STATION HOUSTON, ARE YOU
READY FOR THE EVENT?
>> THIS IS STATION.
WE'RE READY FOR ARE THE EVENT.
>> COPY THAT.
THIS IS MISSION CONTROL OF
HOUSTON.
PLEASE CALL STATION FOR VOICE CHECK
(LOCAL NEWS AUDIO FOR AUDIO
CHECK IS PLAYING).
>> MINNESOTA ASTRONAUT MARK
VANDE HEI ARRIVED TWO MONTHSING
A AND LIFE HAS BEEN A WILD RIDE
CONSIDERING THE BSM AND THE
SAINT JOHN GRAD HAS CONDUCTED
TWO SPACEWALKS.
>> HE'S PART OF A FIVE-PERSON
EXPEDITION STATIONED AT THE ISS
RIGHT NOW.
THIS MORNING, WE HAVE THE
PLEASURE OF TALKING TO HIM LIVE
FROM SPACE!
GOOD MORNING, MARK!
>> MARK VANDE HEI: GOOD MORNING!
HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
>> I'M DOING GREAT.
FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE SO THRILLED
THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO US RIGHT
NOW FROM SPACE.
I'M GEEING OUT!
WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW
CURRENTLY AND WHAT TIME OF DAY
IS IT THERE FOR YOU?
IS THERE A SENSE OF TIME IN
SPACE?
>> MARK VANDE HEI: THAT'S A
GREAT QUESTION WHERE WE ARE.
I DON'T HAVE A WINDOW NEARBY.
I GOT A CREW MEMBER HELPING ME
OUT BY LOOKING IT UP RIGHT NOW.
THE TIME OF DAY IN SPACE IS
ABOUT 10:30 IN THE MORNING.
>> OH!
OKAY.
SO NOT TOO FAR OFF FROM US.
NOT BAD.
>> YOU HAVE TWO SPACEWALKS,
DESCRIBE WHAT THAT FELT LIKE TO
BE OUTSIDE OF THE SPACE STATION?
IT HAS TO BE A LITTLE NERVE
RACKING.
>> MARK VANDE HEI: QUITE
HONESTLY, YES, IT WAS A LITTLE
NERVE RACKING, ESPECIALLY THE
FIRST TIME.
THE SECOND TIME I WAS MUCH MORE
RELAXED.
ONE OF MY MOST STRIKING EMOTIONS
WAS THE SUNLIGHT POURING INTO
THE AIRLOCK WHERE WE WERE
WAITING FOR THE SPACEWALK TO
START WHEN THE COMMANDER OPENED
THE HATCH IT WAS CLEAR THAT WE
WERE READY TO GO OUTSIDE, KIND
OF LIKE ON A WINTERY SUNNY DAY
IN MINNESOTA WITH ALL OF THE
SNOW REFLECTING OFF OF THE
WHITENESS.
>> I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
WE HAVE BEEN SO EXCITED TO TALK
TO YOU.
SO HAVE OUR VIEWERS, WE ASKED
THEM WHAT QUESTIONS THEY WANTED.
ONE WANTS TO KNOW, IS ASTRONAUT
FOOD AS BAD AS THEY SAY IT IS?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY WE ALL HAVE
OUR FAVORITES AND DISLIKES.
I DON'T THINK IT IS BAD.
I THINK IT IS ACTUALLY REALLY,
REALLY GOOD.
AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME THINGS I
DON'T ENJOY VERY MUCH AND SOME
THINGS I'M ABSOLUTELY AMAZED
WITH.
WE HAVE SHRIMP COCKTAIL, IT IS
DEHYDRATED BUT WHEN YOU ADD THE
WE'RE IT IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
>> INTERESTING.
>> YEAH.
>> KIDS IN A MUSIC CLASS AT
PARKER ELEMENTARY WANT TO KNOW
WHAT MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO UP IN
SPACE?
>> MARK VANDE HEI: BEFORE I
ANSWER THAT QUESTION, I WANTED
YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE OVER THE
SOUTHWEST IS UNITED STATES AND
15 MINUTES WE'LL PASS OVER
MINNESOTA.
FOR THE TIME OF MUSIC, IT
DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
NORMALLY IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY I
HAVE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC AS I'M
RUNNING ON A TREADMILL OR
EXERCISING ON A -- IT IS KIND OF
LIKE A WEIGHT LIFTING MACHINE
THAT USES VACUUMS FOR
RESISTANCE, VACUUM SUCTION FOR
RESISTANCE.
I TEND TO LISTEN TO VERY
ENERGETIC MUSIC BECAUSE OF THAT,
I'M TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF
MOTIVATED TO PUSH MYSELF HARD.
>> MARK, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
YOU PREPARED YOUR WHOLE LIFE TO
DO. YOU'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH
YOUR MISSION, ABOUT TWO MONTHS
IN, IT IS A 5 MONTH MISSION,
WHAT ABOUT THIS HAS SURPRISED
YOU MOST TO THIS POINT?
>> MARK VANDE HEI: A COUPLE OF
THINGS.
I WOULD SAY LOOKING OUT THE
WINDOW, SEEING THE BLACKNESS OF
SPACE AS OPPOSED TO A SUN LIT
EARTH AND HOW THIN THE
ATMOSPHERE LOOKS RELATIVE TO THE
SIZE OF THE EARTH.
