WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.080 --> 00:01:04.480 Stas always look to the sky. 2 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:11.640 The Doctor Sky Experience is on the air seventy seven WABC. 3 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:16.000 Now here's Doctor Sky. 4 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.280 And welcome once again, ladies and gentlemen to your weekend 5 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:23.599 as we bring you from the powerhouse blow towards signal 6 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:29.120 Talk Radio seventy seven WABC and broadcasting proudly from the 7 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:31.599 center of the universe, New York City to the nation 8 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:35.159 the world. Welcome once again to the Doctor Sky Experience, 9 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:38.599 a show that talks about the great mysteries from the 10 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:43.680 realms of astronomy, space, aviation, weather, celebrity guests, and stories 11 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.200 of American exceptionalism. As may you may have heard in 12 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:49.439 the past. We love to call our show sort of 13 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:52.439 a theater of the mind, bringing you the best guest 14 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:56.879 that we just mention in this entire two hour experience 15 00:01:57.079 --> 00:01:59.920 from the theater. And we'd like to thank our helms, 16 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.840 both Bill and Jackson, for navigating through the airwaves all 17 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:06.640 the great guests there we get and all the great 18 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:10.000 callers that we get to this radio show. The contact 19 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:12.520 number is always is one eight hundred eight four eight 20 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:15.680 nine two two two, or simply one eight hundred eight 21 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:19.560 four to eight WABC. And while you're at it. We 22 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:22.000 always encourage you to do this. Why not download the 23 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:25.560 WABC app because not only here in our so called 24 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:28.560 theater of the mind, we have opportunities to have you 25 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:32.000 experience the many other rooms in this great broadcast mansion 26 00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:34.680 that you can learn about. And what would you do. 27 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:36.919 You'd be learning so much more about all the great 28 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.599 hosts that are on this radio station, and so much 29 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:42.840 more the podcasts and ways to get in touch with 30 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:47.680 the things that go on at WABC. In tonight's adventure, 31 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:49.439 we're going to be doing something a little different. We 32 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:52.319 go back to the I know the basic tenets of 33 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:55.759 the Doctor Sky experience when we talk about astronomy, space, aviation, 34 00:02:55.919 --> 00:02:58.759 and weather, but it's one that's interesting, ladies and gentlemen. 35 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:01.319 Is I'd like to throw the question out because so 36 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:03.560 much in the way of space news has happened in 37 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:06.199 the past week. We'll talk in detail in just a 38 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.840 few moments about the remnants of the SpaceX booster rocket 39 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.680 that impacted the Moon earlier this week. Many of you 40 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:15.680 were told, and I don't know in legacy media that 41 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:17.919 there might be an opportunity to see such an event. 42 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:20.680 You'res truly who's watching it? But we have more important 43 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:24.199 things to share with you about that particular incident. And 44 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:27.240 if we go back into our time tunnel, the question 45 00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:28.919 that I want to throw out there to the audience 46 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:32.120 is this, what does the US space program mean to 47 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:35.960 you regarding American exceptionalism. We've been doing this quite a 48 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:39.840 long time and it's interesting, nonetheless to many. But if 49 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.800 we go back in our time tonal, let's think about 50 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:44.800 something that happened back in nineteen ninety one, on the 51 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:48.879 date of August the ninth, the first email was actually 52 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:51.240 sent from space. It seems almost hard to believe that 53 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:54.879 in our busy day we go about sending emails like 54 00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:57.199 we don't even give it a second thought. But about 55 00:03:57.240 --> 00:04:01.159 the Space Shuttle Atlantis STS forty three, NASA astronauts Sean 56 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:04.759 and Lucid and James Adamson used a Macintosh portable to 57 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:09.960 transmit the first ever email from orbit feeding an applee. 