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>> ARE THERE CHALLENGES IN DEEP
SPACE THAT COULD LIMIT US TO
LOW EARTH ORBIT?
WE'LL LOOK AT THE PROBLEMS AND
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS NEXT ON
"GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES."
>> THIS IS
"GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES," WITH
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
COMMENTATOR JOHN BERSIA.
>> WELCOME TO
"GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES."
HUMANS TO MARS -- NO LONGER PURE
SCIENCE FICTION, BUT A LONG WAY
FROM A SCIENCE FACT.
MIGHT IT PROVE IMPOSSIBLE?
WE ARE USED TO SEEING HUMANS IN
SPACE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION, FLOATING EFFORTLESSLY
IN A SEEMINGLY BENIGN
ENVIRONMENT AND VENTURING INTO
THE VACUUM AT WILL.
HOWEVER, THE I.S.S. IS IN LOW
EARTH ORBIT, PROTECTED BY
EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD FROM THE
DANGEROUS HARD RADIATION THAT
CAN ERUPT FROM THE SUN.
EVEN THOUGH HUMANS VENTURED
BEYOND THE PROTECTIVE SHIELD TO
THE MOON...
>> THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR
MAN...
>> ...THOSE TRIPS WERE ONLY A
FEW DAYS LONG.
A JOURNEY TO MARS AND BACK WILL
TAKE MONTHS, AND EVEN ON THE
SURFACE, WHERE OUR ROVER-CRAFTS
CAN EASILY ROAM, BIOLOGICAL
EXPLORERS WILL BE BOMBARDED BY
RADIATION FROM BOTH OUR SUN AND
DEEP SPACE SINCE MARS DOES NOT
HAVE A MAGNETIC FIELD.
THE FORMER HEAD OF NASA's SPACE
AND LIFE SCIENCES DIRECTORATE,
CANADIAN DAVE WILLIAMS, BOTH AN
ASTRONAUT AND A PHYSICIAN, IS
WITH US TODAY TO HELP US SORT
THROUGH THE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN
HEALTH RISKS OF SPACE TRAVEL.
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, DAVE.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> WE'RE INTERESTED IN HEARING
ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR YOU
THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE IN
SPACE, ESPECIALLY SPACEWALKS
BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SO
FEW PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED.
WHAT IS THAT LIKE?
>> MY FIRST FLIGHT WAS IN 1998.
IT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE
EXPERIENCE.
I REMEMBER LYING ON MY BACK ON
THE LAUNCH PAD, LOOKING OUT THE
OVERHEAD WINDOW OF THE SPACE
SHUTTLE, THINKING, "WHAT A GREAT
DAY FOR A LAUNCH."
AND THEN, ABOUT 15 SECONDS PRIOR
TO LIFT-OFF, MY BRAIN KICKS IN
AND GOES, "I'M GONNA HAVE 7.5
MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST
IGNITING BENEATH ME -- A
CONTROLLED EXPLOSION.
WHAT'S THIS GONNA BE LIKE?"
AND THEN, OF COURSE, BY THAT
POINT, BY THE TIME MY BRAIN
REGISTERED THAT, SOLID ROCKET
BOOSTERS IGNITED.
EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTES LATER,
WE'RE OUT IN SPACE, YOU FLOAT UP
OUT OF YOUR SEAT, YOU TURN
AROUND, YOU LOOK OUT THE
OVERHEAD WINDOWS, AND IT'S AN
UNBELIEVABLE VIEW OF OUR PLANET.
>> SO, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME,
BUT YOU DIDN'T DO A SPACEWALK
UNTIL YOUR SECOND FLIGHT?
>> YEAH, I DID MY THREE
SPACEWALKS ON STS-118 IN 2007.
THE FIRST SPACE FLIGHT I DID,
I WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE TWO
CONTINGENCY SPACEWALKERS.
THAT BASICALLY MEANS WE ONLY GO
OUTSIDE IF THERE'S A PROBLEM
WITH THE SPACE SHUTTLE.
ON THE ONE HAND, YOU DON'T WANT
THERE TO BE A PROBLEM.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU REALLY
WANT TO DO A SPACEWALK, SO
YOU'RE KIND OF HOPING SOMETHING
MIGHT GO WRONG AND YOU GET A
CHANCE TO GO OUT AND FIX IT.
>> SO, WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING
OUTSIDE THE SPACECRAFT?
WAS IT WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS
GOING TO BE LIKE FROM YOUR
TRAINING, OR IS IT IMPOSSIBLE TO
TRAIN FOR THAT PRECISE MOMENT?
>> DOING A SPACEWALK WAS
ARGUABLY THE MOST DRAMATIC THING
I'VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE.
YOU'RE IN YOUR OWN SPACECRAFT,
YOU TURN AND YOU LOOK DOWN AT
THE PLANET A COUPLE HUNDRED
MILES BELOW YOU, YOU REALIZE
THAT YOU'RE TRAVELING 25 TIMES
THE SPEED OF SOUND -- THAT'S
FIVE MILES EVERY SECOND, EIGHT
TIMES FASTER THAN A RIFLE
BULLET -- IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
>> NOW, YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD THE
ASTRONAUT IN YOU RESPONDING TO
THE SITUATION.
DID YOU ALSO HAVE THE DOCTOR IN
YOU LOOKING AT YOURSELF AND
THINKING ABOUT HOW IT WAS
AFFECTING YOUR BODY?
