>> UH, MY NAME IS LUKE DELANEY.
UH, I'M A RETIRED MAJOR
FROM THE MARINE CORP.
BEEN WORKIN' AT NASA LANGLEY
AS A RESEARCH PILOT AND I'M NOW
AN ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE.
UH, I'M FROM DeBARY, FLORIDA,
WHICH IS A SMALL TOWN
IN KINDA CENTRAL FLORIDA REGION.
UH, GROWIN' UP THERE IN THE--
IN THE 90s WAS KIND OF A-A--
REALLY SMALL AND ISOLATED
DOWN THERE.
SO, IT'S GROWN SO MUCH.
WHEN I GO BACK DOWN THERE,
IT'S ALMOST HARD TO RECOGNIZE.
BUT I THINK, UH, GAVE ME
A LOT OF TIME FOR OUTDOORS
AND-AND DOIN' THINGS
IN THE WOODS
AND JUST EXPLORIN', UH,
DIFFERENT AREAS.
I'M-I'M A BIG OUTDOORS PERSON
AND I THINK-- WE LIVED
ON A LAKE AND-AND HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO KINDA, UH,
ENJOY THOSE ASPECTS.
UH, I JUST RECENTLY RETIRED
AND-AND WAS WORKIN' ON
RESEARCH PROJECTS
FOR AIRBORNE SCIENCE
OVER AT NASA LANGLEY.
SO, WE'VE BEEN BUSY FLYIN'
AND EXECUTIN', UH,
DIFFERENT MISSIONS
FOR-FOR ATMOSPHERIC
DATA COLLECTION.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S--
I THINK A NASA ASTRONAUT
EMBODIES A TON OF DIFFERENT
QUALITIES AND, UM--
SOMEBODY WHO CAN
MANAGE UNCERTAINTY.
SOMEBODY WHO'S ADAPTABLE.
YOU KNOW, READY TO GO PLACES
WHERE NOBODY'S BEEN BEFORE.
SO, I-I THINK, UM,
IT'S KINDA HARD TO QUANTIFY
WHAT A NASA ASTRONAUT
REALLY IS.
IT'S SO DIVERSE AND, UH,
THERE'S SO MANY WAYS, UH,
TO MEET THAT CRITERIA,
BUT IT'S JUST, UM,
ONE OF THOSE INTANGIBLE THINGS
TO ME, IN TERMS
OF WHAT A NASA ASTRONAUT IS.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK I WANTED TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT WHEN, UH--
YOU KNOW, GROWIN' UP
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA,
GOT TO SEE SOME LAUNCHES.
GOT SOME EXPOSURE TO THAT.
I THINK IT WAS A BIG, UH--
IT WAS KIND OF A BIG EFFORT
OR BIG ENDEAVOR
AT-AT THE SCHOOLS
AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
AND YOU GET A LOT OF EXPOSURE
TO THOSE KINDA THINGS.
AND TO ME, SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY AND MATH,
ALL THOSE WERE-WERE AREAS
OF INTEREST.
SO, UM, IT JUST MADE SENSE.
AND I-- THE CHALLENGING PART
WAS JUST FINDIN' A WAY,
YOU KNOW, TO NAVIGATE THAT PATH
AND, UH, THE MILITARY
WAS-WAS THE OPTION I CHOSE.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN QUITE
A JOURNEY.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS DIFFERENT
THAN I EXPECTED.
THE SELECTION PROCESS.
UM, I KIND OF ANTICIPATED A,
UH-- A-A MORE RIGID ENVIRONMENT,
POTENTIALLY?
BUT I-I THOUGHT THE EXCHANGES,
THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS SET UP
WAS REALLY GREAT
FOR INTERACTION.
AND-AND THEY'RE LOOKIN' TO FIND
THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB
AND AT THE SAME TIME,
YOU'RE LOOKIN' TO MAKE SURE
THAT JOB FITS YOU.
UH, SO, GOIN' THROUGH
THAT AND-AND DOIN'
THE DIFFERENT EVALUATIONS
AND THE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS,
UH, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE ADULT
SPACE CAMP IN A LOT OF WAYS.
