WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:03.279 Always look to the sky. 2 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:10.400 The Doctor Sky Experience is on the air seventy seven WABC. 3 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:14.759 Now here's Doctor Sky. 4 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:19.120 And welcome once again, ladies and gentlemen to your weekend 5 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:22.359 as we bring you from the powerhouse blow towards signal 6 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:27.920 talk Radio seventy seven WABC and broadcasting proudly from the 7 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:30.399 center of the universe, New York City to the nation 8 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:33.960 the world. Welcome once again to the Doctor Sky Experience, 9 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:37.399 a show that talks about the great mysteries from the 10 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:42.439 realms of astronomy, space, aviation, weather, celebrity guests, and stories 11 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:46.000 of American exceptionalism. As may you may have heard in 12 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.240 the past. We love to call our show sort of 13 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:51.240 a theater of the mind, bringing you the best guest 14 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:55.640 that we just mention in this entire two hour experience 15 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:58.880 from the theater. And we'd like to thank our helmsman, 16 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:02.640 both Bill and Jackson, for navigating through the airwaves all 17 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:05.439 the great guests there we get and all the great 18 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:08.799 callers there we get to this radio show. The contact 19 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:11.280 number is always is one eight hundred eight four eight 20 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:14.439 nine two two two, or simply one eight hundred eight 21 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:18.359 four to eight WABC. And while you're at it. We 22 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:20.799 always encourage you to do this. Why not download the 23 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.319 WABC app because not only here in our so called 24 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:27.319 theater of the mind, we have opportunities to have you 25 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.760 experience the many other rooms in this great broadcast mansion 26 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:32.239 that you can learn about. 27 00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:33.480 And what would you do. 28 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:35.719 You'd be learning so much more about all the great 29 00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:38.400 hosts that are on this radio station, and so much 30 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:41.640 more the podcasts and ways to get in touch with 31 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:46.439 the things that go on at WABC. In tonight's adventure, 32 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:48.200 we're going to be doing something a little different. We 33 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:51.120 go back to the I know the basic tenets of 34 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:54.560 the Doctor Sky experience when we talk about astronomy, space, aviation, 35 00:01:54.680 --> 00:01:57.560 and weather, but it's one that's interesting, ladies and gentlemen. 36 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:00.040 Is I'd like to throw this question out because so 37 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:02.359 much in the way of space news has happened in 38 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:05.000 the past week. We'll talk in detail in just a 39 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.599 few moments about the remnants of the SpaceX booster rocket 40 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:11.439 that impacted the Moon earlier this week. Many of you 41 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:14.439 were told, and I don't know in legacy media that 42 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:16.719 there might be an opportunity to see such an event. 43 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:19.479 You'res truly who's watching it? But we have more important 44 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:22.960 things to share with you about that particular incident. And 45 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:26.039 if we go back into our time tunnel, the question 46 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:27.680 that I want to throw out there to the audience 47 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.919 is this, what does the US space program mean to 48 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.719 you regarding American exceptionalism. We've been doing this quite a 49 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:38.639 long time and it's interesting, nonetheless to many. But if 50 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:40.560 we go back in our time tonal, let's think about 51 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:43.560 something that happened back in nineteen ninety one, on the 52 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:47.879 date of August nine, the first email was actually sent 53 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:50.520 from space. It seems almost hard to believe that in 54 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.759 our busy day we go about sending emails like we 55 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:56.080 don't even give it a second thought. But about the 56 00:02:56.080 --> 00:03:00.120 Space Shuttle Atlantis STS forty three, NASA astronauts Shout and 57 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:04.039 Lucid and James Adamson used a Macintosh portable to transmit 58 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:09.240 the first ever email from orbit feeding an applee. And also, 59 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.879 if you go deeper into the space subject, on this 60 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:15.319 particular date, that is August the ninth, nineteen seventy six, 61 00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:17.240 Luna twenty four was launched. 62 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:17.960 What was that? 63 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.960 The Soviet Union launched Luna twenty four, the final robotic 64 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:24.960 lunar probe on the lunar program which successory returned one 65 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:29.879 hundred and seventy grams of moon soil containing traces of water. 