[NASA Artemis II Crew Visit City Hall]
[00:00:16]
MORNING TO, UH, TO, TO EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, ALL OF US ARE HONORED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.
YOU KNOW, I, I GOT OFF THE SPACESHIP A LITTLE BIT EARLIER,
WE ARE JUST HONORED AND EXCITED, UH, TO HAVE EACH ONE OF THESE ASTRONAUTS HERE.
AND, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF VANESSA WEISS IS ALSO HERE.
SHOULD THEY SAY, GIVE IT UP TO THE VANESSA, TO THE DIRECTOR.
AND, UM, BUT BEFORE WE, BEFORE I TURN TO THAT, LET ME JUST, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW PEOPLE, UH, WHO ARE, WHO ARE HERE.
AND, UM, UH, SOME OF MY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE HERE.
THERE ARE 16 MEMBERS OF, THEY'RE MY PARTNERS.
JUST LIKE WHEN Y'ALL GO UP AND YOU RELY ON ONE ANOTHER.
UM,
UM, TODAY, UH, THEY ARE MY CREW AND, UM, THE MAYOR PRO TE, UM, FOR, WHO'S BEEN WITH US FOR ON CITY COUNCIL FOR 10 YEARS, DAVE MARTIN, WHO REPRESENTS THE AREA DOWN THERE.
UM, AND THEN THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM IS MARTHA CASTEK.
I DON'T SEE OTHER MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, BUT IF YOU ARE, IF YOU ARE A DIRECTOR, IF YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HAND, UH, SO THEY CAN SEE A DIRECTOR, CITY DEPARTMENTS.
SO THANK, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THEM.
AND THEN ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL CITY COUNCIL, I MEAN, UH, CITY STAFF, EMPLOYEES, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND SO THEY CAN SEE YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, WITHOUT THEM, NOTHING HAPPENS.
SO THEY'RE ALL EXCITED, UH, TO BE WITH YOU.
THIS IS GONNA BE JUST A FUN, A FUN DEAL, OKAY? UM, WE'RE NOT, UH, WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF YOU BEING HERE, AND, UM, SO WE JUST, UH, ELATED THAT YOU'VE TAKEN THE TIME.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU JUST HOW SPECIAL YOU ALL ARE, UM, BECAUSE, UM, EARLIER THIS MONTH THEY WERE AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND, UM, AND TODAY, UH, THEY STEPPED UP AND THEY'RE AT CITY HALL
I, I DON'T WANNA TAKE A, A LOT OF TIME JUST ME TALKING, UH, BUT LEMME JUST START WITH, UH, DIRECTOR VANESSA WISE, THANK YOU FOR BEING PRESIDENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SHE'S OVER AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER.
THERE ABOUT 11,000 EMPLOYEES THERE, I THINK IT WAS TEXAS MONTHLY, SAID THAT THEY WERE THE BEST EMPLOYER, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR AMAZING LEADERSHIP.
WE WERE JUST TOGETHER OVER THE WEEKEND, UH, WHEN WE NAMED, UH, THE DR. SHANNON WALKER LIBRARY, CUT THE RIBBON ON THAT STATE OF THE ART FACILITY ON SATURDAY.
AND, AND VICE MAYOR PROAM, MARTHA CAST STATE DISTRICT.
SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING YOURSELF SO AVAILABLE.
UH, WE HAVE THE ASTRONAUTS WHO ARE GOING TO BE ON EMIS TWO.
AND, UM, UH, AND THIS, THIS WILL BE WHAT THE, THE FIRST FLIGHT IN 50 YEARS? MORE THAN 50 YEARS, MORE THAN 50 70, WAS IT? 72? 72.
SO, YEAH, THE, UM, AND IT WILL BE A, A VERY HISTORIC FLIGHT ON SO MANY LEVELS.
UM, BUT WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST WOMAN ON THIS FLIGHT, UH, CHRISTINA COX SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PERSON OF COLOR, UH, POLLY VICTOR GLOVER, RIGHT HERE.
AND FOR THE, YOU KNOW, ALPHAS IN THE ROOM.
HE'S A SIGMA, BUT, UH, WE WON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST HIM, YOU KNOW.
UM, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE FIRST PERSON NOT COMING FROM THE UNITED STATES, A CANADIAN, UH, WHO IS HERE, JEREMY HANSON.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE COMMANDER, UH, OF, UH, OF, OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS, UH, THIS GUY RIGHT HERE.
AND THAT'S COMMANDER WISEMAN, GIVE IT UP TO HIM.
[00:05:01]
AND TOGETHER THEY, THEY, THEY WILL MAKE UP THE, THE, THE TEAM.UM, UM, UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO DECLINE.
SO, UM,
UH, SO, BUT LEMME JUST START OFF BY, BY COMMANDER.
UH, WHAT MAKES THIS MISSION SO EXCITING? WHAT, WHAT, WHY IS IT EXCITING TO YOU AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN? I, I WANTED TO START WITH A JOKE, SO MAYBE I'LL GET TO THE JOKE, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR IMMEDIATE QUESTION THERE, THERE, THAT BRINGS UP SO MUCH EMOTION.
WHY IS THIS EXCITING? ON A PERSONAL LEVEL FOR ME, I HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST, I GET TO FLY WITH VICTOR, CHRISTINA, AND JEREMY.
THESE ARE THREE OF THE MOST PROFESSIONAL HUMANS.
FUNNY TEAM, CARING PEOPLE, AND THE AMOUNT THAT THEY WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY TO MOTIVATE EVERYBODY.
IT BRINGS ME UP A LEVEL EVERY DAY WHEN WE GET TO WORK.
UM, I'LL TAKE A MINUTE AND A SECOND TO TALK THROUGH THE MISSION, BUT I DO HAVE TO START BECAUSE, UH, MAYOR SAID WE STEPPED UP OUR GAME BY COMING TO CITY HALL TODAY.
AND I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT NEITHER OF MY KIDS WERE BORN IN TEXAS, BUT THEY GOT HERE WHEN THEY WERE ONE AND THREE, AND NOW THEY'RE 15 AND 17.
AND WHEN WE WENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE LAST WEEK, WE DRIVE INTO DC AND I TELL MY KIDS, I'M LIKE, OH, THERE'S A WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING MY TEXAS EDUCATED 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER SAID, YOU KNOW, THE SAN JACINTO MONUMENT IS 15 FEET TALLER THAN A WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
AND THEN I DO, I, I ALSO, 'CAUSE HE WON'T SAY IT, I WILL HIGHLIGHT THAT JEREMY HANSON HAS A CANADIAN FLAG ON HIS LEFT SHOULDER, BUT THAT MAN LIVES RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM ALL OF US IN, UH, IN FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS.
SO, UH, HE IS A TEXAN TRUE AND IS WAY BETTER LINE DANCER THAN I WILL EVER WANT TO BE.
OH, TURN THE MUSIC ON
UH, UH, LEMME JUST, UH, TOUCH REAL QUICK ON THE MISSION AND THEN I'M GONNA HAND IT, UH, DOWN THE LINE BECAUSE, UH, WE WANNA HEAR FROM EVERYBODY.
UH, WE ARE GONNA LAUNCH OUT OF THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER ON THE ORION SPACECRAFT, POWERED BY THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM.
UH, PARTS OF THIS SPACECRAFT ARE BUILT IN ALL 50 STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD.
IT REALLY IS AN INTERNATIONAL MISSION.
UH, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE OUR JSC CENTER DIRECTOR, VANESSA WISE, WHO HAS JUST BEEN A GREAT FRIEND AND A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR EVERYTHING WE ARE DOING.
UM, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE AS WELL, VANESSA.
UH, WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH OUTTA THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
AND TO BREAK IT DOWN VERY SIMPLY, IT'S A NINE DAY MISSION, BUT IT IS ONLY REALLY THREE ORBITS OF THE EARTH.
WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH, AND OUR FIRST ORBIT WILL TAKE US TO 1200 MILES FROM EARTH.
TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IS 250 MILES OFF THE PLANET.
SO, UH, FOR MYSELF, VICTOR AND CHRISTINA, JUST COMING OFF THE PAD AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER WILL ALREADY BE OVER FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN WE WERE WHEN WE SPENT, UH, THE TIME THAT WE SPENT ON THE SPACE STATION.
A A COMBINED TWO YEARS OF SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
UH, AFTER THAT, WE WILL DO A SINGLE BURN ON OUR UPPER STAGE, AND THAT WILL TAKE US OUT TO 38,000 MILES FROM EARTH.
LIKE THAT FOR US, JUST BLOWS OUR MIND.
THAT IS AN ENTIRE DAY IT WILL TAKE FOR US TO TRAVEL AROUND THE EARTH AT 38,000 MILES APOGEE.
UM, AND FROM THAT VIEW, LIKE WE WILL LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE TRULY EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON PLANET EARTH.