IT WAS REALLY EXCITING
AND JUST GREAT TO HAVE EXPOSURE
TO KIND OF A LOT
OF THE FACILITIES
AND-AND, UM, TRAINING EVENTS
THAT'S-- THAT MIGHT BE COMIN' UP
IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS HERE.
SO, THE PHONE CALL
FOR ME MIGHT BE
A LITTLE BIT ANTICLIMACTIC.
IT WAS, UH, UM,
IN BETWEEN MEETINGS
IN A TELEWORK ENVIRONMENT, UH,
WORKIN' OVER THERE AT LANGLEY
AND, UM, I KINDA WAS EXPECTING
A PHONE CALL AT SOME POINT
THAT WEEK.
BUT, UH, HONESTLY,
I WAS EXPECTING A PHONE CALL
SAYIN' I-I WASN'T SELECTED.
I-I-I HAD MET SO MANY PEOPLE,
UM, WITH IMPRESSIVE RESUMES
AND BACKGROUNDS AND JUST KIND
OF, YOU KNOW, INSPIRING
JUST TALKIN' TO THOSE FOLKS
GOIN' THROUGH THE PROCESS.
BUT, UM-- SO, I HAD MY--
UH, READY TO THANK PEOPLE
FOR-FOR, YOU KNOW,
THE OPPORTUNITY AND ALL
THESE THINGS AND IT REALLY
CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.
SO, UH, I THINK
I SKIPPED RIGHT THROUGH
THE EXCITEMENT PIECE
AND RIGHT INTO QUESTIONS
AND "OH, WHAT'S NEXT?
"WHAT'S THE NEXT, UH--
"WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?"
AND HONESTLY, I-I ASKED
IF I COULD GET BACK TO THEM,
WHICH IS PROBABLY
NOT THE NORMAL RESPONSE
THEY HEAR.
UM, WHEN I-- MY WIFE WASN'T HOME
AT THE TIME AND I WANTED
TO SHARE THAT WITH HER
AND MAKE SURE-- YOU KNOW,
IT'S A LONG PROCESS.
THERE'S SEVERAL MONTHS
OF INTERVIEWING
AND THINGS LIKE THAT,
SO LIFE IS HAPPENING AND THINGS
ARE CHANGIN' SO,
I-I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THIS WAS THE BEST, UH,
CHOICE FOR US AT THIS TIME.
AND SO, MAYBE THAT WAS
A LITTLE BIT, UH,
UNEXPECTED FOR BOTH SIDE.
FOR BOTH ME,
'CAUSE I WASN'T EXPECTIN'
THE SELECTION, TO BE HONEST,
AND THEN FOR THE, UH--
FOR THE FOLKS ON THE OTHER END
OF THE PHONE NOT GETTING
AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OR MAYBE
AS EXCITED RESPONSE AS THEY GET
FROM OTHER APPLICANTS.
UM, I THINK, A LOTTA UNCERTAINTY
IN TECHNOLOGY AND WHERE-WHERE
THINGS ARE HEADED AND HOW FAST--
HOW FAST THE, UH, SPACE, UM,
EXPLORATION ASPECT
HAS REALLY RAMPED UP.
UM, SO, WHEN I'M THINKIN' ABOUT
WHAT MOTIVATES AND INSPIRES,
JUST LOOKIN' AT ALL
THE DIFFERENT TRACKS THAT ARE
OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, UM,
UH, FOR COMMERCIAL EXPLORATION.
AND-AND JUST WHERE THINGS
ARE HEADED.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
AND WE'RE REALLY RAMPIN' UP,
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE,
IN TERMS OF A LOTTA DIFFERENT,
UH, EFFORTS.
I'M-I-M EXCITED FOR THAT.
YEAH, THAT-- I THINK FROM--
GOIN' A WAYS BACK HERE.
TRYIN' TO, UH, TALK ABOUT,
UH, DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOL
ACTIVITIES AND-AND TEACHERS.
I-- THERE WAS ONE TEACHER,
UM, FROM DeLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, MISS EBERT.
