1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,400 >> Well, welcome to Mission Control in Houston. 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:04,430 My name is Pat Ryan. 3 00:00:04,430 --> 00:00:08,000 I'm the public affairs officer on the Orbit 2 shift here 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,640 in Mission Control today. 5 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,370 And we just finished up our daily update 6 00:00:12,370 --> 00:00:14,520 of news onboard there International Space Station, 7 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,600 and looking forward to talking to you about the station 8 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,400 and about space exploration. 9 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,110 Brought along somebody who knows all 10 00:00:21,110 --> 00:00:23,340 of that stuff even better than I do. 11 00:00:23,340 --> 00:00:25,570 Eric Boe is an astronaut. 12 00:00:25,570 --> 00:00:28,140 He's been an astronaut since 2000. 13 00:00:28,140 --> 00:00:31,720 He's flown to the International Space Station twice as the pilot 14 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,550 on Space Shuttle Endeavor in 2008; 15 00:00:34,550 --> 00:00:38,930 is on the very final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery in 2011. 16 00:00:38,930 --> 00:00:41,900 Perhaps more important, Eric is -- tell us how -- 17 00:00:41,900 --> 00:00:44,120 where you came from to get here. 18 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:45,570 >> Well, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. 19 00:00:45,570 --> 00:00:47,860 I was -- lived on the northeast side of town, 20 00:00:47,860 --> 00:00:50,100 went to Evansdale Elementary School, and I graduated 21 00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:51,120 from Henderson High School, 22 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,790 which is now a middle school, in the Atlanta area. 23 00:00:53,790 --> 00:00:56,170 >> So you are familiar with the area 24 00:00:56,170 --> 00:00:59,380 where the folks here from Ball Ground are? 25 00:00:59,380 --> 00:00:59,760 >> Absolutely. 26 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,160 Very, very familiar with the Atlanta area. 27 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:04,430 I was looking at Ball Ground 28 00:01:04,430 --> 00:01:06,110 where these guys are location wise. 29 00:01:06,110 --> 00:01:07,670 My father actually lives in Canton 30 00:01:07,670 --> 00:01:10,270 which is pretty close to where they're at. 31 00:01:10,270 --> 00:01:11,870 >> Tell us real quickly: How did you become interested 32 00:01:11,870 --> 00:01:12,980 in being an astronaut? 33 00:01:12,980 --> 00:01:15,500 How did you -- what did you have to do to get here? 34 00:01:15,500 --> 00:01:17,810 >> Well, I've always been interested in flying, 35 00:01:17,810 --> 00:01:19,070 it's just been one of my passions. 36 00:01:19,070 --> 00:01:21,460 And so I went into the Air Force and became an Air Force pilot. 37 00:01:21,460 --> 00:01:22,780 It was always kind of a far off dream. 38 00:01:22,780 --> 00:01:25,200 I remember when my parents coming -- 39 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,000 when the moon landings happening and Neil Armstrong was walking 40 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,110 on the moon, calling me in and saying, "Hey, watch this on TV." 41 00:01:31,110 --> 00:01:33,010 That's kind of my first recollection of television. 42 00:01:33,010 --> 00:01:35,270 I remember seeing the landing, and I think that's kind -- 43 00:01:35,270 --> 00:01:38,110 was always kind of on my mind to maybe get a chance 44 00:01:38,110 --> 00:01:38,840 to do that in the future. 45 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,870 And as my career went along, I became a fighter pilot 46 00:01:41,870 --> 00:01:44,360 and a test pilot, and I had the qualifications 47 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,640 to be an astronaut, I went ahead and applied, and that's kind 48 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:47,610 of the course it took. 49 00:01:47,610 --> 00:01:49,320 >> Cool. Well, let's find out what the kids 50 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:50,640 in the Atlanta area are interested in. 51 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:52,510 We're ready to take your questions. 52 00:01:52,510 --> 00:01:55,330 [ Pause ] 53 00:01:55,330 --> 00:01:58,410 >> What kind of training do you do to become an astronaut, 54 00:01:58,410 --> 00:02:02,740 and how many years do you have to train to be an astronaut? 55 00:02:02,740 --> 00:02:03,630 >> That's a great question. 56 00:02:03,630 --> 00:02:05,190 Well, the training involved -- 57 00:02:05,190 --> 00:02:06,710 usually when you come in as an astronaut, 58 00:02:06,710 --> 00:02:08,250 one of the thirst things you do is you go 59 00:02:08,250 --> 00:02:09,920 through astronaut candidate training. 60 00:02:09,920 --> 00:02:12,340 So that's usually in the range of a year and a half to two 61 00:02:12,340 --> 00:02:13,950 and a half years depending on how that works out. 62 00:02:13,950 --> 00:02:16,690 So you do all kinds of generic training, 63 00:02:16,690 --> 00:02:18,770 things like working the robotic arm. 64 00:02:18,770 --> 00:02:19,530 You learn how to fly. 65 00:02:19,530 --> 00:02:21,450 We have T-38s that we use for training 66 00:02:21,450 --> 00:02:23,300 to get crew members used to what it's going to be 67 00:02:23,300 --> 00:02:24,860 like on a spaceship, because -- 68 00:02:24,860 --> 00:02:26,480 communications and working those things. 69 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,800 We also have a neutral buoyancy laboratory, NBL -- 70 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,020 we'll talk about that probably a little bit later -where we 71 00:02:32,020 --> 00:02:34,410 practice doing space walks as well. 72 00:02:34,410 --> 00:02:35,640 And we have a lot of other training. 73 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:38,760 Language training now with the International Space Station, 74 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,390 Russian's one of those big things that we're learning 75 00:02:40,390 --> 00:02:42,010 on the station, so that training. 76 00:02:42,010 --> 00:02:44,820 And then as you pick up jobs in the [inaudible] office 77 00:02:44,820 --> 00:02:46,940 as you wait to be assigned for your flight 78 00:02:46,940 --> 00:02:48,100 and then you get assigned a flight, 79 00:02:48,100 --> 00:02:49,800 and then that training right now 80 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,220 for International Space Station is on the order of about two 81 00:02:52,220 --> 00:02:55,230 and two and a half years for your training that's involved. 