1
00:00:03,669 --> 00:00:02,230
dr tyson this is houston please call the

2
00:00:04,550 --> 00:00:03,679
station for a voice check this is

3
00:00:06,789 --> 00:00:04,560
houston

4
00:00:11,030 --> 00:00:06,799
station this is neil degrasse tyson how

5
00:00:14,230 --> 00:00:12,709
i hear you loud and clear aboard the

6
00:00:16,630 --> 00:00:14,240
international space station it's a

7
00:00:19,189 --> 00:00:16,640
pleasure to speak to you today

8
00:00:20,710 --> 00:00:19,199
it is my pleasure to speak with you

9
00:00:25,750 --> 00:00:20,720
shannon

10
00:00:29,029 --> 00:00:27,429
things are absolutely fantastic up here

11
00:00:30,390 --> 00:00:29,039
in orbit it couldn't be a better place

12
00:00:31,669 --> 00:00:30,400
to be

13
00:00:33,670 --> 00:00:31,679
i was going to say how's the weather

14
00:00:37,110 --> 00:00:33,680
there but of course

15
00:00:39,670 --> 00:00:37,120
above the sky there is no weather

16
00:00:42,549 --> 00:00:39,680
it's not every day one gets to speak to

17
00:00:45,430 --> 00:00:42,559
a an astronaut actively floating in

18
00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:45,440
space i've got a zillion questions that

