>> HI, I'M ANDRE DOUGLAS,
AND I'M A NASA
ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE.
SO I WAS BORN IN MIAMI, FLORIDA,
AND I CONSIDER HOME TO BE
CHESEAPEAKE, VIRGINIA.
SO WHERE I GREW UP IN VIRGINIA,
IT WAS ACTUALLY REALLY,
REALLY PLEASANT,
BECAUSE I REMEMBER
WHEN I FIRST GOT TO VIRGINIA,
UM, A LOT OF FRIENDS
IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD,
THEY ACTUALLY CAME OUT
TO MEET ME, AND IT WAS
VERY INVITING, AND BEING
A MILITARY, YOU KNOW, CHILD,
IT WAS HARD TO MAKE FRIENDS
IN GENERAL, BUT WHEN
I GOT TO VIRGINIA,
THERE WAS A LOT OF LOVE,
AND WHEN I WAS MEETING
A LOT OF PEOPLE,
I GOT INVOLVED WITH
A LOT OF SPORTS.
I GOT INVOLVED WITH
A LOT OF ACTIVITIES,
SO IN HIGH SCHOOL,
I MEAN, I WAS DOING
A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS
FROM MARCHING BAND,
TO SOCCER, TO BASKETBALL,
TO HONOR SOCIETY, AND, UH,
EVERYBODY WAS JUST
A REALLY NICE PERSON,
AND WE HAD A VERY
GOOD COMMUNITY.
SO BEFORE I WAS SELECTED
AS A CANDIDATE, I WAS ACTUALLY
WORKING AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LAB,
AND I WAS AN OCEAN SYSTEMS
ENGINEER, AND WE WERE DOING
A LOT OF RAPID PROTOTYPING
OF UNDERWATER SYSTEMS.
WE WERE DOING A LOT
OF AUTONOMY, A LOT OF
SUBMARINE INSTALLATION PROJECTS
AND ADVANCED CONCEPT STUDIES.
UM, AND ACTUALLY,
DURING THE PROCESS,
I SWITCHED OVER TO
THE SPACE EXPLORATION SECTOR,
AND I WAS WORKING ON
THE RECENT LAUNCH FOR DART,
WHICH WAS THE DOUBLE ASTEROID
REDIRECTION TEST, AND, UH,
THAT JUST WENT OFF
AND THAT WAS AMAZING,
BUT IT WAS IN A PLACE
OF MATH AND SCIENCE,
TO WHERE I WAS SELECTED FROM,
AND I'M SO EXCITED TO KIND OF
PUSH THAT FURTHER INTO
THE NASA COMMUNITY.
TO ME, FOR A NASA ASTRONAUT,
IT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S
ALWAYS CHALLENGING THEMSELVES,
AND ALWAYS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW,
PUSH THE BOUNDS OF MANKIND,
AND THEY'RE EXPLORERS,
AND THEY'RE INQUISITIVE,
UM, THEY'RE ALWAYS TRYING
TO REALLY GROW AND LEARN
FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES.
BUT ALSO, I'D SAY
MOST IMPORTANTLY,
THEY'RE-- THEY'RE TEAM PLAYERS.
THEY'RE ALL ABOUT TRYING
TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN
DO THE MISSION.
UM, SO, THOSE ARE SOME
OF THE WORDS THAT I WOULD SAY.
SO I DECIDED TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT AROUND
THE AGE OF 7 OR 8.
I REMEMBER MY MOM,
SHE GOT ME INVOLVED
IN A LOT OF TECHNICAL THINGS
LIKE HAM RADIOS
AND ROCKET LAUNCHES,
AND EVER SINCE THEN,
IT KIND OF--
PUT MY ATTENTION ON NASA
AND THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM,
AND I WAS TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW,
HOW COULD I GET THERE?
AND THROUGHOUT
THE REST OF MY CHILDHOOD
TILL HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST DOING
EVERYTHING THAT I COULD
TO GET INVOLVED WITH
SPACE EXPLORATION,
DOING STUFF WITH MY TELESCOPE
AND ASTRONOMY, DOING THINGS
WITH-- DOING, UH,
BLACK HOLE BOOK REPORTS
AND NUCLEAR FISSION, UH,
PROJECTS FOR SCHOOL.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN
A PART OF MY LIFE EVER SINCE.
FOR ME, TO BE
AN ACTUAL ASTRONAUT,
IT-IT WAS REALLY
THE CHALLENGE THAT
ATTRACTED ME.
