CAPTIONS START SOON MEMBER NASA ADVISORY COMMITTEE MY TIME NEAL ARMSTRONG AND JACK SMITH AND OTHERS. AND I COULD ENJOY ALMOST VICARIOUSLY THE THRILL THAT THESE PEOPLE WENT THROUGH. AND TODAY I THINK WE'RE GOING TO ENJOY VIE CACARIOUSLY THE EXPERIENCES OF MIKE HOPKINS. WHEN THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM WAS ACTIVE, NIH INTRAMURAL AND EXTRA MURAL RESEARCHERS DEVELOPED DOZENS OF NIH EXPERIMENTS FOR 11 MISSIONS, INCLUDING THE SAME NEWURO LAB IN 1998 AND ALSO THE PRAEPTHSS OF SENATOR JOHN GLEN WHETHER HE WENT UP TO RECORD, HE WENT UP FOR HIS SECOND MISSION ABOARD THE STS 95, LATER IN 1998. AT PRESENT, THE NATIONAL OF AGING, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND BIOENGINEERING, AS WELL AS -- AS WELL AS OUR INSTITUTE, ARE FUNDING FREE BASIC RESEARCH PROJECTS TO MAKE USE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TO EXPLAIN HOW GRAVITY INFLUENCES CELL BEHAVIOR ON EARTH. AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION WAS REALLY MADE INTO A NATIONAL LABORATORY BY OUR CONGRESS AND I THINK THIS ADDED IMPETUS FOR MANY OF US TO WORK WITH NASA IN FORGING A STUDY THAT WOULD BRING NEW INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO LIFE AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. SO ANYONE WHO HAS WATCHED IMMEDIAMEDIA COVERAGE OF ASTRONAUTS RETURNING IN SHALL FROM THEIR MISSIONS KNOWS PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INSTITUTE INTEREST THAT SPACE TRAVEL TAKES A REAL TOLL ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND NOT ONLY MUSCLES AND BONES BUT SOME MITIGATION OF THOSE ACTIVITIES. FU THINK ABOUT MISSIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN TEN YEARS AGO OR 12 YEARS AGO WHEN PEOPLE OUT -- GOT OUT OF A CAPSULE WHEN THEY CAME BACK, REALLY NEEDED TO BE HELD UP BY OTHER PEOPLE BUT NOT SO MUCH NOW BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVE PRELIMINARY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT THE ASTRONAUTS GO THROUGH. THE FISHINATIONAL LABORATORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PROVIDES VIRTUALLY GRAVITY-FREE ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN UNMASK CELL CELLULAR MECHANISMS AND THESE STUDIES THAT ARE EITHER UP THERE OR GOING UP THERE THAT I -- THE ASTRONAUTS SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON. THEY ARE INVOLVED IN THE SCIENCE SCIENCE, INVOLVED IN INFECTIOUS NESS OF MICROORGANISMS, FOR EXAMPLE, IMMUNOJEGENISITY OF MICRO MICROORGANISMS, RESPONSES OF G CELLS TO GRAVITY-FREE ENVIRONMENTS, AS WELL AS THE ROLE OF OSTEOCITES, WHICH IS THE MAIN CELL OF BONE AND HOW IT INTERACTS. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL RESEARCH, ONE OF -- RESEARCHERS, ONE FOF WHOM, DR. MARGARET HUGHES WAS A AN ASTRONAUT AND SHE'S RECENTLY SAID ISOLATING T CELLS INTO SPACE BOARD A COMMERCIAL CARRIER VERY, VERY RECENTLY. SO ALL OF THESE EXPERIMENTS REQUIRE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE GROUND-BASED NIH-FUNDED GRANTEES AND THE ASTRONAUTS WHO ARE CONDUCTING THE EXPERIMENTS IN SPACE. AND I'LL REMIND THAT YOU WHILE IN SPACE, THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING AND CONDUCTING A WIDE VARIETY OF NON-NIH EXPERIMENTS BUT PARTICIPATING AS SUBJECTS THAT ARE LAYING THE FOUNDATION REALLY FOR FUTURE MISSIONS. I DON'T WANT TO GO ON FOR ANY LONGER BUT JUST TO SAY HOW PLEASED WE ARE AND PLEASED THAT NASA INITIATED THIS VISIT AND WE HAVE BENEFITED GREATLY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION. LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT MIKE HOPKINS GOT HIS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN AIRSPACE ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS IN 1991 AND A NASA OF SCIENCE IN AEROSPACE ENGINEER ENGINEERING FROM STANFORD UNIVERSITY IN 1992 AND HE ALSO TRAINED AS AN AIR FORCE PILOT. HE IS A COLONEL IN THE AIR FORCE FORCE, AND WAS RECENTLY IN SPACE FOR SIX MONTHS, CAME BACK NOT SO LONG AGO, JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, MARCH 10TH. SO WE'RE SO PLEASED TO HAVE YOU HERE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES. APPLAU [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HELLO, EVERYONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INTRODUCTION. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, IS A NATIONAL LABORATORY, AND ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE DO UP THERE IS EXECUTING SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS. AND WE OFTENTIMES GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE INVESTIGATORS HERE ON THE GROUND, BUT WE NEVER GET TO SEE THEM. I ALWAYS HEAR THE VOICE WE'RE GETTING READY TO CRAWL IN THERE FOR ABOUT SIX HOURS OF TESTS, EMERGENCY SCENARIOS. AND THOSE ARE MY TWO CREWMATES AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC GUYS. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THE ACTUAL ROCKET THAT IS GOWN IN KAZAK KAZAKHSTAN. SO WE DO A LOT OF OUR TRAINING IN NORTH OF MOSCOW. BUT THEN WE GO TO KAZAKHSTAN FOR THE ACTUAL LAUNCH. THIS IS US WALKING OUT TO THE BUS THAT'S GOING TO TAKE US TO THE ROCKET ITSELF. IT WAS EARLY MORNING OVER IN CA KAZAKHSTAN. WE LAUNCHED AT ABOUT 3:00 IN THE MORNING. SO A LITTLE BIT OF SLEEP SHIFT SHIFTING GOING ON BUT ALL THE MECHANICS WORKED OUT. THE ROCKET IS A SMALL CAPSULE. YOU ARE VERY CROWDED IN THERE. YOU GET CLOSE WITH YOUR CREWMATES BUT IT'S A VERY RE RELIABLE CAPSULE AND ONE THAT'S BEEN USED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND THIS IS AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME THIS IS OUR ONLY LAUNCH OR OUR ONLY CAPABILITY TO GET INTO SPACE. >> SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, IGNITION. >> SO THIS IS A BIG MOMENT FOR ANY ASTRONAUT. WHEN THAT ROCKET LIGHTS AND IT STARTS TO GO, THAT'S KIND OF -- WHERE YOU'RE NERVOUS AND SCARED. I GUESS THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF THAT THAT BUT AS MUCH AS ANYTHING YOU'RE RELIEVED BECAUSE FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO AND A HALF YEARS YOU'RE CONSTANTLY WORRIED THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET HURT OR SICK OR THEY'RE GOING TO RE REPLACE YOU AND YOU'RE NEVER ACTUALLY GOING TO LAUNCH. SO UNTIL THE ROCKET ACTUALLY LIGHTS, YOU'RE ALWAYS A LITTLE WORRIED THAT YOU MAY NOT BE GOING. SO IT TAKES ABOUT NINE MINUTES FOR US TO GET UP INTO SPACE. SO IT'S A PRETTY QUICK RIDE AND YOU CAN SEE INSIDE THERE, THE CAPSULE ITSELF. SO IT'S A RELIABLE RIDE BUT IT'S DEFINITELY CROWDED. AT THE END OF IT MY KNEES WERE ACTUALLY ACHING A LITTLE BIT. I WANT TO PAUSE REAL QUICK AND DESCRIBE THAT FIRST MOMENT IN SPACE FOR ME. AND PEOPLE OFTEN ASK WHAT DOES -- WHAT IS IT LIKE? AND YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT BUT UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE MICRO MICROGRAVITY, YOU OVER IN -- YOU'RE NEVER REALLY SURE AND FOR ME AT THAT LAST STAGE. WHEN THAT THIRD STAGE ROCKET SHUTS OFF, YOU'RE IN SPACE, YOU'RE IN ORBIT AND YOU'RE IN MICROGRAVITY. AND I GOT THROWN FORWARD A LITTLE BIT IN YOUR STRAPS. AND AT THAT POINT AT THE SAME TIME I FELT LIKE I WAS FALLING. SO IF ANYBODY WAS TO HANG OFF THE CEILING AND LET GO, THAT'S WHAT IT FELT LIKE. SO AGAIN, IT'S THAT KIND OF DREAM THAT YOU HAVE WHERE YOU ARE FALLING BUT YOU WAKE UP. WELL, I DIDN'T WAKE UP. I KEPT FALLING AND FALLING. I WAS AWAKE BUT KEPT FALLING AND FALLING. SO THAT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. BUT YOUR BODY DOES ADJUST TO THE MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT. SO THIS IS A PICTURE FROM THE SPACE STATION APPROACHING. WE DO ACTUALLY DOCK AUTOMATIC AUTOMATICALLY. BUT ON THE -- ON THE OTHER HAND, THE COMMANDER, IF HE HAD NEEDED TO, HE COULD HAVE TAKEN CONTROL AND DONE A MANUAL DOCKING. WE ACTUALLY DOCKED WITH THE SPACE STATION SIX HOURS AFTER LIFTOFF SO THAT'S A PRETTY QUICK RIDE FROM BEING ON EARTH TO BEING AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. AND YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE FINAL STAGES HERE OF THE FINAL A APPROACH. AND DOCKING. AND ACTUALLY AT THIS POINT IT'S