19
00:00:48,229 --> 00:00:46,640
i'm sure

20
00:00:50,950 --> 00:00:48,239
most of my audience and i even want to

21
00:00:54,549 --> 00:00:50,960
know the answer to so if i go rapid fire

22
00:00:57,750 --> 00:00:56,549
i'm ready fire away

23
00:00:59,910 --> 00:00:57,760
okay

24
00:01:01,830 --> 00:00:59,920
i have to know because when i go on long

25
00:01:03,830 --> 00:01:01,840
car trips i get a little queasy stomach

26
00:01:05,910 --> 00:01:03,840
and i'm pretty sure that weightless is

27
00:01:07,190 --> 00:01:05,920
an extreme version of that and i see

28
00:01:09,429 --> 00:01:07,200
that you've been on at least a half a

29
00:01:11,830 --> 00:01:09,439
dozen seven or eight missions

30
00:01:13,429 --> 00:01:11,840
what do you ever get accustomed to being

31
00:01:14,870 --> 00:01:13,439
weightless or is there a sort of a

32
00:01:18,710 --> 00:01:14,880
queasiness every morning after your

33
00:01:21,990 --> 00:01:20,310
actually this is my first trip into

34
00:01:23,910 --> 00:01:22,000
space and

35
00:01:26,390 --> 00:01:23,920
when you first get into space it feels a

36
00:01:28,950 --> 00:01:26,400
bit odd it is very uh a very unusual

37
00:01:30,550 --> 00:01:28,960
situation to be in but uh depending on

38
00:01:32,390 --> 00:01:30,560
the person your inner air settles down

39
00:01:34,230 --> 00:01:32,400
fairly quickly mine uh settled down

40
00:01:36,870 --> 00:01:34,240
right away and i had very little trouble

41
00:01:38,390 --> 00:01:36,880
adjusting to zero g

42
00:01:40,630 --> 00:01:38,400
so you would have been so you're really

43
00:01:41,910 --> 00:01:40,640
good at amusement parks you're not one

44
00:01:45,670 --> 00:01:41,920
of these people who we have to keep

45
00:01:50,550 --> 00:01:45,680
rushing to the to the bathroom on the

46
00:01:55,109 --> 00:01:51,990
that's true i am a big fan of roller

47
00:01:57,429 --> 00:01:55,119
coaster so i have no problems with those

48
00:01:58,950 --> 00:01:57,439
so i see if i if i have your bio

49
00:02:01,109 --> 00:01:58,960
correctly here you've got

50
00:02:03,030 --> 00:02:01,119
your degree in physics at ba in physics

51
00:02:05,109 --> 00:02:03,040
as am i by the way it's a great

52
00:02:08,550 --> 00:02:05,119
perspective on the world and you went on

53
00:02:09,830 --> 00:02:08,560
for a phd in space physics and is this

54
00:02:12,309 --> 00:02:09,840
the kind of background that every

55
00:02:13,830 --> 00:02:12,319
astronaut requires or or you're a

56
00:02:17,910 --> 00:02:13,840
particular kind of astronaut for this

57
00:02:20,790 --> 00:02:19,510
well we have astronauts from all

58
00:02:22,630 --> 00:02:20,800
different backgrounds some from the

59
00:02:25,510 --> 00:02:22,640
military from some from the civilian

60
00:02:27,430 --> 00:02:25,520
world and in general uh astronauts have

61
00:02:29,990 --> 00:02:27,440
a background in science or engineering

62
00:02:31,910 --> 00:02:30,000
mathematics medical field so

63
00:02:33,430 --> 00:02:31,920
we have lots of different types of

64
00:02:35,110 --> 00:02:33,440
astronauts and

65
00:02:38,150 --> 00:02:35,120
for me personally i'm

66
00:02:38,949 --> 00:02:38,160
obviously a scientist type astronaut

67
00:02:40,790 --> 00:02:38,959
and

68
00:02:43,110 --> 00:02:40,800
what's your relationship to robotics

69
00:02:44,869 --> 00:02:43,120
because clearly robotics is such a

70
00:02:46,869 --> 00:02:44,879
fundamental part of the future of space

71
00:02:51,670 --> 00:02:46,879
exploration so is that part of your

72
00:02:56,630 --> 00:02:54,869
um it is actually um in fact it's part

73
00:02:58,790 --> 00:02:56,640
of my history of working at the johnson

74
00:03:00,949 --> 00:02:58,800
space center we have several robotic

75
00:03:02,869 --> 00:03:00,959
arms up here that we use uh the biggest

76
00:03:04,390 --> 00:03:02,879
of which is the canadian robotic arm and

77
00:03:06,710 --> 00:03:04,400
i have been trained to use that and have

78
00:03:08,550 --> 00:03:06,720
used that while i'm up here the japanese

79
00:03:10,949 --> 00:03:08,560
have a robotic arm and for both of these

80
00:03:12,710 --> 00:03:10,959
we can move payloads equipment and uh

81
00:03:14,470 --> 00:03:12,720
with the canadian arm even move people

82
00:03:16,790 --> 00:03:14,480
around

83
00:03:19,350 --> 00:03:16,800
so you've got

84
00:03:22,710 --> 00:03:19,360
so you have the ideal dream job for a

85
00:03:24,869 --> 00:03:22,720
kid that ever plays video games

86
00:03:27,830 --> 00:03:24,879
you're just controlling things through

87
00:03:30,630 --> 00:03:27,840
through remote control and

88
00:03:34,470 --> 00:03:30,640
uh that sounds like like a kid's kid's

89
00:03:39,110 --> 00:03:36,710
absolutely it was certainly my dream and

90
00:03:40,949 --> 00:03:39,120
it is it is uh i can't even describe how

91
00:03:43,110 --> 00:03:40,959
much fun it is to operate the robotics

92
00:03:45,990 --> 00:03:43,120
and to be up here

93
00:03:48,149 --> 00:03:46,000
and so so you mentioned various robotic

94
00:03:53,350 --> 00:03:48,159
arms does the united states have a

95
00:03:57,429 --> 00:03:55,910
we do not have one of our own all our

96
00:03:59,350 --> 00:03:57,439
arms are have been built by our

97
00:04:01,030 --> 00:03:59,360
international partners

98
00:04:03,990 --> 00:04:01,040
i understand you're speaking to us from

99
00:04:06,229 --> 00:04:04,000
