so Mike how’d you become an astronaut uh I I dreamt about being an after I was a
I I dreamt about being an after I was a
I I dreamt about being an after I was a little boy and watching Neil Armstrong
little boy and watching Neil Armstrong
little boy and watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz walk up and when I was six but
and Buzz walk up and when I was six but
and Buzz walk up and when I was six but unlike Chris I kind of forgot about that
unlike Chris I kind of forgot about that
unlike Chris I kind of forgot about that dream until I got older and once I got
dream until I got older and once I got
dream until I got older and once I got out of college I I decided that’s what I
out of college I I decided that’s what I
out of college I I decided that’s what I wanted to try to do went to graduate
wanted to try to do went to graduate
wanted to try to do went to graduate school got my PhD and started applying
school got my PhD and started applying
school got my PhD and started applying while I was in grad so you be as the
while I was in grad so you be as the
while I was in grad so you be as the mission specialist which is where all
mission specialist which is where all
mission specialist which is where all the academic right so Chris Chris Walker
the academic right so Chris Chris Walker
the academic right so Chris Chris Walker the pilot route so he’s the right stuff
the pilot route so he’s the right stuff
the pilot route so he’s the right stuff yeah like Hal Jordan and then what are
yeah like Hal Jordan and then what are
yeah like Hal Jordan and then what are you the wrong stuff apparently you send
you the wrong stuff apparently you send
you the wrong stuff apparently you send me up what I say he’s fighter pilot he
me up what I say he’s fighter pilot he
me up what I say he’s fighter pilot he is we learned about fighter pilot he’s
is we learned about fighter pilot he’s
is we learned about fighter pilot he’s got a really cool mustache too he’s
got a really cool mustache too he’s
got a really cool mustache too he’s gotta work that mustaches are clearly
gotta work that mustaches are clearly
gotta work that mustaches are clearly adjusted really good now it’s relied on
adjusted really good now it’s relied on
adjusted really good now it’s relied on it it’s right no it’s a real mustache
it it’s right no it’s a real mustache
it it’s right no it’s a real mustache he’s Canadian let’s find a little bit
he’s Canadian let’s find a little bit
he’s Canadian let’s find a little bit more about Chris’s background yeah cuz
more about Chris’s background yeah cuz
more about Chris’s background yeah cuz he’s into seriously dangerous stuff
he’s into seriously dangerous stuff
he’s into seriously dangerous stuff correctly he was my best pilot yep as a
correctly he was my best pilot yep as a
correctly he was my best pilot yep as a test pilot I had we had one friend I a
test pilot I had we had one friend I a
test pilot I had we had one friend I a year for like 10 years qualified people
year for like 10 years qualified people
year for like 10 years qualified people because that was a dangerous profession
because that was a dangerous profession
because that was a dangerous profession we did it every day fly in space once
we did it every day fly in space once
we did it every day fly in space once every six or seven years so at least the
every six or seven years so at least the
every six or seven years so at least the frequency of risk is lower but when we
frequency of risk is lower but when we
frequency of risk is lower but when we look back now to what the risk was on my
look back now to what the risk was on my
look back now to what the risk was on my first shuttle launch the risk of death
first shuttle launch the risk of death
first shuttle launch the risk of death during a cent was about one in 38 we
during a cent was about one in 38 we
during a cent was about one in 38 we thought it was a lot better than that
thought it was a lot better than that
thought it was a lot better than that but now learning everything we knew it
but now learning everything we knew it
but now learning everything we knew it was extremely risky thing to do but you
was extremely risky thing to do but you
was extremely risky thing to do but you just you go okay this is going to be
just you go okay this is going to be
just you go okay this is going to be risky but it’s worth it now my job is to
risky but it’s worth it now my job is to
risky but it’s worth it now my job is to not die doing this how could we spend
not die doing this how could we spend
not die doing this how could we spend the next three years learning so much
the next three years learning so much
the next three years learning so much about this that no matter what happens
about this that no matter what happens
about this that no matter what happens we have a plan we’re going to react so
we have a plan we’re going to react so
we have a plan we’re going to react so that we improve our odds of surviving
that we improve our odds of surviving
that we improve our odds of surviving and I take it that since you were here
and I take it that since you were here
and I take it that since you were here with me now you didn’t die anything else
with me now you didn’t die anything else
with me now you didn’t die anything else I came close all the times but yet the
I came close all the times but yet the
I came close all the times but yet the parachute if you pin it I’ve never had
parachute if you pin it I’ve never had
parachute if you pin it I’ve never had to jump out I’ve come close I I hit us I
to jump out I’ve come close I I hit us I
to jump out I’ve come close I I hit us I was doing a test at Patuxent River
was doing a test at Patuxent River
was doing a test at Patuxent River Maryland just over the Chesapeake and we
Maryland just over the Chesapeake and we
Maryland just over the Chesapeake and we were calibrating this version on f-18 50
were calibrating this version on f-18 50
were calibrating this version on f-18 50 feet above the water going 550 knots and
feet above the water going 550 knots and
feet above the water going 550 knots and hit a seagull and if he’d been an inch
hit a seagull and if he’d been an inch
hit a seagull and if he’d been an inch or two over he would have come through
or two over he would have come through
or two over he would have come through the windscreen and killed us both but he
the windscreen and killed us both but he
the windscreen and killed us both but he just went down the left side did a bunch
just went down the left side did a bunch
just went down the left side did a bunch of
of
of HD airplane but you know a couple close
HD airplane but you know a couple close
HD airplane but you know a couple close calls like that so I’ve been both ego
calls like that so I’ve been both ego
calls like that so I’ve been both ego and 550 miles an hour yeah it’s a
and 550 miles an hour yeah it’s a
and 550 miles an hour yeah it’s a cannonball at that point yeah it didn’t
cannonball at that point yeah it didn’t
cannonball at that point yeah it didn’t do the seagull any good but on the
do the seagull any good but on the
do the seagull any good but on the airplane and I survived why so that’s
airplane and I survived why so that’s
airplane and I survived why so that’s not even a fault of the airplane I mean
not even a fault of the airplane I mean
not even a fault of the airplane I mean when I think of a risk that fire police
when I think of a risk that fire police
when I think of a risk that fire police say I’m not thinking they might fly into
say I’m not thinking they might fly into
say I’m not thinking they might fly into a seagull that is the real risk and you
a seagull that is the real risk and you
a seagull that is the real risk and you know some of the riskiest things I did
know some of the riskiest things I did
know some of the riskiest things I did in spaceships are the random ones also
in spaceships are the random ones also
in spaceships are the random ones also you know the peppering of debris from
you know the peppering of debris from
you know the peppering of debris from natural and man-made from space that’s
natural and man-made from space that’s
natural and man-made from space that’s something you just can’t do anything
something you just can’t do anything
something you just can’t do anything about but it’s a definite measurable
about but it’s a definite measurable
about but it’s a definite measurable perceptible risk
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