NEIL: ALL RIGHT THIS IS THE
NEIL: ALL RIGHT THIS IS THE
SCENE OVERNIGHT, ANOTHER ONE
THIS TIME, TO GET SATELLITES
ACROSS THE PLANET EARTH AND
THEY’LL BE DOTTING THE LANDSCAPE
EVERY FEW HUNDRED MILES I’M TOLD
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE AS
ELON MUSK WANTS TO BRING FAST
INTERNET TO EVERY REMOTE CORNER
OF THE GLOBE.
HE’S BEEN ON AN  AGGRESSIVE RIDE
OF LATE AFTER THE GREAT SUCCESS
OF THE DRAGON MISSION JUST
COMPLETED, THOSE ASTRONAUTS
RETURNING AFTER TWO MONTHS IN
SPACE, A PICTURE PERFECT SPLASH
DOWN, THE COMMANDER IS
JOINING US RIGHT NOW, BOB VERY
GOOD TO HAVE YOU,
CONGRATULATIONS.
HOW YOU HOLDING UP?
>>  THANK YOU, NEIL.
DOING PRETTY GOOD.
WE RECOVERED KIND OF GOT OUR SEA
LEGS AND ARE REALLY IN THE FULL
SWING OF DOING OUR REHAB TO GET
READY FOR DEBRIEFS.
NEIL: YOU KNOW WHAT IS AMAZING
ABOUT YOU GUYS IS HOW QUICKLY
YOU FOUND YOUR SEA LEGS.
I’D BEEN SAYING LOOK, GIVE ME A
MONTH, I’LL GET BACK TO YOU, BUT
I MEAN, WITHIN HOURS YOU’RE
TALKING TO PEOPLE LIKE ME IN THE
PRESS AND ONE AFTER THE
OTHER, AND THAT’S A BIG DEAL
, 60 DAYS WEIGHTLESS, YOU’RE
BACK.
HOW DID YOU PULL THAT OFF?
>>  YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HAD A
GOOD REGIME ON BOARD THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
OF EXERCISE AND COMMANDER UP
THERE, CHRIS CASSIDY SET A GOOD
EXAMPLE FOR US AND SO WE JUST
DID OUR WORKOUTS AND WE JUST
FOLLOWED THE SCHEDULE THAT’S PUT
IN FRONT OF US AND JUST TRIED TO
BE THERE ON TIME FOR WHATEVERS
IN FRONT OF US WHETHER IT’S A
SPACE WALK OR  IT’S A SPLASHDOWN
OR  IT’S AN INTERVIEW
LIKE THIS.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT I NOTICED YOU
GOT THE PECKING ORDER RIGHT, OR
AN INTERVIEW LIKE THIS.
>>  [LAUGHTER]
NEIL: I’M CURIOUS THAT
SPLASHDOWN WAS GETTING A LOT OF
ATTENTION BECAUSE IT’S THE FIRST
TIME WE’VE DONE SOMETHING LIKE
THIS SINCE 1975 HOW WAS THAT?
I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE THE FIRST
TO EXPERIENCE IT IN A GENERATION
, HOW WAS IT?
>>  YOU KNOW, FOR BOTH OF US,
DOUG AND MYSELF, WE WERE REALLY
THINKING THAT THAT MIGHT BE ONE
OF THE MORE CHALLENGING PARTS OF
THE MISSION THAT THE SPLASHDOWN
AND THEN RIDING THE LITTLE BOAT
THAT WAS OUR SPACE SHIP JUST A
FEW MOMENTS EARLIER IN THE OPEN
OCEAN, BUT IT TURNED OUT WITH
THE WEATHER THAT WE ENDED UP
WITH, THINGS WERE RELATIVELY
SMOOTH AND REALLY, WE WERE IN
THERE JUST TRYING TO THINK
THROUGH WHAT COULD WE DO IN HERE
TO KEEP ACCOMPLISHING THE TEST
POINTS OF THE MISSION, SO WE
MADE A LOT OF PHONE CALLS AND
TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND
THE COUNTRY TO JUST LET THEM
KNOW HOW WE WERE DOING SO IT’S
LIKE HEY WE’RE ON A BOAT IN THE
OCEAN, SOMEBODY COMING?
YOU KNOW JUST TO JOKE WITH THEM
A LITTLE BIT.
NEIL: [LAUGHTER]
>>  BUT JUST LIKE THEY TOLD US
IT WAS GOING TO BE BASED ON THE
WEATHER FORECAST WHICH MADE
IT VERY PLEASANT FROM OUR
PERSPECTIVE.
