1
00:00:14,789 --> 00:00:11,270
this is where we do the field test of

2
00:00:20,470 --> 00:00:17,670
all right so we've got jerry ross here

3
00:00:22,870 --> 00:00:20,480
one of my personal heroes

4
00:00:24,310 --> 00:00:22,880
and jerry you've been a uh you're a hero

5
00:00:26,310 --> 00:00:24,320
to a lot of people you've been i was

6
00:00:28,630 --> 00:00:26,320
thinking about this jerry you've been

7
00:00:29,669 --> 00:00:28,640
you became an astronaut in 1980 right

8
00:00:33,350 --> 00:00:29,679
that's right

9
00:00:35,590 --> 00:00:33,360
before the shuttle flew yep right yeah

10
00:00:36,950 --> 00:00:35,600
and you i think you're the you're

11
00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:36,960
probably the only astronaut from the

12
00:00:42,470 --> 00:00:39,840
class of 1980 still in the

13
00:00:43,350 --> 00:00:42,480
still act on this quasi act so it's so

14
00:00:45,590 --> 00:00:43,360
active

15
00:00:46,950 --> 00:00:45,600
so you have seen i think well maybe

16
00:00:49,510 --> 00:00:46,960
there's a couple others but you're one

17
00:00:51,029 --> 00:00:49,520
of the few astronauts that have seen

18
00:00:52,630 --> 00:00:51,039
the whole length of the shuttle program

19
00:00:54,229 --> 00:00:52,640
yeah right you started you've seen every

20
00:00:56,310 --> 00:00:54,239
shuttle you've been an astronaut during

21
00:00:58,950 --> 00:00:56,320
every shuttle flight yeah i think

22
00:01:00,950 --> 00:00:58,960
shannon lucid is still in the office

23
00:01:02,310 --> 00:01:00,960
right yeah and anna fisher still in the

24
00:01:03,430 --> 00:01:02,320
office and i was on sabbatical for a

25
00:01:05,350 --> 00:01:03,440
while like right

26
00:01:06,789 --> 00:01:05,360
she's there yeah so but just just a

27
00:01:08,710 --> 00:01:06,799
couple of them you're one of the few

28
00:01:10,950 --> 00:01:08,720
that have been so how does it now so

29
00:01:12,550 --> 00:01:10,960
you've come from start to finish

30
00:01:14,630 --> 00:01:12,560
we're here at the kennedy space center

31
00:01:15,990 --> 00:01:14,640
coming off the vehicle assembly building

32
00:01:18,710 --> 00:01:16,000
what's going through your mind now as

33
00:01:21,190 --> 00:01:18,720
far as the end of the shuttle yeah i

34
00:01:23,270 --> 00:01:21,200
i wanted to stay here i wanted to be

35
00:01:25,429 --> 00:01:23,280
able to say that i completed the

36
00:01:28,469 --> 00:01:25,439
the shuttle from before to end

37
00:01:31,109 --> 00:01:28,479
and my main goal is to stay around

38
00:01:33,350 --> 00:01:31,119
and be one of those uh voices that can

39
00:01:34,789 --> 00:01:33,360
cry from the wilderness if i sense that

40
00:01:37,429 --> 00:01:34,799
there's something that's not going there

41
00:01:39,270 --> 00:01:37,439
right right right you had seven

42
00:01:41,429 --> 00:01:39,280
space shuttle flights yes which is the

43
00:01:43,190 --> 00:01:41,439
record yes i think someone tied you

44
00:01:44,710 --> 00:01:43,200
right right

45
00:01:46,230 --> 00:01:44,720
but you guys have something i mean i've

46
00:01:48,310 --> 00:01:46,240
been lucky enough to go twice but you've

47
00:01:49,749 --> 00:01:48,320
gone seven times which is a record it's

48
00:01:51,270 --> 00:01:49,759
the most space flights anyone's had

49
00:01:53,990 --> 00:01:51,280
right you were franklin it was a good

50
00:01:55,109 --> 00:01:54,000
start it was a good start

51
00:01:56,550 --> 00:01:55,119
and i know you well enough to know that

52
00:01:59,190 --> 00:01:56,560
you would be ready to go on this next

53
00:02:00,630 --> 00:01:59,200