the kibo japanese module up there and

100
00:04:08,869 --> 00:04:06,239
from what i understand the space station

101
00:04:11,990 --> 00:04:08,879
is this amalgam of

102
00:04:13,910 --> 00:04:12,000
national modules where astronauts from

103
00:04:15,990 --> 00:04:13,920
the various participating countries

104
00:04:18,629 --> 00:04:16,000
conduct experiments of interest to their

105
00:04:21,430 --> 00:04:18,639
nation or their scientists and i'm just

106
00:04:23,350 --> 00:04:21,440
curious it in each module do they serve

107
00:04:25,510 --> 00:04:23,360
their sort of local foods so if you

108
00:04:27,030 --> 00:04:25,520
wanted like a russian cuisine one night

109
00:04:29,350 --> 00:04:27,040
you just sort of float over to their

110
00:04:31,590 --> 00:04:29,360
module or you want some sushi you go to

111
00:04:33,189 --> 00:04:31,600
japan how's what's the coordination of

112
00:04:38,070 --> 00:04:33,199
these various modules and how do they

113
00:04:41,590 --> 00:04:39,830
uh well to answer your question on the

114
00:04:43,990 --> 00:04:41,600
food we do have a variety of food up

115
00:04:45,590 --> 00:04:44,000
here from all nationalities so yes i can

116
00:04:47,830 --> 00:04:45,600
have russian food one night and japanese

117
00:04:49,110 --> 00:04:47,840
food the next night and food from europe

118
00:04:50,469 --> 00:04:49,120
the night after that and of course

119
00:04:51,830 --> 00:04:50,479
american food

120
00:04:53,510 --> 00:04:51,840
all the modules all the laboratory

121
00:04:54,870 --> 00:04:53,520
modules work together and we are

122
00:04:58,390 --> 00:04:54,880
scheduled

123
00:05:00,150 --> 00:04:58,400
all of them so i have conducted

124
00:05:01,990 --> 00:05:00,160
experiments for the japanese in the

125
00:05:03,670 --> 00:05:02,000
japanese module for the europeans and

126
00:05:06,230 --> 00:05:03,680
the european module and of course for

127
00:05:08,469 --> 00:05:06,240
the americans in the american module and

128
00:05:09,909 --> 00:05:08,479
the russians are heavily

129
00:05:11,909 --> 00:05:09,919
conducting experiments down in their

130
00:05:13,350 --> 00:05:11,919
module

131
00:05:15,670 --> 00:05:13,360
so you've been you've been to russia

132
00:05:17,670 --> 00:05:15,680
before uh how was how was your russian

133
00:05:20,550 --> 00:05:17,680
right now and i understand that you're

134
00:05:22,629 --> 00:05:20,560
coming back in the in the soyuz capsule

135
00:05:25,110 --> 00:05:22,639
i visited russia some years ago and got

136
00:05:27,430 --> 00:05:25,120
to visited star city and they had a

137
00:05:28,790 --> 00:05:27,440
mock-up of the soyuz i barely fit in it

138
00:05:30,310 --> 00:05:28,800
but i guess you're not in there for very

139
00:05:34,230 --> 00:05:30,320
long you're just coming back to earth's

140
00:05:38,390 --> 00:05:36,230
coming back yeah we're only in there for

141
00:05:40,550 --> 00:05:38,400
a few hours coming up it was about two

142
00:05:42,550 --> 00:05:40,560
days that we were in the soyuz module

143
00:05:45,350 --> 00:05:42,560
i'm actually on the co-pilot on the

144
00:05:47,350 --> 00:05:45,360
soyuz module so my russian is very

145
00:05:49,110 --> 00:05:47,360
technical in nature and it's good enough

146
00:05:51,029 --> 00:05:49,120
to communicate with the control center

147
00:05:52,629 --> 00:05:51,039
and with my russian commander on the

148
00:05:54,230 --> 00:05:52,639
soyuz

149
00:05:55,830 --> 00:05:54,240
so if you see something really cool out

150
00:06:00,469 --> 00:05:55,840
the window you have no russian for that

151
00:06:03,510 --> 00:06:01,830
it would probably pop out in english

152
00:06:06,390 --> 00:06:03,520
first and then i know a few russian

153
00:06:08,870 --> 00:06:06,400
words to say how cool things are but it

154
00:06:11,110 --> 00:06:08,880
would be a short conversation

155
00:06:11,990 --> 00:06:11,120
now i did some back of the envelope math

156
00:06:13,830 --> 00:06:12,000
here

157
00:06:15,670 --> 00:06:13,840
rather simple math i think

158
00:06:17,830 --> 00:06:15,680
you you're going

159
00:06:19,909 --> 00:06:17,840
about 18 000 miles an hour sideways

160
00:06:21,510 --> 00:06:19,919
around the earth taking about an hour

161
00:06:24,950 --> 00:06:21,520
and a half so you should be getting

162
00:06:29,110 --> 00:06:24,960
about 16 sunrises and sunsets a day is

163
00:06:33,270 --> 00:06:31,670
that is absolutely correct

164
00:06:36,870 --> 00:06:33,280
okay so if you get that kind of view of

165
00:06:39,990 --> 00:06:36,880
the earth you get like lead stories on

166
00:06:42,230 --> 00:06:40,000
on volcanoes or hurricanes or oil fires

167
00:06:43,510 --> 00:06:42,240
or things that reveal themselves on

168
00:06:44,950 --> 00:06:43,520
earth's surface

169
00:06:46,710 --> 00:06:44,960
is there anything you can report on in

170
00:06:49,270 --> 00:06:46,720
the last several

171
00:06:53,270 --> 00:06:49,280
days that you've seen or do you look out

172
00:06:57,589 --> 00:06:55,430
i do look out the window a lot whenever

173
00:07:00,070 --> 00:06:57,599
we have a chance to the ground keeps us

174
00:07:01,749 --> 00:07:00,080
pretty busy and and so i don't get to

175
00:07:03,909 --> 00:07:01,759
spend many hours a day looking out the

176
00:07:06,070 --> 00:07:03,919
window one thing about going around the

177
00:07:07,270 --> 00:07:06,080
earth you don't always cover every part

178
