NOW WE'VE GOT SOMETHING INCREDIBLY COOL FOR YOU.
ON MAY 30th THESE TWO GENTLEMEN MADE HISTORY WHEN THEY
LAUNCHED THE FIRST EVER MANNED MISSION OF THE SPACEX CREW
DRAGON SPACE CRAFT.
THEY LIFTED OFF FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN FLORIDA AND 19
HOURS LATER THEY DOCKED AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
WHERE THEY REMAIN RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE SO THRILLED THAT THEY ARE GOING TO TALK TO US FROM SPACE,
JOINING US ON NASA FLIGHT ENGINEERS BOB BEHNKEN AND DOUG
HURLEY, HOW ARE YOU, GENTLEMEN, YOU CAN HEAR ME?
>> JAMES, WELCOME ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, WE
HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
>> James: IT IS SO LOVELY TO SEE YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO US.
HOW ARE YOU GETTING ON UP THERE, ARE YOU DOING OKAY.
>> WE'RE PRETTY GOOD, WE'VE BEEN HERE JUST ABOUT A MONTH NOW,
RIGHT.
AND I THINK WE ARE ASSIMILATING INTO THE ISS LIFE, TRYING TO
HELP CHRIS OUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND ACTUALLY IN JUST A FEW DAYS WE'RE GOING TO BE PERFORMING
SOME SPACE WALKS TO REPLACE SOME BATTERIES ON BOARD THE OUTSIDE
OF THE SPACE STATION.
>> James: I MEAN I DON'T EVEN LIKE IT IF I HAVE TO REPLACE
BATTERIES IN THE REMOTE LET ALONE GOING OUT TO DO A SPACE
WALK.
NOW I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR FLIGHT, BECAUSE YOU WERE THE
FIRST HUMANS TO FLY THE SPACEX SHUTTLE.
YOU BOTH HAD MISSIONS TO SPACE BEFORE.
WERE YOU MORE NERVOUS TAKING OFF THIS TIME IN A BRAND NEW SPACE
CRAFT THAN YOU WERE PREVIOUSLY IN A REGULAR SHUTTLE?
>> NO, DEFINITELY NOT.
WE SPEBTS THE BETTER PART OF FIVE YEARS WORKING ON THIS
VEHICLE WITH SPACEX.
AND ESPECIALLY THE LAST TWO WHERE WE LIVED OUT IN CALIFORNIA
MORE THAN WE WERE AT HOME IN HOUSTON.
AND I THINK WE JUST, WE GOT TO KNOW THE VEHICLES PRETTY WELL.
WE GOT TO KNOW THE FOLKS OUT AT SPACEX VERY WELL AND WORKED
THROUGH ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAD DEVELOPING THE VEHICLE.
AND I THINK WE WERE VERY COMFORTABLE BY THE TIME IT WAS
READY FOR US TO FLY.
WE ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF FLIGHTS PRIOR TO THAT WE HAD AN UNCREWED
TEST MISSION THEY FLEW TO THE SPACE STATION A YEAR PRIOR AND
AN INFLIGHT ABOARD TEST JUST A PONT AGO BEFORE OUR FLIGHT.
SO ALL IN ALL, I DON'T THINK NERVOUS.
I THINK WE WERE PRETTY EXCITED AND WE WERE GLAD TO BE AT THAT
POINT AS IT HAD BEEN A PRETTY LONG FIVE YEAR ROAD TO GET
THERE.
>> James: NOW YOU DESCRIBED THE--
(LAUGHTER) GOOD CATCH, BOB.
NOW I'M JEALOUS OF BOTH OF YOU RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I HAVE SPENT
MOST OF MY LIFE WANTING TO BE WEIGHTLESS.
AND YOU ARE NOW IN ZERO-- TELL ME, WHAT IS THE BEST AND WORST
THINGS ABOUT LIVING LIFE IN ZERO GRAVITY EVERY DAY.
>> YOU KNOW, DOUG AND I TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THAT, SOME OF
THE THINGS PEOPLE MIGHT ASK US ABOUT AND LIVING IN ZERO GRAVITY
PROBABLY THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
TAKE FOR GRANTED IS IF YOU PUT SOMETHING DOWN, AT LEAST IF
NOBODY MOVES IT IT WILL BE THERE WHEN YOU GET BACK.
HERE IN SPACE YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME EXTRA EFFORT TO
MAKE SURE THINGS STAY WHERE YOU PUT THEM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GOT THE TRIMMER ON A LITTLE CORD, SO IT
DOESN'T GET AWAY FROM US.
AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PLACES WHERE LIKE
GOING TO THE REST ROOM, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE YOU LIKE STUFF TO
STAY WHERE YOU PUT IT.
AND SO WE DEFINITELY FIND THAT FRUSTRATING AT TIMES.
>> James: WHAT HAVE YOU GOT HERE, IS THIS JUST A LITTLE
SNACK?
OH, LOOK AT THIS.
(LAUGHTER) THAT IS MAGNIFICENT.
OH, I'M SO, THE ENTIRE THING IS MIND BLOWING TO ME.
NOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT YOUR RETURN TO EARTH FOR A MOMENTS.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REENTER THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE WHEN YOU KOSM
BACK?
>> WELL, IT IS A SIMILAR PROCESS FOR ALL SPACE VEHICLES.
YOU ARE AT A SPEED RIGHT NOW ABOUT 17,500 AN HOUR AND YOU
HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO LESS THAN 30 MILES AN HOUR BEFORE WE
SPLASH DOWN IN THE WATER.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF ENTERING THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
WITH A HEAT SHIELD THAT PROTECTS US FROM THE BUILDUP OF HEAT AS
WE GO THROUGH THE EARTH'S PLASMA AS WE REENTER.
