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>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK
EVERYBODY.
I'M SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW, AS YOU
CAN TELL, BECAUSE MY NEXT GUEST
IS A NASA ASTRONAUT WHO IS
CURRENTLY IN SPACE SPEAKING TO
US FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION.
PLEASE WELCOME JESSICA MEIR.
JESSICA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> HELLO.
YOU'RE VERY, VERY WELCOME.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON MY GOAL,
THINGS TO DO, IS TALK TO YOU.
>> Stephen: THEN WE'RE EVEN
BECAUSE MY GOAL IS TO TALK TO
YOU IN THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION OR WHEN YOU COME BACK.
EITHER ONE WILL BE GREAT.
JESS CARC EVERYONE HERE ON EARTH
HAS HAD THEIR LIVES DISRUPTED BY
THE CORONAVIRUS, BUT YOU'RE NOT
ON EARTH.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO EXPERIENCE
THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC FROM ORBIT?
>>
>> IT HAS BEEN VERY SURREAL TO
EXPERIENCE THIS, TO WATCH THIS
SITUATION UNFOLD ON THE GROUND
OF THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
AND IT HAS FELT REALLY SURREAL,
BECAUSE WE'RE UP HERE GOING
ABOUT OUR NORMAL DAY.
THE WHOLE ISSUE HAS BEEN PRETTY
TRANSPARENT TO US BECAUSE OUR
GROUND TEAMS-- BECAUSE, OF
COURSE, THEIR LIVES ARE
AFFECTED-- IT IS REALLY A
SEAMLESS TRANSITION AND
CONTINUING TO GET OUR JOBS DONE
UP HERE.
WE'RE TALKING TO OUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS AND WATCHING THE NEWS
FEED.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT
FOR US TO BELIEVE WE ARE TRULY
GOING BACK TO A DIFFERENT
PLANET.
AND IT WAS VERY STRANGE TO FEEL
THAT THERE WERE THREE OF US UP
HEE AT THE TIME-- NOW THERE ARE
SIX OF US AGAIN.
WE WERE REALLY THE ONLY THREE
HUMANS THAT WERE NOT SUBJECTED
TO THAT AT THE CURRENT TIME.
BILLIONS OF HUMANS, EVERYBODY
WAS DEALING WITH THIS IN SOME
WAY OR ANOTHER, AND THE THIEF US
WEREN'T SO IT WAS VERY STRANGE
TO SEE ALL OF IT UNFOLD.
>> Stephen: A LOT OF PEOPLE
BACK ON EARTH ARE HAVING TROUBLE
DEALING WITH SOCIAL ISOLATION.
I UNDERSTAND ASTRONAUTS ARE
TRAINED TO DEAL WITH ISOLATION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THE
PEOPLE BACK HOME WHO MAYBE ARE
GETTING CABIN FEVER?
>> YEAH, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN
POSTING SOME OF OUR ADVICE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT HELP US UP HERE ARE TO
CONTINUE TO GET OUR DAILY
EXERCISE, TO KEEP TO A SCHEDULE
AND A ROUTINE.
THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT FOR
BOTH OUR MENTAL AND OUR PHYSICAL
WELL-BEING.
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PLAYING
NICELY WITH OTHERS, TO TREAT
EACH OTHER WELL, KINDLY, WITH
WITH RESPECT, AND TO GET ALONG
WELL.
AND, ALSO, JUST TO KEEP HAVING A
LITTLE BIT OF FUN AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT
FOR YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL
WELL-BEING.
SO EVERY NOW AND THEN WE TRY TO
KEEP THINGS LIGHT, MAINTAIN OUR
SENSE OF HUMOR.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS REALLY HELP
US FUNCTION TOGETHER AS A HAPPY
TEAM LIVING IN ISOLATION.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU MENTIONED
EXERCISE, AND I HAVE TO ASK:
HAVE YOU BEEN RUNNING ON THE
COLBERT TREADMILL IN THE SPACE
STATION?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WAS JUST ON THE COLBERT
TEADMILL A FEW HOURS AGO.
THERE'S STILL A PICTURE OF YOU
ON IT.
AND WE ACTUALLY DO THAT ALMOST
EVERY DAY.
WE WEIGHT LIFT EVERY DAY, AND WE
EITHER BIKE OR RUN ON THE
TREADMILL EVERY DAY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO
MAINTAIN OUR BONE DENSITY AND
OUR MUSCLE MASS.
SO YOU ARE A REGULAR PART OF OUR
DAILY ROUTINE, STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: IT IS A PROFOUND
HONOR TO KNOW THAT.
THANK YOU, JESSICA.
NOW, AS YOU SAID, YOU HAVE TO BE
GOOD ROOMMATES TOGETHER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE ON HOW
NOT TO ANOIT PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE
TRAPPED ALONE WITH FOR MONTHS ON
END?
>> YEAH, WE EVEN HAVE A BUZZWORD
FOR THAT AT NASA.
IT'S CALLED "EXPEDITIONARY
SKILLS."
