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Allen Jackson NOW

Allen Jackson: Launch Thrill | Allen Jackson Now

April 15, 2026 | 22:28

Allen Jackson: Launch Thrill | Allen Jackson Now
Robert "Hoot" Gibson joins Allen Jackson to discuss current events.
#News #Media #Government #Politics #WorldHistory #Science #Culture #AllenJackson

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Allen Jackson NOW | Allen Jackson: Launch Thrill | Allen Jackson Now | April 15, 2026
  • Well, good evening and welcome to nashville.
  • 00:00:04.429 --> 00:00:06.531
  • I'm alan jackson.
  • 00:00:06.531 --> 00:00:08.066
  • You know,
  • 00:00:08.066 --> 00:00:09.034
  • Vladimir putin may be interested in ukraine,
  • 00:00:09.034 --> 00:00:11.002
  • But the leadership of the old soviet union, well,
  • 00:00:11.002 --> 00:00:13.105
  • They had their sights set on something
  • 00:00:13.105 --> 00:00:14.739
  • Bigger, much bigger, something out of this world.
  • 00:00:14.739 --> 00:00:18.043
  • I'm talking about the moon and the fact that in 1961,
  • 00:00:18.043 --> 00:00:21.513
  • The soviet union put the first man in space.
  • 00:00:21.513 --> 00:00:24.149
  • His name was yuri gagarin.
  • 00:00:24.149 --> 00:00:26.218
  • And it caught the attention of the young american president,
  • 00:00:26.218 --> 00:00:28.920
  • Who within weeks made this commitment to our congress.
  • 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:32.357
  • I believe that this nation should commit itself
  • 00:00:32.357 --> 00:00:35.427
  • To achieving the goal before this decade is out
  • 00:00:35.427 --> 00:00:39.464
  • Of landing a man on the moon
  • 00:00:39.464 --> 00:00:41.099
  • And returning him safely to the earth.
  • 00:00:41.099 --> 00:00:44.236
  • And that we did on july 20th, 1969,
  • 00:00:44.236 --> 00:00:48.340
  • When neil armstrong stepped into the sea of tranquility,
  • 00:00:48.340 --> 00:00:51.776
  • One small step for man.
  • 00:00:52.277 --> 00:00:56.414
  • Pardoned by a friend for mankind.
  • 00:00:57.149 --> 00:01:00.385
  • It was truly an amazing achievement.
  • 00:01:01.153 --> 00:01:03.688
  • Done long before there were supercomputers.
  • 00:01:03.688 --> 00:01:06.291
  • In fact, the onboard guidance system on those apollo
  • 00:01:06.291 --> 00:01:08.560
  • Flights was 2000 times slower than our smartphones are now.
  • 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:12.764
  • 12 americans eventually walked on the moon and russia.
  • 00:01:13.798 --> 00:01:16.835
  • They never made it.
  • 00:01:16.835 --> 00:01:18.270
  • America then launched the space shuttle program
  • 00:01:18.270 --> 00:01:20.872
  • And built the international space station.
  • 00:01:20.872 --> 00:01:23.408
  • The shuttle flew 133 missions.
  • 00:01:23.408 --> 00:01:25.911
  • The space station? well, it's still in orbit.
  • 00:01:25.911 --> 00:01:28.513
  • So now we're heading back to the moon aboard the artemis.
  • 00:01:28.513 --> 00:01:31.950
  • A new generation
  • 00:01:32.350 --> 00:01:33.485
  • Is fired up about it, and america is winning again.
  • 00:01:33.485 --> 00:01:36.588
  • Fly me to the moon.
  • 00:01:37.055 --> 00:01:38.123
  • I might play on dad's old vinyl records,
  • 00:01:38.123 --> 00:01:40.592
  • But the renewed interest in space is just as real as it was
  • 00:01:40.592 --> 00:01:43.762
  • When john glenn circled the earth back in 1962.
  • 00:01:43.762 --> 00:01:47.365
  • The dream of going into space, it lives on.
  • 00:01:47.365 --> 00:01:50.168
  • Now, i think the effort around nasa is meaningful.
  • 00:01:51.169 --> 00:01:53.572
  • It's an expression of hope for the future.
  • 00:01:53.572 --> 00:01:56.041
  • It illustrates
  • 00:01:56.041 --> 00:01:57.075
  • How when we work together, we can solve problems.
  • 00:01:57.075 --> 00:01:59.811
  • I think our politicians can learn a lot
  • 00:01:59.811 --> 00:02:01.646
  • From this expression of cooperation.
  • 00:02:01.646 --> 00:02:04.082
  • Our efforts in space, well, they've produced
  • 00:02:04.082 --> 00:02:05.584
  • A lot of good fruit for us in so many ways.
  • 00:02:05.584 --> 00:02:08.687
  • The technologies that have spun off
  • 00:02:08.687 --> 00:02:10.488
  • From it have improved our daily lives.
  • 00:02:10.488 --> 00:02:12.991
  • Gps is one.
  • 00:02:12.991 --> 00:02:14.392
  • What started as satellite tracking for space missions?
  • 00:02:14.392 --> 00:02:17.295
  • Well, now it powers everything
  • 00:02:17.295 --> 00:02:18.530
  • From uber rides to global shipping and precision farming.
  • 00:02:18.530 --> 00:02:21.800
  • Without space
  • 00:02:22.167 --> 00:02:23.368
  • Exploration, modern weather forecasting wouldn't exist.
  • 00:02:23.368 --> 00:02:26.671
  • The demand to make computers smaller and lighter
  • 00:02:26.671 --> 00:02:29.140
  • For spacecraft.
  • 00:02:29.140 --> 00:02:30.408
  • Well, it accelerated the microchip revolution
  • 00:02:30.408 --> 00:02:32.611
  • That made today's phones and laptops possible for all of us.
  • 00:02:32.611 --> 00:02:36.381
  • Nasa needed ways to monitor astronauts from earth.
  • 00:02:36.381 --> 00:02:39.618
  • That led to remote health
  • 00:02:39.618 --> 00:02:40.752
  • Care solutions that now serve patients around the world.
