November 1, 2024 • 43 mins
The Be Good Humans studio turns into Mission Control as Brian and Trey share their inner love for outer space and welcome celebrated NASA astronaut Colonel James “Vegas” Kelly along with an actual rocket scientist, Julie Zingerman!
Ret. Col. James M. Kelly was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1996. The retired U.S. Air Force Colonel flew on STS-102 in 2001 and STS-114 in 2005. STS-102 delivered the Expedition 2 crew and contents of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) to the station. STS-114 was the Return-to-Flight mission following the space shuttle Columbia disaster. During that mission, the crew tested and evaluated new procedures for flight safety, shuttle inspection and repair techniques. Col. Kelly has logged more than 641 hours in space. He currently serves as Capsule Communications (CAPCOM) Branch Chief for the Astronaut Office.
Julie Zingerman works Advanced Space and Power at L3Harris Aerojet Rocketdyne. In this role she designed, developed and tested the electric power system for the International Space Station which has provided continuous power for over 25 years to the US Astronauts and their International Partners. She served on the Double Asteroid Redirect Test team which successfully pushed an asteroid into a different trajectory, a critical element for saving our planet. Today she is working to help build the next generation of human space rockets following the retirement of the space shuttle, including the Space Launch System for the upcoming Artemis moon missions. Julie was awarded a NASA Silver Snoopy, the highest award the agency presents to less than 1% of its workforce. She supports the Entertainment Industries Council Technical Advisory Committee and currently serves on the kidSTREAM Children’s Museum Advisory Board.
Brian Phelps is an American radio personality, actor, and comedian best known for co-hosting the nationally and globally syndicated Mark & Brian Morning Show in Los Angeles for 25 years. As the co-lead of his own television series, with multiple roles in movies, and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Phelps is also an inductee in the Radio Hall of Fame.
Trey Callaway is an American film and TV writer and producer who wrote the hit movie I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and has produced successful TV series like CSI:NY, Supernatural, Rush Hour, Revolution, The Messengers, APB, Station 19 and 9-1-1 LONE STAR. He is also a Professor at USC.
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Ret. Col. James M. Kelly was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1996. The retired U.S. Air Force Colonel flew on STS-102 in 2001 and STS-114 in 2005. STS-102 delivered the Expedition 2 crew and contents of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) to the station. STS-114 was the Return-to-Flight mission following the space shuttle Columbia disaster. During that mission, the crew tested and evaluated new procedures for flight safety, shuttle inspection and repair techniques. Col. Kelly has logged more than 641 hours in space. He currently serves as Capsule Communications (CAPCOM) Branch Chief for the Astronaut Office.
Julie Zingerman works Advanced Space and Power at L3Harris Aerojet Rocketdyne. In this role she designed, developed and tested the electric power system for the International Space Station which has provided continuous power for over 25 years to the US Astronauts and their International Partners. She served on the Double Asteroid Redirect Test team which successfully pushed an asteroid into a different trajectory, a critical element for saving our planet. Today she is working to help build the next generation of human space rockets following the retirement of the space shuttle, including the Space Launch System for the upcoming Artemis moon missions. Julie was awarded a NASA Silver Snoopy, the highest award the agency presents to less than 1% of its workforce. She supports the Entertainment Industries Council Technical Advisory Committee and currently serves on the kidSTREAM Children’s Museum Advisory Board.
Brian Phelps is an American radio personality, actor, and comedian best known for co-hosting the nationally and globally syndicated Mark & Brian Morning Show in Los Angeles for 25 years. As the co-lead of his own television series, with multiple roles in movies, and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Phelps is also an inductee in the Radio Hall of Fame.
Trey Callaway is an American film and TV writer and producer who wrote the hit movie I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and has produced successful TV series like CSI:NY, Supernatural, Rush Hour, Revolution, The Messengers, APB, Station 19 and 9-1-1 LONE STAR. He is also a Professor at USC.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Brian Phelps you ready to go.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Wait a minute, is that a bad like we shouldn't
be exploding things?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Well, no, that was a rocket lot. Oh okay, good good.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Humans, Be good humans. Be good humans, or we will
think you sucked. Thank good humans, or we will thank
you suck.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Welcome back, good humans. It is an absolute pleasure to
have everybody here once again. And hey, if you are watching,
by chance, do us a favor and uh, go ahead
and like and subscribe. I know those are annoying twenty
first century references that we have to make now, but
it actually will help us a great deal. So hit
that like and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Brian, Yes, yes, yes, yes, this because the show. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I've been meaning to ask you this because I know
that you and I are both sort of geek about
these kinds of things. Did you happen to see the
rocket plume in the heavens out of Vandenburg the other night?
It was the SpaceX Falcon nine rocket.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Absolutely cools. One of the great things about not living
in Cambridge, Illinois, but living out here in Los Angeles
you get you get, you know, first hand views of
this stuff. It's great. It came out of Vandinburgh.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Apparently that one was launching like twenty different Starlink satellites
to help improve provide Internet connectivity around the world, especially
in remote places, places with you know, unreliable access all
that stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
But you're right, I mean it is something that we
get sonic booms sonic when they would land the Space
Shuttle and you'd like, I was literally in a frame
shop one time in Sherman Oaks when when one of
those came in, yuh, the windows literally all the windows
and all the frames in the place was so super cool.
I think it's super cool to guys like us, people
(01:59):
like us, men and women, and there's millions of them
like us, and like there's some that just like, oh
yeah whatever, I'm not really into that, but we very
very much are. In fact, my friend before you asked me, yes,
are you a fan of space travel? Are you a
fan of that whole? Yes? I'm just going to tell
you right now because I don't think you knew this.
Oh and you might have to genuflex when.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I say this, genua flex.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
There you go. You are looking your partner in crime
on this here podcast. Is a founding member of a
four each rocketry club. Called the Cambridge Countdowns. Yes, Cambridge Countdowns.
That is impressive. Oh yeah, you want some estes rockets,
(02:45):
rockets with the double d engines. And we went for
two or three years Cambridge Countdowns. Oh that's so cool.
In fact, my father always liked to help out when
he could, and he was excited about this too because
he was a big fan of the space program. But
he worked at Montgomery Elevator and the elevators will go
up and down. Yeah, yeah, and he wanted to make us.
(03:07):
He volunteered to make us a launch control pad. Oh wow,
out of elevator parts. Oh that's so cool. Think of
the little the plaque with a little round plastic lighter
buttons right in an elevator.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, that's what it looked like. Oh, that's exactly what
I'm picturing.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It had a safety button, it had a stand, but
it had a toggle switch. Do you know how much
I love toggle switches.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
We need to actually, let's get some toggle switches at table.
We really should. So you kind of always were into
that from a young age.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Vivid, vivid memories like most of us that were, you know,
around in nineteen sixty nine of sitting there on the
floor my parents behind me watching the first moon landing.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah you know, I mean that was you know when
it hit me. Was just a few years after that,
when the first lunar rover. Oh yeah it was out.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
And well I'm older than you, but just not, I'm not.
Just a few years later. Were you around when the
first moon lighting him?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I'm a sixty five model, so yes, I was around,
but barely. But when the when the lunar rover took off,
I just thought that was so cool. And then just
a few years ago I actually got to have lunch
with Colonel David Randolph Scott, who was the guys first
guy to drive that role.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, yeah, which was super cool. And let me just
say because I got a picture and I forgot to
have us download, but I have a picture of buzz
Aldron and I standing outside Spago, of course in barely Hills.
Of course you do. And he was on our show
a long time ago. Of course he didn't remember, but
but there he was in all his glory. Man man.
Nobody liked him, Oh yeah, nobody, nobody liked him. Oh
so many ways. Have you got a favorite planet? I
(04:43):
used to like Planet Hollywood. The food wasn't that great,
but they did have that uh that Captain crunched chicken finger.
It's really absolutely yeah, my favorite planet, well thanks to
the fine astronauts and NASA and all the space program
that is Earth because we got to see it, oh yes,
for the very first time.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yeah, in all its glory Earthrise photo.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Do you have a favorite planet?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Saturn, dude, the rings, Yeah, I mean that's probably obvious.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
That's my go to.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
And then constellation wise, my grandmother used to take men
Oklahma City to the Kirkpatrick Planetarium, which is still there.
An amazing facility. But you know, so that's kind of
where I also fell in love with space or just
you know, that idea of exploring it. And there's a
there is a constellation. I don't even know if this
is the right name. I just learned it as the
Summer Triangle.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
So it's like it's like Deneb and Vega and all
terror and they make this little triangle that you can
usually see in the summer sky. And that's that's kind
of a cool thing thought.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Okay, Well, speaking of grandparents, I my grandfather, who was
a wonderful well we've talked about I mean, he was wonderful.
All my grandparents were. But my grandfather passed away still
believing that the moon landing was faked and look, and
not because he was a conspiracy theory whack job, but
(06:03):
in that no it wasn't. But in that time, from
his growing up, and he could not wrap his mind
around the fact I understand that that men went from
here to there, yeah, and walked on the moon. He
still thought the whole thing was a hoax.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
No, it's truly, it's truly extraordinary and uh. And that
people devote themselves to those, to those.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
You can see the wires people.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
No, no, no, no, not to that, the people actually
devote themselves to getting to the moon.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Well, I've got plenty of favorite stories or these these programs,
Gemini and Mercury, they were inventing things. They would schedule inventions.
