>> HI!
I'M KAYLA BARRON,
MISSION SPECIALIST
FOR NASA SPACEX CREW-3 MISSION.
WATCH ME LAUNCH
WITH MY CREWMATES TO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
ON NASA TV.
I'M KAYLA BARRON,
A MISSION SPECIALIST FOR
NASA SPACEX CREW-3 MISSION TO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
I WAS BORN IN IDAHO.
MY FAMILY MOVED A LOT
WHEN WE WERE KIDS.
WE LIVED IN MONTANA, COLORADO,
BUT FOR MOST OF
MY MIDDLE SCHOOL TIME
AND HIGH SCHOOL,
I LIVED IN WASHINGTON STATE
IN A TOWN CALLED RICHLAND,
WHICH IS
IN SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
I'M THE MIDDLE OF THREE GIRLS,
SO, I HAVE AN OLDER
AND A YOUNGER SISTER
WHO ARE BOTH FANTASTIC HUMANS
AND WERE MY BEST FRIENDS
GROWING UP.
I FIRST GOT INTERESTED
IN JOINING THE MILITARY
WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IT WAS FROM A PRETTY YOUNG AGE,
PROBABLY 12 OR 13 YEARS OLD.
WE LIVED NEAR
THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY
WHEN I LIVED IN COLORADO
AND I HAVE SOME EXTENDED FAMILY
IN THE MILITARY.
SO, IT WAS KIND OF
ALWAYS SOMETHING
I WAS VAGUELY AWARE OF.
AND THEN WHEN 911 HAPPENED,
I WAS JUST SO SHOCKED BY THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS
AT THE BEGINNING OF
MY EIGHTH GRADE YEAR
AND I THINK IT WAS
A REALLY FORMATIVE TIME,
YOU KNOW,
LIKE YOU'RE JUST STARTING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW THE WORLD WORKS
AND HAVE SOMETHING
THAT TRAUMATIC HAPPEN
TO OUR COUNTRY,
BUT ALSO GET AN OPPORTUNITY
TO WATCH EVERYBODY COME TOGETHER
AND RALLY AS AMERICAN CITIZENS,
TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER
IN THIS REALLY CHALLENGING TIME.
LIKE WATCHING
NEW YORK CITY RESPOND
AND HOW WE CAME TOGETHER
AS A COUNTRY
REALLY CEMENTED FOR ME
A DESIRE TO SERVE.
AND I KNEW THAT
I WOULD WANT TO FIND WAYS
TO CHALLENGE MYSELF
AND BECOME A LEADER.
AND SO, THAT'S HOW
I FIRST GOT INTERESTED
IN JOINING THE MILITARY AND
ULTIMATELY GOT INTERESTED
IN ATTENDING THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
THE NAVAL ACADEMY JUST ENDED UP
BEING A REALLY GOOD FIT FOR ME.
I GOT TO VISIT IT
AND JUST IN TERMS OF MEETING
THE OTHER STUDENTS THERE,
IT JUST FELT LIKE
THE RIGHT PLACE
FOR ME TO CHALLENGE MYSELF,
NOT ONLY ACADEMICALLY,
BUT ALSO PHYSICALLY
THROUGH SPORTS.
I RAN CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK
AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY,
BUT ALSO MORALLY, YOU KNOW,
DEVELOPING MYSELF
AS A HUMAN BEING, AS A TEAMMATE,
AND EVENTUALLY AS A LEADER.
IT JUST FELT LIKE
THE PERFECT PLACE TO DO THAT.
AND SO, THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP
INTERESTED IN GOING TO
THE NAVAL ACADEMY
WHERE I STUDIED CONTROL SYSTEMS
AND ROBOTICS ENGINEERING,
AND ULTIMATELY DISCOVERED THAT
I WANTED TO BE
A SUBMARINER SOMEDAY,
WHICH I DID NOT KNOW
WHEN I STARTED THERE.
SO, I THINK MY UPBRINGING,
MY DAD'S AN ENGINEER,
HE WORKS IN
THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY.
MY MOM'S A MATH WHIZ
AND A RUNNER, AND SO,
I THINK BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM,
THEY ALWAYS REALLY RAISED US
TO BE OURSELVES.
YOU KNOW, TRY TO BECOME
THE BEST VERSIONS OF OURSELVES,
TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES.
THEY ALWAYS WANTED US TO DO
OUR VERY BEST,
BUT THEY WERE PRETTY FLEXIBLE
ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANT,
WHICH IS REALLY COOL FOR ME
AND MY SISTERS
TO ALL KIND OF
FIND OUR OWN PATHS.
SO, I THINK PROBABLY
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID,
THEY DIDN'T IMAGINE THAT
ONE OF THEIR DAUGHTERS
WOULD JOIN THE MILITARY ONE DAY,
BUT THEY WERE SUPER SUPPORTIVE
OF ME ALONG THE WAY.
I WAS PRETTY SURE
I WANTED TO STUDY ENGINEERING
WHEN I SHOWED UP
AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
IT'S A FANTASTIC
ENGINEERING SCHOOL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT'S REALLY COOL ABOUT IT
IS IT'S AN UNDERGRAD ONLY
INSTITUTION.
SO, ALL OF
OUR RESEARCH FACILITIES THERE,
UNDERGRADS GET TO
ACTUALLY CONDUCT
REAL RESEARCH PROJECTS.
AND SO, THAT WAS REALLY
ATTRACTIVE.
LIKE WE HAVE WIND TUNNELS,
WAVE POOLS,
A TINY NUCLEAR REACTOR,
A NEUTRON GENERATOR,
LIKE ALL THIS CRAZY STUFF
THAT NORMALLY, AS AN UNDERGRAD,
YOU WOULDN'T GET TO
PLAY AROUND WITH.
SO, I WAS INTERESTED IN
KIND OF ALL THE BRANCHES
OF ENGINEERING
AND LUCKILY GOT A CHANCE
TO SORT OF GET TO KNOW
EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS
BEFORE COMMITTING TO A MAJOR.
AND THE THING I REALLY LIKED
ABOUT SYSTEMS ENGINEERING,
WHICH AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY
IS FOCUSED ON CONTROL SYSTEMS
AND ROBOTICS,
IT WAS A REALLY INTEGRATED
WAY OF THINKING
ABOUT ENGINEERING.
AND YOU HAD TO UNDERSTAND
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING,
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING,
COMPUTER ENGINEERING,
AND SCIENCE
AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT
HOW ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT
SKILL SETS AND KNOWLEDGE BASES
WORK TOGETHER
TO DO SOMETHING PRACTICAL.
SO, I WANTED TO BUILD THINGS
AND I WANTED TO THINK ABOUT
HOW DIFFERENT THINGS
WORK TOGETHER
TO ACCOMPLISH A NEW GOAL.
WHEN I STARTED
AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY,
I ACTUALLY HAD NO ASPIRATIONS
TO GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL.