  • 00:02:40.752 --> 00:02:44.322
  • Well, a lot of these advances would have taken place
  • 00:02:44.322 --> 00:02:46.258
  • If not for the astronauts who were willing to do
  • 00:02:46.258 --> 00:02:48.627
  • Difficult things.
  • 00:02:48.627 --> 00:02:50.228
  • Somebody must be willing to go
  • 00:02:50.228 --> 00:02:51.963
  • Through extraordinary training to go to space.
  • 00:02:51.963 --> 00:02:55.000
  • There's no lunar mission unless somebody is willing
  • 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:56.968
  • To put themselves at risk.
  • 00:02:56.968 --> 00:02:58.903
  • We may not all have the opportunity
  • 00:02:58.903 --> 00:03:00.405
  • Or even be asked to be astronauts,
  • 00:03:00.405 --> 00:03:02.474
  • But we all have to be willing to do the
  • 00:03:02.474 --> 00:03:04.042
  • Difficult things in our lives to get to the best place.
  • 00:03:04.042 --> 00:03:07.412
  • You see all the best things in life.
  • 00:03:07.412 --> 00:03:09.481
  • Well, they're on the other side of difficult.
  • 00:03:09.481 --> 00:03:11.783
  • Being a good parent, it's not easy having a good marriage.
  • 00:03:11.783 --> 00:03:14.819
  • That's not easy either.
  • 00:03:14.819 --> 00:03:16.288
  • Being a good student, you guessed it.
  • 00:03:16.288 --> 00:03:18.056
  • It's not easy
  • 00:03:18.056 --> 00:03:19.357
  • Forming good character, not easy practicing humility.
  • 00:03:19.357 --> 00:03:22.694
  • That's not easy either.
  • 00:03:22.694 --> 00:03:24.362
  • All the best things in life
  • 00:03:24.362 --> 00:03:25.697
  • Require us to be willing to engage in difficult.
  • 00:03:25.697 --> 00:03:29.801
  • So while we may not be asked to take a trip around the moon,
  • 00:03:29.801 --> 00:03:32.537
  • We can make our contribution to something amazing
  • 00:03:32.537 --> 00:03:35.707
  • By being willing to do difficult.
  • 00:03:35.707 --> 00:03:38.209
  • It's way too easy
  • 00:03:38.209 --> 00:03:39.244
  • For us to be co-opted by comfort and convenience.
  • 00:03:39.244 --> 00:03:42.047
  • I'm not opposed to those things,
  • 00:03:42.047 --> 00:03:43.581
  • But i refuse to worship them as my life goal.
  • 00:03:43.581 --> 00:03:46.718
  • Let's determined to do uncomfortable things.
  • 00:03:46.718 --> 00:03:49.254
  • Let's do
  • 00:03:49.254 --> 00:03:50.488
  • Things that cause strain for the sake of the kingdom of god.
  • 00:03:50.488 --> 00:03:53.425
  • You know, the backbone of america is ordinary people
  • 00:03:53.425 --> 00:03:56.261
  • Doing extraordinary things when it matters most.
  • 00:03:56.261 --> 00:03:59.731
  • Well, in a moment,
  • 00:04:00.165 --> 00:04:00.832
  • We'll hear from a man who's done
  • 00:04:00.832 --> 00:04:02.167
  • A lot of very extraordinary things.
  • 00:04:02.167 --> 00:04:04.602
  • He was the successful five time space shuttle commander.
  • 00:04:04.602 --> 00:04:07.672
  • Former navy captain robert hoot gibson.
  • 00:04:07.672 --> 00:04:10.809
  • He spent a lot of time circling the globe.
  • 00:04:10.809 --> 00:04:12.877
  • And he'll tell us about the thrill of victory
  • 00:04:12.877 --> 00:04:14.979
  • And what the nasa team does to lessen all the possible risks.
  • 00:04:14.979 --> 00:04:18.183
  • I'll be right back.
  • 00:04:18.650 --> 00:04:25.004
  • I'll be right back.
  • 00:04:25.004 --> 00:04:29.762
  • We're joined now by a
  • 00:04:30.262 --> 00:04:31.597
  • Neighbor of ours just outside of nashville.
  • 00:04:31.597 --> 00:04:33.532
  • Here is the former commander of several space shuttle
  • 00:04:33.532 --> 00:04:36.702
  • Missions and a very accomplished navy fighter pilot as well.
  • 00:04:36.702 --> 00:04:40.706
  • Robert gibson, he's better known as hoot to
  • 00:04:40.706 --> 00:04:42.541
  • Those of us around here. welcome to the show, sir.
  • 00:04:42.541 --> 00:04:45.277
  • Thank you so much. it's a pleasure.
  • 00:04:45.277 --> 00:04:46.912
  • This is a real treat.
  • 00:04:46.912 --> 00:04:48.481
  • I get you in a formal setting to ask questions,
  • 00:04:48.481 --> 00:04:51.050
  • And we'll take advantage of it. sounds like fun.
  • 00:04:51.050 --> 00:04:53.185
  • We've all been glued to our sets
  • 00:04:53.185 --> 00:04:54.954
  • On the liftoff of the artemis two.
  • 00:04:54.954 --> 00:04:56.856
  • Especially when those solid rocket boosters were lit.
  • 00:04:56.856 --> 00:04:59.992
  • You know that there's no turning back once that happens.
  • 00:04:59.992 --> 00:05:02.294
  • So what's it like for you
  • 00:05:02.294 --> 00:05:03.462
  • To watch and see them float back home safely?
  • 00:05:03.462 --> 00:05:07.333
  • It was such a thrill from from start to finish.
  • 00:05:07.333 --> 00:05:11.270
  • And i have to say, i've been saying prayers every single day.
  • 00:05:11.270 --> 00:05:15.908
  • And we all need. we all need that.
  • 00:05:15.908 --> 00:05:18.544
  • We all need prayers. but it was such a thrill.
  • 00:05:18.544 --> 00:05:21.514
  • But when i watch my friends launch and i knew
  • 00:05:21.514 --> 00:05:24.950
  • The crew, my heart gets beating fast.
  • 00:05:24.950 --> 00:05:28.254
  • My palms get a little sweaty.
  • 00:05:28.254 --> 00:05:30.322
  • And it's exciting.
  • 00:05:30.322 --> 00:05:31.757
  • It's just really exciting.