00:07:09,510 --> 00:07:07,280
of the earth so when something

179
00:07:11,510 --> 00:07:09,520
interesting is happening say the

180
00:07:13,110 --> 00:07:11,520
volcano that's been erupting in

181
00:07:15,110 --> 00:07:13,120
indonesia

182
00:07:17,110 --> 00:07:15,120
we've actually been traversing that part

183
00:07:19,670 --> 00:07:17,120
of the world during the night time so we

184
00:07:21,430 --> 00:07:19,680
we cannot see it uh easily from space

185
00:07:23,189 --> 00:07:21,440
but we've seen lots of hurricanes from

186
00:07:25,589 --> 00:07:23,199
up here and

187
00:07:28,550 --> 00:07:25,599
the oil slick in the gulf of mexico was

188
00:07:31,830 --> 00:07:28,560
very easy for us to see from up here

189
00:07:34,550 --> 00:07:31,840
so that so that's interesting so your

190
00:07:36,710 --> 00:07:34,560
the the things that you notice it's not

191
00:07:38,870 --> 00:07:36,720
obvious i think to the average person

192
00:07:40,550 --> 00:07:38,880
that that you don't see the entire earth

193
00:07:43,189 --> 00:07:40,560
in every view you're a couple of hundred

194
00:07:45,110 --> 00:07:43,199
miles up so your horizon of view from

195
00:07:48,070 --> 00:07:45,120
one edge to the other it might be a

196
00:07:50,550 --> 00:07:48,080
thousand miles i suppose or less so you

197
00:07:53,749 --> 00:07:50,560
don't have a complete earth-wide view

198
00:07:55,670 --> 00:07:53,759
and and for that reason things could be

199
00:07:57,350 --> 00:07:55,680
happening that would take several orbits

200
00:08:00,869 --> 00:07:57,360
for you to catch up with i guess is that

201
00:08:04,469 --> 00:08:02,869
in a sense that's right we do have the

202
00:08:06,550 --> 00:08:04,479
cupola that's on the station and it

203
00:08:07,990 --> 00:08:06,560
gives us a pretty good 360 view of the

204
00:08:09,589 --> 00:08:08,000
earth so i can see

205
00:08:11,909 --> 00:08:09,599
the earth's horizon

206
00:08:13,670 --> 00:08:11,919
from one end to the other fairly well

207
00:08:15,830 --> 00:08:13,680
but of course you're looking uh at a

208
00:08:17,029 --> 00:08:15,840
long distance at a pretty shallow angle

209
00:08:18,710 --> 00:08:17,039
so you're not going to be able to see

210
00:08:20,869 --> 00:08:18,720
what's happening on the ground pretty

211
00:08:23,350 --> 00:08:20,879
far away so you really need to be going

212
00:08:25,510 --> 00:08:23,360
over something to to get a good view of

213
00:08:26,710 --> 00:08:25,520
what's going on underneath you

214
00:08:28,150 --> 00:08:26,720
see i'm pretty sure i wouldn't make a

215
00:08:29,589 --> 00:08:28,160
good astronaut because i would just you

216
00:08:30,869 --> 00:08:29,599
know park an easy chair up in the

217
00:08:32,630 --> 00:08:30,879
coppola and

218
00:08:34,709 --> 00:08:32,640
i daydream

219
00:08:36,230 --> 00:08:34,719
all day there so but

220
00:08:41,430 --> 00:08:36,240
on that subject what did what are your

221
00:08:47,110 --> 00:08:44,149
well i've done quite a variety of things

222
00:08:49,670 --> 00:08:47,120
a lot of experiments i've i've done and

223
00:08:51,110 --> 00:08:49,680
and helped the ground do really a lot of

224
00:08:52,630 --> 00:08:51,120
it is setting up the experiment so the

225
00:08:53,990 --> 00:08:52,640
researchers on the ground can run them

226
00:08:55,910 --> 00:08:54,000
remotely

227
00:08:57,269 --> 00:08:55,920
i've been involved as a test subject for

228
00:08:59,190 --> 00:08:57,279
a lot of the medical

229
00:09:00,710 --> 00:08:59,200
experiments that we're doing and of

230
00:09:02,230 --> 00:09:00,720
course as i've mentioned i've done

231
00:09:04,550 --> 00:09:02,240
robotics activities when we had our

232
00:09:06,790 --> 00:09:04,560
spacewalkers outside i was on the inside

233
00:09:09,110 --> 00:09:06,800
helping them with robotics

234
00:09:11,269 --> 00:09:09,120
so what's an example of

235
00:09:12,870 --> 00:09:11,279
the guinea pig type things that you were

236
00:09:14,790 --> 00:09:12,880
subject to

237
00:09:16,870 --> 00:09:14,800
i'm just curious if you're not only

238
00:09:19,430 --> 00:09:16,880
conducting the experiment you're also

239
00:09:21,509 --> 00:09:19,440
the human subjects of

240
00:09:25,190 --> 00:09:21,519
physiology experiments but what might

241
00:09:28,710 --> 00:09:27,269
well some of what we're doing is uh

242
00:09:30,710 --> 00:09:28,720
there's one

243
00:09:32,790 --> 00:09:30,720
interesting study that i think is on

244
00:09:34,470 --> 00:09:32,800
nutrition we've known for a long time

245
00:09:35,430 --> 00:09:34,480
that when astronauts are in space they

246
00:09:37,430 --> 00:09:35,440
lose

247
00:09:39,590 --> 00:09:37,440
muscle mass and bone density and we're

248
00:09:41,509 --> 00:09:39,600
actually looking at how diet can

249
00:09:43,910 --> 00:09:41,519
mitigate some of those effects we're

250
00:09:46,070 --> 00:09:43,920
looking at how the types of protein a

251
00:09:48,310 --> 00:09:46,080
person eats and the amount of potassium

252
00:09:49,990 --> 00:09:48,320
a person eats will actually perhaps

253
00:09:52,550 --> 00:09:50,000
lessen the amount of bone loss they get

254
00:09:53,750 --> 00:09:52,560
so a few times that i've been up here

255
00:09:55,350 --> 00:09:53,760
while i've been up here i've eaten a

256
00:09:56,949 --> 00:09:55,360
special diet and then i have to give

257
00:09:59,350 --> 00:09:56,959