AND-AND SHE HAD A-A WAY
OF JUST BRINGING MATH
AND BRINGIN' IT FROM
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
A-AND MOTIVATIN', UM, STUDENTS
AND I THINK THAT REALLY,
UH, WAS SOMETHIN'
I JUST PICKED UP ON.
AND-AND HER EXCITEMENT
AND, UM, THE--
AND THE, YOU KNOW, LOVE FOR THAT
WAS SOMETHIN' I-I WAS REALLY
ENJOYIN' THE CLASSES
AND-AND, UM, YEAH.
THAT'S-- WHEN I--
WHEN I THINK BACK,
THAT WAS REALLY A--
ALMOST A TURNING POINT FOR--
I ALWAYS DID WELL
IN SCHOOL, BUT JUST HAVIN'
THAT KIND OF A-A MENTOR
AT THAT POINT, UM,
FOR THE DIFFERENT MATH
AND SCIENCE APPLICATIONS,
THAT WAS AMAZING.
I THINK A LITTLE BIT
OF EVERYTHING.
UH, FROM-- WHEN YOU LOOK
AT WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR TRAINING
ON THE ASTRONAUT,
UH, ON THE CANDIDATE SIDE,
IT'S, UH-- I-I DON'T--
I LIVE OUTSIDE
OF MY COMFORT ZONE, IT SEEMS,
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, SO...
AND THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE
OF THOSE CASES AGAIN.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE
DOIN' TRAINING
IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS
THAT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH, SO--
I DO-- I COME FROM
THE AVIATION BACKGROUND
QUITE EXTENSIVELY,
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO
THESE OTHER THINGS, UH,
LANGUAGE TRAINING,
GEOLOGY AND THINGS LIKE THAT,
THIS IS-- THIS IS REALLY
EXCITING TO ME,
'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHIN'
I-I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED
AND I'M REALLY
LOOKIN' FORWARD TO IT.
UH, I'M BIG INTO THE OUTDOORS,
SO I THINK I'M MORE
OF A NATURE ENTHUSIAST.
AND IT'S KINDA HOW--
UH, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTERS,
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN
INTO DOIN' THINGS.
UN-UNTIL THEY GOT
A LITTLE OLDER, I GUESS
AND-AND THEY'VE MOVE A LITTLE
BIT AWAY FROM, UH,
BEIN' OUTDOORS SO MUCH.
BUT, UH, I-I LIKE, UH, HIKING,
UH, DIFFERENT TRAILS.
I LOVE-- WE LOVE ANIMALS,
SO JUST I-I LIVE ON
A LITTLE 4-ACRE KINDA
FARM HOUSE IN A--
IN A REALLY RURAL ENVIRONMENT,
SO, UM-- AND WE'VE BEEN
WORKIN' ON THAT FOR
THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
RENOVATING IT AND DOIN'
ALL THESE ACTIVITIES.
SO, I'M A HANDS-ON KIND
OF APPROACH TO A LOT
OF THINGS.
AND I-I ENJOY ALL
THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL ALMOST
IN THE LAST DECADE
OR SO THINGS HAVE KINDA
REALLY BEEN PICKIN' UP, UH,
ON THE SPACE FRONT.
SO, THE EXCITING ASPECTS--
I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKIN'
AT SOME POTENTIAL
DEEP SPACE EXPLORATION.
SO, GOIN' PLACES THAT-THAT
REALLY, HUMANS HAVEN'T BEEN YET.
AND THAT'S-- THERE'S
A LOTTA UNCERTAINTY I THINK,
AND SOME INHERENT RISK,
BUT IT'S SO EXCITING
TO THINK ABOUT WHAT COULD BE
NEXT AND-AND WHAT LIES AHEAD
FOR-FOR HUMANITY, REALLY.
SO, THOSE ASPECTS EXCITE ME
AND, UH, I-I'M REALLY
LOOKIN' FORWARD
TO ANY MOON MISSIONS
OR DEEP SPACE ACTIVITIES.
I-I THINK IT HAS TO BE.
I-- THE-- MARS IS SO FAR OUT
AND IT'S JUST HARD TO GRASP,
UH, GOIN' SOMEWHERE THAT FAR OUT
THIS SOON--
UH, RELATIVELY SPEAKING,
THIS SOON-- UH, TO WHERE
WE'RE AT IS CRAZY.