  • 00:05:31.757 --> 00:05:33.225
  • Makes me very envious.
  • 00:05:33.225 --> 00:05:34.727
  • However, i'm sure it does.
  • 00:05:34.727 --> 00:05:36.395
  • You've been through that several times. you've got to.
  • 00:05:36.395 --> 00:05:38.831
  • You want to wish you were in that seat next door?
  • 00:05:38.831 --> 00:05:41.934
  • Yes, and i was.
  • 00:05:42.301 --> 00:05:43.335
  • I was talking about it a couple of days ago.
  • 00:05:43.335 --> 00:05:45.905
  • The commander, reed wiseman, is a former chief astronaut.
  • 00:05:45.905 --> 00:05:49.875
  • I'm a former chief astronaut as well,
  • 00:05:49.875 --> 00:05:51.710
  • So maybe i should be next.
  • 00:05:51.710 --> 00:05:53.512
  • Sounds good to me.
  • 00:05:53.512 --> 00:05:54.980
  • I'd love it, but i don't think they're going to invite me.
  • 00:05:54.980 --> 00:05:57.450
  • Or they're going to say,
  • 00:05:57.450 --> 00:05:58.651
  • Haven't you been greedy enough already with five missions?
  • 00:05:58.651 --> 00:06:01.754
  • And i guess i have been, yes, but i'd still like to go.
  • 00:06:01.754 --> 00:06:04.957
  • I think experience matters. i'll vote on that one.
  • 00:06:04.957 --> 00:06:07.293
  • You know,
  • 00:06:07.293 --> 00:06:07.893
  • You were one of the most
  • 00:06:07.893 --> 00:06:09.094
  • Experienced shuttle commanders in the history of the program.
  • 00:06:09.094 --> 00:06:11.564
  • You share with us some of what you and your fellow astronauts
  • 00:06:11.564 --> 00:06:14.300
  • Did up there that we're benefiting from now.
  • 00:06:14.300 --> 00:06:17.303
  • We probably won't even realize most of it.
  • 00:06:17.303 --> 00:06:20.039
  • We certainly always had medical testing that we were doing
  • 00:06:20.039 --> 00:06:23.776
  • Medical research and medical testing on the guinea pigs.
  • 00:06:23.776 --> 00:06:27.413
  • Who who was us? the astronauts.
  • 00:06:27.413 --> 00:06:29.215
  • We were. we were the test subjects.
  • 00:06:29.215 --> 00:06:31.550
  • And i've given five injections in my in my five missions.
  • 00:06:31.550 --> 00:06:37.490
  • Most of them that happened between flights three and five.
  • 00:06:37.490 --> 00:06:41.393
  • But we also we were carrying some high technology to orbit
  • 00:06:41.393 --> 00:06:45.464
  • Communications satellites and,
  • 00:06:45.464 --> 00:06:48.801
  • Surveillance satellites and the like and things
  • 00:06:48.801 --> 00:06:52.204
  • That things that all of us take for granted
  • 00:06:52.204 --> 00:06:54.773
  • Because most of our cell phone calls go through a satellite.
  • 00:06:54.773 --> 00:06:58.077
  • And so we did all of that,
  • 00:06:58.077 --> 00:07:00.880
  • But also some, some groundbreaking research
  • 00:07:00.880 --> 00:07:04.250
  • In the medical world and the materials
  • 00:07:04.250 --> 00:07:06.986
  • Physiology and material science envelopes as well.
  • 00:07:06.986 --> 00:07:10.723
  • So it was it was quite thrilling to, to be engaged
  • 00:07:10.723 --> 00:07:13.993
  • In the space program and getting to go five times.
  • 00:07:13.993 --> 00:07:17.229
  • I can't imagine,
  • 00:07:17.630 --> 00:07:19.131
  • You know, one of the artemis
  • 00:07:19.131 --> 00:07:20.366
  • Crew talked about how struck they were looking back at earth,
  • 00:07:20.366 --> 00:07:23.102
  • How black everything else is except for this unique planet
  • 00:07:23.102 --> 00:07:26.105
  • That we live on.
  • 00:07:26.105 --> 00:07:27.339
  • Tell us what those moments in space looking back at earth
  • 00:07:27.339 --> 00:07:29.808
  • Meant to you? i can't imagine.
  • 00:07:29.808 --> 00:07:31.944
  • I never got to go as far away as they did.
  • 00:07:31.944 --> 00:07:35.447
  • They went 252,754 miles from earth.
  • 00:07:35.447 --> 00:07:40.719
  • Farthest ever.
  • 00:07:40.719 --> 00:07:43.022
  • Yes. they broke the record that apollo 13 had set back in 1972.
  • 00:07:41.754 --> 00:07:47.793
  • I was
  • 00:07:48.027 --> 00:07:48.727
  • Only as high as 285 miles away.
  • 00:07:48.727 --> 00:07:51.697
  • Even. even?
  • 00:07:51.697 --> 00:07:53.032
  • Yeah. that's all that.
  • 00:07:53.032 --> 00:07:54.833
  • But even so, from 285 miles, you look back
  • 00:07:54.833 --> 00:07:58.304
  • At this beautiful earth and the blackness of space
  • 00:07:58.304 --> 00:08:02.541
  • And and you say to yourself,
  • 00:08:02.541 --> 00:08:04.510
  • This is the only place that we've ever found any life.
  • 00:08:04.510 --> 00:08:07.613
  • And it's it's our home.
  • 00:08:07.613 --> 00:08:10.716
  • It's our home.
  • 00:08:11.050 --> 00:08:12.184
  • And it's exciting to cross it and spend all that time
  • 00:08:12.184 --> 00:08:16.622
  • Looking back at our beautiful earth.
  • 00:08:16.622 --> 00:08:18.324
  • I can't imagine.
  • 00:08:18.324 --> 00:08:19.692
  • As i mentioned in the open, the gemini and apollo programs
  • 00:08:19.692 --> 00:08:22.728
  • Were jumpstarted when president kennedy
  • 00:08:22.728 --> 00:08:24.496
  • Saw the russians going into space before we did.
