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from a small town to commanding a
from
a
small
town
to
commanding
a
spaceship is quite the journey and we
spaceship
is
quite
the
journey
and
we
were just talking before uh we started
were
just
talking
before
uh
we
started
this that you were responsible for
this
that
you
were
responsible
for
taking people back into space following
taking
people
back
into
space
following
that disaster in the 80s.
that
disaster
in
the
80s
>> Yeah, that's right. That was actually my
>>
Yeah
that's
right
That
was
actually
my
fourth mission on the space shuttle and
fourth
mission
on
the
space
shuttle
and
you know I had also commanded a previous
you
know
I
had
also
commanded
a
previous
mission. So I'm happy to say that NASA
mission
So
I'm
happy
to
say
that
NASA
trusted me and my crew to take this very
trusted
me
and
my
crew
to
take
this
very
important mission up. Now we had lost
important
mission
up
Now
we
had
lost
seven astronauts in the Columbia
seven
astronauts
in
the
Columbia
accident which was a terrible tragedy.
accident
which
was
a
terrible
tragedy
You know, we had to go through a period
You
know
we
had
to
go
through
a
period
of mourning, a period of accident
of
mourning
a
period
of
accident
investigation, and then we switched to
investigation
and
then
we
switched
to
something called the return to flight
something
called
the
return
to
flight
period, get the space shuttle flying
period
get
the
space
shuttle
flying
again after the accident. And that whole
again
after
the
accident
And
that
whole
period took about two and a half years
period
took
about
two
and
a
half
years
of which was it was very difficult, but
of
which
was
it
was
very
difficult
but
you know, I like a challenge and so I
you
know
I
like
a
challenge
and
so
I
enjoy being the commander. So, I think
enjoy
being
the
commander
So
I
think
that was one of the biggest challenges
that
was
one
of
the
biggest
challenges
I've had and I'm happy to look back and
I've
had
and
I'm
happy
to
look
back
and
say that we were able to get the shuttle
say
that
we
were
able
to
get
the
shuttle
flying again.
flying
again
>> Why? because the space shuttle was
>>
Why
because
the
space
shuttle
was
needed to finish building the space
needed
to
finish
building
the
space
station which and although the shuttle
station
which
and
although
the
shuttle
doesn't fly anymore, the space station
doesn't
fly
anymore
the
space
station
is up there and we've got seven
is
up
there
and
we've
got
seven
astronauts on board right now.
astronauts
on
board
right
now
>> Just incredible stuff. I mean, people
>>
Just
incredible
stuff
I
mean
people
probably won't quite realize what was
probably
won't
quite
realize
what
was
going on in the 80s with all these
going
on
in
the
80s
with
all
these
flights. The fact that we're going
flights
The
fact
that
we're
going
they're building the the ISS which is
they're
building
the
the
ISS
which
is
now just something that's up orbiting us
now
just
something
that's
up
orbiting
us
now. We take it for granted, don't we?
now
We
take
it
for
granted
don't
we
But there was a hu there was a huge
But
there
was
a
hu
there
was
a
huge
period of exploration going on.
period
of
exploration
going
on
>> Yeah. So this the purpose of the space
>>
Yeah
So
this
the
purpose
of
the
space
station is to understand the human body
station
is
to
understand
the
human
body
in space. And we're learning so much
in
space
And
we're
learning
so
much
about ourselves as humans. You know,
about
ourselves
as
humans
You
know
both I think both physically, medically,
both
I
think
both
physically
medically
and I would say emotionally,
and
I
would
say
emotionally
psychologically. We have an
psychologically
We
have
an
international crew. Normally it's about
international
crew
Normally
it's
about
seven people. Sometimes it goes up to
seven
people
Sometimes
it
goes
up
to
11. And yes, Russia is still a partner.
11
And
yes
Russia
is
still
a
partner
The European Space Agency, the Japanese,
The
European
Space
Agency
the
Japanese
and the Canadians. And the whole reason
and
the
Canadians
And
the
whole
reason
we have the space station is eventually
we
have
the
space
station
is
eventually
we will go back to the moon. And
we
will
go
back
to
the
moon
And
although the US has landed on the moon,
although
the
US
has
landed
on
the
moon
we are now going to go back and build
we
are
now
going
to
go
back
and
build
like a space station at the South Pole
like
a
space
station
at
the
South
Pole
of the moon in preparation to take
of
the
moon
in
preparation
to
take
people to Mars someday,
people
to
Mars
someday
>> which is just incredible to think. Give
>>
which
is
just
incredible
to
think
Give
us a sense of your story, how you go
us
a
sense
of
your
story
how
you
go
from, as we say, small town America to
from
as
we
say
small
town
America
to
commanding a special.
commanding
a
special
>> Well, yeah. So, my story, it it's
>>
Well
yeah
So
my
story
it
it's
actually a little bit hard to believe,
actually
a
little
bit
hard
to
believe
but I grew up in, you know, I would say
but
I
grew
up
in
you
know
I
would
say
lower middle class uh family in a small
lower
middle
class
uh
family
in
a
small
town. I got interested in flying by
town
I
got
interested
in
flying
by
reading books and you know I encourage
reading
books
and
you
know
I
encourage
people to read books because it like
people
to
read
books
because
it
like
it's good for your imagination. It's
it's
good
for
your
imagination
It's
good to learn about the world that we
good
to
learn
about
the
world
that
we
live in. But I learned about pilots and
live
in
But
I
learned
about
pilots
and
I decided that's what I want to do is be
I
decided
that's
what
I
want
to
do
is
be
a pilot and then I started reading about
a
pilot
and
then
I
started
reading
about
the astronauts and I I knew that to be
the
astronauts
and
I
I
knew
that
to
be
an astronaut the best way to do that is
an
astronaut
the
best
way
to
do
that
is
to go through the flying route, right?