Can you imagine that we're scheduling an invention This doesn't exist,
and we have three and a half weeks to invent
it vi X date we have to have it ready. Yeah,
(06:53):
it's just such a beautiful, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Moment in our time, It really is. But it continues,
right and so so like I will never forget a
few years back, I went to a Yale stargazing conference.
This was in Tucson, Arizona, Oka, which was basically at
the foot of kit Peak, which is one of the
National Observatory. So nice, and they've got, you know, lumptyen
(07:17):
different nuclear telescopes up at fourteen thousand feet on this
mountain right. But during the day we would sit just
a small group of idiots like me, and we would
be graced with the presence of these Yale, brilliant Yale
astrophysicists who would you know, give a little miniature lecture
about some aspect of space or space exploration. And then
(07:39):
at night we would get to go up in mass
on a tour bus and then literally put our eye
up to the eyepiece of some incredible telescope and look
at like the horsehead nebula or the helix nebula, that
kind of stuff. Really incredible. And it's actually how my son,
my youngest son, Cosmo, got his name. Really yes, because
on this particular weekend and it was like we were
(08:01):
having to decide once and for all are we going
to have a third kid, and literally just standing inside
one of these telescopes, just the stars with your naked
eye are more than I've ever seen in my life.
But what happened by the end of the weekend is
because I was the one dragging my heels. If I'm
being honest, I just wasn't sure if we needed to
(08:22):
have a third child.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Sure, and as most fathers are, but after I'm telling
you their heels.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yes, But I'm telling you a weekend of staring at
the stars and looking at the heavens and meeting with
these incredible astrophysicists was enough to assure me that whatever
I think my problems are here on Earth are just
minuscule and tiny.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Kid Cosmo. Now, if this weren't at that magnificent place
you were in, and say it was at the planetarium,
your kid's name probably would be Cannabis. If you've ever
been to a Pink Floyd Yes, showing of the planetarium,
(09:04):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
But honestly, what I did learn in that one weekend
that stuck with me, huh, is just kind of the
sheer romance of the Space program.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
True, true, just.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
The notion that people will dedicate their entire lives right
to just learning and dreaming and wondering and searching and
building and testing and then pushing the limits of whatever
it takes to get us there. Like you said, even
if it's like something hasn't been invented yet, we're going
to figure it out.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Is just so inspiring to me. To me as well,
and again there are those out there that you know,
have other concerns and problems and totally understand, but to me,
it was a magnificent moment in time and it continues
to be because I want this to continue. We we
came out of the cave, we walked over the hill,
(09:59):
we learn how to fly, you know, and we're just
explorers by human nature. So I really really believe in
the Space program in whatever form.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And this is exactly why you and I not to
mention Grant, our executive producer, who by the way, has
a great Facebook page called Space Reporters, and Sean like, we're.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
All so geeking out right now. We are incredibly exciting
because we know who the guests are coming up.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's right, Okay, somebody get a a towel. We are
incredibly excited to welcome our next guest. So after the break,
you're gonna meet not just one my friends, but two
incredibly good humans who are both dedicated to taking us
(10:45):
where humans have never gone before.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So ah good hook again hook mystt. That was brilliant.
I can't top that. Not right now, well done, We
will be right back with our guests. You don't want
to miss.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
It of a bigger.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
We will take you suck all right, good humans. It
is quite frankly a humbling privilege to welcome to our
show two of the very best humans on this planet
or any other planet for that matter, and much like
us Brian, only a hell of a lot smarter.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
They also happen to be best friends. Yeah, yeah, right,
so that's cool.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
So please welcome Julie Zingerman and Colonel James Kelly.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Julie Zinger, Yes, thanks, giving up you.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Julie Zingerman.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Let me tell you about her first ladies.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
First always is a real, live, honored and beloved rocket scientist,
and so just know, going in everybody for the first
and no doubt only time in the history of the show.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Today's show is actually rocket science. But it's not too
and I've interviewed thousands yeah people on the old show,
but it's not too intimidating. No, no, no, not at
all rocket science.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
It is real rocket science, and that is because Julie
is a brilliant engineer who is also nice enough to
slum it with us. By the way, she builds rockets,
working in space and power systems at Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Do you hear what he said? She builds rockets, I know,
I know, builds up I know. Doesn't just do the math. No, no, no,
where there. She's got a tool belt you wouldn't be
wade one.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
But among literally like thirty plus years of impressive accomplishments,
she was most recently an instrumental part of the team
who helped launch the first Boeing Starliner capsule. That's the guys,
the astronauts Barry Wilmore and Cinita Williams, who, by the way,
is the first female to pilot the test flight of
an orbital spacecraft.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
So Julie is just all kinds of amazing. We're not
worthy and joining.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Us with Julie is her bff, Colonel James Kelly. Colonel
Kelly is a retired Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut
who is not only logged almost four thousand flight hours
in more than thirty five aircraft. When we talk about
our estes and our you know whatever, our rubber band
(13:31):
airplanes or whatever.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Like it's amazing how many hours he's but but get this,
he flew two missions on the Space Shuttle Discovery to
the International Space.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Station and has logged more than six hundred and forty
one hours in space, like real outer space, Brian, not
the crap that I fake on TV or or that
you fake with martiniz or or whatever.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
You really should have just stopped the faking thing and
then it just it just kind of went awry. There.
We are so delight I did to welcome both of you.
Thank you for being.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Here, Thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
It's our honor to have you both.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Honestly, the first question we want to ask you, seriously
is what the hell are you doing here? Do you
not have anything better to do?
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Did you lose a bet?
Speaker 4 (14:17):
We are we're being good humans, you know. You know,
part of a lot of what we do is outreach,
and it's important and this is a great resource for
that too.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well, and we're going to get to the outreach that
you do. And we'll just give you a little tease
that these guys go to grade schools, a lot of
grade schools in high schools, and they give talks about
never giving up believing in the star and you know,
never stop reaching for the stars. And that's just one
of the many good human parts about these two. But
(14:48):
if we could, Jim, I'm gonna start with you. You
say you wanted to be an astronaut since you were five.
So my question is, what was it like when that
dream came true and you were selected for the astronaut program?
Where were you? What was the moment? Was it like
(15:09):
you know in the NFL where David Baker knocks on
your door and tells you you're in the Football Hall
of Fame? I mean, how did they How did they
tell you?
Speaker 5 (15:17):
So I heard warning that it was going to happen.
They're going to give me a phone call. So I
was actually home with my wife and family, and my
parents were actually in town, and so I got a
phone call, and I actually got it from the guy
who called me was not the one I expected to
call if I made the If I made the great
again selected as an astronaut. So it's kind of funny.
My whole family gets old that just went on my
voice because I was starting great guy blow him soon thereafter.
(15:38):
But it's supposed to be John young. I was told
from people that doesn't call you, then you're not in
you're getting the courtesy phone call. You sorry about at
the end of the conversation that says SURTI started to
work for us, and my jaw at the floor.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Well, you were in your thirties by now, because you've
had this long tenured history at the airport and air Force,
so you just turned thirty. A dream twenty five years
old comes to fruition. Congratulations on that, I mean, lovely, exciting.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Actually real, real question here. How did you guys first
meet and become such good paths?
Speaker 4 (16:18):
That was kind of a sadder story. We met right
after Columbia Craft in two thousand and three, and it's
such a close, tight knit family that all of us,
the contractors and NASA got together and we went out
(16:39):
in the fields of Texas and recovered everything that we
could from both the vehicle and our friends. So we
met kind of under tough circumstances, but.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
An obviously great way to bond through, yes, through that
kind of tragedy. And look, I mean, neither one of
us did well enough in science class to ask you guys,
either one of you really any actual real or detailed
questions about what you guys do, but we do want
to talk to you a lot about why you do
(17:13):
what you do. So so, Julie, you know, we got
a little bit of we've heard a little bit about
Jim from your history, just of like very early on
age five, being interested the way we were as young boys. Julie,
how did you first start looking toward the heavens? What
what first got you started and fascinated with aerospace?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Mine? Mine was very different from Vegas is and Vegas
is his call signed, that's everybody out in the astronaut
world knows him.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So Vegas, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Just to make him cooler, just to make him cooler.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
I didn't think that was possible, just a.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Make him cooler. He is Vegas. So my mine was
a lot different path than Vegas, who was dying to
get off of planet Earth. I am very happy with
planet Earth and love planet Earth and the whole and
I got into the space industry was because I wanted
to make life better here on Earth. So the first
project I worked on coming out of college was an
(18:09):
idea called an International Space Station, and it was going
to be an engineering marvel with seventeen international countries working
together to make life better here on Earth. And that's
what drove me into the space program.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Not only an incredible idea, but a heartwarming idea. Yeah right.