I'M A PERSON THAT REALLY
EMBRACES CHALLENGES,
AND I'M ALWAYS LOOKING
TO MAXIMIZE MY FULL POTENTIAL,
AND THE NASA EXPERIENCE
AND BEING AN OPERATOR,
IT SEEMS TO BE THE ULTIMATE
CHALLENGE, BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY
TESTING ALL THE DIFFERENT
ASPECTS OF YOURSELF,
AND, I MEAN, WHAT BETTER WAY
TO DO THAT IN SPACE EXPLORATION,
USING ALL THE SKILLS
THAT YOU'VE BUILT UP
OVER YEARS TO CONTRIBUTE
TO SUCH AN ORGANIZATION.
OH, THE SELECTION PROCESS
WAS AMAZING.
IT WAS REALLY A TIME
WHERE YOU REALLY
UNDERSTOOD WHO YOU ARE,
AND WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GO.
BECAUSE THEY REALLY
CHALLENGE YOU MENTALLY,
PHYSICALLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY,
AND IT WASN'T ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, BEING THE BEST.
IT WAS ABOUT JUST KNOWING
WHO YOU ARE, BRINGING A CERTAIN
TYPE OF ENERGY TO THE TABLE,
AND TRYING TO INTEGRATE
WITH YOUR COHORT MATES.
SO WHEN I WAS SELECTED,
I WAS ACTUALLY IN MY HOUSE,
UH, MY SON-- I WAS WATCHING HIM,
AND, UH, HE WAS HOME
FROM SCHOOL, HE WASN'T
FEELING TOO WELL, AND, UH,
I GOT THE CALL,
I SAW THE TEXAS AREA CODE,
AND I WAS LIKE,
"I THINK THIS IS IT."
UM, AND THEN I REMEMBER
TALKING TO REED, AND--
I-I JUST ALMOST BLACKED OUT.
I WAS LIKE, I CAN'T BELIEVE
THIS IS HAPPENING,
AND I JUST PICKED UP MY SON
AND I WAS JUST SMILING,
AND I WAS SAYING "THANK YOU,"
AND THEN MY WIFE,
SHE WAS WORKING DOWNSTAIRS
REMOTELY, AND I WAS LIKE,
"RACHEL! COME HERE!"
AND I COULDN'T SAY
WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY,
'CAUSE I WAS SO EXCITED,
AND, UM, I FINALLY--
SHE CAME UP, AND I SAID,
"ASTRONAUT!"
AND SHE WAS LIKE, "YEAH!"
[ LAUGHING ]
SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD MOMENT,
BECAUSE ALL THREE OF US HUGGED,
UH, IN OUR LIVING ROOM,
AND IT WAS A SPECIAL MOMENT
THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET.
SO I-I REALLY
LOOK UP TO MY DAD.
MY DAD, HE'S A HUGE,
HUGE INFLUENCE IN MY LIFE.
HE'S SOMEBODY WHO'S
WORKED REALLY HARD
ALL OF HIS LIFE.
HE TAUGHT ME THE METHOD
OF HARD WORK, I MEAN,
YOU REALLY CAN'T
REPLACE HARD WORK.
AND, YOU KNOW,
HE GREW UP IN SOUTH CAROLINA,
IN A SMALL TOWN THAT
DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH,
BUT HE MADE A JOURNEY HIMSELF
TO WORK HARD AND GET HIMSELF
INTO THE UNITED STATES
COAST GUARD,
AND RETIRED AS COMMANDER.
AND I SAW THAT WHEN I WAS YOUNG,
HOW HE DID IT,
AND HE MADE SACRIFICES.
AND SO FOR ME, I WAS TRYING
TO FIND MY OWN PATH,
AND I FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW,
HERE I AM, MAKING MY JOURNEY
FROM EVEN BEING IN
THE COAST GUARD,
TOOK THE BATON FROM HIM,
AND NOW I'M GOING
AND HELPING OUT NASA,
AND I HOPE TO
BE AN INSPIRATION
FOR MY SON AS WELL
AS HE'S COMING UP
THROUGH HIS CHILDHOOD.
I DO, ACTUALLY.
SO BACK AT WESTERN BRANCH
HIGH SCHOOL, THERE WAS
A TEACHER, HER NAME WAS
MRS. UHL, AND SHE WAS
MY CALCULUS TEACHER.
