>> UH, I'M MAJOR NICHOLE AYERS.
UH, I GO BY "VAPOR."
I'M CURRENTLY AN F-22
INSTRUCTOR PILOT IN THE
90TH FIGHTER SQUADRON,
AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
OF OPERATIONS THERE,
AND I AM NOW AN
ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE.
I WAS BORN IN CALIFORNIA
WITH MY TWIN SISTER, CYDNEE,
UH, AND THEN WE MOVED
TO COLORADO AND THAT'S WHERE
I CALL HOME, THE SPRINGS AREA,
AND THEN ALSO DIVIDE, COLORADO.
UH, IT WAS AWESOME
GROWING UP THERE
RIGHT NEXT TO THE MOUNTAINS.
GOT TO DO A LOT OF
OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES,
UM, AND THEN RIGHT NEXT TO
THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY AS WELL.
UH, BEFORE SELECTION
AS A NASA ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE,
I WAS FLYING THE F-22
OPERATIONALLY IN THE
90TH FIRE SQUADRON,
WHICH IS IN ELMENDORF,
UH, AIR FORCE BASE IN ALASKA,
UH, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY
I WAS ACTUALLY AT TYNDELL
FOR SPACE AT THE WEAPONS SYSTEM
EVALUATION PROGRAM,
UH, TESTING LIVE MISSILES AND,
UH, SHOOTING THE GUN,
UH, FOR THAT PROGRAM.
UH, A NASA ASTRONAUT, TO ME,
IS AN EXPLORER AND A SCIENTIST.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL ABOUT
EXPLORATION AND FURTHERING
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY,
UH, IN REALMS OUTSIDE
OF THE WORLD.
UH, WHY DO I WANT
TO BE AN ASTRONAUT?
IT'S SOMETHING SINCE
I WAS LITTLE, I'VE ALWAYS HAD
AN AFFINITY FOR THE SKY
AND FOR SPACE AND THE STARS,
AND SO IT'S, UH, I CAN'T EVEN
REMEMBER HOW OLD I WAS,
BUT IT'S SOMETHING
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO.
IT'S KINDA-- I SET MY SIGHTS
AS A VERY YOUNG CHILD ON,
UH, GETTING HERE.
I MADE THE OFFICIAL DECISION
I THINK IN ABOUT FOURTH GRADE.
UH, I HAD A-- LIKE I SAID,
AN AFFINITY FOR SPACE
AND FOR THE SKY,
AND THEN WE ACTUALLY WENT
TO SPACE CAMP IN FOURTH GRADE
AS LIKE A FIELD TRIP,
AND THAT REALLY SEALED
THE DEAL FOR ME.
THAT'S, UH, WHEN I DECIDED
THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SET
MY GOAL AND MY LIFE DREAM TO BE.
SELECTION PROCESS:
A LITTLE GRUELING.
UH, THE APPLICATION IS
A SIGNIFICANT PORTION.
UH, IT TOOK ME ALL--
THE WHOLE MONTH
TO GET MY RESUME TOGETHER
AND ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS,
AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING
WAS PUT TOGETHER,
UH, AND THEN WE WENT THROUGH
TWO ROUNDS OF INTERVIEWS.
UM, A LOT OF MEDICAL TESTS,
LOT OF INDIVIDUAL TESTS,
TEAM TESTS, UM, AND THEN
NATURALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT
JOB INTERVIEW OF YOUR LIFE,
UH, WAS IN JUNE.
YEAH, WHEN I GOT THE PHONE CALL,
I WAS ACTUALLY IN THE CAR
WITH MY SISTER.
I WAS ON LEAVE, UM,
AND SO I ANSWERED
THE PHONE CALL AND REID,
YOU KNOW, SAID, "HEY,
THIS IS REID WISEMAN CALLING,"
AND I GRABBED MY SISTER'S ARM
AND SHE KNEW--
THIS WAS KIND OF
A TWIN THING--
SHE KNEW IMMEDIATELY
WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
UH, IT WAS KIND OF
A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT,
UM, AND THEN MY NIECE
WAS IN THE BACKSEAT.
UH, AND SO NATURALLY
AS SOON AS WE GOT
TO MY SISTER'S HOUSE,
SHE STOLE MY THUNDER
AND TOLD MY NEPHEWS LIKE,
"AUNTIE'S GOING TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT,"
AND IT-- THAT WAS,
UH, PROBABLY THE BEST WAY
I COULD IMAGINE IT HAPPENING,
UH, WITH MY FAMILY RIGHT THERE.
WHO INSPIRES ME?
WELL, I'VE-I'VE HAD A LOT OF
MENTORS THROUGHOUT MY CAREER
WHO HAVE ALWAYS, UH,
ENCOURAGED ME AND INSPIRED ME.