BUT AS CHRISTINA POINTED OUT, WE WILL ALSO SEE OUR SEVEN FRIENDS WHO AT THAT TIME WILL BE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, AND IT'LL BE THE FIRST TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY THAT WE HAVE SENT HUMANS TO DEEP SPACE.
BUT WE'VE ALSO SENT OUR PEERS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TO CONTINUE THE SCIENCE MISSION THAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
AND THEN IF EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL ON OUR VEHICLE, THE REASON THAT WE'RE DOING THAT ONE DAY, 38,000 MILE ORBIT IS TO CHECK OUT OUR SPACECRAFT THROUGH AND THROUGH.
IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, WE JUST COME HOME RIGHT THERE.
IF EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL, THEN WE WILL GET THOSE MAGICAL WORDS FROM MISSION CONTROL IN HOUSTON, UH, THAT YOU WILL GO FOR TLI TRANS LUNAR INJECTION.
AND IF WE DO THAT BURN ON THE EUROPEAN SERVICE MODULE, WE ARE HEADING OUT TO OUR THIRD ORBIT OF EARTH, WHICH WILL TAKE US TO 250,000 MILES.
WE'LL GO AROUND THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON, WE'LL USE THE GRAVITY OF THE MOON TO BEND US BACK TOWARDS EARTH, AND WE'LL COME HOME.
IT'S ABOUT A FOUR DAY TRANSIT OUT AND A FOUR DAY TRANSIT BACK.
AND THAT'LL ALL ADD UP TO OUR NINE DAY MISSION, AND IT WILL BE SPECTACULAR.
AND TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN AN AGE WHERE WE CAN PROBABLY COMMUNICATE IN NEAR REAL TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE CAN HAVE, UH, INTERVIEWS WHILE WE'RE GOING OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WHAT HUMANS HAVE CREATED.
AND WE ARE THE FOUR LUCKY ONES TO GO AND, AND, AND LOOK AT WHAT'S OUT THERE AND TO SHARE THAT BACK AS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR.
UM, FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS, THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR THE INVITATION.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP
[00:10:01]
AND SUPPORT.THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE STAFF FOR YOUR GREAT SUPPORT.
UM, IT'S, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SPACE CITY, AND, UM, UM, MY NAME IS VICTOR GLOVER.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF FLYING TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, UH, AS A PART OF CREW ONE IN EXPEDITION 64 AND 65, UH, ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AND, UM, JUST GONNA BE BRIEF SO WE CAN GET INTO THE Q AND A, BUT, UH, I HAD A, UH, WE LANDED ON MAY 2ND, 2021, SO 168 DAYS IN SPACE.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY CREW MATES LAUGH WHEN I SAY MY FAVORITE PART OR WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IS SPLASH DOWN.
AND IT'S THE TRUTH BECAUSE OUR JOB IS REALLY TO ENABLE THE NEXT MISSION, ARTEMIS THREE AND FOUR, FOR THE LONG VIEW OF THIS PROGRAM, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE FOR HUMANS.
BUT SPLASH DOWN MEANS EVERYTHING ELSE WENT SUCCESSFULLY.
BUT THE PART OF THE MISSION THAT WAS THE MOST MEANINGFUL WAS WHEN WE STEPPED OFF THE AIRPLANE RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON AT ELLINGTON FIELD BECAUSE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE WAITING OUT THERE FOR US.
AND SO, UH, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, AND YOU ALL ARE A PART OF THAT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THAT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING YOU PROUD AND TRYING TO DO THAT SAME THING AGAIN.
THANKS
THAT'S THE PART THAT I, THAT I LOVE TOO.
YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU PEOPLE STANDING, PEOPLE THAT STOP THEIR JOBS AND EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING TO BE HERE.
I KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK BECAUSE I LISTEN TO THE RADIO NEWS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND ALL I'M ALWAYS HEARING ABOUT THE AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASM.
WE ARE JUST AS EXCITED AS YOU ARE ABOUT THIS MISSION, AND IT IS PHENOMENAL TO BE WITH YOU.
I HAVE TO SAY, AS SOMEONE I GREW UP IN NORTH CAROLINA, I NEVER THOUGHT HOUSTON WOULD BE MY HOME, BUT WOW.
YOU ALL MAKE IT WHAT IT IS AND IT IS PHENOMENAL TO CALL HOUSTON.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HOUSTON OUR HOME.
AND THE ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD IS, OFTENTIMES I GET THE QUESTION, WHAT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING THING YOU SAW FROM SPACE? I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ALSO LIVING AND WORKING ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FOR MOST OF 2019.
AND MY ANSWER IS HOW AMAZING IT IS SURPRISINGLY, TO LOOK AT YOUR HOME ON EARTH AND THIS TEXAS COASTLINE WHEN IT COMES INTO THE VIEW AS YOU'RE FLYING OVER AND YOU SUDDENLY REALIZE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING DOWN AT HOUSTON, YOU CAN SEE THE BELTWAYS, YOU CAN SEE THE BAY, AND IT COMES INTO FOCUS THAT WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR HOME SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE TO LIVE IN, BUT ALSO TO LOOK DOWN ON FROM SPACE.
JEREMY, WHAT, WHAT MAKES THIS SO SPECIAL FOR YOU? THIS FLIGHT? YEAH.
UM, YOU KNOW, REED SAID IT, I'VE LIVED DOWN HERE 14 YEARS.
UH, REED AND I WERE IN THE SAME CLASS 2009 AND MOVED MY FAMILY DOWN HERE, RAISED MY KIDS HERE.
AND SO HOUSTON HAS VERY MUCH BECOME A HOME FOR ME.
PEOPLE ASK ME WHERE I LIVE, I SAY, I LIVE IN HOUSTON.
AND SO, YEAH, THERE IS A CANADIAN FLAG ON THIS PATCH, AND I AM A LOYAL CANADIAN.
UM, BUT, UH, I'VE REALLY MADE A HOME IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE TO REFLECT BACK, UH, ABOUT THIS MISSION, ONE OF THE PARTS THAT REALLY RESONATES WITH ME IS THROUGH MY LENS.
WHAT I SEE, WHAT I SEE IS EXTRAORDINARY AMERICAN LEADERSHIP THAT CREATED THIS PROGRAM.
AMERICANS COULD HAVE DONE IT ON THEIR OWN.
YOU DON'T NEED CANADA AS MUCH AS I WISH YOU DID.
SO WHY DID YOU DO THAT? YOU, YOU DID IT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOOD LEADERS AND YOU INTENTIONALLY CARVED OUT SPACE FOR OTHERS TO COME ALONG BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO LEAD THE WORLD.
YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING THE WORLD TOGETHER TO TACKLE BIG PROBLEMS AS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION.
THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLE.
WE'RE SETTING IT RIGHT NOW WHILE SEVEN OF OUR COLLEAGUES ARE ON BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, DOING THAT IN SPACE RIGHT NOW WHILE WE'RE CHATTING.
IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLE FOR HUMANITY RIGHT NOW.
WITH ALL THE ISSUES WE HAVE ON THIS PLANET, THE ONE THING WE, WE KNOW FOR SURE WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AND YOU ARE PROVIDING THAT LEADERSHIP AND IT'S HARD FOUGHT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO REFLECT BACK TO YOU THROUGH MY LENS, WHAT I SEE WHEN I GO HOME TO CANADA AND TALK ABOUT ARTEMIS.
TWO CANADIANS ARE SUPER EXCITED THAT THEY'RE PART OF THIS AND IT'S MOTIVATING THEM TO BRING THEIR GENIUS, THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROGRAM.
YOU WILL SEE CANADIAN ELEMENTS TO GOING BACK TO THE MOON, AND YOU'LL SEE ELEMENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY COMPLIMENT TO YOU AS AMERICANS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF STEM AND, UM, AND WHILE, WHY SHOULD WE ENCOURAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR KIDS AND STUDENTS AND OTHERS, UH, TO REALLY KIND OF TUNE IN AND HOW CAN THEY GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN DREAM ABOVE, YOU KNOW,
[00:15:01]
JUST, UM, HAVE DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS.UM, WHAT GOT YOU STARTED AND INTERESTED IN STEM, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND IF I THREW A QUESTION RIGHT BACK AT YOU? WOULD YOU SHARE WHERE YOU'RE GOING AFTER WE'RE FINISHED HERE TODAY,
WELL, LEMME OKAY, LEMME DO THIS THOUGH BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS A QUESTION.
I DO HAVE A BURNING QUESTION FOR EVERYBODY.
I CANNOT IMAGINE BEING UP IN SPACE FOR DAYS AND DAYS AND DAYS AND CRAMPED UP AND CAN'T GO TO A RESTAURANT AND
I ACTUALLY ALSO, IN ADDITION TO SPENDING ALMOST 11 MONTHS ON BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, I WINTERED OVER AT THE SOUTH POLE STATION IN ANTARCTICA FOR A YEAR.
