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and with us today here in mission

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control to talk a little bit about uh

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that as well as uh the

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intricacies of a soyuz landing is

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america's most experienced astronaut

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mike fink mike glad to be with you today

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rob always uh glad to work with you and

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it's a it's a beautiful day when you can

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get in to be into the mission control

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center here in houston

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mike fink a veteran of three flights 382

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days in space on his three missions

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exceeding

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peggy whitson and mike foale behind him

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and when he lands on sunday in

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kazakhstan don pettit will take up the

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number four spot on the all-time list

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with an aggregate total of 371 days in

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space

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gennady padalka was your commander on

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expedition 9 several years ago

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as he takes over the reins of the

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international space station and command

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of the complex what is he going to bring

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to the table for what's shaping up to be

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one of the most complicated four-month

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periods in space station history

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well rob gennady ivanic

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padalka is extremely experienced when i

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flew with him he had flown

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once on space station mir and that

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brings a lot of

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historical uh and a depth of knowledge

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that he brings to the space station

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today and it's funny because gennady and

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my paths have crossed along with a lot

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of these other guys here so gennady i

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and andre uh calpers we flew uh together

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uh for uh for ten days till andre came

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back uh on uh down to earth and it's so

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nice to see gennady and andre up there

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along with uh you know my friend oleg

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kononenko gennady oleg and i were the

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original expedition 9 crew and then

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colombia happened and things moved

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around but i got to see oleg on

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expedition 17 to 18 transition and of

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course

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don pettit and joe acaba both came up

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during my expedition 18 so i know five i

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phoned with five of these six guys uh

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but about gennady he's uh he's has a

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great deal of experience and you're

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gonna need a really experienced guy to

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take you through

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the the tougher times that are ahead and

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they're not tough in terms of anything

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except complexity we've got a lot of

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stuff going on you need to have the crew

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to be really

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ready to go understanding what's

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important what's not so important so

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they can be the most efficient and

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gennady is the guy to help with that

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july and august uh shaping up uh to be

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extraordinarily uh busy for this crew uh

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the uh expedition 32 crew who will be

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joined in a few weeks by suni williams

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and aki hoshide and yuri malenchenko

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also one of the most experienced space

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travelers on the planet there's

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something like seven or eight different

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visiting vehicle comings and goings

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between progress

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vehicles for the russian resupply the

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japanese konatori 3 the h2 transfer

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vehicle and then two evas two spacewalks

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in august one by padalka and malenchenko

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on august 16th followed two weeks later

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by suni williams and aki hoshide in what

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we discussed earlier was the change out

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of that power switching unit on the

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truss of the station but the business at

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hand over the next 48 hours is getting

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kononenko kuipers and pet at home

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so let's start off with what the crew is

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going to be doing late saturday night

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namely wrapping up their packing of

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their soyuz vehicle that is docked to

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the earth-facing port of the zarya

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module the ross fiat module

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as well as the final farewells and the

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hatch closure how how complicated is all

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of that

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in the air force we used to say hurry up

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and wait so there's going to be a period

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of intense activity where we would get

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the last important payloads aboard the

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last minute payloads aboard the the

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soyuz things like blood samples other

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biological samples that way the

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scientists on earth can see exactly how

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our bodies look like right before we

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came back home

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um and things that you know don't that

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need a lot of refrigeration so you take

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them out you put them in the soyuz at

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the last minute

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things like making sure that you got all

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your uh your gear ready to go like your

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your spacesuit your underwear that you

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wear under the spacesuit things like

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that and so you get all that ready to go

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you make sure you're ready uh to be on

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time because you don't want to be late

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because

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the soyuz won't wait for you kind of

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thing and on the other hand once you

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have that all done then you're kind of

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waiting and then what do you do well you

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kind of look out the window one last

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time you maybe if you can if there's a

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calm coverage you call your family say

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hey

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see you guys real soon and it's kind of

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a it's kind of a really um strange time

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it's just bittersweet you say i want to

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go home i can't wait to see everyone

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can't wait for that earth food and then

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on the other hand it's like man i like

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it up here i just was getting good i

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don't want to go and so it's a really

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interesting bittersweet time again

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everything is in contrast you want to

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stay you want to go you have to hurry up

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but you have to wait

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now after uh six and a half months of

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the spacious spread of the international

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space station uh

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kuipers kononenko and pettit uh will uh

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be in the cozy confines of their soyuz

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spacecraft they'll have to suit up uh is

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it a situation where it's every man for

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himself or do they help each other get

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into their so-called launch and entry

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suits

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so yeah after we've uh pretty much

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shut the hatch between the two modules

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in the habitation module kind of one

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that looks like a sphere on top

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we get dressed and usually there's only

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room for about two people so we help

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each other get dressed so usually the

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commander stays there and helps the the

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two flight engineers get dressed and

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then one of them stays on and helps uh

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helps the the commander get dressed and

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it's uh by that this time in their

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training this time and everything that

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they're really good at getting the

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social suit on and off it's pretty easy

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to get on and off um definitely helps

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when some other person's helping you and

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it's just kind of funny because you're

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kind of floating in the middle of a

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module and you can put your your pants

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on so to speak the bottom half two legs

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at a time unlike here on planet earth

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at 11 48 p.m central time on saturday

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night just after midnight eastern time

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sunday morning the undocking will occur

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uh the physical separation between the

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soyuz vehicle and the international

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space station

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andre kuipers as board engineer will be

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in the left seat oleg kononenko is the

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soyuz commander don pettit will be in

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the right seat

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as you back away from this massive

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complex the international space station

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what strikes you uh after being on board

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you're looking back at what has been

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your home for about a half a year or so

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uh the vista of what you're seeing the

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size of this thing what is so striking

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about it

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well the soyuz has for the the guys

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sitting on the on the side so both

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flight engineers uh on the left seat and

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the right seat

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they have windows

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and on one hand you say well they're