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF
HOW WE SELECT ASTRONAUTS AND HOW
WE TRAIN THEM AS WELL.
THERE ARE A LOT OF KEY ELEMENTS
TO THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, IN TERMS OF TEAM
WORK, THERE'S GOOD LEADERSHIP
AND GOOD FOLLOWER-SHIP.
AND GOOD COMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY.
TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AND ALL
OF YOUR EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT AND
SUPPLIES.
THAT CAN BE QUITE A CHALLENGE UP
HERE WHEN THINGS ARE FLOTTING
AND AROUND YOU'RE USING ALL THE
SURFACES AROUND YOU, AND TAKING
CARE OF EACH OTHER.
I LIKE TONG OF ALL THE THINGS
PARENTS TELL THEIR CHILDREN, HOW
TO PLAY NICELY WITH OTHERS OR
THE KIND OF PEOPLE I WOULD WANT
TO GO CAMPING WITH.
ALL OF THOSE FEATURES ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT.
IT'S A GREAT THING TON THAT'S
HOW WE SELECT OUR ASTRONAUTS
THESE DAYS.
BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL OF THESE
LONG-DURATION MISSIONS, WE DON'T
PICK SOMEONE WHO IS THE TOP OF
THEIR FIELD OR ACE JET PILOT.
IF THEY'RE NOT ALSO A GOOD
PERSON, YOU LIKE TO BE AROUND,
SOMEBODY WHO MAKES THE STAY A
LITTLE BIT MORE PLEASANT, THEN
YOU WON'T GET SELECTED TO BE AN
ASTRONAUT ANYMORE WHICH MAKES US
A BETTER TEAM AND MAKES IT A LOT
MORE FUN UP HERE.
>> Stephen: JESSICA, WOULD YOU
RECOMMEND SPACE TO OTHER PEOPLE?
BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT.
AND I GAVE IT UP TO GO INTO
COMEDY.
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT OCCUPATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE HAD A
CHANCE TO GO TO SPACE, WOULD YOU
SAY JUMP AT IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE FEEL SO FORTUNATE TO BE AMONG
THE FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN UP
HERE.
AND I WISH THEY COULD SHARE IT
WITH EVERYBODY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS OF MY
MISSION IS TO TRY TO SHARE IT
WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
BECAUSE I THINK IT IS SO
IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE
TO BE UP HERE, TO BE LOOKING
DOWN AT THE PLANET FROM UP HERE.
IT REALLY DOES CHANGE YOUR
PERSPECTIVE AS A HUMAN.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY
IMPORTANT FOR THE REST OF THE
HUMAN RACE TO EXPERIENCE THAT AS
WELL.
>> Stephen: WELL, I WANT TO
ASK YOU ABOUT LOOKING DOWN AT
THE PLANET.
SINCE THERE'S NO SENSE OF
DIRECTION, DO YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE LOOKING DOWN AT THE EARTH
OR LOOKING UP AT THE EARTH?
OR ARE YOU JUST SORT OF NEXT TO
THE EARTH?
HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THIS
SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP?
>> YEAH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING
QUESTION.
YOU ARE SORT OF JUST NEXT TO IT,
BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY-- WE'RE
REALLY NOT THAT FAR AWAY.
WE'RE ONLY 250 MILES UP.
SO IT'S NOT AS IF WE CAN SEE THE
WHOLE ROUND PLANET.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY SEE A
SMALL PORTION OF IT.
YOU'RE NOT ALWAYS LOOKING AT IT
IN THE SAME ORIENTATION THAT
YOU'RE USED TO.
YOU'RE REALLY KIND OF LOOKING AT
IT UPSIDE DOWN, BECAUSE THE
BOTTOM OF THE SPACE STATION,
LOOKING DOWN AT THE EARTH IS
THIS WAY, SO YOU HAVE TO
INTERNET WHAT'S UP, WHAT'S DOWN.
NORTH-SOUTH IS ALWAYS A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT.
I HAVE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER THAN
FROM WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE.
IT CAN BE REALLY QUITE CONFUSING
AT FIRST AND THEN YOU GET BETTER
AND BETTER.
>> Stephen: JESSICA, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR TALKING TO US.
I KNOW YOU'RE COMING BACK IN TWO
DAYS, BUT I WOULD SAY ASTRONAUTS
AND COLLEGE SENIORS SHOULD MAYBE
CONSIDER STAYING WHERE THEY ARE
JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
>> I WISH I COULD STAY UP HERE
LONGER, ACTUALLY.
I ALREADY WANTED TO BEFORE THE
SITUATION THAT IS UNFOLDING DOWN
THERE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE MISSION
LENGTH IS DETERMINED BY THE
SOYUZ SPACECRAFT.
WE WILL BE BACK RELATIVELY
QUICKLY, AND IT WILL BE GREAT TO
SEE EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND
AGAIN, EVEN IF IT IS FROM A
DISTANCE.
>> Stephen: SAFE TRAVELERS ON
YOUR WAY BACK TO THE COOL, GREEN
HILLS OF EARTH.
JESSICA MEIR, EVERYBODY, FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