AND I ACTUALLY DID HAVE SOME MIND GAMES THAT I USED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT I ENJOYED EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THOSE JOURNEYS.
AND THAT TRICK IS EVERY TIME I STARTED TO MISS SOMETHING ON EARTH THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO, WHETHER THAT WAS PERSONAL SPACE, LIKE YOU SAID, A REALLY NICE LATTE GOING TO A RESTAURANT, SMELLS OF THE BEACH, I WOULD IMMEDIATELY STOP THAT THOUGHT AND REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING THAT I HAD AT THAT MOMENT THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE AGAIN.
AND IF YOU HAVE THAT ATTITUDE EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU THINK ONE DAY I'M GONNA JUST GIVE ANYTHING TO LOOK OUT THE CUPOLA WINDOW.
ONE DAY I'M GONNA GIVE ANYTHING TO WALK OUT OF THIS ANTARCTIC STATION AND LOOK UP AND SEE THE AURORAS.
YOU WILL LOVE EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF EVERY DAY.
AND I NEVER COUNTED DOWN, I WAS NEVER READY FOR ANY OF MY MISSIONS OR SEASONS TO END.
AND THAT WAS WHY I DISCOVERED THAT.
AND IT GOT ME THROUGH THOSE DAYS, EVEN WHEN I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, ELBOW MY CREW MATES OUTTA MY WAY AND TELL
BUT WERE GOING BACK THE IMPORTANCE OF STEM.
I MEAN, I I, I DIDN'T WANT TO COMPLETELY GLOSS OVER YOUR QUESTION 'CAUSE IT'S A CRITICAL ONE, AND IT'S ONE THAT I'VE, I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT A LOT, BUT MY LIFE, YOU KNOW, AS I'VE GOTTEN OLDER, MY LIFE HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY AS A, I'M GONNA ANSWER THIS IN THE WAY THAT MY HEART TELLS ME.
AS A KID GROWING UP, I TRULY KNEW I COULD DO ANYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY IF I WANTED TO TRY TO BE THE PRESIDENT, I COULD TRY FOR THAT.
IF I WANTED TO BE AN ENGINEER, IF I WANTED TO DRIVE A TRAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, I COULD TRY FOR ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT I HAVE REALIZED THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS THAT GROW UP IN OUR COUNTRY AND THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN TRY FOR THOSE THINGS.
EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN.
AND JUST TRAVELING OUR OWN NATION WITH THIS CREW, I SEE HOW MUCH IT IMPACTS PEOPLE WHEN THEY SEE VICTOR, WHEN THEY SEE CHRISTINA, WHEN THEY SEE JEREMY, AND WHEN THEY SEE ME AND THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES PROJECTED OUT INTO THE FUTURE, IT REALLY, REALLY MATTERS.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE GOING OUT AND TRYING TO TALK TO YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN KIDS AND TELL 'EM YOU CAN BE PILOTS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PILOTS THAT LOOK LIKE YOU, IT REALLY DOES MATTER.
AND THEY REALLY CAN GO DO THAT AND THEY REALLY SHOULD DO IT.
SOME OF OUR GREATEST HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY PEOPLE THAT LOOK JUST LIKE THEM IN COMBAT AVIATION.
UM, SO GETTING OUT THERE AND JUST SHOWING PEOPLE GETTING OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND GOING AND DOING SOMETHING BIG
WE WERE JUST IN LONDON AND WE HAD THE NEATEST LITTLE EVENT.
IT WAS ABOUT 40 DEAF SCHOOL CHILDREN, AND WE DID AN ENTIRE DISCUSSION WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE FIRST QUESTION THEY ASKED US, WHAT IS THAT? CAN WE WORK IN SPACE IF WE'RE DEAF? MM.
AND OUR ANSWER WAS VERY CLEAR.
NOT ONLY CAN YOU, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED YOU, BECAUSE UNTIL WE HAVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE FED INTO OUR SYSTEM, WE ARE WEAKER, RIGHT? AND WE WILL BE STRONGER WHEN YOU ARE FEEDING YOUR PERSPECTIVE INTO OUR SYSTEM BECAUSE WE WILL BE DOING IT FOR ALL AND BY ALL.
SO GET OUT THERE, STUDY SCIENCE, IF THAT'S YOUR PASSION.
STUDY MEDICINE, IF THAT'S YOUR PASSION, BE A VETERINARIAN.
UH, IF YOU REALLY LOVE GROCERIES, LIKE GO BE A GROCERY SUPPLY CHAIN PERSON.
LIKE, WE NEED ALL OF THESE PEOPLE TO MAKE OUR CIVILIZATION WORK AND BE EFFICIENT.
AND LIKE, MY, ONE OF MY GREATEST JOYS IN LIFE IS GOING TO A RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN ON THAT SPECIAL NIGHT AND, AND HAVING SOMEONE CREATE FOOD FOR ME THAT IS ART AND IT'S DELICIOUS AND IT'S FULFILLING.
AND I GET CONVERSATION WITH MY FAMILY.
THINK HOW CRITICAL JUST WORKING IN A RESTAURANT IS FOR THE JOY OF OTHER HUMANS.
LIKE, WE MISS THAT, THAT ART OF LIFE SOMETIMES.
[00:20:01]
AND THAT IS REALLY PRECIOUS.RE AND RE AND, AND VICTOR, LEMME TURN, LEMME TURN TO YOU BECAUSE, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN ON THIS TRIP, PERSON OF COLOR AS HISTORIC IN OF ITSELF, FOR MANY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, WHEN, WHEN I WENT UP AND WAS, AND THEY ASKED ME TO PEL OFF THIS CLIFF
UH, UH, WE GONNA PEL OFF THIS.
SO A LOT OF KIDS OF COLOR, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LEAVING, UM, THE GROUND, GOING UP INTO THE AIR, HESITANT, BUT WHAT DOES IT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU, UH, PERSONALLY BEING A PART OF THE PROGRAM, BEING A PART OF ARTEMIS II? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHER KIDS OF COLOR WHO ARE OUT THERE? WELL, YOU KNOW, REED STARTED IT.
AND, AND I THINK YOUNG FOLKS NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN, BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO BE EXPOSED TO IT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET TO DO A LOT OF OUTREACH AND WE GET THIS VERY THIN, BUT NOT VERY DEEP, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN EDUCATION OR PARENTS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PUT OUR KIDS IN THE ENVIRONMENTS FOR THEM TO SUCCEED AND SUPPORT THEM.
AND WHICH MEANS GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO TRIP AND FALL, BUT ALSO TO PICK THEMSELVES UP AND, AND DUST THEMSELVES OFF AND TRY AGAIN.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ADDRESS SOMETHING YOU YOU BROUGHT UP.
I TOOK MY KIDS TO THE STRATOSPHERE IN LAS VEGAS TO RIDE THOSE RIDES UP A THOUSAND FEET UP.
I
I'VE BEEN FLYING SINCE JULY 6TH, 2000.
FIRST TIME I STRAPPED ON AN AIRPLANE.
AND LISTEN, I, I DON'T LIKE BEING UP HIGH WITHOUT AN AIRPLANE AROUND ME.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE AFRAID IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, IT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE SANE, YOU ARE RATIONAL, RIGHT?
WE SHOULD NOT BE NEAR THAT EDGE
BUT, BUT THAT DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT A BARRIER TO FLIGHT.
THAT'S NOT A BARRIER TO, TO BEING AN ENGINEER, TO BEING A DIVER, TO WINTERING OVER IN ANTARCTICA OR JUST GOING FOR A SEASON.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA STAY WHEN ALL THE SHIPS AND AIRPLANES LEAVE
BUT, BUT THEY NEED TO BE EXPOSED.
THEY NEED TO SEE IT BECAUSE UNTIL THEY FLY AN AIRPLANE, THEY DON'T KNOW IN THEIR BONES.
EVEN WHEN I TELL 'EM, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING, THEY NEED TO SEE IT FOR THEMSELVES.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS CREW.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASK MYSELF AND THEY ASK CHRISTINA, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S BIGGER THAN THAT.
IT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO THE COUNTRY.
IT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO THIS CITY IS HOUSTON BEING ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN AMERICA.
WE REPRESENT THE ASTRONAUT OFFICE, WE REPRESENT CANADA, WE REPRESENT AMERICA.
AND SO IT'S NOT ANY ONE OF US.
I, I HONESTLY, I WISH PEOPLE WOULD STOP ASKING ME BECAUSE IT'S NOT ME.
IT'S LOOK AT US, LOOK AT THIS CREW.
WE REPRESENT THE HARDWORKING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE IN THIS CITY, IN THIS COUNTRY, AND WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT THE LIMITING FACTORS IN THIS MISSION.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MAKE YOU ALL PROUD AND ENABLE THE NEXT MISSION.