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side looking windows you shouldn't be

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able to see the space station

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and so at first like on my first mission

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when the space station was only half the

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size now the only thing you could see

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was looking out the the tv screen you're

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the monitor right in front of you and uh

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and that's the only way you could see

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station but now it's so big you can kind

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of see it from the side windows and

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that's what really goes to our minds as

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we pull away it's like wow what a big

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space station i was living on what a

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great thing that we've built and and how

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amazing that it was working just about

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all the time you know very few hiccups

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along the way and it's just a it's a

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very beautiful piece of work it's

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aesthetically beautiful it's

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a special place because it was home and

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it's also just uh it's just uh just

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amazing that uh that it could that it

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works so well and it's so big it's human

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humans humanity is only outpost to the

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stars right now it's just amazing

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over a two and a half hour period after

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undocking the soyuz will drift uh away

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to a distance of about 12 kilometers

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from the space station in preparation

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for the deorbit burn which in this case

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will be about 4 minutes and 16 seconds

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in duration

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you've experienced that twice you've

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also been on a space shuttle for a

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deorbit burn

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which has taken a lot of energy away

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from a huge vehicle heading back to

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earth

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can you compare and contrast what that

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feels like is it the same kick in the

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pan sensation a breaking sensation

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yeah the deorbit burn is

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perhaps the most important part of entry

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because you're going about 17

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500 miles an hour and you're going to

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take it down to 17 000 miles an hour on

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the soyuz it's

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115.2 meters per second slowing down and

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that helps you fall into the atmosphere

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a lot faster than it does on the shuttle

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uh it's definitely a kick in the pants

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but i don't remember the the physical

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sensation as much as just the intensity

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of our watching both on the shuttle and

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on the soyuz because it's such an

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important burn you don't want your

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engines to to fail on you you're ready

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for in case they do you have the plan

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you have the backup plan you have the

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third backup plan because it's so

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important and so i just remember you

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know those being one of the longest four

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minutes on the soyuz and uh for the

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shuttle definitely the shuttle slows

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down a little bit uh

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a little bit slower so we have a more

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much more gentle uh entry back in only

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1.2 g's kind of maximum whereas the

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soyuz gets into six g's as it slows down

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really fast in the earth's atmosphere

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but the deorbit burns very intense

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it's probably worth mentioning at this

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point that on thursday a contingent of

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nasa support personnel that includes

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peggy whitson the chief of the astronaut

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office here at the johnson space center

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arrived in karaganda kazakhstan and

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southeast kazakhstan to join the euros

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aviyatsa search and recovery forces as

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they are planning for their trips out on

