[MUSIC]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
TODAY WE ARE INTRODUCING TO YOU,
AND TO THE WORLD...
MY NAME IS LUKE DELANEY,
I'M A RETIRED MAJOR FROM THE MARINE CORPS,
WORKING AT NASA LANGLEY AS A RESEARCH PILOT,
AND I'M NOW AN ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE.
A NASA ASTRONAUT TO ME, IS AN EXPLORER AT HEART.
I THINK THEY'RE THE VERY EMBODIMENT OF IT
YOU GET TO INSPIRE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
TO ME IT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S ALWAYS
CHALLENGING THEMSELVES
AND ALWAYS TRYING TO
YOU KNOW, PUSH THE BOUNDS OF MANKIND.
I WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID.
I GREW UP WANTING TO LEARN HOW TO FLY, LEARN HOW TO GO TO SPACE.
SO SOME OF MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE-
ARE OF WANTING TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT.
SINCE I WAS LITTLE, I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN AFFINITY FOR THE SKY
AND FOR SPACE AND THE STARS.
AND SO I SET MY SIGHTS AS A VERY YOUNG CHILD
ON GETTING HERE.
IT IS JUST A CHANCE TO EXPLORE AND
JUST KEEP PUSHING WHERE WE CAN GO,
WHAT'S POSSIBLE,
AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF.
A NASA ASTRONAUT IS AN EXPLORER.
THEY GET TO GO UP AND LIVE IN SPACE
AND DO RESEARCH SO THAT WE CAN
LEARN MORE ABOUT HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT.
I THINK A NASA ASTRONAUT IS
THE MOST VISIBLE PART
OF A MUCH LARGER TEAM OF
INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE STRIVING TO
IMPROVE HUMANITY.
A NASA ASTRONAUT TO ME,
IS AN AMBASSADOR FOR
THE NASA ORGANIZATION
AS WELL AS ITS MISSION.
WE'RE REALLY LUCKY TO BE SORT OF THE
TIP OF A HUGE ORGANIZATION
THAT'S ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO
TRY TO ACHIEVE SOME PRETTY AMAZING THINGS.