66 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:33.080 And to begin our conversation about the great legacy of 67 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:36.240 space and your questions and comments at one eight hundred 68 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:40.199 eight four eight nine two two two, our very special guest, 69 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:42.680 the guy we go to on space subjects like this, 70 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:45.840 is Rod Pyle. He's the editor in chief of ad 71 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:48.840 Astra Magazine, a print in digital quarterly published by the 72 00:03:48.919 --> 00:03:53.599 National Space Society. He's authored many books nonfiction and has 73 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:57.240 co authored four public reports for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 74 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.960 Pyle has hosted two podcasts series, including This Week in Space, 75 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:03.520 and as a frequent guest not only on this show, 76 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.280 other national shows, radio shows, and he appears on various 77 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:11.319 television shows as a space expert. With that, we welcome 78 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.360 Rod Pile. Rod, thank you, always a pleasure to have 79 00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:17.000 you and sharing the information that you do about the 80 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:17.759 space program. 81 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:20.879 How are you. I'm very good, Thanks for having me on, 82 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:23.319 and I want to compliment you for something. I think 83 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:27.079 we've talked about this before, but in one of my podcasts, 84 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:30.839 which I was in a setup to do live over 85 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:35.000 at KFI in la our big am blowtorch. They sat 86 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:38.439 me down and I thought we were recording that day 87 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:43.360 and we weren't, and they said, okay, balk and I 88 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:47.759 was like, I was completely tongue tied. And I'm never 89 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:50.319 tongue tied. I do public speaking all the time, but 90 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:52.720 for some reason, sitting in a hot little room with 91 00:04:52.759 --> 00:04:57.680 a microphone, I was absolutely paralyzed. So tat's off to 92 00:04:57.720 --> 00:04:59.560 you for doing what you do, because it's a lot 93 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:00.920 harder than people think it is. 94 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:03.800 Well, thank you, Rod, And he's not being paid to 95 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:05.720 say that. But again, there are many people out there 96 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:08.079 that do a great job in this. But it's interesting 97 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.560 going back to you and you're you know, entire legacy 98 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:13.480 of books that you write. I mean, I'm not a writer. 99 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:15.600 I don't have a book out yet. Many people say 100 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.800 I should, but that's another story for another time. And that, 101 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:20.720 of course, is not a subject that I talk about 102 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:22.879 on air. But about you, I got to ask you 103 00:05:22.920 --> 00:05:25.199 this route. You know you're fascination for space. Well when 104 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:27.680 did this begin? Because, by the way, I'm two hundred 105 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:30.600 and thirty days older than you and your birthday's coming 106 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:32.560 up on September seventeenth, right. 107 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:38.920 Yes, it is the Big seven zero. Well, you know, 108 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:41.680 back when you and I were in elementary school, I 109 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.839 was in pasting to California doing prop drills and all 110 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:47.720 that kind of stuff, and at least here when I 111 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.920 went to the school library looking for books on space, 112 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.759 all they had was was stuff like the big Golden 113 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.480 Book of Rockets and the newest Thing, and it looked 114 00:05:57.480 --> 00:06:01.519 like something out of a vond bron and fever dream. 115 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.839 You know, it looked like a big silver banana. So 116 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:07.120 there's very little available there. But I was interested, probably 117 00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:12.639 from second grade on, because, as you remember, amazing things 118 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:15.480 were happening in the real space program. This is the 119 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:20.000 Space Race, the throwing down the gauntlet by President Kennedy, 120 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:21.879 We're going to beat the Soviet Union to the moon. 121 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:25.839 Then not too much later, quietly saying hey, Russians, would 122 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:27.399 you like to cooperate and going to the moon, But 123 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.519 they said no. So we had this as you and 124 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.319 I were growing up, this sensational series of flights in 125 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:37.040 the Gemini program, and then finally the Power Program, culminating 126 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:40.680 with six amazing trips to the lunar surface. When we 127 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:44.319 got to sit and watch that live on television, it 128 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.079 was just one of the greatest times to be alive. Ever, 129 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:50.040 of course we didn't know how much danger those guys 130 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:52.720 were in every second they were up there, because that 131 00:06:52.839 --> 00:06:56.279 wasn't really pushed out to the public very much. As 132 00:06:56.319 --> 00:06:58.120 I look back on it now, and I think I 133 00:06:58.199 --> 00:06:59.600 told you last time I was on the show. I'm 134 