It's a very special thing to have that kind of
mindset where go, oh, I have an idea, this will
bring people together the entire earth. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
And and I could just picture Julie as a kid
like you were, probably that kid who raised your hand
to answer every question in school. I'm guessing when Brian
and I were then and then and then and Jim
was or Vegas I should say now it was the
thing I have too. He was the kind of kid
who was literally cooler than every other kid.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Absolutely. Can you imagine taking like a role call in
fourth grade Steve Watson? Yes, here they I guess, I'm
here man, Roger Roger, that's.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Always searching, searching for faster.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
That's right, That's right.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
So but let me ask you this, I mean, look
as a as a as a writer, probably one of
the most magical moments for me in the process after
I've written something is when you get to walk onto
a set and it suddenly becomes.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Real even though it's fake. Uh. But but Julie.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
For you as a as a scientist, what's it like
when you've you've done all the hard math and the
engineering to solve all kinds of complex problems in your
head and on a computer, and then what's it like
when you suddenly see it all come to life in
a very real and powerful way on a launch path.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
I can't imagine.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
It is truly like having another child. And I talk
about it that way with my kids and they kind
of laugh about that. Like when we had the first
element launch of Space Station. There was so much hard
work that went into that program, and many times when
it is going to be canceled from Congress and it
was happening, and then it wasn't, and then it was happening,
and then it wasn't. And to have that first piece,
(20:08):
that first element, finally launched into space and realize this
is really going to happen, and this is going to
change the world, it was like childbirth for me. It
was like I was birthing another a third kid. It
was amazing. Yeah, it just I still get goosebumps at
every launch.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
We were sure.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Yeah, for the Artemis launch where we're going back to
the Moon, which is establishing us getting ready to go
back or go to Mars with humans. And every time
it does not get old. Every time I get goosebumps.
I can feel it in my chest.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Speaking of feelings, if this isn't too personal, but sure
you're excited. It's it's like a child. You've worked so
hard with other people of the same mindsets and the
same desire. But is there also a fear ever a
year on launch day that like, oh God, did we
(21:02):
get everything right? Or does that still happen or are
you just.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Oh yes, oh yes. Every single time there is concern
and fear because you know, what you built is super
complex and lots of things can go wrong. And the
parts of the Shuttle and the Artemis rocket that I
work on are the engines. And we have been so
(21:26):
blessed in that our engines have always performed perfectly on
all of these missions. But anytime there's an anomaly, some
kind of issue, it's all part of one team, and
you always think, is this my part or is this
you know, one of my colleagues parts, And every time
it's very scary, and like we were talking about earlier,
(21:48):
we've lost Cruise, right, we lost two crews one on Challenger.
I wasn't working the program then, but Columbia I was
deep into the program, and Vegas was the first wanted
to take the US back to space. After Columbia.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
That's right, I remember that we were on the air.
By the way, well, I used to do a syndicated
a radio show my my then partner, and I, uh
and that's the fan fan we're on the air now.
This is a comedy show, right, a high energy comedy show.
(22:26):
But I kind of insisted we bring a television in
because the countdown was happening, and live on the show,
we just watched Vegas and and the crew launch off
that launch pad. And I'm not kidding you, I'm not
trying to fake this. I started crying on the air
because it just kept going and it's going up, and
(22:46):
it's going up, and your comedy thinking, it's like, go
just go get up there, get up there. And I
got so emotional on the air. You know, that's a
beautiful moment, and thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Well yeah, I mean, Colonel Kelly, what about you? I mean,
even after all the what I want to know is,
after all of the rigorous training and years of prep,
you obviously went through before the missions.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
That you were on.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Are there any aspects of exploring space that were just
completely different from what you imagined?
Speaker 5 (23:18):
Well, you really kind of imagine the grandeurra space looking
back at the planet. I was falling on my first
Shottle mission. We're discovering. There were two of those rikies
on the upper story the flight that it's called. All
the windows are on the shuttle, and I was appliant
side about four and the switches. I had to throw
those tug and switches. Youly, I'd throw about four hundred
those to get the beast ready to be an orient vehicle.
And I've got my heads down in the cockbit looking
(23:40):
at the dials engages in front of me, and I
briefly glanced up and looked out the windows and passing
over Italy, and I looked back down the cockpit and
then I was like wait, and I stood up and
I'd looked out the front windo again. I actually physically
reached back and grabbed Paul Richards was another rick at
this grabbed by the collar of his space. He pulled
them to the front window and said, look outside. And
it's just that moment it is you can think about
(24:01):
as much as you want. You can look a picture
as much you want videos, it just does not do justice.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Let me go from there to a question I wanted
to ask sometime during there's interview of you, Jim, and
I'll set it up this way. In nineteen sixty five,
during the Gemini four mission ed, White became the first
American astronaut to experience an EVA or spacewalk. After twenty minutes,
(24:28):
just around twenty minutes, he had been ordered to return
to the spacecraft and he didn't want to, and he
made that quite clear because he was having such a
great time. Finally he relented and he starts back to
the spacecraft and he said these words, I'm coming back
in and it's the saddest moment of my life. Now, Jim,
(24:49):
you've done this a few times, you've spacewalked. Can you
in any way describe what everybody except a handful of
people on the face of this earth have experienced.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
Yeah, it's just incredible with being up there and arm
and looking outside here and that you be able to
go and do spacewalks. They go out and have that moment.
We actually have a part of the spacewalk at the
beginning where it's just time to let them adjust. They
go out and just give them like ten minutes where
they can just freeze up with dunch and something like
you grib it so tight that you know your hands
are killing you. Some some flow away, some just hold
on with one hand and just take a look around.
You always tethered. Of course, you're always tied to the
(25:25):
station by a rope at the shold by a rope.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Is it exhausting?
Speaker 5 (25:28):
It is? Well, imagine your hands just in the gloves alone.
You have to you have to open your hands up
against the gloves force. And so you're doing the constant
all day, all day, all day, all day, all day,
and it's really tiring. And fingernails direcked off and breuising
and and all kinds of stuff, and just show whole
bodies tired for being out there.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
And then like so you mentioned you're taking in that view,
you're seeing Italy, you're seeing the earth down below? Can
you see Brian's pool for example? Were you ever able
to see? Can you tell us more about that?
Speaker 1 (25:57):
So fascinating? What's with the big rubber inflatable duck Brian?
I don't know mister Vegas, Julie Julie.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
For us, a good day is work is I don't
know what it is, probably just not farting in the studio.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
But what's it.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
What's a good day of work like for you at
Aerojet Rockade, right, thirty years of working there, What's something
that you've done that you're particularly proud of and why?
Speaker 4 (26:27):
A good day at work is when you send a
crew into space and you have no issues at all
with what you've been working on for years. A good
day we build the generators for the Mars rovers as well.
A good day is when that baby lands on Mars
and starts looking around the planet and bringing home, you know,
(26:48):
samples and things for us to learn from. So another
good day is bringing young people in new hires, new
engineers and seeing their excited because sometimes we get lost
after years, right, I've been doing this for thirty five
years and what we do is so cool, but sometimes
(27:08):
you get lost, you know, and don't have that cool
factor as much. And I love being reminded, uh huh
of that, you know, with the young engineers are that
are coming on board and really excited and motivated for
these next steps that we're taking.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I mean, I love that you're energized by that, because
frankly I understand it. Like my son Crockett and I once,
as I mentioned, got to have lunch with Colonel David
Randolph Scott, who was drove the lunar Rover, and I
remember him, God love him. He's such an amazing person.
But he was a little bit blase when we asked.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Him, you know, what's it like to drive the lunar Rover,
which is I'm sure a question he's had eight billion times, right,
And his answer right off the top was like, it's
just like driving a car, except you're driving on the mood. Right.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
But I get that because like literally, you've had to
talk about this and relive this over and over and
over again.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
But let me interject something, and this kind of goes
back to the outreach programs that you two do together.
Is you know you're going to get asked the same
questions from these grade schoolers and high school students and
idiots like us and is just a hundred times, but
you two voluntarily go out to inspire kids to do
(28:25):
their very best and whatever they want to do to
again reach for the stars. You can do it if
we can do it. You can do it, and you're
so inspiring just in these few minutes that we're spending
with us today. That's such a lovely thing to do. Yeah,
thank you for that.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Thank you, thank you. It's really important. And I think
the message we try to give to these kids is
go after your dreams, whatever they are. If it's a
baseball player, a ballerina, an actor, whatever it is, whatever
that dream is, go for it, and surround yourself with
those those people that help you on that path. There
(29:03):
you go, and ditch the ones that frankly aren't supporting you.
Because you know how many people told Vegas he'd never
be an astronaut, so many people, and so he stuck
with the people who believed in him and ended up
getting to go to space a couple of times. I mean,
it's follow your dreams, that's the most important thing, and
(29:24):
do something that makes you happy. And that's what I
try to tell tell kids, like, make sure you enjoy
what you're doing, because you're gonna be working for a
long time. You want to make sure you have fun
and enjoy what you're doing. Vegas and I are so blessed,
and I think you guys too, in the fields that
you are.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
That we love what we do.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
We're passionate about it. It's fun to go to work
every day and see what we're.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Going to do next, and talk about giving back, talk
about paying it for Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Although I do think, Julie, you've maybe been more successful
than even after all of my attempts at convincing Brian
you really can be a ballerina.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
What is really can do it? You can do it.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
I want to see it. I want to see it.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
I can't fit in the two too. I take a three. Three. Oh,
I like that.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
It's just too big of a jim. I have to
ask you this because yes, it's clear to both of
us that you returned from space and you are not
bored with talking about it and sharing the experience with
all kinds of people, different ages, different walks of life.