82 00:02:55,230 --> 00:02:57,250 When I was at space shuttle pilot, 83 00:02:57,250 --> 00:02:59,750 my training for the space shuttle mission was about a year 84 00:02:59,750 --> 00:03:01,660 to a year and a half, so it kind of depends 85 00:03:01,660 --> 00:03:02,690 on what you're going for. 86 00:03:02,690 --> 00:03:04,280 You know, space station missions, 87 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,050 about six months is how long it lasts, 88 00:03:06,050 --> 00:03:07,570 so it just takes a little bit longer especially 89 00:03:07,570 --> 00:03:10,060 because you have travel between different countries. 90 00:03:10,060 --> 00:03:12,070 Did I answer -- 91 00:03:12,070 --> 00:03:12,470 >> Yes. 92 00:03:12,470 --> 00:03:12,720 >> Okay. 93 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:16,360 >> Yes. Next question. 94 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,530 >> What is it like to training in water, 95 00:03:18,530 --> 00:03:21,360 and how does it relate to being in space? 96 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,880 >> Well, you mentioned the neutral buoyancy laboratory. 97 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,260 That's a big [inaudible] of water. 98 00:03:25,260 --> 00:03:26,230 >> Absolutely. 99 00:03:26,230 --> 00:03:28,450 It's one of the biggest pools in the world, and it's gigantic. 100 00:03:28,450 --> 00:03:29,600 If you ever get a chance to come out here 101 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:30,830 to Johnson Space Center, you should -- 102 00:03:30,830 --> 00:03:32,240 you can take a tour of it and actually see it. 103 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:33,580 It's really gigantic. 104 00:03:33,580 --> 00:03:35,080 And even though it's a really big pool, 105 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,540 we can't fit the International Space Station fully in there, 106 00:03:37,540 --> 00:03:40,020 so we actually have to put the mock-ups in different locations. 107 00:03:40,020 --> 00:03:42,780 But the thing the pool allows us to do is to get out there 108 00:03:42,780 --> 00:03:45,600 and practice three-dimensionally like we're going to be in space; 109 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,120 whereas if it was some other way, 110 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,280 you obviously can't float on the ground. 111 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:51,390 Well, what they do is they balance you out in the pool 112 00:03:51,390 --> 00:03:54,240 and so it kind of simulates like being in space. 113 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,470 Things that the pool doesn't do very well is one thing 114 00:03:57,470 --> 00:03:59,100 that you get in the water is obviously drag. 115 00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:01,170 You know, you move your hands in front you and it slows you down. 116 00:04:01,170 --> 00:04:03,320 So in space these are things that you have to compensate for. 117 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,020 And most crew members when they go out the first -- 118 00:04:05,020 --> 00:04:06,800 the first time they go outside in space, 119 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,220 they have to really concentrate to look at those differences 120 00:04:10,220 --> 00:04:11,030 and make a difference. 121 00:04:11,030 --> 00:04:14,370 But we found the pool is the best way to simulate space 122 00:04:14,370 --> 00:04:15,520 that we can do on the ground 123 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,690 with the best trainer that we have. 124 00:04:18,690 --> 00:04:21,760 >> Did you like scuba diving before you started training 125 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:23,650 with it? 126 00:04:23,650 --> 00:04:24,840 >> That's a great question. 127 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:26,180 I did like to do scuba dive. 128 00:04:26,180 --> 00:04:29,540 I was stationed in the Air Force on my first assignment 129 00:04:29,540 --> 00:04:32,440 as an operational pilot, and I was in the Philippines, 130 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,150 and that's where actually I learned how to scuba dive, 131 00:04:34,150 --> 00:04:34,900 and I had a great time. 132 00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:36,760 The scuba diving was excellent so -- 133 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:37,450 >> Beautiful. 134 00:04:37,450 --> 00:04:39,210 >> Beautiful place to learn how to scuba dive. 135 00:04:39,210 --> 00:04:41,800 And I've continued scuba diving throughout my life. 136 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,200 But we also scuba dive, not only wear a space suit in the pool, 137 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:49,300 but we also practice in the pool for our space walks by looking 138 00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:51,520 around at the mock-ups in scuba gear. 139 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,010 So I really enjoy scuba diving and I enjoy both in our NBL 140 00:04:55,010 --> 00:04:56,210 and also out in the ocean. 141 00:04:56,210 --> 00:04:58,030 >> And I'll point out that there are other people 142 00:04:58,030 --> 00:05:02,250 who are doing -- who are helping train astronauts who scuba dive. 143 00:05:02,250 --> 00:05:05,730 I had never been a diver before, but shortly after I came 144 00:05:05,730 --> 00:05:09,470 to work here, I got trained in scuba diving so I could go 145 00:05:09,470 --> 00:05:12,710 in that pool with a camera to shoot video 146 00:05:12,710 --> 00:05:15,080 of the astronauts while they were training. 147 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,740 And it's a remarkable thing to be floating around in there 148 00:05:17,740 --> 00:05:22,880 for a couple of hours at a time holding a camera that's trailing 149 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,410 this long cord, and swimming around following them as they 150 00:05:27,410 --> 00:05:29,660 as they train for all of the tasks that they have 151 00:05:29,660 --> 00:05:30,910 to do on the space walk. 152 00:05:30,910 --> 00:05:34,400 You get a real -- a real interesting perspective of how 153 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:35,660 that goes, and you also learn a lot 154 00:05:35,660 --> 00:05:38,380 about what they're actually doing on the EVA. 155 00:05:38,380 --> 00:05:42,660 So people who like diving can be involved in even 156 00:05:42,660 --> 00:05:43,570 when they're not astronauts. 157 00:05:43,570 --> 00:05:44,010 >> Absolutely. 