SO I'M OFTEN ASKED WHAT SHOULD I DO TO
BECOME AN ASTRONAUT AND ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT I SAY IS REALLY NOT TAKING
AWAY OPPORTUNITIES AND FINDING SOMETHING
THAT YOU REALLY ENJOY TO ME THE BIGGEST
THING YOU GOT TO HAVE IS PASSION SO FIND
SOME PASSION WHATEVER THAT PASSION IS
WHETHER IT'S SPACE YOU KNOW IT COULD BE
BEING A DOCTOR IT COULD BE A TEACHER
COULD BE YOU KNOW THERE'S MULTIPLE JOBS
OUT THERE FINDING SOMETHING THAT'S
EXCITING TO YOU AND THEN DOING IT WELL
IS THE PATH TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT THERE
ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF
ASTRONAUTS OUT THERE THERE'S
VETERINARIANS THERE'S DOCTORS PROFESSORS
ENGINEERS SCIENTISTS WE HAVE PILOTS WE
HAVE SCHOOLTEACHERS WE HAVE A WIDE RANGE
OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BECOME ASTRONAUTS AND
SO I WOULDN'T SAY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS
TO GO BE AN ENGINEER AND GO TO AIR FORCE
TEST PILOT SCHOOL AND THEN GET SELECTED
TO BE AN ASTRONAUT JUST LIKE I DID DO
SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY ENJOY AND DO
IT WELL AND I THINK THE OPPORTUNITIES
ARE STILL OUT THERE TO BE AN ASTRONAUT
FOR A WIDE RANGE OF CAREER THE WORLD IS
CHANGING I MEAN I REMEMBER I GREW UP IN
THE AGE WHEN IF I ASK THE PERSON WHAT A
COMPUTER WAS GOOD FOR THEY'D SAY NOT A
WHOLE LOT AND NOW MOST PEOPLE ARE
CARRYING COMPUTERS IN THEIR POCKETS IF
YOU ASK PEOPLE AT THE BEGINNING FOR ONE
LET'S SAY VA SHOULD GET FOUR THEY'VE TRI
WOULD HAVE SAID NOT A WHOLE LOT BUT NOW
YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT
AVIATION TOUCHES AND THAT'S THE WAY
SPACE TRAVEL IS GOING TO CHANGE AS WELL
AND THE INTENT OF THIS COMMERCIAL CREW
PROGRAM IS TO GET SPACE VEHICLES OUT
THERE THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND WE'RE
GONNA HAVE COLONIES ON THE MOON ON MARS
AND THEN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IS JUST THE
QUESTION IS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO NOT
ONLY GET A RIDE FOR OUR ASTRONAUTS TO GO
TO THE SPACE STATION BUT WE'RE ALSO
TRYING TO ENABLE THE COMMERCIAL SPACE
COMPANIES TO HAVE THIS CAPABILITY FOR
OTHER CUSTOMERS
GREAT NATIONS EXPLORE YOU KNOW WE DON'T
WANT TO TURN IN ON OURSELVES WE WANT TO
JUST WE'VE HAD THAT EXPLORATION SPIRIT
FROM THEIR VERY BEGINNING FROM THE
PEOPLE THAT CAME TO THIS COUNTRY TO THE
PEOPLE THAT MOVED ACROSS THIS COUNTRY TO
THE PEOPLE THAT EXPLORE DEEP INTO THE
OCEAN WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO EXPLORE
OUT IN SPACE
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YOU