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:02.879 finishing book right now, a biography of Jerry Griffin, who's 135 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:04.800 the last of the poll of flight directors that hasn't 136 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.879 put out a biography as far as I know. And 137 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:10.439 we marvel at the fact that it worked because that 138 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:13.800 was basically nineteen fifties technology that had been spruced up 139 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:17.000 into the mid sixties, and that got all those guys 140 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:20.040 back safely. It's just blows my mind. So that's really 141 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:22.240 what kindled my interest, and it just never went away. 142 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:25.000 Well, I question to the audience, what does the US 143 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:26.319 Space program mean to you? 144 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:26.720 Ladies? 145 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:30.519 I'm regarding American exceptionalism, so many stories and Rod Pile, 146 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:32.879 we have a very special guest here we're going to 147 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.680 introduce to this audience, and I'm really privilege and honored 148 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:38.360 to be able to give this gentleman and read a 149 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:41.199 little bit of his bio and share with him in 150 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:45.360 the audience his time as an astronaut. Who we're talking about. 151 00:07:45.399 --> 00:07:48.639 We're talking about Ed Dwight. Who's Ed Dwight? He enlisted. 152 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:50.800 Captain Ed Dwight enlisted in the US Air Force in 153 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:53.519 nineteen fifty three and was commissioned a lieutenant in nineteen 154 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:56.319 fifty five. In nineteen sixty one, at the direction of 155 00:07:56.319 --> 00:07:59.560 President John F. Kennedy, he became the first African American 156 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:02.600 to enter the Air Force training program, from which NASA 157 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:06.360 selected astronauts. Although we completed training at the Aerospace Research 158 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.360 Pilot School in nineteen sixty three and advanced to the 159 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:13.079 second round of the program end he was not selected 160 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:16.720 for the Astronaut Corps. Dwight finally traveled into space on 161 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.639 Blue Origins NS twenty five mission in twenty twenty four, 162 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:23.639 becoming the oldest person to ever participate in the spaceflight, 163 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:27.319 a record previously held by William Shatner, and in twenty 164 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:30.000 twenty rightfully he became an honorary member of the US 165 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:34.759 Space Force. During a ceremony at the Pentagon with that 166 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:37.480 Captain Ed Dwight, it's a privitly noted to have you 167 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:40.240 on this radio show, which we call The Doctor's Guy. Experience. 168 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:42.919 Hope you're with us, and thank you, my friend, for 169 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:45.879 your passion, for the service that you gave the American 170 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:47.639 people and your spaceflight. 171 00:08:47.879 --> 00:08:48.879 How are you, Ed, Dwight? 172 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:56.399 Well, I'm faring I'm having a few health issues right now. 173 00:08:56.519 --> 00:09:01.320 But thank you for all the kind words. Uh and 174 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:06.200 and and even reaching back to even you know, consider 175 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:10.440 talking to uh, you know, talking to me and and 176 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:14.080 and all of the all the things that it seems 177 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:17.399 so long ago that you know that all that all 178 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:20.919 this stuff took place. But uh, obviously I keep up 179 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:23.120 with the States program, and I keep up with all 180 00:09:23.159 --> 00:09:26.399 the all the all the current astronauts, and then they 181 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:28.799 come to the flat of Denver to visit me in my 182 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:33.440 studio and uh and so I keep my hand in 183 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:41.000 uh uh and uh. Vitor Glover uh, as you know, 184 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:43.879 just went to the Moon and he's one of my 185 00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:48.200 he's one of my proteges by the way, uh and 186 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:55.039 and and and uh yeah, doing his mission, we managed 187 00:09:55.120 --> 00:10:01.440 to talk over the phone U on the last mission 188 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:05.519 that he went up and did all that magic stuff 189 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:12.879 that they do up there now. So I'm glad to 190 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:16.799 be on your program. And like I said, I am 191 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.159 having a few healthy issues right now? 192 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:22.279 Do you want to honor your service and not to 193 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:24.799 keep you too long here. I know this is great 194 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:26.679 for you, but also I want to mention this, and 195 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.480 I think the audience needs to know you're an accomplished sculptor. 196 00:10:29.559 --> 00:10:32.759 This is interesting. Your passion has always been art, obviously 197 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.360 the love of space in the United States Air Force, 198 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:39.320 your services very much honored. He'skew have completed that as 199 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:42.440 a number of public monuments, including the Texas African American 200 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.519 History Memorial on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol 201 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:48.559 and among others, the African American History Monument on the 202 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:51.919 grounds of the South Carolina State House. That's an interesting thing. 