one in the final four break a leg yeah

54
00:02:01,990 --> 00:02:00,640
yeah you're ready you're ready to go

55
00:02:03,429 --> 00:02:02,000
more you can't get enough i keep a

56
00:02:06,149 --> 00:02:03,439
launch and entry shoot down here ready

57
00:02:08,309 --> 00:02:06,159
for me and just just in case you never

58
00:02:10,070 --> 00:02:08,319
know and you can do the job easily right

59
00:02:11,510 --> 00:02:10,080
but uh but the cool thing for us you

60
00:02:12,949 --> 00:02:11,520
know is that you know

61
00:02:14,150 --> 00:02:12,959
you've got all this experience you go

62
00:02:17,110 --> 00:02:14,160
but you're still

63
00:02:18,470 --> 00:02:17,120
there to help any new person that needs

64
00:02:20,150 --> 00:02:18,480
anything

65
00:02:21,910 --> 00:02:20,160
you know there's nothing too little too

66
00:02:24,070 --> 00:02:21,920
big you won't do it for now i enjoy

67
00:02:26,470 --> 00:02:24,080
seeing new guys come on board and see

68
00:02:28,550 --> 00:02:26,480
the uh the excitement in their eyes like

69
00:02:30,470 --> 00:02:28,560
a kid on christmas morning you know yeah

70
00:02:32,790 --> 00:02:30,480
i still have that i still feel that and

71
00:02:34,630 --> 00:02:32,800
yeah to be able to see new guys come on

72
00:02:36,470 --> 00:02:34,640
board and kind of help

73
00:02:38,309 --> 00:02:36,480
see that through their eyes again but

74
00:02:40,229 --> 00:02:38,319
also to help to try to pass on some of

75
00:02:41,750 --> 00:02:40,239
the lessons learned and yeah and make

76
00:02:43,589 --> 00:02:41,760
sure that they don't make some of the

77
00:02:44,229 --> 00:02:43,599
same mistakes that we've made previously

78
00:02:45,670 --> 00:02:44,239
and

79
00:02:48,630 --> 00:02:45,680
can help them over some of the bumps

80
00:02:50,070 --> 00:02:48,640
quicker maybe yeah it's it's fun i

81
00:02:52,309 --> 00:02:50,080
you know i've been asked many times to

82
00:02:54,150 --> 00:02:52,319
take management positions and

83
00:02:55,670 --> 00:02:54,160
the the very lowest level of management

84
00:02:57,030 --> 00:02:55,680
position i have now is totally

85
00:02:58,949 --> 00:02:57,040
comfortable with me

86
00:03:00,869 --> 00:02:58,959
i never wanted to be a boss of a big

87
00:03:02,309 --> 00:03:00,879
organization yeah i always wanted to be

88
00:03:03,589 --> 00:03:02,319
close to the operations close to the

89
00:03:07,270 --> 00:03:03,599
hardware

90
00:03:08,710 --> 00:03:07,280
uh i always wanted to continue to fly

91
00:03:10,869 --> 00:03:08,720
there's only so many so many times you

92
00:03:12,470 --> 00:03:10,879
can go but uh

93
00:03:14,149 --> 00:03:12,480
but yeah but you you have that spirit

94
00:03:15,990 --> 00:03:14,159
you've never lost your enthusiasm for

95
00:03:17,509 --> 00:03:16,000
the job now you i could always tell when

96
00:03:19,990 --> 00:03:17,519
my friends were getting ready to leave

97
00:03:21,910 --> 00:03:20,000
the astronaut office as you know it's a

98
00:03:24,550 --> 00:03:21,920
very challenging environment both

99
00:03:27,750 --> 00:03:24,560
physically and mentally yeah and it's

100
00:03:29,350 --> 00:03:27,760
tough on the family as well

101
00:03:30,550 --> 00:03:29,360
but i can always tell when my friends

102
00:03:32,789 --> 00:03:30,560
were getting to the point where they

103
00:03:34,710 --> 00:03:32,799
were about ready to say that's it i'm

104
00:03:36,869 --> 00:03:34,720
going elsewhere because they'd start to

105
00:03:38,550 --> 00:03:36,879
complain about having to fly or having

106
00:03:39,990 --> 00:03:38,560