STILL GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. WE HAVE PROBABLY ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF TO TWO HOURS OF CHECKS AND PRESSURIZATION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY OPEN THE HATCH. SO THE JOB'S NOT DONE YET. IT'S A PRETTY LONG DAY BUT YOU'RE PRETTY MOTIVATED AS WELL AND PRETTY EXCITED TO BE THERE AND SO HERE IS THE HATCH OPENING. I TALKED ABOUT THAT SENSE OF FALLING. ACTUALLY, I GUESS BEFORE I GET THAT, SO COMING IN. SO WE HAD THE SURGICAL MASKS ON AND PEOPLE OFTEN ASK WHY. IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE JOKE. THEY ARE BOTH DOCTORS SO THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE KIND OF FUN FUNNY TO SHOW THE ARRIVAL OF THE MEDICAL TEAM. I AM AN ENGINEER, SO DEFINITELY WOULDN'T WANT ME DOING ANYTHING SURGICALLY ON YOU. BUT I GUESS I CAN PLAY THE ROLE. I CAN WEAR THE HAT AND THE MASK. IT'S KIND OF A GREAT MOMENT AS WELL. YOU FINALLY MAKE TUP TO THE SPACE STATION. I IT UP TO THE SPACE STATION. I TALKED ABOUT THAT SENSE OF FALLING THAT I HAD. AT THIS POINT, TOO, I FELT LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION WAS FLYING WITH ITS LEFT WING DOWN. AND OF COURSE THERE IS NO LEFT WING DOWN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT FOR THE SPACE STATION. BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT'S HOW I FELT. SO AGAIN, KIND OF A STRANGE FEELING FOR YOU. IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT TO GET USED TO, BUT CERTAINLY AN EXCITING ONE. I PUT THIS IN. THIS IS MY WIFE JEWULIE AND MY TWO SONS TO THE RIGHT-OF-WAY HER. JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY WHEN ASTRONAUTS GET TO LAUNCH INTO SPACE AND THAT IS THAT THERE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS AND LOVED ONES THAT ARE BEHIND WATCHING THIS HAPPEN AND REAL REALTIME AND THAT CAN BE PRETTY STRESSFUL FOR THEM AND THIS DAY FOR THEM IS PROBABLY LONGER THAN IT IS FOR US. BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE IN KAZAK KAZAKHSTAN FOR THE LAUNCH AND THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH TIME TO ADAPT TO THE TIME CHANGE AND SO I THINK PROBABLY AT THIS POINT AS I'M TALKING TO THEM, THEY'D BEEN UP FOR OVER 24 HOURS TO JUST BE THERE AND BE ABLE TO TALK AT THE TIME. BUT THAT WAS PRETTY EXCITING. AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF MICROGRAVITY HERE. IT ALLOWS YOU TO DO SOME THINGS THAT -- LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] -- THAT ARE A LITTLE HARDER TO DO DOWN HERE ON EARTH. SO WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT HERE IS A SCENE FROM THE COOKLA, WHICH IS REALLY JUST THIS LARGE WINDOW ON THE EARTH AND BOTTOM OF THE SPACE STATION. SO THAT THE SPACE STATION ITSELF ITSELF. ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL FIELD EXTERNALLY. INTERNAL LY YOU WILL HEAR IT DESCRIBED AS A 4-BEDROOM HOUSE INSIDE OR MAYBE A 7 4B 7 FROM A VOLUME STANDPOINT. I'VE BEEN ON STAGE FROM AN HOUR AT THIS POINT AND STILL SMILING. PRETTY EXCITED. THIS IS MY FIRST VIEW OUT AT THE WORLD FROM 260 MILES UP SCAMAND IT DEFINITELY TAKES YOUR BREATH A AWAY AND SOMETHING THAT NEVER GOT OLD FOR THE 166 DAYS THAT IP IPI WAS IN SPACE. AND PEOPLE OFTEN ASKED WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR FREE TIME AND I THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS. ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID WITH OUR FREE TIME AND THAT IS PHOTOGRAPHY OUT VITEOF THE WINDOW. WE OFTEN GET ASKED WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE? THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VACATE THAT WE'LL DO IN NIANY SINGLE -- ACTIVITIES THAT WE'LL DO IN NIANY SINGLE DAY. THE FIRST IS MAINTENANCE. JUST LIKE ANYBODY'S HOUSE OR CAR THAT YOU NEED TO FIX IT ONCE NIN A WHILE AND THAT'S THE CASE HERE AS WELL. ACTUALLY, WHAT YOU SEE WORKING ON HERE IT'S A RACK. AND WE TALK ABOUT THINGS IN STATION IN TERMSCH THESE RACKS. THE RACKS GO ALL AROUND. WE COULD USE THE DECK AND THE OVERHEAD AS WELL FOR EQUIPMENT AND FOR EXPERIMENTS AND FOR EVERYTHING. AND THIS IS KIND OF A FUN DAY BECAUSE THIS WAS AN AUDIO COMPONENT THAT WE HAD TO SWAP OUT. WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. AND SO YOU HAVE TO ROT AATE THE RACK AND ACTUALLY GET TO THIS EQUIPMENT FROM THE BACKSIDE AND IT'S KIND OF A PROBLEM WHEN YOU HAVE TO GET INTO THE GUTS OF THE SPACE STATION. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY BUT IT'S A PRETTY NEAT EXPERIENCE. AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF WORKING IN MICROGRAVITY. JUST YOUR ABILITY TO GET YOURSELF INTO POSITION, STAYING IN POSITION, ORIENT AATE YOURSELF IN DIFFERENT WAYS IS PRETTY EASY EASY, TO DO AND CERTAINLY MAKES WORKING A LOT OF FUN. IT NEVER GOT OLD FLOATING AROUND AROUND. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU CAN SEE HERE IS SO YOU HAVE THIS RACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS KIND OF BLOCKING EVERYTHING DID YOU BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER WITH MICRO MICROGRAVITY. YOU CAN GET BY THROUGH SPACE THAT'S DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S A LOT OF SPACE BUT IN REALITY THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF SPACE. ONE OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE DID A LOT OF MAINTENANCE ON IS TEHE TOILET. AND WHEN THE TOILET BREAKS, EVERYTHING ELSE STOPS UNTIL YOU FIX IT. THERE IS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE THAT HAPPENS AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I AM DOING IN THIS CASE. THERE IS A FAN ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROVIDES SOME SUCTION. AND SOME -- SO I HAD TO SWAP THAT OUT. SO WHAT I AM DOING RIGHT NOW IS ACTUALLY PROVIDING THAT VIEW FOR THE FOLKS ON THE GROUND TO MAKE RE I'D DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT. AND AGAIN, STANDARD PLAINS. WE DO A THE LOW OF -- LOT OF IT. SO EXERCISE. SO IF I EXERCISED LIKE THAT, I WOULDN'T STAY IN GREAT SHAPE. SO HERE, THE TWO PIECES OF EQUIPMENT YOU ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW. THAT'S THE TREADMILL. YOU CAN SEE I AM WEARING A HARNESS AND I AM STRAPPED DOWN TO THE TREADMILL. THIS IS THE ADAPTIVE RESTRICTIVE EXERCISE DEVICE AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THAT AS WELL, WE CAN REALLY DO ALL OF THE CORE LIFTS THAT ARE VERY CRITIC AL FOR US. AND ACTUALLY THAT'S THE TRUE ORIENTATION RIGHT THERE, WHICH IS KIND OF NEAT. SO WE'RE UPSIDE-DOWN LOOKING DOWN THROUGH THAT BIG WINDOW CUP CUPLA RIGHT BELOW ME. THIS IS THE EXERCISE BIKE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THERE IS NOT A SEAT OR A HANDLE BAR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. EXERCISE AGAIN IS VERY CRITIC AL FOR US. WE TALKED ABOUT THE BONE LOSS AND MUSCLE BOSS -- MUSCLE LOSS AND THIS ALLOWS US TWO HOURS A DAY WE'RE ACTUALLY DO SOME TYPE OF EXERCISE. HE ACTUALLY -- THAT WAS THE TOILET RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THERE. THIS IS THE VIEW. AND IT REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE VIEW. YOU CAN SEE THE NIGHT'S SKY AND HOW THIN THE ATMOSPHERE IS. YOU DON'T REALIZE THAT UNTIL YOU ARE 260 MILES UP. BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE AND THAT'S THE SCIENCE. WE HAD SOME ANTS COME UP LOOKING AT HOW THEY BEHAVE IN SPACE. AND THEN THERE IS A LOT OF EXPERIMENTS WHERE WE'RE THE BEGGUINEA PIGS AND THIS IS ONE FOF THOSE. WE HAD ISSUES WITH ICE ON BOARD THE SPACE STATION SPACE SPOTLIGHT -- FLIGHT AND SO WE DO EXPERIMENTS ON OURSELVES, WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING IMAGE IMAGING, WORKING WITH THE REMOTE OPERATOR TO HELP US OUT. AND THEN THERE IS EXPERIMENTS LIKE THIS ONE. SO SPHERES IS LIKE TWO SATELLITES UP THERE THAT ARE WORKING ON DIFFERENT CONTROL SCHEMES FOR STATION-KEEPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT BETWEEN THEM. AND THIS IS A LOT OF FUN BECAUSE I HAD A HEADSET ON AND I WAS TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE INVESTIGATORS DOWN ON THE GROUND AND THOSE ARE GREAT DAYS. A LOT OF THE OTHER EXPERIMENTS THAT WE DO. HERE I'M WORKING ON -- IT'S ACTUALLY ON A COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND WHAT I AM DOING IN THIS CASE IS NOT NECESSARILY EXECUTING THE EXPERIMENT. WHAT I AM DOING IS ENABLING THE EXPERIMENT SO I HAVE TO CHANGE OUT RESERVOIRS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND THAT'S WHAT I AM DOING IN THIS SCENE RIGHT HERE. AND YOU ARE GOING TO SEE ME PUT IT BACK IN AGAIN. AND SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF MICROGRAVITY, VERY EASY TO MOVE THAT BIG COMBUSTION CHAMBER AROUND AND PUT IT BACK IN. AND YOU CAN SEE GOING BY THERE. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] AND I CLOSE UP THIS RACK AND WHILE WE'RE SLEEPING, FOLKS ON THE GROUND WILL RUN THAT EXPERIMENT. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY HANDS-ON TALKING WITH THEM N THIS CASE IT'S AN EXPERIMENT WHERE WE ACTUALLY ENABLE THEM TO DO IT WHILE WE SLEEP. SO THAT'S KIND OF A STANDARD DAY. NOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE IS SOME OF THE NON-STANDARD THINGS, SOME OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT HAPPEN WHILE YOU'RE UP IN ORBIT. AND IF ANYBODY REMEMBERS BACK TO FEBRUARY, WHAT HAPPENED, THAT WAS THE WINTER OLYMPICS AND SO WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HERE IS TEHE ARRIVAL OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH ON STAGE. SO WE ACTUALLY HAD IT UP ON STATION. IT WAS THERE FOR FIVE DAYS, AND SO IT WAS KIND OF -- WE HAD A LITTLE RELAY INSIDE AND STARTED DOWN IN THE JAPANESE SEG MEMENT AND OVER TO THE EUROPEAN SEG MEMENT AND TO THE U.S. AND OVER TO THE RUSSIAN. PRETTY EXCITING THERE. NORMALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THERE IS 6 CREW UP AT STATION AND 3 COME DOWN BEFORE 3 COME UP N THIS CASE, THE 3 CAME UP FIRST AND BROUGHT THE TORCH AND WHEN THE 3 LEFT, THEY TOOK THE TORCH BACK DOWN. SO IT WAS ON ORBIT FOR ABOUT FIVE DAYS. AND WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS AS WELL. IT WAS A TORCH THAT WAS ON THE FINAL LEG OF THE RELAY WAS -- AS IT WENT INTO THE STADIUM. PRETTY NEAT EVENT. AND ALSO, UNIQUE IN A SENSE THAT WE HAD NINE CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD, WHICH WE DON'T NORMALLY HAVE. FANTASTIC ASTRONAUT, AND HE WAS A COMMANDER AFTER I LEFT. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE HERE IS THE RUSSIANS, DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, ACTUALLY TOOK THE TORCH OUT ON AN EVA. AND SO THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING AS WELL. BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE VIDEO THAT THEY TOOK OF THE TORCH, IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. IT GIVES YOU A GOOD SENSE OF THE ADVANTAGE OF MICROGRAVITY. BUT IT GIVES YOU A GOOD SENSE OF THE VIEW WHEN YOU ARE OUTSIDE THE SPACE STATION, HOW CLEAR, WHAT THE EARTH LOOKS LIKE. I GUESS BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, FLOATING THROUGH THE MODULES AND JUST TAKES VERY SMALL, LIGHT TOUCHES WITH YOUR HAND TO GO SOMEWHERE. AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY THROUGH THINGS.^ AND UP GET BETTER AS YOU GO. BUT HERE IS THAT SCENE OF THE EV EVA. AND THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU ARE OUT ON A SPACE WALK WALK. PRETTY INCREDIBLE. WHAT'S ALSO KIND OF NEAT ABOUT THIS IS IT WAS TAKEN FROM -- WITH A GO -PRO CAMERA. IF YOU HAVE A GO -PRO, IT COMES IN THAT CASE AND WATER-PROOF AND ALSO SPACE-PROOF. IT JUST GIVES YOU A SENSE OF REALLY JUST HOW FANTASTIC IT IS IN SPACE AND HOW WONDERFUL THE VIEWS ARE AND JUST KIND OF A NEAT NEUS OF REALLY OFF-THE- OFF-THE-SHELF TECHNOLOGY. AND SO I WANT TO PAUSE HERE AND ACTUALLY GOING TO USE THIS LASER POINTER. THAT'S AWESOME. SO THIS IS THE FRONT VIEW OF THE SPACE STATION. AND WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME PROBLEMS LAST DECEMBER. THERE IS TWO COOLING LOOPS ON A STATION. ONE ON EACH SIDE AND SO WE GENERATE A LOT OF HEAT WITH ALL OF THE COMPONENTS INSIDE -- COMPUTERS, HARDWARE, EVERYTHING. AND WE HAD TO GET IT OUT AND RADIATE OUT INTO SPACE. SO WE HAD THESE TWO COOLING LOOPS ON THE OUTSIDE THAT HAVE A AMOMONIA IN THEM AND THAT'SIA -- WHAT REALLY GETS RID OF THE HEAT FOR US. WELL, THERE IS A BIG PUMP MODULE OUT HERE AND WE HAD ONE OF THOSE THAT FAILED, ONE OF THE VALVES IN IT ACTUALLY FAILED AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO CONTROL THAT EX EXTERNAL COOLING LOOP. AND SO THAT MEANT THAT WE, UN UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO GO OUT ON A COUPLE OF SPACE WALKS AND REPAIR THAT. AND THIS HAPPENED LAST DECEMBER. IN FACT, THE SECOND SPACE WALK HAPPENED ON CHRISTMAS EVE. WE SPENT ABOUT A HOTEL -- TOTAL OF 13 HOURS OUTSIDE DURING THE SPACE WALKS, AND SO YOU CAN SEE IT WAS RICK AND MYSELF. AND AGAIN, I PUT MY WIFE IN THERE JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT WE'RE OUT THERE HAVING THE TIME OF OUR LIVES AND YET THERE IS PEOPLE DOWN ON THE GROUND THAT I WOULDN'T CALMED -- CALL IT THE TIME OF THEIR LIFE. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE OUT GETTING THE FRONT MODULE AT THIS LOCATION. CONFINED OF HANGING ON -- KIND OF HANGING ON TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. AND I'LL PAUSE IT HERE IN A SECOND AGAIN. ONE OF THE EXCITING POINTS. I'LL PAUSE HERE. THIS IS THE ROBOTIC ARM. AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS PLATFORM HERE IS WHERE WE GOT THIS SPARE. WHAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE, IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A REFRIGERATOR REFRIGERATOR, 800 POUNDS AND I AM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. I'M ON THIS ROBOTIC ARM. WHEN YOU'RE IN THE SUIT, IT'S NOT LIKE A REAL TIGHT FIT. YOU CAN KIND OF -- YOU CAN STILL KIND OF MORPH IN THE SUIT ITSELF ITSELF. AND WHEN YOU'RE OUT ON THE ROBOT ROBOTIC ARM AND YOU HAVE A FOOT PLATE AND YOU SLIP THE TOUGHS YOUR BOOTS ARE INSIDE THOSE LOOPS AND YOU HAVE YOUR HEELS CLIPPED IN, AND SO YOU ARE KIND OF CURLING YOUR TOES DOWN AND PRESSING DOWN HARD WITH YOUR HEELS TO MAKE SHOURE THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY ON THE ARM. WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS THE ARM -- IT'S GOING THROUGH AN AUTOMATIC SEQUENCE HERE AND IT'S GOING TO STOP. BUT THAT 800-POUND MASS WANTS TO KEEP GOING. AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I REMEMBER I WAS THEREBY THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT KIND OF TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY. THE PUMP MODULE WANTS TO KEEP GOING AND YOU -- IT STARTS TO PULL YOU UP IN YOUR BOOTS. SO I HAD THAT FEELING OF I ACTUALLY CAME OFF THE ARM AND WAS GETTING READY TO FLOAT AWAY WITH THIS 800-POUND PUMP MODULE. WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE. IT'S SET UP A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE MANEUVERS DON'T HAPPEN REAL FAST. BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OS OSCILLATIONS. SO THAT'S ME SITTING OUT ON THE ARM AND THERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE ALL THAT ROCK. I KNOW IT DOESN'T MANY -- LOOK LIKE MUCH FROM THIS VANTAGEPOINT BUT BELIEVE ME, WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING IN REALTIME, IT SEEMED PRETTY DIYNAMIC. IT SEEMED LIKE VERY LARGE MOTIONS. THE THING WAS I DIDN'T COME OFF THE ARM. I'M PUTTING IT INTO LOCATION. THERE ARE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH WORKING WITH AMOMONIA AND DO -- WE HAD AMOMONIA FLAKES ALL OVER US, WHICH IS WHICH EXTENDED THE DAY A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE HAD TO WAIT TO HAVE THAT ALL BAKE OFF BEFORE WE COULD FINALLY COME BACK IN AND GET BACK INSIDE THE SPACE. THE ROBOTIC ARM OPERATOR. HE WAS THE GUY OUT ON THAT ARM. HE WAS THE GUY INSIDE THAT WAS CONTROLLING IT. AND HE JUST DID AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC JOB IT DOING IT. SO QUITE AN EXPERIENCE. ONE THAT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I'LL CERTAINLY NEVER FORGET. YOU DO GET SOME TIME OCCASION OCCASIONALLY A FEW SHOTS AND PEOPLE OFTEN SAY IN THIS ONE THAT I SORT OF BOMBED THE EARTH. