1 00:00:16,124 --> 00:00:18,516 [crickets chirp] 2 00:00:44,413 --> 00:00:45,804 - [Mission Control] Okay, all flight controllers, RETRO. 3 00:00:45,849 --> 00:00:46,980 - [Man] Go. 4 00:00:47,024 --> 00:00:48,243 - [Mission Control] FIDO. - [Man] Go. 5 00:00:48,286 --> 00:00:49,460 - [Mission Control] Guidance. - [Man] Go. 6 00:00:49,505 --> 00:00:50,679 - [Mission Control] Control. - [Man] Go. 7 00:00:50,722 --> 00:00:51,550 - [Mission Control] TELCOMM. - [Man] Go. 8 00:00:51,594 --> 00:00:52,725 - [Mission Control] G. - [Man] Go. 9 00:00:52,768 --> 00:00:53,944 - [Mission Control] G-CM. - [Man] Go. 10 00:00:53,987 --> 00:00:54,858 - [Mission Control] Surgeon. - [Man] Go. 11 00:00:54,901 --> 00:00:55,337 - [Man] We are go for launch. 12 00:00:55,380 --> 00:00:56,250 we're go. 13 00:00:56,294 --> 00:00:57,164 - [Man] 20 seconds and counting. 14 00:00:57,207 --> 00:00:58,731 - [Pilot],000 feet, 2,000 feet 15 00:00:58,774 --> 00:01:00,429 - [Mission Control] T-minus 15 seconds. 16 00:01:00,472 --> 00:01:01,429 Guidance is internal. 17 00:01:01,472 --> 00:01:05,173 12, 11, 10, 9. 18 00:01:05,215 --> 00:01:08,176 Ignition sequence start. 19 00:01:08,219 --> 00:01:13,094 [dramatic music] Six, five, four, three, two, one. 20 00:01:17,358 --> 00:01:20,275 [Saturn rocket engine roars] 21 00:01:27,368 --> 00:01:28,499 [metal clangs] 22 00:01:32,243 --> 00:01:34,375 ♪ 23 00:01:43,298 --> 00:01:44,820 [cameras clicking] 24 00:01:46,301 --> 00:01:48,215 ♪ 25 00:01:59,227 --> 00:02:00,141 [separation charge explodes] 26 00:02:22,946 --> 00:02:25,427 - [Armstrong] That's one small step for man, 27 00:02:26,862 --> 00:02:29,865 one giant leap for mankind. 28 00:02:33,304 --> 00:02:34,523 [indistinct radio chatter] 29 00:02:41,703 --> 00:02:44,446 ♪ 30 00:02:48,058 --> 00:02:48,971 - [man] Did you open up? 31 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:53,889 [rocket engine roars] 32 00:02:58,328 --> 00:03:04,900 ♪ 33 00:03:19,089 --> 00:03:22,962 ♪ 34 00:03:25,356 --> 00:03:27,966 - [Shatner] Space, the final frontier. 35 00:03:32,406 --> 00:03:34,625 [crowd cheers] 36 00:03:39,326 --> 00:03:41,242 - Nichelle Nichols is just absolutely fantastic. 37 00:03:41,763 --> 00:03:43,025 - One of my reasons for going to MegaCon 38 00:03:43,069 --> 00:03:43,982 was to see Nichelle. 39 00:03:44,027 --> 00:03:45,333 - Because, let's face it, 40 00:03:45,375 --> 00:03:46,942 a woman with a title in charge is pretty cool. 41 00:03:47,422 --> 00:03:48,030 - That's the thing. 42 00:03:49,292 --> 00:03:50,554 That's what's so great about Lieutenant Uhura. 43 00:03:50,599 --> 00:03:52,382 - She was my favorite character from the show. 44 00:03:52,774 --> 00:03:56,039 - When you meet Nichelle, it's like meeting a queen. 45 00:03:56,082 --> 00:03:58,649 Still gorgeous, still has so much presence. 46 00:03:59,346 --> 00:04:01,739 And, uh, she--her line was longer than mine. 47 00:04:01,784 --> 00:04:03,481 I was like, "Okay, Nichelle." 48 00:04:04,613 --> 00:04:06,048 - For most of the world, you know, 49 00:04:06,091 --> 00:04:08,356 Nichelle Nichols is Lieutenant Uhura, 50 00:04:08,398 --> 00:04:09,487 pop culture icon. 51 00:04:11,968 --> 00:04:13,316 But what they don't know is that 52 00:04:13,361 --> 00:04:15,275 she changed the space program forever. 53 00:04:16,364 --> 00:04:18,453 ♪ 54 00:04:20,497 --> 00:04:23,936 - We owe a great debt of gratitude to Nichelle Nichols, 55 00:04:23,980 --> 00:04:25,982 not just through her acting, 56 00:04:26,025 --> 00:04:28,463 but it was what she personally chose to do. 57 00:04:30,508 --> 00:04:32,641 - I loved Uhura on Star Trek, 58 00:04:33,162 --> 00:04:35,992 but I wasn't aware of everything that she did off the screen. 