WELCOME TO TODAY'S
CONVERSATION WITH SCOTT KELLY. RECENTLY COMPLETED A YEARLONG
MISSION WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CONTINUES TO
FOLLOW INSIGHTS TO NASA'S JOURNEY TO MARS. I AM TABATHA THOMPSON. TODAY WE'LL HEAR FROM SCOTT AND
HIS ONE YEAR MISSION. WE RECEIVED A LARGE NUMBER OF
GREAT QUESTIONS VIA E-MAIL IN ADVANCE, THANK YOU FOR THOSE. WE'LL GET TO MANY OF THOSE AS
POSSIBLE. FIRST LET'S START AT A LOOK BACK
AT THE ONE-YEAR MISSION. \M\M\M
>> THROUGHOUT HISTORY, PEOPLE HAVE DONE THINGS THAT ARE RISKY. EVEN THOUGH IT IS A RISKY THING
TO BE DOING, A LOT MORE THAN SOME THINK, I STILL THINK IT IS
WORTH IT. >> ASTRONAUT SCOTT KELLY WILL
TRY SOMETHING THIS SPRING AND LEAVE FOR A MISSION AND SPEND A
YEAR IN SPACE, HIS TWIN BROTHER MARK KELLY. >> THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW
THEY CHANGE PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY AS MONTHS PASS. >> THIS IS A BIT OF A HAIL MARY,
BOOM! SCOTT KELLY AT THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION. >> SCOTT KELLY HAS BEEN WORKING
TOWARDS THIS MISSION HIS ENTIRE CAREER. HE HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARDS THIS
MISSION HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN SOME RESPECTS. >> I DECIDED THAT THE CHALLENGES
STAYING IN SPACE A WHOLE YEAR PRESENTED WAS APPEALING TO ME
CONSIDERING THE SACRIFICES. >> HUMAN BODY MADE FOR GRAVITY,
NEVER DETERRED THE NAVY TEST PILOTS FROM BECOMING ASTRONAUTS. >> ANYTHING WE PUT OUR MIND TO
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. DOING GOOD. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE BEEN UP HERE
A LONG TIME. LOOK FORWARD TO BEING HOME SOON. >> GREAT STORY. FASCINATING EXPERIMENT. >> SPACE IS THE MOST EXCITING
THING I CAN IMAGINE TALKING TO SOMEONE IN ORBIT IS LIKE I AM AN
ASTRONAUT. >> ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE
PHYSICAL TOLL? >> I THINK ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF
RADIATION. REASON I AM HERE IS TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT IT SO SOME DO WE CAN TRAVEL. >> A YEAR WAS NOT SHORT, IT WAS
REWARDING AND PRIVILEGED TO HAVING GOT TO DO. [APPLAUSE]
>> HELLO EVERYONE, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD MORNING TO SOME. KEEP CLAPPING IN THE SPIRIT,
LET'S GIVE ANOTHER HAND TO OUR GUESTS IN HONOR OF SCOTT KELLY. [APPLAUSE]
I AM FOND OF QUOTING ELEANOR ROOSEVELT SAYING THE FUTURE
BELONGS TO THOSE THAT BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS. ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS ABOUT
SCOTT AND OURS, IT ENCOURAGED SO MANY AROUND THE WORLD TO DREAM,
BELIEVE, HOPE. SO MANY PEOPLE LOOKED AT THOSE
700 IMAGES SCOTT POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND NOW WATCHING
IMAX MOVIE "A BEAUTIFUL PLANET" AND INSPIRES. I REMEMBER AS A YOUNG GIRL
GROWING UP IN MONTANA DREAMING BY APOLLO. DREAMING TO BE PART OF THE SPACE
PROGRAM. LOOK HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO BE IN
FRONT OF YOU ALL HERE NOW. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING,
SCOTT, IS HAVING THE SAME EXACT EFFECT ON KIDS AND THE GENERAL
PUBLIC ALIKE AND ALL OF US FOLKS AT NASA. YOU ARE LITERALLY REACHING
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HERE IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD. THAT IS WHAT WE CAN HOPE FOR. THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO BRING
ALL OF HUMANITY WITH US ON ALL OF OUR EXPLORING. SCOTT HAS DONE THAT IN TERMS OF
THE MESSAGE OF HOPE AND INSPIRATION AND EXPLORATION AND
SHOWING AND BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN ALL OF US. IT IS RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT
OUR JOURNEY TO MARS. SPACE STATION IS THE FIRST PHASE
OF THE JOURNEY TO MARS. SCOTT'S JOURNEY MADE AN
INCREDIBLE IMPACT. TO THE NEARLY 400 EXPERIMENTS
SCOTT CONDUCTED ON SPACE STATION DURING HIS YEAR IN SPACE ALONG
TO SCOTTS WORKING ON ALL OF HIS PREVIOUS MISSIONS THAT LED UP. BETWEEN THE SERVICE, 8,000 HOURS
AND 40 DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT AND SPACECRAFT. AMAZING. HE HAS FOREVER CHANGED THE WAY
AMERICANS VIEW EXPLORATION AND OPENED US UP TO THE BIG DREAMS. JOIN ME IN ONE MORE BIG ROUND OF
APPLAUSE, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, SCOTT KELLY. [APPLAUSE]
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> HI THERE. I HAVE TO SAY HI TO MY FORMER
CREW MATE, KATY CULLMAN. THANK YOU EVERYONE, GREAT TO BE
HERE. GREAT TO BE ANYWHERE WITH
GRAVITY NOW. AFTER NEARLY A YEAR IN SPACE. ON THE SPACE STATION, I CHANGED
POSITIONS SO MANY TIMES YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WAS RUNNING
FOR PRESIDENT. I CAN SAY THAT NOW BECAUSE I AM