203 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:56.039 Your passion has always been obviously looking skyward. But tell 204 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:58.559 us about the passion for being an artist and a sculptor. 205 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:02.840 That's an incredible skill, something that I'm not even familiar with. 206 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:05.480 Share with us a little bit about that. It's amazing. 207 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:11.879 Well, I this is, you know, a very very change. 208 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:18.240 I had two options to to make a life's work. 209 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:21.000 I grew up on a farm in Kansas City, and 210 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:26.840 I came out of the shoot making art from the 211 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:29.000 time when I was started school, when I was two 212 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:32.759 years old and I started doing art. At that time. 213 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:35.279 I was doing full bodies and when I was two 214 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:37.799 and three and four years old, where the other kids 215 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:42.080 was doing stick figures. And I was an artist all 216 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:44.919 the way through school. As a matter of fact, when 217 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:47.879 I graduated from high school, I got an art scholarship 218 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:54.679 to the Kansity Art Institute. But the other alternative option 219 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:58.960 I had was I grew up on a farm that 220 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:02.559 was right next to the Sabine Airport Fairfax Airport in 221 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:07.519 Kansas City, and from the from the time I was 222 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:10.960 two and three, Mom used to take us to the 223 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:15.039 me and my oldest sisters at the airport to tell 224 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:18.559 stories about how big the world was. And this airport 225 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:22.440 was a great vehicle because these planes took off and 226 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:26.320 went some magic place, and they come back and they 227 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:31.000 land and it'd been to some magic place. And so 228 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:33.720 I started going to the airport every day and I 229 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:36.440 got my first flight and the Steerman. When I was 230 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:41.440 eight years old, I got a job cleaning out airplanes 231 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:47.720 for pilots that are from Kansas and Missouri that went 232 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:50.639 to Colorado for hunting trips. There was no war at 233 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:54.600 the time, so as a results, I was around airplanes 234 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:59.679 all of my early life, and I started studying about 235 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:03.320 flying as and I didn't have any hopes of being 236 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:07.440 a flying root for real, because all these people were 237 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:11.080 around row white guys, uh, you know, and I was 238 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:14.120 this little little little brown kid going to the airport 239 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:17.240 every day, and they kind of adopted me. But I 240 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:22.799 got this fascinated with fascination with flying uh. And I 241 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:26.039 I had a paper run and I was throwing papers 242 00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:27.120 all the way through college. 243 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:27.960 Uh. 244 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:32.879 And I was, you know, I had this art scholarship, 245 00:13:32.919 --> 00:13:34.679 so I had to make a decision as to whether 246 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:38.480 it was going to be an artist or or a 247 00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:42.039 pilot guy. But I was throwing my papers. I had 248 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:44.200 a black paper run and a white paper rout. And 249 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.399 I was, like I said, I was in college storm newspapers, 250 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:50.360 and on the front pages of the black paper was 251 00:13:50.360 --> 00:13:54.000 a black pilot. Was a tuskegeearmen. They got shot down 252 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:57.440 in Korea, and all of a sudden, I got this, 253 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:01.879 Oh my god, they're letting a black olk fly airplanes. 254 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:07.440 What an immediately apply for pilot training. And they sent 255 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.480 me to Denver. Thirty three of us from this cottage 256 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:12.960 to Denver, and I was the only I was the 257 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:14.840 thirty three I was the only one that passed a 258 00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:18.039 pilot training. Two other guys pass from a navigator, and 259 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:20.320 so the Air Force just sucked me right up and said, 260 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:21.840 you know we want you now. 261 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:24.399 You bet, my friend, you're right. 262 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:27.399 I mean, in those days, the African Americans were not 263 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:31.519 probably won in the pilot seat much. Your story is amazing. 264 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:34.440 Ed Dwyane, as we've mentioned before, a gentleman who was 265 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:37.320 selected by President John F. Kennedy to be the first 266 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:40.919 African American astronaut in space. The story continues that he 267 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:44.080 finally got his wish and rightfully so, for his service 268 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:47.360 to America by flying in Blue Origins NS twenty five 269 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:50.639 mission in twenty twenty five. As thou build not to 270 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:52.799 put you in a different light here, but this is interesting. 