59 00:04:38,429 --> 00:04:41,126 - I think it's one of the most fantastic stories 60 00:04:41,170 --> 00:04:42,999 to be told to the American people. 61 00:04:43,651 --> 00:04:45,436 [film reel clicking] 62 00:04:53,138 --> 00:04:53,704 [tone beeps] 63 00:04:56,708 --> 00:05:01,321 - [Miles] Well, uh, thanks for being you, number one. 64 00:05:02,670 --> 00:05:06,674 We'd love to hear how you went from Star Trek to NASA 65 00:05:06,718 --> 00:05:08,153 and the things you did with them. 66 00:05:08,198 --> 00:05:09,330 - Hmm. 67 00:05:10,766 --> 00:05:14,335 I guess it's sort of like going from fantasy to fact 68 00:05:14,725 --> 00:05:17,119 and then wondering which is the fantasy 69 00:05:17,162 --> 00:05:18,600 and which is the fact. 70 00:05:19,121 --> 00:05:23,386 So this gets sort of schizophrenic, you see. [laughs] 71 00:05:23,431 --> 00:05:26,042 [laughing] 72 00:05:31,047 --> 00:05:31,830 [chuckles] 73 00:05:33,484 --> 00:05:35,093 We're about to shoot, okay? 74 00:05:35,617 --> 00:05:38,054 ♪ 75 00:05:44,146 --> 00:05:47,063 I'm from Chicago, Illinois, born and raised. 76 00:05:47,629 --> 00:05:48,672 [trolley bell rings] 77 00:05:48,717 --> 00:05:50,066 I love Chicago. 78 00:05:51,763 --> 00:05:54,157 It's more than a Midwestern town. 79 00:05:54,199 --> 00:05:59,074 It's like a New York moved to the Midwest. 80 00:06:00,162 --> 00:06:03,427 - Nichelle was born before World War II, 81 00:06:03,470 --> 00:06:06,037 before Jackie Robinson, 82 00:06:06,081 --> 00:06:09,085 before the armed forces were integrated, 83 00:06:09,127 --> 00:06:11,521 a time of great segregation in America. 84 00:06:12,915 --> 00:06:15,699 - [Nichols] My father is Samuel L. Nichols, 85 00:06:15,744 --> 00:06:19,747 and he was from a well-to-do family. 86 00:06:20,922 --> 00:06:24,143 And my mother was not going to marry my father 87 00:06:24,186 --> 00:06:28,103 because...were not of the same class, 88 00:06:28,626 --> 00:06:32,412 and my father was determined to marry my mother. 89 00:06:33,283 --> 00:06:34,718 And thank God he did 90 00:06:34,763 --> 00:06:38,549 because together, they had six children, and I'm one. 91 00:06:39,289 --> 00:06:41,422 And I was my father's pet, 92 00:06:41,638 --> 00:06:45,816 so nobody would ever not know that [laughs] 93 00:06:45,861 --> 00:06:49,603 who my father was, because he was always saying, 94 00:06:49,646 --> 00:06:50,821 "This is my daughter. 95 00:06:50,866 --> 00:06:53,215 She's going to grow up to be a star." 96 00:06:54,564 --> 00:06:59,177 I took ballet from the time I was a young girl. 97 00:06:59,222 --> 00:07:04,227 I was determined to be the first black ballerina. 98 00:07:04,270 --> 00:07:06,576 The class that I went to, 99 00:07:07,186 --> 00:07:11,626 I think I was the only African American in the class. 100 00:07:11,973 --> 00:07:14,150 ♪ 101 00:07:14,585 --> 00:07:17,545 I grew up believing that I could become 102 00:07:17,588 --> 00:07:19,198 anything that I wanted to be. 103 00:07:20,198 --> 00:07:23,289 And of course, my father told me that 104 00:07:23,333 --> 00:07:25,552 from the time I was a child. 105 00:07:25,595 --> 00:07:29,686 And my mother used to say, "Sam, Samuel, 106 00:07:29,730 --> 00:07:33,561 please don't put those ideas in that child's brain." 