273
00:09:35,670 --> 00:09:32,720
russian mi8 helicopters as part of the

274
00:09:37,910 --> 00:09:35,680
landing support team that will recover

275
00:09:40,150 --> 00:09:37,920
the crew on sunday afternoon kazakhstan

276
00:09:42,630 --> 00:09:40,160
time in the wee hours here on sunday

277
00:09:45,190 --> 00:09:42,640
morning so the deorbit burn is complete

278
00:09:47,750 --> 00:09:45,200
you begin to drop out of orbit uh your

279
00:09:50,070 --> 00:09:47,760
acceleration has decelerated now so

280
00:09:51,990 --> 00:09:50,080
you're captured by

281
00:09:54,710 --> 00:09:52,000
the earth's gravity and begin to drop

282
00:09:57,190 --> 00:09:54,720
back into the earth's atmosphere some 28

283
00:09:59,829 --> 00:09:57,200
minutes after the deorbit burn your

284
00:10:01,750 --> 00:09:59,839
modules are separating

285
00:10:03,670 --> 00:10:01,760
walk us through that pyrotechnic

286
00:10:05,670 --> 00:10:03,680
experience which has got to be something

287
00:10:08,470 --> 00:10:05,680
spectacular

288
00:10:10,550 --> 00:10:08,480
so uh you start to note that uh you know

289
00:10:12,550 --> 00:10:10,560
you're waiting for the first touch of uh

290
00:10:14,870 --> 00:10:12,560
atmosphere and uh

291
00:10:17,350 --> 00:10:14,880
and then then the next big event uh like

292
00:10:19,590 --> 00:10:17,360
you said is the the separation

293
00:10:21,910 --> 00:10:19,600
and separation is the second really big

294
00:10:23,990 --> 00:10:21,920
important thing after deorbit burns

295
00:10:25,750 --> 00:10:24,000
it's a big relief and you start feeling

296
00:10:26,870 --> 00:10:25,760
happy because it's like cool good we

297
00:10:29,269 --> 00:10:26,880
have a good orbit burn we're going to

298
00:10:30,470 --> 00:10:29,279
slow down enough to hit the atmosphere

299
00:10:31,670 --> 00:10:30,480
and then

300
00:10:33,590 --> 00:10:31,680
then the separation you have to have a

301
00:10:35,590 --> 00:10:33,600
good separation we um

302
00:10:37,430 --> 00:10:35,600
um had previous flights where the

303
00:10:40,230 --> 00:10:37,440
separation wasn't quite right and it

304
00:10:42,389 --> 00:10:40,240
made the uh it took the capsule a little

305
00:10:43,829 --> 00:10:42,399
bit off a trajectory the capsule backed

306
00:10:46,069 --> 00:10:43,839
into a a

307
00:10:48,630 --> 00:10:46,079
another mode was kind of a backup mode

308
00:10:50,389 --> 00:10:48,640
and landed safely but we didn't want

309
00:10:51,670 --> 00:10:50,399
that to happen again so everyone always

310
00:10:54,069 --> 00:10:51,680
holds their breath a little bit for

311
00:10:55,829 --> 00:10:54,079
separation separation happens we have

312
00:10:56,790 --> 00:10:55,839
three modules that are together we have

313
00:10:58,550 --> 00:10:56,800
the

314
00:11:01,350 --> 00:10:58,560
orbital living

315
00:11:02,790 --> 00:11:01,360
module up top you have the uh entry or

316
00:11:05,990 --> 00:11:02,800
crew module in the middle and at the

317
00:11:07,750 --> 00:11:06,000
bottom you have the the service module

318
00:11:09,190 --> 00:11:07,760
and we uh we get rid of the service

319
00:11:11,190 --> 00:11:09,200
module we get rid of it because we don't

320
00:11:12,550 --> 00:11:11,200
need its engines or it's oxygen anymore

321
00:11:14,470 --> 00:11:12,560
we get rid of the habitation module

322
00:11:16,550 --> 00:11:14,480
because we've filled it up full of trash

323
00:11:18,389 --> 00:11:16,560
to dispose and then the center module is

324
00:11:19,509 --> 00:11:18,399
only one that remains and once that

325
00:11:21,190 --> 00:11:19,519
happens it's

326
00:11:23,350 --> 00:11:21,200
you don't know anything on board you

327
00:11:24,949 --> 00:11:23,360
hear a few clunks you hear you see a

328
00:11:26,389 --> 00:11:24,959
little flash outside and you don't know

329
00:11:28,150 --> 00:11:26,399
if anything happens you can't see the

330
00:11:30,310 --> 00:11:28,160
modules float away or anything like that

331
00:11:31,990 --> 00:11:30,320
because i've tried uh but you do know on

332
00:11:33,750 --> 00:11:32,000
your on your panel all of a sudden you

333
00:11:35,990 --> 00:11:33,760
know half your electronics kind of go

334
00:11:38,310 --> 00:11:36,000
away because there's no long it's all in

335
00:11:40,150 --> 00:11:38,320
the service module and uh you can't uh

336
00:11:41,590 --> 00:11:40,160
you can't communicate with its computer

337
00:11:43,269 --> 00:11:41,600
you don't have those oxygen tanks that

338
00:11:45,030 --> 00:11:43,279
you can see how much oxygen they have

339
00:11:46,790 --> 00:11:45,040
left or anything so that's one way we

340
00:11:48,790 --> 00:11:46,800
know it's like half the computer screen

341
00:11:50,230 --> 00:11:48,800
goes down or half the parameters that we

342
00:11:52,389 --> 00:11:50,240
look at disappear and they say all right

343
00:11:54,389 --> 00:11:52,399
that's probably a good separation

344
00:11:56,710 --> 00:11:54,399
and then then you wait then you wait to

345
00:12:00,150 --> 00:11:56,720
see to start screaming into the

346
00:12:01,829 --> 00:12:00,160
atmosphere and and lighting up the night

347
00:12:04,150 --> 00:12:01,839
as you light up the night about three

348
00:12:05,990 --> 00:12:04,160
minutes after uh the module separation

349
00:12:08,710 --> 00:12:06,000
you're actually hitting the first traces