271 00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:55.960 The oldest person to ever participate in a space flight, 272 00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:00.200 previously held by William Shatner. As long as you're willing 273 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:02.960 to do this, mister Dwight, Captain Dwight, the phone number 274 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:05.879 here one eight four eight nine two two two. If 275 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.840 you do have a question for mister Dwight, Captain Dwight, 276 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:11.759 we would welcome that. Now let me do something here, 277 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:14.320 Rod Pile, I'd like you to say hello to Captain Dwight. 278 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:17.000 And you have a question, I'm sure, or even a comment, 279 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:18.240 please continue. 280 00:15:17.799 --> 00:15:22.000 Sir, Well, it was an honor to meet you, Captain Dwight, 281 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:25.120 and actually we met at the International Space Development Conference 282 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:28.559 a couple of years ago. You were there having a 283 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:33.440 delightful discussion with Carlton Johnson, and I'm one of the 284 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:36.120 co organizers of that, and I think we also both 285 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:40.399 have a friend in common with Dylan Taylor. Yes, yes, yes, 286 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:42.799 who's a wonderful guy. 287 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:45.879 And describe those people to us Rod's in case the 288 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:48.039 audience doesn't know who both of you are talking about. 289 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:52.519 So Carlton Johnson is the CEO of the National Space 290 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:57.840 Society who signs my paychecks, and he's also a retired 291 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:01.919 colonel from the US Air Force. And I mean, the 292 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:06.679 entire audience was riveted by Captain Dwight's hawk, but I 293 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:09.600 think of all those people, the one that was glowing 294 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:12.159 the most was Carlton because he was meeting a hero 295 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:17.279 of his. Dylan Taylor owns Voyager Space. They're building a 296 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:23.879 space station, and Dylan is a well situated individual financially. 297 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:26.919 He started a nonprofit CaAl Space for Humanity A few 298 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:31.240 years ago. The main purpose of that group is to 299 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:34.039 help people get space flights, and they do a lot 300 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.240 of other stuff, but this is one of their big things. 301 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:41.320 So Captain Dwight, I believe they were instrumental getting you 302 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.559 onto the Blue orgind flight. Correct. 303 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:54.240 Well, yes, among others. The Black Ashton group really all 304 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:58.039 got together. And they're the ones that you know, you know, 305 00:16:58.120 --> 00:17:01.840 the lit the fire because they're they're also they would look, 306 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:04.559 this guy was the first one. So and we're up 307 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:08.400 here getting all this glory and stuff and and and 308 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.359 he and he just doesn't seem to be getting any 309 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:16.480 glory about space because by the end, I'm this this artist, 310 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:20.079 this run around doing all these all these memorials and stuff. 311 00:17:20.119 --> 00:17:26.480 And uh so uh I kind of attribute the the 312 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.880 political push to the to the group of black astronauts. 313 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:35.039 It all got together because uh and after their missions 314 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:39.799 they would uh land in Houston getting T thirty eight 315 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:44.079 and come out to my studio and and and uh 316 00:17:44.680 --> 00:17:51.440 as a matter of fact, I uh uh a Glover 317 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:56.200 got me on when he was at the space station. 318 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:04.839 Uh he actually uh uh the Kimasudia took pictures and 319 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:07.599 and and and and send my pictures up to the 320 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:10.240 space stage. So people around the world to see me 321 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:12.599 modeling sculptures and stuff. 322 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:17.599 That's amazing. You know, that's an incredible story, Rod Pile, 323 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:20.440 amazing as we have you for our two hour journey 324 00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:22.880 into the night sky. The question we pose to our 325 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:26.000 audience out there and again far and wide around the world. Captain, 326 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.359 and of course Rod knows as well, what does the 327 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:31.839 US space program mean to you folks regarding American exceptionalism. 328 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:34.079 Let's go to the phone lines and see how many 329 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:37.279 people can get in in the short opportunity. With Captain 330 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:40.200 Ed Dwight on Line one, we welcome Frank in the Bronx. Frank, 331 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:42.799 you're on with Rod Bile and Captain Dwight. How are 332 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:43.400 you this morning? 333 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:49.160 Hey, dove high, Captain lovely. 