107 00:07:33,778 --> 00:07:37,869 And he said, "She's going to be what she's going to be." 108 00:07:38,826 --> 00:07:41,785 And he said, "Remember when they told you, Lisha, 109 00:07:41,829 --> 00:07:45,528 don't marry Samuel Nichols?" [laughs] 110 00:07:45,573 --> 00:07:47,138 [crowd applauds] 111 00:07:47,182 --> 00:07:48,792 - Most people don't know that she started out 112 00:07:48,837 --> 00:07:50,273 as a dancer and a singer. 113 00:07:50,316 --> 00:07:52,230 - [Nichols] I love musical theater. 114 00:07:53,015 --> 00:07:55,930 So dance was now just a component 115 00:07:56,321 --> 00:07:59,194 of singing, dancing, acting. 116 00:08:00,369 --> 00:08:03,547 And I discovered that I had this very strange voice 117 00:08:03,852 --> 00:08:07,203 because I could sing high soprano. 118 00:08:07,638 --> 00:08:12,686 And I had this nice low voice and I could [vocalizes], 119 00:08:13,035 --> 00:08:14,602 and I could sing down here, 120 00:08:14,645 --> 00:08:15,864 ♪ Moaning low 121 00:08:15,907 --> 00:08:16,864 [laughs] 122 00:08:18,910 --> 00:08:21,304 I had my first professional job 123 00:08:22,044 --> 00:08:24,525 when I was 14 years old in Chicago 124 00:08:24,785 --> 00:08:27,528 at the um, downtown at the Sherman House. 125 00:08:27,876 --> 00:08:30,268 When all of the great talent came, 126 00:08:30,660 --> 00:08:31,922 they played the Sherman House. 127 00:08:32,663 --> 00:08:34,230 It was the only hotel 128 00:08:34,272 --> 00:08:37,538 that allowed black people to come and--and stay. 129 00:08:37,929 --> 00:08:39,626 I was fortunate and honored 130 00:08:39,670 --> 00:08:42,280 to meet so many great performers then. 131 00:08:43,064 --> 00:08:44,761 Without question, however, 132 00:08:46,068 --> 00:08:48,983 the highlight was meeting the great Duke Ellington. 133 00:08:49,026 --> 00:08:49,897 ♪ 134 00:08:51,376 --> 00:08:53,597 He was performing at the Chicago Theater 135 00:08:53,944 --> 00:08:56,557 and asked the publicist to find me. 136 00:08:56,861 --> 00:09:01,736 And he was looking for someone like me, evidently, 137 00:09:02,387 --> 00:09:07,045 but older, so I got older. [laughs] 138 00:09:07,088 --> 00:09:08,785 [camera shutter clicking] 139 00:09:08,829 --> 00:09:11,615 He gulped, looked me straight in the face and said, 140 00:09:11,659 --> 00:09:16,838 "Well, that's just about the range we're looking for." 141 00:09:17,402 --> 00:09:21,972 He wanted me to perform a ballet to one of his suites. 142 00:09:22,016 --> 00:09:26,281 So I got two guys and we did this fantastic ballet. 143 00:09:27,804 --> 00:09:31,896 Every night, I used to go stand in the--in the curtain 144 00:09:31,939 --> 00:09:37,858 just before I went on and watch this tall willowy gal, 145 00:09:38,381 --> 00:09:41,078 who was the band singer, sing 146 00:09:41,122 --> 00:09:44,822 and the way she wrapped herself around the microphone. 147 00:09:45,430 --> 00:09:46,867 I was just in awe. 148 00:09:46,910 --> 00:09:48,304 ♪ 149 00:09:50,174 --> 00:09:52,655 Towards the end of the tour, which was about three months, 150 00:09:52,699 --> 00:09:55,397 Mr. Ellington called me to his dressing room 151 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,748 and he said, "Sing something for me." 152 00:10:00,141 --> 00:10:03,841 And I looked at him and I said, "Sing what?" 153 00:10:03,885 --> 00:10:06,974 And he said, "Well, you can sing, can't you?" 154 00:10:07,496 --> 00:10:09,673 He said, "You've still got that little gold dress 155 00:10:09,717 --> 00:10:11,414 that you wore before we left?" 156 00:10:11,457 --> 00:10:13,764 And I said, "Oh, yes, I've even got the gold shoes." 