But because I have had the joy of hearing this
story before, I wonder if you will share with our
listening and viewing audience the story about coming back from
(30:33):
from space and just trying to use utensils at dinner
with your family.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Yeah. So I got back from your first space mission
and you go through a bunch of medical tests, and
when you get back and luckily you get a shower
and to do all that stuff and all the experience
and things that need to be done before you're releasing
the wild, so to speak. But the person I back,
I was with my whole family, and I went to
a Mexican restaurant and have a good meal and all that.
About halfway through the conversation, I took my fork and
I said, it right here, just let it go right
(31:04):
there in the.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Space, in the middle of the air. That's what you get.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
The glass that played the floor. People and every head
in the audience in the restaurant turnam looking like God,
I'm an asser and I dropped my sport.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
That is great. It's perfect. That's perfect.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That's the stuff that we can't fully appreciate or understand
having not had that experience.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
But I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Well listen, I mean, look, your your your shared passion
you guys for space exploration is particularly important, I think
in a lot of the other work you do here
down on the ground, because you are so committed, obviously
to inspiring young people to follow, if not in your footsteps,
to chase after their dreams. In addition to speaking to
(31:53):
students and schools all over the country encouraging people, uh
to chase after those dreams. We know that one one
of those efforts that you guys have been involved in
is this new children's museum being developed and venture a county, right.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
It's called Kids Stream.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Yes, Kids Stream, Yeah. So we are part of their
advisory committee and they plan on opening in twenty twenty five.
They just got a big grant from Amgen pharmaceutical company
that's local to the area, and they've already reached out
to so many kids. They have kind of temporary facilities
(32:30):
that will eventually become their permanent facility. They have a
building now that they've secured, but they've already reached out
I don't know what is it, fifty thousand kids already
before even officially opening, and it's just a great way
to bring science and technology and even the arts. They
call it Kids Stream because it includes you know, reading
(32:53):
and art, and a good way to reach out to
the young people in our community. I know what my
kids are older now. I would have loved to have
had these hands on places where you can go and
really immerse yourself in science with your young children. And
I think it's a really positive thing.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Okay, So talk about good humans.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
The people that are working out with the board members
and the pure, the sponsors and the volunteers. They're out
there doing good work for the community to raise the
next generation.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Wow, that's that's incredible.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Look, when you've just talked about this and you knew
what I didn't, and I think it's just it's a wonderful,
beautiful I'm so glad it's happening. But my second thought,
and I'm not kidding, my second thought was it's going
to be pretty creepy for me to go alone without
a kid to this museum because I'm gone, it's just
a sixty five year old walk it around alone. I'm
(33:46):
literally getting creeped out right now at the table. So yeah,
but I'm going. I've got to Space Space Camp. I've
done all these things everywhere in the country you could go,
I've gone, and I've got to see this. Well, that's
so glad they're doing it and it has happened. That
is exactly right.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
And if you want more information on that, you should
go and visit kidstream dot org. You can get all
kinds of information there about how you can also join
in supporting such a worthy cause.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Listen, before we finish up, I.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Know that you know Julian Vegas both had to you know,
you know, clear things with their respective legal departments and
make sure they're not violating any of the terms of
their their clearance. So did you want or do you
want me to ask them exactly what they know about
the alien life forms we're hiding at Area fifty one.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
Well, I already know the answer. Oh you do. Yes,
As I said, I've been everywhere anything connected with space
I've gone, and I have seen things. You've seen things.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
But again that's the Martiniz talking more than anything else.
I think we know that you're both way too busy
to be here in the first place, but thank you
for taking the time to be here, and we want
to give you kind of the last word. Anybody watching
or listening has been inspired in some way to explore
the heavens as a scientist, as an astronaut, or as both.
(35:09):
Do you guys have any recommendations for what they should do?
Speaker 4 (35:12):
I'll let you take that one.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
Well, I'd say for my partner, if you are to
become an astronaut, just get an ACI dot gut an
SA dot g o V and they've got a way
to do as Mack, we're hiring a new class now.
It just started the process and we've had as many
as eighteen thousand apply before and willing to take about ten.
So a lot of getting this job with the Blue
Blue Jacket is unluck But it's really perseverance, and like
Julie said, you know, it's hold on to the people
(35:34):
to say you can do it and letting go of
the people to say you can't. You don't need those
Those are bad humans. You don't need those humans in
your life. So hand with the good humans. You don't
know where you want to go.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
And do they have an age limit an age window
for applicants? You're outside the window. Let me finish. Actually yeah, ooh,
hey there, I'm in the window because I think I'm
out of the window for the Heisman Trophy. So I
want I want something really really well, I guess yeah,
(36:04):
Glenn when John Glenn was up there, but he kind
of was like William Shattner, but that wasn't in your program.
John sell me someone the show amazing, amazing.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
Well do pettit Dom pettit's going up.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
I think he's I think Don's sixty seventy launches in August.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
All right, And and Julie, if somebody wants to follow
in your footsteps, what would you recommend?
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I recommend study what you love. We have all kinds
of people working in the space industry, financial marketing, engineers, ops, people,
I mean, anything that you do. If your passion is space,
we will have a spot for you.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Really well, that's great news, that is super cool. Our
passion is space. But rocket scientist, rocket science, No.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
No, The closest I got to a rocket scientist is
remember the water powered pump up rocket the art Yeah,
I mean that's yeah. Those those were fine, right, Okay, good,
that's closest I'll get.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
I'd love to show you both because I still have them.
My Henry County Fair Blue ribbons for my Estes rockets.
The building, the construction of my Estas rockets. Now, you know,
you have your job where you have to you know,
build a whole face ground. Sure, but until you've tried
to put a double d est it's really difficult. And
(37:28):
the little clips on the wire that you know, it's
incredibly detailed work.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Yeah, those were fun. My brother used to shoot those off.
And my job was to always go find the carriage. Yeah,
and now that was my job because I was the
little sister, so go fine.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
So that's what really inspired you. You're like enough of that,
Yes exactly, I am.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Going to be building the rog and not shooting after
these guys coming down.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
What you're looking at, these faces, this energy, this excitement
is what I'm sure you see in the faces of
these outreach programs that you do and whatever age. Kid
and we are a couple of kids, you know, we
admit it, but this is what you see the people
that you inspire. And I thank you on behalf of
(38:17):
my partner. Thank you for doing this, taking the time
of your incredibly, I can't even imagine both your schedules
to go, let's go talk to a fourth grade class.
Let's go do that and enjoy doing it. Are we
the fourth grade class.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Or third grade? Thank you both for taking the time
to speak with.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Us as well.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
Oh, you are welcome. And you know, it's just so
exciting to see the excitement in their faces. Like I said,
it kind of energizes us.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
In a way.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
It's wonderful for them, but it's very very wonderful for
us to see their excitement and their motivation. And now
we actually have kids coming back to us that we
talk to that are in the industry and working with us,
and it's nice to see that what you're doing is
making a difference.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Well, yeah, that much is clear to us.
Speaker 5 (39:09):
You guys are have the name because because humans is
exactly all one our jobs. That's what one number one
number one characters who look for in somebody for either
of our jobs is good humans.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
Yeah, it's not necessarily their technical skills, it's how they
treat other people and get along in those team environments,
because everything we do is part of a team.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Yeah, well we're both good team players. We don't know
jack about rocket science, but we're still in maybe possibly
I actually this this, but you're thinking, well, no, we
can teach it the rocket scide spit. No you couldn't.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
No.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
I generally walk away from every episode of the show
feeling hopeless, but not this episode.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I actually feel that there's a shot. Thank you so much.
Gain again, we use the word and we're not using
it just throwing it around. We are honored to speak
with you both. Yeah, you are inspiringly good humans and
both of you are out of this world. Thank you.
Very much for taking the time to be with us.
Speaker 4 (39:59):
Thanks, thank you for having us, and thank you, thank
you for all that you're doing and recognizing people that
are are doing this great stuff across the world. It's
really important in today's time.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
You're always welcome here. If you want to promote anything,
if you want to talk about anything, if you want
to pick our brains for you know, rocket design, whatever,
just feel free. That's right, you got it.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Big, We will take you suck.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
How great was that? I don't know. I don't know
how great we were. I know how great they are,
like mumbled through the whole thing. I felt like a
ten year old. I didn't know what to ask clate.
They're just too cool. And I tried to touch that
point where these are the faces they're seeing an eight
to you know, fourteen year old. Yes, yes, we were
the eight and fourteen year olds so large. And I
know not everyone as geeky as we here, but I'm
(40:54):
telling you millions of people love this sort of thing.
I mean, favorite movie of all top five, top five
favorite movie of all time on my list is the
right stuff. It was on the air I was on
the other day, life just sort of like we're going
to take a little break here, and if it's on,
I am watching it. And I loved everything, the dedication,
(41:19):
the work that these two have gone through. But it
started this fledgling idea, you know, and the space race
with Russia. Everything is just fascinating about it. And these
people are my heroes.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
I love the way she also touched on because they
come at it from such different directions, right, But I
love the way she touched on how no matter what
you're interested in or what your skill sets are, there's
some interesting and creative way that you can apply them
to this same joint effort, which is looking beyond where
we are and just thinking about where we might go.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
All right, Well, one more thing, Yeah, and I got
to say this. I'm being honest. I think Jim's call
sign Vegas is even cooler than Mavericks. So I think
we should have we should have call signs on the show.
