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seeing right here. in fact, the other part is the virtual reality lab that you're mentioning, heather. take a look. it looks and feels like you're playing a video game. high-tech glasses and special gloves transmit what i see to a video monitor where instructors watch my every move. >> are you coming right at me? >> i'm coming at you. >> reporter: on this day, a veteran space walker helped show me the ropes. >> do you feel like you're if in be space? >> i do. >> reporter: they use a 3-d image of the international space station. >> this is really important because it gives us an idea what it's going to look like, how we're going to communicate to each other. you really can't practice when you get into space. you've got to be ready for the ball game when you get there, so this allows us to practice in an environment that is similar to what we'll see. >> reporter: astronauts also practice handling heavy loads. here a system of pulleys help me lift what would feel like a 1400 pounds piece of equipment.
they accomplished a lot up here, space walker mike fincke holds the u.s. record for time in space, 380 days. >> i hope my record is soon broken. >> reporter: but their most important project here is to explain possible origins of the universe, hauling this machine into space so they can search for unusual types of matter. >> all right, you astronauts, you have about 10 seconds to explain to me exactly what alpha magnetic spectrometer does in trying to find origins of the universe. go ahead. >> understanding what the universe is, how it all got here, how it was formed these are fundamental questions and this is what ams is going to be trying to understand for us. >> reporter: despite the science this trip for commander mark kelly has been extremely emotional. his wife, gabrielle giffords, is still recovering from the shooting in tucson almost five months ago. and he shared some good news. >> she'll be doing rehab, you know, for some continuing period of time. but at some point, pretty soon, she will become an outpatient. we are really looking forward to that. it is all really encouraging. >> and that was bob woodruff
a lot of people aren't sure he should leave during this time. the first african-american to walk in space, author of the book "dreamwalker: a journey of achievement and inspiration." gerard, good to see you. thanks for being with us. >> good to be here, ali. >> i sort of have separation anxiety normally. an issue to me, and i think for most people, to counter the excitement of being a space walker, being an astronaut, you are going into this astronaut, you are not going to return to earth even if things go well, usually, for some length of time. i assume most people who are astronauts have overcome that basic level of anxiety? >> well, you certainly have to overcome that, if you're going it leave your family and go into space. you know, for me, it was a difficult decision, and you know, not many people know that for astronauts, it's pretty easy for us to decide we're going to travel into space, and sometimes
families don't like t. exactly. it's very tough. you have to approach it from the standpoint you're not coming back. you have to prepare your will. make sure you have adequate life insurance to take care of the family as you're gone, and sit douc down and talk about, what happens if i don't come back? what does the family look like? and that's tough. >> what is the sense of mission involved in this? this is not the same as going on a vacation or doing something that you feel you want to do as much as astronauts are very compelled to do this, there is a larger sense of mission involved in being a space walker, being an astronaut? >> it is. i don't think it's too much different than someone being deployed for military operations. they have to go through the same thing, and you know, so we're not unique from that standpoint, except for, of course, we're leaving the planet. so there is sort of that -- that aura around that. in terms of the family. for me, it was great to have
get the spare in place. but they are having trouble with the cold stiff lines in the vacume of space. it is like maneuvering an elephant truck. you can have a ammonia leak and decreasing the coolant on the pace station. >> tom, you robbery out there and pace walker and watching this separation. they are so close together. it is a difficult procedure. we are told that they are even clashed into each other. their helmets. how risky is it for them. >> there is always element of risk. you can snag your suit or slice your and vented your
we reflect on the achievements and struggles for african-americans in black history month, you fulfilled a remarkable dream and the dream of so many young children of any color. did you blaze a trail so that others can do that after you? it is a possibility for a young black student to become a space walker and an astronaut? >> well, you know, certainly, when i dreamed 40 years ago that i would follow in the footsteps of neil armstrong and buzz al dr aldrin i did not set out to be the first african-american. that just happened. but what a wonderful event. >> you have gone through efforts to make sure that others can follow in your path and i want to share with the viewers some sta t statistics that are troubling with the achievement gap. in studies in the ninth grade
to follow a track of math and sinls or do science or does it bridge the gap that we talked about? >> well, it not only bridges the gap, but it also held independence corre-- helps in sg the mindset. we picked young people, because they are amassing the material necessary to prepare for high school and college. so, by having these programs at in this particular part of their life, it will help to expose them. and also we call them rock stars of stem, science, technology, and mathematics, and they can see themselves as engineers and doctors. so me not being a astronaut and medical doctor, but look at other fields that are so impactful in this nation. >> dr. harris, i want to ask you, because you are a space walker and not a black space
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