IT IS REALLY STRIKING HOW
FRAGILE AND DELICATE LIFE ON
EARTH SEEMS WHEN YOU SEE IT FROM
THE PERSPECTIVE OF 250 MILES UP.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE
TREADMILL.
YOU SAID YOU'RE RUNNING ON A
TREADMILL.
HOW DOES THAT WORK IN SPACE?
>> MARK VANDE HEI: GREAT
QUESTION.
SO THE WAY WE DO THAT, WE HAVE A
HARNESS, KIND OF LIKE SHOULDER
PADS WITHOUT THE PLASTIC.
WE USE THAT WITH BUNGEE CORDS TO
HOLD US DOWN.
THE LENGTH OF THE BUNGEE CORD
DETERMINES HOW MUCH FORCE WE
HAVE PULLING US TO THE
TREADMILL.
OTHERWISE, AS SOON AS WE TAKE A
STEP IT PUSHES US AWAY FROM IT.
>> MARK, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE
TO WRAP THINGS UP.
ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF HERE AND
EVERYBODY BACK HERE IN MINNESOTA
WE WANT TO SAY SAFE TRAVELS AND
WE'RE SO, SO PROUD OF YOU, GOOD
LUCK WITH THE REST OF YOUR
MISSION.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
GREAT TALKING TO YOU TODAY!
>> FOX AND FRIENDS, THIS IS
MISSION CONTROL AT HOUSTON, CALL
STATION FOR A VOICE CHECK.
(AUDIO CHECK).
>> SPEAKING OF THE BIG SKY, IN
THE NIGHT SKY, YOU CAN SEE IT.
>> SPACE.
AN OUT OF THIS WORLD MISSION FOR
THE EXPEDITION CREW.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THEY'RE IN THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, YOU YOU CAN SEE IT
FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE NAKED
EYE. WE HAVE RANDY BRESNIK AND JOE
ACABA AND MARK VANDE HEI FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
WORD OF CAUTION, THERE IS A
6-SECOND DELAY BETWEEN THE TIME
WE FINISH A QUESTION AND THE
TIME THEY ANSWER.
SO IT WILL BE A LITTLE AWKWARD.
THAT'S THE PRICE OF TALKING TO
SPACE.
COMMANDER, LET'S START WITH YOU.
TELL US ABOUT THE MISSION.
WHAT'S THE MISSION FOR YOUR CREW
ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION RIGHT NOW?
>> WE'RE UP HERE ABOARD THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION WITH
AGENCIES FROM RUSSIA, JAPAN,
CANADA AND THE EUROPEAN SPACE
AGENCY, WE'RE DOING SCIENCE IN A
PLACE THAT WE CAN'T DO ON EARTH,
MICRO GRAVITY, DOING SCIENTIFIC
EX PEER.S ON FLUID, COMBUSTION,
GROWING PLANTS, WE'RE FINDING
CURES FOR DISEASES AND VACCINES,
WE'RE DOING A LOT EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR THE
LAST 17 YEARS CONTINUOUSLY.
>> MARK, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
YOU HAVE BEEN TO SPACE, TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, WAS
IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED IT WOULD BE
LIKE?
>> HONESTLY, IT IS HARDER LIVING
IN SPACE THAN I EXPECTED.
AT FIRST IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE
WAS HANGING ME UP BY MY FEET.
I'M HAVING A LOT OF FUN GOING
AROUND CORNERS AND A SENSE OF
BEING ABLE TO DO THINGS AND MOVE
IN WAYS THAT WE COULD NEVER DO
ON THE GROUND.
>> JOE, A QUESTION, WHAT IS YOUR
MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
FROM SPACE?
I WOULD TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THAT THE AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAM
IS GOING ON AND IT IS VERY, VERY
STRONG.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THE
WORK WE'RE DOING UP HERE AND ALL
THE WORK WE CONTINUE TO DO AS WE
LOOK TO GET LOWER ORBIT AND GO
ON TO PLACES FURTHER THAN WE
HAVE BEEN BEFORE.
LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE STRONG
AND WE'RE IN SPACE AND WILL
MAINTAIN OUR PRESENCE IN SPACE.
>> THAT IS TERRIFIC.
FELLOWS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
JOINING US TODAY.
AS WE WATCH THE MICROPHONE JUST
FLOAT THROUGH AND DO A LITTLE
TUMBLING RIGHT THERE, GUYS,
SINCE YOU ARE IN A WEIGHTLESS
ENVIRONMENT, WOULD YOU MIND
SHOWING THE FOLKS AS HOME WHAT
YOU CAN DO?
FOLKS AT HOME, DON'T TRY THAT.
THESE ARE PROFESSIONALS IN
SPACE!
THAT'S AWESOME!
>> IS THAT A FIDGET SPINNER?
IS THAT -- THAT'S AMAZING!
>> LOOK AT THAT!
THANK YOU GUYS SO, SO MUCH!
IT WAS WONDERFUL TO HAVE YOU ON
THIS MORNING!
WHAT A COOL SEGMENT!
GOOD LUCK OUT THERE.
>> A PLEASURE TO JOIN YOU.
TAKE CARE!