Interview avec Brian Duffy, astronaute et Pilote / Commandant de la navette spatiale lors des missions STS-45, 57, 72 et 92

Brian DUFFY est un astronaute de la NASA sélectionné en 1985 dans le groupe 11.

Ancien pilote d'essai de l'US Air Force, il a effectué 4 missions spatiales, 2 comme pilote (STS-45 et STS-57) puis 2 en tant que Commandant (STS-72 et STS-92 (qui était le 100ème vol d'une navette).

Actuellement responsable du Programme Altaïr (le futur alunisseur) chez Lockheed Martin

Interview réalisée en 2009 et il nous parle de son 1er vol, STS-45 en 1992

How many years were you connected to the space program before your 1st flight ?

I'd been at NASA for nearly 7 years before I flew the first time.

How did you feel prior the flight ?

Very excited at the thought of leaving the planet, and I felt lucky and privileged to be doing what I was doing.

What kinds of sensations did you experienced during the take-off ?

Amazing acceleration that didn't stop. The g's varied during the profile, but they were very impressive.

What does weightlessness feel like, and what did you think about during the flight ?

It feels pretty normal, particularly after being in space for a couple of days. I loved looking at Earth and I thought of my family quite a bit.

What were some of the problems you encountered and how did you fixed them ?

No real problems on my first flight, just routine things.

What did you eat and did it taste real ?

A : We choose our own menu and it differs by meal and by day. I enjoyed the food, particularly the shrimp cocktail because it was very spicy.

What was Re-entry like ?

Coming back in to land is like nothing you've ever seen or done......it's surreal what you see and feel.

Were you glad to be back on Earth, or did you feel you could have spent the rest of your life up there ?

I was glad to be back to see my family, but anxious to go again (which I did 3 more times). I'd go back to space in a minute.