58 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.479 And also, if you go deeper into the space subject, 59 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:16.519 on this particular date, that is August ninth, nineteen seventy six, 60 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:19.920 Luna twenty four was launched. What was that? The Soviet 61 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:23.040 Union launched Luna twenty four, the final robotic lunar probe 62 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.560 on the lunar program which successory returned one hundred and 63 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:31.879 seventy grams of moon soil containing traces of water. And 64 00:04:31.959 --> 00:04:34.720 to begin our conversation about the great legacy of space 65 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:37.680 and your questions and comments at one eight hundred eight 66 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:41.439 four eight nine two two two, our very special guest, 67 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:43.920 the guy we go to on space subjects like this, 68 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:47.079 is Rod Pyle. He's the editor in chief of ad 69 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:50.079 Astro Magazine, a print in digital quarterly published by the 70 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:54.800 National Space Society. He's authored many books nonfiction and has 71 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.480 co authored four public reports for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 72 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.199 Pile has hosted two podcast series, including This Week in Space, 73 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:04.720 and as a frequent guest not only on this show, 74 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:08.480 other national shows, radio shows, and he appears on various 75 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:12.519 television shows as a space expert. With that, we welcome 76 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:15.560 Rod Bile. Rod, thank you, always a pleasure to have 77 00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:18.240 you and sharing the information that you do about the 78 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:19.000 space program. 79 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:19.399 How are you. 80 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:22.519 I'm very good, Thanks for having me on, and I 81 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:24.079 want to compliment you for something. 82 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:24.879 I think we've. 83 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:28.360 Talked about this before, but in one of my podcasts, 84 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:32.040 which I was in a setup to do live over 85 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:36.199 at KFI in La our big am blowtorch. They sat 86 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:39.680 me down and I thought we were recording that day 87 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:44.600 and we weren't, and they said, okay, bok, and I 88 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:49.000 was like, I was completely tongue tied. And I'm never 89 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:51.560 tongue tied. I do public speaking all the time, but 90 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:53.920 for some reason, sitting in a hot little room with 91 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:57.319 a microphone, I was absolutely paralyzed. 92 00:05:57.399 --> 00:05:59.839 So hats off to you for doing what you. 93 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:02.079 Do, because it's a lot harder than people think it is. 94 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:05.000 Well, thank you, Rod, And he's not being paid to 95 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:06.920 say that. But again, there are many people out there 96 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:09.279 that do a great job in this. But it's interesting 97 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:12.759 going back to you and you're you know, entire legacy 98 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:14.680 of books that you write. I mean, I'm not a writer. 99 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:16.800 I don't have a book out yet. Many people say 100 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:20.000 I should, but that's another story for another time. And that, 101 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:21.959 of course is not a subject that I talk about 102 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:24.079 on air. But about you, I got to ask you 103 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:26.480 this route. You know you're fascination for space. Well when 104 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.920 did this begin? Because, by the way, I'm two hundred 105 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.800 and thirty days older than you and your birthday's coming 106 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:33.720 up on September seventeenth, right. 107 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:36.639 Yes, it is the Big seven zero. 108 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:41.720 Well, you know, back when you and I were in 109 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:45.040 elementary school, I was in pasting to California doing drop 110 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:48.160 drills and all that kind of stuff, and at least 111 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:51.000 here when I went to the school library looking for 112 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:55.199 books on space, all they had was stuff like the 113 00:06:55.240 --> 00:06:58.199 big Golden Book of Rockets and the newest Thing, and 114 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:02.720 it looked like something von Braun Von Braun and fever Dream. 115 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.079 You know, it looked like a big silver banana. So 116 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:08.319 there's very little available there. But I was interested, probably 117 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:13.839 from second grade on, because, as you remember, amazing things 118 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:16.319 were happening in the real space program. 119 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:17.680 This is the Space Race. 120 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:21.519 The throwing down the gauntlet by President Kennedy, We're going 121 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:23.879 to beat the Soviet Union to the moon. Then not 122 00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:27.279 too much later, quietly saying hey, Russians, would you like 123 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:28.240 to cooperate. 124 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:29.120 And going to the moon, But they said no. 125 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:32.519 So we had this as you and I were growing up, 126 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:35.759 this sensational series of flights to the Gemini program and 127 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:39.839 then finally the Power Program, culminating with six amazing trips 128 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:42.720 to the lunar surface, and we got to sit and 129 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:46.600 watch that live on television. It was just one of 130 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:49.240 the greatest times to be alive. Ever, of course we 131 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.879 didn't know how much danger those guys were in every 132 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.879 second they were up there, because that wasn't really pushed 133 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.120 out to the public very much. As I look back 134 00:07:58.160 --> 00:07:59.639 on it now, and I think I told you. 135 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:00.639 Last was on the show. 136 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:03.839 I'm finishing a book right now, a biography of Jerry Griffin, 137 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:05.759 who's the last of the pall of flight directors that 138 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:07.800 hasn't put out a biography as far. 139 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:10.920 As I know. And we marvel at the fact. 140 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:13.959 That it worked because that was basically nineteen fifty technology 141 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:17.160 that had been spruced up into the mid sixties, and. 142 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:19.800 They got all those guys back safely. It's just blows 143 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:20.240 my mind. 144 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:22.720 So that's really what kindled my interest, and it just 145 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:23.439 never went away. 146 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:26.240 Well, I question to the audience, what does the US 147 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:29.680 Space program mean to you, ladies? I'm regarding American exceptionalism, 148 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:32.720 so many stories and Rod Pile. We have a very 149 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:35.240 special guest here we're going to introduce to this audience, 150 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:37.879 and I'm really privilege and honored to be able to 151 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.240 give this gentleman and read a little bit of his 152 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:44.159 bio and share with him in the audience. His time 153 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:47.279 as an astronaut. Who we're talking about. We're talking about 154 00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:50.720 Ed Dwight. Who's Ed Dwight. He enlisted. Captain Ed Dwight 155 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:52.919 enlisted in the US Air Force in nineteen fifty three 156 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:55.960 and was commissioned a lieutenant in nineteen fifty five. In 157 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:58.799 nineteen sixty one, at the direction of President John F. Kennedy, 158 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:01.480 he became the first African American to enter the Air 159 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:05.639 Force training program, from which NASA selected astronauts. Although we 160 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:08.679 completed training at the Aerospace Research Pilot School in nineteen 161 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:13.000 sixty three and advanced to the second round of the program, end, 162 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:16.879 he was not selected for the Astronaut Corps. Dwight finally 163 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.879 traveled into space on Blue Origins NS twenty five mission 164 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:23.360 in twenty twenty four, becoming the oldest person to ever 165 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:27.600 participate in the spaceflight, a record previously held by William Shatner, 166 00:09:27.960 --> 00:09:30.840 and in twenty twenty rightfully, he became an honorary member 167 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:34.360 of the US Space Force. During a ceremony at the 168 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:38.320 Pentagon with that Captain Ed Dwight, it's a privitly noted 169 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:40.120 to have you on this radio show, which we call 170 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:43.519 The Doctor's Guy Experience. Hope you're with us, and thank you, 171 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:46.279 my friend, for your passion, for the service that you 172 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:50.080 gave the American people and your spaceflight. How are you, ed, Dwight. 173 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:58.320 Well, I'm faring I'm having a few healthy issues right now. 174 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:01.759 But thank you for all the kind words. Uh and 175 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:07.919 and even reaching back to even you know, consider talking 176 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:11.879 to uh, you know, talking to me, and and and 177 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:15.440 all of the all the things that it seems so 178 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.759 long ago that you know that all that all this 179 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:22.240 stuff took place. But uh, obviously I keep up with 180 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:24.840 the States program, and I keep up with all the 181 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:27.879 all the all the current astronauts and then they come 182 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 to the flat of Denver to visit me in my 183 00:10:30.120 --> 00:10:34.679 studio and uh and so I keep my hand in 184 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:42.200 uh uh and uh Victor Glover uh, as you know, 185 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.080 just went to the Moon and he's one of my 186 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:49.440 he's one of my proteges by the way, uh and 187 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:55.600 and and and uh yeah, doing his mission. We we 188 00:10:55.799 --> 00:11:02.240 managed to to talk over the phone on the last 189 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:06.399 mission that he went up and did all that magic 190 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:14.000 stuff that they do up there now. So I'm glad 191 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:17.799 to be on your program. And like I said, I 192 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:21.960 am having a few healthy issues right now. 193 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:23.759 You want to honor your service and not to keep 194 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:26.320 you too long here. I know this is great for you, 195 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:28.159 but also I want to mention this and I think 196 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:30.720 the audience needs to know, is you're an accomplished sculptor. 