350
00:12:11,829 --> 00:12:08,720
of the earth's atmosphere about 400 000

351
00:12:14,790 --> 00:12:11,839
feet above the above the planet um

352
00:12:16,870 --> 00:12:14,800
can you physically discern a tug against

353
00:12:18,470 --> 00:12:16,880
you as the start of g-forces beginning

354
00:12:19,750 --> 00:12:18,480
to build up in those circle launch and

355
00:12:21,590 --> 00:12:19,760
entry suits

356
00:12:23,829 --> 00:12:21,600
well the computers detect it before we

357
00:12:25,430 --> 00:12:23,839
do we have a little acceleration sensors

358
00:12:28,069 --> 00:12:25,440
that feed our computers and so we start

359
00:12:30,710 --> 00:12:28,079
to see a one light that kind of flashes

360
00:12:32,389 --> 00:12:30,720
it flashes um every once every six

361
00:12:34,389 --> 00:12:32,399
seconds uh for

362
00:12:36,790 --> 00:12:34,399
uh let's see how was it six times a

363
00:12:38,470 --> 00:12:36,800
second uh if you have one g so

364
00:12:40,629 --> 00:12:38,480
you have to do some math in your head

365
00:12:41,670 --> 00:12:40,639
but uh it's a old soyuz

366
00:12:43,350 --> 00:12:41,680
way of doing things and that

367
00:12:45,030 --> 00:12:43,360
accelerometer tells you about how many

368
00:12:47,110 --> 00:12:45,040
g's you're pulling and then the computer

369
00:12:48,470 --> 00:12:47,120
screen you know calculates that for you

370
00:12:49,750 --> 00:12:48,480
you can see that light blink and the

371
00:12:51,430 --> 00:12:49,760
first blink everyone's all right now

372
00:12:53,590 --> 00:12:51,440
we're getting close and then things

373
00:12:55,269 --> 00:12:53,600
start to build up relatively quickly and

374
00:12:57,110 --> 00:12:55,279
you start to really tell not by the

375
00:12:59,110 --> 00:12:57,120
feeling in the seat of your pants but

376
00:13:00,710 --> 00:12:59,120
you start to see uh light around you

377
00:13:03,190 --> 00:13:00,720
even if you're in the dark part of the

378
00:13:05,670 --> 00:13:03,200
the planet because you're actually i

379
00:13:08,310 --> 00:13:05,680
know plasmifying burning the atmosphere

380
00:13:09,829 --> 00:13:08,320
uh stripping it of its uh electrons and

381
00:13:12,230 --> 00:13:09,839
it's just uh you're going so fast the

382
00:13:13,990 --> 00:13:12,240
atmosphere is in great shock and so

383
00:13:15,269 --> 00:13:14,000
you're making a big ball of plasma

384
00:13:18,230 --> 00:13:15,279
around you and you can see that right

385
00:13:20,470 --> 00:13:18,240
out your window and it's really hot and

386
00:13:21,910 --> 00:13:20,480
so thank goodness uh the soyuz has a

387
00:13:23,750 --> 00:13:21,920
really nice

388
00:13:25,430 --> 00:13:23,760
heat shield on it the heat shield is

389
00:13:27,110 --> 00:13:25,440
ablative heat shield that means it it

390
00:13:28,870 --> 00:13:27,120
melts away takes takes the heat away

391
00:13:30,629 --> 00:13:28,880
with it and you can actually see pieces

392
00:13:32,550 --> 00:13:30,639
of your spacecraft kind of melt away

393
00:13:33,990 --> 00:13:32,560
around you and it comes out in beautiful

394
00:13:36,069 --> 00:13:34,000
colors red and green so maybe it's kind

395
00:13:39,590 --> 00:13:36,079
of like an early fourth of july for for

396
00:13:41,189 --> 00:13:39,600
don and uh and uh andre and uh oleg they

397
00:13:43,030 --> 00:13:41,199
can see you kind of see little fireworks

398
00:13:44,310 --> 00:13:43,040
outside and it's just amazing when you

399
00:13:45,750 --> 00:13:44,320
look out the window you realize that's

400
00:13:46,829 --> 00:13:45,760
all happening maybe a foot and a half in

401
00:13:50,389 --> 00:13:46,839
front of your

402
00:13:52,310 --> 00:13:50,399
nose one final part of this the e-ticket

403
00:13:55,430 --> 00:13:52,320
yet to come is the deployment of the

404
00:13:57,350 --> 00:13:55,440
parachutes again the e-ticket described

405
00:13:58,310 --> 00:13:57,360
by several astronauts

406
00:14:01,110 --> 00:13:58,320
as

407
00:14:03,030 --> 00:14:01,120
one of the wildest rides of all when the

408
00:14:04,790 --> 00:14:03,040
shoots begin to deploy and you're

409
00:14:06,710 --> 00:14:04,800
cantered and cocked to an angle and then

410
00:14:09,189 --> 00:14:06,720
you rotate around and

411
00:14:11,670 --> 00:14:09,199
walk us through all those types of

412
00:14:13,750 --> 00:14:11,680
gyrations as you settle down under the

413
00:14:14,790 --> 00:14:13,760
shoots for the final few minutes before

414
00:14:17,829 --> 00:14:14,800
touchdown

415
00:14:19,509 --> 00:14:17,839
yeah one reason why this is so uh so

416
00:14:21,110 --> 00:14:19,519
exciting for us is because this is the

417
00:14:22,870 --> 00:14:21,120
third big thing that needs to happen you

418
00:14:24,870 --> 00:14:22,880
have a good de-orbit burn good module

419
00:14:25,990 --> 00:14:24,880
separation and now if parachutes come

420
00:14:27,750 --> 00:14:26,000
out then you know you're going to land

421
00:14:29,910 --> 00:14:27,760
somewhere and you you're going to be

422
00:14:31,430 --> 00:14:29,920
fine because you need the parachute so

423
00:14:33,829 --> 00:14:31,440
it's a big relief when they start to

424
00:14:35,670 --> 00:14:33,839
come out however you know the parachutes

425
00:14:37,750 --> 00:14:35,680
are not at the very top of the vehicle

426