158 00:05:44,010 --> 00:05:45,900 I mean, when we're out there just practicing, you know, 159 00:05:45,900 --> 00:05:47,820 it's typically a spacewalk we have two people 160 00:05:47,820 --> 00:05:50,600 that are outside, and when we're practicing, we have two people. 161 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,250 But we have a whole team that's supporting that training 162 00:05:54,250 --> 00:05:55,340 that we're doing in the NBL. 163 00:05:55,340 --> 00:05:58,230 And so when we do that, we have, just like you said, 164 00:05:58,230 --> 00:05:59,810 photographers that are working with us. 165 00:05:59,810 --> 00:06:02,730 We have safety divers that are watching us. 166 00:06:02,730 --> 00:06:04,820 We have camera photographers. 167 00:06:04,820 --> 00:06:07,290 We also have people talking to us on the loops that are not 168 00:06:07,290 --> 00:06:09,670 in the pool but they're looking at some technical details. 169 00:06:09,670 --> 00:06:12,200 So we have a huge team that's helping us train while we're 170 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:12,590 in the water. 171 00:06:12,590 --> 00:06:16,370 So absolutely, there's a lot of things to do here. 172 00:06:16,370 --> 00:06:17,990 >> Who's next? 173 00:06:17,990 --> 00:06:22,050 >> Is astronaut training tiring? 174 00:06:22,050 --> 00:06:24,790 >> Astronaut training can be tiring. 175 00:06:24,790 --> 00:06:26,020 You know, it's really a lot of fun, 176 00:06:26,020 --> 00:06:27,630 and it's a lot of hard work. 177 00:06:27,630 --> 00:06:29,780 There are times when, you know, it goes quickly 178 00:06:29,780 --> 00:06:31,450 when you're working really hard, and there's other times 179 00:06:31,450 --> 00:06:34,090 when you just got to do some [inaudible] force of looking 180 00:06:34,090 --> 00:06:36,030 at things and really studying things. 181 00:06:36,030 --> 00:06:37,970 But the pool that we just talked about where you're -- 182 00:06:37,970 --> 00:06:39,830 when you're doing a space walk, 183 00:06:39,830 --> 00:06:41,800 because you're fighting against the suit. 184 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,030 Typically, we -- when you're in space, 185 00:06:44,030 --> 00:06:46,450 you have a pressure differential which makes the suit kind 186 00:06:46,450 --> 00:06:48,860 of ridged when you're moving your arms back and forth. 187 00:06:48,860 --> 00:06:51,220 And so that really makes it -- and doing things with your hands 188 00:06:51,220 --> 00:06:52,460 like you're -- tasks of squeezing 189 00:06:52,460 --> 00:06:54,380 with your hands can be very difficult. 190 00:06:54,380 --> 00:06:55,960 So when you get done with that, 191 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,550 whether you're doing a space walk in space or you're 192 00:06:58,550 --> 00:07:01,120 in the pool, you end the day and you're fairly tired. 193 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,890 And other things like that can be fairly rigorous 194 00:07:03,890 --> 00:07:05,090 in our training. 195 00:07:05,090 --> 00:07:09,430 >> Is the suit you wear heavy? 196 00:07:09,430 --> 00:07:11,680 >> That is a good question. 197 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:12,820 It is heavy actually. 198 00:07:12,820 --> 00:07:15,910 The white suit, when we go outside for our space walk, 199 00:07:15,910 --> 00:07:17,860 weighs about 300 pounds or so. 200 00:07:17,860 --> 00:07:19,870 So it's a fairly heavy suit that you got to move around. 201 00:07:19,870 --> 00:07:23,560 But you got to remember, when you're in space, we call it -- 202 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,140 you'll hear the term "zero G" or "weightlessness" or we call it 203 00:07:27,140 --> 00:07:29,560 "micro gravity" to be very specific, but essentially, 204 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:31,270 you're weightless, and so that allows us 205 00:07:31,270 --> 00:07:32,150 to move the suit around. 206 00:07:32,150 --> 00:07:34,190 So the thing that makes it difficult to move the suit is 207 00:07:34,190 --> 00:07:35,890 that you're fighting that pressure that I was talking 208 00:07:35,890 --> 00:07:38,290 about in the suit itself. 209 00:07:38,290 --> 00:07:39,630 So you don't really feel the weight, 210 00:07:39,630 --> 00:07:41,780 and it's actually fairly easy to move. 211 00:07:41,780 --> 00:07:43,810 Our other suit that we wear a lot of times, 212 00:07:43,810 --> 00:07:46,190 like when we launch on a Soyuz or when I was launching 213 00:07:46,190 --> 00:07:47,850 on the space shuttle, we wear a different suit. 214 00:07:47,850 --> 00:07:49,040 And that suit isn't quite as heavy. 215 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:50,110 It doesn't weigh 300 pounds. 216 00:07:50,110 --> 00:07:53,480 It weighs on the order of 30 to 50 pounds, but the suits 217 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,050 that we do -- do have some weight to it 218 00:07:55,050 --> 00:07:56,230 and you have to work around them. 219 00:07:56,230 --> 00:07:57,750 They have some limitations that affect you, 220 00:07:57,750 --> 00:08:00,270 but what's why we do the training that we do. 221 00:08:00,270 --> 00:08:02,980 >> And part of the reason that -- that's -- 222 00:08:02,980 --> 00:08:04,650 you said you have to work against the suit is 223 00:08:04,650 --> 00:08:07,350 because it's pressurized on the inside. 224 00:08:07,350 --> 00:08:09,340 You go out to do a spacewalk 225 00:08:09,340 --> 00:08:11,310 where there is no atmospheric pressure 226 00:08:11,310 --> 00:08:14,050 because there is no atmosphere, you have to have pressure 227 00:08:14,050 --> 00:08:16,270 on the inside of the suit in order to provide you 228 00:08:16,270 --> 00:08:17,930 with an environment that you can live in. 229 00:08:17,930 --> 00:08:20,320 And that's pressure that makes it hard to operate -- 230 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,930 that makes it tough to work against the pressure 231 00:08:22,930 --> 00:08:24,160 on the inside of the suit. 232 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,170 >> Exactly, right. 233 00:08:26,170 --> 00:08:32,400 >> What materials do you use to make an astronaut suit 234 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,820 and what are its features? 235 00:08:35,820 --> 00:08:37,530 >> Well, that's -- the suit is actually fairly complicated. 236 00:08:37,530 --> 00:08:39,460 Obviously, it's another team that went out 237 00:08:39,460 --> 00:08:41,440 and designed the suit, and we've had, you know, 238 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,030 several iterations of the suits along the way. 239 00:08:43,030 --> 00:08:46,030 But the big picture for the space suit that we have, 240 00:08:46,030 --> 00:08:48,870 the one that we take outside to do our space walks with, 241 00:08:48,870 --> 00:08:50,560 is it's made out of layers. 