  • 00:08:24.496 --> 00:08:27.399
  • Well, now china wants to go to the moon,
  • 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:29.568
  • But it sounds like we'll be landing on the moon
  • 00:08:29.568 --> 00:08:31.704
  • In roughly two more years, well before china gets there.
  • 00:08:31.704 --> 00:08:34.440
  • At least i hope so.
  • 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:35.841
  • So far,
  • 00:08:35.841 --> 00:08:36.475
  • Presidents have been more
  • 00:08:36.475 --> 00:08:37.576
  • Into driving a successful space program than others.
  • 00:08:37.576 --> 00:08:40.346
  • Do you think the competition makes us push a little higher?
  • 00:08:40.346 --> 00:08:43.515
  • Absolutely.
  • 00:08:43.515 --> 00:08:44.583
  • It certainly does.
  • 00:08:44.583 --> 00:08:45.551
  • And the fact that china wants to go there,
  • 00:08:45.551 --> 00:08:47.987
  • We have a new race to the moon going on.
  • 00:08:48.787 --> 00:08:51.590
  • We won the first one,
  • 00:08:51.590 --> 00:08:53.092
  • And we're going to win the second one as well.
  • 00:08:53.092 --> 00:08:55.394
  • We, china, we think is going to want to go
  • 00:08:55.394 --> 00:08:58.497
  • There in the 2030s timeframe.
  • 00:08:58.497 --> 00:09:01.834
  • We expect to land there 2028.
  • 00:09:01.834 --> 00:09:04.336
  • That's the plan right now.
  • 00:09:04.336 --> 00:09:06.805
  • So it's an accelerated time frame over
  • 00:09:06.805 --> 00:09:08.674
  • What they did in the 60s.
  • 00:09:08.674 --> 00:09:09.842
  • I mean, we've shortened that from
  • 00:09:09.842 --> 00:09:13.012
  • The commissioning to the imagination.
  • 00:09:13.012 --> 00:09:14.546
  • We're going to land there.
  • 00:09:14.546 --> 00:09:15.381
  • That's a four year window.
  • 00:09:15.381 --> 00:09:18.517
  • That's correct. that's correct.
  • 00:09:18.517 --> 00:09:20.152
  • That's correct.
  • 00:09:20.152 --> 00:09:20.586
  • That's so great.
  • 00:09:20.586 --> 00:09:21.420
  • So yeah, because as you mentioned,
  • 00:09:21.420 --> 00:09:23.288
  • Jim and i did a lot of the groundwork for space rendezvous
  • 00:09:23.288 --> 00:09:26.725
  • And the things that we needed
  • 00:09:26.725 --> 00:09:27.860
  • To do to be able to go to the moon.
  • 00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:29.995
  • And then finally, as you mentioned,
  • 00:09:29.995 --> 00:09:33.098
  • July the 20th, 1969, we did it.
  • 00:09:33.098 --> 00:09:36.402
  • We landed on the moon.
  • 00:09:36.402 --> 00:09:37.970
  • So we
  • 00:09:37.970 --> 00:09:39.772
  • We are actually in a little bit of a hurry now
  • 00:09:39.772 --> 00:09:42.408
  • Because we need to do artemis three to test out the lander,
  • 00:09:42.408 --> 00:09:46.578
  • Which we haven't built yet.
  • 00:09:46.578 --> 00:09:48.113
  • But we need that flight, and we need that for it
  • 00:09:48.113 --> 00:09:51.450
  • To be successful so that in 2028,
  • 00:09:51.450 --> 00:09:55.220
  • We can send americans to the moon once again.
  • 00:09:55.220 --> 00:09:58.057
  • I don't think most people know
  • 00:09:58.657 --> 00:10:00.059
  • That more than 20 countries have sent astronauts
  • 00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:02.094
  • To the international space station,
  • 00:10:02.094 --> 00:10:03.929
  • Including russia, japan, germany, sweden and even france.
  • 00:10:03.929 --> 00:10:07.633
  • It's been a very successful laboratory
  • 00:10:07.633 --> 00:10:09.368
  • For all sorts of global scientists.
  • 00:10:09.368 --> 00:10:11.403
  • Do you envision something similar
  • 00:10:11.403 --> 00:10:12.971
  • When we build the base on the moon?
  • 00:10:12.971 --> 00:10:14.973
  • Absolutely. absolutely.
  • 00:10:14.973 --> 00:10:17.743
  • It's amazing
  • 00:10:17.743 --> 00:10:18.844
  • How we learn something every time we do something new.
  • 00:10:18.844 --> 00:10:22.781
  • One of the one of the big things that we want to accomplish
  • 00:10:22.781 --> 00:10:26.452
  • With a, with a lunar base that is somewhat,
  • 00:10:26.452 --> 00:10:30.889
  • Constantly inhabited is how to operate.
  • 00:10:30.889 --> 00:10:35.194
  • What are the pitfalls? what are the shortcomings?
  • 00:10:35.194 --> 00:10:37.930
  • What are the things that we need to be prepared for
  • 00:10:37.930 --> 00:10:41.767
  • When we send americans to mars?
  • 00:10:41.767 --> 00:10:44.269
  • Because that's a long term goal.
  • 00:10:44.269 --> 00:10:46.405
  • We do want to send americans to mars.
  • 00:10:46.405 --> 00:10:49.074
  • And so the lunar base is going to be a proving ground
  • 00:10:49.074 --> 00:10:51.844
  • For us, a testing ground, and we're going to learn even more.
  • 00:10:51.844 --> 00:10:57.116
  • All of our all of our moon landings that we did previously.
  • 00:10:57.116 --> 00:11:00.853
  • The 12 americans who walked on the moon,
  • 00:11:00.853 --> 00:11:03.355
  • Those were all very short stays.
  • 00:11:03.355 --> 00:11:05.257
  • And it was get there, get some things accomplished.
  • 00:11:05.257 --> 00:11:08.227
  • Now come back home.
  • 00:11:08.227 --> 00:11:09.895
  • We're going to extend that great
  • 00:11:09.895 --> 00:11:13.532
  • Wow. we was a space shuttle commander.
  • 00:11:14.299 --> 00:11:16.769
  • You conducted the first space shuttle
  • 00:11:16.769 --> 00:11:18.370
  • Docking with the russian space station.