LIKE I DIDN'T EVEN ACTUALLY KNOW
THAT WAS AN OPTION
STRAIGHT FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
BUT I HAD A REALLY GOOD MENTOR
IN MY FRESHMAN YEAR.
HE TAUGHT ME
IN ONE OF MY HISTORY CLASSES,
WHICH WASN'T LIKE
A CORE STRENGTH FOR ME,
TO SAY THE LEAST.
BUT WE STRUCK UP
A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
AND HE REALLY ENCOURAGED ME
TO START THINKING ABOUT IT.
HE THOUGHT THAT
I MAYBE HAD THE POTENTIAL
TO GO TO GRAD SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S WHEN
I STARTED THINKING ABOUT
WHAT I MIGHT WANT TO STUDY.
AND I GOT REALLY INSPIRED
ABOUT TRYING TO HELP
FIND GOOD SOLUTIONS
TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND FOR ME, I LOOKED AROUND
AT ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES
OF EXISTING AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO
IMPLEMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND NUCLEAR POWER REALLY SEEMED
LIKE AN IMPORTANT PART OF
PROVIDING BASE-LOAD ENERGY
IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T SHOOT CO2
INTO OUR ATMOSPHERE
AND CAUSE ALL THESE PROBLEMS.
SO, I GOT REALLY NERDY
ABOUT NEXT GENERATION
NUCLEAR REACTORS.
AND IN PARTICULAR,
I REALLY WANTED TO STUDY
A THORIUM FUELED REACTOR.
THE REACTORS
IN THE UNITED STATES
ARE POWERED BY PLUTONIUM
OR URANIUM.
AND I THOUGHT SOME OF
THE TECHNOLOGIES
FOR THORIUM-FUELED REACTORS
WERE COOL.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT
ONE OF THE BEST RESEARCHERS
IN THE WORLD, DR. JEFF PARKS,
WAS DOING WORK
ON THAT AT CAMBRIDGE.
AND SO, THAT'S WHY
I WANTED TO GO THERE,
TO STUDY UNDER HIM.
AND I WAS JUST REALLY LUCKY
TO GET ACCEPTED AS
ONE OF HIS MASTERS STUDENTS
AND GOT THE CHANCE
TO DO A RESEARCH DEGREE THERE.
YEAH, THIS CAN GET
REALLY NERDY REALLY QUICK.
BUT THE REACTOR CONCEPT
I WAS WORKING ON
IN GRADUATE SCHOOL IS CALLED
THE ACCELERATOR-DRIVEN
SUBCRITICAL REACTOR.
AND IT'S UNIQUE
FROM DIFFERENT NUCLEAR REACTORS
IN THAT THE NUCLEAR FUEL
YOU HAVE IN THE CORE
CAN'T INHERENTLY SUSTAIN
A CHAIN REACTION,
WHICH IS HOW
A NUCLEAR REACTOR WORKS,
A CHAIN REACTION OF FISSION
KIND OF CONTINUES ON
ON ITS OWN AND
IT HEATS UP WATER, USUALLY,
WHICH PRODUCES STEAM
AND YOU CAN RUN TURBINES.
BUT THIS REACTOR HAS
LIKE AN INBUILT SAFETY FEATURE,
I GUESS.
IT'S LIKE NATURALLY SUBCRITICAL,
BUT THE WAY YOU GET TO
THAT CHAIN REACTION IS
BY SHOOTING A PROTON GENERATOR,
LIKE A BEAM OF PROTONS
AT A LEAD TARGET
IN THE CENTER OF THE REACTOR.
AND THAT KNOCKS NEUTRONS
OUT OF THE LEAD INTO THE THORIUM
AND THAT'S HOW YOU MAINTAIN
THE CHAIN REACTION.
SO, THIS REACTOR CONCEPT
IS LIKE FAIRLY DEVELOPED,
BUT MY WORK WAS FOCUSED ON
ANALYZING THE FUEL MIX
BECAUSE ONE OF THE COOL THINGS
ABOUT THE REACTOR IS THAT
IT HAS REALLY FLEXIBLE --
IT'S NOT JUST THORIUM
THAT YOU CAN PUT INTO IT.
YOU CAN MIX IN
SPENT NUCLEAR WASTE
TO HELP REPROCESS IT.
AND I WAS ANALYZING
ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS
AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST ONE
FOR A PROTOTYPE REACTOR.
GROWING UP,
WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW A LOT
ABOUT WHAT MY DAD DID
BECAUSE HE OFTEN WORKED AT
THESE SITES
WHERE WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO GO.
LIKE ON TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER
TO WORK DAY,
WE COULDN'T GO WITH HIM
BECAUSE YOU NEEDED A CLEARANCE
TO GO ON THESE SITES.
SO, WE KIND OF GREW UP
NOT ASKING HIM A TON
ABOUT THE DETAILS OF HIS WORK.
BUT WHEN I WENT TO
THE NAVAL ACADEMY
AND STARTED BEING INTERESTED
IN NUCLEAR ENGINEERING,
THEN WE STARTED NERDING OUT
ABOUT THAT TOGETHER.
AND IT'S A REALLY COOL THING
THAT WE SHARE NOW.
AND MY DAD ACTUALLY STARTED OUT
HIS CAREER IN NUCLEAR POWER
TRAINING SUBMARINE
WARFARE OFFICERS ON
HOW TO OPERATE NUCLEAR REACTORS.
HE WAS A CIVILIAN INSTRUCTOR
AT A NAVY -- AT NAVY'S
NUCLEAR TRAINING PIPELINE.
SO, THAT'S KIND OF COOL.
LIKE HE STARTED HIS CAREER
WHERE I DID IN THE NAVY.
SO, WHEN I SHOWED UP
AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY,
I THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE
A FIGHTER PILOT.
AND THE NAVAL ACADEMY
IS PRETTY COOL
IN THAT YOU GET A FEW YEARS
BEFORE YOU GET TO PUT IN
YOUR PREFERENCES
OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
IN THE NAVY.
SO, I WAS REALLY INTERESTED
IN FLYING AT FIRST,
BUT AS I GOT EXPOSURE
TO THE VARIOUS OFFICERS
WHO WORKED ON THE YARD,
I FOUND MYSELF REALLY DRAWN TO
THE SUBMARINE WARFARE OFFICERS
AS MENTORS.
AND SO, I THOUGHT MAYBE
THERE IS SOMETHING TO THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE
THIS REALLY COOL TRAINING
BETWEEN OUR SOPHOMORE
AND JUNIOR YEAR.
I KIND OF THINK OF IT
AS LIKE THE NAVY'S JOB FAIR.
YOU GO SPEND A WEEK
WITH EVERY SINGLE
MAJOR WARFARE COMMUNITY.
SO, SURFACE SHIPS,
SUBMARINES, AVIATION.
