Five Questions: Scott Parazynski

How did you get started in aviation? I grew up in the shadow of the Apollo program. My father was an engineer who helped design the Saturn V rocket boosters that first took men to the moon. Like all kids of my generation, we all grew up and wanted to become astronauts. I never grew out of that dream. In medical school I did a lot of research to help astronauts thrive and survive in space flight. Those were the entry credentials that helped get me qualified for NASA.

How was learning to fly while also attending medical school? It was one of the most exciting things I had ever done. I would fly a lot on the months when my workload was lightest. Then I’d be on a tough rotation and on call and up all night and wouldn’t fly for four to six weeks. It wasn’t the most efficient way to get your private ticket. But I persevered and got my ticket right before graduation.

What was it like being in space the first time? It’s so difficult to put the most extraordinary human experience into words. I don’t think there’s a human being alive with the eloquence to do it justice. Imagine a sort of out of body experience seeing the planet in three dimensions from a God’s eye perspective. There’s an added dimension that can’t be put into words when you realize you’re a human satellite. I remember one spacewalk that Chris Hadfield and I did where we actually flew through the southern lights. Just holding on with our fingertips traveling at 17,500 miles per hour.

Favorite airplane? As an astronaut I got to fly quite a bit. One of the great perks we get is to fly NASA’s T-38 fleet. We used it for spaceflight-readiness training.

Advice for students? Start and stick with your flying! I began flight training at probably the busiest time of my life. This resulted in me having to start and stop several times, not to mention an extra dent to my checking account.

Parazynski’s book, The Sky Below, is available on Amazon.