to go in the simulator or getting into

107
00:03:42,149 --> 00:03:40,000
the suit and getting into the water time

108
00:03:43,910 --> 00:03:42,159
yeah yeah and on my seventh flight i

109
00:03:54,550 --> 00:03:43,920
still felt like a kid in a candy shop

110
00:03:57,990 --> 00:03:55,670
so

111
00:03:59,750 --> 00:03:58,000
i feel extremely blessed master had the

112
00:04:01,429 --> 00:03:59,760
opportunities

113
00:04:03,750 --> 00:04:01,439
to see so many people come through the

114
00:04:05,429 --> 00:04:03,760
astronaut office and share part of their

115
00:04:07,509 --> 00:04:05,439
lives with them and

116
00:04:09,350 --> 00:04:07,519
a tremendously talented professional

117
00:04:12,149 --> 00:04:09,360
group of people and it's it's been a lot

118
00:04:13,990 --> 00:04:12,159
of fun i've always felt that as a as an

119
00:04:15,509 --> 00:04:14,000
organization i mean nasa as a whole as

120
00:04:17,749 --> 00:04:15,519
an organization particularly the art

121
00:04:19,670 --> 00:04:17,759
office is the best they have the best

122
00:04:21,590 --> 00:04:19,680
group of people in the world i would

123
00:04:23,189 --> 00:04:21,600
challenge any organization

124
00:04:24,469 --> 00:04:23,199
to just just based on the just the

125
00:04:26,629 --> 00:04:24,479
character of the people the people you

126
00:04:28,469 --> 00:04:26,639
get to work with daily or just i think

127
00:04:31,749 --> 00:04:28,479
just one of the neatest things that i've

128
00:04:33,830 --> 00:04:31,759
sensed not only at jsc or ksc but almost

129
00:04:36,150 --> 00:04:33,840
everywhere within nasa

130
00:04:38,070 --> 00:04:36,160
anybody you talk to everybody says

131
00:04:39,590 --> 00:04:38,080
they've got the best job

132
00:04:41,430 --> 00:04:39,600
and i don't care if it's it's one of the

133
00:04:43,590 --> 00:04:41,440
cooks here in the crew quarters or if

134
00:04:46,150 --> 00:04:43,600
it's uh somebody that's a machinist in

135
00:04:47,830 --> 00:04:46,160
one of the manufacturing facilities or

136
00:04:49,510 --> 00:04:47,840
guys working out on the line helping us

137
00:04:50,390 --> 00:04:49,520
to keep the airplanes flying or whatever

138
00:04:52,230 --> 00:04:50,400
it is

139
00:04:54,230 --> 00:04:52,240
everybody is involved with what they're

140
00:04:56,070 --> 00:04:54,240
doing and most of them would do it even

141
00:04:57,670 --> 00:04:56,080
if they didn't get paid yeah you know i

142
00:04:59,830 --> 00:04:57,680
mean yeah that's the way they are yeah

143
00:05:01,510 --> 00:04:59,840
and they just feel like they're

144
00:05:03,510 --> 00:05:01,520
making major contributions to our

145
00:05:05,110 --> 00:05:03,520
country space program and that's what

146
00:05:05,990 --> 00:05:05,120
keeps them there and keeps them excited

147
00:05:07,670 --> 00:05:06,000
yeah

148
00:05:09,749 --> 00:05:07,680
it's it's a great place to work in it

149
00:05:11,909 --> 00:05:09,759
yes it's the best i can't do any better

150
00:05:13,990 --> 00:05:11,919
than this i've been uh very fortunate

151
00:05:15,749 --> 00:05:14,000
throughout my air force and nasa careers

152
00:05:17,110 --> 00:05:15,759
to have exciting jobs and exciting

153
00:05:17,830 --> 00:05:17,120
things to do and

154
00:05:19,909 --> 00:05:17,840
but

155
00:05:21,670 --> 00:05:19,919
nasa is by far the

156
00:05:23,110 --> 00:05:21,680
the group of people that comes to work

157
00:05:24,870 --> 00:05:23,120
every day with a smile on their face

158
00:05:26,469 --> 00:05:24,880
yeah really is engaged in what they're

159
00:05:28,710 --> 00:05:26,479
doing

160
00:05:30,310 --> 00:05:28,720