NEIL: NO IT WAS REMARKABLE AND
NOW OF COURSE YOU’RE SEEING THEY
ARE ALREADY MAKING PLANS BECAUSE
OF YOUR SUCCESSFUL MISSION FOR
THE FOLLOW-UP ONE NEXT MONTH
, I BELIEVE THAT’S GOING TO
HAVE FOUR ASTRONAUTS INCLUDING
JAPANESE ASTRONAUT AND THE PACE
PICKS UP FROM THERE.
HOW DO YOU THINK THIS IS ALL
GOING?
>>  YOU KNOW, I THINK THINGS
FROM A SPACEX AND NASA
PERSPECTIVE ARE GOING REALLY
WELL, BUT WE DO NEED TO GIVE THE
ENGINEERING TEAMS TIME TO
REALLY GO OVER THAT VEHICLE AND
MAKE SURE THERE’S NOT ANYTHING
ELSE THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM IT
THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE UPCOMING
MISSION JUST A LITTLE BIT OR
REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF A
MODIFICATION OR  OTHERWISE.
THE TEAM WILL PORE OVER THAT
VEHICLE AND JUST A FEW SHORT
WEEKS THEY WILL BE READY FOR THE
NEXT FLIGHT WHETHER
CHANGES ARE REQUIRED OR  NOT I
HAVE CONFIDENCE THEY’RE GOING TO
BE READY TO GO PRETTY QUICKLY
HERE.
NEIL: ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ARE
LOOKING INTO BOB AND YOU CAN
MAYBE UPDATE ME ON THIS IS THEY
WERE WORRIED ABOUT FUMES OR
THERE WAS A GAS PRESENCE, YOU
KNOW THIS FAR BETTER THAN I, BUT
THAT WAS AN INITIAL CONCERN.
CAN YOU UPDATE ME ON WHAT
HAPPENED, WHAT THEY FOUND, WHAT
THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT?
>>  YOU KNOW, WHEN A VEHICLE
COMES BACK FROM SPACE, THE
PROPELANTS WE’VE USED THEY
COME OUT OF THRUSTERS AND PORTS
THAT ARE ALL OVER THE VEHICLE
AND THEY DO NEED TO MAKE TESTS
TO MAKE SURE NONE OF THAT
PROPELANTS WHETHER IT’S RESIDUAL
S BURNED OR  UNUSED
PROPELANTS IS LEAKING AROUND AND
I THINK WE COULDN’T TELL FROM
INSIDE THE VEHICLE BUT A LOT OF
SHIPS SEEMED TO GET PRETTY CLOSE
TO THE CAPSULE BASED ON SOME OF
THE PICTURES THAT I’VE SEEN, AND
THEY DON’T HAVE THE LUXURY OF
ALL THAT SNIFFER EQUIPMENT TO
MAKE SURE IT’S SAFE TO DO SO
LIKE THE SPACEX VEHICLE DID AND
SO THE SHIP ENDED UPBRINGING US
ABOARD, AND SO I THINK WE DIDN’T
HAVE ANYTHING OUT OF THE
ORDINARY, BUT THEY WERE JUST
EXTREMELY CAREFUL TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO RONALD
REGAN GOING TO GET CLOSE TO THE
CAPSULE ITSELF WERE DOING SO IN
A SAFE MANNER, AND THAT’S JUST
SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO WHENEVER
A SPACE SHIP COMES BACK SO WE
DIDN’T HAVE ANY LEAKS BUT THEY
WERE JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY
HAD TESTED IT IN ALL THE WAYS
THAT YOU COULD TO MAKE SURE IT
REALLY WAS SAFE FOR THE FOLKS
THAT WERE GOING TO PUT THEIR
HANDS-ON THE VEHICLE.
NEIL: I THINK BETWEEN THIS 60-
PLUS DAY MISSION AND
YOUR TWO SUBTLE MISSIONS YOU’VE
CLOCKED ABOUT WHAT 93 DAYS IN
SPACE AND ALREADY, I’M SURE
YOU SEEN SOME OF THESE OTHER
AGGRESSIVE PLANS ARE STILL MORE
TRIPS IN THE SPACE STATION,
MAYBE A TRIP TO THE MOON, DOWN
THE ROAD WITH THESE UNMANNED
MISSION TO MARS, WHO KNOWS THEY
KEEP TALKING ABOUT THAT.
ARE YOU GAME FOR ANY, ALL OF THE
ABOVE?
>>  YOU KNOW, I’M REALLY GAME
FOR THE MISSIONS THAT ARE IN
FRONT OF NASA.