UM, BUT I THINK NOW
IT'S MORE OF MY HUSBAND.
HE'S A SOFTWARE ENGINEER
WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN
SUPER MOTIVATED IN HIS JOB
AND HE'S BUILDING
HIS OWN BUSINESS NOW,
AND HE MAKES ME FEEL
LIKE A LAZY HUMAN, SO IT'S--
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MOTIVATING
TO WATCH HIM, AND HE'S ACTUALLY
MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER,
AND NOW, UH, WE GET TO SHARE IN,
UH, SUPPORTING EACH OTHER
IN OUR-OUR CAREER DESTINATIONS.
SO ONE OF MY MOST
MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN,
UH, AS A YOUNG CHILD IN SCHOOL,
WAS ACTUALLY IN SECOND GRADE.
I HAVE THIS TEACHER,
MS. CARARY,
WHO REALLY ENCOURAGED ME
TO DO MATH AND, UM, YOU KNOW,
YOU DO LIKE THE
100 TIMES TABLES IN A MINUTE,
AND I WAS SO EXCITED
AND SO MOTIVATED TO DO THAT.
THAT REALLY STICKS IN MY MIND
AS LIKE THE MOMENT WHEN MATH
BECAME IMPORTANT IN MY LIFE.
I THINK THE, UH, ASTRONAUT
CANDIDATE TRAINING
IS GOING TO BE INTENSE.
UH, IT'S A TWO YEAR PROGRAM,
BUT I'M EXCITED, UH,
TO START LEARNING NEW THINGS.
UH, IT'S KIND HAVE BEEN
THE STORY OF MY CAREER.
I HAVE BEEN IN TRAINING
FOR HALF OF MY CAREER,
AND SO THIS IS GOING
TO BE NO DIFFERENT.
UH, IT'S JUST PROBABLY
THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAINING
I'LL EVER GO THROUGH IN MY LIFE.
RIGHT NOW, I THINK
THE MOST EXCITING THING
IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE TRYING
TO GO BACK TO THE MOON
EN ROUTE TO MARS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA PUT PEOPLE
ON THE MOON FOR EXPLORATION
AND SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY,
UH, AND I THINK THAT IS
ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS,
AND THEN ALSO THE,
UH, ON THE PRIVATE SIDE,
ALL OF THE NEW VEHICLES
AND ALL OF THE COMPETITION NOW
FOR, UH, THE VEHICLES
TO GET US THERE.
I THINK THAT IT'S EXCITING
THAT NASA HAS SUCH
A GREAT PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE PRIVATE COMPANIES.
WHEW, UH, THE FIRST TIME
I THINK IT'LL BE THE-THE VIEW.
UH, I-I'VE HEARD ASTRONAUTS
TALK ABOUT THE VIEW
OF THE EARTH FROM SPACE
SO MANY TIMES AND I THINK
THAT'S GONNA BE THE,
UH, MOST AWE-INSPIRING VIEW
THAT I'VE EVER SEEN.
I THINK THE BEST ADVICE
THAT I'VE GOTTEN SO FAR IS,
UH, TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME.
UH, TAKE IT SLOW.
IT'S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT,
AND SO, YOU KNOW,
EVEN IN TRAINING,
JUST ONE DAY AT A TIME.
UH, YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE
AHEAD OR BEHIND THE TIMELINE,
AND JUST, UH, WORKING HARD
EVERYDAY IS GONNA
GET YOU THROUGH IT.
UH, MY DREAM DESTINATION
IN SPACE WOULD PROBABLY BE MARS.
I-- AS A LITTLE KID, I SAID,
"I WANTED TO BE
THE FIRST PERSON ON MARS."
UM, SO THAT HAS NOT CHANGED
I THINK SIN-- IN, UH,
30 SOME ODD YEARS, SO
OUTSIDE OF WORK, UH,
I REALLY ENJOY THE OUTDOORS.
UH, SO GROWING UP IN COLORADO,
A LOT OF CAMPING,
A LOT OF HIKING.
UH, IN VIRGINIA,
MY HUSBAND AND I
GOT INTO SAILING AS WELL,
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY
THE OUTDOORSY TYPE OF PEOPLE.
OH BOY.
UH, LEAST EXTRAORDINARY
THING I DO?
I MEAN, WE'RE ALL HUMAN, RIGHT?