to
go
through
the
flying
route
right
>> So I decided to join the military. I
>>
So
I
decided
to
join
the
military
I
joined the Air Force at a time when
joined
the
Air
Force
at
a
time
when
women were first taken into the flying
women
were
first
taken
into
the
flying
world.
world
>> And so that was my career. I wrote a
>>
And
so
that
was
my
career
I
wrote
a
book about it and that book was
book
about
it
and
that
book
was
eventually made into the documentary.
eventually
made
into
the
documentary
>> You are a pioneer. Um and we find
>>
You
are
a
pioneer
Um
and
we
find
ourselves I guess would you say on the
ourselves
I
guess
would
you
say
on
the
verge of a new generation of space
verge
of
a
new
generation
of
space
exploration. There are calls for the US
exploration
There
are
calls
for
the
US
to go back to the moon as you point out
to
go
back
to
the
moon
as
you
point
out
very very soon. Um and we've just found
very
very
soon
Um
and
we've
just
found
out as well that this new program this
out
as
well
that
this
new
program
this
program which will will um expand our
program
which
will
will
um
expand
our
exploration in space is now basically
exploration
in
space
is
now
basically
open for tender. So we have commercial
open
for
tender
So
we
have
commercial
agencies um SpaceX and Blue Origin
agencies
um
SpaceX
and
Blue
Origin
competing for that prize to to work with
competing
for
that
prize
to
to
work
with
NASA. Is is that a good thing to have
NASA
Is
is
that
a
good
thing
to
have
that competition do you think?
that
competition
do
you
think
>> Yeah, you know I it's definitely a good
>>
Yeah
you
know
I
it's
definitely
a
good
thing. Um the model today nowadays is a
thing
Um
the
model
today
nowadays
is
a
little bit different. So back in the
little
bit
different
So
back
in
the
early days NASA would own and operate
early
days
NASA
would
own
and
operate
the spacecraft. Well today we have this
the
spacecraft
Well
today
we
have
this
commercial model where in the case of
commercial
model
where
in
the
case
of
SpaceX and now Blue Origin they own and
SpaceX
and
now
Blue
Origin
they
own
and
operate their equipment and NASA is a
operate
their
equipment
and
NASA
is
a
customer. So SpaceX was building our
customer
So
SpaceX
was
building
our
lunar lander. Just two days ago, the
lunar
lander
Just
two
days
ago
the
NASA administrator Sean Duffy decided
NASA
administrator
Sean
Duffy
decided
asked to bring another company into that
asked
to
bring
another
company
into
that
competition for the first moon landing.
competition
for
the
first
moon
landing
And so Blue Origin, another one of our
And
so
Blue
Origin
another
one
of
our
space companies, is probably one of the
space
companies
is
probably
one
of
the
leading companies as far as the
leading
companies
as
far
as
the
development of their lander. Mhm.
development
of
their
lander
Mhm
>> So, we're now going to see some
>>
So
we're
now
going
to
see
some
competition for who is going to land
competition
for
who
is
going
to
land
which company is going to land the first
which
company
is
going
to
land
the
first
spacecraft on the moon. The astronaut
spacecraft
on
the
moon
The
astronaut
crew has not been selected yet, but that
crew
has
not
been
selected
yet
but
that
will be, I think, a very exciting time
will
be
I
think
a
very
exciting
time
when we finally get and and we do want
when
we
finally
get
and
and
we
do
want
to get on the moon as soon as possible
to
get
on
the
moon
as
soon
as
possible
because we believe that we're in a space
because
we
believe
that
we're
in
a
space
race with China because China, which is
race
with
China
because
China
which
is
not cooperating with the US and we are
not
cooperating
with
the
US
and
we
are
not cooperating with them in the space
not
cooperating
with
them
in
the
space
program right now.
program
right
now
>> Who is going to get to the moon next?
>>
Who
is
going
to
get
to
the
moon
next
>> Will it be China or will it be the
>>
Will
it
be
China
or
will
it
be
the
United States and the international
United
States
and
the
international
partners? We'll see how that goes.
partners
We'll
see
how
that
goes
>> We'll see. The race is very much on
>>
We'll
see
The
race
is
very
much
on
Ianson. We got to leave there cuz we
Ianson
We
got
to
leave
there
cuz
we
run out of time. Thank you so much.
run
out
of
time
Thank
you
so
much
Really good to talk to you. I could talk
Really
good
to
talk
to
you
I
could
talk
to you all day. Where can we see the
to
you
all
day
Where
can
we
see
the
documentary?
documentary
>> Yeah, the documentary is Spacewoman and
>>
Yeah
the
documentary
is
Spacewoman
and
it's being shown six times in and around
it's
being
shown
six
times
in
and
around
London and we've also shown it in the
London
and
we've
also
shown
it
in
the
United States. It's a story of my life.
United
States
It's
a
story
of
my
life
It's a story of what it's like to be an
It's
a
story
of
what
it's
like
to
be
an
astronaut and the human side with our
astronaut
and
the
human
side
with
our
families and how they cope with the
families
and
how
they
cope
with
the
dangers of space flight.
dangers
of
space
flight
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