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>> Humphries: Today we have here
with us a special guest here

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in Mission Control, and
this is Alicia Simpson

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who is an Expedition
34/35 Training Integrator.

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Welcome to the console, Alicia.

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>> Simpson: Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Pleasure to be here.

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>> Humphries: Really
nice to have you here.

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>> Simpson: Thank you.

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>> Humphries: And
we're very interested

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in what an integrator
for training does.

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>> Simpson: Well, the
increment integrator is the one

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that we take all of the
pieces of the puzzle

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and we put it together.

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The crew is assigned,
and we have to send them

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to different parts of the world
to train, and so my job is

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to make sure that I have
allocated enough time for them

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to train in Russia, in the
U.S., in Japan, Canada, ISA,

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and so that's the
integrating part of my job.

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>> Humphries: And that takes
place over how long of a period?

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>> Simpson: It's two and a
half years as a training flow.

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So I actually get
started prior to the two

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and a half years building
the training plan,

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working with the
international partners,

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making sure that we've allotted
enough time in each country

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to get the crew trained
and ready to go.

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>> Humphries: Okay,
well the travel part

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of that must be a lot of fun
to get that all planned out.

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>> Simpson: Yes.

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Yes.

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>> Humphries: So what did
you do to prepare this crew

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for their upcoming launch?

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>> Simpson: I coordinated
a lot of international,

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with the partners with regards

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to how long are you
going to be in Russia?

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What do you need them to do?

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What do they need to know
as far as Japan is concerned

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and Jack's experiments
and things like that?

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So I was able to do
that, negotiate the time

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because you have to go back and
forth negotiating because some

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of these launches don't move if
you don't finish the training.

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So you have to make sure
that you have enough time

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to get training in, and so
that's what I did for this crew.

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>> Humphries: Okay.

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Well, are you excited
about the upcoming mission?

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>> Simpson: I am very
excited because I have worked

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with these gentlemen
for almost 3 years.

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We've gone through a
lot of things of trying

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to make sure everything
is ready.

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They're comfortable.

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They're very excited, and
so I am very, very excited.

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>> Humphries: And were
they good students?

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>> Simpson: They were
very good students.

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>> Humphries: Okay.

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Good.

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>> Simpson: Cream of the crop.

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>> Humphries: [Laughter]

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And what's the most
challenging part of your job?

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>> Simpson: It is making sure
that the crew is comfortable

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and you've given them all
that you think that they need.

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You know, you want...

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you get the requirements from
the program, and you say,

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"These are the things
you need to train to do,"

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but you also want to make
sure that they're comfortable,

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and that if they
feel, you know, "Hey,

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I think I need a little
brush up on this,"

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or "I'd like to see this
one more time," to make sure

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that you've allotted
for time in the schedule

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so that they can get those
warm fuzzies and just make sure

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that they're comfortable
and ready to go as well.

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>> Humphries: I imagine
that you're really happy

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when they call down
during the mission and say,

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"This is just like
the training."

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>> Simpson: Yes.

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>> Humphries: Okay.

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>> Simpson: Yes.

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Yes. Very happy

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>> Humphries: What's the
favorite part of your job?

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>> Simpson: Watching
them on the launch pad

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because that means
that they're done.

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They have gone through
the training.

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They are very comfortable.

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They are always very excited.

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They are always smiling, and
so that makes me feel like,

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"Yes I have done everything
that I was supposed to do

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to make sure that they
are in their happy place

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and they're on the launch pad."

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Love it.

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>> Humphries: Great.

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Well tell me what...

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you work for a different
company.

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You don't directly
work for NASA.

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Who do you work for?

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>> Simpson: I work for
the United Space Alliance

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as a contractor, and I've been

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with the company
since March of '99.

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So I'm coming up on 14 years.

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>> Humphries: Wow.

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Congratulations on that.

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>> Simpson: Thank you.

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>> Humphries: And how long...

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So you've been working
there 14 years.

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Is that your first experience
with working with NASA?

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>> Simpson: Yes.

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Yes, and I've worked, you know,

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this is not my first
job with NASA.

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So I've worked shuttle flights
as well as station flights.

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So it's very exciting.

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>> Humphries: Well, and
tell me what got you

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into the space business.

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Where are you from?

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Where did you go to school?

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>> Simpson: [Laughter]
That's a really funny story

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because I went to school at
the University of Minnesota,

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and my degree is
actually in criminology.

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So it's...

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Yeah, I know.

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It's not something I hope to
ever use here, but it does help

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with negotiating skills
and tactics and being able

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to put the puzzle together

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because that's what
criminologists do.

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You know, you're
always trying to figure

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out how this happened,
and so it was...

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it actually was very
good training to be able

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to be an integrator and
put the pieces together.

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>> Humphries: Wow.

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That's something I
wouldn't have expected,

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and so obviously you've
learned how to apply that,

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and being in Minnesota,

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you probably know a little
bit what the crew's going

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through out there in those
record cold temperatures today.

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>> Simpson: Oh, yeah.

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I know exactly what it's like
being out there in the cold,

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and frankly I don't
miss it, and...

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but, as I said, for them,
like I said, they're so happy,

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they're so excited that they
probably don't even feel

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the cold.

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That's how I would be when
I was at a football game.

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I just tuned it out because I
was so excited to be there, but,

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yes, it is very, very cold.

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I can only imagine.

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I think it's maybe minus 30
in [inaudible] sun right now.

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So I remember those days well.

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>> Humphries: Right.

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All right.

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Well, is there anything
else that we haven't talked

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about that we ought to, Alicia?

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>> Simpson: No, just, you
know, what we do is so unique,

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and I just really want everyone
to know that this experience is

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so humbling when you're
watching them in space

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and they're doing things that
are going to help all of us,

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and it is just such a
wonderful, vibrant place to work

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that I could not have
dreamed being anywhere else.

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I love it.

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>> Humphries: Well, thank you
so much for being with us today,

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Alicia Simpson, Training
Integrator for Expedition 34/35,

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and we're all pulling
for your crew

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to have a smooth launch
and docking and...

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>> Simpson: Thank you.

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>> Humphries: Looking forward to
all those activities as they...

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and those smiles on their faces
when we see them on Wednesday.

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>> Simpson: They'll be big.

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>> Humphries: Thanks a bunch.