  • 00:11:18.370 --> 00:11:20.939
  • What was that like?
  • 00:11:20.939 --> 00:11:21.707
  • Both from a mission point of view,
  • 00:11:21.707 --> 00:11:23.108
  • But also from working with a foreign country
  • 00:11:23.108 --> 00:11:25.010
  • That haven't always been our best friend here on earth.
  • 00:11:25.010 --> 00:11:28.580
  • It took a little bit of accommodation and,
  • 00:11:28.580 --> 00:11:32.751
  • Accommodation on their side, which i don't think
  • 00:11:32.751 --> 00:11:35.687
  • We got as much from them as we gave in terms of,
  • 00:11:35.687 --> 00:11:39.424
  • Okay, you are now our friends.
  • 00:11:39.424 --> 00:11:42.127
  • You are our friends in space now instead of being our enemies.
  • 00:11:42.127 --> 00:11:45.564
  • I think they somewhat reluctantly agreed to it
  • 00:11:45.564 --> 00:11:48.167
  • When we were doing it.
  • 00:11:48.167 --> 00:11:49.535
  • And so we, the crew, we had to make some exceptions
  • 00:11:49.535 --> 00:11:53.172
  • And make some provisions and and smile pleasantly.
  • 00:11:53.172 --> 00:11:56.675
  • Sometimes when they told us something like,
  • 00:11:56.675 --> 00:11:59.111
  • The only reason we're here is because you, america,
  • 00:11:59.111 --> 00:12:02.581
  • Have all the money and we have all the knowhow.
  • 00:12:02.581 --> 00:12:05.984
  • Which we didn't agree with that.
  • 00:12:05.984 --> 00:12:08.120
  • But we in the course of wanting
  • 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:10.422
  • To get along well and politically bit
  • 00:12:10.422 --> 00:12:13.492
  • Our tongues and didn't, didn't say how wrong that was,
  • 00:12:13.492 --> 00:12:17.196
  • But it was a it was a fascinating mission.
  • 00:12:17.196 --> 00:12:20.999
  • It was the first docking
  • 00:12:20.999 --> 00:12:22.100
  • That had ever been done by a space shuttle.
  • 00:12:22.100 --> 00:12:24.770
  • And it was it came out beautifully.
  • 00:12:24.770 --> 00:12:28.207
  • It really came out
  • 00:12:28.207 --> 00:12:29.474
  • Wonderfully because of the very talented people that that build
  • 00:12:29.474 --> 00:12:33.612
  • The plan and build the the checklist and the program
  • 00:12:33.612 --> 00:12:37.182
  • And the schedule and the training.
  • 00:12:37.182 --> 00:12:39.117
  • And then we, the fortunate astronauts get to go execute it.
  • 00:12:39.117 --> 00:12:43.455
  • But you brought up the human component of all of this.
  • 00:12:43.455 --> 00:12:46.725
  • It seems to me that through your training
  • 00:12:46.725 --> 00:12:48.560
  • And getting ready for your actual time in space,
  • 00:12:48.560 --> 00:12:50.729
  • You would work through most
  • 00:12:50.729 --> 00:12:51.897
  • Of those personality things that bring friction.
  • 00:12:51.897 --> 00:12:55.334
  • Is that real, or do you have to carry all that into space too?
  • 00:12:55.334 --> 00:12:57.736
  • You would have to work through it.
  • 00:12:57.736 --> 00:12:59.771
  • You are too closely bunched together.
  • 00:12:59.771 --> 00:13:03.408
  • To let anything like that fester.
  • 00:13:03.408 --> 00:13:05.143
  • And so,
  • 00:13:05.143 --> 00:13:06.411
  • I never had any real problems in any of my missions i have.
  • 00:13:06.411 --> 00:13:09.715
  • I have a very forgiving outlook on life
  • 00:13:09.715 --> 00:13:12.484
  • And a very forgiving temperament, i think.
  • 00:13:12.484 --> 00:13:15.254
  • And, and, there are two types of two types of leaders.
  • 00:13:15.254 --> 00:13:21.026
  • One is a leader by leading and another one is a boss.
  • 00:13:21.026 --> 00:13:24.296
  • I don't want to be a boss.
  • 00:13:24.296 --> 00:13:25.530
  • I want to be a leader.
  • 00:13:25.530 --> 00:13:26.832
  • And, i would say to my crew,
  • 00:13:26.832 --> 00:13:30.168
  • This isn't easy,
  • 00:13:30.569 --> 00:13:31.970
  • But we are going to make it look easy,
  • 00:13:31.970 --> 00:13:34.206
  • And we're going to do that by working
  • 00:13:34.206 --> 00:13:35.707
  • Together and getting along.
  • 00:13:35.707 --> 00:13:37.609
  • Well, commander gibson, we
  • 00:13:38.176 --> 00:13:39.077
  • Need to take a short break right now.
  • 00:13:39.077 --> 00:13:40.345
  • Can you stay with us for another segment?
  • 00:13:40.345 --> 00:13:42.547
  • Yes, i'll do it. very good.
  • 00:13:42.547 --> 00:13:44.883
  • We'll have those of you at home
  • 00:13:44.883 --> 00:13:46.084
  • Want to jump in on this conversation.
  • 00:13:46.084 --> 00:13:47.786
  • You can log on to aj now.com.
  • 00:13:47.786 --> 00:13:49.788
  • Send me an email.
  • 00:13:49.788 --> 00:13:50.889
  • I'd love to hear from you.
  • 00:13:50.889 --> 00:13:51.924
  • Especially on the future of the space mission.
  • 00:13:51.924 --> 00:13:54.493
  • We'll be right back.
  • 00:13:54.493 --> 00:14:00.008
  • We'll be right back.
  • 00:14:00.008 --> 00:14:04.444
  • We're back now with the former space shuttle
  • 00:14:05.345 --> 00:14:07.480
  • Commander, hoot gibson, who spent 36 days
  • 00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:10.550
  • In space aboard five different flights.
  • 00:14:10.550 --> 00:14:13.920
  • When we first landed on the moon in 1969,
  • 00:14:14.788 --> 00:14:17.090
  • There were only three television networks.
  • 00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:19.459
  • No youtube back then.