AND WHEN I GOT TO GO
UNDERWATER ON A SUBMARINE,
I JUST FELT LIKE THIS
IS WHERE I BELONG.
THE SAILORS WERE SO TALENTED,
SO INTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED,
SO SMART.
AND I COULD SEE THAT
THEY HELD THEIR JUNIOR OFFICERS,
WHAT I WAS ASPIRING TO BE,
TO A REALLY HIGH STANDARD
BUT WERE ALSO WILLING
TO INVEST IN SHAPING THEM
INTO A LEADER
THEY'D BE WILLING TO FOLLOW.
AND SO, EVEN THOUGH
IT SEEMED LIKE
A SUPER CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT
TO BE A YOUNG LEADER IN,
IT SEEMED LIKE THE TYPE OF PLACE
WHERE YOU COULD REALLY
DEVELOP YOURSELF AND GROW
WITH THE SUPPORT OF YOUR TEAM
AND THE MENTORS AROUND YOU.
AND IT JUST MADE ME
WANT TO BE A PART OF IT.
YEAH, BEING ON A SUBMARINE
IS PRETTY COOL.
IT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE,
AND SOME PEOPLE MIGHT DISAGREE
WITH ME THAT IT'S PRETTY COOL,
BUT I REALLY LIKED IT.
IT'S KIND OF
A FASCINATING WORLD.
YOU DEVELOP THIS OWN LITTLE --
YOUR OWN LITTLE MICROCOSM
UNDER THE SEA BECAUSE
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE EVERYTHING YOU NEED
TO LIVE AND WORK SAFETY
AND ALSO ACCOMPLISH A MISSION
WITHIN YOUR OWN CREW.
AND SO, WE KIND OF
SPLIT THE CREW UP
INTO THREE SHIFTS,
THREE EIGHT-HOUR SHIFTS.
SO, AT ANY GIVEN POINT,
ABOUT A THIRD OF THE CREW
IS ACTIVELY ON WATCH
WORKING TO KEEP THE SHIP
MOVING THROUGH THE WATER
AND ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT
RUNNING APPROPRIATELY
AND TO DO WHATEVER
OUR MISSION TASKING IS.
SO, YOU SPEND ABOUT
A THIRD OF YOUR DAY DOING THAT;
YOU SPEND ABOUT
A THIRD OF YOUR DAY
DOING OTHER WORK
IN SUPPORT OF THE SHIP;
AND THEN IN THEORY
YOU SPEND
A THIRD OF YOUR DAY SLEEPING,
ALTHOUGH IN MY EXPERIENCE,
THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK OUT.
THE TIME IN MY SUBMARINE WAS
THE MOST DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD
OF MY LIFE FOR A LOT OF REASONS,
BUT ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
OF THE OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE
AND OPERATIONAL TEAMWORK
I GOT TO DO
WHILE WE WERE UNDERWAY
WHEN WE WERE DEPLOYED.
WHEN YOU FIRST GET TO
A SUBMARINE,
YOU WORK TO GET QUALIFIED
AS AN ENGINEERING
OFFICER OF THE WATCH,
WHICH IS THE OFFICER
WHO OVERSEES THE REACTOR --
NUCLEAR REACTOR OPERATIONS
AND ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT
IN THE ENGINE ROOM.
IT'S A PRETTY INTIMIDATING JOB
WHEN YOU FIRST SHOW UP
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF
COMPLICATED EQUIPMENT
AND A LOT CAN GO WRONG
IF YOU DON'T DO YOUR JOB WELL.
SO, THAT'S WHERE
I FIRST STARTED.
AND THEN ONCE YOU GET QUALIFIED
ENGINEER OFFICER OF THE WATCH,
YOU START WORKING ON
YOUR OFFICER OF THE DECK
QUALIFICATIONS.
AND OFFICER OF THE DECK
IS THE PERSON WHO OVERSEES
THE ENTIRE SHIP'S OPERATIONS.
YOU'RE DECIDING WHERE WE GO
AND WHAT WE DO
AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.
AND SO, FOR ME, AT FIRST
THAT WAS LIKE A PRETTY
INTIMIDATING ENVIRONMENT
TO TRY TO GET QUALIFIED
TO LEAD THAT WATCH TEAM,
BE AN OFFICER OF THE DECK.
I JUST REMEMBER MY FIRST TIME
WALKING INTO CONTROL, YOU KNOW,
YOU SEE THE SONAR DISPLAYS UP,
ALL THIS DATA COMING IN
AND THERE'S A LOT OF DATA.
YOU HAVE TO TRANSLATE IT
INTO USEFUL INFORMATION
AND THEN MAKE DECISIONS
IN A CONSTANTLY
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
BECAUSE WE NEVER STOP MOVING.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY
MOVING THROUGH THE WATER
AND THE SITUATION YOU'RE IN
IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING
AS A RESULT.
SO, FOR ME, AT FIRST
THAT WAS LIKE A BIT OF A SHOCK
BECAUSE I'M PRETTY TYPE A.
I'M GOOD AT
FOLLOWING PROCEDURES,
BUT THERE IS LIKE A REAL ARTFORM
TO BEING AN OFFICER OF THE DECK
OR LIKE DRIVING THE BOAT.
SO, I --
THAT WAS A REAL
GROWTH OPPORTUNITY FOR ME
AS A LEADER.
BUT ONE THING THAT
I THINK IS REALLY COOL
ABOUT THE MILITARY IN GENERAL,
BUT THE SUBMARINE FORCE
IN PARTICULAR
IS THEY TRAIN YOU UP
SO THAT YOU'RE JUST READY
TO DO THE NEXT THING AND
THEN YOU LEARN BY DOING IT.
SO, YOU'RE KIND OF,
AT THE BEGINNING,
OPERATING RIGHT AT THE EDGE
OF YOUR ABILITIES
AS AN OPERATOR, AS A LEADER,
AS A COMMUNICATOR,
AND THAT'S A SUPER-CHALLENGING
ENVIRONMENT,
BUT IT'S ALSO
THIS COOL OPPORTUNITY
TO DEVELOP REALLY QUICKLY,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE
A REALLY EXPERIENCED AND
SUPPORTIVE TEAM, WHICH I DID.
SO, FOR ME I THINK
I HAD THESE MOMENTS, YOU KNOW,
MY FIRST DEPLOYMENT
WHERE I WAS STANDING OFFICER
OF THE DECK
WHERE IT WOULD BE
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT,
THE CAPTAIN CALLS AND
SAYS HE'S GOING TO SLEEP.
EVERYONE WHO HAS MORE EXPERIENCE
THAN YOU IN THE OFFICER CORPS
IS ACTUALLY SLEEPING
AND YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF
A SUBMARINE
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN
AND YOU'RE LIKE 25 YEARS OLD.