NO LONGER SUBJECT TO THE HATCH ACT. [LAUGHTER]. DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE. YOU KNOW, SPENDING A YEAR IN
SPACE, A YEAR OF MY LIFE FOR NEARLY A YEAR, IT WAS A REALLY,
REALLY LONG TIME. YOU WONDER WHY SPEND A YEAR IN
SPACE? WELL, LIKE DR. NEWMAN SAID TO
LEARN, PUSH OUR BOUNDARIES OF WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF BOTH OUR
OWN PHYSIOLOGY FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL STANDPOINT ALSO
HOW TO OPERATE THE SYSTEMS ON BOARD THE SPACE STATION SO SOME
DAY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO MARS. I AM VERY EXCITED AND FEEL
PRIVILEGED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS AND HOPEFULLY I'LL
CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF NASA'S JOURNEY TO MARS. PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT IS THE BEST
PART ABOUT FLYING IN SPACE, LAUNCH LANDING, LOOKING AT
EARTH? INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL, FLOATING
AROUND IN 0 G? BEST PART OF IT FOR ME IS
WORKING ON THE SOMETHING INCREDIBLY HARD, MAKING THIS MY
LIFE WORK. WORKING HARD AT IT AND BEING
PROUD OF BEING SUCCESSFUL. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR, THIS IS
NOT MY MISSION IN SPACE. THIS IS OUR MISSION. THIS IS NASA'S MISSION. THIS IS OUR COUNTRY'S MISSION TO
HAVE ME AND MY COLLEAGUES STAY ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION FOR 340 DAYS. I WANT TO STRESS IT IS SOMETHING
THAT ALL OF YOU AND ALL OF THOSE WATCHING ON TELEVISION SHOULD BE
VERY, VERY PROUD OF. IT IS NOT EASY. IT IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS
THAT I THINK WE HAVE DONE. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS SHOW
MY VIDEO. I HAVE A VIDEO I AM GOING TO
NARRATE A LITTLE BIT AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE, THEN WE'LL HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND HOPEFULLY SOME
ANSWERS. WE CAN ROLL THE VIDEO HERE. \M\M\M
THIS IS THE TYPICAL POST FLIGHT VIDEO MEANING THAT I REALLY
HAVEN'T SEEN THIS BEFORE. [LAUGHTER]. THIS STARTS OFF IN KAZAKHSTAN
AND MY FRIEND MISHA GETTING READY TO LAUNCH. DOES NOT LOOK LIKE KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER. IT IS VERY FUNCTIONAL. UNLIKE THE SPACE SHUTTLE, THEY
STAND THIS ROCKET UP A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE AND GET IT READY. THAT IS US GETTING OUR GLOVES
ON. WE LAUNCHED AT NIGHT LATE MARCH
OF LAST YEAR. WHEN YOU ARE LEAVING THE PLANET
WHETHER ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE OR SOY US, LOOKS LIKE IT IS LIFTING
OFF, WHEN YOU ARE ON IT, NOTHING SLOW. YOU GET THE FEELING YOU ARE
GOING SOME WHERE AND NOT COMING BACK TO THE LAUNCH PAD. RIGHT ABOUT THIS TIME GANADI
SAYS TO MISHA AND I YOU ARE IN SPACE. YOU ARE AND I'LL BLANK OUT THE
EXPLETIVE, YOU GUYS ARE HEROS. [LAUGHTER]. WE SAID GANADI YOU ARE OUR HERO
YOU HAVE GETTING US UP HERE SAFELY. HE IS THE REAL DEAL. THIS IS THE SPACE STATION. YOU PEOPLE HAVE WORKED ON IT,
REALLY A MAGNIFICENT FACILITY. SEEING IT FROM THE
SOYUZ TURNS TO DO ITS RENDEZVOUS BURN. THIS IS A DUMB IDEA, MISHA AND I
WENT THROUGH THE HATCH TOGETHER. WE PLANNED THAT 10 SECONDS
BEFORE. I SAID GET OVER HERE. WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE HATCH
TOGETHER. THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT BETWEEN
HIM AND I AND ALL OF YOU. SPACE STATION IS A MAGNIFICENT
FACILITY LIKE DR. NEWMAN WAS
SAYING, OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, 400 DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTS,
ALL KINDS OF SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES, BASIC PHYSICS LIKE
DOING THE SPHERES EXPERIMENT. MISHA ASSISTS. COMBUSTION RESEARCH. UNDERSTANDING THOSE TO MAKE MORE
EFFICIENT ENGINES OR ROCKET ENGINES. WE ALSO GREW PLANTS WITH THE
VEGGIE EXPERIMENT. WE HAD THE LETTUCE WE GREW
FIRST. WHEN WE TRIED TO GROW A FLOWER
PLANT UNTIL I GOT PERMISSION TO PUT MY HANDS ON THE FLOWERS. THEY WERE TOO WET OR TOO DRY OR
DRYING. HERE IS A PICTURE OF CHEL AND I
DOING SOMETHING. NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS. I WAS THERE WITH 14 DIFFERENT
PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. ONE OF THEM BEING MISHA, MY
RUSSIAN COLLEAGUE WE SPENT NEARLY THE ENTIRE YEAR TOGETHER. THIS IS USING THE JAPANESE. GOOD EXAMPLE OF
COMMERCIALIZATION IN SPACE AND USE ISS AS A RESEARCH. I TALKED ABOUT COMBUSTION. INTENTIONALLY LIGHTING A FIRE IN
SPACE IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SMARTEST THING TO DO BUT WE WERE
ABLE TO DO IT SAFELY AND LEARN A LOT FROM DOING THIS. LIFE SEASONS RESEARCH ON BOARD
THE SPACE STATION, CRUCIAL TO OUR FUTURE JOURNEY TO MARS AS
WELL AS UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM BEHAVES IN THE
MICRO GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT. THAT WAS PART OF THE TWIN'S