00:14:39,430 --> 00:14:37,760
at this time the parachutes are off to

427
00:14:41,430 --> 00:14:39,440
the side we need the top of the vehicle

428
00:14:42,870 --> 00:14:41,440
for the hatch to get between modules and

429
00:14:44,949 --> 00:14:42,880
things like that

430
00:14:47,590 --> 00:14:44,959
so the the parachute kind of pops off to

431
00:14:50,069 --> 00:14:47,600
the side which kind of spins us around

432
00:14:51,509 --> 00:14:50,079
and then eventually it re-hooks itself

433
00:14:53,670 --> 00:14:51,519
to the top of the module and then we get

434
00:14:56,870 --> 00:14:53,680
nice and nice and calm it's that period

435
00:14:58,710 --> 00:14:56,880
of time where you can imagine being in

436
00:15:00,710 --> 00:14:58,720
weightless environment for you know four

437
00:15:03,030 --> 00:15:00,720
five six months and uh not having any

438
00:15:05,030 --> 00:15:03,040
gravity on you and uh going through you

439
00:15:07,430 --> 00:15:05,040
know four four five six g's as you you

440
00:15:09,189 --> 00:15:07,440
come you you slow down in the atmosphere

441
00:15:11,030 --> 00:15:09,199
and then all of a sudden they start

442
00:15:12,949 --> 00:15:11,040
whipping around like a i guess a dog

443
00:15:15,990 --> 00:15:12,959
with a rag doll or something like that

444
00:15:18,470 --> 00:15:16,000
and uh it's a it's very um disconcerting

445
00:15:20,629 --> 00:15:18,480
at first but it's also very happy time

446
00:15:21,910 --> 00:15:20,639
because um because you know the

447
00:15:24,069 --> 00:15:21,920
parachutes are coming out you need to

448
00:15:26,230 --> 00:15:24,079
have the parachute so i remember gennady

449
00:15:29,509 --> 00:15:26,240
and i when we landed uh on expedition 9

450
00:15:31,829 --> 00:15:29,519
we were whooping it up literally saying

451
00:15:33,829 --> 00:15:31,839
as we were spinning around and uh it

452
00:15:35,670 --> 00:15:33,839
lasts for a little bit some people feel

453
00:15:38,230 --> 00:15:35,680
it lasts a lot longer than it than it

454
00:15:39,509 --> 00:15:38,240
really does because it is very

455
00:15:41,269 --> 00:15:39,519
interesting especially not being in

456
00:15:43,269 --> 00:15:41,279
gravity to be all of a sudden

457
00:15:45,350 --> 00:15:43,279
uh shaking around but when it's all said

458
00:15:47,189 --> 00:15:45,360
and done you're kind of calm the

459
00:15:48,790 --> 00:15:47,199
parachutes have re re-hooked themselves

460
00:15:51,110 --> 00:15:48,800
on top and you're gently floating down

461
00:15:52,470 --> 00:15:51,120
to the to the ground and it's a big sign

462
00:15:54,470 --> 00:15:52,480
of relief because you know i'm coming

463
00:15:57,189 --> 00:15:54,480
home

464
00:15:58,790 --> 00:15:57,199
at this point uh the russian mi8

465
00:16:00,069 --> 00:15:58,800
helicopters and the search and recovery

466
00:16:02,310 --> 00:16:00,079
forces are

467
00:16:05,030 --> 00:16:02,320
circling in a racetrack pattern around

468
00:16:06,550 --> 00:16:05,040
the intended nominal landing zone and

469
00:16:07,990 --> 00:16:06,560
they're just waiting for you guys to

470
00:16:11,269 --> 00:16:08,000
show up

471
00:16:13,350 --> 00:16:11,279
you're in your seats you're reclined on

472
00:16:14,389 --> 00:16:13,360
custom-made soyuz seat liners that have

473
00:16:15,670 --> 00:16:14,399
cushioning

474
00:16:18,150 --> 00:16:15,680
capability

475
00:16:20,550 --> 00:16:18,160
and then in the final seconds literally

476
00:16:23,590 --> 00:16:20,560
the few seconds before touchdown soft

477
00:16:26,550 --> 00:16:23,600
landing engines boom one more one more

478
00:16:29,110 --> 00:16:26,560
opportunity for uh a sensation that is

479
00:16:31,350 --> 00:16:29,120
uh not common so

480
00:16:33,670 --> 00:16:31,360
uh explain to us what happens here with

481
00:16:35,749 --> 00:16:33,680
your seats with the soft landing engine

482
00:16:38,150 --> 00:16:35,759
firing and finally the touchdown

483
00:16:39,910 --> 00:16:38,160
assuming that conditions are calm which

484
00:16:42,069 --> 00:16:39,920
they're expected to be by the way on

485
00:16:43,749 --> 00:16:42,079
sunday at the landing site it's great to

486
00:16:45,990 --> 00:16:43,759
know that the conditions are supposed to

487
00:16:48,470 --> 00:16:46,000
be calm if it gets a little too windy

488
00:16:49,829 --> 00:16:48,480
that makes it just a little more complex

489
00:16:51,670 --> 00:16:49,839
but you know we're we're on our

490
00:16:53,509 --> 00:16:51,680
parachutes things have calmed down and

491
00:16:55,829 --> 00:16:53,519
you're absolutely right the next next

492
00:16:57,269 --> 00:16:55,839
big step is uh the helicopters in fact i

493
00:16:59,350 --> 00:16:57,279
remember you were on some helicopters

494
00:17:01,269 --> 00:16:59,360
for uh watching getting ready for me to

495
00:17:02,550 --> 00:17:01,279
land a couple of times and uh it's

496
00:17:04,150 --> 00:17:02,560
always nice to know your friends are out

497
00:17:06,549 --> 00:17:04,160
there looking for you the search and

498
00:17:07,909 --> 00:17:06,559
rescue crew uh they're some of russia's

499
00:17:10,630 --> 00:17:07,919
finest and that we know that we're in

500
00:17:12,630 --> 00:17:10,640
good hands with them uh for to find us

501
00:17:14,549 --> 00:17:12,640
and uh to get us out of our capsules

502
00:17:16,069 --> 00:17:14,559
