discovery this is Houston Larry King is
on the line are you ready to begin the
interview we're ready Larry King this is
Houston please go ahead with your
interview Columbia in 1989 colonel james
buckley mission specialist he's flown
three times prior and Captain John
Creighton is the commander of the
shuttle he has flown twice before as we
joined them and we can see them and they
all look terrific
Michela we got this special satellite
hook up the shuttle is moving at 17,000
miles an hour it's over the Marshall
Islands off the west coast of Australia
by the time we finish in 20 minutes
they'll be approaching the west coast of
Canada and first we have to say does the
capsule communicator in Houston ready to
put us in touch with the astronauts
Larry King this is Houston Capcom please
go ahead with your interview guys how
are you you can all hear us right we're
due at 5:00 waiter a July flare like I
read you loud and clear now is that
captain Creighton that's me okay captain
you look real good
there was an ear we'll start with you
captain and we'll take some calls from
from listeners there was a near miss in
space today discovery had a change
Robert to avoid a piece of Soviet cosmos
upper stage its space junk becoming more
of a problem captain
and somehow it is normally at the
altitude so we fly the shuttle why it's
self-cleansing most of the material out
there decays in relatively short period
of time but he should get higher objects
stay longer and then it becomes more and
more of a problem but yes it is becoming
a problem and it is a concern too
particularly for Space Station freedom
that's gonna be up in space for years
Sam you're gonna land at night about 24
hours from now is that more risky
well I think if you have any pilots
there's a little more risk involved in
landing at night than in the daytime
just because you don't have the depth
perception that you've got in the
daytime but Ken and I have done all of
our practice for the last day here at
night and so we both feel confident that
we'll be able to bring a shuttle in
right on the money
now ken is this is Ken's first one isn't
it John yeah it's the Olly rookie on
this flight
and we hand the mic over to him because
I just reckon excuse me
right how does it can can hear me which
one is Ken yeah go ahead
what's the first one like it was quite a
ride going uphill and when we got here
it was like nothing else I've ever felt
my life would you guys are all like to
work with the Soviets more closely
anyone can take this I see they've got
one mic that they're handing around to
each other so and it floats right to
them alright who's that responding in
the green shirt with the white Tim
Buckley
would you like any answers I think all
of us would I think as we get further
into our space programs it will become
evidence that all of us throughout the
world need to cooperate in that effort
around everyone's mutual benefit okay
what we're doing is if you'd hand the
mic back to captain Creighton we are
going to start taking calls from
listeners now now this is the first time
ever we have our five astronauts they
are Kenneth Sam Mark James and John John
is the commander of the shuttle we are
going to go to the first caller from San
Antonio Texas hello hello thanks Larry
it seemed like going into space would be
a life-changing experience what is it
what caused it what what really changed
you when you went up to space John I
don't know that I get that point to any
one single thing I think that what all
of us spent any free time we have doing
is looking out the world and watching
the Theia looking out the windows watch
the world go by and you know instead of
just watching street signs go by
whizzing by the cars you drive down the
highway we watch cotton
with bye and it tends to give you more
of a global perspective in appreciation
for the environment when you look at it
horizon and you see the atmosphere and
it's only about and it's thick you
realize just how fragile this planet can
be and we better learn to take care of
it
Austin Texas is the next caller hello
yes would any of you gentlemen like to
be the first man on Mars what anyone
let's pass it around to someone is Mark
Brown their mark is over-under to the
right of the captain's mark would you
like to go to Mars probably not this
week I have a long trip I think it's
something that we definitely do need to
do I'm not sure that to do that but I'm
sure it'd be a lot of people that
volunteer to go our next caller is from
st. Petersburg Florida these guys are
going 17,000 miles an hour you're
talking to them live hello
gentlemen what is it like to sleep when
you're weightless okay what is it like
who wants to take that to sleep when
you're this is the only one we haven't
heard from so this would be who okay Sam
Jamar what's it like to sleep in space
sleeping is that your body feels totally
supported and it's very restful and I
always been busy
just close our eyes at the office just a
few minutes your dreams any of you guys
dream in space captain Creighton John do
you dream not that I remember but being
a captain has its privileges right
particular sleep station is run under
the overhead windows on the flight deck
so that if I have to wake up during the
middle of the night and we sleep with
that mask on because it gets daylight
every 45 minutes you can take the mask
off and look out the window and watch
the
go by and if it's something interesting
I may stay awake and watch for about 45
minutes to an hour and as we go around
the world and then put the match down go
to sleep another couple hours our next
caller for Kenneth the writers Sam Jamar
Mark Brown James Buckley and Sean
Creighton hello good evening hello up
there suppose if you were like me who
always wanted to be an astronaut but
because the medical reason kind of
finally has included that he couldn't
then already had to find her perfect
training what other jobs in the space
program would attract you what would
attract you in space if you couldn't fly
anyone could take it mark let me take a
crack at it this is Jim I think probably
even more than being a member of the
crew is is just as rewarding and one
needs to remember that while you've able
to see the five of us on board the
shuttle there are literally thousands of
people supporting the program getting us
ready to go fly getting payloads ready
to go integrating the program getting
the vehicles ready and each one of those
jobs is an integral and very rewarding
part of the whole program everyone I've
talked to seems to have that same