AND I REMEMBER SHE WAS JUST
VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT
WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO
WITH-WITH CALCULUS,
AND CALCULUS WAS A VERY
IMPORTANT SUBJECT FOR ME
TO LEARN, BECAUSE IT WAS
THE FIRST TIME WHERE I REALIZED
MATHEMATICS CAN REALLY
HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR WORLD.
THE WAY THAT THINGS MOVE,
WITH DERIVATIVES
AND ANTI-DERIVATIVES.
I MEAN, IT WAS
AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE,
AND I ALWAYS WANTED
TO THANK HER FOR THAT,
BECAUSE THAT CHANGED
THE POINT IN MY EDUCATIONAL
CAREER TO WHERE I JUST
FOCUSED REALLY ON
MATH AND SCIENCE.
AND-AND THAT WAS THE FOUNDATION
OF A LOT OF OTHER SUBJECTS
THAT WERE IN COLLEGE,
AND THAT HELPED ME OUT
THROUGH THE ACADEMY, SO,
I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT--
UH, MRS. UHL, THANK YOU
IF YOU'RE SEEING THIS,
BUT, UM, IT WAS A VERY,
VERY SPECIAL MOMENT.
SO FOR THE TRAINING
I'M VERY EXCITED.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I WANTED TO DO
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER WAS
ACTUALLY BE A--
A FIGHTER PILOT.
I USED TO WATCH "TOP GUN,"
AND I LIKED THINGS
THAT MOVE REALLY FAST,
SO BEING ABLE TO DO
SOME JET TRAINING
WITH NASA'S GREAT,
AND DOING THE EVAs.
LEARNING RUSSIAN
AND OTHER LANGUAGES,
AND WORKING WITH
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
IS GONNA BE FANTASTIC,
SO I'M THRILLED,
AND I'M A PERSON THAT
LOVES TO DO MANY THINGS.
I CAN'T REALLY SETTLE
FOR JUST ONE THING, AND,
UH-- HAVING THIS
JACK OF ALL TRADES
KIND OF SKILL SET, UH,
AND LEARNING THAT
THROUGH THE PROGRAM
WILL BE WONDERFUL.
I WOULD SAY THE LEAST
EXTRAORDINARY THING
IS I-- I'M A PERCUSSIONIST.
I LOVE TO PLAY THE DRUMS,
AND SO, YOU KNOW,
IF YOU HEAR A GOOD BEAT,
AND, UH, YOU KNOW,
ON SOMEBODY'S SOUND SYSTEM,
I'M USUALLY THE ONE
TAPPING MY THUMB
AND TRYING TO MAKE A BEAT
OUT OF IT, AND, UH,
JUST SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE
WITH PEOPLE AROUND ME, SO--
UM, DEFINITELY A MUSIC PERSON
WITHIN THE, UH--
THE DRUMMING FIELD.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT
THE THOUGHT OF GOING TO
ANOTHER PLANET,
AND MAKING SURE WE CAN SUSTAIN
A PRESENCE, BECUASE IF
YOU THINK ABOUT IT,
THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES
OUT THERE FOR US
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF,
AND WE DON'T HAVE
THAT MANY LEFT HERE ON EARTH,
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR US TO BE ABLE TO
PUSH OURSELVES SO WE CAN
UNDERSTAND HOW TO
SURVIVE AS A SPECIES,
A MULTI-PLANETARY SPECIES,
UM, BECAUSE I SEE A LOT OF
THINGS IN THE FUTURE
THAT ARE COMING THAT
WE NEED TO KIND OF
GET READY FOR,
AND MAKE SURE THAT
WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ADAPT.
I ALMOST FORWARD--
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
BEING ABLE TO SEE EARTH
FROM THE SPACE STATION,
OR FROM WHATEVER LAUNCH VEHICLE
I'M IN, AND BEING ABLE TO
REALLY FIND A FEW DIFFERENT
DISCOVERIES THAT CHANGES
THE WAY WE SEE THE UNIVERSE.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT
IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT,
THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT
WE CAN BRING BACK
AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
OUTSIDE OF WORK,
I ENJOY TRAVELING A LOT.
UM, MY WIFE AND I,
WE LOVE TO TRAVEL.
WE’RE VERY ADVENTUROUS.
UM, WE DEFINITELY DO
A LOT OF HIKING, WE DOH--
WE’VE DONE THE GRAND CANYON,
YOU KNOW, YOSEMITE PARK,
AND THEN ALSO HANGING OUT
WITH FRIENDS,
GOING TO THE GYM,
LOVE TO DO WORKOUTS,
UH, PLAY SPORTS
WHENEVER I CAN, AND, UH,
STAY IN TOUCH WITH
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES.