samples blood and urine samples that

258
00:10:01,829 --> 00:09:59,360
will be studied once they return uh to

259
00:10:02,550 --> 00:10:01,839
the earth on the shuttle to see how my

260
00:10:04,790 --> 00:10:02,560
uh

261
00:10:06,310 --> 00:10:04,800
bone loss is progressing

262
00:10:07,590 --> 00:10:06,320
so just like hospitals down here on the

263
00:10:12,389 --> 00:10:07,600
surface they're pulling liquids out of

264
00:10:15,750 --> 00:10:14,230
pretty much pretty much except with the

265
00:10:17,509 --> 00:10:15,760
uh with the blood we have to do it

266
00:10:19,750 --> 00:10:17,519
ourselves

267
00:10:21,509 --> 00:10:19,760
oh wow so that's so so that's part of

268
00:10:23,269 --> 00:10:21,519
what it is to be the right stuff to pull

269
00:10:25,110 --> 00:10:23,279
out your own blood

270
00:10:27,269 --> 00:10:25,120
the last time i gave blood i was very

271
00:10:28,389 --> 00:10:27,279
queasy and lightheaded and so

272
00:10:29,990 --> 00:10:28,399
i guess i would only just be the

273
00:10:34,230 --> 00:10:30,000
adequate stuff

274
00:10:37,509 --> 00:10:35,829
yeah i really felt sorry for the people

275
00:10:39,190 --> 00:10:37,519
that were the guinea pigs when we were

276
00:10:40,710 --> 00:10:39,200
training to learn how to actually take

277
00:10:45,430 --> 00:10:40,720
blood because we had some very brave

278
00:10:49,829 --> 00:10:47,670
so a few more things here the

279
00:10:52,069 --> 00:10:49,839
uh with regard to space food uh what is

280
00:10:54,150 --> 00:10:52,079
your favorite i spent some time uh

281
00:10:57,350 --> 00:10:54,160
filming for nova science now

282
00:10:58,710 --> 00:10:57,360
at the johnson space lab the the food

283
00:11:01,190 --> 00:10:58,720
laboratory there

284
00:11:02,790 --> 00:11:01,200
and i remind people they don't like when

285
00:11:05,990 --> 00:11:02,800
you call it a kitchen it's like a food

286
00:11:07,910 --> 00:11:06,000
lab and i i got to taste like a 20 year

287
00:11:09,030 --> 00:11:07,920
old pork chop and

288
00:11:10,710 --> 00:11:09,040
and

289
00:11:12,870 --> 00:11:10,720
so is there some favorite or least

290
00:11:14,150 --> 00:11:12,880
favorite food that that you can report

291
00:11:19,030 --> 00:11:14,160
on while you're up there for in the

292
00:11:22,230 --> 00:11:20,230
well it's funny you should mention the

293
00:11:23,670 --> 00:11:22,240
pork chop because the pork chops we have

294
00:11:25,430 --> 00:11:23,680
out there hopefully aren't that old and

295
00:11:27,030 --> 00:11:25,440
they're actually pretty tasty so i

296
00:11:28,710 --> 00:11:27,040
always enjoy that

297
00:11:30,389 --> 00:11:28,720
we've got some barbecue beef that tastes

298
00:11:33,269 --> 00:11:30,399
pretty good it tastes like barbecue from

299
00:11:35,030 --> 00:11:33,279
home so that's always a

300
00:11:36,389 --> 00:11:35,040
i always enjoy that when that shows up

301
00:11:38,069 --> 00:11:36,399
in the menu

302
00:11:40,069 --> 00:11:38,079
some of the other things a variety of

303
00:11:41,030 --> 00:11:40,079
vegetables it's pretty standard fare up

304
00:11:42,630 --> 00:11:41,040
here

305
00:11:44,550 --> 00:11:42,640
the biggest difficulty i have with the

306
00:11:47,269 --> 00:11:44,560
food is it's rather monotonous we just

307
00:11:49,030 --> 00:11:47,279
don't have that much variety

308
00:11:51,269 --> 00:11:49,040
and have you been thinking about what it

309
00:11:53,670 --> 00:11:51,279
might be to travel to mars

310
00:11:55,110 --> 00:11:53,680
because you're up there

311
00:11:56,949 --> 00:11:55,120
folks on the space station when they're

312
00:11:59,430 --> 00:11:56,959
up there a long time it's maybe a few

313
00:12:01,910 --> 00:11:59,440
weeks at most a couple of months but of

314
00:12:02,870 --> 00:12:01,920
course mars is a multi-year mission

315
00:12:04,790 --> 00:12:02,880
and

316
00:12:07,430 --> 00:12:04,800
is that something you might volunteer

317
00:12:08,150 --> 00:12:07,440
for if it comes in our in near enough in

318
00:12:11,910 --> 00:12:08,160
your

319
00:12:13,509 --> 00:12:11,920
and if it is is it something that scares

320
00:12:15,269 --> 00:12:13,519
you a little to be away from home that

321
00:12:18,069 --> 00:12:15,279
long or to be away from a home-cooked

322
00:12:19,670 --> 00:12:18,079
meal for that long what's the psychology

323
00:12:23,990 --> 00:12:19,680
of you and your fellow astronauts

324
00:12:27,990 --> 00:12:25,350
you know that's a that's a very good

325
00:12:29,430 --> 00:12:28,000
question um these days when uh people

326
00:12:31,829 --> 00:12:29,440
live on the space station we live for

327
00:12:33,590 --> 00:12:31,839
about six months at a time um so it's

328
00:12:35,110 --> 00:12:33,600
it's a pretty good chunk of the year

329
00:12:36,949 --> 00:12:35,120
that we're away from home and then with

330
00:12:38,389 --> 00:12:36,959
training i was in training for this

331
00:12:40,230 --> 00:12:38,399
mission almost three years actually

332
00:12:42,310 --> 00:12:40,240
three years so i spent a lot of time

333
00:12:44,470 --> 00:12:42,320
from away from home so the the time away

334
00:12:46,069 --> 00:12:44,480
from home it would not be that difficult

335
00:12:47,590 --> 00:12:46,079
per se except that you wouldn't be with

336
00:12:50,389 --> 00:12:47,600
your friends and family for that long so

337
00:12:52,150 --> 00:12:50,399
it is it is a bit difficult um

338