242 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:53,170 You start with a layer that basically is a bladder; 243 00:08:53,170 --> 00:08:54,270 it basically keeps that pressure 244 00:08:54,270 --> 00:08:55,890 that we've been talking about, keeps the air in. 245 00:08:55,890 --> 00:08:58,150 That's obviously one of the most important things 'cause you 246 00:08:58,150 --> 00:09:01,020 can't continue to live if you don't have a place to breathe. 247 00:09:01,020 --> 00:09:02,020 And so that's the [inaudible]. 248 00:09:02,020 --> 00:09:03,700 And then all the other layers are basically 249 00:09:03,700 --> 00:09:04,650 to support that layer. 250 00:09:04,650 --> 00:09:07,420 Then we have a layer that basically is a protective layer 251 00:09:07,420 --> 00:09:08,970 so that if you bump into something, 252 00:09:08,970 --> 00:09:10,980 you don't accidentally cut that bladder. 253 00:09:10,980 --> 00:09:14,930 And then on top of that we have kind of mesh weaving that goes 254 00:09:14,930 --> 00:09:16,720 on top again that helps protect. 255 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,610 And then there's a thermal layer that protects against the sun. 256 00:09:19,610 --> 00:09:22,920 And then on our gloves where we grab things, we actually take -- 257 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,760 we'll put additional -- like a rubber layer that helps us 258 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:26,890 so that when we're touching things, 259 00:09:26,890 --> 00:09:30,370 that layer can help prevent us from getting cuts in our gloves. 260 00:09:30,370 --> 00:09:32,640 So the suit is a very complicated, and then, 261 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:34,430 obviously, it's almost like a portable space ship 262 00:09:34,430 --> 00:09:36,920 because you have your own oxygen and breathing, 263 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:37,910 you're basically self-sustaining. 264 00:09:37,910 --> 00:09:39,040 You have a little power unit that -- 265 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,980 a battery so you can monitor your system that's going on. 266 00:09:41,980 --> 00:09:44,170 And you have to -- you have water 267 00:09:44,170 --> 00:09:45,810 to cool the suit while you're outside. 268 00:09:45,810 --> 00:09:46,880 So there's a lot of different things 269 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,290 that go into a space suit. 270 00:09:48,290 --> 00:09:50,680 And it's essentially like a little space ship 271 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:51,750 that you're taking outside. 272 00:09:51,750 --> 00:09:54,940 >> I think it's also important to point out that you don't go 273 00:09:54,940 --> 00:09:57,400 to space and wear those space suits all the time. 274 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,580 Most of the time you're dressed like this. 275 00:09:59,580 --> 00:10:00,170 >> Absolutely. 276 00:10:00,170 --> 00:10:02,180 I mean, usually we're wearing a shirt just like this 277 00:10:02,180 --> 00:10:03,690 on the inside, and it's just when you're going 278 00:10:03,690 --> 00:10:06,450 to go do a spacewalk that you actually put on that full suit. 279 00:10:06,450 --> 00:10:08,570 And typically, when you're riding up and down, 280 00:10:08,570 --> 00:10:11,510 you put a space suit on, but then once you're in orbit a lot 281 00:10:11,510 --> 00:10:12,750 of times you take the space suit off, 282 00:10:12,750 --> 00:10:14,050 do some work, then put the suit on. 283 00:10:14,050 --> 00:10:16,390 So most of the time you're not wearing a suit, 284 00:10:16,390 --> 00:10:17,990 but there are times when -- 285 00:10:17,990 --> 00:10:20,240 when you're having to do the space walk or special times 286 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,670 that you put the suit on. 287 00:10:22,670 --> 00:10:26,810 >> What is it like to live in -- what is it living space 288 00:10:26,810 --> 00:10:29,800 and how long do you usually stay up there? 289 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,010 >> Well, it's great living in space. 290 00:10:31,010 --> 00:10:32,040 It's one of the coolest things. 291 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,320 You know, the -- living in space, 292 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:37,100 there are so many things to see. 293 00:10:37,100 --> 00:10:39,080 When astronaut -- usually, you're busy with a lot 294 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:40,830 of work that's going on, but when you have some free time, 295 00:10:40,830 --> 00:10:43,010 the thing that you go out and do is you look at the Earth 296 00:10:43,010 --> 00:10:44,410 and you're amazed at how it is. 297 00:10:44,410 --> 00:10:46,790 But there's all kinds of things that you have to think about. 298 00:10:46,790 --> 00:10:47,120 [Inaudible] how to eat. 299 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:47,820 How to sleep. 300 00:10:47,820 --> 00:10:49,230 All the basics. 301 00:10:49,230 --> 00:10:52,050 I think there's -- there are a lot of different things 302 00:10:52,050 --> 00:10:55,700 that involved in it, but it's -- for my flights, I went up for 303 00:10:55,700 --> 00:10:58,620 about two weeks, almost 16 days, 304 00:10:58,620 --> 00:11:00,750 some of the longer space shuttle missions where we went 305 00:11:00,750 --> 00:11:02,470 up to the space station and stayed there. 306 00:11:02,470 --> 00:11:03,590 And we met crew members that -- 307 00:11:03,590 --> 00:11:05,060 like, we have crew members on board now. 308 00:11:05,060 --> 00:11:07,650 We have six crew members on the space station right now, 309 00:11:07,650 --> 00:11:09,320 and they're up there from anywhere from five 310 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:12,590 to six months is the typical mission while they're on board. 311 00:11:12,590 --> 00:11:15,540 So it's -- you really have to kind of calibrate yourself 312 00:11:15,540 --> 00:11:16,710 to how long it's going to be. 313 00:11:16,710 --> 00:11:17,930 When you're on the shorter missions, 314 00:11:17,930 --> 00:11:20,980 they're a lot more fast paced; but on the longer missions, 315 00:11:20,980 --> 00:11:22,480 it's still a high pace but you do it 316 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:23,960 over a longer period of time. 317 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,680 >> And in fact, we already have a crew that's been assigned 318 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:29,500 that is in training right now for a mission 319 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:32,000 that will last a full year in space. 