STUDY THAT WE DID WITH MY BROTHER COMPARING OUR PHYSIOLOGY
WITH HIM AS THE CONTROL SUBJECT ON THE GROUND. WE HAD A BUNCH OF VISITING
VEHICLES. THIS WAS HALF WAY THROUGH THE
MISSION SERGEI CAME ON BOARD. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT AIDEN LOOKED
LIKE. I FIGURED THAT WAS OKAY IT
WOULDN'T BE OKAY. THIS IS NINE ON BOARD THE SPACE
STATION. THIS IS BEFORE THEY ARE LEAVING. GANADI WHO WE SPENT SIX MONTHS
GETTING READY TO LEAVE. I WAS TRYING TO SNEAK IN THERE
BEHIND HIM. [LAUGHTER]. NOT THAT I WAS REALLY READY TO
COME HOME AT THAT POINT. WE HAD A BUNCH OF VISITING
VEHICLES. UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST A PROGRESS
EARLY ON IN OUR FLIGHT. AS YOU KNOW WE LOST THE SPACE
XSUPPLY SHIP. WE WERE COUNTING ON TO GET ON
BOARD SUCCESSFULLY. THIS ISN'T THE HTB. THIS IS THE ORBITAL SCIENCES
VEHICLE THAT CHEL CAPTURED. SOME OF THIS VIDEO IS OUT OF
ORDER. WHEN WE LOST THOSE TWO VEHICLES
IT WAS DICEY FOR US. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT
SUPPLIES WE WERE RATIONING. WE GAVE SOME OF THE FOOD TO OUR
RUSSIAN COLLEAGUES. THEY WERE RUNNING LOW ON CERTAIN
THINGS, FORTUNATELY HTB LAUNCHED. ONE THING GOOD ABOUT HOW NASA
DOES BUSINESS. WE TRY TO HAVE A BACK UP PLAN. GREAT TO GET HTB ON BOARD. ONE THING STRIKING ABOUT EARTH
IS HOW FRAGILE THE ATMOSPHERE IS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE 340 DAYS
I WAS THERE. SIX SPACE WALKS, RUSSIANS DID
TWO OF THEM. I DID THREE OF THEM. AND TIM AND TIM STILL UP THERE
DID ONE AS WELL. TALK ABOUT A HARD JOB. NOT FUN WHILE YOU ARE DOING IT. TYPE TWO FUN KIND OF THING, FUN
WHEN YOU ARE DONE. IT IS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIMENT. VERY FIRST TIME, MOST CRITICAL
JOB OF ALL THE EVA DISCIPLINES US OUTSIDE OR THE FOLKS ON THE
GROUND. PERSON ACTUALLY PUTTING US IN
THE SUIT PLAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLE AS FAR AS THE
SAFETY OF WHAT WE ARE DOING OUTSIDE. THE THREE SPACE WALKS WE DID, WE
HELPED TO IMPROVE THE END EFFECTER, DID UPGRADES TO AMS
AND INSULATION ON THE FIRST SPACE WALK. WE PUT THE AMMONIA COOLING
SYSTEM BACK INTO ITS ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION. WE HAD THIS THIRD SPACE WALK
SORT OF MY THOUGHT. WE HAD TO DO IT BECAUSE WE FOUND
OUT THAT THE SETA CART, THE BRAKES WERE ON. I WAS THE LAST GUY TO BE ON THAT
THING RIGHT THERE PULLING ON THE BRAKE HANDLES. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY. HERE IS US TALKING ABOUT THE
AMMONIA ON CHEL'S SUIT. AT THAT POINT YOU REALIZE
DESPITE ALL THESE REALLY SMART PEOPLE ON THE GROUND THAT HELPED
DO THE SPACE WALKS, YOU HAVE TO RELY ON THE PERSON YOU ARE OUT
THERE WITH IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG. IT WAS AN EYE OPENING FEELING
FOR ME IN TERMS OF THE, IN MATERIALS OF THE TEAM WORK
ESPECIALLY BETWEEN THE TWO EVA BUDDIES. HERE IS A GREAT VIEW OF HOW
BRILLIANT BLUE THE PLANET EARTH LOOKS. YOU ARE OUT THERE IN YOUR OWN
SPACESHIP AND COMPLETELY FOCUSSED ON WHAT YOU ARE TRYING
TO DO. LIVING IN SPACE MAKES MOST
THINGS HARD INCLUDING DEALING WITH YOUR CARROTS AND YOUR FOOD. THIS IS EARLY ON WHEN SAMANTHA
AND TERRY BURKES WERE UP THERE. THEY QUICKLY WITHIN A FEW WEEKS
LEFT. THIS IS IN SEPTEMBER DURING THE
NINE CREW OPS. QUITE A FUN TIME. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE HEARD ALL
THIS BEFORE. MICRO GRAVITY MAKES MOST THINGS
HARDER TO DO. I STOPPED CHEL AT THE SPACE
STATION, I FLEW ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE MODULE. I HAD TO TACKLE HIM. HE WAS COMPLETELY AT MY MERCY. [LAUGHTER]. PLAYING WITH BALLS OF WATER IS
FUN. THIS LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOOFING
AROUND MOST OF THE TIME. TO BE HONEST, YOU ARE WORKING
FROM THE TIME YOU GET UP TILL THE TIME YOU GO TO SLEEP. WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
AT WORK, GO TO SLEEP AT WORK, NEVER LEAVE EVEN THROW THE SPACE
STATION IS AN INCREDIBLE PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK AND GREAT
FACILITY, WHEN YOU ARE THERE I WOULDN'T SAY I GOT BOARD, BUT I
FELT I HAD BEEN LIVING MY WHOLE LIFE UP THERE. SPENDING 500 DAYS TOTALLY, I
FEEL LIKE I AM INTIMATELY FAMILIAR. I COULD DO A BACK FLIP FROM NODE
ONE AND MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO NODE TWO. CHEL GOT GOOD AT MOVING AROUND
ON THE SPACE STATION AS WELL. \M\M\M
LIKE I SAID, INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE, THIS IS FROM
THE U.S. LABORATORY MODULE. I TOOK A LOT OF PICTURES OF THE
EARTH AND POSTED THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WAY I FELT ABOUT
IT, IT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC WITH. FUN FOR ME. FUN TO MAKE THE PICTURES LOOK AS
GOOD AS THEY POSSIBLY GOOD. I USED ARTISTIC LICENSE IN DOING