334 00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:55.920 And I can hear you a little bit better, Frank, 335 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:58.279 And if you go just a little bit slower, I 336 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:01.319 think everybody would be able to hear this. Please start again. 337 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:02.759 Thank you. 338 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:05.640 So a couple of things. I am in awe with 339 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:11.319 NASA and have space folding. I I am fascinated with 340 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.480 a Saturn five rocket, how violent and how how it 341 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:18.359 how it works? You know, and the Space Shuttle forget 342 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:20.599 about it, you know, where it takes the land that 343 00:19:20.759 --> 00:19:25.240 space shuttle it comes down with no no engines, and 344 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.039 it has to go oide and and a bunch of 345 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:29.400 different it has to circle, make a bunch of different 346 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:32.680 circles and then land. I am fascinated that, and I'm 347 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:37.480 a fascinated with how a space program calculates the so precisely. 348 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:42.519 Or it's just I'm an awe. You know it is crazy. 349 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:46.240 Absolutely, Frank, you bring up some good points either, gentlemen, 350 00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:48.079 if you want to jump in on this. Frank brings 351 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:51.799 up the power of American exceptionalism in the space program. 352 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.119 Whoever would like to take that, please continue. 353 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:59.440 Oh well, I guess I'll jump in. I I I 354 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:01.519 too him all of this program, and I had a 355 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:03.799 chance to work elbow to elbow with some of those 356 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:07.680 very smart people, mostly at Jeff Propulsion Laboratory. I was 357 00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:09.759 not one of them. I was a writer, so I 358 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:12.160 just followed them around and watched what they did, tried 359 00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:15.039 to make an understandable for other people. But you know, 360 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:19.400 seeing a team of people spend a half day figuring 361 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:22.759 out what instructions to send a rover on Mars to 362 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:25.279 get within a couple of millimeters of a rock they 363 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:28.880 want to drill, or even more impressively, figuring out the 364 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:33.400 math it takes to shoot something that it's going to 365 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:36.160 go into orbit around Saturn and it's got to hit 366 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:40.240 within this very narrow range of your degrees almost a 367 00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:44.279 billion miles away. I mean, I took some higher maths, 368 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:48.599 but that stuff just blows my mind. Doctor Sky, You've 369 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:50.240 gone much further than this than I have. You have 370 00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:51.480 a doctorate and you had to do a lot of 371 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:54.680 math to do that, But listening to these folks go 372 00:20:54.759 --> 00:20:57.839 what they go through just blows my mind. And then, 373 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:02.119 of course you're your guest mentor your caller mentioned the 374 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:06.200 Saturn five. It was a pretty conservative design, but for 375 00:21:06.279 --> 00:21:09.519 the time when they started designing that, when rockets were 376 00:21:09.640 --> 00:21:13.000 still had about a fifty percent failure rate. It's just 377 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:16.240 remarkable that just a handful of years later that thing 378 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:19.359 delivered humans out to the Moon over and over and 379 00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:21.680 over again without a single fatality or accident. 380 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:23.000 So it's amazing. 381 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:26.680 With absolutely Frank and the Bronx thank you for participating 382 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:30.200 in the Doctor Sky experience. I'm going to ask this kindly, 383 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:32.240 Captain Dwight, if you'd be willing to stay with us, 384 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:34.880 if you obviously can do this, and certainly I know 385 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:37.160 your passion is there. We'd love to at least have 386 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:39.240 you on air with many people that may want to call. 387 00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:42.079 I'm filled with questions, and so is Rod Vile. So 388 00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:45.039 as long as that's fine, we appreciate you greatly, my friend. 389 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:47.359 Sure, sure, sure, sure. 390 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:48.000 No problem. 391 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:48.839 You know something. 392 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:50.759 We're going to go just to the hard bake here 393 00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:52.720 just a couple of minutes, so I probably won't jump 394 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:55.960 in with that particular question just yet. But being the 395 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.279 oldest person to go to space, I mean, we remember, 396 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:02.119 and I remember that vividly. I'm sure Rod does. When 397 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:05.559 John Glenn, the then Senator, went in on the American 398 00:22:05.559 --> 00:22:08.480 Space Shuttle, I think his age was seventy seven. But 399 00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:10.240 in about a minute or so. And this is a 400 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:12.480 really bad question, or it's a good question for a 401 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.359