I think I've got one for me. Okay, how do
you want to be known moving forward? Colonel white chocolate?
(42:13):
White chocolate? Yeah, I like it. I like it. Talk
to me white chocolate? No, don okay? What about you?
Spot Nick sput nick but Sputnick Chrome dome, which one.
Let's put them together. We gotta mesh him spot dome
spot chrome chrome. It's starting to get on savoring chrome.
(42:34):
We'll work on. Yeah, I can't top white chocolate. Thanks
for joining us, you guys, we really do appreciate it.
As always, we ask.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
You go to our website be Good Humans podcast dot
com and tell us about the good humans in your lives,
people that we need to know about, people we might
actually be able to talk to in a way that's
a little bit more intelligent than the way we handled
an astronaut and a rocket scientist. And also give us pointers.
Are they I mean they're not going to get you know,
(43:02):
us to it. I hope what's the diameter of the
that's what I hope they're used to it. But also
give us pointers on how to be a good human
that would be great. Follow us on all the socials, Facebook, Instagram, threads,
TikTok and acts. More importantly, spend some time at some
point in the next twenty four hours after listening to
or watching the show, look up, stare at the heavens,
contemplate what's out there and how you might be able
(43:25):
to explore all kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
And think of all the good humans they got us
up there in the first place. That's exactly right, all right,
See you later, See you later. Be good humans.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
Be good humans. Be good humans. Be good humans, or
we will thank you suck.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Be good humans.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
As executive produced by Brian Phelps, Trey Callaway, and Grant Anderson,
with associate producers Sean Fitzgerald and Clementine Callaway and partnership
with straw Hut Media.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Please like, follow, and subscribe, and remember be good humans.
Hey, Brian Phelps you ready to go.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Wait a minute, is that a bad like we shouldn't
be exploding things?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Well, no, that was a rocket lot. Oh okay, good good.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Humans, Be good humans. Be good humans, or we will
think you sucked. Thank good humans, or we will thank
you suck.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Welcome back, good humans. It is an absolute pleasure to
have everybody here once again. And hey, if you are watching,
by chance, do us a favor and uh, go ahead
and like and subscribe. I know those are annoying twenty
first century references that we have to make now, but
it actually will help us a great deal. So hit
that like and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Brian, Yes, yes, yes, yes, this because the show. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I've been meaning to ask you this because I know
that you and I are both sort of geek about
these kinds of things. Did you happen to see the
rocket plume in the heavens out of Vandenburg the other night?
It was the SpaceX Falcon nine rocket.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Absolutely cools. One of the great things about not living
in Cambridge, Illinois, but living out here in Los Angeles
you get you get, you know, first hand views of
this stuff. It's great. It came out of Vandinburgh.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Apparently that one was launching like twenty different Starlink satellites
to help improve provide Internet connectivity around the world, especially
in remote places, places with you know, unreliable access all
that stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
But you're right, I mean it is something that we
get sonic booms sonic when they would land the Space
Shuttle and you'd like, I was literally in a frame
shop one time in Sherman Oaks when when one of
those came in, yuh, the windows literally all the windows
and all the frames in the place was so super cool.
I think it's super cool to guys like us, people
(01:59):
like us, men and women, and there's millions of them
like us, and like there's some that just like, oh
yeah whatever, I'm not really into that, but we very
very much are. In fact, my friend before you asked me, yes,
are you a fan of space travel? Are you a
fan of that whole? Yes? I'm just going to tell
you right now because I don't think you knew this.
Oh and you might have to genuflex when.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I say this, genua flex.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
There you go. You are looking your partner in crime
on this here podcast. Is a founding member of a
four each rocketry club. Called the Cambridge Countdowns. Yes, Cambridge Countdowns.
That is impressive. Oh yeah, you want some estes rockets,
(02:45):
rockets with the double d engines. And we went for
two or three years Cambridge Countdowns. Oh that's so cool.
In fact, my father always liked to help out when
he could, and he was excited about this too because
he was a big fan of the space program. But
he worked at Montgomery Elevator and the elevators will go
up and down. Yeah, yeah, and he wanted to make us.
(03:07):
He volunteered to make us a launch control pad. Oh wow,
out of elevator parts. Oh that's so cool. Think of
the little the plaque with a little round plastic lighter
buttons right in an elevator.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, that's what it looked like. Oh, that's exactly what
I'm picturing.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It had a safety button, it had a stand, but
it had a toggle switch. Do you know how much
I love toggle switches.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
We need to actually, let's get some toggle switches at table.
We really should. So you kind of always were into
that from a young age.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Vivid, vivid memories like most of us that were, you know,
around in nineteen sixty nine of sitting there on the
floor my parents behind me watching the first moon landing.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah you know, I mean that was you know when
it hit me. Was just a few years after that,
when the first lunar rover. Oh yeah it was out.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
And well I'm older than you, but just not, I'm not.
Just a few years later. Were you around when the
first moon lighting him?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I'm a sixty five model, so yes, I was around,
but barely. But when the when the lunar rover took off,
I just thought that was so cool. And then just
a few years ago I actually got to have lunch
with Colonel David Randolph Scott, who was the guys first
guy to drive that role.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, yeah, which was super cool. And let me just
say because I got a picture and I forgot to
have us download, but I have a picture of buzz
Aldron and I standing outside Spago, of course in barely Hills.
Of course you do. And he was on our show
a long time ago. Of course he didn't remember, but
but there he was in all his glory. Man man.
Nobody liked him, Oh yeah, nobody, nobody liked him. Oh
so many ways. Have you got a favorite planet? I
(04:43):
used to like Planet Hollywood. The food wasn't that great,
but they did have that uh that Captain crunched chicken finger.
It's really absolutely yeah, my favorite planet, well thanks to
the fine astronauts and NASA and all the space program
that is Earth because we got to see it, oh yes,
for the very first time.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yeah, in all its glory Earthrise photo.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Do you have a favorite planet?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Saturn, dude, the rings, Yeah, I mean that's probably obvious.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
That's my go to.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
And then constellation wise, my grandmother used to take men
Oklahma City to the Kirkpatrick Planetarium, which is still there.
An amazing facility. But you know, so that's kind of
where I also fell in love with space or just
you know, that idea of exploring it. And there's a
there is a constellation. I don't even know if this
is the right name. I just learned it as the
Summer Triangle.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
So it's like it's like Deneb and Vega and all
terror and they make this little triangle that you can
usually see in the summer sky. And that's that's kind
of a cool thing thought.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Okay, Well, speaking of grandparents, I my grandfather, who was
a wonderful well we've talked about I mean, he was wonderful.
All my grandparents were. But my grandfather passed away still
believing that the moon landing was faked and look, and
not because he was a conspiracy theory whack job, but
(06:03):
in that no it wasn't. But in that time, from
his growing up, and he could not wrap his mind
around the fact I understand that that men went from
here to there, yeah, and walked on the moon. He
still thought the whole thing was a hoax.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
No, it's truly, it's truly extraordinary and uh. And that
people devote themselves to those, to those.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
You can see the wires people.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
No, no, no, no, not to that, the people actually
devote themselves to getting to the moon.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Well, I've got plenty of favorite stories or these these programs,
Gemini and Mercury, they were inventing things. They would schedule inventions.
Can you imagine that we're scheduling an invention This doesn't exist,
and we have three and a half weeks to invent
it vi X date we have to have it ready. Yeah,
(06:53):
it's just such a beautiful, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Moment in our time, It really is. But it continues,
right and so so like I will never forget a
few years back, I went to a Yale stargazing conference.
This was in Tucson, Arizona, Oka, which was basically at
the foot of kit Peak, which is one of the
National Observatory. So nice, and they've got, you know, lumptyen
(07:17):
different nuclear telescopes up at fourteen thousand feet on this
mountain right. But during the day we would sit just
a small group of idiots like me, and we would
be graced with the presence of these Yale, brilliant Yale
astrophysicists who would you know, give a little miniature lecture
about some aspect of space or space exploration. And then
(07:39):
at night we would get to go up in mass
on a tour bus and then literally put our eye
up to the eyepiece of some incredible telescope and look
at like the horsehead nebula or the helix nebula, that
kind of stuff. Really incredible. And it's actually how my son,
my youngest son, Cosmo, got his name. Really yes, because
on this particular weekend and it was like we were
(08:01):
having to decide once and for all are we going
to have a third kid, and literally just standing inside
one of these telescopes, just the stars with your naked
eye are more than I've ever seen in my life.