AND I-I THINK, FOR ME,
THE MOON IS, UH,
A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC,
ESPECIALLY IN MY TIMELINE.
SO, THAT IS PROBABLY
THE IDEAL DESTINATION.
SO, THAT-THAT'S A-- WHEW.
UH, A LOTTA-- A LOTTA, UH,
INFORMATION THERE.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKIN' AT--
SO, COMIN' FROM
THE AIRBORNE SCIENCE OVER
AT NASA LANGLEY, UH,
WE'VE BEEN WORKIN' ON ALL KINDS
OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS FROM
AVIATION SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.
BUT A-- REALLY A LOT
OF ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE.
UM, AND I THINK TRYIN'
TO UNDERSTAND BETTER
THE COMPLEXITIES
OF-OF THIS PLANET
AND HOW THINGS ARE CHANGING
AND-AND, UH, HOW TO BEST,
UH, HANDLE FUTURE,
UH, CATASTROPHES, REALLY.
I-I THINK A LOT
OF THE-THE DATA COLLECTION
THAT WE'RE LOOKIN' AT
IS MAPPING OUT
DIFFERENT AVENUES FOR,
UM-- FOR OUR PLANET.
AND THAT'S CRA--
YOU KNOW, THAT'S AWESOME.
THAT'S GREAT TO KINDA BE
AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT.
AND SOME OF
THE INTERESTING ASPECTS IS,
OVER AT LANGLEY,
WE'LL-WE'LL TAKE AN
AIRCRAFT, MODIFY IT WITHIN
A FEW MONTHS OR LESS FOR
DIFFERENT, UH, INSTRUMENTATION,
UH, AND THAT CAN BE
ON THE OUTSIDE OR THE INSIDE
OF THE AIRCRAFT,
AND WE'LL TAKE THAT AIRCRAFT
AND THEN GO OUT, UH,
OVER OCEANS OR, YOU KNOW,
ISLAND DESTINATIONS.
PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE, REALLY.
UH, AND-AND GET THE INFORMATION
THAT THE SCIENTISTS
ARE LOOKIN' FOR TO MAKE,
UH-- YOU KNOW,
MAKE THEIR ANALYSIS
AND MAKE THEIR REPORTS.
AND THAT'S JUST
A REALLY FUN ENVIRONMENT
TO BE IN.
UM, I THINK THE SECOND PART
OF THAT QUESTION WAS,
UH, THE SPACE SIDE
AND-AND WHAT KIND OF EXCITES ME
THERE RELATIVE TO
THE EARTH SCIENCE MISSION.
AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY
CONNECTED, RIGHT?
THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS
WE LOOK AT O-ON OUR PLANET
THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKIN'
IN-IN D-- IN SPACE
AND OTHER LOCATIONS.
AND I-I THINK, UH, FOR ME,
I DON'T DO A LOT OF IT NOW
AT LANGLEY,
BUT THE GEOLOGY ASPECT
AND LOOKING AT
THE DIFFERENT CONSTRICT, UH,
AND COMPOSITIONS ON, UH--
ON THE MOON AND MARS
AND OTHER LOCATIONS.
TO ME, THAT'S EXCITING
JUST TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE.
THOSE ARE, UH,
ON THE EARTH SCIENCE SIDE.
YOU REALLY-- YOU REALLY DON'T
DO A LOT OF THAT FROM
AN AIRBORNE SCIENCE
PERSPECTIVE ANYWAY.
YEAH.
I-I DON'T KNOW
IF IT'S LEAST EXTRAORDINARY,
BUT W-WE DO LOVE ANIMALS
AND WE-WE'VE GOT RESCUE DOGS
THAT WE-WE KINDA HAVE ACQUIRED
OVER THE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, BEAGLE.
FOXHOUND.
AND, UM, SO, I THINK JUST,
UH, MAYBE THAT NORMAL ROUTINES
OF EVERYDAY LIFE
AND-AND MANAGIN' PETS.
WE'VE GOT CHICKENS,
WHICH IS NEW FOR ME.