correctly and and uh we know you know

503
00:17:17,669 --> 00:17:16,079
most of those guys already we've met him

504
00:17:19,350 --> 00:17:17,679
before so it's it's you know you kind of

505
00:17:20,949 --> 00:17:19,360
know it's going to be met by some

506
00:17:22,870 --> 00:17:20,959
friends so that's exciting so you're on

507
00:17:24,309 --> 00:17:22,880
the you're on the you're listening for

508
00:17:25,669 --> 00:17:24,319
the be able to talk to the the

509
00:17:27,429 --> 00:17:25,679
helicopters

510
00:17:28,950 --> 00:17:27,439
on the radio and it's important to talk

511
00:17:31,270 --> 00:17:28,960
to the helicopters because they give us

512
00:17:32,870 --> 00:17:31,280
one piece of information that's really

513
00:17:34,470 --> 00:17:32,880
important and then they also can watch

514
00:17:37,350 --> 00:17:34,480
us if we're lucky they can tell us what

515
00:17:39,750 --> 00:17:37,360
the local altimeter setting is what the

516
00:17:42,230 --> 00:17:39,760
pressure is on the planet below and that

517
00:17:43,430 --> 00:17:42,240
way we can use our onboard instruments

518
00:17:45,029 --> 00:17:43,440
because we don't really have a radar

519
00:17:46,710 --> 00:17:45,039
altimeter that tells us how far above

520
00:17:48,390 --> 00:17:46,720
the ground we are but we can measure the

521
00:17:50,310 --> 00:17:48,400
pressure outside and compare it to what

522
00:17:52,390 --> 00:17:50,320
it is on the on the surface to tell us

523
00:17:53,830 --> 00:17:52,400
how high above the ground we are most

524
00:17:56,070 --> 00:17:53,840
airplanes have these uh this kind of

525
00:17:57,270 --> 00:17:56,080
capability in addition the commander has

526
00:18:00,310 --> 00:17:57,280
kind of like a

527
00:18:02,710 --> 00:18:00,320
a parachuters watch and so he also can

528
00:18:04,710 --> 00:18:02,720
put in the pressure setting uh from the

529
00:18:06,549 --> 00:18:04,720
ground onto it and he can tell us how

530
00:18:08,150 --> 00:18:06,559
high above the ground we are so between

531
00:18:11,350 --> 00:18:08,160
the computers and the parachute watch we

532
00:18:13,590 --> 00:18:11,360
know about uh how long it is to landing

533
00:18:15,270 --> 00:18:13,600
sometimes we land just right around

534
00:18:17,110 --> 00:18:15,280
sunrise so it's kind of dark outside

535
00:18:18,470 --> 00:18:17,120
sometimes i'm like on my second mission

536
00:18:19,830 --> 00:18:18,480
it's right in the middle of the day and

537
00:18:21,750 --> 00:18:19,840
you can kind of look out and guess how

538
00:18:23,830 --> 00:18:21,760
far above the ground you are but uh

539
00:18:25,110 --> 00:18:23,840
that's uh that's what we're starting to

540
00:18:26,390 --> 00:18:25,120
think about next okay when are we going

541
00:18:28,870 --> 00:18:26,400
to land where are we going to land do

542
00:18:30,710 --> 00:18:28,880
the do the helicopters know where we are

543
00:18:32,710 --> 00:18:30,720
and once that all kind of works together

544
00:18:34,549 --> 00:18:32,720
it's a it's a nice uh

545
00:18:36,630 --> 00:18:34,559
relaxing feeling in fact it's uh we're

546
00:18:38,070 --> 00:18:36,640
floating down to us so slowly compared

547
00:18:40,390 --> 00:18:38,080
to you know how fast we were going

548
00:18:42,070 --> 00:18:40,400
before it's uh it's like well i wonder

549
00:18:43,909 --> 00:18:42,080
if we'll ever get there yeah the last i

550
00:18:46,950 --> 00:18:43,919
guess the last 500 feet are the longest

551
00:18:48,789 --> 00:18:46,960
in terms of time so as we get close to

552
00:18:51,830 --> 00:18:48,799
the ground our seats actually uh

553
00:18:53,590 --> 00:18:51,840
automatically kind of uh uh push up so

554
00:18:55,990 --> 00:18:53,600
all of a sudden whereas uh where maybe

555
00:18:58,150 --> 00:18:56,000
our noses are about a foot uh from the

556
00:19:00,390 --> 00:18:58,160
from the dashboard in front of us the

557
00:19:02,230 --> 00:19:00,400
the uh the cosmonaut panel that the

558
00:19:04,310 --> 00:19:02,240
control panel all of a sudden we're you

559
00:19:06,549 --> 00:19:04,320
know three or four inches away from uh

560
00:19:08,150 --> 00:19:06,559
away from it and that the seats up

561
00:19:08,950 --> 00:19:08,160
so that as soon as we hit the ground

562
00:19:11,590 --> 00:19:08,960
it'll

563
00:19:13,029 --> 00:19:11,600
reduce the force big shock absorber

564
00:19:15,029 --> 00:19:13,039
so we know that you know that's a big

565
00:19:17,430 --> 00:19:15,039
sign that things are going to happen um

566
00:19:20,150 --> 00:19:17,440
and then uh then also right before we

567
00:19:21,830 --> 00:19:20,160
land there are those soft uh

568
00:19:23,270 --> 00:19:21,840
the soft landing engines now the thing

569
00:19:25,510 --> 00:19:23,280
about the soft landing engines this is

570
00:19:27,750 --> 00:19:25,520
my personal experience everybody has a

571
00:19:29,029 --> 00:19:27,760
different experience but soft landing

572
00:19:31,350 --> 00:19:29,039
engines uh

573
00:19:33,029 --> 00:19:31,360
uh i never felt them i never saw them i

574
00:19:34,310 --> 00:19:33,039
know they worked because i saw the

575
00:19:36,470 --> 00:19:34,320
bottom of the spacecraft and you could

576
00:19:38,710 --> 00:19:36,480
see that the engines had fired but they

577
00:19:40,549 --> 00:19:38,720