UH, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG FOLKS TO SEE THEMSELVES AND TO KNOW THAT, YEAH, I I I LOOK LIKE YOU, YOU LOOK LIKE ME.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A BIG PART OF MY JOURNEY IN GETTING INTO THE NAVY.
I TOLD THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND WEST POINT, NO, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO THE MILITARY.
AND THEN WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE AT STATE COLLEGE, I MET A, A, A MENTOR WHO WAS A RESERVIST.
AND WHEN I SAW HIM IN HIS UNIFORM WITH HIS FACE LOOKED LIKE MINE, BUT WAS IN A NAVY UNIFORM, I JOINED THE NAVY LESS THAN A YEAR LATER.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND IN MY LIFE, EXPERIENCE THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPOSURE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO PUT OUR KIDS IN A POSITION TO, TO FAIL WITHIN REASON, BUT ALSO TO SUCCEED IT'S EXPOSURE.
NOT JUST ENCOURAGING THEM, BUT WE NEED TO EXPOSE THEM AND PUT THEM IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I, AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT THIS CREW.
WHEN YOU SEE ALL FOUR OF US, WE ARE SHOWING PEOPLE WHAT OUR COUNTRY IS COMPRISED OF AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
NOT WHEN WE PUT OUR DIFFERENCES ASIDE, BUT WHEN WE BRING THEM IN AND PUT 'EM, UH, TOWARDS ONE MISSION, ACCOMPLISHING ONE THING TOGETHER.
UH, UH, YEAH, GIVE IT UP TO HIM.
CHRISTINA, YOU'VE BEEN ON, YOU'VE BEEN ON A COUPLE OF FLIGHTS AND YOU'VE BEEN UP IN SPACE OVER 300, 300 DAYS AND, UH, AND YOU WERE ONE OF, WELL, THE FIRST TWO WOMEN WALKING OUT THERE ON, ON SPACE.
WHAT, WHAT DRIVES YOU? WHAT, I MEAN, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE HERE TO MOTIVATE THEM TO PUSH THROUGH AND GO BEYOND? WOW.
WELL, IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO BE A PART OF THOSE THINGS.
AND ONE OF THE PIECES OF ADVICE THAT I LIKE TO GIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S ABOUT BEING AT THE TABLE, WHICH I AM SO HAPPY TO BE PART OF THIS MISSION WHERE WE ARE JOINING NASA WHEN THE DECISIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO FOR ALL AND BY ALL.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE US UP HERE.
IT'S NOT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON THIS STAGE, IT'S YOU ALL.
IT'S THE LEADERS THAT KNEW THAT THIS WAS IMPORTANT.
SO HAVING PARTICIPATED IN THOSE THINGS,
[00:25:02]
IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT PARTICIPATING, IT WAS ABOUT FOCUSING ON EXCELLENCE, ON EXACTLY THE MISSION THAT WE WERE DOING.AND I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE SECRET ABOUT THAT.
FIRST, ALL FEMALE SPACEWALK, MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT WASN'T A PLANNED SPACEWALK.
SOMETHING BROKE THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO BREAK.
AND WE WENT OUT ON A SPACEWALK, JESSICA AND I, A WEEK AFTER THAT THING BROKE, HAVING PLANNED THAT SPACEWALK TOGETHER WITH THE TEAMS ON THE GROUND, SPACEWALKS ARE USUALLY PLANNED OVER THE SERIES, A SERIES OF THREE YEARS OR SO.
YOU PRACTICE THEM TO INFINITY IN THE POOL, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE STEP YOU'RE GONNA DO.
AND WE DID THAT CONTINGENCY SPACE WALK IN A WEEK.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT BEING AT THE TABLE, IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING EXCELLENT.
YOU KNOW, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS NOTHING WITHOUT CATHERINE JOHNSON.
I'M NOTHING WITHOUT MA JEMISON.
AND I'VE HEARD THAT SOMETHING SHE SAID THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IN SPACE IS THAT IF THERE WERE ALIENS AND THEY LOOKED AT THE APOLLO MISSIONS AS AMAZING AS THEY WERE AND ARE, AND AS PROUD OF THEM AS I AM, THE ALIENS WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT EVERYONE ON EARTH LOOKED LIKE THOSE PEOPLE.
AND I'M HAPPY THAT THE ALIENS WERE GONNA SEE
THEY'RE GONNA KNOW EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WE REPRESENT NOW, YOU KNOW? OH MY GOSH.
NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL PREACH
I CAN, I CAN RUN WITH THAT ONE.
JEREMY CANADA, A PART OF THIS AMAZING TEAM FROM A, FROM A, FROM AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT BEING A PART OF THIS AMAZING, AMAZING TEAM RIGHT HERE? WELL, WE SHOULD HAVE JUST ENDED THAT, THIS WHOLE THING ON THE LAST ONE,
IF YOU, IF YOU LIFT YOUR HEAD UP EVEN FOR A MOMENT AND READ A FEW NEWS STORIES, WE'RE NOT DOING OKAY.
AND, UH, HUMANS ARE BUILT TO COLLABORATE.
THAT'S WHY WE SUCCEEDED ON THIS PLANET.
YOU BUILD COMMUNITIES, YOU SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.
WE CAN'T HAVE THE LIES WE HAVE AS INDIVIDUALS.
BUT WE HAVEN'T MANAGED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET 8 BILLION OF US TO WORK TOGETHER WITH GOOD INTENTIONS AND, UH, FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
AND SPACE IS NOT GONNA FIX ALL THE PROBLEMS ON THE PLANET ARTEMIS TWO IS GONNA HAPPEN.
WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND THERE'LL STILL BE CHALLENGES HERE, BUT IT IS GOING TO GIVE A VERY VISUAL EXAMPLE TO PEOPLE.
THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO LOOK AT ARTEMIS TWO AND SAY, WOW, LOOK AT WHAT THAT COMMUNITY DID BY WORKING TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY.
THEY THREW FOUR HUMANS AROUND THE MOON.
AND WE, AS WE GO BACK TO THE MOON, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT JUST REPEATING WHAT WE DID IN THE PAST.
WE'RE DOING SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW.
WE'RE BUILDING, UM, NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE, MORE CAPABLE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE PLAN TO GO TO THE MOON TO STAY THIS TIME, TO ENABLE OURSELVES TO GO TO MARS.
IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURE THAN APOLLO.
THE CHALLENGES ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN THEY WERE FOR APOLLO.
AND WE'RE TAKING THOSE ON, AND THEY'RE SO BIG.
WE'RE DOING IT AS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE SEE.
WE WILL FLY OUT AROUND THE MOON, WE'LL LOOK BACK AND WE WILL TAKE PHOTOS AND WE WILL TRY TO CONVEY WHAT WE SEE, BUT WE WILL SEE EVERY SINGLE HUMAN HANGING IN THAT VACUUM OF SPACE AND HOPEFULLY HUMANITY DURING THAT MISSION.
WE'LL JUST PAUSE FOR EVEN JUST A MOMENT AND SAY THAT'S AT LEAST WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE AIMING FOR CAN COME.
AND THAT'S A GOOD TIME TO SEE THIS VIDEO THAT WE HAVE.
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE, PLAY THIS VIDEO RIGHT QUICK, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MISSION.
I AM CHRISTINA COOK, I'M A MISSION SPECIALIST.
I'M JEREMY HANSEN, I'M A MISSION SPECIALIST.
[00:30:16]
WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I HAD A POSTER OF THE EARTHRISE PICTURE, THE FAMOUS PICTURE THAT WAS TAKEN ON APOLLO EIGHT.AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS A HUMAN BEHIND THE LENS THAT MADE THAT PICTURE SO PROFOUND AND CHANGED HOW WE ALL THOUGHT OF OUR OWN HOME WAS SO AMAZING TO ME.
THE MOON IS NOT JUST A SYMBOL OF THINKING ABOUT OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE.
IT'S NOT JUST A SYMBOL OF EXPLORATION.
IT'S ACTUALLY A BEACON FOR SCIENCE.
IT'S A BEACON FOR UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE CAME FROM.
YOU KNOW, PUSHING OURSELVES TO EXPLORE IS JUST CORE TO WHO WE ARE.
WE GO OUT THERE AND WE EXPLORE TO LEARN ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, WHY WE ARE UNDERSTANDING THE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE.
THE EXPLORATION WE'RE DOING IS THE FIRST FEW STEPS ON THE PATH OF GETTING HUMANS TO MARS.
THE ARTEMIS CAMPAIGN ADMISSIONS HAVE SET SUCH AN AMBITIOUS GOAL FOR HUMANITY, THAT IT'S INSPIRING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.
NOT JUST ONE NATION IS INSPIRED AND MOVED BY THIS, BUT NATIONS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE ARE COMING TOGETHER.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE ARTEMIS TWO CREW WITH VICTOR, CHRISTINA AND JEREMY, THEY WANT TO GO DO THIS MISSION.