>> WHEN YOU'RE OUTSIDE AND
YOU'RE DOING THE SPACEWALKS,
YOU'RE IMMERSED IN THE MOMENT.
YOU'RE PERFORMING VERY COMPLEX
TASKS.
EVERYTHING IS VERY CAREFULLY
CHOREOGRAPHED.
IF YOU HAVE A SECOND TO SPARE,
YOU TURN OVER YOUR SHOULDER AND
LOOK AT THE EARTH BELOW YOU --
UNBELIEVABLE.
SO, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH
TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW MY
BODY'S ADAPTING TO BEING ABLE TO
DO THIS, OTHER THAN THE FACT
THAT YOU GET TO FEEL DEHYDRATED
AFTER A WHILE 'CAUSE WE DON'T
HAVE ANYTHING TO EAT IN THE
SPACE SUIT, WE JUST HAVE WATER
TO DRINK.
>> BUT THEN, AFTER YOU HAD
RETURNED TO THE SPACECRAFT, DID
YOU START THINKING ABOUT HOW IT
WAS AFFECTING YOU PHYSICALLY?
>> YEAH.
WHEN I CAME BACK IN FROM MY
FIRST SPACEWALK, WHICH WAS
AROUND SEVEN HOURS LONG, I
REMEMBER FEELING REALLY
PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED, WHICH
MAKES SENSE BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING
HAND OVER HAND IN A SPACE SUIT
THAT WEIGHS A FEW HUNDRED
POUNDS.
AND THEN, WHEN YOU COME BACK
INSIDE, YOU'RE IMPRESSED WITH
THE PHYSICAL FATIGUE.
WHAT WAS EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE
WAS THE MENTAL FATIGUE,
BECAUSE ANYTHING THAT TAKES
US MORE THAN 15 SECONDS TO DO,
WE ESSENTIALLY MEMORIZE, WE
CHOREOGRAPH.
IT'S ALL PART OF THE CHECKLISTS
AND THE PROCEDURES, BUT WE
REHEARSE THOSE MANY, MANY TIMES
ON THE EARTH TO BE ABLE TO GET
READY TO GO DO IT IN SPACE.
>> WELL, THAT, IN ITSELF,
TO ME, SOUNDS INCREDIBLY
GRUELING.
SO, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
PROSPECT OF GOING TO MARS,
YOU'RE MULTIPLYING ALL OF THESE
PRESSURES AND EFFECTS AND
DANGERS ANY NUMBER OF TIMES.
FROM A PHYSICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE,
HOW DO YOU ANALYZE THIS
POTENTIAL SITUATION?
>> YOU KNOW, THE MISSION TO
MARS, THAT WOULD BE AN
UNBELIEVABLE MISSION TO SEE.
WE'VE HAD HUMANS LIVING ON BOARD
THE SPACE STATION FOR THE PAST
DECADE, AND BASICALLY THEY'RE
THERE IN SIX-MONTH BLOCKS, WHICH
INTERESTINGLY IS THE SAME TIME
PERIOD THAT YOU WOULD BE IN
MICROGRAVITY ON YOUR WAY TO
MARS.
TO GO TO MARS, ROUGHLY SIX
MONTHS.
IT WOULD BE ABOUT ONE MARS YEAR,
OR TWO EARTH YEARS, AND THEN
ANOTHER SIX MONTHS COMING BACK.
>> WOW.
>> SO, AS A PHYSICIAN, WE'RE
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE
ADAPT GOING FROM EARTH'S GRAVITY
TO MICROGRAVITY TO MARTIAN
GRAVITY BACK TO MICROGRAVITY
AND THEN BACK TO EARTH.
AND ALL THE CHANGES THAT YOU SEE
IN YOUR BODY -- THE MUSCLE
WASTING, THE BONE LOSS, AND ALL
THOSE OTHER CHANGES THAT TAKE
PLACE IN SPACE -- WE HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND THEM AND PREVENT
THEM FOR THE CREW TO BE ABLE
TO LAND ON MARS AND GET TO WORK
RIGHT AWAY.
>> SO, WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF
THINGS THAT ONE WOULD START TO
NOTICE IMMEDIATELY IN SUCH A
LONG TRIP THROUGH SPACE?
>> SO, THERE'S TWO CATEGORIES OF
EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY.
THE FIRST ONE ARE THE PHYSICAL
CHANGES.
YOU BECOME WEAKER.
YOUR BONES LOSE BONE DENSITY.
YOUR HEART ADJUSTS TO BEING IN
MICROGRAVITY, SO WHEN YOU STAND
UP IN A GRAVITATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT, EVEN A PARTIAL
GRAVITATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ON
MARS, YOU'RE GONNA FEEL
LIGHT-HEADED.
THE ORGAN OF BALANCE IN YOUR
INNER EAR, THAT'S GONNA BE
CALIBRATED FOR MICROGRAVITY.
WHEN YOU LAND IN MARTIAN
GRAVITY, YOU'RE GONNA FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE SPINNING AROUND IN A
CIRCLE.
YOU'LL HAVE VERTIGO AND THINGS.
SO, ALL OF THESE ADAPTATIONS, WE
WANT TO TRY AND MAINTAIN AS MUCH
OF OUR MUSCLE STRENGTH AS WE
CAN, AS MUCH OF THE BONE DENSITY
AS WE CAN DURING THAT SIX-MONTH
ZERO-G FLIGHT.