00:12:54,230 --> 00:12:52,160
yeah i would i would certainly consider

339
00:12:56,949 --> 00:12:54,240
a mission to mars if that opportunity

340
00:12:58,949 --> 00:12:56,959
came up it would certainly be quite a

341
00:13:00,790 --> 00:12:58,959
fantastic thing to do

342
00:13:03,590 --> 00:13:00,800
now i notice you're also married to an

343
00:13:04,550 --> 00:13:03,600
astronaut so just send him along too and

344
00:13:08,310 --> 00:13:04,560
then

345
00:13:11,190 --> 00:13:09,750
yeah that would work for me i don't know

346
00:13:13,990 --> 00:13:11,200
if nasa would go for it would you be

347
00:13:19,190 --> 00:13:14,949
that's true because married people

348
00:13:24,150 --> 00:13:21,190
so that we'll have to monitor that one

349
00:13:26,230 --> 00:13:24,160
uh real closely and i want to nip it in

350
00:13:27,509 --> 00:13:26,240
the bud here and now that because i can

351
00:13:30,230 --> 00:13:27,519
tell people but they just simply don't

352
00:13:32,550 --> 00:13:30,240
believe me that right so i need a real

353
00:13:34,790 --> 00:13:32,560
astronaut to say to our listen our star

354
00:13:38,870 --> 00:13:34,800
talk listening audience that there is no

355
00:13:40,870 --> 00:13:38,880
zero g room you walk into in houston

356
00:13:43,110 --> 00:13:40,880
down in houston that in fact you have to

357
00:13:45,509 --> 00:13:43,120
sort of simulate zero g in this huge

358
00:13:47,990 --> 00:13:45,519
swimming pool and you only experience

359
00:13:49,670 --> 00:13:48,000
zero g in these airplanes that that give

360
00:13:51,670 --> 00:13:49,680
you these parabolic orbits or just in

361
00:13:52,870 --> 00:13:51,680
orbit so i needed you to say that so

362
00:13:56,470 --> 00:13:52,880
please go ahead and do that because no

363
00:13:59,030 --> 00:13:57,670
okay well they ought to believe you

364
00:14:02,230 --> 00:13:59,040
because that's absolutely correct there

365
00:14:04,310 --> 00:14:02,240
is no zero g room and we do simulate uh

366
00:14:05,670 --> 00:14:04,320
working in space in our swimming pool of

367
00:14:07,189 --> 00:14:05,680
course when you're in the swimming pool

368
00:14:08,550 --> 00:14:07,199
you still have a sense of gravity you

369
00:14:09,910 --> 00:14:08,560
still feel up and down and if you're

370
00:14:11,350 --> 00:14:09,920
upside down the blood rushes to your

371
00:14:13,350 --> 00:14:11,360
head so it's not

372
00:14:15,110 --> 00:14:13,360
an exact analogy of being in space and

373
00:14:17,030 --> 00:14:15,120
we do have the zero g plane that does

374
00:14:20,870 --> 00:14:17,040
the parabolas and on your way down you

375
00:14:22,550 --> 00:14:20,880
get about 25 seconds of zero g at a time

376
00:14:24,150 --> 00:14:22,560
so those planes yeah i guess one day

377
00:14:26,150 --> 00:14:24,160
i'll i'll try to do one of those planes

378
00:14:28,710 --> 00:14:26,160
but like i said i get a little queasy

379
00:14:32,470 --> 00:14:28,720
even just in cars so it's not the number

380
00:14:34,470 --> 00:14:32,480
one uh item on my list but so this is

381
00:14:37,430 --> 00:14:34,480
interesting so you train in this huge

382
00:14:43,189 --> 00:14:37,440
swimming pool and how how how accurate

383
00:14:47,269 --> 00:14:45,110
well i have not been uh able to do a

384
00:14:48,949 --> 00:14:47,279
spacewalk myself but from what

385
00:14:50,550 --> 00:14:48,959
the the swimming pool is primarily used

386
00:14:53,590 --> 00:14:50,560
to train the spacewalks and i hear it's

387
00:14:55,269 --> 00:14:53,600
a very accurate uh simulator when folks

388
00:14:56,550 --> 00:14:55,279
go outside to work on the outside of the

389
00:14:58,069 --> 00:14:56,560
station they say

390
00:14:59,670 --> 00:14:58,079
it looks exactly like being in the

391
00:15:02,230 --> 00:14:59,680
swimming pool so i hear it's a very good

392
00:15:03,030 --> 00:15:02,240
simulator to be in

393
00:15:04,550 --> 00:15:03,040
and

394
00:15:06,710 --> 00:15:04,560
tell me something since you have a

395
00:15:08,069 --> 00:15:06,720
background in physics if i were in the

396
00:15:10,389 --> 00:15:08,079
space station

397
00:15:12,470 --> 00:15:10,399
all i'd be doing is sort of inventing

398
00:15:13,990 --> 00:15:12,480
physics experiments that will do

399
00:15:16,629 --> 00:15:14,000
different things in zero g than they

400
00:15:18,949 --> 00:15:16,639
would on earth's surface is there some

401
00:15:22,310 --> 00:15:18,959
bit of physics you can share with us

402
00:15:24,470 --> 00:15:22,320
where in orbit it's just really cool to

403
00:15:25,990 --> 00:15:24,480
do and to watch that no one on earth

404
00:15:28,389 --> 00:15:26,000
would have any sense of because we're

405
00:15:32,310 --> 00:15:28,399
just sort of stuck here in a 1g

406
00:15:36,710 --> 00:15:33,749
oh you know there's so many things you

407
00:15:38,550 --> 00:15:36,720
can do when there's no gravity around

408
00:15:40,150 --> 00:15:38,560
of course a lot of the fun things to do

409
00:15:42,150 --> 00:15:40,160
are things like playing with your food

410
00:15:44,629 --> 00:15:42,160
and making little bubbles and have them

411
00:15:46,389 --> 00:15:44,639
uh go here and there

412
00:15:47,829 --> 00:15:46,399
there's a lot of different things i you

413
00:15:50,629 --> 00:15:47,839
know it's tough to say right off the top

414
00:15:52,949 --> 00:15:50,639
of my head what uh

415
00:15:54,949 --> 00:15:52,959