320 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,470 One NASA astronaut Scott Kelly 321 00:11:34,470 --> 00:11:37,440 and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are 322 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,970 about to officially get started in their training. 323 00:11:39,970 --> 00:11:41,830 They're going to launch, and they're going to be 324 00:11:41,830 --> 00:11:43,870 in space for a full year. 325 00:11:43,870 --> 00:11:46,680 Longer missions like that that we're doing in order 326 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:50,980 to better find out how people can spend a long time in space, 327 00:11:50,980 --> 00:11:53,350 because it is going to take a long time in space 328 00:11:53,350 --> 00:11:56,660 to go do the future explorations that we want to do; 329 00:11:56,660 --> 00:11:58,550 to go to Mars or to go to asteroids, 330 00:11:58,550 --> 00:12:01,260 it will take a lot longer than just six months. 331 00:12:01,260 --> 00:12:02,750 >> And in the recent times, this is some 332 00:12:02,750 --> 00:12:05,240 of the big things we've been learning about in space, 333 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:06,170 on the space station, 334 00:12:06,170 --> 00:12:07,980 is actually doing these six-month missions. 335 00:12:07,980 --> 00:12:10,100 We've kind of -- we're doing a build-up approach 336 00:12:10,100 --> 00:12:12,020 as we get there, and so these things, we're learning 337 00:12:12,020 --> 00:12:14,040 about a lot of things like bone loss, 338 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,590 how to keep your muscles -- obviously, when you're in space, 339 00:12:16,590 --> 00:12:18,810 you're not using your muscles the same way on the ground. 340 00:12:18,810 --> 00:12:21,320 Just standing up on Earth is a workout. 341 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:22,930 When you're in space you don't have that effect, 342 00:12:22,930 --> 00:12:26,320 so we have other ways to do that with that workout equipment, 343 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:30,040 and we have a bicycle that we can work on 344 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:31,710 and a treadmill as well. 345 00:12:31,710 --> 00:12:34,130 >> Okay. Next. 346 00:12:34,130 --> 00:12:36,410 >> What is it like sleeping in space? 347 00:12:36,410 --> 00:12:40,010 >> Well, sleeping in space can be interesting. 348 00:12:40,010 --> 00:12:42,110 The first time, obviously, you're just floating in space. 349 00:12:42,110 --> 00:12:45,040 So usually on the space shuttle we actually took 350 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:46,590 out sleeping bags, so it was kind of like being 351 00:12:46,590 --> 00:12:47,920 on a camping trip where you run out 352 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:49,950 and put your sleeping bag up for the day. 353 00:12:49,950 --> 00:12:52,010 On space station right now they actually have little sleeping 354 00:12:52,010 --> 00:12:53,360 quarters that they go into. 355 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,730 So either way, you have a place that kind of keeps you place, 356 00:12:55,730 --> 00:12:56,950 and that's just so you're not floating around, 357 00:12:56,950 --> 00:12:59,280 bumping into things that probably wake you up. 358 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:01,190 One of the things I always thought was kind of interesting 359 00:13:01,190 --> 00:13:05,300 about space is, it's -- it can be -- they give you a pillow, 360 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:06,920 but obviously in space your head would be 361 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,060 like this off the pillow and that wouldn't work so well. 362 00:13:09,060 --> 00:13:11,980 So NASA gives you some NASA-issued Velcro to stick 363 00:13:11,980 --> 00:13:14,470 around your head and attach yourself to the pillow. 364 00:13:14,470 --> 00:13:16,190 So it's kind of a fun way to make sure -- 365 00:13:16,190 --> 00:13:18,360 and actually, it's very normal. 366 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,240 You actually -- it feels like you're sleeping 367 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:21,180 at home after a while. 368 00:13:21,180 --> 00:13:23,430 But you do have some interesting dreams while you're floating 369 00:13:23,430 --> 00:13:25,700 around, and it's a -- and a lot of people like to curl 370 00:13:25,700 --> 00:13:27,850 up with their knees, kind of get in that fetal position, and, 371 00:13:27,850 --> 00:13:30,770 again, we have some Velcro to get your knees in a position 372 00:13:30,770 --> 00:13:32,060 to kind of hold them there, because if not, 373 00:13:32,060 --> 00:13:33,420 they would just extend themselves out 374 00:13:33,420 --> 00:13:36,160 and it wouldn't work the way you want it to. 375 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,830 But like anything, you learn how to adjust to these changes, 376 00:13:39,830 --> 00:13:42,180 and it's actually fairly to easy to sleep in space. 377 00:13:42,180 --> 00:13:44,270 You don't have to worry about a soft bed 378 00:13:44,270 --> 00:13:45,110 like you do on the ground. 379 00:13:45,110 --> 00:13:46,890 >> No kidding. 380 00:13:46,890 --> 00:13:47,920 >> How do people 381 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,370 in the International Space Station get food and water 382 00:13:50,370 --> 00:13:53,500 from Earth if they run out? 383 00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:55,540 >> How do you get food and -- well, the big thing, 384 00:13:55,540 --> 00:13:59,580 we were just talking, we have a ship that's planning to dock 385 00:13:59,580 --> 00:14:00,500 to come up to the space station. 386 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:02,550 We actually have these unmanned ships that come up. 387 00:14:02,550 --> 00:14:03,430 The Russians have some. 388 00:14:03,430 --> 00:14:04,200 We have some. 389 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:06,190 Our international partners in the United States as well 390 00:14:06,190 --> 00:14:09,530 as has one, and we actually have a new commercial company 391 00:14:09,530 --> 00:14:11,240 that Orbital Sciences is looking 392 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,770 at launching their vehicle coming up to summer. 393 00:14:13,770 --> 00:14:15,590 So we have different ways of getting food and water 394 00:14:15,590 --> 00:14:16,530 up to the space station. 395 00:14:16,530 --> 00:14:18,210 The big thing is planning. 396 00:14:18,210 --> 00:14:20,260 We don't want to get to that point where we run out of food 397 00:14:20,260 --> 00:14:22,450 and water on the space station. 398 00:14:22,450 --> 00:14:24,950 Another interesting fact is on space station, 399 00:14:24,950 --> 00:14:27,020 a lot of our water actually gets recycled. 