SO, I GET UP EVERYDAY
AND DO THE SAME ROUTINE,
YOU KNOW, EAT BREAKFAST,
GO TO WORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, I-- IN GENERAL,
I FLY A FEW TIMES A WEEK,
BUT I ALSO HAVE A TON
OF GROUND DUTIES,
UH, IN THE AIR FORCE,
AND SO, YOU KNOW,
IT'S NOT A GLAMOROUS JOB
WHEN YOU'RE SITTING AT THE DESK,
YOU KNOW, UH, SUPERVISING
THE OPERATIONS FOR THE DAY,
OR YOU'RE UP IN THE TOWER,
OR YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING
JUST THE STANDARD ADMIN THINGS
AND WRITING, UH, PERFORMANCE
REPORTS ON OTHER PEOPLE.
SO, WE'RE JUST-
WE'RE NORMAL PEOPLE
WHO HAVE NORMAL JOBS.
YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE CATS
AT HOME, OR
STANDARD CRAZY CAT LADY.
PROBABLY SHOULDN'T PUT
THAT ONE IN THERE,
BUT, UH, YEAH YOU KNOW,
WE'RE JUST-- WE'RE JUST
STANDARD PEOPLE, UH,
WHO LIVE IN A NORMAL HOUSE
AND-AND ENJOY BIKING TOGETHER
AND GOING OUTDOORS
AND HIKING AND THINGS.
UH, SO MY CALL SIGN
IS "VAPOR," UH, AND FOR
THE FIGHTER PILOT COMMUNITY,
IT'S-IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE
NAMED AS A FIGHTER PILOT.
UM, IT'S PART OF OUR TRADITION.
IT'S ALSO HAS A LONG HISTORY,
UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY,
UH, AND NORMALLY IN
THE AIR FORCE, IT'S A NAME
THAT'S PRETTY COOL, BUT IT'S
A SEMI-EMBARRASSING STORY,
UH, AND THAT'S JUST PART
OF THE TRADITION,
SO, UH, AS A YOUNG WINGMAN
IN THE F-22, I WAS GONNA OUT
TO FLY, AND I LEARNED
A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE F-22
ON HUMID DAYS.
UH, IT TURNS OUT, UH,
IT CAN PROVIDE SOME STEAM,
OR VAPOR IF YOU WILL,
IN THE COCKPIT, UM,
FROM BACK BEHIND THE SEAT,
AND I HAD A YOUNG CREW CHIEF
WHO DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
UH, SO BETWEEN THE TWO OF US
WE THOUGHT IT COULD
POTENTIALLY BE SMOKE.
UH, SO I HAD A VERY, UH,
INTER-- SOME INTERNAL STRUGGLE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
IF I SHOULD EGRESS THE AIRPLANE
OR CONTINUE, AND I KNEW
I WAS GONNA GET NAMED
IF I MESS THIS UP,
AND SO NATURALLY I DID
THE CONSERVATIVE THING:
SHUT DOWN AND GOT OUT
OF THE AIRPLANE
WHEN, UH, IN FACT
IT WAS NOT SMOKE.
IT WAS NOT A FIRE AT ALL,
SO, UH, IN THAT--
THEY NAMED ME
"VAPOR" FOR THAT.
UH, FIRST THING WHEN
I GET TO SPACE IS
PROBABLY LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.
UH, LIKE I SAID, THE VIEW--
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE EARTH
FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
ALRIGHT, MY-- SO MY FAVORITE
STUDY TIP FOR KIDS IS,
UM, DON'T-DON'T CRAM IT ALL
INTO THE LAST MINUTE.
I KNOW THAT'S TOUGH TO DO,
UH, BUT AS WHAT I FOUND
WORKED FOR ME GOING THROUGH,
UH, ALL THE WAY FROM
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ALL THE WAY INTO GRAD SCHOOL
WAS TO SPREAD OUT
MY STUDY HABITS, UH,
SO THAT WAY I HAD
ALREADY REVIEWED THINGS
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE
I GET INTO THE FINALS,
UH, BECAUSE CRAMMING
NEVER REALLY WORKED FOR ME.
UH, SO THAT'S-THAT'S MY BIGGEST
STUDY TIP FOR MOST KIDS.
UH, SO AS A CHILD,
STEM WAS ALWAYS KIND OF
MY FAVORITE SUBJECT, YOU KNOW?
I WAS ALWAYS A,
UH, FAN OF MATH, I GUESS,
SO AS A YOUNG KID I'D--
I LOVED MATH, UH, GROWING UP.
I PLAYED AN INSTRUMENT.
I THINK THAT ALSO HELPED
WITH THE MATH SIDE OF THINGS,
AND THEN I WAS NATURALLY BETTER
AT MATH THAN I WAS AT,
UH, LITERATURE,
AND SO JUST GROWING UP
THAT'S WHAT I ENJOYED.