some of the really cool things to do

416
00:15:56,389 --> 00:15:54,959
other than playing with your food

417
00:15:58,629 --> 00:15:56,399
yeah that's what i that's what i would

418
00:16:00,310 --> 00:15:58,639
do all day i would like flick peas

419
00:16:02,230 --> 00:16:00,320
around and watch them ricochet off the

420
00:16:06,069 --> 00:16:02,240
sides of the

421
00:16:08,389 --> 00:16:06,079
wonder how much food is embedded in the

422
00:16:10,230 --> 00:16:08,399
electronics up there anyway because

423
00:16:13,990 --> 00:16:10,240
the temptation to do that has got to be

424
00:16:17,670 --> 00:16:15,910
it is huge but of course we have to

425
00:16:18,949 --> 00:16:17,680
clean everything up so we have to temper

426
00:16:20,310 --> 00:16:18,959
our excitement

427
00:16:23,509 --> 00:16:20,320
with the realities of keeping the

428
00:16:25,829 --> 00:16:23,519
station clean

429
00:16:28,310 --> 00:16:25,839
there's a lot of talk about whether we

430
00:16:30,389 --> 00:16:28,320
live in a risk-averse time because the

431
00:16:33,030 --> 00:16:30,399
astronauts are sort of the best example

432
00:16:34,790 --> 00:16:33,040
of very visible people unlike mountain

433
00:16:36,389 --> 00:16:34,800
climbers where you don't necessarily

434
00:16:38,389 --> 00:16:36,399
know who they are but they put their

435
00:16:40,870 --> 00:16:38,399
lives at risk astronauts are some of the

436
00:16:44,069 --> 00:16:40,880
most visible people in society yet you

437
00:16:47,590 --> 00:16:44,079
willingly strap yourself into a machine

438
00:16:50,069 --> 00:16:47,600
that launches you 18 000 miles into 80

439
00:16:52,550 --> 00:16:50,079
000 miles an hour into orbit so how do

440
00:16:54,790 --> 00:16:52,560
you do the the cost benefit calculation

441
00:16:56,870 --> 00:16:54,800
in your own head about the risk or are

442
00:16:59,509 --> 00:16:56,880
you just that special subset of human

443
00:17:01,829 --> 00:16:59,519
beings that they see a risk and they say

444
00:17:06,549 --> 00:17:01,839
i'm all for it because i'm ready for the

445
00:17:11,510 --> 00:17:08,789
you know i think it's a

446
00:17:13,829 --> 00:17:11,520
a big combination of different factors

447
00:17:15,270 --> 00:17:13,839
for me i've been fortunate having worked

448
00:17:17,590 --> 00:17:15,280
at the johnson space center my whole

449
00:17:19,029 --> 00:17:17,600
career that i know the engineers who are

450
00:17:20,549 --> 00:17:19,039
building the hardware i know the

451
00:17:22,069 --> 00:17:20,559
managers who are making the decisions

452
00:17:24,069 --> 00:17:22,079
about how safe the hardware is and

453
00:17:25,669 --> 00:17:24,079
whether or not we're ready to fly so i

454
00:17:28,390 --> 00:17:25,679
um having sort of that inside

455
00:17:30,789 --> 00:17:28,400
information there's a lot of comfort in

456
00:17:32,870 --> 00:17:30,799
getting onto a rocket and coming up here

457
00:17:35,190 --> 00:17:32,880
but by the same token just like you say

458
00:17:36,310 --> 00:17:35,200
there is a certain aspect of of me that

459
00:17:38,390 --> 00:17:36,320
says hey this sounds like a great

460
00:17:40,870 --> 00:17:38,400
adventure let's just go do it um and i

461
00:17:43,510 --> 00:17:40,880
think that's um sort of innate in humans

462
00:17:45,350 --> 00:17:43,520
to go explore and go go further and go

463
00:17:47,029 --> 00:17:45,360
learn new things

464
00:17:48,710 --> 00:17:47,039
i surely think it's an aid in the

465
00:17:50,710 --> 00:17:48,720
species but it's certainly not innate in

466
00:17:52,230 --> 00:17:50,720
every member of that species they're

467
00:17:54,310 --> 00:17:52,240
people who would just always take the

468
00:17:56,549 --> 00:17:54,320
safest way around and so we're all

469
00:17:58,310 --> 00:17:56,559
fortunate to be in the company of folks

470
00:18:00,549 --> 00:17:58,320
who see risk as a fundamental part of

471
00:18:01,990 --> 00:18:00,559
what it is to be alive and to

472
00:18:05,990 --> 00:18:02,000
advance

473
00:18:07,750 --> 00:18:06,000
all that the human species is without

474
00:18:10,070 --> 00:18:07,760
folks such as that we i guess we'd all

475
00:18:12,950 --> 00:18:10,080
still be in the cave we're running short

476
00:18:14,950 --> 00:18:12,960
on time and but i will try to end with

477
00:18:16,870 --> 00:18:14,960
some of your thoughts about the future

478
00:18:17,990 --> 00:18:16,880
there's a lot of talk about space

479
00:18:19,110 --> 00:18:18,000
tourism

480
00:18:21,190 --> 00:18:19,120
and you know you look at all the

481
00:18:23,830 --> 00:18:21,200
training that astronauts famously go

482
00:18:25,590 --> 00:18:23,840
through to go into space and then

483
00:18:27,029 --> 00:18:25,600
then at the end of the day someone says

484
00:18:30,230 --> 00:18:27,039
oh i got 20 million dollars i'll just

485
00:18:32,310 --> 00:18:30,240
buy a seed and bypass it all and and

486
00:18:34,789 --> 00:18:32,320
it's what how what's the attitude that

487
00:18:36,630 --> 00:18:34,799
the astronaut corps has to tourism or

488
00:18:41,510 --> 00:18:36,640
what is your general sense of the future

489
00:18:45,029 --> 00:18:42,789
uh well a couple of things i think

490
00:18:47,110 --> 00:18:45,039
tourism is definitely the future of what

491
00:18:49,430 --> 00:18:47,120
will happen in space um and as far as

492
00:18:51,750 --> 00:18:49,440
the tourists who have bought seats they