THIS. AND 16 RISES AND SUNSETS
EVERYDAY. THEY ALWAYS LOOK DIFFERENT AND
NEVER GET OLD. THESE ARE VIEWS OF PROBABLY SOME
WHERE ACTUALLY, THAT LOOKED LIKE THE U.S. BUNCH OF MY INSTAGRAM
PICTURES. OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THIS IS VIDEO. ONE THING YOU ARE KEENLY AWARE
OF IS THE EFFECT WE HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT. I WAS LOOKING OUT OF CHINA, I
COULD SEE ALL THESE CITIES, 200 CITIES, OVER 200 PEOPLE AND
NEVER ABLE TO SEE THEM. NEXT DAY ON THE NEWS, I HEARD
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TURNED OFF THE COAL PRODUCING PLANTS IN
THAT PART OF CHINA. THE SKY COMPLETELY CLEARED. IN CHINA AND INDIA, IF PEOPLE
WERE TO TELL ME THERE ARE KIDS THAT DON'T BELIEVE THE SKY IS
BLUE, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THEM. IT WAS WEIRD GETTING UP THERE
AND COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER HAVING CHEL AND KIMIA. NEVER FLOWN BEFORE. THEY WERE BRAND NEW ROOKIES. I SAW THEM SHOW UP AND THEY ARE
LIKE BABY BIRDS. SIX MONTHS LATER THEY SOAR AWAY
LIKE EAGLES, SEASONED VETERANS I JUST WATCHED THEM, JUST WATCHED
THEM GROW IN THEIR ABILITIES TO LIVE AND WORK IN SPACE. EVENTUALLY IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO
COME HOME AFTER NEARLY A YEAR BEING UP THERE. WHEN YOU ARE IN THE SHUTTLE
COMING HOME, IT IS LIKE DRIVING DOWN PARK AVENUE IN A BENTLEY,
SOYUZ IS MORE LIKE FLIPPING YOUR PICKUP TRUCK OFF INTO THE WOODS. GOING OVER NIAGARA FALLS IN A
BARREL WHILE YOU ARE ON FIRE. AS SOON AS YOU REALIZE YOU ARE
NOT GOING TO DIE IT IS THE MOST FUN YOU EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE. 24 HOURS LATER BACK IN HOUSTON,
I GOT HOME, FIRST THING I DID JUMPED INTO MY SWIMMING POOL,
ATE A MIX TEXAS STEAK, SLEPT IN A BED, TOOK A SHOWER FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN NEARLY A YEAR. BEST PART WAS THE SATISFACTION
OF DOING THE HARDEST THING I WILL EVER DO IN MY LIFE AND
BEING PROUD OF THAT. WHEN I WAS BACKING AWAY FROM THE
SPACE STATION FROM THE LAST TIME I WILL EVER SEE IT, I LOOKED OUT
AT THIS INCREDIBLE SPACE STATION WE BUILT WITH INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIP WITH 15 COUNTRIES, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, DIFFERENT
ENGINEERING STANDARDS IN SOME CASES, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER
WHILE FLYING AROUND THE EARTH 17,500 MILES AN HOUR IN A VACUUM
IN EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURES, I WAS INSPIRED IF WE CAN DO THIS,
HARDEST THING WE HAVE EVER DONE, WE CAN DO ANYTHING. IF WE CHOOSE TO GO TO MARS WE
CAN GO TO MARS. IF WE WANT TO CURE CANCER AND
PUT THE RESOURCES BEHIND IT, WE CAN CURE CANCER. I AM A TRUE BELIEVER NOW, IF WE
CAN DREAM IT, WE CAN DO IT, IT TAKES TEAM WORK, IT TAKES
EFFORT. WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP. SOME DAY, I HOPE, MAYBE THERE
ARE KIDS IN HERE, I THINK THE PERSON THAT IS ALIVE THAT WILL
WALK ON MARS IS DEFINITELY ALIVE TODAY, I WAS PROUD TO BE A PART
OF OUR YEAR IN SPACE MISSION, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, SCOTT. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT
DESCRIPTION OF YOUR YEAR IN SPACE. I THINK WE ENJOYED THAT VIVID
DESCRIPTION OF LANDING. EXCELLENT TOUCH. FIRST QUESTION WE'LL GO TO THE
CENTERS AND OPPORTUNITY TO CUE UP THE QUESTIONS. WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PREVIOUS
MISSIONS CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BASED
ON YOUR LENGTH OF YOUR MISSION? >> FIRST SIX DAYS, SECOND 13 TO
THE SPACE STATION ABOARD THE SPACE SHUTTLE, THIRD, 159 DAYS,
FOUR MONTHS. THIS ONE, 340 DAYS. IF YOU GRAPH THESE, SOME SMART
PERSON SAID THIS IS SECOND ORDER POLLY -- IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
OVER FIVE YEARS. I AM EITHER GOING TO MARS OR I
AM NOT FLYING IN SPACE AGAIN. AS FAR AS HOW I FELT AFTER THE
FLIGHT BETWEEN 159 DAYS AND 340 DAYS, SEEMS LINEAR TO ME. IN OTHER WORDS THE FLIGHT WAS
TWICE AS LONG AND I FELT TWICE AS BAD. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE SOYUZ IT
WAS BECAUSE I AM A GOOD ACTOR. I HAD TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T LOOK
WORSE THAN THE TWO GUYS I WAS WITH. MY COLLEAGUES WOULD NEVER LET ME
HEAR THE END OF IT. QUICKLY AFTER I GOT BACK, I
TALKED ABOUT THIS, BEING REALLY, REALLY SORE AND STIFF. MY SKIN HAD NOT TOUCHED ANYTHING
IN 340 DAYS EXCEPT, YOUR CLOTHING. COMPLETELY FELT LIKE IT WAS ON
FIRE. I ACTUALLY HAD SOME RASHES AND
DISCOLORATION ANYWHERE I HAD CONTACT. I HAD FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS. HAD I NOT BEEN IN SPACE, I WOULD
HAVE GONE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. HEY, I AM NOT FEELING THAT
GREAT. THAT IS WHY WE DO THIS. WE NEED TO LEARN THESE THINGS IF