400 00:14:27,020 --> 00:14:29,590 We have a reclamation system on board. 401 00:14:29,590 --> 00:14:31,200 Ninety percent of the water 402 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,340 that we have that's getting used is getting reprocessed 403 00:14:34,340 --> 00:14:34,930 and redone. 404 00:14:34,930 --> 00:14:36,010 And it's really important 405 00:14:36,010 --> 00:14:38,330 because weight is a fairly expensive thing to get up 406 00:14:38,330 --> 00:14:39,640 and down, and the average human needs 407 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:41,970 about two liters water a day. 408 00:14:41,970 --> 00:14:42,940 So you start adding that up. 409 00:14:42,940 --> 00:14:44,620 That adds up to be a lot of weight of water, 410 00:14:44,620 --> 00:14:46,720 and so by reusing it -- and these are some of the things 411 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,120 that we're learning in space that we can use on the ground, 412 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,680 'cause there's obviously places on Earth where water's limited. 413 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:55,490 >> And as Eric said, there's -- because the space station is run 414 00:14:55,490 --> 00:14:57,600 by a partnership of different nations, 415 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,900 different countries are providing those supplies. 416 00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:04,290 The Russian partners launch one kind of cargo ship, 417 00:15:04,290 --> 00:15:06,900 the European Space Agency has one, 418 00:15:06,900 --> 00:15:10,450 the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has yet another kind 419 00:15:10,450 --> 00:15:14,580 of cargo ship, and NASA has provided the seed money 420 00:15:14,580 --> 00:15:17,030 for a couple of private companies in America 421 00:15:17,030 --> 00:15:18,980 that have been developing cargo ships. 422 00:15:18,980 --> 00:15:21,760 One of them is already flying, and the second one is 423 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:23,860 about ready for its first test flight, 424 00:15:23,860 --> 00:15:25,920 it's demonstration flight to the station. 425 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,580 >> Did you see the Great Wall 426 00:15:28,580 --> 00:15:32,060 of China while you were traveling through space? 427 00:15:32,060 --> 00:15:34,500 >> I actually didn't see the Great Wall of China. 428 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:36,080 The timing for lighting didn't work out, 429 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,450 but there have been people that have seen the Great Wall 430 00:15:38,450 --> 00:15:40,700 of China, and actually, with a camera, you can see a lot 431 00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:42,890 of things on Earth that you know humans are there. 432 00:15:42,890 --> 00:15:45,040 We're flying fairly low over the planet. 433 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:51,160 We're at the range of about 200 to 300 miles up in space, 434 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,490 depending on where you are in your orbit distance. 435 00:15:53,490 --> 00:15:55,740 So you're actually fairly slow going across the planet, 436 00:15:55,740 --> 00:15:58,530 and you can see the Great Wall of China from space. 437 00:15:58,530 --> 00:16:00,030 But there are a lot of things that you can see 438 00:16:00,030 --> 00:16:02,840 that are manmade from -- from -- 439 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,640 while you're going around the plant in orbit. 440 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:06,360 But the Great Wall of China's a pretty amazing one. 441 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:08,680 It's on my list if I get the chance to see it 442 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:10,050 when I go up there next time. 443 00:16:10,050 --> 00:16:10,230 >> Okay. 444 00:16:10,230 --> 00:16:16,740 >> Did you see day and night when you traveled? 445 00:16:17,770 --> 00:16:20,570 >> You see day and night actually a lot while you're 446 00:16:20,570 --> 00:16:20,970 up in space. 447 00:16:20,970 --> 00:16:22,180 When you're going around the planet, you're going 448 00:16:22,180 --> 00:16:25,810 about 17,500 miles per hour in orbit. 449 00:16:25,810 --> 00:16:29,250 What that means is that you go around the plant 16 times a day. 450 00:16:29,250 --> 00:16:31,930 And 16 times a day means you see 16 sunrises 451 00:16:31,930 --> 00:16:33,140 and sunsets every day. 452 00:16:33,140 --> 00:16:36,530 So the sun -- and the sun comes up 16 times as fast and goes 453 00:16:36,530 --> 00:16:39,490 down 16 times as fast; so when you see it, it's up pretty quick 454 00:16:39,490 --> 00:16:40,950 and down pretty quick. 455 00:16:40,950 --> 00:16:42,900 And one of the interesting things, of course, 456 00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:44,190 the weather's below us, 457 00:16:44,190 --> 00:16:45,630 so there's never anything in the way. 458 00:16:45,630 --> 00:16:47,150 So when the sun comes up, it's very bright, 459 00:16:47,150 --> 00:16:48,600 and when it goes down, it's very dark. 460 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,840 And so a lot of the effects that you see on earth that are caused 461 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,190 by the atmosphere, you don't see those up in space. 462 00:16:54,190 --> 00:16:56,470 But it's actually -- there are some unique views seeing it 463 00:16:56,470 --> 00:16:57,970 from space as well. 464 00:16:57,970 --> 00:17:00,880 And the sun on space walks, like we were talking about earlier, 465 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,340 you really have to take into account where the sun is 466 00:17:03,340 --> 00:17:05,670 because it can actually -- if you're looking right into it 467 00:17:05,670 --> 00:17:06,660 as you're working on something, 468 00:17:06,660 --> 00:17:07,950 it can really blind what you're doing; 469 00:17:07,950 --> 00:17:10,460 or when the sun goes down, if you don't have your lights on, 470 00:17:10,460 --> 00:17:12,170 you won't be able to see the task that you're working on. 471 00:17:12,170 --> 00:17:14,340 So keeping track of where the sun is actually fairly 472 00:17:14,340 --> 00:17:15,310 important thing. 473 00:17:15,310 --> 00:17:18,120 But it also effects how you sleep, because obviously a lot 474 00:17:18,120 --> 00:17:19,610 of people use the sun on the ground to kind 475 00:17:19,610 --> 00:17:20,410 of tell what time it is. 476 00:17:20,410 --> 00:17:22,980 So you kind of have to get used to a new clock because you look 477 00:17:22,980 --> 00:17:26,460 that sun a little differently while you're up in orbit. 