AND YOU'RE LIKE
I CAN'T BELIEVE
THIS IS HOW THE NAVY DOES IT,
BUT IT WORKS BECAUSE
WE HAVE THESE AMAZING TEAMS
AROUND US.
AND IT'S KIND OF
A PINCH YOURSELF MOMENT.
IT'S JUST SUPER --
IT WAS A REALLY,
REALLY VALUABLE EXPERIENCE.
YEAH, SO I ACTUALLY
NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT
BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT
UNTIL AFTER SERVING
ON A SUBMARINE.
FOR ME, IT WAS
ALL THOSE PARALLELS
THAT REALLY INSPIRED ME
TO WANT TO APPLY AND
TO BELIEVE THAT I EVEN COULD.
I DON'T THINK IF I --
IF I HADN'T HAD THAT EXPERIENCE,
I DON'T THINK THAT
I WOULD HAVE BELIEVED
I COULD BECOME AN ASTRONAUT.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT
AFTER MY TOUR ON THE SUBMARINE,
I WENT BACK TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY
TO WORK FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT
WHO'S KIND OF LIKE
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY.
AND BECAUSE
I WAS WORKING FOR HIM,
I GOT TO GO TO
ALL OF THESE EVENTS WITH
A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT PEOPLE
THAT I OTHERWISE
WOULD NEVER HAVE ANY BUSINESS
EVER SPEAKING TO.
AND I MET AN ASTRONAUT,
KAY HIRE, WHO'S A 1981 GRAD
FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
AND SHE TOLD ME ABOUT
HER EARLY SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS
WHEN THEY WERE BUILDING
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,
BRINGING NEW MODULES
AND NEW EQUIPMENT ONLINE.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGES,
THE -- WHAT IT'S LIKE
TO LIVE IN SPACE,
BUT ESPECIALLY
WHAT KIND OF A TEAM
IT TAKES TO DO SOMETHING
SO CRAZY LIKE THAT.
LIKE LIVING AND WORKING
IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE
IS JUST SO SIMILAR
TO MY EXPERIENCE LIVING
AND WORKING ON A SUBMARINE
UNDER THE OCEAN.
AND IT WAS THOSE SIMILARITIES
THAT FIRST HAD THAT CLICK
IN MY HEAD LIKE OH, WOW!
MAYBE I COULD DO THAT!
AND SO, THAT WAS REALLY
THE LIGHTNING BOLT MOMENT FOR ME
LIKE MAYBE I WANT TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT.
MAYBE I COULD BE.
YEAH, THE TIMING
WAS REALLY SERENDIPITOUS
BECAUSE I FIRST GOT
THAT INSPIRATION TO APPLY.
AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER,
MY HUSBAND WAS ACTUALLY
IN THE ARMY AT THE TIME
AND HE WAS DEPLOYED
IN WEST AFRICA,
SO I REALLY DIDN'T GET A CHANCE
TO TALK TO HIM THAT OFTEN.
SO, THE ONLY PERSON
I HAD MENTIONED IT TO
WAS MY BOSS, ADMIRAL CARTER.
AND HE WAS REALLY ENCOURAGING.
I THINK HE KIND OF SENSED
ON MY NERVOUSNESS AND HESITATION
AND HE KIND OF TOLD ME THAT
LIKE IF YOU WANT TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT,
YOU'VE GOT TO APPLY.
AND ABOUT THAT TIME,
LIKE TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT,
THE -- NASA PUT OUT THE CALL
THAT THEY WERE
TAKING APPLICATIONS
FOR THE NEW CLASS.
AND SO, IT JUST KIND OF
FELT LIKE I DO,
I JUST NEED TO PUT MYSELF
OUT THERE.
SO, I CALLED MY HUSBAND,
I TOLD HIM I WAS THINKING
ABOUT DOING IT.
HE WAS REALLY SURPRISED.
I THINK AT FIRST HE THOUGHT
IT WAS LIKE THE SECRET DREAM
THAT I HAD HARBORED
SINCE CHILDHOOD
AND NEVER MENTIONED TO HIM
IN THE TIME THAT
WE HAD BEEN TOGETHER,
BUT I WAS LIKE NO,
IT'S PRETTY NEW.
LIKE IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME
IT'S SIMILAR TO BEING
ON A SUBMARINE,
LIKE MAYBE IT WOULD BE
A GOOD FIT.
SO, HE WAS REALLY ENCOURAGING
AND SUPPORTIVE AND
THAT'S WHY I DECIDED TO APPLY.
SHOWING UP FOR THE INTERVIEWS,
TALK ABOUT IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
LIKE I MET THE OTHER CANDIDATES
AND I ALMOST THOUGHT
THEY CALLED ME BY MISTAKE.
I WAS JUST LIKE
I HAVE NO BUSINESS
BEING IN THE SAME ROOM
AS THESE OTHER CANDIDATES.
THEY'RE JUST SO ACCOMPLISHED,
SUCH WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
AND I THINK FOR ME
THAT JUST KIND OF
INSTILLED SORT OF A --
A HEALTHY FATALISM A BIT.
LIKE I DON'T KNOW
QUITE WHAT THEY SEE IN ME
OR WHY THEY INVITED ME HERE,
BUT I'M JUST GOING TO BE MYSELF,
SHARE WHO I AM AND
IF THEY THINK I'M A GOOD FIT,
IF THE COMMITTEE THINKS
I'M A GOOD FIT,
THEN I PROBABLY AM.
AND IF THEY DON'T,
THEN I'M PROBABLY NOT.
SO, I JUST KIND OF TREATED IT
LIKE A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
AND THAT SORT OF
TOOK THE PRESSURE OFF.
I WAS JUST LIKE INTERESTED IN
MEETING THE OTHER CANDIDATES
AND THE AMAZING PEOPLE
HERE AT JOHNSON SPACE CENTER.
AND I TRIED TO
ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
AS MUCH AS I COULD
THROUGH THE SORT OF NERVOUS
IMPOSTER SYNDROME ANXIETY.
MAN, IT WAS A REALLY
SPECIAL DAY.
I THINK I MENTIONED EARLIER,
I WAS WORKING AT
THE NAVAL ACADEMY AT THE TIME.
AND THEY TOLD US THE DAY
THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CALL US
TO LET US KNOW
WHETHER THEY GOT IT OR NOT.
SO, EVERYBODY WAS, YOU KNOW,
WAITING BY THEIR PHONES ALL DAY.
BUT I WAS WORKING THAT DAY.
IT WAS COMMISSIONING WEEK
AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY,
THE NAVAL ACADEMY
GRADUATION WEEK.
SO, THERE'S ALL THESE EVENTS
AND I HAD A LOT OF THINGS
I HAD TO PARTICIPATE IN.
AND SO, I ACTUALLY GOT THE CALL
DURING A FORMAL MILITARY PARADE
THAT I WAS IN
AND IT WAS LIKE THE ONLY TIME
THE WHOLE DAY
THAT I COULDN'T HAVE MY PHONE.