197 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:33.960 This is interesting. Your passion has always been art, obviously 198 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:36.559 the love of space. In the United States Air Force, 199 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:40.559 your services very much honored. HESKEW have completed that as 200 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:43.679 a number of public monuments, including the Texas African American 201 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.960 History Memorial on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol 202 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:49.759 and among others, the African American History Monument on the 203 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:53.159 grounds of the South Carolina State House. That's an interesting thing. 204 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:57.279 Your passion has always been obviously looking skyward. But tell 205 00:11:57.320 --> 00:11:59.759 us about the passion for being an artist and a sculptor. 206 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:04.080 That's an incredible skill, something that I'm not even familiar with. 207 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:06.720 Share with us a little bit about that. It's amazing. 208 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:13.080 Well, I this is, you know, a very very change. 209 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:19.960 I had two options to make a life's work. I 210 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:25.200 grew up on a farm in Kansas City, and I 211 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:28.320 came out of the shoot making art from the time 212 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:30.840 when I started school when I was two years old, 213 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:34.279 and I started doing art at that time, I was 214 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:36.919 doing full bodies and when I was two and three 215 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:39.360 and four years old, where the other kids was doing 216 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:43.600 stick figures. And I was an artist all the way 217 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:44.200 through school. 218 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:44.799 As a matter of. 219 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:48.159 Fact, when I graduated from high school, I got an 220 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:52.720 art scholarship to the Kansasity Art Institute. But the other 221 00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:58.639 alternative option I had was I grew up on a 222 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:03.240 farm that was right next to the Sabine Airport Fairfax 223 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:08.360 Airport in Kansas City, and from the from the time 224 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:11.879 I was two and three, Mom used to take us 225 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:15.080 to the me and my oldest sisters at the airport 226 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:19.000 to tell stories about how big the world was. And 227 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:23.240 this airport was a great vehicle because these planes took 228 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:27.240 off and went some magic place, and they come back 229 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:29.879 and they land and it'd been to some magic place. 230 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:34.080 And so I started going to the airport every day 231 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:37.159 and I got my first flight and the Steerman. 232 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:37.919 When I was eight. 233 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:42.759 Years old, I got a job cleaning out airplanes for 234 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:49.039 pilots that are from Kansas and Missouri that went to 235 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:52.240 Colorado for hunting trips. There was no war at the time, 236 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:57.600 and so as a result, I was around airplanes all 237 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:01.399 of my early life and I started studying about flying 238 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:05.200 as and I didn't have any hopes of being a 239 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.000 flying root for real, because all these people were around 240 00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:12.480 row white guys, uh, you know. And it was this 241 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:15.799 little little little brown kid going to the airport every day, 242 00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:18.879 and they kind of adopted me. But I got this 243 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:25.399 fascinated with fascination with flying U and I I had 244 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:27.440 a paper run and I was throwing papers all the 245 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:32.799 way through college. Uh. And I was, you know, I 246 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:34.799 had this art scholarship, so I had to make a 247 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:37.919 decision as to whether I was going to be an 248 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:41.639 artist or or a pilot guy. But I was throwing 249 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:44.519 my papers. I had a black paper run and a 250 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:46.399 white paper rout. And I was, like I said, I 251 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:50.480 was in college storm newspapers, and on the front pages 252 00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:54.200 of the black paper was a black pilot, was a tuskegeearman. 253 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:58.159 They got shot down in Korea, and all of a sudden, 254 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:01.399 I got this, Oh my god, they're letting black folks 255 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:08.120 fly airplanes. What And I immediately apply for pilot training. 256 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.759 And they sent me to Denver. Thirty three of us 257 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.799 from this cottage to Denver, and I was the only 258 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:15.480 I was the thirty three. I was the only one 259 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:18.000 that passed a pilot training. Two other guys pass from 260 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.679 a navigator, and so the Air Force just sucked me 261 00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:23.039 right up and said, you know we want you now. 262 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:26.720 You bet, my friend, you're right. I mean, in those days, 263 00:15:27.320 --> 00:15:30.679 African Americans were not probably won in the pilot seat much. 264 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:34.720 Your story is amazing. Ed DWYIGHTE, as we've mentioned before, 265 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:37.519 a gentleman who was selected by President John F. Kennedy 266 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:40.919 to be the first African American astronaut in space. The 267 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:44.440 story continues that he finally got his wish and rightfully so, 268 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:47.759 for his service to America by flying in Blue Origins 269 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:51.360 US twenty five mission and twenty twenty five as thou build. 