THE BEST ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED--
AND I CAN’T REMEMBER
WHO IT’S FROM--
UH, ONE OF THE FOLKS
THAT TALKED TO US AT
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS WAS,
YOU KNOW, IF-- ONCE YOU MAKE IT,
IT’S A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW,
WE’VE BEEN ACHIEVING
OUR WHOLE LIVES,
BUT WHEN YOU’RE IN IT,
YOU’RE REALLY JUST
WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM,
AND YOU’RE TRYING
TO FOCUS ON THE MISSION,
THEN EVERYBODY HERE
IS YOUR-YOUR EQUAL,
SO IT’LL BE NICE
TO REALLY, YOU KNOW,
THRIVE FROM EACH OTHER
AND FEED OFF OF EACH OTHER
TO DO BIGGER THINGS.
FOR ME, IT WOULD BE MARS,
BECAUSE IT’S DEFINITELY
ONE OF THOSE PLACES
THAT’S CHALLENGING TO GO TO,
BUT IT WOULD SHOW THAT
THE THINGS THAT WE DO
AT THE MOON WERE SUCCESSFUL,
AND THAT WE CAN GO FURTHER
THAN WE’VE EVER GONE BEFORE
AND SUSTAIN PRESENCE THERE
FOR FUTURE THINGS TO COME.
ONE GOOD TIP I WOULD LIKE
TO RECOMMEND FOR FOLKS OUT THERE
IS WHEN YOU’RE STUDYING
FOR EITHER AN EXAM
OR DOING A BUNCH OF HOMEWORK,
TRY TO BREAK IT DOWN
INTO SMALLER STEPS
SO IT’S SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN COMPREHEND,
TAKE A BREAK FROM IT
WHEN YOU CAN TO LET YOUR BRAIN
TAKE THE INFORMATION
AND SINK IN,
AND THEN COME BACK TO IT.
BUT TAKING, YOU KNOW,
SHORT BREAKS IN SHORT
DURATION SPURTS
TO LEARN MATERIAL
HELPS YOU REINFORCE
WHAT YOU’RE-YOU’RE READING
OR-OR UNDERSTANDING.
SO, FOR ME,
WHAT INSPIRED ME INTO STEM
WAS BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
HOW THE PHYSICAL WORLD
IS DESCRIBED IN MATHEMATICS.
SO WHEN I WAS A KID,
I WAS ALWAYS BUILDING WITH LEGOS
OR K’NEX SETS AND OTHER ITEMS,
AND ALSO WATCHING HOW, LIKE,
WHEN I PLAYED SPORTS,
BALLS WERE EITHER KICKED
ACROSS THE FIELD AND WHY
THEY WENT CERTAIN DISTANCES,
AND SO, WHEN I STARTED
UNDERSTANDING PHYSICS,
IT’S WHEN I REALIZED, WOW,
THERE ARE MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS
THAT GOVERN HOW ALL THIS WORKS,
AND ALSO FOR THINGS,
WHEN THEY’RE BEING BUILT,
HOW STRONG THEY CAN BE,
AND IT WAS AT THAT TIME
I REALIZED I CAN REALLY CREATE,
FROM MY MIND TO THE REAL WORLD,
WHATEVER IT IS
THAT I WANNA CREATE
WITHIN THE LAWS OF PHYSICS,
AND THAT JUST REALLY, YOU KNOW,
MADE ME TAKE OFF
INTO THE WORLD OF STEM.
IT WAS, UH, A REALLY, YOU KNOW,
EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE,
TO-TO GO TO THE PHYSICS CLASSES
AND DO THOSE-THOSE CLASSES.
SO IN SCHOOL,
ONE THING THAT I SOMETIMES
STRUGGLED WITH WAS MEMORIZING
A LOT OF INFORMATION.
UM, AND EVEN
THROUGHOUT MY CAREER,
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LEARN
A LOT OF INFORMATION
AND MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER IT,
AND ONE THING I STARTED DOING
WAS CREATING ACRONYMS FOR THINGS
THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REMEMBER.
LIKE, IN MY BIOLOGY CLASSES,
IF I HAD TO REMEMBER
CERTAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS
FOR NAMES OF SPECIES,
I WOULD TRY TO CREATE AN ACRONYM
TO HELP ME REMEMBER.
SO, COMPARTMENTALIZING
THAT INFORMATION
AND INTO AN ACRONYM
HELPS WITH STORINGS THINGS
FOR MEMORY.