478 00:17:26,460 --> 00:17:30,320 >> Does your oxygen level drop in space? 479 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,140 >> Your oxygen level -- actually, it's all maintained. 480 00:17:33,140 --> 00:17:35,250 We have systems on board that maintain it. 481 00:17:35,250 --> 00:17:37,920 We have a whole Mission Control room here in Houston, 482 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,390 and also there's one in Russia as well that are looking 483 00:17:40,390 --> 00:17:43,010 at these to make sure that we have the right mixture 484 00:17:43,010 --> 00:17:43,900 of gases in there. 485 00:17:43,900 --> 00:17:46,090 So we have to keep track of that as part of our thing. 486 00:17:46,090 --> 00:17:48,240 So as you breathe it, obviously it drops down, 487 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,100 but we have a tank outside 488 00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:53,020 that actually helps put more oxygen in the air. 489 00:17:53,020 --> 00:17:55,330 We have ships that bring up oxygen as well. 490 00:17:55,330 --> 00:17:57,870 And we can actually split oxygen, take water -- 491 00:17:57,870 --> 00:18:00,430 we can split the hydrogen and the oxygen 492 00:18:00,430 --> 00:18:02,150 and actually get oxygen from that as well. 493 00:18:02,150 --> 00:18:04,080 So there's multiple ways to get it. 494 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:06,140 It obviously goes down as we breathe it and we just have 495 00:18:06,140 --> 00:18:07,120 to replace it over time. 496 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:10,560 So it's something that we have to monitor continuously. 497 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,840 >> Can you watch the Atlanta Braves game in space? 498 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:15,160 [ Chuckling ] 499 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:16,120 >> Yes, you can. 500 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:17,480 And that's an important thick to do. 501 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,050 I remember when I was up in space on one of them, 502 00:18:19,050 --> 00:18:22,290 and I was actually -- our -- when I was on trip, 503 00:18:22,290 --> 00:18:23,940 we flew over a Georgia Tech game, 504 00:18:23,940 --> 00:18:26,570 and they had actually announced us on the news 505 00:18:26,570 --> 00:18:27,840 as the space station flew overhead. 506 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:29,820 I didn't hear about it at the time, but when I landed, 507 00:18:29,820 --> 00:18:32,220 people showed me pictures where they were talking 508 00:18:32,220 --> 00:18:34,810 about our crew going over top of the game. 509 00:18:34,810 --> 00:18:37,490 But, yes, they can actually put up games. 510 00:18:37,490 --> 00:18:39,250 They can also put up television shows 511 00:18:39,250 --> 00:18:40,480 that the crew wants to watch. 512 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,350 So there are ways to do that, but a lot of times, you're busy 513 00:18:43,350 --> 00:18:44,940 but you could watch it, you know, on weekend 514 00:18:44,940 --> 00:18:47,330 or when you have some time, you know, at night or something 515 00:18:47,330 --> 00:18:48,830 like that, get a tape view. 516 00:18:48,830 --> 00:18:51,360 But, you know, only for big things do you get a chance, 517 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:52,350 maybe like the World Series 518 00:18:52,350 --> 00:18:53,960 or something you might get a chance to watch that. 519 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,010 >> There's not a television that you can turn on 520 00:18:56,010 --> 00:18:58,280 and just watch whatever's on television, but the folks 521 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:03,380 who work here at Mission Control in Houston can take a -- 522 00:19:03,380 --> 00:19:05,950 whether it's a Braves game or the World Series 523 00:19:05,950 --> 00:19:07,750 or the Super Bowl or something -- 524 00:19:07,750 --> 00:19:10,920 they can send that up to the crew members 525 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,290 and they can watch it on the laptop, 526 00:19:13,290 --> 00:19:15,980 on a computer laptop screen, so they can keep 527 00:19:15,980 --> 00:19:17,310 up with things like that. 528 00:19:17,310 --> 00:19:19,340 >> And most crews request those kinds of things, 529 00:19:19,340 --> 00:19:20,470 and we have a group here that -- 530 00:19:20,470 --> 00:19:22,810 on the ground that actually helps us get that kind of -- 531 00:19:22,810 --> 00:19:24,080 what you're looking to watch while you're 532 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:25,610 up on board on orbit. 533 00:19:25,610 --> 00:19:31,680 >> Have you seen anything unusual in space? 534 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,430 >> Not counting your crew mates. 535 00:19:33,430 --> 00:19:36,330 >> Yeah. The things that you see that are unusual in space, 536 00:19:36,330 --> 00:19:39,030 probably the biggest things is just how amazing the world is 537 00:19:39,030 --> 00:19:40,030 when you look out the window. 538 00:19:40,030 --> 00:19:42,050 I mean, you can really see the planet's alive. 539 00:19:42,050 --> 00:19:44,160 You can look out the window and you can see the atmosphere, 540 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:45,850 you can see the blueness of the oceans. 541 00:19:45,850 --> 00:19:48,000 There's a lot of places you fly over on the Earth 542 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,300 that a good chance you won't get to see in the real life. 543 00:19:50,300 --> 00:19:51,080 And there are a few places -- 544 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:53,720 when I was on orbit, I saw New Zealand. 545 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:54,420 It was one of the things 546 00:19:54,420 --> 00:19:56,300 that always flew underneath us fairly often, 547 00:19:56,300 --> 00:19:58,990 and I got the opportunity, I was lucky enough to go 548 00:19:58,990 --> 00:20:02,490 down to New Zealand later, and it was neat to compare the view 549 00:20:02,490 --> 00:20:04,240 that you saw from space and the view. 550 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,090 So the things that I -- that is the most unusual is seeing those 551 00:20:07,090 --> 00:20:10,290 -- seeing our planed from a different vantage point. 552 00:20:10,290 --> 00:20:10,960 >> Yup. 553 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:17,220 >> What is your favorite thing about living in space? 554 00:20:17,220 --> 00:20:19,700 >> I'd have to say my favorite thing about living 555 00:20:19,700 --> 00:20:21,260 in space is really just the mission. 