SO WE EXERCISE, AND ON THE SPACE
STATION, WE HAVE A TREADMILL,
WE'VE GOT A CYCLE ERGOMETER, WE
HAVE A RESISTIVE EXERCISE DEVICE
BECAUSE, OF COURSE, YOU CAN'T
LIFT WEIGHTS IN MICROGRAVITY.
SO, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT EXERCISE
DEVICES WE WOULD HAVE AVAILABLE
ON THE SPACECRAFT TO MARS TO BE
ABLE TO MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE
CHANGES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN
OUR BODY.
INTERESTINGLY, THOUGH, SIX-MONTH
TRIP TO MARS, ONE OF THE BIG
CHALLENGES WE'RE GONNA FACE IS
BOREDOM...
>> OH, YEAH. I CAN IMAGINE.
>> ...WHERE THERE'S NOT A LOT TO
DO.
YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING OUT THE
WINDOW.
WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA HAVE
THE MAGNITUDE OF SCIENCE
EXPERIMENTS TO DO ON A DAILY
BASIS -- WE DO ON THE SHUTTLE.
SO, THINKING ABOUT THE
BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF SENDING
HUMANS TO MARS IS VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT, AS WELL.
>> HOW MUCH WAS BOREDOM AN
ASPECT OF YOUR EARLIER FLIGHTS
INTO SPACE?
>> WELL, THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION.
>> I'M SURE YOU WERE BUSY A LOT,
BUT YOU STILL HAD QUIET MOMENTS.
>> YOU KNOW, ON THE SPACE
SHUTTLE, WE LIKE TO SAY -- THE
ANALOGY IS, YOU'RE RUNNING A
SPRINT.
THE SPACE STATION IS MORE OF A
MARATHON, AND A MISSION TO MARS
WOULD BE AN EXTREMELY LONG
MARATHON.
SO, ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE, YOU'RE
BUSY ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW?
BOREDOM AND SPACE SHUTTLE IS NOT
A PAIR THAT I WOULD THINK OF.
WE DO HAVE MOMENTS TO OURSELVES,
THERE'S NO QUESTION, BUT YOU'VE
GOT SO MUCH ON THE GO THAT WHEN
YOU DO HAVE A MOMENT, TYPICALLY
WHAT YOU DO IS YOU LOOK OUT THE
WINDOW AND LOOK BACK AT THE
PLANET AND SEE HOW AMAZINGLY
BEAUTIFUL OUR PLANET REALLY IS.
>> ON THE LONGER TRIPS, WHAT
WOULD YOU DO TO ALLEVIATE THE
BOREDOM?
>> RIGHT NOW, FOR STATION, WE'RE
DEVELOPING BEHAVIORAL TOOLS TO
HELP ASTRONAUTS MONITOR THEIR
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES WHEN THEY'RE
ON ORBIT AND UNDERSTAND HOW THEY
CAN DEAL WITH THE EFFECTS OF
ISOLATION -- MULTIPLE CREW
MEMBERS ALL WORKING TOGETHER,
PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE CREW
MEMBERS COMING FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD.
BUT IN TERMS OF A MISSION TO
MARS BEING ABLE TO DEAL WITH
BOREDOM, WHAT WE TRY AND DO IS
GET A REGULAR SCHEDULE AND BLEND
IN A SERIES OF SCIENTIFIC
EXPERIMENTS WITH FREE TIME OFF
WHERE PEOPLE CAN READ OR THEY
CAN WATCH MOVIES, PLAY MUSIC --
ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE
WOULD DO ON EARTH TO BE ABLE TO
OCCUPY OUR TIME -- AND MAKING
SURE THAT WE'RE SPENDING THAT
TIME EXERCISING AND DOING THE
RESEARCH EXPERIMENTS.
SO, IT'LL BE A FULL DAY, AND YOU
WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE BUSY AND
ACTIVE TO TRY AND ALLEVIATE SOME
OF THE EFFECTS OF BOREDOM.
>> WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THESE
OTHER DANGERS THAT WE MENTIONED
IN THE INTRODUCTION ABOUT
RADIATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT?
HOW DO WE PROTECT PEOPLE FROM
THOSE CHALLENGES IN THE LONGER
SPACE TRIPS?
>> YOU KNOW, A MISSION TO MARS,
THERE IS IMMEDIATE, TANGIBLE
DANGER, AND THEN THERE'S
LONG-TERM, BIOLOGIC CONSEQUENCES
TO THE MISSION THAT COULD TAKE
PLACE AFTER WE ACTUALLY RETURN
FROM EARTH THAT COULD BE
MANIFEST MONTHS TO YEARS AFTER
THE MISSION.
SO, AS AN ASTRONAUT, GENERALLY,
YOU'RE WORKING IN THE MOMENT.
YOU'RE FOCUSED ON DOING ALL THE
DIFFERENT TASKS THAT YOU HAVE TO
TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE MISSION
OBJECTIVES.
AND I THINK THE ASTRONAUTS ON A
MISSION TO MARS WOULD BE
THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THE RISKS
THAT THEY WOULD BE FACING DURING
THE MISSION ITSELF.