493
00:18:53,430 --> 00:18:51,760
do get a certain amount of training they

494
00:18:55,110 --> 00:18:53,440
go through about six months of training

495
00:18:56,710 --> 00:18:55,120
in russia before they're allowed to get

496
00:18:58,470 --> 00:18:56,720
on a soyuz rocket so they're just not

497
00:18:59,990 --> 00:18:58,480
walking in up to the counter and

498
00:19:02,549 --> 00:19:00,000
plunking down their money and flying so

499
00:19:04,150 --> 00:19:02,559
they they have to be trained on how to

500
00:19:07,110 --> 00:19:04,160
how to operate in a rocket and how to

501
00:19:08,470 --> 00:19:07,120
operate uh in a space station so i think

502
00:19:10,710 --> 00:19:08,480
one of the biggest hurdles that we're

503
00:19:13,029 --> 00:19:10,720
gonna have to face with space tourism is

504
00:19:14,230 --> 00:19:13,039
they need a destination to go to and so

505
00:19:15,909 --> 00:19:14,240
i really hope that some of these

506
00:19:18,549 --> 00:19:15,919
companies that want to build hotels in

507
00:19:20,470 --> 00:19:18,559
space or other places for people to go i

508
00:19:21,990 --> 00:19:20,480
hope they're successful so we can have a

509
00:19:24,310 --> 00:19:22,000
destination for the tourists and then we

510
00:19:25,830 --> 00:19:24,320
can continue to conduct science on the

511
00:19:27,990 --> 00:19:25,840
on the space station which is a national

512
00:19:29,750 --> 00:19:28,000
laboratory

513
00:19:31,830 --> 00:19:29,760
so that's great because the national

514
00:19:34,390 --> 00:19:31,840
laboratory like the other national labs

515
00:19:37,909 --> 00:19:34,400
across the country like los alamos and

516
00:19:39,750 --> 00:19:37,919
um i i i was around on the nasa advisory

517
00:19:41,430 --> 00:19:39,760
council when we were talking about

518
00:19:43,830 --> 00:19:41,440
possibly converting the space station

519
00:19:46,549 --> 00:19:43,840
into that status so that's that's good

520
00:19:47,590 --> 00:19:46,559
that's good to hear and so so this is

521
00:19:49,990 --> 00:19:47,600
great

522
00:19:52,310 --> 00:19:50,000
thanks for being on star talk radio with

523
00:19:53,750 --> 00:19:52,320
us this has been exciting for us and for

524
00:19:55,669 --> 00:19:53,760
listeners it's not every day we get to

525
00:19:58,390 --> 00:19:55,679
speak to someone on the job who also

526
00:20:02,390 --> 00:19:58,400
happens to be just floating 18 000 miles

527
00:20:04,390 --> 00:20:02,400
an hour sideways around the earth and

528
00:20:06,870 --> 00:20:04,400
good luck on the rest of your mission

529
00:20:08,870 --> 00:20:06,880
and uh maybe we can do this again

530
00:20:10,710 --> 00:20:08,880
sometime on

531
00:20:13,110 --> 00:20:10,720
on the next mission possibly to mars or

532
00:20:17,270 --> 00:20:13,120
whatever is in line for the space

533
00:20:20,870 --> 00:20:18,789
well thank you it's been my pleasure to

534
00:20:23,510 --> 00:20:20,880
be able to speak with you today and sure

535
00:20:25,029 --> 00:20:23,520
any time i'll be happy to to speak with

536
00:20:26,630 --> 00:20:25,039
you and speak with your listeners it's

537
00:20:27,990 --> 00:20:26,640
it's been a thrill

538
00:20:29,190 --> 00:20:28,000
and when and when you come and when you

539
00:20:31,669 --> 00:20:29,200
come back

540
00:20:33,510 --> 00:20:31,679
maybe we can run up to run into you on

541
00:20:35,190 --> 00:20:33,520
on earth's surface just remind me

542
00:20:36,630 --> 00:20:35,200
quickly what's your hometown and your

543
00:20:38,950 --> 00:20:36,640
high school you went to because the

544
00:20:40,789 --> 00:20:38,960
folks at hometown love love astronauts

545
00:20:43,990 --> 00:20:40,799
like the best loved celebrities there

546
00:20:48,230 --> 00:20:45,750
well interestingly enough i'm from

547
00:20:50,070 --> 00:20:48,240
houston texas and i am the first native

548
00:20:51,430 --> 00:20:50,080
houstonian to fly in space

549
00:20:52,710 --> 00:20:51,440
and i went to westbury senior high

550
00:20:54,310 --> 00:20:52,720
school

551
00:20:55,669 --> 00:20:54,320
wow

552
00:20:58,070 --> 00:20:55,679
that well that should be embarrassing

553
00:20:59,510 --> 00:20:58,080
for houston to for

554
00:21:00,830 --> 00:20:59,520
mission control to be there and then

555
00:21:03,110 --> 00:21:00,840
you're the first one

556
00:21:04,470 --> 00:21:03,120
so maybe it'll be the first of many

557
00:21:08,470 --> 00:21:04,480
because it just takes a role model to

558
00:21:12,230 --> 00:21:10,070
i agree i hope so i hope a lot of people

559
00:21:13,909 --> 00:21:12,240
follow in my footsteps and and but let's

560
00:21:15,270 --> 00:21:13,919
be fair it's a lot of people apply for

561
00:21:16,710 --> 00:21:15,280
the job and the

562
00:21:18,390 --> 00:21:16,720
united states is a big country so we've

563
00:21:20,549 --> 00:21:18,400
got a lot of qualified people all all

564
00:21:22,149 --> 00:21:20,559
over the country that apply

565
00:21:24,390 --> 00:21:22,159
all the more that makes you the right

566
00:21:26,310 --> 00:21:24,400
stuff and the rest of us just adequate

567
00:21:28,870 --> 00:21:26,320
stuff

568
00:21:30,870 --> 00:21:28,880
all right we're done so shannon walker

569
00:21:32,870 --> 00:21:30,880
thanks again for being on star talk

570
00:21:35,750 --> 00:21:32,880
enjoy the rest of your mission signing

571
00:21:39,830 --> 00:21:38,149
thank you very much