BUT, UH, I WOULDN'T CALL
THAT EXTRAORDINARY,
BUT IT'S DEFINITELY
A-AN INTERESTING ENDEAVOR
IF YOU'RE EVER LOOKIN'
AT THE KIND OF
A BACKYARD CHICKEN EVENT
OR-OR A SMALL HOBBY FARM
WITH CHICKENS, I-I THINK
IT'S REALLY ENTERTAINING
AND EXCITING TO KINDA,
UM, MOVE INTO THAT KINDA,
UH, YOU KNOW,
HOBBY FARM ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S-IT'S REALLY
AN INTERESTING EVENT.
BUT LEAST EXTRAORDINARY,
I-I REALLY DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S A-- THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT
I'VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS
IS PEOPLE LEARN DIFFERENT WAYS
FOR STUDY PURPOSES
AND-AND TRYIN'
TO MASTER MATERIAL.
UM, FOR ME, IT'S-- I SPEND
A LITTLE MORE TIME
FRAMIN' THE PROBLEM
AND FRAMIN' THE WORK,
UM, LOOKIN'
AT BACKGROUND INFORMATION
AND MAYBE NOT JUST IMMEDIATELY
JUMPING INTO, YOU KNOW,
THE RESEARCH OR THE ANSWERS
FOR THAT SPECIFIC, UH, ISSUE.
AND IF THERE'S TIME PERMITTING
AND-AND YOU HAVE A PROBLEM
THAT'S SOMETHIN' THAT YOU
IN-INVESTIGATE, I RECOMMEND,
YOU KNOW, JUST FRAMIN'
THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
MAYBE EVEN FROM
YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
THERE'S MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES
USUALLY ON A PROBLEM.
AND JUST TAKIN' IT
AND LOOKING AT, UH,
YOURS AND OTHER PERSPECTIVES,
I THINK REALLY HELP, UH,
TO ANSWER AND FIND
GOOD SOLUTIONS.
YOU KNOW, I-- MY DAD PROBABLY
IS ONE OF THE BIGGER ONES THERE.
HE WAS ALWAYS, UH,
FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
ALWAYS THERE
FOR SCIENCE PROJECTS.
AND HE WOULD COME UP
WITH SOME GREAT, UH-- YOU KNOW,
WHEN I WAS STUCK OR NOT ABLE
TO COME UP A, UH, UH,
MAYBE SOME MATERIAL
THAT INTERESTING FOR ME,
HE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO KINDA,
UH, FIND THAT
AND-AND DO DIFFERENT EX--
UH, DO DIFFERENT EXERCISES
OR-OR RESEARCH EVENTS
TO-TO DEVELOP SCIENCE PROJECTS
THAT WERE MEANINGFUL.
AND THAT PLAYED A HUGE ROLE,
I THINK, IN-IN GETTIN' MY--
PIQUING MY INTEREST
AND-AND GOIN' DOWN
THAT SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY ROAD.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A--
PROBABLY A WEIRD ANSWER FOR--
MAYBE NOT.
BUT FOR-FOR CHALLENGES
IN THE SCHOOL FRAME,
I-IF YOU'RE LOOKIN' AT
HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S A WEIRD TIME,
I THINK, FOR FOLKS TO IDENTIFY
AND-AND UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
SO, THAT-THAT IS--
I THINK I STRUGGLE THAT--
WITH THAT QUITE A BIT.
TRYIN' TO UNDERSTAND
WHERE I WANTED TO GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FAMILY
WITH A MILITARY BACKGROUND
AND I THINK
THAT WAS ALWAYS SOMETHIN'
THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN
AS WELL, SO, UM,
I KINDA TOOK IT STEP BY STEP
TO HELP DEFINE MYSELF
AND WHERE-WHERE I BELONGED.
SO, I-IF YOU-- IF THAT'S
A STRUGGLE, I-I THINK,
UH, THERE'S NO--
YOU DON'T NEED A-AN ANSWER--
A CONCLUSIVE ANSWER
AT THAT POINT IN YOUR LIFE.
I THINK YOU PURSUE
WHAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN
AND BUILD ON THAT,
AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT I DID.