270 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.200 Not to put you in a different light here, but 271 00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:56.480 this is interesting. The oldest person to ever participate in 272 00:15:56.519 --> 00:16:01.000 a spaceplight previously held by William Shatner. As long as 273 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.600 you're willing to do this, mister Dwight, Captain Dwight, the 274 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:05.720 phone number here one eight hundred eight four eight nine 275 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:08.159 two two two. If you do have a question for 276 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:12.039 mister Dwight, Captain Dwight, we would welcome that. Now let 277 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:14.200 me do something here, Rod Pile, I'd like you to 278 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:16.919 say hello to Captain Dwight. And you have a question, 279 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:19.440 I'm sure, or even a comment, Please continue. 280 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:23.279 Sir, Well, it was an honor to meet you, Captain Dwight, 281 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:26.320 and actually we met at the International Space Development Conference 282 00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:29.799 a couple of years ago. You were there having a 283 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:34.639 delightful discussion with Carlton Johnson, and I'm one of the 284 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.320 co organizers of that, and I think we also both 285 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:39.240 have a friend in common with Dylan Taylor. 286 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:44.039 Yes, yes, yes, who's a wonderful guy. 287 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:47.080 And describe those people to us, Rod's in case the 288 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:48.519 audience doesn't know who both of. 289 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:49.279 You are talking about. 290 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:53.720 So Carlton Johnson is the CEO of the National Space 291 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:59.039 Society who signs my paychecks, and he's also a retired 292 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:03.600 colonel from the USA Force. And I mean, the entire 293 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:08.240 audience was riveted by Captain Dwight's hawk, but I think 294 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:10.920 of all those people, the one that was glowing the 295 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:13.799 most was Carlton because he was meeting a hero of his. 296 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:19.160 Dylan Taylor owns Voyager Space. They're building a space station, 297 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:25.920 and Dylan is a well situated individual financially. He started 298 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.720 a nonprofit called Space for Humanity a few years ago. 299 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.960 The main purpose of that group is to help people 300 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:35.880 get space lights. And they do a lot of other stuff, 301 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:39.839 but this is one of their big things. So, Captain Dwight, 302 00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:44.599 I believe they were instrumental getting you onto the the 303 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:45.359 Blue Orchard flight. 304 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:45.759 Correct. 305 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:55.240 Well, yes, among others. The Black ash and group really 306 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:58.759 all got together. And they're the ones that you know, 307 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.559 you know, the lit the fire because they're they're also 308 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:04.680 they would look, this guy was the first one. So 309 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:08.119 and we're up here getting all this glory and stuff 310 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:11.960 and and and he and he just doesn't seem to 311 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:15.599 be getting any glory about space because by the end, 312 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:19.200 I'm this this artist, this running around doing all these 313 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:25.400 all these memorials and stuff. And so I kind of 314 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:31.000 attribute the the political push to the to the group 315 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:35.079 of black astronauts that all got together because uh and 316 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:40.160 after their missions, they would uh land in Houston getting 317 00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:43.440 T thirty eight and come out to my studio and 318 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:49.519 and and uh as a matter of fact, I uh 319 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:56.680 uh a Glover got me when he was at the 320 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:05.279 space station. Uh he actually uh the Kimasudia took pictures 321 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:08.759 and and and and and send my pictures up there 322 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.359 the space safe. So people around the world to see 323 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:13.799 me modeling sculptures and stuff. 324 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:18.799 That's amazing, you know, that's an incredible story, Rod Pyle, 325 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:21.720 amazing as we have you for our two hour journey 326 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:24.079 into the night sky. The question we posed to our 327 00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:27.240 audience out there and again far and wide around the world, Captain, 328 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:29.559 and of course Rod knows as well, what does the 329 00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:33.039 US space program mean to you folks regarding American exceptionalism. 330 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:35.240 Let's go to the phone lines and see how many 331 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:38.480 people can get in in the short opportunity. With Captain 332 00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:41.440 Ed Dwight on line one, we welcome Frank in the Bronx. Frank, 333 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:44.039 you're on with Rod Bile and Captain Dwight. How are 334 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:44.599 you this morning? 