AND WHEN I GOT BACK TO IT
AFTER THE EVENT, I WAS LIKE
OH, I MISSED THE CALL
FROM HOUSTON!
AND MY BOSS WAS LIKE
CALL THEM BACK!
AND I WAS--
I LOOKED AT MY PHONE
AND I WAS LIKE,
I DON'T THINK I CAN
CALL THIS NUMBER BACK--
I'VE JUST GOT TO WAIT.
SO, I WAITED ABOUT 45 MINUTES
TO CIRCLE BACK TO WHEREVER
I WAS IN THE CALL ORDER.
AND WHEN I ANSWERED THE PHONE,
BRIAN KELLY, B.K.
AND CHRIS CASSIDY WERE THERE.
AND THEY ASKED ME
IF I WAS STILL INTERESTED
IN COMING DOWN TO HOUSTON
TO BE AN ASTRONAUT
AND IT WAS THE EASIEST QUESTION
I EVER HAD TO ANSWER.
ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE TRAINING
IS REALLY COOL.
IT'S KIND OF LEARNING
ALL OF THE BASIC SKILLS
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED
TO APPLY TO
FUTURE MISSION TRAINING.
SO, WE DO THINGS LIKE
LEARN HOW TO OPERATE
THE ROBOTIC ARM THAT WE HAVE
ON THE SPACE STATION,
LEARN BASIC SPACE WALK SKILLS,
LEARN HOW THE SPACE STATION
ITSELF WORKS, ALL THE SYSTEMS
THAT KEEP US ALIVE AND HEALTHY
AND HAPPY UP THERE.
WE LEARNED TO SPEAK RUSSIAN
BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY.
WHAT ELSE DID WE DO?
OH, WE FLY T-38s.
DON'T TELL RAJ
I PAUSED FOR THAT.
WE FLY T-38s, WHICH IS
A REALLY FANTASTIC WAY
TO PRACTICE COMMUNICATING
AND MAKING DECISIONS
IN A REAL HIGH-RISK ENVIRONMENT.
BUT WE ALSO GOT TO DO
SOME OTHER SORT OF LIKE
AUXILIARY TRAINING.
LIKE, WE DO BASIC
GEOLOGY TRAINING
WHERE WE GO OUT IN THE FIELD
WITH SOME OF THE BEST
FIELD GEOLOGISTS IN THE WORLD
AND LEARN HOW TO TELL THE STORY
OF THE PLACE BY ITS GEOLOGY.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO
APPLY THAT TRAINING
IN FUTURE MISSIONS TO THE MOON
OR TO OUR EARTH SCIENCE WORK
THAT WE'LL DO
FROM THE SPACE STATION.
FOR ME, I WAS WORKING
IN EXPLORATION BRANCH
ON THE SUITS THAT WE'LL USE
TO GO BACK TO THE MOON.
WE'RE DEVELOPING TWO NEW SUITS
HERE AT NASA,
ONE FOR THE ORION CAPSULE
THAT WE'LL WEAR
WHILE WE ARE LAUNCHING
AND COMING HOME.
AND THEN THE EXPLORATION EMU,
WHICH IS THE SUIT WE'LL WEAR
ON THE NEXT MOON WALK.
SO, I WAS WORKING WITH
THOSE TEAMS ON SOME OF
THE OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS
AND ENGINEERING CHALLENGES
AS THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO GET THOSE SUITS READY
TO TAKE US BACK TO THE MOON.
OH, MAN.
SO, I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS
OFFICIALLY ON CREW-3
WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY
TO THE NEUTRAL BUOYANCY LAB
FOR SPACE WALK TRAINING.
IT WAS REALLY EARLY
IN THE MORNING BECAUSE
WE GET THERE REALLY EARLY
TO SET UP OUR TOOLS,
AND I GOT A TEXT FROM
THE CHIEF OF THE OFFICE.
AND HE SAID IF YOU'RE AWAKE,
GIVE ME A CALL.
I WAS LIKE THIS IS EITHER
REALLY GOOD NEWS
OR REALLY BAD NEWS.
SO I GAVE HIM A CALL
ON MY WAY IN TO WORK,
AND HE SAID, KAYLA,
YOU'RE ON CREW-3.
AND I WAS JUST SO EXCITED.
CREW-3 IS JUST SUCH
AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
RAJA, MY CLASSMATE,
A FELLOW TURTLE.
TOM, ONE OF THE MOST
EXPERIENCED ASTRONAUTS
IN OUR OFFICE.
HE'S DONE SPACE WALKS,
HE'S FLOWN ON SHUTTLE,
HE'S FLOWN ON SOYUZ,
AND HE'S JUST SUCH
A GREAT MENTOR.
AND MATEUS, WHO I JUST STARTED
TO GET TO KNOW
BECAUSE HE WAS HERE
FOR CREW-3 TRAINING AS WELL,
WHO HAS A REALLY INTERESTING WAY
OF TACKLING PROBLEMS,
REALLY INTERESTING STORY.
AND SO, IT WAS JUST SO AWESOME
TO BE JOINING THOSE GUYS
FOR SUCH AN AWESOME CREW.
SPACEX TRAINING IS REALLY FUN.
WE DO MOST OF OUR TRAINING
AT SPACEX IN CALIFORNIA.
SO, IT'S FUN TO BE THERE
BECAUSE THEY DO SO MUCH
AT THE SAME SITE.
THEY DESIGN
AND BUILD, MANUFACTURE...
ALL OF THE HARDWARE THERE,
BUT THEY ALSO TRAIN THE CREWS.
SO, THEY HAVE A DRAGON CAPSULE
SIMULATOR THAT WE DO
MOST OF OUR TRAINING IN,
IN TRAINING SPACE SUITS,
SO WE GET TO PRACTICE
WHAT THINGS ARE ACTUALLY
GOING TO FEEL LIKE, LOOK LIKE,
IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS.
SO, WE PRACTICE
FOR A NORMAL MISSION
BUT WE ALSO SPEND A LOT OF TIME
PRACTICING FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
IF THINGS GO WRONG.
IN THE OFF-NOMINAL SITUATIONS,
WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE TO USE
THINGS SUCH AS A MANUAL
PILOTING CAPABILITY,
AND ALSO HOW WE WOULD RESPOND
IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF
AN EMERGENCY, LIKE A FIRE
IN THE CAPSULE
OR A DEPRESSURIZATION
OF SOME KIND.
SO, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME
MAKING SURE WE KNOW WHAT TO DO
TO KEEP OURSELVES
AND EACH OTHER SAFE.
WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME
TRAINING IN DRAGON
BECAUSE THAT'S A REALLY DYNAMIC
PHASE OF THE MISSION,
BUT IT'S JUST SUCH
A TINY FRACTION.
THE WHOLE POINT IS GOING
TO THE SPACE STATION
AND DOING SOME INCREDIBLE WORK
UP THERE.
