL START
TO BE ANSWERED,
BUT VERY IMPORTANTLY,
THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST,
CERTAINLY TODAY'S, UH,
PERHAPS MOST PROMINENT
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
FOR EXPLORATION,
IT'S NOT FOR SURVIVAL,
IT'S NOT FOR COMPETITION
IN THE MARKETPLACE,
IT IS FOR JUST EXPLORATION.
THAT IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY,
IT'S A VERY UNIQUE ONE.
ALL AROUND THE WORLD,
THOSE WHO TRAIN US,
THOSE WHO HAVE BUILT OTHER PARTS
OF THE SPACE STATION
AND HAVE CONTRIBUTED,
ARE IMMENSELY PROUD
OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE,
FOR GOOD REASON,
LOVE WHAT THEY DO,
AND LOVE THEIR CONTRIBUTION
AS WELL.
IT'S UP TO US TO TAKE
VERY GOOD CARE OF IT.
WHEN I WAS ON THE SPACE STATION
LAST TIME, PEOPLE ASKED,
"WERE YOU LONELY?"
I SAID NO.
YOU'RE ALONE, BUT YOU'RE NOT
LONELY BECAUSE YOU HAVE
FOUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
YOU'RE TALKING TO A SCIENTIST
OR AN ENGINEER FROM ANY ONE
OF FOUR CAPCOM SITES
AROUND THE WORLD,
AND THE WHOLE SPACE STATION WAS
ABUZZ WITH DIFFERENT LANGUAGES,
RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH AND, UH,
TALKING TO PEOPLE
WITH DIFFERENT ACCENTS
AND IT WAS JUST, UH,
A VIBRANT, WONDERFUL PLACE
WHERE GREAT SCIENCE
IS HAPPENING.