IT IS SO COOL TO BE AROUND THEM.
ARTEMIS TWO IS A HUGE MISSION, BUT I HOPE WE WILL LOOK BACK AND REALIZE THAT THIS WAS ONE TINY STEP IN HUMANS ON MARS AND THE SUSTAINED PRESENCE ON OUR OWN.
WE ARE READY, WE ARE GO TO THE MO FOR ALL HUMANITY.
WE ARE ARTISTS AND WE ARE SO, AND WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU.
UH, BEFORE WE TURN AND TAKE LOTS OF VIDEOS, HIT SUBSCRIBE.
ALRIGHT, JEREMY, THAT WAS TO GET YOU READY FOR THE LINE DANCE.
SO JUST TELL ME DON'T, DON'T, DON'T GET TOO, YOU KNOW, TOO RELAXED NOW.
UM, BUT BEFORE WE TURN TO HAVE A FEW MEDIA QUESTIONS, UM, DIRECTOR WEISS, YOU WANNA COME AND JUST SAY UH, HELLO ON THE SPOT? YES, I KNOW I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT.
WELL JUST, UH, WANNA THANK YOU, UH, AS, UH, ALL OF THE CREW HAS SAID, UH, HOUSTON IS OUR HOME, AND, UH, THIS IS WHERE WE TRAIN OUR ASTRONAUTS.
WE ARE PREPARING, UH, FOR THE MISSION, ALL THE PLANS THAT WILL GO INTO ARTEMIS TWO.
AND WE WANNA THANK OUR, UH, PARTNERS HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND ESPECIALLY WE WANT TO THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER.
UH, WE DO HAVE, AND IT'S ON THE WAY.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS TRYING TO GET YOU TO SLOW DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU.
OKAY,
UH, HE CAME AND ENCOURAGED OUR AFRICAN AFRICAN AMERICAN EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP.
UH, HIS FLIGHT JACKET IS FROM APOLLO 11.
UH, WE CELEBRATED, UM, THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF, OF THAT MISSION.
UH, YOU CELEBRATED WITH US THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF JF K'S SPEECH AT RICE STADIUM.
UH, HE'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO, UM, PARTNER WITH US AND LET US KNOW THAT HE, ANYTHING WE'VE EVER ASKED FOR AND NEEDED.
AND I WANNA JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO, TO SHARE ON, UM, BEHALF OF, OF ALL OF US AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOW PROUD WE ARE OF OUR ARTEMIS TWO CREW.
I'M SITTING THERE, DAVE ASKED ME, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT VIDEO? I SAID, NO, NOT THAT VERSION.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, GIVE IT UP FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
[00:35:01]
I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA MAKE US PROUD, UH, WHEN THEY SAY WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO MAKE YOU PROUD.YOU GUYS ARE, YOU'RE MAKING US PROUD EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING.
OUR STORY IS ABOUT TRYING TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO JOIN OUR MISSION.
AND, UH, FOR THOSE THAT WORK AT THE CITY, I WON'T TRY TO STEAL YOU.
I TRIED TO STEAL ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES ON, UH, ON SATURDAY AND MY
BUT WE DO WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR, YOUR CHILDREN, COME DOWN, JOIN US, LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US, EVERY LAST ONE OF US TO DO THIS BIG BOLD MISSION OF GOING TO THE MOON.
AND AS JEREMY SAID, THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO STAY AND WE'RE GOING TO MARS.
AND IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERY ONE OF US TO DO THAT.
AND I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW HOW, HOW, HOW PROUD WE ARE.
UH, BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO ON THESE, UH, TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS, UM, NASA ALWAYS COMES UP WHEN WE ASK ABOUT HOUSTON, THEY SAY NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER.
SO, UM, YOU ALL HELPED TO MAKE HOUSTON.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WHAT WE ARE KNOWN FOR.
UM, SO WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD, INCREDIBLY PROUD WHEN YOU ALL GO UP, HOUSTON GOES UP, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, ALONG WITH EVERY CITY, EVERY UH, STATE, AND NOW ALL THE COUNTRIES AROUND THE GLOBE.
BUT FROM HOUSTON'S PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU MOVE HOUSTON MOVES, WHEN YOU DO THE SPACE WALK, HOUSTON IS SPACE WALKING.
AND WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE IN SPACE, HOUSTON IS THERE.
AND THEN WHEN YOU MEET THOSE OTHER BEINGS OUT THERE,
SO INCREDIBLY PROUD NOW TO THE MEDIA.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA? ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM.
UH, THIS IS FOR ALL THE ASTRONAUTS.
WHAT'S AN ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL ITEM THAT YOU'LL BE TAKING ON THIS SUBMISSION? I'M SURE IT VARIES FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, BUT THAT ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE ITEM, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY PERSONAL OR BESIDES HOUSTON
UH, WELL, I'LL ANSWER COMPLETELY HONESTLY.
I'M 48 YEARS OLD AND READING GLASSES WILL BE 100% ESSENTIAL ON THAT MISSION FOR ME.
LIKE THESE RIGHT HERE,
UH, MY BIBLE, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF WEIGHT AND VOLUME RESTRICTIONS AND SO I'M NOT SURE IF I'LL BE ABLE TO BRING AN ACTUAL BOOK, BUT AT A MINIMUM, A DIGITAL COPY BOOK MY BIBLE.
MY MAMA WOULD BE, I SAY, OH, HE'S A GOOD ONE.
FOR ME, SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY MEANINGFUL DURING MY TIME IN SPACE WAS WHEN I WOULD GET SOMETHING HANDMADE OR HANDWRITTEN FROM SOMEONE ON THE GROUND, JUST 'CAUSE KNOWING THAT THEIR HANDS WERE ON THAT SAME THING AND THAT IT MADE ITS WAY TO ME.
SO I HOPE I'M GONNA ASK SOME OF MY FAMILY AND LOVED ONES TO WRITE LETTERS AND THAT I CAN OPEN WHEN I'M OUT THERE.
PERFECT, JEREMY, AND I KNOW WE'LL ALL DO THIS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS JUST RECOGNIZING THE FAMILY THAT SUPPORTS US EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AND SO I'M GONNA FLY JUST A VERY TINY MEMENTO FOR MY WIFE AND MY THREE CHILDREN BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT.
AND YOU KNOW, WE SAY THAT A LOT, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, AS AN EXAMPLE, LIKE I REALLY COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT MY THREE KIDS BEING STRONG, INDEPENDENT, TACKLING THEIR OWN CHALLENGES.
I MEAN, WE HELP EACH OTHER AS A FAMILY.
LIKE, IT'S MORE THAN THE, THAN JUST A TOKEN SAYING LIKE, I REALLY COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM LEANING IN AND, AND CARRYING THEMSELVES THE WAY THEY DO.
AND SO I JUST HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOMEHOW.
OH, ME, ASTRONAUT JOB WAS ME ASTRONAUT YOUR DREAM JOB.
OH, CHRISTINA'S GOT CHRISTINA.
WELL, WE ALL HAVE GREAT ANSWERS TO THIS ONE.
I COULD PROBABLY TELL THEIR STORIES TOO, BUT FOR ME, YES, IT WAS MY DREAM JOB SINCE THE TIME I WAS EVEN YOUNGER THAN YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.
I WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT AND I JUST NEVER GREW OUT OF IT.
I WAS REALLY LUCKY THAT THE PEOPLE AROUND ME ENCOURAGED ME TO DO IT.
YEAH, I HAVE TO TELL YOU ONE OTHER THING.
YESTERDAY I WAS GIVEN A GIFT, SO, AND I'LL TELL YOU THE BACKGROUND OF THAT STORY.
SO WHEN I WAS AROUND YOUR AGE, I SAW AN IMAGE OF A HUMAN STANDING ON THE MOON.
AND IT WAS NEIL ARMSTRONG OR BUZZ ALDRIN, I'M NOT SURE, BUT IT WAS IN ENCYCLOPEDIA A AND ENCYCLOPEDIA IS WERE BOOKS WE HAD BEFORE THE INTERNET.
SO WHEN YOU COULDN'T JUST LOOK ON A PHONE OR A COMPUTER FOR AN ANSWER, YOU HAD TO LOOK IN A BOOK.
AND I CAME ACROSS THE FACT THAT HUMANS WENT TO THE MOON.
I WAS ABOUT YOUR AGE WHEN I FIGURED THAT OUT.
IT HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS BORN, BUT
[00:40:01]
I WAS LIKE, WHAT? HUMANS WENT TO THE MOON AND CAME BACK AND I WENT BACK TO THAT ENCYCLOPEDIA OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND LOOKED AT THAT PAGE.AND YESTERDAY, CHRISTINA GIFTED ME AN ENCYCLOPEDIA, A
NOW YOU'RE TELLING US THE ENCYCLOPEDIA, THE BRITANNICA.
