Talking Space

On our very special 150th episode of Talking Space, we welcome on 7-time shuttle flier and author of the new book "Spacewalker" Astronaut Jerry Ross. In our interview we discuss the reason behind the new book, discuss some of his funniest moments, and the effects of launch on him and his family. We then discuss if there was any animosity in the astronaut office for his record number of flights, and talk about how his work as a trainer in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab helped him walk better in space and train better. We ask about some spaceflight aspects, including what happens to the crew members when you perform an engine burn. We then discuss the difference between the orbiters, and the difference between Mir, the beginning of ISS, and where it is today. We then get into the serious matter of how Mr. Ross was affected by the Challenger disaster and what a large role he played in Columbia's final mission in 2003. We finish off talking about his views on the future of NASA and we ask a listener-submitted question