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] I GUESS THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE. SO ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE OFTEN GET ASKED ABOUT IS HOW DO YOU RESUPPLY? THERE IS ACTUALLY SEVERAL VEHICLES THAT PROVIDES SUPPLIES TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND ONE OF THOSE IS TEHE ORBIT AL SCIENCE VEHICLE AND THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HERE JUST LAUNCHED IN THAT CASE. AND HERE IT IS APPROACHING. SO REMEMBER THAT BIG GUY AT THE WINDOW THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF STATION? THAT'S WHERE WE HAD THE CONTROLS FOR THE ROBOTIC ARM AS WELL ARE DOWN THERE AND SO WE MONITORED THAT APPROACH. BASICALLY FLIES IN FORMATION AND IT GETS TO BE 10 METERS FROM THE STATION AND AT THAT POINT THAT'S WHAT RICK IS DESCRIBING HERE. I AM GOING TO REACH OUT WITH THAT ROBOTIC ARM AND THERE YOU CAN SEE. YOU CAN SEE REACH OUT AND GRAB ON TO THE DPRAP LE FIXTURE THAT'S ON THIS VEHICLE AND THEN WE'LL DOCK IT TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. SO THIS IS KIND OF -- THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENT NERVE RACK NERVE-RACKING MOMENTS I GUESS YOU'D SAY BECAUSE THIS IS OUR SUPPLIES AND IF YOU MESS IT UP AND DON'T GRAB ON TO IT, YOU'RE GOING TO GO HUNGRY. SO YOU'RE DEFINITELY FOCUSED ON THIS AS WELL. BUT FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO GRAB IT. THIS HAPPENED LAST JANUARY. AND NEXT THING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE IS A SCENE HERE OF IT ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO THE SPACE STATION. AND THEN WE GET TO GO INSIDE OF IT AND GRAB ALL THE GOODIES. THERE YOU CAN SEE IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE BOTTLE OF THE SPACE STATION IN TERMS OF ITS NORMAL ROTATION. ACTUALLY TURN IT UP. >> IT -- TURN THIS UP A LITTLE BIT. SOMETIMES WE HAVE PROBLEMS. >> IT'S TAKING EVEN LONGER BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING THE HATCH OPEN. HELLO? ANYBODY? SO THIS IS AN UNMANNED VEHICLE. BUT WE DID HAVE A FEW PROBLEMS GETTING IT OPEN. YEAH. KIND OF INTERESTING SOME OF THE LIG -- LITTLE THINGS THAT HAPPEN HAPPEN. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'D MENTIONED TO PEOPLE IN THE PAST, TOO. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT LIGHT AREA RIGHT ABOVE THE HATCH HERE. THAT IS WHAT WE CALL A VESSEL AND YOU CAN SEE IT HERE. THAT IS THE AREA BETWEEN THE TWO HATCHES. THE ONE ON THE STATION AND THE ONE ON THE VEHICLE. VESTIBBULE. AND YOU CONNECT AND THAT SPACE IS VACUUMED UNTIL YOU PRESSURE PRESSUREIZE IT AND OPEN THE HATCH. WHEN YOU OPEN THE HATCH, IT'S KIND OF UNIQUE. THERE IS ACTUALLY THE SMELL OF SPACE. IT'S A UNIQUE AND INTERESTING SMELL. BUT WHEN YOU TALK TO ANYBODY THAT HAS BEEN UP THERE AND ANY OPEN HATCH LIKE THAT, THEY'D SAY YEP, THAT'S SPACE. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT HAPPENS WHEN THESE VEHICLES VEHICLES, WE GET KIND OF A GOODY PACK THAT COMES UP. AND THIS IS IT. AND THOSE TOR TILL -- TOR TILLAS, FRESH TOR TILLAS -- THAT WAS FANTASTIC. SOMETIMES WE'LL GET SOME FRESH FRUIT THAT COMES UP AS WELL LAST MINUTE. KIND OF INTERESTING, TOO. THAT'S SOME HOT DOING -- HOT DOG RELISH THAT CAME UP. >> WE'RE GOING TO EAT LIKE KINGS THIS WEEK. >> AND WE DID. WE CERTAINLY DID. YEAH. AND THIS IS LIKE FIVE MINUTES AFTER THAT. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] YOU CERTAINLY ENJOY. YOU KIND OF SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE, TOO, WITH THE FOOT -- FOOD. YOU CAN LET GO OF IT AND IT'S NOT GOING TO GO TOO FAR. SO PRETTY EASY TO EAT UP THERE. THAT'S A NICE DAY. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT'S KIND OF UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE IS IT ACTUALLY TAKES OUT THE TRASH FOR US. SO WE GENERATE QUITE A BIT OF TRASH UP ON BOARD THE SPACE STATION. ALL OUR CREW PACKETS AND ALL OF OUR CLOTHES. WE ACTUALLY THROW AWAY. AND SOME OF THE SOLID WASTE FROM US AS WELL IS THROWN OUT. SO AT THE END VITEOF THE DAY WE TAKE THE THING OUT OF IT AND WE PUT ALL THE TRASH WE CAN INSIDE OF IT AND THERE YOU CAN SEE THE ROBOTIC ARM AS IT BACKED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE ITSELF. AND NOW THAT VEHICLE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE AND BURN UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE. FOR US, THAT'S TAKING OUT THE TRASH. AND AGAIN, THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL DAYS BECAUSE NOW THE SPACE STATION SMELLS A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON THE INSIDE. YOU'VE GOTTEN RID -- LET'S SEE. SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I OFTEN GOT GET ASKED ABOUT IS COMMUNICATING WITH THE FAMILY. HOW'D THAT HAPPEN? AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK AND COMMUNICATE WITH OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THERE IS ACTUALLY THE HOUSTON AREA. AND THAT'S MY HOUSE WHEN TAKEN FROM THE STATION. SO I PUT THE FAMILY IN HERE AGAIN TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THIS THAT BEING ABLE TO STAY CONNECT CONNECTED WITH THEM AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR LIVES AND ACTUALLY THIS WAS SOME VIDEO THAT WAS SHOT. "NAVING GEOGRAPHIC" DID A SPECIAL OF LIFE AND SPACE AND INCLUDED THE FAMILIES IN IT AND I THINK THAT'S A NEAT PART OF THE STORY THAT WE OFTENTIMES DON'T HEAR ABOUT. SO BOTH MY SONS PLAY HOCKEY AND ONCE A WEEK WE GET TO DO A VIDEO VIDEOCONFERENCE AND THEY ACTUALLY NASA PROVIDES IPADS TO MY WIFE AND HAS A NET MEETING ON IT. AND SHE'S ACTUALLY AT THE HOCKEY GAME, THIS IS LIVE, AND THE CONFERENCE WORKED OUT SO THAT IT WAS DURING ONE OF THE GAMES. ACTUALLY THREE OR FOUR GAMES I GOT TO WATCH LIVE UP ON STAGE. SO YOU TALK ABOUT BEING CONNECT CONNECTED. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY HELPS WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC AND MAKES YOU FEEL IN TOUCH WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING DOWN ON THE GROUND AND ALL OF THAT. SO ACTUALLY HERE WE'RE OUTSIDE. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] YEAH. STAYING IN TOUCH OF THE FAMILY IS IMPORTANT. AND AGAIN, NASA DOES A WONDERFUL JOB OF PROVIDING. BUT EVENTUALLY UNFORTUNATE IT COMES TIME TO WHERE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THIS VIEW. AND KIND OF ONE OF THOSE BY THE BITTERSWEET DAYS. YOU'RE SAD TO HAVE TO LEAVE SPACE BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK WORK. AND IT IS SUCH A GREAT JOB UP THERE TO BE ABLE TO DO. BUT THEN YOU'RE ALSO KIND OF EXCITED TO BE COMING HOME. SO THE VEHICLE ITSELF IS WHAT WE GO HOME IN. IT'S DOCKED TO THE LIFE SPACE STATION. IF WE'D HAD ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY DURING SIX MONTHS UP UP THERE -- A FIRE OR A LEAK INSIDE THE STATION -- AND NEEDED TO GET AWAY, THAT WAS OUR LIFE LIFEBOAT AND OUR TICKET HOME. AND SO THIS IS THE POINT WHEN YOU CLOSE THE HATCH AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT SAME VIEW YOU SAW OF US DOCK. HERE IS THE VEH OF US GOING AWAY AWAY. AND WE DON'T GO TOO FAR FROM THE STATION. THERE YOU CAN SEE A SHOT FROM THE STATION. THAT'S MYSELF ABOUT STLEE MONTHS AGO INSIDE THAT HAVE LITTLE VEHICLE. AND WHAT HAPPENS IS ABOUT A HALF -- HALF-HOUR BEFORE YOU ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE, YOU DO THIS VIEW -- BAY HALF-HOUR AFTER YOU ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE. THEN WHEN YOU ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE, THIS IS THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE KIND OF SEPARATES. WE'RE IN THE CAPSULE AND AT THIS POINT YOU ARE KIND OF FEELING THE G LOADS COME ON GUYS ARE PRETTY PARTICULAR ABOUT HELPING YOU OUT WHEN YOU INITIAL LY LAND. AND ACTUALLY, I AM GOING TO TURN THIS UP . >> THANKS FOR GETTING ME HOME. >> HE'S THE COMMANDER, AND HE DID A GREAT JOB OF GETTING US BACK. AT THIS POINT THERE IS DEFINITELY SOME THINGS WE GET TO TALK ON THE PHONE RIGHT AFTER YOU LAND, WHICH IS A NICE THING TO BE ABLE TO DO AS WELL. RIGHT THROUGH SAW JUST STEPPING OUT OF THAT HELICOPTER. I