UH, AND, AND, AND, AND I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT BECAUSE, UH, FOR, FOR PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, LIKE YOU, THAT'S HOW WE TRAVEL THE GLOBE BEYOND OUR COMMUNITIES.
GOING TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA, LOOKING AT IT AND THEN IMAGINING.
SO I, I CAN SO RELATE TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO, VICTOR? SO, WHEN I WAS A KID, I ACTUALLY WANTED TO PLAY IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
I WANTED TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL.
UH, BUT I'M NOT AS TALL AS JEREMY.
AND SO I WAS LUCKY I GOT TO PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IN MY, IN PART-TIME I WAS ALSO AN ENGINEERING STUDENT.
UM, BUT I ACTUALLY GROWING UP, WHILE SPORTS WAS VERY IMPORTANT, TEAM SPORTS WAS IMPORTANT, BUT SO WAS SERVICE.
MY GRANDMOTHER AROUND THE HOLIDAYS MADE SURE WE WENT OUT AND DID THINGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
AND SO SERVICE WAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO ME IN COLLEGE WHILE I WAS GETTING MY EDUCATION.
AND THAT COMBINATION OF TEAM SPORTS SERVICE AND, AND JUST A LOVE FOR EXCITEMENT, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO DRIVE MOTORCYCLES OR, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO FLY A AN AIRPLANE IS WHAT LED TO ME JOINING THE NAVY.
AND THEN THAT EVENTUALLY WAS, UH, THE PRECURSOR TO ME JOINING NASA OR APPLYING TO JOIN NASA.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW FROM THE AGE YOU ARE NOW THAT YOU WANT TO BE AN ASTRONAUT FOR IT TO STILL BE POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE DOCTORS, ENGINEERS, TEACHERS, UH, SCIENTISTS AND PHYSICIANS AND ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
AND LUCKILY ON THE WAY TO NOT PLAYING PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, I, I STILL DID SOME THINGS THAT QUALIFIED ME TO APPLY AT SOME POINT.
AND SO, UM, YOU CAN GET THERE FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
THE, LIKE, WE GREW UP NEAR, I GREW UP IN BALTIMORE, UH, MARYLAND, AND THERE WAS A QUARRY, A LARGE QUARRY NEAREST, A LIMESTONE QUARRY.
AND FREIGHT TRAINS WOULD GO IN AND OUTTA THAT QUARRY ALL DAY LONG.
AND MY DAD WOULD COME HOME FROM WORK, AND IF WE WOULD HEAR THE WHISTLE OF THE TRAIN, WE WOULD JUMP IN HIS CAR AND WE WOULD DRIVE DOWN AND I WOULD JUST STAND ON THE TRAIN TRACKS AND WATCH THE TRAINS GO IN AND WATCH TRAINS GO OUT.
AND ONE DAY, LIKE WE STOOD THERE SO OFTEN THAT ONE DAY, UH, THE CONDUCTOR STOPPED THE TRAIN AND HE IS LIKE, YOU'RE OUT HERE ALL THE TIME, YOU WANNA JUMP ON AND RIDE THE TRAIN INTO THE QUARRY? LIKE, COULD YOU IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING THIS DAY AND AGE? BUT
AND THEN ONE DAY I WAS OUT IN CALIFORNIA VISITING MY BROTHER WHO LIVED OUT THERE, AND I SAW TWO FIGHTER JETS KIND OF FLYING OUT OVER THE OCEAN.
AND IN MY HEAD I HAD THIS LIKE, ROMANTIC THOUGHT OF THEY'RE GOING TO A AIRCRAFT CARRIER AT SEA AND THEY'RE NOT COMING BACK FOR PROBABLY A LONG TIME.
AND THAT WAS WHEN I WAS LIKE, I HAVE TO JOIN THE US NAVY, I HAVE TO GO DO THAT.
AND SO FOR ME, IT JUST BUILT ON THAT EVERY TIME I GOT TO SEE SOMETHING.
UM, AND I, I CAN'T END THIS ANSWER WITHOUT SAYING THAT.
ADDITIONALLY IN A VERY AWKWARD WAY, UH, THE CHALLENGER DISASTER WAS EXTREMELY FORMATIVE IN MY LIFE.
I DIDN'T KNOW THOSE ASTRONAUTS, BUT I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN, UH, WHEN THE CHALLENGER ACCIDENT OCCURRED, THE TRAGEDY AND THAT IMPACT MY LIFE.
I WATCHED OUR ENTIRE NATION STOP.
I WATCHED PRESIDENT REAGAN SPEAK, I WATCHED EVERYONE CRY, MY TEACHERS, MY PARENTS, MYSELF.
AND THAT IS ETCHED IN MY BRAIN FOREVER.
AND I THINK THAT DEFINITELY HAD A LARGE IMPACT ON ME.
IS THERE ANOTHER QUESTION? YES, YES.
SO YOU ALL HAVE A LOT OF, UH, SORT OF, UH, POWER BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO BE GOING TO, YOU'RE GONNA BE ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE IN LUNAR ORBIT, UH, WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE GONE SO FAR.
SO I'M WONDERING IF Y'ALL ARE GOING TO, IF Y'ALL HAVE PLANS TO DO ANY FIRSTS IN LUNAR ORBIT? LIKE, UH, LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST PLAYING SOMETHING IN MY HEAD, BUT LIKE FIRST TWEET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU GET UP THERE, DO YOU INTEND TO MENTION MY NAME OR
AND WHAT I MEAN, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I DON'T WANT THE NEXT GENERATION OF ASTRONAUTS WHEN YOU BECOME AN ASTRONAUT.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO PUT UP MY PICTURE WITH MY FACE BLURRED OUT TO GO LIKE, LOOK AT THIS THING THIS ONE CREW MEMBER DID.
AND SO WHEN THEY TEACH US WHAT THE MISSION IS AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO, I JUST WANT TO DO THAT NOW IN THE MOMENT WHEN I GET THERE, I, I DON'T THINK A LOT ABOUT THIS EVEN SAYING IT RIGHT NOW.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU SOMETHING I WAS THINKING ABOUT ON THE WAY UP HERE, BUT BEING AT THE MOON, LOOKING BACK AT EARTH, PEOPLE THINK A LOT ABOUT LOOKING AT THE MOON UP CLOSE.
BUT LOOKING BACK AT EARTH FROM
[00:45:01]
A QUARTER MILLION MILES, I'M GONNA JUST BE IN THAT MOMENT AND THAT WILL BE ENOUGH AND TO BE WITH THEM IN THAT MOMENT.NOW, ONCE WE GET THERE, I MEAN, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD THIS CREW, LISTEN, THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME FIRSTS, BUT I'M NOT PLANNING TO DO ANYTHING.
I JUST WANT TO GET THE MISSION DONE AND MAKE IT TO SPLASH DOWN.
UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA JUST SPEND SOME TIME IN THAT MOMENT AND, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
CAN I ADD ONE? I I JUST WANNA ADD ONE THING 'CAUSE IT'S JUST SO PERFECT.
YOU KNOW, VICTOR AND I WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY AND I WAS LIKE, I NEVER QUOTE ANYONE WHEN I TALK, I NEVER QUOTE ANYONE.
'CAUSE WHATEVER COMES OUT OF MY MOUTH, I DON'T WANNA LIKE ANCHOR TO SOMETHING ELSE.
AND WHEN, WHEN YOU GET TO SPACE, WHEN MAYOR, I MEAN, I KNOW HOW YOU FELT WHEN YOU FIRST GOT TO SPACE, WHEN THOSE ENGINES CUT OFF AND YOU LOOK DOWN AT EARTH, YOU HAVE LOOKED AT A MILLION PICTURES OF EARTH AND NOTHING COMPARES TO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING WITH YOUR OWN EYES AND YOUR BRAIN.
AND SO WHEN WE GO AROUND THE MOON, WE ARE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE PROLIFIC.
UM, BUT I, I DON'T WANT TO GO IN WITH MY BRAIN ANCHORED SOMEWHERE WHERE IT IS NOW.
I WANT TO SEE WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AS HUMANS, THE RAW EMOTION.
I WANT TO SEE HOW EACH OF THEM VIEW THE MOON, WHAT THEIR EXPRESSIONS ARE.
AND IF WE CAN CAPTURE THAT RAW MOMENT, WE WILL HAVE DONE EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE SENT TO.
DO YOU WHAT? OKAY THEN LET ME JUST, UH, LET ME, LET ME DO THIS.
UM, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT FOR ALL OF US HERE AT, UH, CITY HALL AND THE HOUSTON AS A WHOLE.
UM, AND THIS IS SPECIAL AND WE WANT EACH OF YOU TO KNOW HOW SPECIAL YOU ALL ARE INDIVIDUALLY, BUT EVEN GREATER COLLECTIVELY AND THE PERSONAL DYNAMICS AND YOUR PRESENCE.
