Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will make history
when they break the bond from Earth in a SpaceX
Crew Dragon capsule that's never been flown
by humans before.
But find out how the strong bond of friendship
they share gives them the edge in space.
Next on the Rocket Ranch.
EGS Program Chief Engineer, verify no constraints
to launch…
3, 2, 1, and lift off.
Welcome to space.
Along with launch crews from NASA and SpaceX,
astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have
been very busy preparing for space flight.
They will be the first humans to fly to the
International Space Station from right here
at the Kennedy Space Center since the Space
Shuttle retired in 2011.
We caught up to them on a very windy day out
at historic pad 39A to talk about the historic
mission, their friendship, and how their families
are coping with the risk of their space flight.
Guys, we're standing in the shadow of a Falcon-9
rocket and a capsule that will be just like
this when you guys fly.
What are you feeling right now as you stand
here and gaze upon this rocket and spacecraft?
It's really exciting for us to get down here
and actually see each of these tests as we
go forward, and to see the progress.
When we came down for Demo-1, we walked
out in the pad, but we did it in our flight
suits like we're dressed right now.
Today when we went out to the pad, we actually
wore the SpaceX suit and went through that
entire exercise, all suited up, just like
we will for Demo-2.
And so pretty high fidelity simulation, but
when we do it next time, there won't be two
mannequins in our seats when we get there.
The space will be empty and we'll get a chance
to do it.
So it definitely makes it a little bit more
routine, which is how you really want launch
day to be; you want to know what you're getting
yourself into, and then to go execute it.
And so this just was one more of those steps
along the way to get to that point.
It's certainly exciting.
I mean, we were here for DM1; that was exciting,
kind of going through the whole process there,
watching it launch and go to station.
We got out to Hawthorne for the recovery of
that vehicle.
Being here, doing another dress rehearsal
for our launch day, in conjunction with IFA,
has been great.
A unique aspect of this test flight is the
two of you guys were best friends; known each
other for a long time.
You both graduated in the same astronaut class
in 2000, and you both married astronauts and
were in each other's wedding.
What's that like, having a best friend that's
flying with you on this test flight?
Yeah, a good question.
I think for me, I remember John Young saying
this a lot more than once, "It's not what
you do in space; it's who you do it with."
And this is really neat, to be able to fly
with your best friend into space.
You never think it's going to happen; obviously
we've had it happen over the years, I think
folks that were close friends have flown together
before, but it's a neat experience.
And then to add on top of it, the fact that
it's the first flight of a vehicle, is pretty neat.
We consider ourselves pretty lucky.
I think, in addition to the perks of being
with a close friend, of course, and being
with your best friend, there's the other piece
that we know what each other thinks about
just about everything. And so we can...
Too much.
...think ahead in terms of what
the other person is going to need, or what
the other person is going to want, anticipate
the next input, all those sorts of things,
which really, in a test flight like this,
goes a long way.
You can really anticipate the other person's
reactions versus to have a, "Well, I don't
know, Doug.
How do you feel about the next series of events?"
I already know the answers to those questions,
and it makes a big difference when you're
doing something as critical as space flight.
So one of you is for redundancy, then?
Yeah, mostly.
When both of you flew Space Shuttle, it had
already had a hundred flights under the belt
of the program.
It was a well-oiled machine.
This is the first time that this will be flown
by humans.
So what's the difference, in terms of mindset?
You know, one of the things that...
Folks often will look at the shuttle and talk
about the history, and how much practice we
had before we launched those vehicles when
our opportunities came.
It's really good, with this vehicle, that
the Falcon-9 has such a long heritage, and
has so many flights under its belt.
Even with the block five configuration that
will be the crew configuration, multiple flights
flying in that configuration before we get
on board.
And so that team is using the same people,
and it's a very well-oiled machine on that end.
And then on the cargo side, several cargo
missions, of course, way into the double digits
for heading to space station at this point,
it really gives you confidence that those
teams are actually pretty well-oiled and pretty
experienced as they come together to try to
do this with humans on board.
So the step is not quite as big as it might
necessarily appear, because the team has worked
so hard to make that operation for Falcon-9,
for everybody, be so similar, and then the
cargo mission history leading into the crew
missions.
Yeah, it's almost like the vehicle is now
talking back sometimes.
And I think that's one of the biggest things
for SpaceX, as a company, needing to get used
to, is just kind of what we would say and
what we're seeing in the vehicle and experiencing,
and what they need to say back to us.
Because obviously, with Cargo Dragons, they've
never had crew on board.
But it's been an interesting process, kind
of developing not only the training, but the
simulations, and then obviously the final
exam will be DM2.
Both of you guys helped develop this spacecraft;
is there anything that has your signature
on it, like Bob designed that little knob,
or Doug helped make that screen that way?
We've tried very hard to not make it a vehicle
that just Bob likes, or just Doug likes.
This is a vehicle for everybody after us that's
going to fly it.
And so you have to provide those inputs in
that vein, I think is the best way to put it.
And you're trying to make a vehicle that is
easy to operate in space, easy to interpret
what it's telling you, easy to get in and
get out of it, all those things that you need
to do that need to be well-oiled for a space
vehicle.
We're trying to add our inputs that helps
everybody who flies this vehicle.
Both of you married astronauts.
I'm wondering if, when you get ready to help
your family understand the risk that you're
taking here with this test flight, if it's
any easier knowing that both of your spouses
were astronauts, and they understand very
well the risk that goes with this?
One of the things I think that we're really
lucky to have is spouses that really understand
the situations that we're going to be in.
They understand what our role has been as
we've worked with the folks out in Hawthorne,
as we traveled down here to go through an
exercise.
They understand what it's like to be at the
other end of this camera and answer questions
with you.
And so that goes a long way to kind of shortening
how much you have to communicate where the
other person, how their day went, and things
along those lines.
I think if the spouses don't have as similar
of a career background, it seems like it could
be difficult.
I only have the one experience, and I think
it would be difficult for me, as a person,
to really convey the challenges that I have
on a given day, or why I'm confident on a
given day, or celebrate the successes the
same way if my spouse didn't understand them
as deeply as having an astronaut spouse does.
And so it's kind of like...
And our son only knows it one way, as well.
He's got two parents that fly in space, and
so that's probably better than, I have one
that does and one that doesn't.
It works out really well for us.
And I think, just like any other family, you
share the ups and downs.
We've been doing this for coming up on five
years as commercial crew astronauts, so they
haven't all been great days, but some have
been really great days.
And I think that's just part of it.
You just try to keep them in the loop as much
as possible, just like you would in any other
career path.
So I think they appreciate that, but, by the
same token, they certainly understand it to
a greater detail because of what they do,
as well.
Doug and Bob, we wish you great success on
your first test flight, and thank you for
taking the time to talk with us.
You bet.
Thank you.
I'm Derrol Nail, and that's our show.
And thanks for stopping by the Rocket Ranch.
A special thanks to our guests, Doug Hurley
and Bob Behnken.
To learn more about NASA's Commercial Crew
Program, visit nasa.gov, and to learn more
about everything going on at Kennedy, go to
nasa.gov/Kennedy.
And check out NASA's other podcasts to find
out what's happening there at the Centers
at nasa.gov/podcasts.
A special shout-out to our producer, John
Sackman, photographer Glenn Benson, soundman,
Kim Shiflett, and our editor, Michelle Stone.
And remember, on the Rocket Ranch, you've
got to keep looking up.
