While I have never met the Queen of England, I did have a brush with British royalty during my career at NASA. In 1989, when news spread that a British princess wanted to visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston—where I was based—for her grand tour of the US, it caused a lot of excitement in my world. Royal visits to the United States are rare, but royal visits to the NASA Houston base are a lot rarer.

Today, you’ll hear about the time a colleague and I gave a tour of the Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT) for Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. I describe the FFT—a full-sized replica of the Space Shuttle orbiter—and its features. I explain who the “Potty Fairy” is and what it’s like to poop in space. You’ll also learn why astronauts need to be a combination of many things.

“We opened the hatches on the floor to show her the tanks and fans and filters below. You’d have thought we revealed a magical realm.” - Kathy Sullivan

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

• The visit of Sarah, Duchess of York, to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
• The features of the full-sized replica of a Space Shuttle in the Houston base
• Planning a tour of the Space Vehicle Mockup for the Duchess of York
• “The Potty Fairy” and the world’s only $6 million-dollar toilet with seat belts
• The coolest thing about pooping in space
• What the Duchess of York thought about her tour at the Johnson Space Center

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Everyone of us astronauts needs to be a combination of scientist, cook, maintenance engineer, and house cleaner.” - Kathy Sullivan
• “In orbit, the large windows in the ceiling of the cockpit would feel like the windows in the halls of a glass-bottom boat, allowing us to watch the earth go by beneath us.” - Kathy Sullivan

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

Visit my website at kathysullivanexplores.com to sign up for seven astronaut tips to improving your life on earth and be the first to discover future episodes and learn about more exciting adventures ahead!

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