Transcripts of 13883_Butch_Wilmore_OFT2_Interview

My given name is Barry Wilmore. My Navy call sign is Butch, most people call me Butch and I’m the commander of the crewed flight test. which is scheduled to go sometime after OFT2. 

[slate] The commercial crew program, it’s a natural evolution, I think, of spaceflight that we would take that, what we’ve learned from spaceflight in the initial phases for the different spacecraft that we’ve had. And develop that process eventually to be completely commercialized for where we can get others, not just astronauts out access up to space. 

[slate] 

[slate] I don’t think it’s any secret that there was an initial OFT flight and then now that were some things that we learned a lot from and we need to go test again. Some of the different aspects of that, some of the software. So this OFT2 is going to do that. We’re going to go launch, do the phasing rounded-vous dock, undock and return to Earth. And do that successfully just to prove the concept. 

[slate] 

[slate] A decade ago, only professional astronauts had the opportunity to go to space and that is changing step by step. We’ve had some individuals that have flown on Russian rockets that are not professional astronauts who have gone to space. We have now in the process of getting others that are not professional astronauts to low Earth orbit and I think that will continue and that’s a good thing. 

[slate] 

[slate] You can keep up with all aspects of the mission on NASA TV and of course NASA.GOV on the web.