WHAT'S IT GONNA BE LIKE GETTING
READY FOR THE LANDING ON MARS,
MAKING SURE I'M IN PHYSICAL
SHAPE TO BE ABLE TO LAND ON THE
SURFACE OF MARS AND GET GOING
BUILDING A HABITAT OR MOVING THE
EQUIPMENT OFF THE MARS-LANDING
VEHICLE INTO THE MARTIAN
HABITAT, WHATEVER THOSE TASKS
MIGHT BE?
AND, THEN, WHILE THEY'RE LIVING
ON THE SURFACE OF THE PLANET,
AGAIN, IT'S ACCOMPLISHING ALL
THE MISSION OBJECTIVES THAT ARE
RELATED TO THIS.
MICROMETEOROID STRIKES -- IF
YOU'RE HALFWAY TO MARS AND YOUR
SPACECRAFT GETS HIT BY A
MICROMETEOROID, THAT'S A REALLY
BIG DEAL.
SO, THEY WOULD BE FOCUSED ON
DEALING WITH THOSE ONES.
FROM A CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE, THE
SPACE PHYSICIANS, THE FLIGHT
SURGEONS THAT WE HAVE AT NASA,
THEY WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THE
LONGER BIOLOGIC CONSEQUENCES OF
THE RADIATION EXPOSURE, MAKING
SURE WE'VE GOT SHIELDING AND
WAYS OF DEALING WITH THIS DURING
THE MISSION.
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE WORST
POSSIBLE THREAT THAT YOU COULD
IMAGINE?
IS IT FROM THE RADIATION?
>> IN TERMS OF THE LONG-TERM
BIOLOGIC THREATS, RADIATION IS
ONE THAT WE STILL DON'T HAVE OUR
ARMS AROUND A MECHANISM OF
SOLVING.
IN TERMS OF THE SHORT-TERM
MISSION THREATS, FROM A MEDICAL
PERSPECTIVE, TRAUMA, ACCIDENTS,
INJURY, UNFORESEEN ILLNESS THAT
CAN DEVELOP, BECAUSE, OF COURSE,
THESE ARE GONNA BE MUCH LONGER
MISSIONS THAN THE MISSIONS WE'VE
EXPERIENCED UP TO DATE.
EVERY TIME I'VE BEEN IN SPACE, I
WAS A CREW MEDICAL OFFICER, AND
I HAVE TREATED MY COLLEAGUES.
SO, THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU'RE IN
OUTER SPACE, AND THAT'S ONE OF
THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE TO
BE ABLE TO DEVELOP IS A MEDICAL
CAPABILITY TO MANAGE THE CREW
MEMBERS DURING THE MISSION.
>> DID YOU EVER HAVE ONE OF
THOSE "OH, NO" MOMENTS IN SPACE
WHERE YOU REALIZE, "HERE I AM,"
AND JUST HAD A -- I'VE TALKED TO
OTHER ASTRONAUTS WHO DISCUSSED
HAVING THAT SORT OF SENSE OF
PANIC, AND IT WOULD COME AND
PASS QUICKLY.
DID THAT HAPPEN TO YOU, OR WERE
YOU SO DISCIPLINED BETWEEN YOUR
ASTRONAUT TRAINING AND YOUR
MEDICAL TRAINING THAT YOU WERE
PREPARED FOR EVERY EVENTUALITY?
>> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION, YOU KNOW?
BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO WAY OF
KNOWING, PARTICULARLY WITH
SPACEWALKING.
I HAD BEEN IN SPACE BEFORE IN
1998, BUT IT WAS ON MY SECOND
FLIGHT THAT I DID THE
SPACEWALKS.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GONNA
DO WHEN I WENT OUT THE HATCH.
YOU THINK YOUR TRAINING WILL
PREPARE YOU SO THAT YOU CAN GET
OUT OF THE HATCH AND MOVE
HAND OVER HAND TO THE WORKSITE
AND BE ABLE TO DO YOUR TASKS,
BUT YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU
ACTUALLY GO OUT THE HATCH AND
YOU'RE LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN AT
THE PLANET AT SUCH A GREAT
DISTANCE AND YOU'RE CAPTIVATED
BY THAT VIEW AND SAY, "AM I
GONNA FREEZE TO THE HANDRAILS,
OR WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?"
AND, IN MY CASE, I WAS VERY
LUCKY.
YOU KNOW, WE WENT OUT THE
HATCH -- RICK MASTRACCHIO AND I
ON OUR FIRST SPACEWALK, THINKING
IT WAS GONNA BE LIGHT AND WE'D
BE LOOKING AT THIS REALLY
COMPELLING VIEW.
IT WAS ACTUALLY DARK.
IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT PASS.
SO, WE OPEN THE HATCH, WE GET
OUT, WE'RE LOOKING AT EACH
OTHER, TURN ON OUR HELMET
LIGHTS, AND PITCH BLACK.
AND WE WENT, "WELL, SO MUCH FOR
THE VIEW HERE, RIGHT?"
SO, THEN WE START MOVING OUT TO
THE WORKSITE, AND THERE, YOU'RE
BEGINNING TO RELAX --
HAND OVER HAND.
AS YOU'RE GOING OUT, YOU'RE
RELAXING EVEN MORE.
AND THEN THE SUN CAME UP OVER
THE HORIZON, AND IT WAS
SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL.
SO, WE WERE VERY LUCKY IN THE
WAY IN WHICH IT EVOLVED, AND
OVER THE COURSE OF MY THREE
SPACEWALKS, I NEVER HAD A
MOMENT WHEN I WAS OUTSIDE WHEN I
WASN'T ENJOYING IT.
