There's that!

My officemate took this snapshot as I was geeking out immediately upon return to my desk when I started spilling my experience on the 6th floor. She just had to take a picture of what she called a complete "nerd moment".

My 30 minute presentation went 1.5 HOURS. I started out by introducing myself with my background and history here at JSC so they got an idea of the perspectives they were about to hear regarding ISS science. I saw the first hand go up on my third slide (Can they ask questions in the middle of my talk? Of course, stupid). "How many National Laboratories exist in the US?" It was allllll fun information exchange between me and them, and each other from then on. Formalities dropped.

Questions about the National Lab component, about whether experiment X could have just been done on the ground, questions on bone loss amounts, and recovery. Questions on immune, and fortuantely for me, way less questions on physical sciences. Then it dawned on me why the nature of those questions: these were Apollo, Skylab, Spacelab guys. Early space biomedical research and test pilot/space vehicle pioneers.

Questions came from faces I recognized from books and video, but whose names I couldn't place. Closer inspection of badges showed me Robert Crippen (first to pilot the very first space shuttle launch in 1981), and I recognized Alan Bean (Apollo: the fourth person to walk on the moon). I didn't recognize Michael Collins (Gemini pilot, and in the command module of Apollo 11 while Armstrong and Alrdin were out walking as the first men on the moon), even as he talked, debated, and questioned, until after I left and was told who he was. Bill Tohronton asked the most questions, right to the point (major biomedical investigator (understatement) for the first US space station, Skylab, and shuttle astronaut), and full of good, clean, spirited debate. There was another sitting at the table whose face I just KNOW I KNOW but I don't know the name. Rusty Schweickart, John Blaha, Walter Cunningham are a few others...but so many more I don't know!

As I rolled through the slides, the room of about 50 historical figures took turns listening, raising hands, stating opinions, and talking history. Hell, there were SKYLAB people in this room: Our first US space station, where so much biomedical info regarding spaceflight was collected for the first time ever.

As for me, I think it went well, although the words "fuel tank" escaped me completely as I talked about capillary fluid flow in space. Rats on that. It never did come to me but it's OK.

In all, I thought the debate, the questions, the friendly criticism of ISS in general, and the messages they had was all fair and fantastic. I never felt any question was mean-spirited and if I just didn't have the answers (sometimes stats just don't stick with me), I didn't have a problem with saying "I don't know" and just attempting a safe speculation. And they liked that too. I never came across as defensive, flustered, or put off no matter what the debate was. I definitely was cognizant of maintaining balance.

At the end of it all, I wiped my forehead, gave a sigh of "whew!" and they applauded and smiled. One by one several came up to talk to me, shake my hand, introduce themselves, and even apologized if they came across as attackful, which they never did in my opinion. A few stayed after to talk with me about exercise in space and countermeasures (that's something I'm a pro on) and about the biomedical hardware I developed when I was an engineer.

Barbara Morgan stopped to talk with me and give me kuddos on the briefing, and to talk about her work with the Sally Ride science program. She said she thought I represented enthusiastic, young women in STEM fields and had already googled me in the past as representative of that and was already familiar with who I was. She asked if I worked with JR, and when I said I was JR's backup, it clicked and she was pleased. I offered myself up to volunteer if she ever needed me. I also received kuddos from Bernard Harris on the way out.

When I got out of the room and down the hall, ASCAN ST caught up with me to shake my hand and tell me what a GREAT BRIEFING I gave. He was as star struck as I was in that room: "Do you know who all's in that ROOM RIGHT NOW? WOA, it's HISTORY in there!" He listed the names cause I just didn't know. ST had been in charge of putting this whole thing together, and he was the one to ask me to come give the briefing. It was a really great feeling to be able to geek out with him after my briefing :) And it was an especially great feeling to get his heartfelt kudos. (An ASCAN is a recently-selected astronuat. He was selected in the recent group I'd applied for).

When I got out of there, I realized I felt both completely energized and drained, and the last time I had felt that way was just after my PhD Dissertation defense. In fact I realized that today was 100X's that, and was basically my freaking dissertation defense on STEROIDS. This was my career's dissertation defense. Defending ISS Science research, from physical science to human research to bacteria. The coolest thing about being in a room with all of these historical figures was that I wasn't just there with a camera, or to socialize over some event I was invited to or got lucky to be at. They were here to hear what I had to say about ISS science: about my job. What I do every day and I try to do really, really well. That means more to me than anything. (Although sure I wished I could make them all say CHEEEEESE! and pose for my camera ;) ).

To that, I insert another cuss phrase to sum up the experience: Holy Shit.

Oh, and HELL YEAH.

Now, on to active recovery :)