Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
[ Music and Sound of Aircraft ]
>> Purdue University quickly became known as the school
of choice for anyone who aspired to become an astronaut.
Students who set out on this path took their first steps
towards space right here in West Lafayette, Indiana.
>> Well, it's a very interesting thing when you look
at the statistics that so many of the astronauts
for the United States have come through Purdue.
And you can't help but ask the question, why Purdue?
Why is this university in the middle of Indiana so unique
that so many of America's future astronauts would come
from there?
Well, it's because of the ethic behind the university.
It's because of the dedication that putting
out a quality product, and also the caliber of the people
that the university recruits to come through its doors.
And I think that's a tremendous testament to the university.
>> I think the good Midwestern work ethic
that I already brought to Purdue put me in good stead.
But I think Purdue gave me the tools that I needed,
and it also help to open a lot of doors,
because the previous people who had gone to Purdue and graduated
and then gone on into the Air Force
and industry had done an excellent job as well before me.
So I was welcomed with open arms
because they recognized the quality of the Purdue education.
>> So you get that constant sense
of what astronauts contribute to Purdue
and how we all help each other and you feel part
of the Purdue team, because Purdue makes such an effort
to pull in all of these resources
and share with their students.
And it really makes you feel part of something special even
after you leave Purdue.
>> I can't imagine any college preparing a person better
than Purdue for life in general or as an astronaut.
Sometimes I even see it as an unfair advantage, it's so good.
>> I really owe a lot to Purdue for what I've been able
to achieve and do throughout my career.
I think my wife would feel the same way as would all
of my other friends who went to Purdue.
It's a very special place.
It's a very friendly place; it's a very warm place.
And it brings back nothing but good memories,
other than maybe having to take all those darn tests [laughs].
>> Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in July of the very summer
that I graduated from high school
and was getting ready to go to Purdue.
So, like everybody else in the world, I sat spellbound in front
of the TV and watched that.
Well, I showed up at Purdue in the fall
as a brand new engineering student.
And after being there for a few months,
Neil came by to get his honorary doctorate.
And I was in the arena as he showed up to do that.
And it was so wonderful because,
here's a brand new aero engineering student watch
probably our most famous alum, you know, be recognized
for having come in the door as just a normal kid
and eventually walking on the moon.
It just doesn't get any better than that.
>> Well, Neil as a whole, of course,
has all of the astronaut aura because he was the first man
to walk on the moon, but what pops
up in my mind is a lovely experience I had.
I ran into Neil a couple of times at Purdue Alumni events
and on my last flight we were in crew quarters.
And it happened that Neil Armstrong was
down at Kennedy Space Center having a tour.
So they invited him to come through crew quarters
and say hi to the crew.
And it just happened to be, I was at the end of the line,
so he said hello to the commander.
Have a good flight, you know, walks down the line, he gets in,
he goes, Oh, hi Janis.
Good to see you again.
My whole crew looks at me and goes, you know Neil Armstrong?
That was just very nice of him.
>> The Purdue astronauts, when we pass each other,
whether they're a current active astronauts or prior astronauts,
at the reunions, out in life, we just take a quick glance
at each other and so much communication goes back
and forth it would take a week to do it verbally.
We have a communication.
We have a common experience that no amount
of words could ever reproduce.
It's a powerful bond that we, the Purdue astronauts have.
>> You know, I'm sure other universities have strong spirit
and strong affinities for their institution,
but I doubt that any surpass and few match the Purdue spirit.
And it's been an important part of my life
and all those many years since I was on the campus
and that remain strong today.
>> Extending Purdue's reach into space is Andrew Feustel,
who was slated for the next mission
to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.
This will Feustel's first space flight,
and the training has been exceptionally demanding.
As a mission specialist, he'll make three separate space walks
to repair and replace various instruments that are vital
to the Hubble Program.
Feustel's training has prepared him
to perform the required tasks, despite the limited mobility
of the space suit, and the minimal dexterity
and tactile feedback of the suit's gloves.
Another Purdue astronaut, Gregory Harbaugh,
compared the work to doing brain surgery in ski gloves.
In addition to the extra-vehicular activities,
Feustel's job puts him in charge of stowing hardware
and maintaining the on-board computer network throughout the
11-day mission, a mission designed to extend
and improve the capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope and,
ultimately, to enhance our understanding of the universe.
We'll take a look over the next horizon when Purdue Pathways,
The Space Connection continues.