IT WAS A TRULY INCREDIBLE
EXPERIENCE.
>> YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE
DARKNESS OF SPACE DURING YOUR
FIRST SPACEWALK, AND WE'RE
EXPERIENCING A BIT OF DARKNESS
HERE BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDST
OF AN INTENSE STORM.
>> WHEN WE'RE ON BOARD THE SPACE
STATION, ONE OF THE MOST
DRAMATIC THINGS YOU SEE ARE
THUNDERSTORMS ON EARTH.
SO, WHETHER YOU'RE OUTSIDE
DURING A SPACEWALK OR YOU'RE
INSIDE, PARTICULARLY AT
NIGHTTIME, YOU CAN SEE THE
LIGHTNING GOING FROM THE CLOUDS
DOWN TO THE EARTH OR LIGHTNING
GOING HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN THE
CLOUDS AND, IN SOME CASES,
COMING VERTICALLY UP THE TOP OF
THE CLOUD INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR.
>> FROM SPACE.
[ CHUCKLING ]
>> FROM SPACE. YES, INDEED.
>> THE PEOPLE DOWN HERE ARE NOT
HAPPY.
>> YEAH, SOMETIMES ON EARTH,
IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME, BUT
ANYWAY, FROM SPACE, IT'S AN
UNBELIEVABLE THING TO SEE.
>> TELL US WHAT YOU THINK THE
IMPACT OF SOLAR STORMS MIGHT BE
ON A MISSION TO MARS.
>> YOU KNOW, INTERESTINGLY, WE
DO SPACE WEATHER-FORECASTING,
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT
ATMOSPHERIC WEATHER -- WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT RADIATION EXPOSURE
WITH SOLAR FLARES,
SOLAR-PARTICLE EVENTS, AND
INCREASED RADIATION EXPOSURE TO
THE CREW MEMBERS.
SO, ON A MISSION TO MARS, THAT
WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT
OF MANAGING THE MISSION AND
MAKING SURE THAT ON BOARD THE
SPACECRAFT, WE MIGHT HAVE A
SAFE HAVEN SO THAT IF THERE IS
AN INCREASED RADIATION DOSE, THE
CREW MEMBERS CAN GO TO THE SAFE
HAVEN AND DECREASE THEIR OVERALL
RADIATION EXPOSURE -- SOMETHING
THAT'S BEEN IMPORTANT FOR US
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING OF
SPACE EXPLORATION, SOMETHING
THAT WE'RE VERY VIGILANT ON IN
THE SPACE STATION, AND IT'S
SOMETHING WE NEED TO DEVELOP FOR
THE FUTURE.
>> IS NASA WORKING ON ANY
RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT WOULD
HELP PROTECT PEOPLE AGAINST
RADIATION?
>> SO, THERE'S THREE BROAD
CATEGORIES OF SOLUTIONS TO
PROTECT AGAINST RADIATION.
ONE IS, GET TO YOUR DESTINATION
FASTER.
DEVELOP A NEW PROPULSION SYSTEM
SO YOU'RE DECREASING OVERALL
DOSE EXPOSURE SIMPLY BY
TRANSITING QUICKER.
ANOTHER WAY IS TO DEVELOP NEW
SHIELDING.
THE PROBLEM WITH RADIATION
SHIELDING, OF COURSE, IS THAT IT
HAS WEIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
PARTICULARLY ON A MISSION TO
MARS, WHERE YOU'RE TAKING TONS
OF MATERIAL, IF YOU'VE GOT
HEAVY, HEAVY RADIATION
SHIELDING, THIS CAN BE
PROBLEMATIC.
SO, THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF
RESEARCH GOING ON LOOKING AT
DEVELOPING NEW MATERIALS FOR
RADIATION SHIELDING.
AND THEN THE THIRD AREA IS
LOOKING AT THE BIOLOGIC
CONSEQUENCES OF THE RADIATION
EXPOSURE.
CAN WE DO ANYTHING FROM A
BIOLOGIC PERSPECTIVE OR A
PHARMACEUTICAL PERSPECTIVE TO
DECREASE THE TISSUE DAMAGE
CAUSED BY RADIATION?
SO, BROADLY SPEAKING, WE'VE GOT
RESEARCH IN ALL THOSE DIFFERENT
AREAS TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND THE
PHENOMENON OF RADIATION EXPOSURE
AND MAKE SURE THAT THE CREW
MEMBERS AREN'T AFFECTED BY IT.
>> SO, ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10,
WHERE DO THINK WE ARE IN TERMS
OF ACTUALLY MAKING THIS MISSION
TO MARS HAPPEN?
>> SO, I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THE
HUMAN SPECIES IS A SPACEFARING
SPECIES.
AND, OF COURSE, I'M A PRODUCT OF
THE '60s, SO I WATCHED
"STAR TREK" ON TELEVISION -- I
EVEN WATCHED "LOST IN SPACE"
BEFORE "STAR TREK" STARTED --
AND THEN
"2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY," AND IT
BEGINS TO CAPTURE YOUR
IMAGINATION, THINKING ABOUT
HUMANS LIVING ON ROTATING SPACE
STATIONS AND MOVING FARTHER INTO
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
SO, I'M A BELIEVER, YES.
I THINK WE, THE HUMAN SPECIES,
WILL GO BEYOND EARTH ORBIT, AND
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DON'T
HAVE SPECIFIC PLANS FOR
DESTINATION.