SO, OUR TIME ON
THE SPACE STATION IS SPENT
ONE, KEEPING
THE SPACE STATION HEALTHY.
IT'S BEEN UP THERE FOR 20 YEARS,
THERE'S A LOT OF SYSTEMS
THAT NEED MAINTENANCE
AND UPGRADES
AND OPERATORS THERE
TO KEEP THEM WORKING WELL,
BUT WE ALSO DO
SOME INCREDIBLE SCIENCE.
THE SPACE STATION
IS A NATIONAL LABORATORY
ORBITING AROUND THE EARTH.
AND IT'S A REALLY, REALLY
UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT
TO DO A LOT OF RESEARCH.
SO, SOMETIMES
WE'RE THE SUBJECTS OURSELVES,
SOMETIMES WE'RE HELPING RUN
THE EXPERIMENTS,
BUT WE'RE JUST KIND OF
A PART OF THAT ECOSYSTEM,
DOING AWESOME SCIENCE
AND CONTRIBUTING
TO THE AMAZING STUDIES
THAT ARE GOING ON
ON THE GROUND.
I THINK FOR SOMEBODY
WHO WASN'T FAMILIAR,
I WOULD TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION FIRST.
IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE MOST
AMAZING ENGINEERING MARVELS
IN THE HISTORY
OF THE HUMAN EXISTENCE.
IT'S KIND OF INCREDIBLE
THAT WE'VE BUILT
THIS FANTASTIC STRUCTURE,
THIS FANTASTIC LABORATORY
THAT IS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT
AND HAS HAD PEOPLE ON IT
EVERY SINGLE DAY
FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
LIKE, THAT'S JUST KIND OF
INCREDIBLE THAT EVERY MOMENT
FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS,
THERE'S BEEN ASTRONAUTS,
COSMONAUTS,
ALL OF OUR INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERS UP THERE WORKING
DOING INCREDIBLE SCIENCE,
WHICH IS PRETTY--
PRETTY INCREDIBLE,
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
AND CREW DRAGON IS ONE OF
OUR NEWEST WAYS TO GET THERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOYUZES
THAT HAVE FLOWN TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
WITH CREW, THE SPACE SHUTTLE
FLEW TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION,
AND NOW THE CREW DRAGON
IS TAKING HUMAN BEINGS TO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
SO, WE'VE PARTNERED
WITH SPACEX AND
THE COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM.
THEY DESIGN, BUILD,
AND OPERATE THESE VEHICLES
THAT TAKE US, TRANSPORT US
TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, SO THAT WE CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO THE AMAZING WORK
THAT WE'RE DOING UP THERE.
YEAH, OF COURSE,
IT'S A REALLY COOL TIME
TO BE GOING TO
THE SPACE STATION.
I REALLY FEEL LIKE
WE'RE SORT OF AT THE DAWN
OF A NEW ERA
IN HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION
BECAUSE LOW EARTH ORBIT
IS STARTING TO OPEN UP
TO NON-GOVERNMENT ASTRONAUTS,
TO PRIVATE ASTRONAUT MISSIONS
WHICH ARE PRETTY COOL.
LIKE TO IMAGINE
THAT WE'RE GETTING INTO
THIS NEW PHASE
WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO HAVE
THAT INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE
THAT OUR ASTRONAUTS
HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, JUST TALKING TO
THE EXPERIENCED CREWMEMBERS
IN OUR OFFICE, YOU KNOW,
LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW
BACK DOWN AT THE EARTH
CHANGES YOU AS A PERSON.
YOU KNOW, IT MAKES YOU SEE
THE EARTH AND THE PEOPLE ON IT
IN A WHOLE NEW WAY.
AND I JUST THINK
IT'S SUPER INSPIRING
TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT
WITH THE WHOLE WORLD EVENTUALLY.
SO, IT'S AN EXCITING TIME
TO HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE
ON THE SPACE STATION
AND ALL OF THESE AWESOME
NEW COMPANIES AND MISSIONS
BRINGING LOW EARTH ORBIT
TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
YEAH, THE COMMERCIAL CREW
PROGRAM IS REALLY COOL
AND REALLY IMPORTANT
TO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW
AND WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO
NEXT AT NASA.
IT'S REALLY AWESOME
TO SEE PRIVATE INDUSTRY
INNOVATING IN NEW WAYS,
DEVELOPING NEW CAPABILITIES,
AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE THOSE
WITH THE PUBLIC, AS WELL.
AND SO, WORKING WITH COMPANIES
LIKE BOEING AND SPACEX
IN THE COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM
HAS BEEN REALLY AWESOME,
WHERE WE HAVE A NEW WAY
TO GET TO SPACE STATION.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS AWESOME,
THE TRAINING IS REALLY COOL,
AND IT'S GOING TO BE
A GREAT RIDE TO SPACE, I THINK.
BUT IT'S ALSO ALLOWING NASA
TO FOCUS ON THINGS
LIKE THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN OPERATING
SPACE STATION FOR 20 YEARS,
WE'RE PRETTY GOOD AT LIVING
AND WORKING IN LOW EARTH ORBIT.
AND I THINK AROUND THE HALLS
OF NASA CENTERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
EVERYONE HAS THIS ITCH
TO KIND OF PUSH THE BOUNDARIES
AND EXPLORE AGAIN.
AND SO, WORKING WITH
PRIVATE COMPANIES
TO HELP OUR OPERATIONS
IN LOW EARTH ORBIT
IS ALLOWING US TO FOCUS
ON THINGS LIKE
THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM ROCKET,
THE ORION CAPSULE,
THE EXPLORATION EMU,
THE HUMAN LANDER SYSTEM,
LIKE GOING BACK TO THE MOON
AND GOING THERE TO STAY.
SO, IT'S A REALLY GOOD
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP.
I THINK EVERYBODY
REALLY BENEFITS FROM IT.
YEAH, IT'S A REALLY SPECIAL CREW
BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY
BRINGS A REALLY UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE
AND DIFFERENT BACKGROUND.
AND SO, THERE'S ALWAYS
SOMETHING TO LEARN.
AND WHENEVER WE'RE FACED
WITH A PROBLEM
OR HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE,
IT'S REALLY INTERESTING
TO SEE THE DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES AND HOW TOGETHER
WE MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
AND COME UP WITH
MORE INTERESTING SOLUTIONS.
SO, RAJA,
HE'S AN AIR FORCE TEST PILOT.
HE ALSO HAS SOME INCREDIBLE
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE.
BEFORE COMING TO NASA,
HE WAS A SQUADRON COMMANDER
TWICE, WAS THE COMMANDER
OF THE AIR FORCE'S F-35
TEST SQUADRON, WHICH IS LIKE
A REALLY BIG JOB.
SO, IN SOME WAYS, RAJA AND I
ARE PEERS-- WE STARTED
IN ASTRONAUT TRAINING TOGETHER.