do you have a uh as we're getting closer

161
00:05:31,749 --> 00:05:30,320
to crew quarters and and we're gonna

162
00:05:33,110 --> 00:05:31,759
have to get out of the car soon what do

163
00:05:34,790 --> 00:05:33,120
you have a

164
00:05:36,150 --> 00:05:34,800
favorite memory this is probably an

165
00:05:37,749 --> 00:05:36,160
impossible question you probably have a

166
00:05:39,350 --> 00:05:37,759
favorite hundred but has anything come

167
00:05:41,990 --> 00:05:39,360
to mind out of all the years something

168
00:05:43,110 --> 00:05:42,000
that uh sticks out to you yeah i think

169
00:05:44,390 --> 00:05:43,120
i've got some favorite stories you've

170
00:05:45,830 --> 00:05:44,400
told me what are you gonna come up with

171
00:05:47,110 --> 00:05:45,840
go ahead all right this is gonna be a

172
00:05:48,390 --> 00:05:47,120
test all right go ahead let's see what

173
00:05:50,310 --> 00:05:48,400
you come up with

174
00:05:53,029 --> 00:05:50,320
i think one of the most unique

175
00:05:55,909 --> 00:05:53,039
experiences i've ever had as a

176
00:05:57,670 --> 00:05:55,919
as a human being is on my third space

177
00:05:58,870 --> 00:05:57,680
shuttle flight i was outside on a

178
00:06:00,629 --> 00:05:58,880
spacewalk

179
00:06:03,670 --> 00:06:00,639
i was on the end of the mechanical arm

180
00:06:04,950 --> 00:06:03,680
it was way low above the payload bay

181
00:06:10,309 --> 00:06:04,960
and

182
00:06:12,230 --> 00:06:10,319
concentrating on what jay was doing

183
00:06:14,629 --> 00:06:12,240
right and so they told me just to relax

184
00:06:16,790 --> 00:06:14,639
for a second while they helped jay

185
00:06:19,110 --> 00:06:16,800
with some procedures and so i turned off

186
00:06:21,270 --> 00:06:19,120
my helmet-mounted lights tried and i

187
00:06:22,870 --> 00:06:21,280
looked up at the blackness of space

188
00:06:24,950 --> 00:06:22,880
and i tried to

189
00:06:27,510 --> 00:06:24,960
uh dark adapt my eyes as best i could to

190
00:06:29,350 --> 00:06:27,520
see as many stars as possible right

191
00:06:31,430 --> 00:06:29,360
and i will never forget

192
00:06:33,430 --> 00:06:31,440
doing that just standing out there and i

193
00:06:35,990 --> 00:06:33,440
had this sense of being my own little

194
00:06:39,430 --> 00:06:36,000
spacecraft my own spacesuit

195
00:06:41,029 --> 00:06:39,440
and being at unity with the universe

196
00:06:43,350 --> 00:06:41,039
and for an engineer that is a weird

197
00:06:44,710 --> 00:06:43,360
thing to be saying that you have this

198
00:06:47,029 --> 00:06:44,720
feeling of being at unity with the

199
00:06:49,110 --> 00:06:47,039
universe i i felt like at that point i

200
00:06:50,309 --> 00:06:49,120
was doing exactly what god had designed

201
00:06:53,670 --> 00:06:50,319
me to do

202
00:06:55,670 --> 00:06:53,680
to be out there in space in a space suit

203
00:06:57,670 --> 00:06:55,680
and in that time we were investigating

204
00:06:59,110 --> 00:06:57,680
ways of manually constructing structures

205
00:07:01,350 --> 00:06:59,120
in space

206
00:07:03,510 --> 00:07:01,360
using your hands using your brain and

207
00:07:05,670 --> 00:07:03,520
working with a team of people both in

208
00:07:07,749 --> 00:07:05,680
the vehicle and down on the ground

209
00:07:09,430 --> 00:07:07,759
to investigate and first push back the

210
00:07:11,270 --> 00:07:09,440
horizons of man's

211
00:07:12,150 --> 00:07:11,280
ventures off in the into the universe

212
00:07:13,749 --> 00:07:12,160
and it's

213
00:07:15,909 --> 00:07:13,759
what a cool thing to feel what a great