SOME PEOPLE ARGUE WE SHOULD GO
BACK TO THE MOON.
OTHER PEOPLE ARGUE WE SHOULD GO
TO AN ASTEROID, WE SHOULD GO TO
A LAGRANGIAN POINT, WE SHOULD GO
BACK TO MARS -- OR GO TO MARS,
I SHOULD SAY.
FOR ME, I THINK THE MISSION TO
MARS IS THE MOST COMPELLING
THING THAT WE COULD DO
SCIENTIFICALLY, AND IT'S A
REALLY DRAMATIC STEP FOR HUMANS
TO LEAVE EARTH AND TO GO TO
ANOTHER PLANETARY BODY IN OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM AND TO LIVE THERE
FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME -- YOU
KNOW, ONE MARS YEAR, TWO
EARTH YEARS.
THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY
PHENOMENAL TO SEE.
SO, I THINK IT WILL HAPPEN, AND
MY PREDICTION IS IT WILL BE
WITHIN THE NEXT 20 TO 30 YEARS.
>> FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW AS
MUCH ABOUT SPACE TRAVEL,
EXPLORATION, AND SO FORTH AS YOU
DO, WHAT WOULD BE THE GREATER
SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS THAT COULD
BE GAINED FROM GOING TO MARS
VERSUS GOING BACK TO THE MOON,
AND WOULD GOING BACK TO THE MOON
NOT BE A SUFFICIENT GOAL?
ISN'T THERE A LOT MORE TO LEARN
FROM A RETURN VISIT?
>> YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE
MOON, THERE'S TREMENDOUS
ADVANTAGES IN DOING THAT.
IT'S RELATIVELY CLOSE -- THREE
DAYS TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE
AND THREE DAYS TO COME BACK.
SO, WE CAN DO A LOT OF RESEARCH
ON THE MOON, WE CAN CONTINUE
EXPLORATION ON THE MOON, BUT,
FUNDAMENTALLY, WE CAN USE THE
MOON AS A PLATFORM TO DEVELOP
THE TECHNOLOGY TO THEN GO TO
MARS.
THE CHALLENGE IS THE ECONOMICS
OF IT.
CAN WE AFFORD TO GO BACK TO THE
MOON AND DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY
TO THEN GO ON TO MARS?
I THINK THAT, OVERALL, WHAT
WE'RE GONNA SEE IS THE
COMMERCIAL SPACE EXPLORATION.
THERE WILL BE COMMERCIAL
MISSIONS TO THE MOON, BUT IN
PARALLEL WITH THAT, THE
GOVERNMENT-SUPPORTED SPACE
EXPLORATION WILL LOOK FOR BOLD
DESTINATIONS.
AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE FUNDAMENTAL
QUESTION -- "ARE WE ALONE?
HAS LIFE ONCE EXISTED ELSEWHERE
WITHIN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM?"
SO, THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE WE
NEED HUMAN ASTRONAUTS,
SCIENTISTS, ON THE SURFACE OF
MARS TO BE ABLE TO SEARCH FOR
EVIDENCE OF LIFE THAT MAY HAVE
ONCE EXISTED THERE.
>> THERE ARE SOME WHO SAY WE
HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN TO EXPLORE
OUR OWN PLANET, ESPECIALLY THE
VAST SEAS THAT COVER THE
MAJORITY OF IT AND SHOULDN'T WE
BE DOING THAT RATHER THAN
VENTURING INTO SPACE?
DO WE HAVE TO CHOOSE?
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE
HAVE TO CHOOSE.
THE '60s WAS A DECADE WHERE WE
DIDN'T CHOOSE.
ARGUABLY, WE WERE MAKING
SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES EXPLORING
SPACE.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE MAKING
EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES
EXPLORING UNDERWATER.
AND, IN FACT, NASA STARTED TO
USE THE UNDERWATER HABITATS IN
THE '60s AS WE'VE CURRENTLY USED
THEM OVER THE PAST DECADE,
TAKING ASTRONAUTS UNDERWATER,
HAVING THEM LIVING AND WORKING
ON UNDERWATER HABITATS, TO
GETTING THEM READY TO GO AND
LIVE AND WORK ON BOARD A SPACE
STATION.
SO, I THINK EXPLORATION IS
SOMETHING THAT, TO ME, IS PART
OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT I'M
AN ASTRONAUT.
ACTUALLY, I THINK OF MYSELF MORE
AS AN EXPLORATION SCIENTIST.
I'M A PHYSICIAN THAT'S VERY
PASSIONATE ABOUT UNDERSTANDING
HOW THE HUMAN BODY CAN LIVE AND
WORK IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS,
WHETHER THAT'S SPACE,
UNDERWATER, THE ARTIC, THE
ANTARCTIC, AT HIGH ALTITUDE.
ALL OF THOSE ARE VERY
COMPELLING.
SO, I THINK OF MYSELF MORE AS AN
EXPLORATION SCIENTIST.
>> MM-HMM.
YOU'VE DONE SPACE, YOU'VE DONE
THE UNDERWATER EXPERIENCE, AS
WELL.
WAS IT THE SAME LEVEL OF THRILL,
OR WAS SPACE THE BIGGER THRILL,
OR...?
>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEAUTY IN
BOTH OF THE ENVIRONMENTS.