556 00:20:21,260 --> 00:20:22,600 It's one of the things that I like being 557 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,920 about an astronaut is the people that you're working with. 558 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,050 And it's not just the astronauts 559 00:20:26,050 --> 00:20:27,510 that are onboard the space station. 560 00:20:27,510 --> 00:20:28,940 It's everyone that's in the team. 561 00:20:28,940 --> 00:20:31,010 'Cause when you see an astronaut in space, 562 00:20:31,010 --> 00:20:32,890 there's actually a thousand people that are behind 563 00:20:32,890 --> 00:20:34,420 that are doing -- we have a control room here. 564 00:20:34,420 --> 00:20:36,390 We have, you know, rooms 565 00:20:36,390 --> 00:20:37,840 that are actually behind the control room 566 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,330 that support the control room and things that are going on. 567 00:20:40,330 --> 00:20:42,520 The people who design the hardware. 568 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,720 You get to go out and meet a lot of these people that worked 569 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,150 on things, the scientific effort. 570 00:20:46,150 --> 00:20:48,790 It's really just a huge big effort, and it's really neat. 571 00:20:48,790 --> 00:20:50,990 And then we've talked about the international partnership 572 00:20:50,990 --> 00:20:53,400 that we were talking about earlier, and it's just one 573 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,740 of those things that, you know, you have astronauts that are 574 00:20:56,740 --> 00:20:57,950 from different countries. 575 00:20:57,950 --> 00:20:59,770 You have teams from different countries. 576 00:20:59,770 --> 00:21:01,280 And all of this is going on at the same time. 577 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,030 When you start thing about it and you look at it 578 00:21:03,030 --> 00:21:04,200 and then you look at the planet 579 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,470 and you realize there's this huge team effort 580 00:21:06,470 --> 00:21:08,090 and all these people involved, 581 00:21:08,090 --> 00:21:09,960 to me it's probably the most exciting thing 582 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:10,760 about the space station, 583 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:15,930 the thing that I really think is the coolest part about space. 584 00:21:15,930 --> 00:21:18,430 >> How does Mission Control help you? 585 00:21:18,430 --> 00:21:21,660 >> Well, Mission Control does a lot of things for us. 586 00:21:21,660 --> 00:21:24,130 They really kind of set the schedule for the day. 587 00:21:24,130 --> 00:21:25,790 So every day when a crew member wakes up, 588 00:21:25,790 --> 00:21:29,290 we have meetings the day before, and then that day they get up 589 00:21:29,290 --> 00:21:31,160 and they look at the things that they're going to do, 590 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:32,130 and they have a schedule. 591 00:21:32,130 --> 00:21:33,870 And a lot of times we come up with challenges 592 00:21:33,870 --> 00:21:36,930 where something doesn't work the way we expect, or we have -- 593 00:21:36,930 --> 00:21:39,900 like, tomorrow we have a vehicle coming up for rendezvous. 594 00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:41,820 A lot of these things are going on in the background 595 00:21:41,820 --> 00:21:43,550 where the crew member's not directly involved in it 596 00:21:43,550 --> 00:21:45,160 but they're keeping us informed on what's going 597 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:46,680 on with those vehicles. 598 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,820 And when you have problems, that -- the ground view, they are -- 599 00:21:49,820 --> 00:21:52,620 pretty much we work back and forth continuously. 600 00:21:52,620 --> 00:21:54,600 We're constantly having discussions, 601 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:56,990 we're having e-mail traffic go up and down, we get videos 602 00:21:56,990 --> 00:21:59,640 that come up and down that talk about the experiments 603 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,500 that we're working on or the areas that we want 604 00:22:02,500 --> 00:22:03,290 to repair on the vehicle. 605 00:22:03,290 --> 00:22:05,950 So Mission Control is extremely involved and it's one 606 00:22:05,950 --> 00:22:06,740 of the big training areas. 607 00:22:06,740 --> 00:22:09,300 We even have a person that we call a [inaudible] here 608 00:22:09,300 --> 00:22:11,330 in the control room that actually talks, 609 00:22:11,330 --> 00:22:13,750 takes what the control room is talking about and then pipes it 610 00:22:13,750 --> 00:22:15,610 up to the astronauts and vice versa. 611 00:22:15,610 --> 00:22:18,820 So it's a very essential part of the whole mission 612 00:22:18,820 --> 00:22:20,530 of getting the job done. 613 00:22:20,530 --> 00:22:22,990 >> I think we may have time for one more. 614 00:22:22,990 --> 00:22:28,200 >> Did you ever think you'd be a pilot for NASA? 615 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,550 >> You know, it was one of those far off dreams but it's, 616 00:22:30,550 --> 00:22:32,670 you know, now that I'm in this position, 617 00:22:32,670 --> 00:22:35,010 I really consider myself extremely fortunate 618 00:22:35,010 --> 00:22:35,850 to get the opportunity. 619 00:22:35,850 --> 00:22:38,910 There's a lot of people that apply and want to do it, 620 00:22:38,910 --> 00:22:42,460 and there are those out there in your group that I hope you will, 621 00:22:42,460 --> 00:22:45,250 if you're interested in space, will put your name on it, 622 00:22:45,250 --> 00:22:48,040 'cause just like you, I was sitting in a classroom just 623 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,480 like you were in Georgia, and it was an opportunity 624 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,690 to get the chance to go through, to study hard in school, 625 00:22:53,690 --> 00:22:55,070 look at those math and sciences 626 00:22:55,070 --> 00:22:57,380 and keep doing what you're doing, and you could be sitting 627 00:22:57,380 --> 00:22:59,670 in this seat talking to some other people 628 00:22:59,670 --> 00:23:01,220 from Georgia in the future. 629 00:23:01,220 --> 00:23:03,660 >> Eric, we're -- our time is about up. 630 00:23:03,660 --> 00:23:05,540 I want to thank you for joining us 631 00:23:05,540 --> 00:23:07,430 and providing some thoughtful answers 632 00:23:07,430 --> 00:23:09,020 about the job that you do. 633 00:23:09,020 --> 00:23:09,870 >> Well, you're welcome, Pat. 634 00:23:09,870 --> 00:23:10,520 I enjoyed it.