BUT IN OTHER WAYS, YOU KNOW,
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
IT OCCURS TO ME, LIKE,
OH, GRINDER'S A COLONEL
AND I'M NOT THAT.
HE JUST HAS ALL OF THIS
REALLY AWESOME EXPERIENCE.
REALLY,
HE'S A FANTASTIC LEADER.
HE HAS THIS WAY OF BRINGING
THE BEST FROM EACH OF US.
HE'S AN EXCELLENT LISTENER,
HE'S THE BEST PERSON
AT APPLYING FEEDBACK
I THINK I'VE EVER WORKED WITH.
LIKE, IF YOU GIVE HIM FEEDBACK
ABOUT HOW HE CAN DO BETTER,
HE IMMEDIATELY STARTS
INCORPORATING IT
AND IT'S REALLY COOL TO SEE.
TOM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED,
HE'S OUR EXPERIENCED FLYER
AND HE'S ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE
THAT'S FLOWN TO SPACE
IN THE SPACE SHUTTLE
AND IN THE SOYUZ
AND WILL NOW FLY IN THE DRAGON.
SO, HE HAS THIS WEALTH
OF EXPERIENCE FROM ALL THESE
DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL CONTEXTS
AND HE'S AN E.R. DOCTOR.
SO, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY
ALWAYS HAVE SOMEBODY
WITH MEDICAL EXPERIENCE
ON YOUR CREW,
BUT WE'RE REALLY LUCKY
BECAUSE IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG,
WE'LL HAVE DR. MARSHBURN THERE
TO HELP TAKE CARE OF US.
AND HE'S JUST SUCH
A FANTASTIC MENTOR.
HE HAS A WAY OF LETTING YOU
BE YOURSELF,
BRING YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE
AND IDEAS, BUT ALSO
OF OFFERING HIS EXPERIENCE,
SO THAT YOU CAN INCORPORATE IT
INTO YOUR THINKING.
SO, HE'S JUST-- HE HAS THIS
REALLY FANTASTIC MENTORSHIP
STYLE THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE
BEING AROUND
AND I ONLY THINK I'LL CONTINUE
TO LEARN FROM IN TRAINING,
BUT ESPECIALLY
WHEN WE'RE UP THERE
IN ALL THESE NEW SITUATIONS.
AND MATEUS, HE'S FANTASTIC.
I DID NOT GET THE CHANCE
TO MEET MATEUS UNTIL HE STARTED
COMING FOR CREW-3 TRAINING,
BUT HE HAS A BACKGROUND
IN MATERIAL SCIENCE.
HE REALLY LIKES TO UNDERSTAND
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
OF HOW EVERYTHING WORKS.
AND I THINK BECAUSE
HE THINKS IN THAT WAY,
HE COMES UP WITH NEW IDEAS
ABOUT HOW TO DO
ALMOST EVERYTHING.
SO, EVERY SINGLE TRAINING
CONTEXT I'VE BEEN IN WITH HIM,
WHETHER IT'S IN THE DRAGON,
OR ROBOTICS TRAINING,
OR SPACEWALK TRAINING
IN THE NEUTRAL BUOYANCY LAB,
HE ALWAYS HAS A UNIQUE WAY
OF SOLVING A PROBLEM,
A TECHNIQUE I'VE NEVER
BEEN TAUGHT OR THOUGHT OF.
AND SO, IT'S ALWAYS REALLY COOL
TO SEE HOW HE WOULD APPROACH
SOLVING A PROBLEM
BECAUSE HE OFTEN HAS
THE BEST IDEA
AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN
OCCURRED TO ANY OF US.
SO, IT'S A FANTASTIC CREW.
I JUST FEEL SUPER LUCKY
TO BE WITH PEOPLE
WHO ALL HAVE SUCH
DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES
AND EXPERIENCES
BUT HAVE REALLY LEARNED
HOW TO MESH AND WORK TOGETHER
AS A TEAM.
RAJA IS AN AWESOME TEAMMATE
AND FRIEND.
AND WE WERE ACTUALLY
IN THE SAME TRAINING GROUP
DURING OUR ASTRONAUT
CANDIDATE TRAINING, TOO.
SO, WE KIND OF GET SPLIT UP
INTO SMALLER COHORTS
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIT US
ALL THROUGH
THE TRAINING PIPELINE
AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SO, WE GOT TO GO THROUGH
SORT OF EVERY MAJOR PORTION
OF OUR ASTRONAUT
CANDIDATE TRAINING TOGETHER.
SO, WE'VE WORKED
WITH EACH OTHER IN A VARIETY
OF CONTEXTS, SPENT A LOT OF TIME
FLYING TOGETHER IN THE T-38.
SO, IT'S COOL TO RELY
ON THAT FOUNDATION
OF KNOWING HOW THE OTHER ONE
COMMUNICATES, BEING ABLE TO
SORT OF LIKE READ THEIR QUEUES,
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S NONVERBAL
OR JUST LIKE THE WAY
THEIR VOICE SOUNDS,
KIND OF GETTING TO UNDERSTAND
HOW HE THINKS ABOUT THINGS.
AND WE BOTH HAVE DIFFERENT
OPERATIONAL BACKGROUNDS,
BUT I THINK,
THINK PRETTY SIMILARLY ABOUT
HOW TO APPROACH CHALLENGES,
HOW TO DECIDE
WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING,
HOW TO MAKE DECISIONS,
HOW TO COMMUNICATE.
SO, IT'S REALLY FUN WORKING
WITH HIM AND I ACTUALLY
SIT NEXT TO HIM
IN THE CAPSULE.
SO, HE'S IN THE COMMANDER SEAT
AND I'M JUST OFF TO HIS LEFT,
SO I'M ABLE TO SEE EVERYTHING
HE'S DOING,
WHICH IS REALLY FUN
BECAUSE IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE
FLYING IN THE JET TOGETHER.
WHERE WE'RE
BACKING EACH OTHER UP,
LOOKING AT THE SAME TELEMETRY,
FOLLOWING THE SAME PROCEDURES.
SO, IT'S KIND OF FUN TO LIKE
HAVE DONE ALL THAT TRAINING
IN SIMULATED ENVIRONMENTS
AND NOW WE'RE GETTING READY
TO DO IT IN REAL LIFE
ON OUR FIRST LAUNCH
TO SPACE TOGETHER.
IT'S JUST A REALLY COOL
OPPORTUNITY TO FLY
WITH A CLASSMATE.
MATEUS AND I BOTH KIND OF--
MATEUS SITS NEXT TO TOM
AND I SIT NEXT TO RAJA.
SO, OUR JOB IS TO KIND OF
FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE PERSON
WHO'S SITTING NEXT TO US
AND JUST GET ANOTHER SET
OF EYES ON THINGS
BECAUSE IF THE MISSION
IS GOING SMOOTHLY,
THERE'S NOT A LOT FOR US
TO DO, HONESTLY.