But what happened by the end of the weekend is
because I was the one dragging my heels. If I'm
being honest, I just wasn't sure if we needed to
(08:22):
have a third child.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Sure, and as most fathers are, but after I'm telling
you their heels.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yes, But I'm telling you a weekend of staring at
the stars and looking at the heavens and meeting with
these incredible astrophysicists was enough to assure me that whatever
I think my problems are here on Earth are just
minuscule and tiny.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Kid Cosmo. Now, if this weren't at that magnificent place
you were in, and say it was at the planetarium,
your kid's name probably would be Cannabis. If you've ever
been to a Pink Floyd Yes, showing of the planetarium,
(09:04):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
But honestly, what I did learn in that one weekend
that stuck with me, huh, is just kind of the
sheer romance of the Space program.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
True, true, just.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
The notion that people will dedicate their entire lives right
to just learning and dreaming and wondering and searching and
building and testing and then pushing the limits of whatever
it takes to get us there. Like you said, even
if it's like something hasn't been invented yet, we're going
to figure it out.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Is just so inspiring to me. To me as well,
and again there are those out there that you know,
have other concerns and problems and totally understand, but to me,
it was a magnificent moment in time and it continues
to be because I want this to continue. We we
came out of the cave, we walked over the hill,
(09:59):
we learn how to fly, you know, and we're just
explorers by human nature. So I really really believe in
the Space program in whatever form.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And this is exactly why you and I not to
mention Grant, our executive producer, who by the way, has
a great Facebook page called Space Reporters, and Sean like, we're.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
All so geeking out right now. We are incredibly exciting
because we know who the guests are coming up.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's right, Okay, somebody get a a towel. We are
incredibly excited to welcome our next guest. So after the break,
you're gonna meet not just one my friends, but two
incredibly good humans who are both dedicated to taking us
(10:45):
where humans have never gone before.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So ah good hook again hook mystt. That was brilliant.
I can't top that. Not right now, well done, We
will be right back with our guests. You don't want
to miss.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
It of a bigger.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
We will take you suck all right, good humans. It
is quite frankly a humbling privilege to welcome to our
show two of the very best humans on this planet
or any other planet for that matter, and much like
us Brian, only a hell of a lot smarter.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
They also happen to be best friends. Yeah, yeah, right,
so that's cool.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
So please welcome Julie Zingerman and Colonel James Kelly.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Julie Zinger, Yes, thanks, giving up you.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Julie Zingerman.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Let me tell you about her first ladies.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
First always is a real, live, honored and beloved rocket scientist,
and so just know, going in everybody for the first
and no doubt only time in the history of the show.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Today's show is actually rocket science. But it's not too
and I've interviewed thousands yeah people on the old show,
but it's not too intimidating. No, no, no, not at
all rocket science.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
It is real rocket science, and that is because Julie
is a brilliant engineer who is also nice enough to
slum it with us. By the way, she builds rockets,
working in space and power systems at Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Do you hear what he said? She builds rockets, I know,
I know, builds up I know. Doesn't just do the math. No, no, no,
where there. She's got a tool belt you wouldn't be
wade one.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
But among literally like thirty plus years of impressive accomplishments,
she was most recently an instrumental part of the team
who helped launch the first Boeing Starliner capsule. That's the guys,
the astronauts Barry Wilmore and Cinita Williams, who, by the way,
is the first female to pilot the test flight of
an orbital spacecraft.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
So Julie is just all kinds of amazing. We're not
worthy and joining.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Us with Julie is her bff, Colonel James Kelly. Colonel
Kelly is a retired Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut
who is not only logged almost four thousand flight hours
in more than thirty five aircraft. When we talk about
our estes and our you know whatever, our rubber band
(13:31):
airplanes or whatever.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Like it's amazing how many hours he's but but get this,
he flew two missions on the Space Shuttle Discovery to
the International Space.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Station and has logged more than six hundred and forty
one hours in space, like real outer space, Brian, not
the crap that I fake on TV or or that
you fake with martiniz or or whatever.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
You really should have just stopped the faking thing and
then it just it just kind of went awry. There.
We are so delight I did to welcome both of you.
Thank you for being.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Here, Thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
It's our honor to have you both.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Honestly, the first question we want to ask you, seriously
is what the hell are you doing here? Do you
not have anything better to do?
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Did you lose a bet?
Speaker 4 (14:17):
We are we're being good humans, you know. You know,
part of a lot of what we do is outreach,
and it's important and this is a great resource for
that too.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well, and we're going to get to the outreach that
you do. And we'll just give you a little tease
that these guys go to grade schools, a lot of
grade schools in high schools, and they give talks about
never giving up believing in the star and you know,
never stop reaching for the stars. And that's just one
of the many good human parts about these two. But
(14:48):
if we could, Jim, I'm gonna start with you. You
say you wanted to be an astronaut since you were five.
So my question is, what was it like when that
dream came true and you were selected for the astronaut program?
Where were you? What was the moment? Was it like
(15:09):
you know in the NFL where David Baker knocks on
your door and tells you you're in the Football Hall
of Fame? I mean, how did they How did they
tell you?
Speaker 5 (15:17):
So I heard warning that it was going to happen.
They're going to give me a phone call. So I
was actually home with my wife and family, and my
parents were actually in town, and so I got a
phone call, and I actually got it from the guy
who called me was not the one I expected to
call if I made the If I made the great
again selected as an astronaut. So it's kind of funny.
My whole family gets old that just went on my
voice because I was starting great guy blow him soon thereafter.
(15:38):
But it's supposed to be John young. I was told
from people that doesn't call you, then you're not in
you're getting the courtesy phone call. You sorry about at
the end of the conversation that says SURTI started to
work for us, and my jaw at the floor.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Well, you were in your thirties by now, because you've
had this long tenured history at the airport and air Force,
so you just turned thirty. A dream twenty five years
old comes to fruition. Congratulations on that, I mean, lovely, exciting.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Actually real, real question here. How did you guys first
meet and become such good paths?
Speaker 4 (16:18):
That was kind of a sadder story. We met right
after Columbia Craft in two thousand and three, and it's
such a close, tight knit family that all of us,
the contractors and NASA got together and we went out
(16:39):
in the fields of Texas and recovered everything that we
could from both the vehicle and our friends. So we
met kind of under tough circumstances, but.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
An obviously great way to bond through, yes, through that
kind of tragedy. And look, I mean, neither one of
us did well enough in science class to ask you guys,
either one of you really any actual real or detailed
questions about what you guys do, but we do want
to talk to you a lot about why you do
(17:13):
what you do. So so, Julie, you know, we got
a little bit of we've heard a little bit about
Jim from your history, just of like very early on
age five, being interested the way we were as young boys. Julie,
how did you first start looking toward the heavens? What
what first got you started and fascinated with aerospace?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Mine? Mine was very different from Vegas is and Vegas
is his call signed, that's everybody out in the astronaut
world knows him.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So Vegas, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Just to make him cooler, just to make him cooler.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
I didn't think that was possible, just a.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Make him cooler. He is Vegas. So my mine was
a lot different path than Vegas, who was dying to
get off of planet Earth. I am very happy with
planet Earth and love planet Earth and the whole and
I got into the space industry was because I wanted
to make life better here on Earth. So the first
project I worked on coming out of college was an
(18:09):
idea called an International Space Station, and it was going
to be an engineering marvel with seventeen international countries working
together to make life better here on Earth. And that's
what drove me into the space program.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Not only an incredible idea, but a heartwarming idea. Yeah right.
It's a very special thing to have that kind of
mindset where go, oh, I have an idea, this will
bring people together the entire earth. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
And and I could just picture Julie as a kid
like you were, probably that kid who raised your hand
to answer every question in school. I'm guessing when Brian
and I were then and then and then and Jim
was or Vegas I should say now it was the
thing I have too. He was the kind of kid
who was literally cooler than every other kid.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Absolutely. Can you imagine taking like a role call in
fourth grade Steve Watson? Yes, here they I guess, I'm
here man, Roger Roger, that's.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Always searching, searching for faster.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
That's right, That's right.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
So but let me ask you this, I mean, look
as a as a as a writer, probably one of
the most magical moments for me in the process after
I've written something is when you get to walk onto
a set and it suddenly becomes.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Real even though it's fake. Uh. But but Julie.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
For you as a as a scientist, what's it like
when you've you've done all the hard math and the
engineering to solve all kinds of complex problems in your
head and on a computer, and then what's it like
when you suddenly see it all come to life in
a very real and powerful way on a launch path.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
I can't imagine.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
It is truly like having another child. And I talk
about it that way with my kids and they kind
of laugh about that. Like when we had the first
element launch of Space Station. There was so much hard
work that went into that program, and many times when
it is going to be canceled from Congress and it
was happening, and then it wasn't, and then it was happening,
and then it wasn't. And to have that first piece,
(20:08):
that first element, finally launched into space and realize this
is really going to happen, and this is going to
change the world, it was like childbirth for me. It
was like I was birthing another a third kid. It
was amazing. Yeah, it just I still get goosebumps at
every launch.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
We were sure.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Yeah, for the Artemis launch where we're going back to
the Moon, which is establishing us getting ready to go
back or go to Mars with humans. And every time
it does not get old. Every time I get goosebumps.
I can feel it in my chest.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Speaking of feelings, if this isn't too personal, but sure
you're excited. It's it's like a child. You've worked so
hard with other people of the same mindsets and the
same desire. But is there also a fear ever a
year on launch day that like, oh God, did we
(21:02):
get everything right? Or does that still happen or are
you just.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Oh yes, oh yes. Every single time there is concern
and fear because you know, what you built is super
complex and lots of things can go wrong. And the
parts of the Shuttle and the Artemis rocket that I
work on are the engines. And we have been so
(21:26):
blessed in that our engines have always performed perfectly on
all of these missions. But anytime there's an anomaly, some
kind of issue, it's all part of one team, and
you always think, is this my part or is this
you know, one of my colleagues parts, And every time
it's very scary, and like we were talking about earlier,
(21:48):
we've lost Cruise, right, we lost two crews one on Challenger.