AND AS WE REENTER WE ALSO SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
THEN WE WILL SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE ONCE OUR DROVE CHUTES
COME OUT, A SERIES OF CHUTES THAT COME OUT, TWO DROVE CHUTES
THAT WILL COME OUT FIRST AND THEN FOUR MAIN PARACHUTES AND
IDEALLY WE'LL SPLASH DOWN SOMEWHERE OFF THE EAST COAST OF
FLORIDA IS OUR PRIME LANDING SITE.
A LITTLE OVER ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER WE FIRE OUR ENGINES TO
START THAT BURN TO REENTER.
>> James: NOW THAT'S ALL VERY TECHNICAL BUT JUST TO PUT IT IN
LAYMAN'S TERMS YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY IN A BOX WITH
PARACHUTES ATTACHED TO IT.
YOU ARE JUST GOING TO FALL THROUGH THE SKY, RIGHT.
I MEAN THIS IS UTTERLY TERRIFYING TO ME.
LIKE ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT, ARE YOU GOING TO PRESUMABLY DO YOU
LIKE THROW UP THIS WHEN YOU ARE IN THERE.
>> YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TOO MUCH OF THAT
WHILE WE'RE REENTERING.
I THINK WHAT WE ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT FROM THE THROWUP
STANDPOINT IS ONCE WE ARE IN THE WATER FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
ONE EFFECT OF BEING IN SPACE ESPECIALLY FOR US NOW BEING IN
SPACE, BY THE TIME WE COME BACK LIKELY A COUPLE OF MONTHS IS YOU
ARE VERY CONCERNED TO MICROGRAVITY AND ARE YOU NOT SO
CONDITIONED TO GRAVITY.
AND THEN YOUR VEST TIB LAR SYSTEM, YOUR INNER EARS PLAY
TRICKS WITH YOU, SO IT IS A LOT LIKE, AS YOU CAN J MA, EVEN IF
YOU DECIDED TO GO DEEP SEA FISHING ONE DAY AND YOU LIVED ON
EARTH YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND GOING OUT FISHING AND PEOPLE GET SEA
SICK, WE ARE GOING TO DID IT FROM SPACE AND END UP IN THE
WATER, SO THERE IS A PRETTY GOOD LIKELIHOOD THAT WE MAY SEE
BREAKFAST ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.
>> NOW IT'S SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME HERE, THERE IS SO MUCH
DIVISION, NOT JUST IN AMERICA, ACROSS THE WHOLE WORLD.
THE ENTIRE PLANET FEELS DIVIDED, SO MANY COUNTRIES FEEL DIVIDED.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT PLANET EARTH WHAT DO YOU SEE AND WHAT
DO YOU FEEL.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR US HUMBLE
EARTHLINGS?
WHO ARE HERE RIGHT NOW?
>> I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO BE HUMBLE SPACE FOLKS AS WELL UP
HERE.
I THINK THAT DOUG REFERRED TO IT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER WHEN HE
TALKED ABOUT THE TIME WE SPENT OUT IN CALIFORNIA, BUILDING A
PARTNERSHIP AND A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEAM OF SPACEX
ENGINEERS THAT WAS GOING TO BUILD THE SPACE CRAFT THAT OUR
LIVES WERE GOING TO DEPEND ON ALL THE WAY INTO ORBIT AND TO
BRING US HOME SEACHLY.
WE-- SAFELY.
REREALLY RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF WORKING TOGETHER, CREATING SOME
SORT OF COMMON UNDERSTANDING AN COOPERATION.
WE HAVE COSMO NAUGHT CREW MATES THAT WE WORK WITH ON A ROUTINE
BASIS DURING THE SPACE WALK, THAT WILL PERFORM LATER THIS ECK
WOULD.
WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A COSMO NAUGHT HELPING US GET SUITED UP
AND OUT THE DOOR MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS CLOSED UP FOR US.
I THINK THAT IS THE MESSAGE WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH ALL THE
FOLKS STILL BACK ON EARTH IS THAT OUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON
COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING AND YOU KNOW RESPECT FOR THE
OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE DOING THEIR JOBS TO HELP US COME BACK SAFELY
OR EXECUTE A SPACE WALK SAFELY AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS GOING TO
TAKE TO GET THROUGH THESE CHALLENGING TIMES BACK ON EARTH,
WHETHER ST THE PANDEMIC OR SOME OF THE OTHER STRIFE THAT IS
GOING ON.
THAT UNDERSTANDING AND THAT COOPERATION AND THAT NEED AND
EFFORT THAT GOES IN TO WHAT IS REQUIRED TO JUST WORK TOGETHER
TO PULL OFF THIS THING SUCCESSFULLY IS WHAT WE WILL
HAVE TO DO BACK ON EARTH AS WELL.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN BE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT AND ONE WITH OUR
PARTNERS OR COSMO NAUGHT FRIENDS IS A GREAT DEMONSTRATION FOR
FOLKS AROUND THE WORLD.
>> James: WELL, THAT IS A LOVELY MESSAGE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE WISH YOU THE VERY, VERY BEST, WE ARE HOPING FOR A SAFE RETURN
TO EARTH.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH BOB BEHNKEN AND DOUG HURLEY, NASA
AND SPACEX FOR TALKING THE TIME TO TALK TO US TODAY.
WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
STAY SAFE UP THERE, FELLOWS