WE ARE GOING TO MARS. FROM MISHA AND I DOING THIS AND
OTHERS IN THE FUTURE, WE ARE GOING TO FIGURE THIS OUT. IF WE ARE GOING TO SPEND YEARS
IN SPACE, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY TO HELP. HOPEFULLY WE'LL GO TO MARS AND
TAKE US SIX MONTHS TO GET THERE AND SPEND A BUNCH OF TIME ON THE
SERVICE AND ROCKET BACK ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. VERY, VERY EXCITING. >> THANK YOU. WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM
HEADQUARTERS, OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A QUESTION. WAIT FOR THE MICROPHONE. >> HI, MY NAME IS WANDA GREEN. I WORK WITH OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATIONS IN PUBLIC INQUIRIES OFFICE. THIS MAY SOUND FUNNY BUT I AM
SERIOUS, WAS THERE EVER A MOMENT WHERE YOU WERE LIKE: O-M-G, I
HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS FACILITY? >> [LAUGHTER]. >> YEAH. YOU KNOW, MAY -- I WAS THERE SIX
WEEKS. I AM THINKING YOU KNOW, IT IS,
YES. DOES THAT SOUND BETTER? >> YES. >> IT IS LIKE JULY. I AM THINKING JULY, AUGUST,
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, I
AM THINKING, THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME. IT WASN'T LIKE, I NEVER QUITE
FELT LIKE I WAS CLIMBING THE WALLS. THE SPACE STATION IS PRETTY
SPACIOUS. I NEVER FELT LIKE I WOULD BE
HAPPIER IF IT WAS BIGGER. I THINK NASA CHOOSES PEOPLE TO
DO THIS JOB THAT PROBABLY, YOU WOULDN'T WANT SOMEBODY
CLOSTOPHOBIC, I NEVER FELT LIKE I HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE. WHEN I WAS LEAVING I HAD A SENSE
OF RELIEF. EVERYTHING IS ON EARTH,
PRACTICALLY. [LAUGHTER]. ALL THE GOOD STUFF. >> SCOTT, YOU TALKED ABOUT
VEGGIE AND HOW THE TRANSITION WHEN YOU WENT FROM GROWING
LETTUCE TO GROWING FLOWERS AND THE TIME WHEN YOU WERE ABLE TO
MAKE THE DECISION ON YOUR OWN WEATHER TO WATER. VEGGIE TEAM AT KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER ASTRONAUTS WOULD PREFER
INDEPENDENT GARDENING OR SCHEDULED? >> HAVING SOMETHING COMPLETELY
AUTOMATED, IT IS BEST. GIVES THEM TIME TO DO THINGS
THAT CAN'T BE AUTOMATED. FOR THE VEGGIE EXPERIMENT, I HAD
A SENSE OF SATISFACTION TAKING CARE OF THE PLANTS, I DO
UNDERSTAND HOW EXPENSIVE CREW TIME IS. IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE THAT WOULD
HAVE BEEN BETTER YOU CAN CHECK ON THE PLANTS AT YOUR LEISURE. IN THIS CASE WITH THE VEGGIE,
ZENIA FLOWERS, THERE ARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO DOING
THINGS. A LOT OF TIMES WE DO EXPERIMENTS
CLOSELY CONTROLLED BY THE GROUND. IN THIS CASE IT WAS CLEAR THAT
WAS NOT GOING TO WORK. TOO MUCH OF A DELAY AND AMOUNT
OF TIME IT TOOK TO DECIDE WITH WHAT THEY NEEDED. IT WASN'T UNTIL I STARTED
FEELING THEM AND TOUCHING THEM FIGURING OUT WHAT THEY NEEDED
AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM THAT THEY DID COME BACK. IT WAS FUNNY, I WAS TALKING TO
ONE OF MY RUSSIAN COLLEAGUES WHY WE ARE DOING THIS EXPERIMENT, I
TOLD THEM IN THE FUTURE WE WANT TO FLY FLOWERING PLANTS WE CAN
EAT LIKE A TOMATO. IT WAS INTERESTING, RUSSIAN
PERSPECTIVE, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GROW A TOMATO AND EAT IT, WHY
WOULDN'T YOU GROW A POTATO. YOU CAN LIVE ON A POTATO, YOU
CAN'T LIVE ON A TOMATO. >> I THINK THERE IS A MOVIE
ABOUT THAT. >> YEAH. >> WE WERE VERY EXCITED, THIS IS
FROM THE VEGGIE TEAM. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO
HELP THE CREW LOOK TO THE JOURNEY FOR MARS. WE HAVE A QUESTION NOW FROM
GLEN. >> SCOTT, THINKING ABOUT YOUR
EXPERIENCE NOW, LOOKING AHEAD TO MARS MISSION OR ASTEROID
MISSION, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE NO. 1 ENGINEERING
CHALLENGE TO GET HUMANS THERE AND BACK SAFE ENOUGH AND HEALTHY
ENOUGH? >> YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A FEW
CHALLENGES, PROTECTING THE CREW FROM RADIATION. IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE SIX
MONTHS AND AWAY FROM THE PROTECTION OF EARTH, IT IS CLEAR
THAT IS ONE OF OUR ENGINEERING CHALLENGES. OTHER CHALLENGES, OF COURSE. I WOULD WANT A SYSTEM THAT TAKES
LESS WORK BY THE CREW, UM, OR SCRUBBING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM
THE ATMOSPHERE. WE ARE ALWAYS WORKING HARD AND
NEEDING SPARE PARTS. I WOULDN'T, I WOULD BE CAUTIOUS
TO TAKE AND UNCOMFORTABLE TAKING AIR SEEDRA TO MARS IF YOU
COULDN'T TAKE THE AMOUNT OF SPARE PARTS OR EXTRA PARTS. WE NEED A MORE RELIABLE
CAPABILITY TO SCRUB CARBON DIOXIDE. I WAS ASKED ON THE SPACE STATION
BY THIS REPORTER I WAS DOING AN INTERVIEW, THE REPORTER SAID NOW
THAT NASA DETERMINED THERE IS IN FACT LIQUID WATER ON MARS DURING
CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR, IS THAT GOING TO HELP US GET TO MARS
QUICKER? MY ANSWER WAS MAYBE IT WILL. IF WE FOUND MONEY ON MARS, THEN