WHEN YOU'RE IN SPACE, IT'S A
SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL
EXPERIENCE, BUT IT'S ALSO AN
EXPERIENCE WHERE IT'S AN
EXTREME, HARSH ENVIRONMENT.
WE CALL IT A
"ZERO-FAULT-TOLERANT
ENVIRONMENT."
THE CONSEQUENCES OF ERROR CAN BE
CATASTROPHIC.
LIVING UNDERWATER, THE BEAUTY IS
QUITE DIFFERENT.
YOU HAVE NEIGHBORS.
THE FISH ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS.
ALL THE MARINE LIFE THAN
INHABITS THE REEF ARE YOUR
NEIGHBORS.
AND UNLIKE REGULAR SCUBA DIVING,
WHERE YOU GO DIVING FOR A
HALF-HOUR, 45 MINUTES, AND
THINGS, YOU'RE LIVING
UNDERWATER.
SO, IMAGINE COMING TO ORLANDO
FOR AN HOUR AND LEAVING.
AND YOU'RE GONNA SAY, "WOW!
IT WAS AN AMAZING PLACE, BUT,
YOU KNOW, I WAS ONLY THERE
FOR -- I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS MORE
AND COME BACK."
BUT IF YOU'RE LIVING IN ORLANDO
FOR 18 DAYS, WHICH IS WHAT WE
DID OUR LAST UNDERWATER MISSION,
YOU REALLY GET A SENSE OF WHAT
IT'S LIKE.
AND LIVING ON BOARD THE AQUARIUS
UNDERSEA RESEARCH HABITAT, WE'D
GO OUT DIVING, THE REEF FISH
WOULD RECOGNIZE US AND SWIM WITH
US ON THE REEF.
>> HMM.
NOW, WERE THEY GETTING SOMETHING
FROM YOU, OR THEY JUST WERE
ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING YOU IN THE
ENVIRONMENT?
>> I THINK IT WAS JUST THEIR
NATURAL CURIOSITY, AND THEN,
SOME OF THEM, OF COURSE, ARE
QUITE TERRITORIAL.
SO, YOU'D BUMP INTO A MORAY EEL,
AND THEY'RE, "DON'T MESS WITH
ME," YOU KNOW?
"DON'T COME INTO MY REEF," AND
THINGS.
AND THE BARRACUDA WOULD KIND OF
CRUISE ALONG THE SIDE OF SOME
THINGS.
BUT YOU'RE PART OF THE MARINE
LIFE, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST
ONE OF MANY SPECIES ON THE REEF
ITSELF, WHICH IS REALLY QUITE
REMARKABLE, WHEREAS IN SPACE,
THAT'S IT.
YOU'RE THERE WITH YOUR CREW,
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO
ONE ELSE AROUND.
YOU HAVE NO NEIGHBORS, AND
YOU'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH WHATEVER
SITUATIONS YOU'RE CONFRONTED
WITH.
BUT BOTH ARE SPECTACULARLY
BEAUTIFUL BUT IN SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT WAYS.
>> ALL OF THIS IS, TO ME,
PERSONALLY, VERY, VERY
INSPIRING, BUT LET PUT ME ON MY
JOE TAXPAYER HAT FOR A SECOND.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING
WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH AN
INTENSE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN,
UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH, WE SEEM TO
HAVE RISING COSTS IN EVERY
DIRECTION, LIFE IS MORE
DIFFICULT.
WHY IS IT RIGHT AND REASONABLE
TO SPEND MONEY, TAXPAYER
DOLLARS, ON SPACE EXPLORATION
VERSUS SOME OF THE MORE PRESSING
NEEDS THAT WE HAVE HERE ON
EARTH?
>> I THINK THE FUNDAMENTAL
ASPECT OF EXPLORING SPACE IS IT
BECOMES A CATALYST FOR
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
WE NEED TO DEVELOP NEW
TECHNOLOGIES TO ENABLE US TO
STAY IN SPACE.
IF WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT GOING
TO MARS, WE HAVE TO DEVELOP A
WHOLE BREADTH OF NEW
TECHNOLOGIES.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING AND WHAT,
PERHAPS, WE COULD HAVE DONE A
BETTER JOB ON IS SHARING WITH
THE PUBLIC ALL THE DIFFERENT
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY IN
DAY-TO-DAY SOCIETY.
SO, THE TECHNOLOGIES NASA's
DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST 50
YEARS, YOU AND I ARE ACTUALLY
USING SOME OF THEM TODAY.
IF YOU GO TO A HOSPITAL, WE
ROUTINELY USE CARDIAC
MONITORS -- AGAIN, DEVELOPED AS
A NASA SPIN-OFF.
WE'RE NOW DOING TELEMEDICINE,
TELEHEALTH, TELEROBOTIC
SURGERY, ROBOTIC SURGICAL
TECHNOLOGY -- SPIN-OFF FROM THE
SPACE PROGRAM.
SO, THERE'S ALL SORTS OF
TERRESTRIAL BENEFITS, BUT IT'S
REALLY ABOUT STIMULATING THAT
ECONOMIC ENGINE.
THROUGH INNOVATION, WE CREATE
NEW TECHNOLOGY.
NEW TECHNOLOGY CREATES NEW JOB
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTISTS AND
ENGINEERS, AND THAT, IN TURN,
CREATES NEW COMPANIES, NEW
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND
FUTURE GROWTH.
>> AND THAT'S PERSUASIVE TO ME,
AS WELL.