  • 00:14:19.459 --> 00:14:20.627
  • So when there was something
  • 00:14:20.627 --> 00:14:21.828
  • As big as setting foot on the moon,
  • 00:14:21.828 --> 00:14:23.430
  • Nearly 600 million people tuned in around the globe.
  • 00:14:23.430 --> 00:14:27.233
  • It was so jaw dropping that some people thought it was fake
  • 00:14:27.233 --> 00:14:30.003
  • Done on a hollywood soundstage.
  • 00:14:30.003 --> 00:14:32.238
  • Well, obviously people now have many more choices
  • 00:14:32.238 --> 00:14:34.474
  • Watching on their phones, watches, and laptops.
  • 00:14:34.474 --> 00:14:37.077
  • But this new artist, miss mission, drew a vast audience.
  • 00:14:37.077 --> 00:14:41.314
  • What is it about space that inspires
  • 00:14:41.314 --> 00:14:43.083
  • Folks who are usually buried in their work,
  • 00:14:43.083 --> 00:14:45.051
  • Their sports, or their phones?
  • 00:14:45.051 --> 00:14:46.553
  • It seems to open a whole new thing of possibilities.
  • 00:14:46.553 --> 00:14:49.322
  • I think it would be the
  • 00:14:49.823 --> 00:14:52.058
  • Gigantic challenge that it represents,
  • 00:14:52.058 --> 00:14:54.394
  • Because it's not easy to get to space or
  • 00:14:54.394 --> 00:14:57.664
  • Many, many more people would get to do it.
  • 00:14:57.664 --> 00:15:00.266
  • It's an exciting adventure.
  • 00:15:00.266 --> 00:15:02.535
  • It's an incredibly amazing ride to space
  • 00:15:02.535 --> 00:15:05.739
  • And also back from space.
  • 00:15:06.306 --> 00:15:08.308
  • And then the time that you do get to spend up there
  • 00:15:08.308 --> 00:15:11.077
  • Being weightless.
  • 00:15:11.077 --> 00:15:12.312
  • You don't have to walk anywhere.
  • 00:15:12.312 --> 00:15:14.180
  • You fly everywhere you go.
  • 00:15:14.180 --> 00:15:16.383
  • And so the whole entire thing is exciting and amazing
  • 00:15:16.383 --> 00:15:21.588
  • From the first seconds to the final landing.
  • 00:15:21.588 --> 00:15:26.459
  • I thought about it a good bit, thinking about our interview
  • 00:15:26.459 --> 00:15:29.129
  • And just the notion of overcoming
  • 00:15:29.129 --> 00:15:31.064
  • Gravity, being set free from gravity
  • 00:15:31.064 --> 00:15:32.766
  • That binds all the rest of us.
  • 00:15:32.766 --> 00:15:34.901
  • And you're one of
  • 00:15:34.901 --> 00:15:35.535
  • A very few group of people
  • 00:15:35.535 --> 00:15:36.936
  • That have slipped the surly bonds of earth
  • 00:15:36.936 --> 00:15:39.739
  • And know what it is to be free of gravity.
  • 00:15:39.739 --> 00:15:42.475
  • That's got to be more than a physical experience.
  • 00:15:42.475 --> 00:15:44.444
  • That's an emotional thing, isn't it?
  • 00:15:44.444 --> 00:15:46.479
  • It is.
  • 00:15:46.479 --> 00:15:47.580
  • It is exciting to be able to fly without an airplane
  • 00:15:47.580 --> 00:15:51.351
  • Because we don't walk anywhere.
  • 00:15:51.351 --> 00:15:53.319
  • When we're in space, we fly from place to place.
  • 00:15:53.319 --> 00:15:56.556
  • And so you have a lot more room because you don't all have to
  • 00:15:56.556 --> 00:16:00.026
  • Inhabit the floor.
  • 00:16:00.026 --> 00:16:01.661
  • You can have
  • 00:16:01.661 --> 00:16:02.695
  • Some of
  • 00:16:02.695 --> 00:16:03.296
  • You can be on the floor,
  • 00:16:03.296 --> 00:16:04.064
  • Some of you can be on the ceiling
  • 00:16:04.064 --> 00:16:05.532
  • And you can pass over the top of somebody.
  • 00:16:05.532 --> 00:16:07.801
  • So it really is exciting.
  • 00:16:07.801 --> 00:16:09.602
  • It really is fun to be able to fly.
  • 00:16:09.602 --> 00:16:12.939
  • Eventually you've got to come back to earth,
  • 00:16:12.939 --> 00:16:15.375
  • And when you come back,
  • 00:16:15.375 --> 00:16:16.776
  • You stand up for the first time and you say, you know what?
  • 00:16:16.776 --> 00:16:19.579
  • I don't like this gravity stuff,
  • 00:16:19.579 --> 00:16:22.115
  • But you're going to have to live with it.
  • 00:16:22.115 --> 00:16:23.683
  • Well, you know, you sounded fearless.
  • 00:16:24.484 --> 00:16:26.086
  • Would you describe your liftoff
  • 00:16:26.086 --> 00:16:27.654
  • And those solid rocket boosters going off underneath you?
  • 00:16:27.654 --> 00:16:30.990
  • Tell us about what it's like coming back down
  • 00:16:30.990 --> 00:16:33.426
  • When you have to reenter the atmosphere
  • 00:16:33.426 --> 00:16:35.161
  • And guide that big spaceship down to a safe landing.
  • 00:16:35.161 --> 00:16:38.565
  • I suspect most people don't understand.
  • 00:16:38.565 --> 00:16:40.100
  • Unlike a regular airline flight.
  • 00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:41.901
  • The space shuttle is mostly falling to earth, dropping fast
  • 00:16:41.901 --> 00:16:45.605
  • And then stopping with parachutes.
  • 00:16:45.605 --> 00:16:47.607
  • What's more.
  • 00:16:47.607 --> 00:16:48.508
  • Is that more dangerous than the lift off?
  • 00:16:48.508 --> 00:16:51.277
  • It's about the same level of risk as as the lift off.
  • 00:16:51.277 --> 00:16:55.615
  • Now, the lift off happens much faster because it's
  • 00:16:55.615 --> 00:16:58.084
  • In the space shuttle.