WE WOULD GET THERE FAST. [LAUGHTER]. WE HAVE ALL OF YOU PEOPLE TO
FIGURE OUT THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES. WE NEED THE PUBLIC SUPPORT AND
MONEY. >> THANK YOU. NEXT QUESTION AGAIN FROM CENTER
OUTSIDE OF HEADQUARTERS MARSHAL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER. >> SCOTT FOLLOWING ON THE
QUESTION ASKED BY GLEN, WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS YOUR GREATEST
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NASA IN TERMS OF DESIGNING A DEEP SPACE
HABITAT. >> LIVING ON THE SPACE STATION,
IT IS A BIG FACILITY. YOU HAVE A LOT OF PRIVACY. CERTAIN PARTS THAT ARE LOUD. IF YOU SEPARATE THE
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEM STUFF. I WOULD SAY IF YOU ARE GOING TO
MARS WITH HOWEVER MANY PEOPLE, FOUR PEOPLE, YOU ARE LIVING ON
TOP OF ONE ANOTHER FOR A LONG TIME. THE EXERCISE EQUIPMENT IN NODE
3, FUNCTIONAL, TREADMILL IS LOUD. YOU WOULD BE LIVING RIGHT NEXT
TO THAT TREADMILL WHC, TOILET IS NOISY. I THINK HUMAN FACTORS FROM A
LIVABILITY PERSPECTIVE, NOISE ABATEMENT AND PRIVACY AND
LIGHTING. IT WILL GO A LONG WAY INTO
REDUCING CREW FATIGUE AND MAKING MORE EFFICIENT AT WORKING. I THINK IT IS SOMETHING WE COULD
WORK ON. FUNDS DEVOTED TO A DEEP SPACE
HABITAT. I AM INTERESTED TO HEAR MORE AND
WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING. >> GREAT. WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK TO
HEADQUARTERS. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU
HAVE A QUESTION. >> SCOTT, I UNDERSTAND THAT
WHILE YOU WERE IN SPACE YOU GREW IN LENGTH, I WAS CURIOUS HOW
LONG IT TOOK YOU TO COME BACK TO YOUR EARTH SIZE? >> I HAVE NOT COME BACK TO MY
EARTH HEIGHT YET. I GREW TWO FEET. MY BROTHER IS 3'6". NOW I CAN RUB HIS HEAD. IT IS VERY FUN FOR ME. SO I STRETCHED AN INCH AND A
HALF. THEN AS SOON AS I GOT BACK TO
HOUSTON, FIRST THING MY BROTHER WANTED TO DO IS STAND BACK TO
BACK. WE WERE EXACTLY THE SAME HEIGHT. >> SPEAKING OF YOUR TWIN
BROTHER, MARK, WE HAD A QUESTION E-MAILED FROM HEADQUARTERS, DO
YOU THINK THE AGENCY SHOULD ACTIVELY RECRUIT IDENTICAL
ASTRONAUTS ESPECIALLY FOR A TRIP TO MARS FOR HUMANS? >> I THINK THAT IS A QUESTION
FOR THE SCIENTISTS. UNDERSTANDING JUST WHAT I
UNDERSTAND ABOUT SOMETHING BEING STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, YOU
WOULD NEED A LOT OF IDENTICAL TWIN ASTRONAUTS. FROM THE TWINS STUDIES IT IS
INTERESTING. I HOPE TO LEARN A LOT, CERTAIN
THINGS WE CAN COMPARE WITH MY BROTHER AND I BEING SIMILAR AND
ALL THIS DATA ON MY BROTHER WE HAVE HAD ALL THESE YEARS. DRAWING ANY SPECIFIC
CONCLUSIONS, IT IS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. GIVE US IDEAS ON AREAS WE NEED
TO LOOK AT FURTHER. ANSWER WOULD BE I AM NOT SURE, I
THINK TO BE SCIENTIFIC CLI SIGNIFICANT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO
HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF IDENTICAL TWINS, SURE YOU COULD FIND SOME. >> NEXT QUESTION IS FOR
GOTTERED. >> YES, ABOUT HOW LONG BEFORE
YOU FELL -- BEFORE YOU GOT BACK TO EARTH, WAS THAT LINEAR WITH
RESPECT TO YOUR OTHER FLIGHTS? >> I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU
ON THAT ONE. I AM NOT THERE BY ANY STRETCH. I AM STILL FATIGUED SOME WHAT AT
CERTAIN TIMES. IF I SIT FOR A LONG TIME MY LEGS
ARE STIFF AND MY FEET HURT A LOT AT CERTAIN TIMES, DEPENDS ON HOW
LONG I AM STANDING. LAST TIME WHEN I FLEW, FOR ME TO
FEEL COMPLETELY NORMAL ADJUSTED TO MY SCHEDULE. WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS I FELT
95% NORMAL. THAT LAST 5% PROBABLY TOOK ME
SIX MONTHS BEFORE I FELT COMPLETELY BACK INTEGRATED INTO
LIFE. HOPING IT IS AROUND THE SAME
AMOUNT OF TIME. I SUSPECT IT IS GOING TO BE MUCH
LONGER ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING HOW SORE MY FEET ARE AFTER TWO
AND A HALF MONTHS. GOOD NEWS I DO FEEL BETTER ALL
THE TIME. >> WE HAD A QUESTION COME IN
FROM LANGLY IN TERMS OF -- DO YOU THINK IT WOULD HAVE -- DO
YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS WITH
VIRTUAL REALITY 360 OF OUTDOOR SPACES ON EARTH? >> ABSOLUTELY. BEFORE I LAUNCHED I WENT TO
MICROSOFT IN SEATTLE AND LOOKED AT THE HOLLOW LENS. TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE HOW IT
COULD HELP US WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES. HAVING A SCIENTIST LOOK OVER
YOUR SHOULDER, PUT PROCEDURES IN YOUR FIELD OF VIEW OR DRAW IN
YOUR FIELD OF VIEW. WE USED THAT BEFORE I LEFT. IT WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. I THOUGHT WHEN I WAS USING IT IN
MICROSOFT THERE WAS A BIG ROOM IN THE BACKGROUND I DIDN'T SEE
WITH ALL OF THESE COMPUTERS. WE GOT IT ON THE SPACE STATION
AND WORKED GREAT. ALSO HAS THAT CAPABILITY TO GIVE
YOU A SENSE FOR BEING BACK ON EARTH WHETHER IT IS HIKING THE
GRAND CANYON OR SOME WHERE ELSE. IT IS PRETTY E IMMERSIVE