have a gamma-ray altimeter that one

578
00:19:42,950 --> 00:19:40,559
meter above the ground they they ignite

579
00:19:45,029 --> 00:19:42,960
but we're going down so fast and then it

580
00:19:46,789 --> 00:19:45,039
happens right before we hit that uh

581
00:19:48,710 --> 00:19:46,799
there's a you know that flash of light

582
00:19:50,870 --> 00:19:48,720
and that that deceleration

583
00:19:53,110 --> 00:19:50,880
feels a lot like we just hit the ground

584
00:19:55,110 --> 00:19:53,120
and so sure enough uh you know we hit

585
00:19:56,789 --> 00:19:55,120
the ground it feels pretty hard um like

586
00:19:58,789 --> 00:19:56,799
we hit like if you're in a car going

587
00:20:00,950 --> 00:19:58,799
about 20 miles an hour uh hitting a

588
00:20:02,789 --> 00:20:00,960
hitting a wall or something but it's

589
00:20:04,230 --> 00:20:02,799
amazing the seats really absorb the

590
00:20:06,230 --> 00:20:04,240
impact and

591
00:20:07,590 --> 00:20:06,240
we roll around a little bit and and

592
00:20:09,990 --> 00:20:07,600
there we are and just a few minutes

593
00:20:11,750 --> 00:20:10,000
later on both my uh experiences there

594
00:20:13,909 --> 00:20:11,760
was the rescue crews were there to meet

595
00:20:16,230 --> 00:20:13,919
us and again our friends are out there

596
00:20:18,549 --> 00:20:16,240
for us and we're in good hands

597
00:20:20,549 --> 00:20:18,559
and one characteristic for our viewers

598
00:20:22,149 --> 00:20:20,559
uh to keep in mind is that because of

599
00:20:25,510 --> 00:20:22,159
the altitude of the space station at

600
00:20:27,669 --> 00:20:25,520
about 250 miles and the look angle of

601
00:20:28,630 --> 00:20:27,679
the trajectory of the soyuz during its

602
00:20:31,270 --> 00:20:28,640
entry

603
00:20:32,549 --> 00:20:31,280
there could be likely would be some

604
00:20:34,390 --> 00:20:32,559
periods of blackout in the

605
00:20:37,350 --> 00:20:34,400
communications between

606
00:20:40,149 --> 00:20:37,360
the crew on board the soyuz tma-03m

607
00:20:42,710 --> 00:20:40,159
and what amounts to a couple of flying

608
00:20:44,789 --> 00:20:42,720
command and control aircraft antonov

609
00:20:45,909 --> 00:20:44,799
russian antonov aircraft that would

610
00:20:48,789 --> 00:20:45,919
relay

611
00:20:50,310 --> 00:20:48,799
status reports if you will to the flight

612
00:20:52,390 --> 00:20:50,320
russian flight control team at the

613
00:20:55,990 --> 00:20:52,400
russian mission control center uh in

614
00:20:58,390 --> 00:20:56,000
karl yaff outside of moscow uh

615
00:20:59,190 --> 00:20:58,400
mike is going to pick up his microphone

616
00:21:01,830 --> 00:20:59,200
here

617
00:21:03,750 --> 00:21:01,840
no soft landing engines fired this time

618
00:21:06,549 --> 00:21:03,760
and we'll get mike back in the saddle

619
00:21:10,230 --> 00:21:08,390
once you land

620
00:21:11,190 --> 00:21:10,240
then the helicopters in sequential

621
00:21:13,830 --> 00:21:11,200
fashion

622
00:21:16,630 --> 00:21:13,840
will land in a circular pattern

623
00:21:18,630 --> 00:21:16,640
around the capsule and

624
00:21:21,510 --> 00:21:18,640
it's really only a matter of minutes

625
00:21:24,390 --> 00:21:21,520
before they begin to disposition the

626
00:21:26,630 --> 00:21:24,400
initial extraction of you guys from the

627
00:21:28,950 --> 00:21:26,640
soyuz to put you in reclining chairs and

628
00:21:30,390 --> 00:21:28,960
then bring you into a medical tent so

629
00:21:33,830 --> 00:21:30,400
walk us through a little bit about the

630
00:21:36,310 --> 00:21:33,840
aftermath of landing how do you feel

631
00:21:38,630 --> 00:21:36,320
and the sensations of smelling fresh air

632
00:21:41,029 --> 00:21:38,640
on the earth and all of the earth-bound

633
00:21:43,750 --> 00:21:41,039
smells that you will smell grass and so

634
00:21:47,270 --> 00:21:43,760
forth in those first minutes

635
00:21:48,549 --> 00:21:47,280
so um it's really uh it's a sign of i

636
00:21:50,710 --> 00:21:48,559
don't know for me it was always relief

637
00:21:51,909 --> 00:21:50,720
it's like hey we're back home no and

638
00:21:53,510 --> 00:21:51,919
there's people outside they're going to

639
00:21:56,470 --> 00:21:53,520
take care of things so i can kind of

640
00:21:58,070 --> 00:21:56,480
relax and not not have to worry anymore

641
00:21:59,909 --> 00:21:58,080
and not have to do any duties the

642
00:22:01,830 --> 00:21:59,919
commander has to of course as soon as we

643
00:22:03,270 --> 00:22:01,840
land uh on the parachutes we don't want

644
00:22:05,830 --> 00:22:03,280
the parachutes dragging us around in

645
00:22:08,630 --> 00:22:05,840
case it's windy so the commander hits a

646
00:22:10,390 --> 00:22:08,640
uh parachute release cord and it goes uh

647
00:22:12,149 --> 00:22:10,400
and that parachute becomes released and

648
00:22:14,470 --> 00:22:12,159
then then we just wait for the ground

649
00:22:16,789 --> 00:22:14,480
guys we have the ability on board i

650
00:22:18,230 --> 00:22:16,799
think don pettit needed this on his last

651
00:22:19,830 --> 00:22:18,240
soyuz landing

652
00:22:21,990 --> 00:22:19,840
to be able to climb out ourselves in

653
00:22:23,669 --> 00:22:22,000
case the search and rescue guys are uh

654
00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:23,679
unintentionally delayed