  • 00:16:58.084 --> 00:16:59.219
  • It was only 8.5 minutes from when we left the engines
  • 00:16:59.219 --> 00:17:02.555
  • Till we arrived at orbital speed. wow.
  • 00:17:02.555 --> 00:17:05.391
  • And then circular rise to orbit from there.
  • 00:17:05.391 --> 00:17:08.428
  • The reentry and landing in the space shuttle.
  • 00:17:08.428 --> 00:17:10.563
  • We did a deorbit burn,
  • 00:17:10.563 --> 00:17:12.665
  • And then we free fell
  • 00:17:12.665 --> 00:17:13.933
  • For 30 more minutes until we hit the top of earth's air.
  • 00:17:13.933 --> 00:17:17.737
  • And then we had 30 minutes in earth's atmosphere.
  • 00:17:17.737 --> 00:17:21.040
  • With the gs building up and the heat building up.
  • 00:17:21.040 --> 00:17:24.811
  • We would see 5 to 6000 degree temperatures
  • 00:17:24.811 --> 00:17:28.181
  • Right outside the vehicle in the course of the reentry.
  • 00:17:28.181 --> 00:17:31.985
  • And i remember looking at it and saying, i'm amazed
  • 00:17:31.985 --> 00:17:35.755
  • That we humans can build
  • 00:17:35.755 --> 00:17:37.056
  • Something that can survive this kind of an environment.
  • 00:17:37.056 --> 00:17:40.994
  • But it's it's really impressive to see.
  • 00:17:40.994 --> 00:17:42.929
  • And then the space shuttle
  • 00:17:42.929 --> 00:17:45.031
  • Was always landed by the mission commander.
  • 00:17:45.031 --> 00:17:48.034
  • So i was the first person to make four landings
  • 00:17:48.034 --> 00:17:51.271
  • In the space shuttle.
  • 00:17:51.271 --> 00:17:52.238
  • And in fact, there were only two of us
  • 00:17:52.238 --> 00:17:53.506
  • That ever commanded four missions or more.
  • 00:17:53.506 --> 00:17:56.009
  • And it's it's it's a thrill.
  • 00:17:56.009 --> 00:17:59.078
  • It's a real big challenge, but it's a huge accomplishment.
  • 00:17:59.078 --> 00:18:02.749
  • The feeling that i would get when we rolled to a stop
  • 00:18:02.749 --> 00:18:06.920
  • After a year of training for a mission,
  • 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:09.088
  • And then all the things
  • 00:18:09.088 --> 00:18:10.323
  • That we had to do in the course of the flight.
  • 00:18:10.323 --> 00:18:12.992
  • And of course, we hear the expression
  • 00:18:12.992 --> 00:18:14.494
  • Mission control mission control can't control it at all.
  • 00:18:14.494 --> 00:18:18.231
  • It's controlled by the crew.
  • 00:18:18.231 --> 00:18:19.866
  • It isn't radio controlled from the ground.
  • 00:18:19.866 --> 00:18:21.968
  • The crew has to do it.
  • 00:18:21.968 --> 00:18:23.736
  • And i would always tell my crews in our very first meeting,
  • 00:18:23.736 --> 00:18:26.372
  • When we got together for the first time,
  • 00:18:26.372 --> 00:18:29.075
  • We are going to live or die,
  • 00:18:29.075 --> 00:18:30.243
  • Depending on whether we execute this mission correctly.
  • 00:18:30.243 --> 00:18:33.479
  • And you had very talented, smart people
  • 00:18:33.479 --> 00:18:36.783
  • That were the astronauts.
  • 00:18:36.783 --> 00:18:38.284
  • And so it always came off very, very, very well.
  • 00:18:38.284 --> 00:18:42.255
  • I'm curious.
  • 00:18:42.589 --> 00:18:43.556
  • I've made quite a few international flights
  • 00:18:43.556 --> 00:18:45.225
  • And those big jumbo jets that once we get
  • 00:18:45.225 --> 00:18:48.094
  • They've got autopilot
  • 00:18:48.094 --> 00:18:50.430
  • On the space shuttle.
  • 00:18:50.430 --> 00:18:51.464
  • How much of that are you solely responsible for,
  • 00:18:51.464 --> 00:18:53.800
  • And how much help do you get from computers?
  • 00:18:53.800 --> 00:18:56.069
  • We want the thing to fly itself up to orbit,
  • 00:18:56.069 --> 00:18:59.572
  • So that's all automated.
  • 00:18:59.572 --> 00:19:01.040
  • However, if something goes wrong,
  • 00:19:01.040 --> 00:19:04.143
  • Then the commander is going to take over manual control
  • 00:19:04.143 --> 00:19:07.080
  • And fly it.
  • 00:19:07.080 --> 00:19:07.814
  • And we did that
  • 00:19:07.814 --> 00:19:08.982
  • In the simulators to verify that we knew how to do it,
  • 00:19:08.982 --> 00:19:11.751
  • And we could fly it if we needed to.
  • 00:19:11.751 --> 00:19:14.053
  • The reentry was the same way.
  • 00:19:14.053 --> 00:19:15.888
  • The majority of the reentry
  • 00:19:15.888 --> 00:19:17.890
  • From the time we hit the atmosphere on down.
  • 00:19:17.890 --> 00:19:20.793
  • We want it to be an auto automatic flight control,
  • 00:19:20.793 --> 00:19:24.397
  • But if anything goes haywire, the crew is trained
  • 00:19:24.397 --> 00:19:27.333
  • And prepared to take over.
  • 00:19:27.333 --> 00:19:29.068
  • Only one time that i come close to taking over manual control,
  • 00:19:29.068 --> 00:19:33.039
  • And it was when we hit a density sheer in the atmosphere,
  • 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:37.610
  • Which we never knew existed before space shuttles,
  • 00:19:37.610 --> 00:19:40.480
  • And that was a large pocket of air that was at higher density
  • 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:44.484
  • Than the surrounding air.
  • 00:19:44.484 --> 00:19:46.085
  • The drag went way up on us, and we were falling down
  • 00:19:46.085 --> 00:19:49.322
  • To rapidly,
  • 00:19:49.322 --> 00:19:50.690
  • And the automatic control system was too slow to correct
  • 00:19:50.690 --> 00:19:54.460
  • For it.