EXPERIENCE. TIM AND I PLAYED A GAME KILLING
ALIENS BUSTING THROUGH THE HOLE OF THE SPACE STATION AND
SHOOTING AT THEM WITH OUR FINGERS. IT WAS FUN. INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL INSIDE THE
SPACE STATION TO HAVE THIS HEADS UP DISPLAY WHERE YOU CAN HAVE
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND SHARING THE EXPERIENCE WITH YOU AND HELPING
YOU DO YOUR JOB. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM
AIMS. >> MY NAME IS GRACE, MECHANICAL
ROBOTICS ENGINEER AT AMES. YOU MENTIONED TO LOOK AFTER THE
FLOWERS, ANY OTHER FLOWERS YOU HAD TO IMPRO VISE? >> THERE IS ALWAYS THAT. THIS IS A BIG TEAM EFFORT. I THINK PART OF THE, I WOULDN'T
SAY REQUIREMENT, I THINK WHAT MAKES CERTAIN PEOPLE GOOD AT
THIS JOB AND OTHERS NOT AS GOOD. ALWAYS PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT
LEVELS OF ABILITY, RECOGNIZE THOSE TIMES. SOMETIMES IT IS A TEAM EFFORT. THERE ARE SMARTER PEOPLE THAN
YOU ARE. YOU HAVE TO COMPLETELY ENGAGE
THEM AND BRING THEM ON BOARD. IT IS SITUATIONAL DEPENDENT. IT IS LIKE LEADERSHIP. IF YOU ARE WORKING ON A TEAM,
DEPENDING ON THE POSITION, LET'S JUST VOTE. BEING A GOOD LEADER AND
TEAMMATE, YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD FOLLOWER. YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO
FOLLOW. THEN THERE ARE SITUATIONS ON THE
SPACE STATION, IT IS AN EMERGENCY, YOU NEED TO BE THE
DICTATOR. YOU DECIDE AND START TELLING
PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. I THINK IN THE OPERATIONS WE DO
ON THE SPACE STATION A LOT OF TIMES YOU CAN ENGAGE THE GROUND. A LOT OF OTHER TIMES, ROBOTICS
FIELD YOU MENTIONED YOU WORK IN, YOU NEED TO DO IT. GET THE JOB DONE AND DO IT. IT IS SITUATIONAL DEPENDENT. >> WE ARE GOING TO JOHNSON SPACE
CENTER BEFORE COMING BACK FOR MORE QUESTIONS. >> HI, I AM AN INDUSTRIAL
DESIGNER. MY QUESTION IS LIFE ON THE ISS. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, LIFE IS
SCHEDULED. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE ON YOUR
FREE TIME AND EVERY SECOND BEING SCHEDULED. >> WE NEED TO GIVE THE CREW AS
MUCH AUTONOMY TO MANAGE THE SCHEDULE AT THE SAME TIME GET
THE WORK DONE. THAT IS A BALANCE. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT IS MORE
APPROPRIATE TO SAY HEY, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU NEED TO DO
AND OTHER TIMES YOU HAVE TO SCHEDULE IT CLOSELY AND GROUND
HAS TO MONITOR IT IN FIGURING THAT OUT IS A CHALLENGE. YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO PUT THE
CREW IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY ARE WORKING ALL THE TIME. YOU DO NEED FREE TIME TO
DECOMPRESS AND DO THINGS YOU FEEL ARE CONDUCIVE TO YOUR
MENTAL HEALTH AND RECHARGING YOUR BATTERIES. IT IS A BALANCE. THAT IS THE HARDEST THING FOR ME
ABOUT LIVING ON THE SPACE STATION FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME,
YOU ARE THINKING AHEAD WHAT IS THE NEXT THING I HAVE TO DO,
FIVE MINUTES FROM NOW, FIVE HOURS FROM NOW OR THE WEEKEND ON
MONDAY MORNING, OFTEN IN OUR DAILY LIVES HERE, ESPECIALLY ON
THE WEEKENDS, YOU ARE DOING THINGS AT YOUR OWN PACE. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOUR
MAINTAINING YOUR ENERGY LEVEL WHICH IS WHAT I TRIED TO DO ON
THE SPACE STATION. I RECOGNIZED I COULDN'T KEEP THE
SAME PACE ON MY LAST FLIGHT. WAY I MANAGED MY FATIGUE LEVEL,
CONTROL AND TEMPER DOWN HOW MUCH EXTRA STUFF I WAS DOING BEYOND
WHAT WAS REQUIRED. FREE TIME, I THINK IS VERY
IMPORTANT. >> THANK YOU. WE ARE GOING TO GO TO
HEADQUARTERS NOW FOR A QUESTION. >> HI, SCOTT, JASON, I AM AN
ENGINEER HERE WORKING TOWARDS MY DOCTORATE. WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO
INSPIRING ENGINEERS? >> I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD PEOPLE, I
HAVE BEEN IN A PRIVILEGED POSITION. PEOPLE THAT WORK IN NASA IN
GENERAL, IT IS A PRIVILEGED POSITION IN SOCIETY. PEOPLE RESPECT WHAT WE DO. GENERALLY GET UNIVERSAL SUPPORT. WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME FOR ADVICE,
CAREER ADVICE, ASTRONAUT OR DO SOMETHING ELSE. I TELL THEM TO PICK SOMETHING
THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, THEN WORK HARD AT IT. IF YOU CHOOSE A FIELD YOU WANT
TO WORK IN BECAUSE YOU INHERENTLY LIKE THAT, THAT IS
BETTER THAN CHOOSING SOMETHING FOR SOME OTHER REASON. WORK IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT
PART OF OUR LIVES. BIG PART OF OUR LIVES. SOMETHING WE DO FOR A VERY LONG
TIME. MIGHT AS WELL BE SOMETHING YOU
ENJOY DOING. >> THANK YOU, WE ARE GOING BACK
TO GLEN FOR ANOTHER QUESTION. >> HI SCOTT. MY NAME IS JILL NOBLE. I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. HEARD ON THE NEWS SPEAKING ABOUT
FATIGUE AND ENERGY LEVELS HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO USE THE