I MEAN, IT'S A POWERFUL PICTURE, OKAY? UM, BECAUSE IT SAYS TO ALL OF US, WE CAN, UM, AND DOWN THE STRETCH, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM AND BE A PART OF THE PROGRAM.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ALL SOMETHING, UH, FROM ALL OF US.
AND SO, UH, THIS IS, UH, JESSICA WHO IS A, A PART OF THE MAYOR'S TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
AND LOOK, WE ARE THE HOME OF THE LARGEST, UH, RODEO IN THE WORLD.
HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.
AND, UM, UH, I KNOW IT'S THE SPACESHIP, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET ON A HORSE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
UM, SO LET ME, LET ME PRESENT.
LEMME PRESENT, UH, THIS BELT BUCKLE, UM, TO EACH ONE OF YOU ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
SO, UM, JEREMY, LET ME GO DOWN THERE.
THANK YOU, CHRISTINA, SIR, VICTOR AND COMMANDER, RAID AND DIRECTOR.
OH, AND DIRECTOR WISE, IF YOU'LL COME AND BECAUSE, UH, IN TEXAS AND HOUSTON, YOU EITHER GO BIG OR YOU GO HOME.
JUST WANNA PRESENT TO YOU, UM, THIS MEDALLION, UH, FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMEMORATING YOUR PRESENCE HERE BECAUSE, UH, YOU ALL HAVE TAKEN OUT OF YOUR TIME, UH, TO BE HERE.
SO, UM, JEREMY, MR. MEDALLION FROM THE CITY, VERY GENEROUS, CHRISTINA, VICTOR, AND THE COMMANDER, TORE AND DIRECTOR.
LOOK, I AM, I AM SO HASHTAG HOUSTON PROUD
I, I I REALLY AM WHAT A WHAT A WHAT AN AMAZING, UM, UM, TIME IN WHICH TO LIVE AND, UH, AND YOUR PRESENCE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING MAKES US ALL VERY OPTIMISTIC, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.
UH, OLIVERAS IS RIGHT THERE, KOSKA, WHO'S OVER, UH, THE CITY'S, UH, EDUCATION AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, AND IN THIS ROOM, UH, A LOT OF KIDS ON THE PODCAST, UM, AND THEY'RE SO REFLECTIVE OF OUR CITY.
UM, SEVERAL OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY.
AND SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT YOUR PRESENCE AND WHAT YOU'VE SAID MEANS.
[00:50:01]
PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE PICTURES WITH YOU, AND THEY'VE BEEN GENEROUS WITH THEIR TIME.SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT, UH, UH, ABOUT 40 MINUTES TO, TO DO THAT.
AND THEN THEY'VE GOT A HARD STOP.
UH, BUT AGAIN, GIVE IT UP TO 'EM.
I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, ALL RIGHT.
SO MARY, HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO, HOW ARE WE TAKING THESE PICTURES? OKAY, UH, WE WERE GONNA LEAVE, UH, DO YOU WANNA GET PICTURES? NOW? WE CAN DO THAT, BUT WE WERE GONNA LEAVE A, A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, MAYOR IF, UH, SOME MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE HAD QUESTIONS.
AND THE MEDIA CAN LEAVE IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL START WITH PHOTOS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
BUT WE WANT THE MEDIA TO EXIT BEFORE THAT.
SO IF ANY, IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE, THIS IS THE TIME TO ASK THEM NOW.
UM, AND THEN IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES, WE'LL START MOVING TO, UH, TO PHOTOS.
OKAY? THEN WHY DON'T WE DO THIS JUST ABOUT 10 MINUTES, UM, AND TRY AND TRY NOT TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS.
I, I
ALRIGHT, MARTA, WHAT QUESTION, WHAT QUESTION DO YOU HAVE? UH, MY QUESTION'S ABOUT THE ZERO GRAVITY INDICATOR.
OH, I SAW THE SNOOPY FROM ARTIS ONE, AND MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU GUYS GET TO PICK WHAT GOES ON ARTIS TWO? OR CAN WE LIKE HOW THE POLE, UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THE PERSON STANDING TO YOUR RIGHT CAN VERY EFFECTIVELY ANSWER THAT.
UM, THE WAIT LIST INDICATOR IS A VERY NEAT THING, AND I WANT THE, THE KIDS JUST TO THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A SECOND.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN A SPACECRAFT WITH ALL THESE AMAZING DISPLAYS AND YOU HAVE MISSION CONTROL, HOUSTON TAKING CARE OF YOU, AND LIKE, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH INFORMATION COMING YOUR WAY.
SHOCKINGLY LONG AGO, COSMONAUT STARTED THIS IN RUSSIA, BUT WE'VE ADOPTED IT AS WELL.
A STUFFED ANIMAL HANGING FROM A STRING WILL TELL YOU ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW YOUR SPACECRAFT IS PERFORMING FROM THE PAD UNTIL ORBIT.
YOU CAN SEE THE YA THE SPACECRAFT BASED ON THE WAY THE STUFFED ANIMAL IS.
YOU CAN SEE IF YOUR ENGINES ARE WORKING BASED ON THE WAY THE STUFFED DANIEL STUFFED ANIMAL IS PULLING ON THE STRING.
IF THE ENGINES AREN'T WORKING, IT'S LOOSER ON THE STRING.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO ORBIT, THE STUFFED ANIMAL IS JUST FLOATING THERE.
SO YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN EARTH ORBIT.
UM, AND SO THIS, WE CALL IT THE WEIGHTLESS INDICATOR BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE IN THE VIDEO, WHEN YOU GET TO SPACE, IT STARTS TO FLOAT AND IT'S NO LONGER TAUGHT ON ITS STRING.
IT'S JUST AN AMAZING INSTRUMENT IN A SPACECRAFT.
UM, MY FIRST MISSION, I TOOK A DRAFT, BUT ON THIS MISSION, WE REALLY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO KIND OF ASK THE WORLD.
AND SO, UH, IT WILL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S OUT YET, COURTNEY OR NOT, BUT WE, THERE IS DEFINITELY A RELEASE COMING.
IT IS NOW, IT'S NOW, UH, THERE SHOULD BE A RELEASE COMING AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT THE WAIT LIST INDICATOR WILL BE.
SO LOOK FOR THAT AND COURTNEY WILL MAKE SURE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE GETS THAT INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES AVAILABLE.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FROM SOME OF THE KIDS OVER HERE? IN FACT THAT, THAT, THAT THAT FELLOW RIGHT THERE GOT HIS HAND UP.
DO YOU THINK ALIENS ARE REAL
AND IT'S BEEN GIVING US THESE AMAZING IMAGES AND ONE OF THE THINGS IT'S DONE IS IT'S SHOWN US MORE WHAT WE CALL THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE.
IT IS BIG, MANY, MANY BILLIONS OF LIGHT YEARS ACROSS.
AND SO STATISTICALLY YOU WOULD JUST THINK THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING ELSE OUT THERE.
BUT WITH ALL OF THESE SOPHISTICATED INSTRUMENTS LIKE THAT ONE AND LIKE, UH, KEPLER THAT IS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT STARS TO WATCH PLANETS GO BY AND DETERMINE HOW FAR THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE IN WHAT WE CALL THE GOLDILOCKS REGION, MEANING IT COULD SUPPORT LIFE, WE HAVEN'T FOUND ANY YET.
NOT THAT WE DIDN'T BRING THERE.
THE ONLY LIFE WE KNOW OF IS RIGHT HERE ON THIS PLANET.
AND SO WHAT I THINK THAT MEANS IS, WELL, WE, WE WILL KEEP LOOKING, BUT WE NEED TO REALLY PROTECT THIS, THIS ROCK THAT WE LIVE ON CALLED EARTH.
AND ALL OF YOU ALL, WE ARE ALSO SPECIAL IN THAT GIGANTIC UNIVERSE.
THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT WE FOUND IT SO FAR.
ARE ANY OF YOU SCOUTS? ARE ANY OF YOU SCOUTS? WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I WAS A BROWNIE, WHICH IS THE PRECURSOR TO BEING A GIRL SCOUT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, I ALSO LOVE CAMPING OUTDOORS AND BEING PREPARED.
I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, I WASN'T A SCOUT.
I WAS SOMETHING CALLED AN AIR CADET IN CANADA, BUT IT'S A SIMILAR YOUTH PROGRAM.
BUT I'LL JUST TELL YOU, I, WHENEVER I HAVE THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE LIKE YOU, I JUST WANT TO REFLECT BACK TO YOU AS AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU INVEST IN YOURSELF WITH A PROGRAM LIKE SCOUTS OR SOMETHING ELSE, YOU ARE LIKE CREATING YOUR FUTURE.
YOU'RE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOURSELF AND YOU ARE
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CONTRIBUTING TO OUR WORLD.SO I BET YOU IT'S HARD SOMETIMES, RIGHT? CHALLENGING.