feeling and that same dedication and
sense of purpose so the best answer I
can say is pretty part of the space
program is a great job and each part is
recognized as being a very integral and
very important part of the whole if it's
good New York hello it's a guy you're
there yes go ahead
travel alter your dream did you bring
your wallet did you bring your mind what
do you bring along anybody bringing
captain Creighton is laughing we can see
the astronauts by the way we have a
special hook up here that we can see
them did you guys bring money
John stop yeah we did break money they
take pretty good care of us here
New York City hello yes gentlemen hello
or do you think we're busy civilian
spaceflight and how soon how soon for
civilians who wants to take that gym or
or Sam I'm not sure I understand the
question I think that yeah when there's
a need and in fact I think that the
another schoolteacher has been
designated to be the first civilian to
fly on a future planet that fight is not
yet been named I think it will happen
just out there
I really couldn't say right now right
now I'm looking at all five of you
you're all very relaxed you wearing
comfortable look like South Florida kind
of we're in August who's piloting the
ship none of you look out the window
who's running things how do we forgot
very good job occasionally which directs
the pointers New Haven Connecticut for
the astronauts in space hello Thank You
Larry gentlemen it's an honor and a
thrill to speak with you I'd like know
what was unusual or different about the
position of the Sun and the orbiter that
made you visible to the naked eye so
long after 1:00 far to the north as you
were able to be seen okay anyone could
take that
because the direction that we want to
which was up the East Coast we were we
were clearly visible I suspect probably
all the way up beyond New York and
you're also going to be pretty visible
coming back I here to Palm Bay Florida
hello how are you Larry fine hi I just
want to talk to one of the astronauts
anyone will do okay they can all hear
you go ahead I just want to know do they
ever have any scary thoughts when they
look down when they look back at us
okay let's hand it over to I guess Jim
Buckley who hasn't been heard from in a
couple of moments here is that wears
which one is whose on the right of you
captain I've no okay I'm a little lost
now this is my pad over here mark is
there anything scary about this not
really it's the view down is that much
different from flying a high-speed jet
at the high altitude I guess the
difference is that the Space Shuttle
continues to go around the earth without
Jets constantly firing and you can't
just stop and land anytime you want to
it takes rather coordinated rocket burns
to decelerate the orbiter to come in for
landing there is some sense of
remoteness from the earth and the people
down there you're in a reaction with the
planet is different from when you're
down in the atmosphere and then you
don't feel the air in your face or smell
of flowers or anything like that it's
very much a visual sensation of all the
hues and colors to the point where the
earth very much looks flat except for
spirity because even mountains that are
a couple miles high look relatively flat
when you're over 300 miles above them so
it's it's a different sensation but not
necessarily one that's scary Mid Pines
California hello all right what a thrill
greetings from just up and assembly
National Park my hope dr. Fisk will take
notice my question - perhaps comment
later greetings all the astronauts
what's the question you want you are sad
right tonight to study other destruction
but it's ironic and here's the question
because every space shuttle launch puts
out 75 tons of chlorine which destroys
the ozone and that's larger in one
launch then somebody agree with that
captain you think you're putting out
more than you're investigating
I certainly hope that I've played I'm
not qualified to answer that that
question I know there's some concern
with the solid rocket plume but I think
in the whole we're doing more good than
I'm Champaign Illinois hello hi guys I
just wanted to say I think we all dream
about going off in space and I wondered
what your feelings were when you finally
realized whatever age you were that
you're actually going to be astronauts
so look what Kenneth this is his first
right answer it what's this all like I
think most of us in the program have
wanted to be astronauts for a long time
I certainly have and worked hard to to
get down there in the program and worked
in the program until we were selected
for a flight and I can tell you from my
perspective right now it was it's worth
every second of the way it's a great
experience a great opportunity to make a
contribution to the nation in the world
and I'm real proud to be a small part of
that
Rogers Minnesota hello I think that's a
better question for someone here on the
ground of purchasing from freedom and
space Grand Rapids Michigan hello the
universe do that I'd like to know one or
all of their opinions on possible
extraterrestrial ok there's anyone
anyone could take that well I guess
we'll how about how about Sam
last caller fields landing California
hello hello this is Randall North Bell
from fields and in California I'd like
to say first of all pressure on outer
space and we have a really good time
like no what do you do when you about
all your oxygen how do you know when to
fill the tanks up and how do you know
when you're out there and with captain
what about oxygen supply ever worry
about that we only have about a minute
and we watch very closely and so does
the ground and well under those that
consists all of those consumables
determine how long we can stay up and
when we start running out it's time to
come home and if we could have a Laker
stuff that we just come home a little
early do you get any turbulence or is
this very smooth well what you get up
there but it's quite a ride on the way
up there is turbulence on the way up
I shake rattle and roll you guys we
thank you for this 20 minutes this has
been historic with certainly the people
that were able to get through we'll
always remember that the people that
listen Dre will remember it we're able
to see you I thank you very much captain
Creighton on behalf of everyone here on
earth we look forward to a very safe
return when you guys come back 24 hours
now thanks very much guys you can all
say goodbye to captain Rach there they
go
discovery Houston that was great thanks
a lot
you