I WAS GOOD AT IT,
AND, UM, I DON'T HAVE
A GREAT ANSWER FOR WHY,
BUT I'VE ALWAYS LOVED
THE MATH AND ENGINEERING
SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
SURE, UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS
IN SCHOOL THAT I ALWAYS GOT TO
AND WHEN I WAS PRETTY OPEN ABOUT
WANTING TO BE AN ASTRONAUT
AS A-- AS A CHILD--
AND PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS
BE REALISTS WITH YOU,
AND THEY'LL ALWAYS
TELL YOU THAT, UH,
"IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
YOU SHOULD FIND
A DIFFERENT GOAL,"
BUT, UH, ONE THING I WILL SAY
IS SET YOUR GOALS,
YOU KNOW, GO AFTER YOUR DREAM
AND THEN JUST CONTINUE
TO WORK HARD, UH,
AND BE A TEAM PLAYER.
THOSE ARE MY TWO BIGGEST
THINGS THAT I TELL PEOPLE:
IS WORK HARD AND
BE A TEAM PLAYER,
AND EVERYTHING ELSE
WILL FALL INTO PLACE,
UH, AND NATURALLY,
THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED FOR ME,
SO, UH, DON'T BELIEVE IT
WHEN PEOPLE SAY YOU CAN'T
ACHIEVE YOUR DREAM.
JUST SET YOUR GOALS AND--
AND KEEP MOVING.
OH MAN, UH, HOW DID I GET
INTERESTED IN MATH?
I--I'VE ALWAYS LOVED MATH
FROM WHEN I WAS YOUNG.
I REALLY ENJOYED, YOU KNOW,
IN THE FIRST AND SECOND GRADE,
LEARNING HOW TO DO
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION
AND, YOU KNOW,
ORDERS OF OPERATIONS,
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS
REALLY SPARKED AN
INTEREST FOR ME.
I HAVE A VERY MATH,
OR VERY LOGICAL BRAIN,
AND, UH, SO I JUST, I ENJOYED
FROM UH, A SMALL CHILD.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE
WOMEN IN STEM I THINK
JUST BECAUSE IT'S, UH, SOCIALLY
NOT NECESSARILY
SOMETHING THAT
WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, AND, UM, IT'S OKAY
TO BE GOOD AT MATH.
UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY
TO BE A NERD, I THINK.
UM, AND I'VE FULLY EMBRACED
THAT IN MY LIFE,
UM, BUT SOMETIMES
THAT CAN BE TOUGH
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE
CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS OF WHERE
YOU'RE GONNA GO AND
WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO,
UM, AND I THINK SOCIALLY
WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THAT
AS A-- AS A COMMUNITY,
UM, BUT IT'S STILL IMPORTANT
TO SEE IT.
YEAH, UH, SO BEING ONE OF
THE FIRST FEW WOMEN IN
THE RAPTOR COMMUNITY,
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE,
UH, ABOUT FIVE OF US
WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH
THE F-22 B-COURSE,
UH, SO WE CALL THEM
"RAPTOR BABIES," IF YOU WILL.
UM, IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
IT'S A SMALL GROUP OF WOMEN,
BUT IT'S A PRETTY
CLOSE KNIT GROUP OF WOMEN.
UH, NOT TO SAY THAT
WE'RE THE ONLY ONES, THOUGH.
THERE ARE A TON OF,
UH, WOMEN FIGHTER PILOTS
WHO HAVE PAVED THE WAY
AND MADE IT EASY FOR US TO,
UH, GO THROUGH THE B-COURSE
AND BE WELCOMED
IN AS SQUADRONS.
YOU KNOW, I'D ALWAYS BRAG ABOUT
I'D-I'D GAIN ABOUT 20 BROTHERS
IN EVERY SQUADRON THAT I GO TO.
IT'S AN AMAZING COMMUNITY
TO BE IN, UM,
AND THEN I'VE HAD SOME
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN OUR DEPLOYMENT
IN 2019, I GOT TO LEAD
THE FIRST EVER ALL WOMEN
COMBAT SORORITY, UH,
OR COMBAT FORMATION IN,
UH, IN SYRIA,
UH, WHICH IS A
PRETTY NEAT EXPERIENCE.
NOBODY REALLY TALKED ABOUT IT.
WE ALL JUST KINDA
LET IT HAPPEN BECAUSE
THERE WERE TWO OF US
IN THE SQUADRON AND
WE WERE SCHEDULED TOGETHER,
UH, COINCIDENTALLY.
IT WAS NOT PLANNED,
UM, AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE
A PRETTY AMAZING SORORITY,
UH, YOU KNOW,
CAPPING OVER SYRIA
WITH ANOTHER CHICA IN THE F-22,
AND IT WAS JUST US TWO THERE
AS THE, UH, LANE COMMANDERS
OVER SYRIA.