#International space station inside simulator#

So during those first few dinners on the station it was this incredible feeling of community. On the space station already there were European, Russian and Japanese astronauts. Our shuttle had six Americans and one Canadian. I remember stepping onto the ISS that first time, and all of the nations that make up the partnership were present. There are these little kneeboards ahead of us, where I would write little notes to myself on what to prepare for, like exactly what time I should brace for a huge explosion. Like the roar you feel when the engines are going off or the incredible shake you feel when one rocket stops and another goes off.

#International space station inside simulator#

There are a lot of things the simulator can prepare you for, but there are a few that it can’t come close to. By the final attempt there was probably only a handful of my guests who were actually still there. Each astronaut gets 250 tickets to give friends and family to watch the launch. That was my first launch as well, and it was scrapped five times before we finally took off. My first time to the International Space Station, or ISS, was on my first shuttle mission. So I started going through the application process. But I am also a very curious person, and like to know how things work.

I had seen a few rocket launches live before, but never picture myself being in there. I remember looking up what space walks were and thinking, “That looks really cool.” I didn’t know much else about the job. I didn’t think about going career at NASA until I met Bill Shepherd, who was the first SEAL who went into space. I grew up playing sports before I went to the Naval Academy, and then entered the SEAL Teams. I was not the kid with photos of rocket ships handing on my wall and glow-in-the-dark stars on my wall. Below, the lone American serving on that mission shares his story it appears as told to Charles Thorp, and has been edited and condensed for clarity. On his final journey to space last year, he served as Commander of the ISS during Expedition 63. Over his career, Cassidy spent 378 days in space, did 10 space walks and worked on three missions to the International Space Station. Chris Cassidy is a former Navy SEAL who was selected to become a NASA astronaut in 2004.