655
00:22:27,510 --> 00:22:25,760
but on the other hand most of the time

656
00:22:30,310 --> 00:22:27,520
not always those guys are there for us

657
00:22:32,230 --> 00:22:30,320
so we just sit and and relax and wait uh

658
00:22:35,029 --> 00:22:32,240
though you can hear them outside and

659
00:22:36,470 --> 00:22:35,039
they start knocking on the on the on the

660
00:22:38,149 --> 00:22:36,480
on the hatch we kind of reach up and

661
00:22:40,470 --> 00:22:38,159
knock back a little bit so they know

662
00:22:42,310 --> 00:22:40,480
we're okay and then what happens is that

663
00:22:43,830 --> 00:22:42,320
they take out the commander first they

664
00:22:45,669 --> 00:22:43,840
open the hatch they have to take out

665
00:22:47,909 --> 00:22:45,679
some payloads that are in the way just

666
00:22:49,270 --> 00:22:47,919
because it's a very narrow hat opening

667
00:22:51,190 --> 00:22:49,280
and they make some room so they take out

668
00:22:53,669 --> 00:22:51,200
a few of the things that we had packed

669
00:22:55,350 --> 00:22:53,679
with us and get that out of the way pull

670
00:22:57,029 --> 00:22:55,360
out the commander first and then usually

671
00:22:59,110 --> 00:22:57,039
we get the right seeder out and then the

672
00:22:59,990 --> 00:22:59,120
left cedar i was left cedar

673
00:23:02,230 --> 00:23:00,000
both

674
00:23:03,990 --> 00:23:02,240
times i landed on the soyuz so i was

675
00:23:05,430 --> 00:23:04,000
always the last guy out i was kind of

676
00:23:07,669 --> 00:23:05,440
felt a little bit proud about that like

677
00:23:10,549 --> 00:23:07,679
hey this is uh the soyuz took us into

678
00:23:12,789 --> 00:23:10,559
space and brought us safely back home

679
00:23:14,789 --> 00:23:12,799
and uh you know good job good job to the

680
00:23:16,549 --> 00:23:14,799
russian engineers good job to our team

681
00:23:18,630 --> 00:23:16,559
to get us back safely and so i was

682
00:23:20,230 --> 00:23:18,640
always you know kind of proud to be the

683
00:23:22,549 --> 00:23:20,240
last guy coming out and then you come

684
00:23:24,549 --> 00:23:22,559
out and it's like light outside um

685
00:23:26,950 --> 00:23:24,559
there's so many people there so i can't

686
00:23:28,470 --> 00:23:26,960
see this many people in months and uh

687
00:23:30,789 --> 00:23:28,480
and uh they're all happy to see you

688
00:23:32,950 --> 00:23:30,799
you're happy to see them it's uh you

689
00:23:35,990 --> 00:23:32,960
smell the the completely beautiful fresh

690
00:23:38,310 --> 00:23:36,000
air in kazakhstan and it's like wow it's

691
00:23:39,669 --> 00:23:38,320
good to be back to to planet earth i

692
00:23:41,350 --> 00:23:39,679
always wanted to get up and walk around

693
00:23:42,950 --> 00:23:41,360
i was so happy to be back in there oh

694
00:23:44,310 --> 00:23:42,960
you can't you know just be careful they

695
00:23:45,750 --> 00:23:44,320
don't want us to fall and break a leg or

696
00:23:47,590 --> 00:23:45,760
anything like that so they carry us and

697
00:23:49,669 --> 00:23:47,600
put us in some seats and take our blood

698
00:23:50,950 --> 00:23:49,679
pressure and make sure we're okay and we

699
00:23:52,789 --> 00:23:50,960
sit there and one of the first things

700
00:23:54,549 --> 00:23:52,799
that happens is there's always someone

701
00:23:56,149 --> 00:23:54,559
there with a telephone they say hey you

702
00:23:57,990 --> 00:23:56,159
want to go call your wife and and

703
00:24:00,230 --> 00:23:58,000
getting a chance to talk to our families

704
00:24:03,190 --> 00:24:00,240
from planet earth saying honey i'm home

705
00:24:05,430 --> 00:24:03,200
it's a is a really good feeling

706
00:24:07,510 --> 00:24:05,440
and once uh the crew has been brought

707
00:24:09,990 --> 00:24:07,520
into this inflatable medical tent at the

708
00:24:11,350 --> 00:24:10,000
landing site to uh get out of their uh

709
00:24:13,190 --> 00:24:11,360
launch and entry suits into more

710
00:24:15,510 --> 00:24:13,200
comfortable clothing each of the crew

711
00:24:17,750 --> 00:24:15,520
members will be flown in

712
00:24:20,390 --> 00:24:17,760
three different helicopters in this case

713
00:24:22,470 --> 00:24:20,400
back to karaganda the staging city for

714
00:24:24,710 --> 00:24:22,480
sunday's landing operations

715
00:24:25,909 --> 00:24:24,720
they'll uh kuipers and pettit will board

716
00:24:28,710 --> 00:24:25,919
a nasa

717
00:24:30,549 --> 00:24:28,720
plane to fly back to houston kononenko

718
00:24:32,470 --> 00:24:30,559
will board a gagarin cosmonaut training

719
00:24:34,630 --> 00:24:32,480
center plane to fly back to tcoloski

720
00:24:38,070 --> 00:24:34,640
airfield outside of star city and a

721
00:24:40,230 --> 00:24:38,080
return and a reunion with his family

722
00:24:42,549 --> 00:24:40,240
back at star city along with other

723
00:24:44,870 --> 00:24:42,559
russian officials mike appreciate it

724
00:24:47,190 --> 00:24:44,880
very much soyuz landing day is always

725
00:24:49,830 --> 00:24:47,200
it's a long day but it's a it's a very

726
00:24:51,830 --> 00:24:49,840
interesting day and a rewarding day

727
00:24:53,909 --> 00:24:51,840
culminating a six and a half month

728
00:24:55,669 --> 00:24:53,919
mission for pettit kuipers and kononenko

729
00:24:57,750 --> 00:24:55,679
the start of a new increment onboard the

730
00:25:00,789 --> 00:24:57,760
international space station it's hard to

731
00:25:02,310 --> 00:25:00,799
believe it's been almost 13 years since

732
00:25:04,950 --> 00:25:02,320
the space station was permanently

733
00:25:06,870 --> 00:25:04,960
occupied with bill shepard and sergey

734
00:25:09,590 --> 00:25:06,880
krikeloff and yuri gazenko and the beat

735
00:25:12,149 --> 00:25:09,600
goes on with an unbroken presence on

736
00:25:13,750 --> 00:25:12,159
board that international outpost thanks

737
00:25:15,750 --> 00:25:13,760
very much for joining us today mike

738
00:25:17,269 --> 00:25:15,760
appreciate it oh thank you rob and it's

739
00:25:18,630 --> 00:25:17,279
a it's a great adventure that we're on

740
00:25:20,549 --> 00:25:18,640
and it's always a pleasure to get a

741
00:25:23,590 --> 00:25:20,559
chance to share it with our our friends

742
00:25:25,830 --> 00:25:23,600
on nasa tv and uh give them the bird's

743
00:25:27,510 --> 00:25:25,840
eye view or the first person view on it

744
00:25:29,110 --> 00:25:27,520
and like you said it's we've been in

745
00:25:31,510 --> 00:25:29,120
doing the space station for a long time

746
00:25:33,029 --> 00:25:31,520
and it's uh it's just amazing what we

747
00:25:34,870 --> 00:25:33,039
what we've accomplished and looking

748
00:25:36,630 --> 00:25:34,880
forward to the future