I wasn't working the program then, but Columbia I was
deep into the program, and Vegas was the first wanted
to take the US back to space. After Columbia.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
That's right, I remember that we were on the air.
By the way, well, I used to do a syndicated
a radio show my my then partner, and I, uh
and that's the fan fan we're on the air now.
This is a comedy show, right, a high energy comedy show.
(22:26):
But I kind of insisted we bring a television in
because the countdown was happening, and live on the show,
we just watched Vegas and and the crew launch off
that launch pad. And I'm not kidding you, I'm not
trying to fake this. I started crying on the air
because it just kept going and it's going up, and
(22:46):
it's going up, and your comedy thinking, it's like, go
just go get up there, get up there. And I
got so emotional on the air. You know, that's a
beautiful moment, and thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Well yeah, I mean, Colonel Kelly, what about you? I mean,
even after all the what I want to know is,
after all of the rigorous training and years of prep,
you obviously went through before the missions.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
That you were on.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Are there any aspects of exploring space that were just
completely different from what you imagined?
Speaker 5 (23:18):
Well, you really kind of imagine the grandeurra space looking
back at the planet. I was falling on my first
Shottle mission. We're discovering. There were two of those rikies
on the upper story the flight that it's called. All
the windows are on the shuttle, and I was appliant
side about four and the switches. I had to throw
those tug and switches. Youly, I'd throw about four hundred
those to get the beast ready to be an orient vehicle.
And I've got my heads down in the cockbit looking
(23:40):
at the dials engages in front of me, and I
briefly glanced up and looked out the windows and passing
over Italy, and I looked back down the cockpit and
then I was like wait, and I stood up and
I'd looked out the front windo again. I actually physically
reached back and grabbed Paul Richards was another rick at
this grabbed by the collar of his space. He pulled
them to the front window and said, look outside. And
it's just that moment it is you can think about
(24:01):
as much as you want. You can look a picture
as much you want videos, it just does not do justice.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Let me go from there to a question I wanted
to ask sometime during there's interview of you, Jim, and
I'll set it up this way. In nineteen sixty five,
during the Gemini four mission ed, White became the first
American astronaut to experience an EVA or spacewalk. After twenty minutes,
(24:28):
just around twenty minutes, he had been ordered to return
to the spacecraft and he didn't want to, and he
made that quite clear because he was having such a
great time. Finally he relented and he starts back to
the spacecraft and he said these words, I'm coming back
in and it's the saddest moment of my life. Now, Jim,
(24:49):
you've done this a few times, you've spacewalked. Can you
in any way describe what everybody except a handful of
people on the face of this earth have experienced.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
Yeah, it's just incredible with being up there and arm
and looking outside here and that you be able to
go and do spacewalks. They go out and have that moment.
We actually have a part of the spacewalk at the
beginning where it's just time to let them adjust. They
go out and just give them like ten minutes where
they can just freeze up with dunch and something like
you grib it so tight that you know your hands
are killing you. Some some flow away, some just hold
on with one hand and just take a look around.
You always tethered. Of course, you're always tied to the
(25:25):
station by a rope at the shold by a rope.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Is it exhausting?
Speaker 5 (25:28):
It is? Well, imagine your hands just in the gloves alone.
You have to you have to open your hands up
against the gloves force. And so you're doing the constant
all day, all day, all day, all day, all day,
and it's really tiring. And fingernails direcked off and breuising
and and all kinds of stuff, and just show whole
bodies tired for being out there.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
And then like so you mentioned you're taking in that view,
you're seeing Italy, you're seeing the earth down below? Can
you see Brian's pool for example? Were you ever able
to see? Can you tell us more about that?
Speaker 1 (25:57):
So fascinating? What's with the big rubber inflatable duck Brian?
I don't know mister Vegas, Julie Julie.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
For us, a good day is work is I don't
know what it is, probably just not farting in the studio.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
But what's it.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
What's a good day of work like for you at
Aerojet Rockade, right, thirty years of working there, What's something
that you've done that you're particularly proud of and why?
Speaker 4 (26:27):
A good day at work is when you send a
crew into space and you have no issues at all
with what you've been working on for years. A good
day we build the generators for the Mars rovers as well.
A good day is when that baby lands on Mars
and starts looking around the planet and bringing home, you know,
(26:48):
samples and things for us to learn from. So another
good day is bringing young people in new hires, new
engineers and seeing their excited because sometimes we get lost
after years, right, I've been doing this for thirty five
years and what we do is so cool, but sometimes
(27:08):
you get lost, you know, and don't have that cool
factor as much. And I love being reminded, uh huh
of that, you know, with the young engineers are that
are coming on board and really excited and motivated for
these next steps that we're taking.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I mean, I love that you're energized by that, because
frankly I understand it. Like my son Crockett and I once,
as I mentioned, got to have lunch with Colonel David
Randolph Scott, who was drove the lunar Rover, and I
remember him, God love him. He's such an amazing person.
But he was a little bit blase when we asked.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Him, you know, what's it like to drive the lunar Rover,
which is I'm sure a question he's had eight billion times, right,
And his answer right off the top was like, it's
just like driving a car, except you're driving on the mood. Right.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
But I get that because like literally, you've had to
talk about this and relive this over and over and
over again.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
But let me interject something, and this kind of goes
back to the outreach programs that you two do together.
Is you know you're going to get asked the same
questions from these grade schoolers and high school students and
idiots like us and is just a hundred times, but
you two voluntarily go out to inspire kids to do
(28:25):
their very best and whatever they want to do to
again reach for the stars. You can do it if
we can do it. You can do it, and you're
so inspiring just in these few minutes that we're spending
with us today. That's such a lovely thing to do. Yeah,
thank you for that.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Thank you, thank you. It's really important. And I think
the message we try to give to these kids is
go after your dreams, whatever they are. If it's a
baseball player, a ballerina, an actor, whatever it is, whatever
that dream is, go for it, and surround yourself with
those those people that help you on that path. There
(29:03):
you go, and ditch the ones that frankly aren't supporting you.
Because you know how many people told Vegas he'd never
be an astronaut, so many people, and so he stuck
with the people who believed in him and ended up
getting to go to space a couple of times. I mean,
it's follow your dreams, that's the most important thing, and
(29:24):
do something that makes you happy. And that's what I
try to tell tell kids, like, make sure you enjoy
what you're doing, because you're gonna be working for a
long time. You want to make sure you have fun
and enjoy what you're doing. Vegas and I are so blessed,
and I think you guys too, in the fields that
you are.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
That we love what we do.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
We're passionate about it. It's fun to go to work
every day and see what we're.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Going to do next, and talk about giving back, talk
about paying it for Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Although I do think, Julie, you've maybe been more successful
than even after all of my attempts at convincing Brian
you really can be a ballerina.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
What is really can do it? You can do it.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
I want to see it. I want to see it.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
I can't fit in the two too. I take a three. Three. Oh,
I like that.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
It's just too big of a jim. I have to
ask you this because yes, it's clear to both of
us that you returned from space and you are not
bored with talking about it and sharing the experience with
all kinds of people, different ages, different walks of life.
But because I have had the joy of hearing this
story before, I wonder if you will share with our
listening and viewing audience the story about coming back from
(30:33):
from space and just trying to use utensils at dinner
with your family.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Yeah. So I got back from your first space mission
and you go through a bunch of medical tests, and
when you get back and luckily you get a shower
and to do all that stuff and all the experience
and things that need to be done before you're releasing
the wild, so to speak. But the person I back,
I was with my whole family, and I went to
a Mexican restaurant and have a good meal and all that.
About halfway through the conversation, I took my fork and
I said, it right here, just let it go right
(31:04):
there in the.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Space, in the middle of the air. That's what you get.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
The glass that played the floor. People and every head
in the audience in the restaurant turnam looking like God,
I'm an asser and I dropped my sport.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
That is great. It's perfect. That's perfect.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That's the stuff that we can't fully appreciate or understand
having not had that experience.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
But I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Well listen, I mean, look, your your your shared passion
you guys for space exploration is particularly important, I think
in a lot of the other work you do here
down on the ground, because you are so committed, obviously
to inspiring young people to follow, if not in your footsteps,
to chase after their dreams. In addition to speaking to
(31:53):
students and schools all over the country encouraging people, uh
to chase after those dreams. We know that one one
of those efforts that you guys have been involved in
is this new children's museum being developed and venture a county, right.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
It's called Kids Stream.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Yes, Kids Stream, Yeah. So we are part of their
advisory committee and they plan on opening in twenty twenty five.