BUT WHAT IF I CONTINUE TO BE IN
NEED OF PERSUASION?
WHAT ELSE COULD YOU TELL ME THAT
WOULD POSSIBLY SWAY ME FROM MY
POSITION?
>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S BROAD
CATEGORIES OF BENEFITS TO
EXPLORING SPACE.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE
ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND NATIONS
DECIDING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO
BE A MAJOR SPACEFARING NATION
AND USE THAT TO DRIVE THE
ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE COUNTY,
WHICH I THINK IS VERY EXCITING.
THERE'S THE SCIENTIFIC BENEFIT
OF EXPLORING SPACE -- SEEKING TO
UNDERSTAND, CREATING NEW
KNOWLEDGE, AND HELPING US
UNDERSTAND LIFE AND THE
COMPLEXITIES OF LIFE WITHIN OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S ALL
OF THE MORE SOFT OR INTANGIBLE
ONES WHERE, AS A KID, I WATCHED
ALAN SHEPARD LIFT OFF TO GO INTO
SPACE.
ARGUABLY, THAT CHANGED MY WHOLE
LIFE.
TO ME, HE WAS A HERO, AND I
ASPIRED TO DOING WHAT HE DID.
AND, YES, WE'VE GOT KIDS WHO
LOOK TO ATHLETES AND SAY,
"THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO," BUT
WE NEED SCIENTIFIC HEROES.
WE NEED SCIENTIFIC ROLE MODELS,
AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY
EXCITING ABOUT THE SPACE PROGRAM
IS FOR KIDS WHO ARE INTERESTED
IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND
ENGINEERING AND FLYING
SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT AND THINGS,
SPACE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS
SOURCE OF INSPIRATION OVER THE
PAST 50 YEARS.
>> AND WHAT IF -- NOT TO BE
PESSIMISTIC, BUT WHAT IF THE
MISSION TO MARS PROVES
IMPOSSIBLE, FOR WHATEVER REASON?
WILL WE BE SATISFIED IN A
"RETURN TO THE MOON" TRIP, OR IS
THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE
WOULD EXPLORE AS AN ALTERNATIVE?
>> YOU KNOW, NASA's AN AMAZING
ORGANIZATION, AS YOU KNOW, AND
I'M SURE YOU WATCHED THE
APOLLO 11 LANDING ON THE LUNAR
SURFACE, LIKE I DID, WITH
INCREDIBLE ENTHUSIASM.
TO ME, NASA IS AN ORGANIZATION
THAT MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE
POSSIBLE.
WHEN HUBBLE FIRST HAD TO BE
REPAIRED, MANY PEOPLE SAID IT
WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
CAN'T DO IT.
THERE'S NO WAY THIS IS GONNA
HAPPEN.
NO, NO, NO.
NASA FIGURED OUT A WAY TO MAKE
IT HAPPEN, AND HUMANS IN SPACE,
THEY WENT OUT AND SOLVED THE
PROBLEM.
THE SERVICED THE TELESCOPE, AND
IT BECAME A THING OF HISTORY.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE,
AND THE MARTIAN MISSION, I WOULD
SAY, WOULD BE THE SAME THING.
YES, WE WILL DEVELOP NEW
TECHNOLOGY.
YES, THERE WILL BE CHALLENGES.
YES, IT WILL BE RISKY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO IN THE
SPACE PROGRAM, WE DON'T TAKE
CHANCES, WE MANAGE RISK.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY
VERY EXCITING ABOUT ALL OF THIS
IS MAKING THOSE IMPOSSIBLE
DREAMS POSSIBLE.
>> DOES SPACE STILL PULL ON YOU?
DO YOU EVER YEARN TO RETURN IN
SOME CAPACITY, AND WOULD YOU IF
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY?
>> SO, RIGHT NOW, I'M A HOSPITAL
CEO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IS
TAKING THE LESSONS LEARNED IN
SPACE ABOUT SAFETY AND QUALITY
AND HOW WE CAN CREATE
HIGHER-RELIABILITY ORGANIZATIONS
AND BRING THAT TO HEALTHCARE.
AND THAT'S BEEN A REALLY
EXCITING JOURNEY.
ONCE YOU'RE AN ASTRONAUT, ALWAYS
AN ASTRONAUT.
IF YOU WERE TO SAY, "ARE YOU
EVER GONNA GO FLY IN SPACE
AGAIN?"
OF COURSE I'M GONNA SAY, "YES."
NOW, I'M 59, RIGHT?
SO, HOW IS THIS ALL GONNA
HAPPEN?
I THINK WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING
NOW IS THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY
TO FLY AS A GOVERNMENT
ASTRONAUT, BUT NOW YOU CAN FLY
AS A COMMERCIAL ASTRONAUT, AS
WELL, WHICH IS EVEN MORE
EXCITING.
AND I'M HOLDING OUT FOR THOSE
MISSIONS TO MARS BECAUSE I THINK
HEALTHY 70-YEAR-OLDS ARE THE
ONES TO SEND THERE.
>> SO, YOU WOULD DO THAT?
>> I'D DO THAT IN A NANOSECOND.
>> AT ANY AGE?
>> YEAH.
>> GREAT.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TODAY, MR. WILLIAMS.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> AND THANK YOU.
FOR "GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES," I'M
JOHN BERSIA AND WE'LL SEE YOU
NEXT TIME.