>> HER NAME IS SHARON MCDOUGALL.
SHE JOINS US.
WITH MORE N HER INCREDIBLE
STORY, WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> I HAVE TO SAY A LITTLE
BACKGROUND HERE.
NOT ONLY ARE YOU A MOM OF TWO.
YOU WORKED WITH THE SPACE
SHUTTLE PROGRAMME, AN AIR FORCE
VETERAN, WHICH IS WHERE YOU BHE
GAN YOUR CAREER AND PATTERN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
IT’S AN INCREDIBLE STORY.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT PASSION.
WHERE DID IT BEGIN FOR YOU.
>> I WAS TOLD BEFORE YOU JOIN
THE AIR FORCE, YOU HAVE TO TAKE
A TEST.
AND THEY GO THROUGH DIFFERENT
AREAS OF THE TEST AND DECIDE
WHERE YOU WORK.
THE FIRST JOB WAS AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLER, I HADN’T GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.
HIGH SCHOOL.
THE NEST JOB THAT CAME UP WAS
AEROSPACE FIZZIOLOGIST.
>> IT’S INCREDIBLE.
READING THROUGH WHAT YOU
ACCOMPLISH.
>> IT’S STAGGERING.
LET’S GO BACK TO 1992.
THE MISSION, YOU WERE HER SUIT
TECH, AND THIS IS A - THIS JOB
IS SO CRITICAL.
YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR
PROCESSING ESSENTIALLY THE
ORANGE LAUNCH AND RE-ENTRY
PRESSURE SUIT ASSEMBLIES WORN BY
THE ASTRONAUTS DOWN TO EVERY DETAIL.
LIKE ESCAPE EQUIPMENT THE
DIAPER.
SCRIBE TO US JUST HOW DETAILLED
THE JOB WAS.
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS A SINGLE
THING.
>> AS I MENTIONED, IT’S NOT JUST
THERE TOO.
OTHERS WEAR THE SUIT, BUT HAVE
TO PREP IT.
TAKE THE NET WRING APART.
DIFFERENT SEALS APART AND
CONTINUE TO KEEP IT PROCESSED.
AFTER SO MANY TIMES, IT MAY BE
DAMAGED AND MAY NEVER GO SPACE
AGAIN.
I TELL PEOPLE WHEN I WAS
TRAINING, TREAT IT LIKE YOUR
CHILD IS GOING TO WEAR THAT
SUIT.
AND MAKE SURE YOU TIGHTEN EVERY
SCREW AND DO WHAT YOU ARE
SUPPOSED TO DO.
BECAUSE IF YOUR CHILD WEARS IT,
YOU NEEDED IT TO BE PERFECT.
>> I KNOW THIS IS YOUR PASSION,
YOUR JOB.
IN THE MOMENT, MAYBE STEPPING
OUT FROM THAT LIFE.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, IN THAT
MOMENT.
DID YOU REALISE HOW DIG THIS WAS
FOR YOU?
>> NO, I DID NOT.
LIKE SHE SAID. YOU DO THE SAMING EVERY DAY.
YOU DO THE SAMING EVERY DAY.
I SUIT UP MANY ASTRONAUTS IN MY
CAREER.
I DIDN’T REALISE HOW BIG IT WAS,
BECAUSE I HAD DONE IT SO LONG,
IN THE AIR FORCE PRIOR TO COMING
TO HOUSTON.
IT REALLY DIDN’T HIT ME HOW BIG,
AND PEOPLE SAYING I THOUGHT
EVERYONE KNEW.
I WAS IN PHOTOS WITH HER.
SHE WAS IN PLAIN SIGHT.
THEY DIDN’T SEE ME.
I JUST ASSUMED EVERYONE KNEW,
WHEN I REACHED OUT AND TOLD MY
STORY, IT STARTED TO SPREAD.
PEOPLE IN MY OWN HOME TOWN.
THEY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT I HAD
DONE THAT.
EVEN THOUGH I WAS INVOLVED IN
THE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH HER.
PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW.
>> AND THEN I MADE MY OWN
HISTORY, I WORKED FROM THE
BOTTOM AS A TECHNICIAN OUT THE
WAY UP TO MANAGER.
>> ALONGSIDE THE FIRSTS, AND
IT’S SO MUCH FUN SEEING THE
PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOU.
IT WAS NOT ANYTHING FOR YOU TO
TRAVEL TO SPACE CENTER.
WORK
WORKING TO SUPPORT SHUTTLE
LAUNCHES, WHEN YOUR CAREERENEDED WHEN THE SHUTTLE PROGRAMME CAME
WHEN THE SHUTTLE PROGRAMME CAME
TO AN END IN 2011, THAT MUST
HAVE BEEN A FASCINATING TIME.
DESCRIBE HOW YOU FELT AT THAT TIME.
UP IT WAS A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR
ALL OF US.
BUT WE KNEW AHEAD OF TIME.
WE WERE TOLD A WEEK BEFORE THAT
PRESIDENT BUSH MADE PLANS THAT
HE WAS RETIRING.
WE WERE AWARE OF IT.
IT HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE.
HURT OUR HEARTS.
AND THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT LOVED THEIR JOB LIKE I DID.
THEIR JOB LIKE I DID.
I STAYED THERE UNTIL END.
IT DID HURT.
THAT’S ALL I HAVE DOWN MY WHOLE
LIFE.
OUT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.
PRESSURE SUITS, THAT’S WHAT I’VE
DONE.
HERE IS YOUR CHANCE, SPEAK TO
YOUNG GIRLS, WOMEN, GIRLS OF
COLOUR, AND A WAY TO GO AFTER
YOUR DREAM.
WOMEN CAN DO IT GOOD, IF NOT
BETTER.
>> EXACTLY.
>> I WAS ONE OF THE BEST IN MY
CAREER FIELD IT CAN BE DONE.
ANYONE IS TRAINABLE.
THAT’S SOMETHING I PREACH.
YOU HAVE TO GET PEOPLE A CHANCE,
AND LET THEM HAVE THAT MONEY TO
LEARN. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER CAREER
THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER CAREER
FIELDS BESIDES BECOMING AN
ASTRONAUT.
I DID NOT HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE.
SO IT’S POSSIBLE.
DON’T DOUBT YOURSELF.
YOU MAY NOT GO TO SCHOOL.
YOU CAN MAKE IT.
THE MILITARY IS A GREAT CHOICE,
YOU CAN BE A HUGE SUCCESS, I’M
LIVING PROOF.
>> YOU ARE PROOF OF SUCCESS.
WHAT AN INSPIRATION, THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> IMPRESSIVE CAREER TO BE SURE.