IT DOES TAKE TIME TO BE PREPARED
FOR THESE MISSIONS.
I STARTED WORKING WITH THE
COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM AS
KIND OF AN ASSIGNED CREW
MEMBER WHO KNEW THEY WERE GOING
TO FLY ON ONE OF THE COMMERCIAL
VEHICLES EITHER BOEING OR
SPACEX ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.
THESE PROJECTS ARE STRATEGIC IN
NATURE AND TAKE SOME TIME, AND
SO OUR HUMAN FLIGHT TO MARS, I
MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT TOO OLD
HAVING JUST TURNED 50 IN-ORBIT
TO BE READY TO JUMP ON TO A MARS
MISSION BUT ONE OF THE MORE
SHORT-TERM MISSIONS I’D BE HAPPY
TO JUMP IN THERE AND PERFORM
ANOTHER TEST FLIGHT FOR SOMEBODY
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, THERE
ARE OTHER ASTRONAUTS THAT WE
REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY
HAVE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, AND
WHILE WE’D ALL LIKE TO FLY ALL
THE MISSIONS OURSELVES, YOU
REALLY DO NEED A DIVERSE CROWD
OF FOLKS GETTING SOME
OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT WE CAN
SHARE THE EXPERIENCE AND DON’T
BUILD AUTOMOBILES, WE BUILD
ASTRONAUT TRANSPORTATION
VEHICLES THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
CAN BE COMFORTABLE IN NOT JUST
WHAT BOB WOULD LIKE.
NEIL: LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THAT,
BECAUSE ALL OF THIS OCCURS AT A
TIME WHEN OTHER NATIONS ARE BEEF
ING UP THEIR OWN SPACE
INITIATIVES.
CHINA OF COURSE HAS BEEN GOING
LIKE CRAZY AND WANTS TO BUILD
STATIONS ON THE MOON, ITS
EXPLORED THE FAR SIDE OF THE
MOON, THE UNITED ARAB
EMIRATE RAN AND RUSSIA OF COURSE
IS BEEFING UP ITS OWN PRESENCE
HERE AND ABROAD, I MEAN WAY
OUTSIDE THIS EARTH-MOON
TRAJECTORY TO A FAR FLUNG PLANET
IT IS GETTING CROWDED AND DOES
SOME DON’T ALWAYS COME WITH
PEACEFUL INTENTIONS AND DO YOU
WORRY ABOUT THOSE EXPLORING AND
THOSE WHO MIGHT BE DOING
SOMETHING ELSE?
>>  YOU KNOW, AS WE GO FORWARD
AND CONTINUE THIS ENDEAVOR WHICH
IS HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT OR  SPACE
EXPLORATION, I THINK THAT
IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KIND OF
MAINTAIN THE EDGE, OR  MAINTAIN
SOME POSITION AT THE FOREFRONT
OF SPACE EXPLORATION, OR  THE
KIND OF WORK THAT WE DO,
AND SO I WOULD WORRY IF OUR
NATION WASN’T AMONG THE MIX OR
KIND OF LEADING THE CHARGE OF
BUILDING NEW VEHICLES.
I THINK WHEN WE CHOOSE TO NOT DO
THOSE THINGS, AND ALLOW OTHER
COUNTRIES TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE
THEM, THAT’S WHEN WE GET SET
BACKS BOTH IN SPACE BUT
KIND OF ACROSS-THE-BOARD
TECHNOLOGICALLY, AND SO I’M JUST
PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF
BUILDING A NEW SPACECRAFT,
GETTING IT INTO LOWER ORBIT AND
BEING A PART OF RETURNING
AMERICA TO LAUNCHING AGAIN FROM
THE FLORIDA COAST AND THEN
COMING HOME SAFELY.
NEIL: JUST AMAZING.
YOU GUYS ARE A RARE BREED, A
SELFLESS BLEED SO NONE OF YOU
WOULD EVER BECOME TV ANCHORS YOU
JUST DON’T HAVE THAT IN YOU, I
GUESS, BUT REALLY YOU MADE US
ALL PROUD AND I THINK I SPEAK
FOR AN ENTIRE NATION WHEN I SAY
YOU MADE US ALL VERY VERY
ENVIOUS AS WELL.
BOB, THANK YOU I’M GLAD YOU’RE
BACK HOME WITH YOUR WIFE AND SON
ALL IS SAFE, ALL IS WELL,
CONTINUED SUCCESS.
>>  THANK YOU, NEIL I APPRECIATE