335 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:50.160 Hey guys? I high capital love like. 336 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:57.160 And I can hear you a little bit better Frank, 337 00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:59.480 And if you go just a little bit slower, I 338 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:01.519 think every but he would be able to hear this clearly. 339 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:02.559 Please start again. 340 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:05.720 Thank you. So a couple of things. I am in 341 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:11.640 awe with NASA and have space folding. I I am 342 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:16.359 fascinated with the Saturn five rocket, how violent and how 343 00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:19.000 how it how it works, you know, and the Space 344 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:21.160 Shuttle to forget about it, you know where it takes 345 00:20:21.160 --> 00:20:25.000 the land that space shuttle it comes down with no 346 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:27.880 no engines, and it has to goide and and a 347 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:30.200 bunch of different it has to circle, make a bunch 348 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:33.279 of different circles and then land. I am fascionated that, 349 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:37.279 and I'm a fascinated with how a space program calculates 350 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:42.240 everything supercisely. Or it's just I'm an you know it 351 00:20:42.359 --> 00:20:43.519 is crazy. 352 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:47.480 Absolutely, Frank, you bring up some good points either, gentlemen, 353 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:49.279 if you want to jump in on this. Frank brings 354 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:53.000 up the power of American exceptionalism in the space program. 355 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:55.319 Whoever would like to take that, please continue. 356 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:01.160 Well, I guess I'll jump in. I I too him 357 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:03.079 in all of this program, and I had a chance 358 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:05.240 to work elbow to elbow with some of those very 359 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:07.720 smart people, mostly at Jeff Propulsional Laboratory. 360 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:09.880 I was not one of them. 361 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:12.000 I was a writer, so I just followed them around 362 00:21:12.039 --> 00:21:14.680 and watched what they did, tried to make an understandable 363 00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:19.039 for other people. But seeing a team of people spend 364 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:22.319 a half day figuring out what instructions to send a 365 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:25.839 rover on Mars to get within a couple of millimeters 366 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:29.119 of a rock they want to drill, or even more impressively, 367 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:34.000 figuring out the math it takes to shoot something that 368 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:36.759 it's going to go into orbit around Saturn and it's 369 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:39.559 got a hit within this very narrow range of good 370 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:44.519 degrees almost a billion miles away. I mean, I took 371 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:48.079 some higher maths, but that stuff just blows my mind. 372 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:51.200 Doctor Sky, you've gone much further than this than I have. 373 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:52.640 You have a doctorate, you had to do a lot 374 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:55.640 of math to do that, but listening to these folks 375 00:21:55.799 --> 00:21:59.079 go what they go through just blows my mind. And then, 376 00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:03.359 of course is your guest mentor your caller mentioned the 377 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:07.400 Saturn five. It was a pretty conservative design, but for 378 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:10.839 the time when they started designing that, when rockets were 379 00:22:10.839 --> 00:22:14.240 still had about a fifty percent failure rate. It's just 380 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:17.440 remarkable that just a handful of years later that thing 381 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:20.599 delivered humans out to the Moon over and over and 382 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:22.880 over again without a single fatality or accident. 383 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:24.799 So it's amazing. 384 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:28.359 Absolutely, Frank and the Bronx thank you for participating in 385 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:31.400 the Doctor Sky experience. I'm going to ask this kindly, 386 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:33.440 Captain Dwight, if you'd be willing to stay with us, 387 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.079 if you obviously can do this and certainly I know 388 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:38.359 your passion is there. We'd love to at least have 389 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:40.480 you on air with many people that may want to call. 390 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:43.279 I'm filled with questions, and so is Rod Vile. So 391 00:22:43.400 --> 00:22:46.279 as loan as that's fine, we appreciate you greatly, my friend. 392 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:48.599 Sure sure, sure, sure. 393 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:50.920 No problem. You know something. We're going to go just 394 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:52.960 to the hard bake here just a couple of minutes, 395 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:55.240 so I probably won't jump in with that particular question 396 00:22:55.400 --> 00:23:00.519 just yet. But being the oldest person to go to space, remember, 397 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:03.319 and I remember this vividly. I'm sure Rod does. When 398 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:06.759 John Glenn, the then Senator, went in on the American 399 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:09.720 Space Shuttle, I think his age was seventy seven. But 400 00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:11.440 in about a minute or so. And this is a 401 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:13.680