LIKE DRAGON'S A PRETTY AUTOMATED
VEHICLE, IT HAS VERY ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGIES, BUT IF THINGS
START TO GO WRONG,
IT CAN GET COMPLICATED
PRETTY QUICKLY,
RUNNING A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT
PROCEDURES OR MONITORING
A LOT OF THINGS.
AND SO, WE'RE JUST KIND OF THERE
AS ANOTHER SET OF EYES
AND EARS TO BACK THEM UP
ON MAJOR TASKING THEY'RE DOING
FOR VEHICLE COMMANDING.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY,
IF SOMETHING REALLY--
IF WE HAVE A REALLY BAD DAY
AND THERE'S LIKE A FIRE
IN THE CAPSULE
OR DEPRESSURIZATION
OR SOMETHING,
IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK
TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO FIGHT THAT PROBLEM
AND GET US SAFE AGAIN.
YEAH, IT'S FAMILIAR
IN A LOT OF WAYS,
HAVING DEPLOYED MYSELF
AND ALSO HAVING THE PERSPECTIVE
OF BEING ON THE OTHER--
HAVING MY HUSBAND DEPLOYED,
I THINK IS REALLY HELPFUL
BECAUSE IT ALLOWS ME
TO BETTER EMPATHIZE
WITH HOW HE IS FEELING
AND THINKING ABOUT THINGS
BECAUSE IN MY OPINION,
IT'S ALWAYS EASIER
TO BE THE PERSON
OUT DOING THE THING,
ON DEPLOYMENT OR ON THE MISSION
BECAUSE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING
THAT'S GOING ON,
YOU'VE BEEN TRAINING FOR IT,
EVERYTHING IS SORT OF
PRO FORMA TO YOU,
BUT WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE
WHOSE LOVED ONE IS DOING
THOSE THINGS,
YOU HAVE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS
AND IT CAN BE A LOT MORE
NERVE WRACKING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PREPARING
BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT,
MAKING A GOOD PLAN
FOR WHEN WE'RE GOING TO
TALK TO EACH OTHER AND HOW.
BUT THIS MISSION IS KIND OF
INTERESTING BECAUSE I'LL HAVE
A LOT MORE CONNECTIVITY
THAN I DID ON A SUBMARINE.
ON A SUBMARINE, WE HAD LIKE
OCCASIONAL ABILITY TO SEND
AND RECEIVE EMAIL
AND THAT WAS IT.
SO, YOU'RE PRETTY ISOLATED
AND NOTHING IS REAL TIME.
BUT ON SPACE STATION
WE CAN ACTUALLY CALL HOME,
WE GET TO DO VIDEO CHATS
EVERY NOW AND THEN,
SO IT'S EASIER TO STAY
CONNECTED, EVEN THOUGH
I'M SUPER FAR AWAY.
YEAH, WORKING WITH SPACEX
IS REALLY COOL.
THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT
LIKE, CULTURE AND HISTORY
THAN WE DO AT NASA.
THEY'RE A NEW COMPANY,
THEY'RE REALLY INNOVATIVE.
THEY'RE INVENTING, BUILDING,
TESTING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
AND THEY ITERATE REALLY QUICKLY.
NASA, ON THE OTHER HAND,
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A TON
OF OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE
AND A REALLY FANTASTIC
SAFETY CULTURE.
WE KNOW HOW TO FLY HUMANS
TO SPACE SAFELY
AND BRING THEM HOME SAFELY.
AND THAT'S A NEW THING
FOR A COMMERCIAL COMPANY
TO BE SENDING HUMAN BEINGS
INTO SPACE.
SO, IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE
WE BOTH BRING THE BEST
OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS
AND CULTURES TO THIS PARTNERSHIP
AND KIND OF HELP WHERE THE OTHER
HAS WEAKNESSES OR MAYBE
ISN'T AS EFFICIENT.
LIKE, WATCHING THAT SORT OF
MIND MELD HAPPEN
HAS BEEN REALLY COOL.
IT'S A REALLY POSITIVE
WORKING RELATIONSHIP
AND THEY ARE JUST FANTASTIC
TO WORK WITH.
THEY ARE ALWAYS WILLING
TO LISTEN TO FEEDBACK,
SOLVE PROBLEMS IN NEW WAYS,
ITERATE, CHANGE THINGS
IF IT SHOULD BE CHANGED,
OR EXPLAIN WHY IT WORKS
THE WAY IT DOES.
SO, THEY'RE JUST
REALLY FANTASTIC TO WORK WITH
AND THE TRAINING
HAS BEEN AMAZING.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST
THE SPACEX TEAM.
IT TAKES, YOU KNOW,
I DON'T EVEN KNOW
HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
PER HOUR WE SPEND IN SPACE
HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT MOMENT,
WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING HUGE
LIKE GOING OUT ON A SPACE WALK
OR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT
SEEM SMALL, BUT ISN'T.
LIKE, SETTING UP AN EXPERIMENT
IN ONE OF OUR LABORATORY RACKS,
IT'S INCREDIBLE HOW MANY PEOPLE
SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING
ON THE SPACE STATION
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE'RE THE MOST VISIBLE PART
OF THAT TEAM BECAUSE
WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH
AND PRIVILEGED ENOUGH
TO BE IN THE SEATS
AT THE TOP OF THE LAUNCH VEHICLE
AND HEADING TO STATION,
BUT IT'S INCREDIBLE.
NOT JUST, YOU KNOW,
NOT JUST SPACEX,
NOT JUST AMERICA,
BUT OUR INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERS, TOO.
THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY,
THE RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY,
IT'S THIS HUGELY INTERNATIONAL
TEAM OF COLLABORATORS.
AND EVERYONE GETS BEHIND
THE SAME MISSION.
IT'S A REALLY COOL THING
TO BE A PART OF.
I DEFINITELY WOULD WANT TO THANK
MY FAMILY FOR SUPPORTING ME
ON THIS JOURNEY.
LIKE, THEY'VE ALWAYS
BEEN THERE FOR ME
AND PUSHED ME
TO CHASE MY DREAMS
AND BEEN SUPER SUPPORTIVE
EVERY TIME I STUMBLE OR FALL,
HELPING ME GET BACK UP
AND TRY AGAIN.
AND ALSO, I DEFINITELY
WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY
WITHOUT THE INCREDIBLE MENTORS
I'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH
TO GET TO KNOW AND BE SUPPORTED
BY THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A MENTOR THERE
AT THESE KEY MOMENTS
WHERE I'M DECIDING
WHAT TO DO NEXT,
WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF,
TO PUSH ME TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF.
AND WITHOUT THEM, YOU KNOW,
TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE,
TO PUSH ME, I DEFINITELY
WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TODAY.
SO, DEFINITELY
THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME
ALONG THE WAY.