KIND OF HAD TO LEAN OVER NOT VERY MUCH, RIGHT? WHEN THAT HAPPENED, I FELT LIKE I WAS JUST GOOD KEEP ON GOING AND FALL STRAIGHT OVER ON MY FACE AS I LEANED OVER TO GET OUT OF THE HELICOPTER. AND THE SAME THING AS I LEANED OVER TO GET INTO THAT VAN. SO THERE IS DEFINITELY SOME THINGS FRAY PHYSICAL STANDPOINT ALL THAT EXERCISE YOU SAW DID AN AGREE GRATE JOB OF KEEPING ME FIT. MY STRENGTH WAS THE SAME. PREFLIGHT AND POST FLIGHT AND MY VIEW TO NASA WAS THE SAME BUT THERE IS OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT SOMETIMES CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT AND THAT WAS CERTAINLY ONE FOR ME. BUT DIDN'T LAST THAT LONG. SO THAT IS SIX MONTHS ON STATION STATION. RIGHT NOW I'M IN A CLOSED FLIGHT SPACE THAT LASTS ABOUT SIX MONTHS. THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS ARE RABEHABILITATION AND A LOT FOF MEDICAL TESTS. ALL THOSE EXPERIMENTS WE'RE DOING. PEOPLE WANT TO GET AS MUCH DATA BEFORE YOU ARE REALLY ADAPTED AGAIN. SO WE DO A LOT OF MEDICAL TESTS AR RIGHT AFTER LANDING AND DE DEBRIEF. AND AFTER THAT WE KIND OF GO INTO A FOUR-MONTH PERIOD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THAT'S WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW SE. COME OUT AND SHARE THE SHOWER -- STORY. AND REALLY RELIVE TAI LITTLE BIT I GUESS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE ATTENTION AND THEN AGAIN, I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS WE HAVE TIME FOR. APPLAU [APPLAUSE] >> JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NOT BEEN VIDEO CAST, THIS HAS ALL BEEN RECORD SOD THAT IT CAN BE SEEN BY YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT A LATER TIME. MIKE, WE WANT TO START BY SHOWING THE VIDEO ALL OVER AGAIN AGAIN. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] MIKE IS HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE. PLEASE USE THE MICROPHONE, IF YOU CAN. >> BUT IF NOT, I'LL REPEAT THE QUESTION AS WELL. >> BREAKTHROUGH ICE. >> WHO WON THE HOCKEY GAME? >> YOU KNOW WHAT? INTO SPORTS AND PLAYED A LOT OF SPORTS, YOU KNOW THERE IS KIND OF THE TRADITIONS AND THE THINGS LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU'RE GETTING DRESSED AND PUT YOUR SOCKS ON THE SAME WAY. SOWN FORTUNATELY, I THINK I WAS THE BAD LUCK CHARM BECAUSE EVERY TIME I WATCHED ONE OF THE HOCKEY GAMES, IT WAS ONE THAT WE LOST. SO MY WIFE WAS ABOUT TO SHUT ME OFF AND TELL ME THAT I WASN'T GOING TO GET TO WATCH ANYMORE. SOWN FORTUNATELY, THEY LOST THAT ONE. >> QUESTION? >> I'M CURIOUS WHETHER YOU HAD A SENSE OF DIFFERENCE WITH HOW SLEEPING WAS? >> GREAT QUESTION. SO THE TIME THAT WE KEEP UP ON STATION IS ACTUALLY GMP TIME AND IN REALITY, IT'S ALMOST JUST LIKE GOING ON A TRIP SOMEWHERE. SO YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF JET LAG BUT THEN YOUR BODY ADJUSTS TO THE TIME. WE GO AROUND THE EARTH EVERY 90 MINUTES AND SO WE SEE THERE IS A SUNRISE AND A IS N IS UNSET. BUT INSIDE THE STATION, YOU DON'T REALLY EXPERIENCE IT TOO MUCH UNLESS YOU JUST HAPPEN TO BE RIGHT AT THE WINDOW WITH THE SHUTTERS OPEN, IF YOU CAN REALLY SEE THAT SUNRISE AND IS SUNSET. SO IN GENERAL, WE JUST WOULD SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS AT IS 1:00 AT NIGHT AND THEN IN THE MORNING TURN THEM OFF. 11:00 AT NIGHT. I SLEPT VERY WELL. ON THE CREW QUARTERS, DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD SHOT IN THERE. BUT IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BROOM CLOSET. THERE IS NO UP OR DOWN OR ANYTHING. YOU TAKE A SLEEPING BAG AND STRAP IT TO THE WALL AND SLEEP INSIDE THE SLEEPING BAG. AND REALLY ASTRONAUTS KIND OF DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF HOW THEY LIKE TO SLEEP. I TEND ED ED TO SLEEP WITH MY ARMS INSIDE AND OTHER ASTRONAUTS WILL SLEEP WITH THEIR ARMS OUT. SO IF YOU WERE TO TAKE A PEEK, YOU'D SEE THEM SLEEPING KIND OF LIKE THAT. VERY COMFORTABLE, THOUGH, ACTUALLY. >> QUESTION? >> COLONEL, AS A SCIENTIST WHO WAS TOTALLY IN OUTER SPACE BEFORE HE CAME INTO INNER SPACE, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY. DO YOU WANT TO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TASTING IN SPACE? >> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE GET INTO SPACE IS YOU EXPERIENCE THIS FLUID SHIFT. FIRST, DON'T NEED AS MUCH FLUID AND HEART ISN'T HAVING TO WORK AS HARD. AND FOR WHATEVER REASON WE GET THE FLUID SHIFT TO THE HEAD AND YOU CAN HAVE ALLERGY SYMPTOMS. AND I THINK WITHOUT ANY REAL DATA ON IT, A LOT OF TIMES THAT IMPACTS YOUR TASTE. GENERALLY THE FOOD TASTE THE SAME BUT SOMETIMES, BECAUSE YOUR NOSE IS STUFFY AND ALL THAT HAVE, YOU MAY NOT GET AS MUCH OF THAT FLAVOR, IF YOU WILL. AND THE REALITY IS A LOT OF TIMES WE END UP USING IS HOT SAUCE TO REALLY SPICE UP THE MEALS TO MAYBE KIND OF BREAK THROUGH SOME OF THAT. BUT TASTE CHANGES AND IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING. BEFORE YOU LAUNCH, YOU ACTUALLY GO THROUGH A NEW TASTE. EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE MENU AND YOU WILL RATE IT AND SAY HEY HEY, THIS IS MY FAVORITE AND MY BONUS FOOD I WANT A BUNCH OF THIGHS THINGS. AND YOU WILL GET UP THERE AND IT WILL BE TIMES THAT THAT THING YOU RATED AS A 1E -- 10 AND GO WHY DID I ASK FOR THIS? IT DOESN'T TASTE GOOD ANYMORE. IT IS INTERESTING. THERE ARE IMPACT. I CAN'T SAY I KNOW WHY. AS AN ENGINEER, I CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW WHY, YEAH. INTERESTING QUESTION, THOUGH. >> MIKE, CERTAINLY BEFORE, I THINK YOU WENT UP, THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH SOME LEAKAGE, INTO THE UNIFORM WHEN PEOPLE WENT OUT OUT. >> RIGHT. >> WAS THAT TAKEN CARE OF BUFF GOT THERE? >> THAT'S A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION. THE SPACE SUIT THAT YOU SAW US WEARING OUTSIDE ON THE WALK IN JULY -- SO I WAS UP THERE IN SEPTEMBER. THE SPACE WALK YOU SAW WAS DECEMBER OF 2013. IN JULY OF 2013, A COUPLE OF ASTRONAUTS WERE OUTSIDE ON A SPACE WALK, AND THEY HAD A FAILURE IN ONE OF THE SUITS AND THE HELMET STARTED FILLING UP WITH WATER. SO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. BUT FORTUNATELY, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET BACK INSIDE THE STATION VERY QUICKLY AND THE ASTRONAUT WAS JUST FINE. DAY FANTASTIC JOB WITH THE FOLKS OUT THERE AND THE TEAM ON THE GROUND. OBVIOUSLY, THAT TAKES THE SUITS ACROSS THE BOARD AND PUTS IN A NON-CLIENT STATUS OR COULDN'T USE. SO A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO FIGURING OUT WHAT FAILED? WHAT POSSIBLY COULD FAILED? AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE WAS SOME CONTAMINANTS THAT HAD GOTTEN INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM AND WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL A FAN OPERATOR THROUGH AND THAT HAD GOTTEN CLOGGED AND HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE WATER GETTING INTO THE SUITS. SO WE ACTUALLY HAD TO REPLACE THAT PUMP AND THAT WAS AN ITEM THAT WE DON'T NORMALLY REPLACE UP ON ORBIT. IT'S TYPICAL LY SOMETHING THAT'S DONE IN AN ENVIRONMENT IN THE GROUND IN A CLEAN ROOM. BUT WE HAD TO CHANGE IT OUT UP THERE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT THAT WAS THE SUIT THAT I ACTUALLY ENDED UP WEARING WHEN I WENT OUT THE DOOR. SO THAT DEFINITELY GOT MY ATTENTION. WHEN I REPAIRED THE SUIT, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE A SPACE WALK. BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT I WERE -- YOU WERE GOING OUT IN THAT SUIT. OKAY, DID I DO EVERYTHING RIGHT? LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] SO IT DEFINITELY GOT YOUR ATTENTION THAT OKAY, I AM GOING OUT IN THE SUIT AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE I CAN BLAME IF IT DOESN'T WORK. >> SO THAN EXERCISE, WHAT SORTS OF THINGS DID YOU GUYS DO TO MITIGATE THE EFFECT OF SPACE ON THE HUMAN BODY? >> THAT IS THE PRIMARY THING THAT WE ARE DOING OR THE MUSCLE ATROPHIES AND THE BONES WEAKWEN WEAKWENING AS WELL. THERE ARE EXPERIMENTS THAT ARE GONG. THERE IS ONE THAT LOOKS AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POTASSIUM AND PROTEINS, ANIMAL PROTEINS. AND IF YOU CAN SWAY THAT RELATIONSHIP, DOES THAT HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR BONE LOSS? SO I WAS A PART OF THAT EXPERIMENT. AND WHICH MEANT I HAD I GUESS MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS THROUGH I HAD TO BE ON SPECIAL DIETS, VERY CONTROLLED DIET AND THEN AFTER THAT CONTROLLED DIET THEY WOULD COLLECT MY URINE AND BLOOD BLOOD. AND THEN THAT LATER COMES DOWN FOR ANALYSIS. I COULD CAN SEE IF THIS IDEA IS GOING TO WORK. SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE OTHER TYPES OF THINGS. THERE IS ALSO MEDICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TRIED UP THERE. BUT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS IT'S THE EXERCISE THAT WE REALLY HIT ON. I DON'T THINK FROM A DIET OR MEDICATIONS, WE'D SETTLED ON ANY ONE ANSWER TO HELP US. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. YOU'D MENTIONED HOW EASY THINGS WERE GETTING AROUND. CAN WHAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS? >> ONE -- COMING HOME. ONE OF THE NICEST THINGS ABOUT SPACE IS IT MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE. SO YOU SAW I WAS ABLE TO JUST BY MYSELF TAKE THAT 800-POUND REFRIGERATOR AND MOVE IT AROUND VERY EASILY. AND THAT'S KIND OF NEAT TO BE ABLE TO DO AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT DOWN HERE ON EARTH. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS AND I WON'T NECESSARILY DIFFICULT BUT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT OR THE EASY THINGS GET HARDER UP THERE. SO WHETHER YOU'RE OUT ON THE SPACE WALK AND YOU HAVE THE TOOLS, EVERYTHING HAS TO STAY TETHERED. YOU CAN JUST SIT THE TOOL DOWN ON A TABLE NEXT TO YOU BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO FLOAT AWAY. SO YOU ARE ALWAYS HAVING TO WORRIED ABOUT MAKING SURE THINGS ARE ATTACHED. LITTLE THINGS LIKE EATING. IT LOOKS EATING -- EASY, BUT EATING UP THERE CAN BE MESSY, TOO. YOU HAVE A SPOON AND IT'S A LITTLE LONGER SPOON DO GET INTO THE PACKET. SO THIS NICE, LONG SPOON. DON'T LOSE YOUR SPOON. BUT YOU'LL PULL OUT THE FOOD AND GET 3 OR 4 DROPS OF IT WILL GO FLYING OFF. EATING GETS MESS MESSY. GOING TO THE BATHROOM, GRAVITY HELPS AND IT BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT UP THERE. SO SOMETIMES IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT WE GET USED TO HERE ON EARTH THAT BECOME MORE DIFFICULT UP IN SPACE. YEAH. OVER HERE? >> I'VE HEARD THAT ASTRONAUTS, WHEN THEY'RE GETTING READY TO LEAVE FOR THE FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE SOMETHING A LITTLE LIKE A DIVING BOARD SIN -- FEN OM NONE? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AS WELL. THE FIRST TIME -- OKAY, THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT WHEN YOU OPEN UP THAT AIR LOCK HATCH AND YOU ARE GETTING READY TO STEP OUTSIDE, IS IT KIND OF LIKE THAT DIVING BOARD P, WHERE YOU ARE STANDING OUT ON THE HIGH DIVE AND YOU'RE LIKE I'M NOT JUMPING? DO YOU HAVE THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING OUT THE HATCH GETTING READY TO GO OFF? THERE DEFINITELY IS A WILD MOMENT AND DEFINITELY IS WHAT AM I DOING HERE? BUT THEN WHAT HAPPENS THE TRAINING KICKS IN SCAAND WE SPENT A A' LOT OF TIME ON THE GROUND IN A GIANT POOL THAT HAS A MOCKUP OF THE STATION WHERE WE PRACTICE OUR SPACE WALKS. AND SO WHEN THAT MOMENT HAPPENS AND YEAH, THERE IS KIND OF THOSE FOUGHT THAT ARE CREEPING YOU'RE IN HEAD BUT THEN THE TRAINING KICKS IN AND IT'S LIKE OKAY, THIS IS JUST LIKE THE POOL. I FLIP OUT. I PUT MY SAFETY TETHER DOWN AND I JUST START WALKING THE HAND RAILS AND THEY LOOK THE SAME. SO REALLY YOU JUST GET INTO THAT MODE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN TEN HOURS LATER YOU'RE COMING BACK IN SCAAND IT'S DONE. SO YOU DEFINITELY RELY ON THE TRAINING TO GET THROUGH THOSE FOMENTS. >> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE POOL IN HOUSTON? >> YEAH, WE HAVE A POOL -- >> USED FOR PRACTICE FOR WALKING? >> THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH, WE HAVE A POOL -- I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. I THINK IT'S 6 MILLION GALLONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I THINK IT'S ABOUT 6 MILLION GALLONS, PLUS OR MINUS A LITTLE BIT. BUT IT'S A VERY BIG POOL. IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR THE WHOLE SPACE STATION MOCKUP TO BE IN THERE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY THERE FOR US THAT WE CAN GET GAY FEEL FOR WHAT IT'S LIKE. >> A QUESTION THAT I HAVE. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD TO WALK OUT FOR TWO HOURS ON SPACE. SO I WAS WONDERING HOW DID THAT COMPARE? BETTER -- YOU MUST HAVE BEEN PRACTICING. WERE YOU PRACTICING FOR TWO MORSE A DAY OR LESS? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AS WELL. WE TRAIN ON THE HARDWARE ON THE GROUND, BUT WE DON'T USE THE SAME HARDWARE THAT WE USED UP IN SPACE ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO OUR WORK THEOUT ROUTINE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ON THE GROUND BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A FULL GYM. SO WE CAN DO SOME THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHILE WE'RE IN ORBIT. WHAT I WILL SAY IS BEFORE YOU LAUNCH, YOU DO A FITNESS-TYPE TEST. SO THERE IS THINGS LIKE HOW MANY PULLUPS CAN YOU DO? HOW MANY PUSH-UPS CAN YOU DO? LEG PRESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? AND THOSE NUMBERS PRE-FLIGHT AND POST-FLIGHT CAME BACK BASIC THE SAME FOR ME. SO WHAT WE WERE DOING IN SPACE IS WORK EVEN THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE DO IT ON THE GROUND. I WILL SAY, THOUGH, AND I MENTION ED THED THIS EARLIER DURING THE LUNCH. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT HAPPENED. A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE LANDING, I RAN FOUR MILES ON THAT TREAD TREADMILL. AND CLOSE TO MY BODY WEIGHT. AND CAN TEN DAYS AFTER LANDING, I WENT OUTSIDE AND RAN FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I COULD BARELY RUN THREE MILES. THERE WAS A BIT OF A STRUGGLE TO GET THROUGH THE THREE MILES. THINK OF HOW HARD THAT IS. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] SO THERE ARE IMPACT STILL THAT MAYBE WE DON'T COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, BUT CERTAINLY VERY EFFECT YIIVE SYSTEM. >> DID YOU FIND OR DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE WOMEN FAREED AS WELL AS THE MEN IN TERMS OF RETURN? >> THE SMART ANSWER IS THE WOMEN FAREED MUCH BETTER. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] >> BRAVO. >> YEAH. NO. SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IN GENERAL WAY AND LOT OF THESE HUMAN LIFETIME-TYPE EXPERIMENT IS GETTING THE NUMBER OF SUBJECTS RIGHT THAT YOU NEED AND THAT'S PRETTY CHALLENGING AND THAT WHAT -- THAT'S WHAT MAKES SOME OF THESE EXPERIMENTS A GO A LONG TIME. UNFORTUNATELY, FROM THE WOMEN'S STANDPOINT WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY WOMEN ASTRONAUTS AS WELL SO IS THE NUMBERS THERE ARE LESS. AND IN GENERAL, I WOULD SAY THE WOMEN ARE FAREING JUST AS GOOD AS, IF NOT BETTER THAN THE MEN IN TERMS OF THE PHYSICAL FITNESS AND COMING BACK IN GREAT SHAPE AS WELL. SO I DIDN'T SEE -- KAREN WAS UP THERE WITH ME AND HER RECOVERY PROCESS, WHEN SHE GOT DOWN ON THE GROUND, WAS SIMILAR TO MINE. BUT JUST ON A KIND OF A TEST DATA, IT SEEMED VERY SIMILAR. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED. NOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN SPACE AND YOU COME BACK AND DO TELEVISION SHOWS, CAN YOU SEPARATE YOUR EXPERIENCE FROM WHAT YOU ARE SEEING? WHEN I SAW THE ANTS ON SCREEN, I THOUGHT OF HOMER SIMPSON WHEN HE WENT INTO SPACE. CAN YOU KIND OF OBJECTIVELY LOOK AT IT AS ENTERTAINMENT OR DID YOUR EXPERIENCE LEAD INTO IT MORE THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD? >> YEAH, SO YOU DEFINITELY -- WHEN YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING FIRSTHAND, IT PROBABLY GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE OF A CRITIC AL EYE WHEN YOU ARE SEEING THINGS THROUGH A MOVIE OR THROUGH A TV SHOW OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. AND SO I PROBABLY HAVE THAT FAULT NOW WHEN I WATCH A MOVIE IN SPACE. YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND YOU CAN SAY OKAY, THAT IS NOT HOW FLOATING THROUGH THE SPACE STATION. WHAT THAT'S LIKE. THAT IS DEFINITELY A PART OF IT. MAYBE A LITTLE BIT HAS CHANGED HOW YOU OBSERVE THINGS BUT THAT'S KIND OF I THINK NATURAL LY HAPPENS BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT IN INSIGHT. >> YOU GUYS SPEND SO MUCH TIME TRAINING. WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU GOT UP THERE THAT THE TRAINING DIDN'T QUITE PREPARE YOU FOR THAT YOU FOUND UN UNEXPECTED? >> YEAH. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T TRAIN FOR, THOUGH, IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FLOAT. AGAIN THE FIRST TIME YOU'D BEEN UP THERE, IT'S JUST A COMPLETELY UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT. YOU THINK ABOUT IT. YOU DREAM ABOUT IT ON THE GROUND BUT UNTIL YOU ARE THERE AND EXPERIENCE TUDON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE. IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE DELTA. WHEN I WAS UP THERE THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I RAN INTO THE HATCHES. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT. I HAD A BIG KNOT ON MY HEAD FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. BUT THEY WERE EXPERIENCED FLYERS FLYERS. THEY'D BEEN UP THREE TIMES BEFORE AND THERE, WHEREAS IT TOOK ME A COUPLE OF WEEKS, IT SEEMED LIKE WITHIN DAYS THEY WERE ALREADY LIKE THEY'D BEEN THERE FOREVER. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE CAN'T TRULY TRAIN FOR IS WHAT IT'S LIKE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT HAPPENS YOU ASSOCIATED WITH PORG -- WORKING IN MICROGRAVITY, WE'RE G SCENTRIC HERE AND WE LIKE UP, DOWN, CEILINGS AND FLOORS. SO WHEN YOU FIRST GOT THERE TOO, YOUR MIND LIKES TO THINK THAT WAY AND YOU STILL WORK ON THINGS IN THAT FASHION, TOO. YOU COME INTO THE LAB THAT YOU SAW A LOT OF THE SHOTS FROM. YOU GET YOUR FEET DOWN OTH DECK AND SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH THE MIND THAT YOU START TO FORGET ABOUT THE UP SCAAND DOWN AND YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF WORKING ON A RACK AND GETTING YOURSELF IN POSITION AND KIND OF LOOK AROUND AND OH, I'M STANDING ON THE CEILING. AND IT'S KIND OF A NEAT MOMENT BECAUSE NOW YOU REALIZE OKAY, I'M STARTING TO GET IT. SO THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS FOR ME THAT TRAINING CAN'T REALLY PREPARE YOU FOR. >> LIEUTENANT CLEMMONS. A MEDICAL PERCESPECTIVE, I SAW THAT YOU WERE PART OF THE MEDICAL ATTEMPT GOING ON THE SPACECRAFT. WHAT ARE YOUR CAPABILITIES IN TERMS OF TREATMENT AND HOW DO YOU MITIGATE SOME OF THESE THINGS SUCH AS FLUIDS IN MICRO MICROGRAVITY? >> WE GET TRAINED IN THAT. YOU ARE TRAINED AS A MEDICAL OFFICER WHILE YOU'RE ON BOARD. WE ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF CAPABILITY UP THERE. WE HAVE RESTRAINT WARD BECAUSE ANY KIND OF PROCEDURE WE HAVE TO GET RESTRAINED BECAUSE IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO WORK ON THEM WHEN THEY'RE FLOATING AROUND AND DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY OF THEM JUST LYING ON THE GROUND LIKE YOU DO HERE. SO WE HAVE A DEFREEBOIBRILLATOR ON BOARD AND ALL KIND OF MEDS ON BOARD AS WELL AND PROBABLY JUST AS IMPORTANTLY HAVE ACCESS TO THE FLIGHT DOCK THAT WE CAN CALL UP SCAAND IF WE HAVE ANYTHING REALLY FLEX COMPLEX, THEY CAN WALK US THROUGH THOSE PROCEDURES PROCEDURES. AND THEN I WAS VERY FORTUNATE AGAIN IN THAT HE WAS A FLIGHT MEDICINE DOCTOR AND SO YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE UP THERE WITH SOMEONE LIKE THAT. SO HE HAD SKILLS AS WELL THAT MADE IT VERY -- IN GENERAL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO DO BEFORE LAUNCHING AND GOING INTO A QUARANTINE PERT -- PERIOD IS MINIMIZING THE RISK OF TAKING ANY BUGS. IF ANYBODY BRINGS SOMETHING UP, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO GET IT. IN THAT TIME MOST OF THE THINGS WE WOULD GET HEADACHES, VERY MINOR-TYPE STUFF THAT YOU WOULD SEE. >> YEAH. >> WOULD YOU GO BACK? >> WOULD I GO BACK? YEAH. WERE THERE NO FIRURTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I FOUND INTERESTING. I TALKED ABOUT THE SDMROETH HOW UNIQUE THAT IS AND ONE OF THE SAD THINGS I FOUND IS THAT I HAVE ONLY BEEN ON EARTH FOR THREE MONTHS AND YET I'VE ALREADY KIND OF FORGOTTEN WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FLOAT. I SEE THE PICTURES AND THE VIDEO OF US DOING IT AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO KIND OF REMEMBER WHAT THAT'S LIKE. SO YEAH, I'D ABSOLUTELY GO BACK. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN I CAME HOME, IT WAS TIME TO COME HOME. IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO BECOME A DAD AND A HUSBAND AGAIN BECAUSE I SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRAVELING AND YOU'RE GONE FOR A WHILE. CERTAINLY THE MILITARY FOLKS EXPERIENCE THIS QUITE A BIT AS WELL IN THEIR DEPLOYMENT AND I THINK THEY CAN ALSO SAY THAT IT'S A GOOD FEELING TO COME HOME. BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY GO BACK AS WELL. >> YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MEDICAL TESTS THAT YOU DID WHEN YOU GOT BACK SCAAND WHETHER IT WAS THE SAME RIGHT BEFORE YOU LEFT. ANY APE -- TYPE OF MONITORING UP THERE? >> YES, THERE IS. IN FACT, WE AREN'T ABLE TO DO THE V 02 MAX TEST IN THE SAME WAY. BUT EVERY TIME WE EXERCISED, WE WERE WEARING A HEART RATE MONITOR. WE DO DO A CYCLEED TEST THAT IS CHECKING YOUR FITNESS AND BUT IT'S NOT AN APPLES-TO-APPLES COMPARISON PER SE. IT'S KIND OF AN APPLES-TO- APPLES-TO-ORANGES. BUT IT IS A' GOOD WAY FOR US TO MEASURE REALLY HOW WE'RE PROGRESSING WHEN WE'RE UP THERE BECAUSE IT'S INTERESTING. WHEN YOU FIRST GET UP INTO SPACE SPACE, YOU SIGH A FALLOFF IN YOUR PHYSICAL CONDITION IN A VERY SHORT TIME PERIOD. I THINK WITHIN THE FIRST PROBABLY 7 TO 10E SHALL 10 DAYS WE TAKE THAT INITIAL BIKE TEST IN ORBIT AND MY NUMBERS WAS A 10 10% TO 15% LOSS IN FITNESS. AGAIN, YOU ARE KIND OF COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES BECAUSE IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SAME TEST BUT CLEARLY IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING THAT CAUSES US TO DROP OW -- OFF IN FITNESS AND IT'S KIND OF A BATTLE AND THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IS TO TRY AND GET BA BATHA BACK SCAAND THAT TOOL THAT WE USED MEASURED THAT BIKE TEST BUT NOT A MAX V 02 TEST. WHERE WE JUST HAVE TIME FOR A FEW MORE QUESTIONS. >> I'M SORRY. I TALKED TOO LONG. >> NO, IT'S GREAT. YOU'VE GOT THE AUDIENCE IN YOUR HAND. YES? >> FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE YOUNG ONES AT HOME OR NIECES AND NEPHEWS, WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE FOR THOSE OF THEM THAT HAVE ASPIRATIONS TO BE AN ASTRONAUT AS WELL? >> YEAH, SO ASTRONAUTS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. ASTRONAUTS, WE'VE GOT DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS, WE'VE GOT ENGINEERS. PILOT. AND SO -- PILOTS. GEOLOGISTS, TEACHERS. THEY COME FROM EVERYWHERE. SO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS ONE, STUDY HARD. BUT THEY NEED TOE FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND THAT THEY REALLY LOVE, BECAUSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN ASTRONAUT COULD BE COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR CONTROL. AND SO WHEN I WAS SELECTED, THERE WAS 3 APPLICANTS AND THEY TOOK NINE OF US. 3500 APPLICANTS. AND THERE WERE A LOT THAT HAD THE TALENTS AND THE SKILLS TO BE AN ASTRONAUT AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DIDN'T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND SO THE OTHER PART IS NEVER GIVE UP. AND IF YOU COULD INSTILL THAT IN THEM AS WELL. A PLIED FOUR TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF 13 YEARS, SO IT COOK -- TOOK A WHILE BEFORE I WAS SELECTED. I GOT THE NASA RELEX -- RE REJECTION LETTERS. SO YOU CAN'T GET -- LET THAT STOP YOU EITHER. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] >> YOU ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IF YOU'D WANT TO GO BACK. BUT ARE YOU SCHEDULED TO GO BACK? >> UNFORTUNATELY, I'M AT THE BACK OF THE LINE. AS A PERSON WHO JUST LANDED. THERE ARE 40 TO 50 ACTIVE ASTRONAUTS AND WE ONLY HAVE 4 ASTRONAUTS WHO ARE LAUNCHED EVER YEAR. ALL OF US WANT TO FLY AND AS THE GUY THAT JUST LANTED -- LANDED, I AM NOT GOING TO BE IN LINE FOR US FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THERE IS QUITE A NUMBER OF JOBS ON THE GROUND AND NEW VEHICLES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE HOPEFULLY IN 2017 THROUGH THE SPECIAL CREW CREW. AND WE'VE GOT A RYAN COMING ON FOR EXPLORATION, AND SO THERE IS OTHER WORK FOR US. >> BUT YOU'LL STAY WITHIN THE SNOOSHGS >> I'LL STAY WITHIN THE ASTRONAUT CORE, YEP, ABSOLUTELY. >> YOU WERE UP FOR SIX MONTHS. WHAT'S THE LONGEST ANYONE'S BEEN OUT AND HOW LONG COULD STAY UP? >> ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION. THE SOVIETS -- I THINK THERE WAS A POINT WHERE THEY HAD A COSM COSMONAUT OVER 400 DAYS. I'M SURE. >> WE AREN'T EITHER. >> WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MISSION NEXT YEAR. GOING FOR A YEAR. THE WOMEN -- WELL, ONE OF THEM IS RADIATION. SO WE ARE EXPOSED TO A LITTLE BIT MORE RADIATION WHILE WE'RE UP THERE. WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A DIS DISSEMINATEOR THAT COLLECT THAT INFORMATION AND THERE IS A LIMIT THAT'S SET THAT IF YOU EXCEED THAT, THEN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO ON FUTURE FLIGHTS. I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF NTHAT'S A YEAR AND A HALF BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE NEXT ONE THAT'S COMING UP IS GOING TO BE KIND OF LONG AND LAUNCH AN ASTRONAUT FOR A YEAR. >> AND THEY DO HAVE LONG TERM STAYS AND I THINK EVERYONE IS COMMITTED -- AM I RIGHT -- TO GO BACK ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR A TWO-YEAR BASIS TO HAVE A COMPLETE CHECKUP? I THINK 500 OF YOU OR SO? >> SO I THINK THE TOTAL NUMBERS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY FLOWN IN SPACE IS OVER 500. FROM THE U.S. SIDE. I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE. 300 OR SOMETHING. WE'LL CONSTANTLY BE GOING BACK FOR THOSE CHECKUPS. >> LONG RANGE STUDIES. NEXT TO LAST QUESTION. >> HI. SO AFTER YOU SAW THE EARTH FROM SPACE AND YOU CAME BACK DOWN, DID ANY OF YOUR PERCESPECTIVES ABOUT THE WORLD CHANGE? >> YEAH. SO YOU DEFINITELY -- WHEN YOU SEE THE EARTH FROM THAT ADVANTAVANTAGEPOINT, A COUPLE FOF THINGS REALLY JUMP INTO MIND. YOU DON'T SEE BOARDERS. YOU SEE THIS AMAZING PLANET. I THINK YOU PROBABLY SAW THAT A FEW TIMES, RIGHT? THIS VERY THIN ATMOSPHERE GIVES YOU AN APPRECIATION FOR HOW VALUABLE THAT THIN ATMOSPHERE IS IN TERMS OF PROTECTION. BUT ONE OF THE OTHER INTERESTING THINGS IT GAVE ME MORE OF AN APPRECIATION FOR THE LITTLE THINGS. AND WELL, WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE, TEMPERATURE IS ALWAYS 75 DEGREES DEGREES. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAD A ROUGH WINTER, RIGHT? TLC 75 DEGREES. THERE IS NO RAIN. THERE IS NO WIND. SO WHEN YOU GET BACK, SOME LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT YOU REALLY START TO APPRECIATE ABOUT LIFE HERE ON EARTH. AND IN FACT, THE FIRST WEEKEND I WAS HOME, IT WAS RAINING OUTSIDE AND I JUST WENT OUT IN THE BACKYARD AND STOOD THERE WITH MY FACE UP LITH THE RAIN HIT IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE AND YOU MISS IT. SO THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I I'D SAY CHANGED FOR ME. >> FIRST OF ALL, ABSOLUTELY THRILLED. I'VE WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS. I'M 70 YEARS OLD. WHEN YOU WERE UP IN SPACE, DID YOU SEE ANY TYPE OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS? LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU SEE UP THERE. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. THAT WAS ONE. >> GO AHEAD WITH THE SECOND ONE THEN. >> AND THE SECOND ONE, WHEN YOU GO CHANGE -- >> GREAT QUESTIONS. SO DID I SEE ANYTHING THAT WAS UNIDENTIFIED? YES AND NO. SO WE SAW SOMETHING FROM A LAUNCH -- WE WERE FLYING OVER RUSSIA AND THEY LAUNCHED OR TEST MISSILE THAT WENT UP INTO SPACE. SO WHAT WAS UNIQUE WAS WHEN IT GOT INTO SPACE, LIKE AN EXPLOSION, IT LOOKS AND A HUGE CLOUD THAT KIND OF KEPT GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING. IT WAS ACTUALLY INCREDIBLE AND WE JUST HAPPENED TO SEE IT AND THAT'S OFTENTIMES WHEN YOU SEE IS JUST BY CHANCE. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS -- I DIDN'T QUITE KNOW WHAT IT WAS. BUT I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT IT CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE WE KNEW IT WAS LAUNCHED FROM THE GROUND. MY BELIEF SYSTEM. I RELY VERY HEAVILY ON FAITH AND I WOULD SAY IT DIDN'T CHANGE MY BELIEF SYSTEM, BUT I DEFINITELY DEPENDED ON IT, MAYBE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, IN A LITTLE BIT MORE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN YOU ARE GOING OUT THAT HATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT CAN BE A PRETTY TRAUMATIC MOMENT FU LET IT BE AND I REALLY DEPEND DEPENDED ON MY FAITH TO NOT BE A AFRAID TO GO OUT THAT DOOR AND THAT HELPED ME IN THOSE CASES. SO IT DIDN'T NECESSARILY CHANGE IT, BUT I DEFINITELY RELIED ON IT. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >> I'LL RESERVE THE LAUGHST QUESTION BEFORE I THANK YOU, AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT OVER LUNCH AND THAT IS THE POLITICAL ASPECT. WE'VE ALL SEEN AND THE PRESS HAS MADE A VERY BIG THING ABOUT THE DELIVERY SYSTEM AND OBVIOUSLY THE COMRAAMARADERIE THAT YOU HAD WAS FANTASTIC. BUT GIVE US A CLUE AS TO, FROM YOUR STANDPOINT, AND THE AGENCY AGENCY'S STANDPOINT THE GREATNESS OF THAT INTEROAACTION. >> THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN U.S., RUSSIA, JAPAN, EUROPE, CANADA, AND I THINK THE 15 STATION -- NATIONS INVOLVED IN THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND THAT RELATIONSHIP IS VERY, VERY STRONG. THOSE AGREEMENT ARE -- AND DESPITE WHAT YOU MIGHT HEAR IN THE NEWS RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE THOSE AGREEMENT ARE STILL VERY STRONG. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK VERY WELL WITH THEM ON A PERSONAL BASIS. I CONSIDER TO BE NOT ONLY MY COLLEAGUES BUT VERY, VERY CLOSE FRIENDS. WE DEFINITELY HAD DIFFERENT PERCESPECTIVES, PARTICULARLY WITH SOME OF THE CRISES THAT WERE GG GOING ON RIGHT NOW BUT THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED. BUT YET THAT DIDN'T INTERFERE WITH OUR ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. SO AGAIN, I THINK AT THIS POINT IN TIME AT LEAST, IT'S A GREAT RELATIONSHIP, AND ONE THAT I THINK IS TRULY ONE OF THE SUCCESS STORIES ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. >> I THINK I SUBPOENAING BEHALF OF ALL OF US THAT WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES. THANK YOU. APPLAU [APPLAUSE] I'VE GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU. SO FOR NIH, I ALSO HAVE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU. I'M SORRY, I'M SUPPOSED TO STAND OUT HERE. LAUGHT[LAUGHTER] SO AT THE END OF OUR MISSION, WE GET TO MAKE A MONT MONTAGE THAT KIND OF SUMMARIZES THE MISSION. SO EXHIBITION 38. THIS IS THE PATCH FOR EXPEDITION 38. ALL OF OUR CREW MEMBERS AND THIS KIND OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MAJOR EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON BOARD -- THE SCIENCE, THE EVA, THE VISITING VEHICLES, THE OLYMPIC TORCH. AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE EX EXPEDITION 38 CREW AND NASA, IT'S MY PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS MONTAGE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPLAU [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, EVERYONE. >> ALSO, THANKS VERY MUCH TO THE ORGANIZERS. THE CREW AND COLLEEN LOBBY HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK. AND ALSO THE NASA GROUP THAT PUT THIS TOGETHER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.