SPECIALLY DESIGNED COFFEE MUGS UP ON THE SPACE STATION? >> I DID. THAT WAS PRETTY FASCINATING,
ACTUALLY HOW THOSE WORKED. I THINK USING THAT CUP EVERYDAY
IS NOT SOMETHING THE CREW WOULD DO TO DRINK COFFEE BUT HOW WE
MOVE FLUIDS AROUND. I HAD THE IDEA WHEN I WAS UP
THERE WATCHING, PUT A TUBE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND EMPTY INTO
ANOTHER. WHAT IF WE COULD MAKE A SPACE
TOILET WITH MUCH LESS MOVING PARTS HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE IF
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO REPAIR THIS TOILET WHICH WORKS WELL BUT VERY
COMPLICATED WHEN WE ARE GOING TO MARS AND TURNING URINE INTO
WATER IF THAT TOILET DOESN'T WORK, THE CREW IS GOING TO DIE. IT IS REALITY. YOU ARE GOING TO NEED THAT
CAPABILITY TO HAVE THE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM. USING THAT TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD A
BETTER SPACE TOILET WOULD BE GREAT. I SUGGESTED THAT AND HOPE PEOPLE
ARE LOOKING INTO THAT. >> THANK YOU. NOW WE ARE GOING TO AMES FOR A
QUESTION. >> YES, THANK YOU. HELLO, SIR. MY NAME IS ANEMA. I AM AN ASTRONAUT -- ONE OF THE
THINGS I HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN SIMULATING WHERE I GOT TO BE
A COMMANDER FOR A 14-DAY MISSION LAST JUNE. YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH HERA AND
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING THERE, RIGHT? FROM YOUR ONE-YEAR EXPERIENCE,
WHAT DO YOU THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ME
AND MY JOURNEY. WHAT DO YOU THINK, IS THIS
RELEVANT TO BECOMING AN ACTUAL ASTRONAUT? IT HELPS TO GET THESE
EXPERIENCES. IS IT WORTH DOING THESE KIND OF
SIMULATIONS? >> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK ANYTHING YOU DO THAT CAN
DEMONSTRATE NOT ONLY YOUR TECHNICAL ABILITIES, WHICH IS A
SMALL PART OF THIS JOB. ALSO DEMONSTRATING TEAMWORK,
LEADERSHIP, JUST BEING A GENERALIST, WELL ROUNDED PERSON. WHEN YOU ARE ON THE SPACE
STATION, YOU ARE NOT CALLING THE REPAIR PERSON, YOU ARE THE
PLUMBER, ELECTRICIAN Z SCIENTISTS, DOCTOR, DENTIST, YOU
DO ALL OF THESE THINGS. OPPORTUNITIES TO DEMONSTRATE AND
PRACTICE ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES YOU MAY HAVE
TO DO IN SPACE OR ELSEWHERE IS IMPORTANT TO ASPIRING
ASTRONAUTS. ALSO IMPORTANT THING IN GENERAL,
IN GENERAL LIFE SKILLS. REALLY IMPORTANT THING IS
TEAMWORK. VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. ONE PERSON CAN'T DO EVERYTHING. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET
ALONG WITH YOUR CREW MATES AND GET ALONG AS A TEAM. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS NASA
DOES SO WELL. >> HOW DOES BEING IN SPACE
LOOKING DOWN AT SPACE CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION OF SOCIAL
POLITICAL ETHICAL ISSUES GIVEN YOU HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF SEEING
THE HUMAN RACE AS A WHOLE? >> LIVING ON THE SPACE STATION
HAS CHANGED ME IN THE WAY I AM GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE. YOU LIVE WITH VERY LITTLE FOR A
LONG TIME. I WORE THE SAME THING FOR SIX
MONTHS, I AM ADJUSTING TO LIFE BACK ON EARTH, I HAVE ONLY BEEN
WEARING THESE A MONTH. [LAUGHTER]. PLEASE DON'T GET TOO CLOSE. THERE ARE TIMES ON THE SPACE
STATION YOU DEFINITELY GET THE FEELING YOU ARE HERE, EVERYONE
ELSE IS DOWN THERE AND WE FOLLOW THE NEWS CLOSELY OR AT LEAST I
DO WHEN I AM ON SPACE. MOST IS BAD NEWS. YOU BECOME MORE EMPATHIC ABOUT
THE BAD STUFF. LIKE I WAS SAYING EARLIER WITH
THE ENVIRONMENT, I FLEW 159 DAYS, IT IS SMOGGY BECAUSE IT IS
THAT TIME OF YEAR. WHEN YOU SEE CHINA AND INDIA
ALWAYS BEING COVERED IN POLLUTION AND HOW YOU CAN EFFECT
THE ENVIRONMENT. WE TAKE CARE OF THE SYSTEMS ON
THE SPACE STATION. SAME THING IS TRUE HERE. ENVIRONMENT KEEPS US ALIVE. I THINK FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE,
I AM GOING TO BE MORE OF AN ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE DOING BETTER
IN THAT REGARD. >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH
UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS TIME FOR OUR LAST QUESTION. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION
TODAY IN SHARING YOUR INSIGHTS. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS
AND THOSE OF YOU THAT WORK AT NASA IN GENERAL. THIS 20 YEARS I HAVE SPENT IN
THIS AGENCY IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE. IT IS A TEAM EFFORT. I THINK US AT NASA, YOU PEOPLE
MAKE STUFF THAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU FOR AN ENGAGING CONVERSATION, REMEMBER YOU CAN
KEEP TRACK OF NASA'S MISSION ON TWITTER AT NASA, FACEBOOK,
TUMBLR, INSTAGRAM AND SNAPCHAT. [CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY U.S.
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