AND SO WHEN SOMETHING'S HARD, YOU'RE, YOU ARE DEFINITELY PUTTING WORK IN TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
UM, WILL YOU MOVE SOMEONE
READ, YOU WANNA REPEAT THE QUESTION? YEAH.
WELL, WILL WE BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR MOM, DAD, AND PAPA FROM HEAVEN? MM-HMM
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT FAR, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT EVERY, EVERY ASTRONAUT I KNOW, UH, THAT HAS LEFT EARTH AND LOOK BACK AT OUR PLANET AND HAS ALSO DIMMED THE LIGHTS ON THE SPACE STATION, WHEN THE EARTH IS BLOCKING THE SUN AND YOU LOOK OUT AND SEE THE STARS, UH, IT DOES CHANGE YOU INSIDE AND YOU DO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE A PART OF SOMETHING MUCH, MUCH, MUCH BIGGER.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S JUST A, I I LOVE THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT JUST LETS YOU TAKE A MOMENT TO PAUSE AND REMEMBER WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT LIFE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ALL CAME FROM.
UM, THIS IS FOR EACH OF YOU WHO INSPIRED YOU TO BE AN ASTRONAUT, WHO INSPIRED YOU.
WANNA START WITH, UH, JEREMY, YOU WANNA START HERE? SURE.
WHEN I LOOK BACK, I CAN'T PICK ONE.
LIKE, I, I LOOK AT, UM, HOW I MOVE THROUGH LIFE AND THE, THE BIG THING I ALWAYS COME BACK TO IS I DID SET A GOAL, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A CAREER GOAL, BUT I DID SET A GOAL.
I DID TELL OTHER PEOPLE WHAT I WAS PURSUING.
AND I, AND NOW THAT I LOOK AT IT, WHEN I LOOK BACK, I REALIZE BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE KNEW WHERE I WAS AIMING, THEY WERE CONSTANTLY GUIDING ME.
LIKE IT WAS MY PARENTS, IT WAS TEACHERS, I CAN NAME IT, BUT I CAN VISUALIZE A FEW DIFFERENT TEACHERS WHO REALLY WENT OUTTA THEIR WAY TO MAKE MY EXPERIENCE.
SO, LIKE TO LEVERAGE THAT INTEREST I HAD AND TO PUSH ME TO DO THINGS THEY WOULDN'T HAVE NATURALLY DONE OTHERWISE.
I TALKED ABOUT THAT AIR CADET PROGRAM, WHICH IS SORT OF LIKE SCOUTS IN CANADA.
I MEAN, THAT CHANGED THE TRA TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS PREPARED ME TO JOIN THE AIR FORCE PREPARED ME TO BE WHERE I AM TODAY.
CHRISTINA, THE LIST FOR ME IS ALSO LONG.
MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A REALLY HARD WORKER.
BUT IN COLLEGE I STARTED TO REALLY LOOK UP TO PEOPLE THAT WERE BRAVE AND PEOPLE THAT FOUGHT FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN.
AND AS I MENTIONED, I GREW UP IN NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH IS A PLACE WHERE A LOT OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ACTIONS HAPPENED.
AND STUDENTS THAT WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO THE THINGS THAT THEY DID TO FIGHT FOR RIGHTS WAS ABSOLUTELY INSPIRING TO ME.
AND IN PARTICULAR, ONE WOMAN, ELLA BAKER, AN INCREDIBLE LEADER IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, WAS BRAVE ENOUGH NOT ONLY TO FIGHT FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, BUT ALSO FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS, AMID THAT MOVEMENT.
AND THAT WAS A REALLY BRAVE AND SCARY THING TO DO.
AND I USED TO GO TO SHAW UNIVERSITY TO CONFERENCES TO LEARN ABOUT THE THINGS THAT THEY DID.
AND EVERY TIME I WAS FACED WITH SOMETHING THAT SCARED ME, I USED TO THINK ABOUT HOW BRAVE THOSE PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN.
SO I DON'T, I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO ANSWER IT A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND I'M NOT AT THE, THE ASTRONAUT I AM, I DON'T KNOW, IS I AM A MAN, AND THE MAN THAT I HAVE BECOME IS DUE TO LOTS OF PEOPLE AND LOTS OF INFLUENCES AS EVERYBODY'S SAYING IN MATHEMATICS.
TO ADD UP THE AREA UNDER A CURVE, YOU DO SOMETHING CALLED INTEGRATION.
YOU ADD UP ALL OF THESE REALLY SMALL, SIMPLE RECTANGLES.
AND, AND SO TO NAME A FEW OF THOSE, UH, ROBIN, NICK NTA, GERALD ROBINSON, UH, UH, DAN WALSH, UH, AL BEAN, AN ASTRONAUT, UH, IN THAT GROUP, PAT FORRESTER, THE FIRST SUPERVISOR I HAD WHEN I BECAME AN ASTRONAUT, MY CLASSMATES, I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO NOT ONLY HAVE MENTORS LIKE, UH, SOME OF THESE FOLKS I'VE MENTIONED, I'VE ALWAYS HAD PEERS.
MAYBE ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE THINGS I'VE HAD PEERS THAT I COULD LOOK UP TO.
CHRISTINA AND I ARE CLASSMATES.
WE BECAME ASTRONAUTS TOGETHER.
BUT THE OTHER SIX PEOPLE THAT ARE A PART OF THAT CLASS ARE ALL PEOPLE WHO STRETCHED ME AND PUSHED ME TO BE BETTER.
AND, AND SO, UM, BUT, BUT AGAIN, THE ASTRONAUT I AM IS JUST A SLICE OF THE MAN THAT I AM.
AND SO MY WIFE, DEANNA, WHO I'VE KNOWN SINCE I WAS 20 YEARS OLD, MY KIDS HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON THIS END PRODUCT HERE, THIS WORK IN PROGRESS.
AND MORE THAN ANY, THE TWO THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, MY RIDE OR DIE SINCE I WAS LITERALLY BORN, MY MOM AND DAD, UH, I, I OWE THEM MORE THAN I HAVE TIME TO, TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR.
I, I FIND THIS FASCINATING THAT, UH, WE CAN'T PUT OUR FINGER ON ONE PERSON, AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US CAN.
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MAGICAL, ACTUALLY.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S JUST A HUNGER FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT THAT IS VERY PRESENT.
UM, IF I WAS GOING TO IDENTIFY A SINGULAR PERSON, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY MY BROTHER, WHO IS FIVE YEARS OLDER THAN ME, THAT GUY JUST DROVE ME TO TRY TO ACHIEVE AS HE WAS ACHIEVING.
AND THAT COMES FROM OUR PARENTS.
UH, I THINK THAT IS VERY SPECIAL.
UH, BEFORE, IN 2009 WHEN I WAS GOING INTO THE INTERVIEW ROOM
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TO TRY MY FIRST SHOT AT BEING AN ASTRONAUT, UH, I WAS TERRIFIED.AND I WAS RUBBING A HOLE IN THE CARPET, WALKING BACK AND FORTH, WAITING FOR THAT DOOR TO OPEN.
AND I GOT A TEXT FROM MY BROTHER AND ALL HE SAID WAS, BE YOURSELF, BECAUSE THAT'S GENUINE.
AND IF THEY DON'T WANT YOU, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE.
AND I THOUGHT THAT RIGHT THERE, THAT MOMENT WAS PERFECT.
LIKE, AND THEN EVERY DAY I'M A DIFFERENT ME, I'M DIFFERENT TODAY THAN I WAS A YEAR AGO, BUT LIKE IN THAT MOMENT, THAT WAS BRILLIANT FOR MY BROTHER.
BUT I, IT'S GONNA BE CLICHE, BUT RIGHT NOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST PROFOUNDLY IMPACTED ME ARE VICTOR, CHRISTINA AND JEREMY AS I WORK WITH THEM AND I WATCH THEM.
I WATCH THEM BE, UH, A WIFE AND A HUSBAND AND, AND YOU KNOW, A FATHER.
AND I WATCH THEM BE A FRIEND AND A COWORKER.
AND WE ARE TAKING MORE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER THAN WE REALIZE IN ANY GIVEN DAY.
AND IT'S A GIFT TO BE A PART OF THAT.
LET ME JUST ASK, UM, UH, AS WE, BEFORE WE DO THE PICTURES IN GENERAL, IF ALL THE KIDS WOULD KIND OF COME RIGHT UP IN FRONT OF HERE, ALL THE KIDS, JUST BRING ALL THE KIDS RIGHT UP, RIGHT UP IN THIS SPACE.
AND SOME OF YOU COME ON, YOU CAN SIT SPACE, YOU CAN SIT DOWN.
WE'RE THOSE SPACE STUDENTS? THERE HE IS.
YOU CAN BRING YOUR, YOU CAN JUST SIT DOWN.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE GROWNUPS ACTING LIKE A KID.