They just got a big grant from Amgen pharmaceutical company
that's local to the area, and they've already reached out
to so many kids. They have kind of temporary facilities
(32:30):
that will eventually become their permanent facility. They have a
building now that they've secured, but they've already reached out
I don't know what is it, fifty thousand kids already
before even officially opening, and it's just a great way
to bring science and technology and even the arts. They
call it Kids Stream because it includes you know, reading
(32:53):
and art, and a good way to reach out to
the young people in our community. I know what my
kids are older now. I would have loved to have
had these hands on places where you can go and
really immerse yourself in science with your young children. And
I think it's a really positive thing.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Okay, So talk about good humans.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
The people that are working out with the board members
and the pure, the sponsors and the volunteers. They're out
there doing good work for the community to raise the
next generation.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Wow, that's that's incredible.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Look, when you've just talked about this and you knew
what I didn't, and I think it's just it's a wonderful,
beautiful I'm so glad it's happening. But my second thought,
and I'm not kidding, my second thought was it's going
to be pretty creepy for me to go alone without
a kid to this museum because I'm gone, it's just
a sixty five year old walk it around alone. I'm
(33:46):
literally getting creeped out right now at the table. So yeah,
but I'm going. I've got to Space Space Camp. I've
done all these things everywhere in the country you could go,
I've gone, and I've got to see this. Well, that's
so glad they're doing it and it has happened. That
is exactly right.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
And if you want more information on that, you should
go and visit kidstream dot org. You can get all
kinds of information there about how you can also join
in supporting such a worthy cause.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Listen, before we finish up, I.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Know that you know Julian Vegas both had to you know,
you know, clear things with their respective legal departments and
make sure they're not violating any of the terms of
their their clearance. So did you want or do you
want me to ask them exactly what they know about
the alien life forms we're hiding at Area fifty one.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
Well, I already know the answer. Oh you do. Yes,
As I said, I've been everywhere anything connected with space
I've gone, and I have seen things. You've seen things.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
But again that's the Martiniz talking more than anything else.
I think we know that you're both way too busy
to be here in the first place, but thank you
for taking the time to be here, and we want
to give you kind of the last word. Anybody watching
or listening has been inspired in some way to explore
the heavens as a scientist, as an astronaut, or as both.
(35:09):
Do you guys have any recommendations for what they should do?
Speaker 4 (35:12):
I'll let you take that one.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
Well, I'd say for my partner, if you are to
become an astronaut, just get an ACI dot gut an
SA dot g o V and they've got a way
to do as Mack, we're hiring a new class now.
It just started the process and we've had as many
as eighteen thousand apply before and willing to take about ten.
So a lot of getting this job with the Blue
Blue Jacket is unluck But it's really perseverance, and like
Julie said, you know, it's hold on to the people
(35:34):
to say you can do it and letting go of
the people to say you can't. You don't need those
Those are bad humans. You don't need those humans in
your life. So hand with the good humans. You don't
know where you want to go.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
And do they have an age limit an age window
for applicants? You're outside the window. Let me finish. Actually yeah, ooh,
hey there, I'm in the window because I think I'm
out of the window for the Heisman Trophy. So I
want I want something really really well, I guess yeah,
(36:04):
Glenn when John Glenn was up there, but he kind
of was like William Shattner, but that wasn't in your program.
John sell me someone the show amazing, amazing.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
Well do pettit Dom pettit's going up.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
I think he's I think Don's sixty seventy launches in August.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
All right, And and Julie, if somebody wants to follow
in your footsteps, what would you recommend?
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I recommend study what you love. We have all kinds
of people working in the space industry, financial marketing, engineers, ops, people,
I mean, anything that you do. If your passion is space,
we will have a spot for you.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Really well, that's great news, that is super cool. Our
passion is space. But rocket scientist, rocket science, No.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
No, The closest I got to a rocket scientist is
remember the water powered pump up rocket the art Yeah,
I mean that's yeah. Those those were fine, right, Okay, good,
that's closest I'll get.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
I'd love to show you both because I still have them.
My Henry County Fair Blue ribbons for my Estes rockets.
The building, the construction of my Estas rockets. Now, you know,
you have your job where you have to you know,
build a whole face ground. Sure, but until you've tried
to put a double d est it's really difficult. And
(37:28):
the little clips on the wire that you know, it's
incredibly detailed work.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Yeah, those were fun. My brother used to shoot those off.
And my job was to always go find the carriage. Yeah,
and now that was my job because I was the
little sister, so go fine.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
So that's what really inspired you. You're like enough of that,
Yes exactly, I am.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Going to be building the rog and not shooting after
these guys coming down.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
What you're looking at, these faces, this energy, this excitement
is what I'm sure you see in the faces of
these outreach programs that you do and whatever age. Kid
and we are a couple of kids, you know, we
admit it, but this is what you see the people
that you inspire. And I thank you on behalf of
(38:17):
my partner. Thank you for doing this, taking the time
of your incredibly, I can't even imagine both your schedules
to go, let's go talk to a fourth grade class.
Let's go do that and enjoy doing it. Are we
the fourth grade class.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Or third grade? Thank you both for taking the time
to speak with.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Us as well.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
Oh, you are welcome. And you know, it's just so
exciting to see the excitement in their faces. Like I said,
it kind of energizes us.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
In a way.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
It's wonderful for them, but it's very very wonderful for
us to see their excitement and their motivation. And now
we actually have kids coming back to us that we
talk to that are in the industry and working with us,
and it's nice to see that what you're doing is
making a difference.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Well, yeah, that much is clear to us.
Speaker 5 (39:09):
You guys are have the name because because humans is
exactly all one our jobs. That's what one number one
number one characters who look for in somebody for either
of our jobs is good humans.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
Yeah, it's not necessarily their technical skills, it's how they
treat other people and get along in those team environments,
because everything we do is part of a team.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Yeah, well we're both good team players. We don't know
jack about rocket science, but we're still in maybe possibly
I actually this this, but you're thinking, well, no, we
can teach it the rocket scide spit. No you couldn't.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
No.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
I generally walk away from every episode of the show
feeling hopeless, but not this episode.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I actually feel that there's a shot. Thank you so much.
Gain again, we use the word and we're not using
it just throwing it around. We are honored to speak
with you both. Yeah, you are inspiringly good humans and
both of you are out of this world. Thank you.
Very much for taking the time to be with us.
Speaker 4 (39:59):
Thanks, thank you for having us, and thank you, thank
you for all that you're doing and recognizing people that
are are doing this great stuff across the world. It's
really important in today's time.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
You're always welcome here. If you want to promote anything,
if you want to talk about anything, if you want
to pick our brains for you know, rocket design, whatever,
just feel free. That's right, you got it.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Big, We will take you suck.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
How great was that? I don't know. I don't know
how great we were. I know how great they are,
like mumbled through the whole thing. I felt like a
ten year old. I didn't know what to ask clate.
They're just too cool. And I tried to touch that
point where these are the faces they're seeing an eight
to you know, fourteen year old. Yes, yes, we were
the eight and fourteen year olds so large. And I
know not everyone as geeky as we here, but I'm
(40:54):
telling you millions of people love this sort of thing.
I mean, favorite movie of all top five, top five
favorite movie of all time on my list is the
right stuff. It was on the air I was on
the other day, life just sort of like we're going
to take a little break here, and if it's on,
I am watching it. And I loved everything, the dedication,
(41:19):
the work that these two have gone through. But it
started this fledgling idea, you know, and the space race
with Russia. Everything is just fascinating about it. And these
people are my heroes.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
I love the way she also touched on because they
come at it from such different directions, right, But I
love the way she touched on how no matter what
you're interested in or what your skill sets are, there's
some interesting and creative way that you can apply them
to this same joint effort, which is looking beyond where
we are and just thinking about where we might go.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
All right, Well, one more thing, Yeah, and I got
to say this. I'm being honest. I think Jim's call
sign Vegas is even cooler than Mavericks. So I think
we should have we should have call signs on the show.
I think I've got one for me. Okay, how do
you want to be known moving forward? Colonel white chocolate?
(42:13):
White chocolate? Yeah, I like it. I like it. Talk
to me white chocolate? No, don okay? What about you?
Spot Nick sput nick but Sputnick Chrome dome, which one.
Let's put them together. We gotta mesh him spot dome
spot chrome chrome. It's starting to get on savoring chrome.
(42:34):
We'll work on. Yeah, I can't top white chocolate. Thanks
for joining us, you guys, we really do appreciate it.
As always, we ask.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
You go to our website be Good Humans podcast dot
com and tell us about the good humans in your lives,
people that we need to know about, people we might
actually be able to talk to in a way that's
a little bit more intelligent than the way we handled
an astronaut and a rocket scientist. And also give us pointers.
Are they I mean they're not going to get you know,
(43:02):
us to it. I hope what's the diameter of the
that's what I hope they're used to it. But also
give us pointers on how to be a good human
that would be great. Follow us on all the socials, Facebook, Instagram, threads,
TikTok and acts. More importantly, spend some time at some
point in the next twenty four hours after listening to
or watching the show, look up, stare at the heavens,
contemplate what's out there and how you might be able
(43:25):
to explore all kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
And think of all the good humans they got us
up there in the first place. That's exactly right, all right,
See you later, See you later. Be good humans.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
Be good humans. Be good humans. Be good humans, or
we will thank you suck.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Be good humans.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
As executive produced by Brian Phelps, Trey Callaway, and Grant Anderson,
with associate producers Sean Fitzgerald and Clementine Callaway and partnership
with straw Hut Media.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Please like, follow, and subscribe, and remember be good humans.
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