  • 00:19:54.460 --> 00:19:55.628
  • And i was about five seconds away from hitting control
  • 00:19:55.628 --> 00:19:58.665
  • Stick, steering
  • 00:19:58.665 --> 00:19:59.866
  • And flying it myself
  • 00:19:59.866 --> 00:20:00.833
  • Because i knew what it needed to do,
  • 00:20:00.833 --> 00:20:02.335
  • And the computer was slower than me
  • 00:20:02.335 --> 00:20:04.504
  • At figuring out what it needed.
  • 00:20:04.504 --> 00:20:06.272
  • But it finally made the right kind of correction
  • 00:20:06.272 --> 00:20:09.375
  • For the landing.
  • 00:20:09.776 --> 00:20:11.010
  • The commander, he or she, because we had some women
  • 00:20:11.010 --> 00:20:16.616
  • Commanders as well,
  • 00:20:16.616 --> 00:20:18.217
  • Took over manual control at about 50,000ft
  • 00:20:18.217 --> 00:20:21.421
  • And then flew it all the rest of the way down to landing.
  • 00:20:21.421 --> 00:20:23.556
  • There was never an automatic landing of the space shuttle.
  • 00:20:23.556 --> 00:20:26.659
  • That had to be a thrill.
  • 00:20:26.659 --> 00:20:28.261
  • That was a big thrill because that was a
  • 00:20:28.261 --> 00:20:30.096
  • Challenge as well, because as you mentioned,
  • 00:20:30.096 --> 00:20:33.166
  • It was coming down like a brick.
  • 00:20:33.166 --> 00:20:35.335
  • And the the,
  • 00:20:35.335 --> 00:20:37.770
  • The amount of time that you have to react to
  • 00:20:37.770 --> 00:20:39.639
  • Something is very, very short
  • 00:20:39.639 --> 00:20:41.374
  • And you had to
  • 00:20:41.374 --> 00:20:42.442
  • Have been very well trained and very well prepared
  • 00:20:42.442 --> 00:20:45.044
  • For really anything you might encounter,
  • 00:20:45.044 --> 00:20:47.046
  • Like a wind shear or the jetstream winds.
  • 00:20:47.046 --> 00:20:50.049
  • We have to come back down through the jetstream winds.
  • 00:20:50.049 --> 00:20:52.752
  • And so all those are things that we've trained for.
  • 00:20:52.752 --> 00:20:56.089
  • Well, artemis
  • 00:20:56.456 --> 00:20:57.590
  • Three is scheduled to fly next year, and the mission
  • 00:20:57.590 --> 00:20:59.926
  • After that is supposed to be the one
  • 00:20:59.926 --> 00:21:01.394
  • Where we actually land on the moon again.
  • 00:21:01.394 --> 00:21:03.429
  • John glenn was in his 70s when he flew on discovery.
  • 00:21:03.429 --> 00:21:06.332
  • We alluded to it while ago.
  • 00:21:06.332 --> 00:21:08.668
  • You got any desire to go up again?
  • 00:21:08.668 --> 00:21:10.837
  • I'd love to. i'd love to.
  • 00:21:10.837 --> 00:21:13.005
  • But like i say, if i say, hey, why don't i do artemus?
  • 00:21:13.005 --> 00:21:16.509
  • For why don't i command artemus for,
  • 00:21:16.509 --> 00:21:19.145
  • Because i was chief astronaut as well.
  • 00:21:19.145 --> 00:21:21.547
  • They're going to say who?
  • 00:21:21.547 --> 00:21:22.615
  • Haven't you been greedy enough with five missions?
  • 00:21:22.615 --> 00:21:25.651
  • And also, i'm even older than john glenn was when he went.
  • 00:21:25.651 --> 00:21:29.288
  • So they're probably going to say
  • 00:21:29.288 --> 00:21:30.990
  • They're not allowed to tell me you're too old.
  • 00:21:30.990 --> 00:21:33.259
  • But they'll say, well, you've been greedy enough.
  • 00:21:33.259 --> 00:21:35.328
  • You don't get to go again.
  • 00:21:35.328 --> 00:21:36.829
  • I don't know if it's greed.
  • 00:21:36.829 --> 00:21:37.864
  • I'd put it in that experiment category.
  • 00:21:37.864 --> 00:21:39.732
  • Let's see what your experience brings to the table.
  • 00:21:39.732 --> 00:21:42.101
  • That's right. that's what we need.
  • 00:21:42.101 --> 00:21:43.302
  • We need a five mission commander to.
  • 00:21:43.302 --> 00:21:45.405
  • To command artemus for a vote for that.
  • 00:21:45.405 --> 00:21:47.907
  • Commander gibson, you're a national hero to all of us.
  • 00:21:47.907 --> 00:21:50.543
  • Thanks for sharing your service and your time with us today.
  • 00:21:50.543 --> 00:21:53.646
  • You're a hero to all of us.
  • 00:21:53.646 --> 00:21:55.148
  • Thank you for your we want to have you back.
  • 00:21:55.148 --> 00:21:56.983
  • As this space program
  • 00:21:56.983 --> 00:21:57.984
  • Continues to expand, we want to learn more.
  • 00:21:57.984 --> 00:22:01.154
  • It would be a pleasure.
  • 00:22:01.154 --> 00:22:02.655
  • Well, i'll have a final
  • 00:22:03.156 --> 00:22:04.257
  • Note in just a moment.
  • 00:22:04.257 --> 00:22:11.011
  • Thank you for spending a few minutes of your day with us.
  • 00:22:11.498 --> 00:22:13.767
  • It was good to be reminded
  • 00:22:13.767 --> 00:22:15.202
  • That there are still heroes amongst us,
  • 00:22:15.202 --> 00:22:17.571
  • People willing to do difficult things.
  • 00:22:17.571 --> 00:22:19.573
  • So that the rest of us might have benefit.
  • 00:22:19.573 --> 00:22:22.075
  • God is moving in the earth.
  • 00:22:22.075 --> 00:22:23.277
  • We want to be a part of that.
  • 00:22:23.277 --> 00:22:24.845
  • God bless you and good night.
  • 00:22:24.845 --> 00:22:24.845