157 00:10:13,808 --> 00:10:15,636 And he said, "Great. 158 00:10:16,157 --> 00:10:17,333 You go on tonight." 159 00:10:18,029 --> 00:10:19,770 ♪ 160 00:10:20,466 --> 00:10:22,424 I said, "Do what?" 161 00:10:23,468 --> 00:10:25,646 And he says, "The singer's sick. 162 00:10:26,168 --> 00:10:27,822 She had to leave the band. 163 00:10:28,039 --> 00:10:30,737 She's not going to finish the tour. 164 00:10:30,780 --> 00:10:31,651 You are." 165 00:10:33,001 --> 00:10:35,351 I've never been so scared in my life, 166 00:10:36,003 --> 00:10:38,659 but I was determined to never show it. 167 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:42,444 And so I went on [vocalizes] 168 00:10:42,487 --> 00:10:46,144 and I would get wonderful applause, 169 00:10:46,188 --> 00:10:49,452 but I noticed that the band was kind of going[snorts]. 170 00:10:50,366 --> 00:10:53,977 And Duke Ellington is actually playing piano for me. 171 00:10:54,457 --> 00:10:57,502 His back is kind of sideway-- to the audience, 172 00:10:57,546 --> 00:10:59,026 and he tried not to show it. 173 00:10:59,766 --> 00:11:01,724 He finally comes to me and said, 174 00:11:01,769 --> 00:11:03,814 "What are you doing with that microphone?" 175 00:11:04,205 --> 00:11:06,034 And I said, "I'm... 176 00:11:07,818 --> 00:11:08,689 singing." 177 00:11:10,212 --> 00:11:12,430 He said, "The gal-- last gal who did that 178 00:11:12,474 --> 00:11:14,128 was twice as tall as you. 179 00:11:14,171 --> 00:11:16,391 And the only reason she hung on to that mic 180 00:11:16,434 --> 00:11:18,394 is because she would have fallen down." 181 00:11:18,828 --> 00:11:20,743 He says, "You don't need to hug the mic 182 00:11:20,788 --> 00:11:23,833 "and [laughs] and do all of those gyrations. 183 00:11:23,877 --> 00:11:24,966 You've got a voice. 184 00:11:25,009 --> 00:11:27,011 Now, just sing. Do your thing." 185 00:11:27,054 --> 00:11:31,886 And that's when I first learned not to be like anybody else, 186 00:11:32,233 --> 00:11:33,843 to be yourself. 187 00:11:35,150 --> 00:11:37,107 And it was the greatest thing that ever happened. 188 00:11:40,415 --> 00:11:41,678 ♪ 189 00:11:41,722 --> 00:11:46,551 I was booked in Hawaii, and I was so excited. 190 00:11:46,596 --> 00:11:51,382 But at that time, you couldn't fly from Chicago to Hawaii. 191 00:11:51,426 --> 00:11:56,737 You had to come to Los Angeles, and that changed my life. 192 00:11:57,867 --> 00:11:59,564 [airplane engine roaring] 193 00:11:59,608 --> 00:12:02,525 While I went to Hawaii and loved Hawaii, 194 00:12:02,959 --> 00:12:05,789 I couldn't wait to get back to California. 195 00:12:05,833 --> 00:12:08,444 I thought it was the most beautiful place. 196 00:12:08,878 --> 00:12:12,882 I wound up, of course, moving to Los Angeles. 197 00:12:14,579 --> 00:12:20,847 I found acting was something that I loved and wanted to do 198 00:12:20,891 --> 00:12:22,849 and began to excel at. 199 00:12:22,892 --> 00:12:25,461 ♪ 200 00:12:27,157 --> 00:12:29,857 - Gene Roddenberry had a TV show calledThe Lieutenant, 201 00:12:30,117 --> 00:12:32,424 and he did an episode that centered on race 202 00:12:32,468 --> 00:12:34,035 that Nichelle was actually in. 203 00:12:35,905 --> 00:12:38,126 - [Nichols] The Lieutenant was my first role on television, 204 00:12:39,649 --> 00:12:41,911 and it was a wonderful role. 205 00:12:42,260 --> 00:12:43,087 Hey, guess what. 206 00:12:43,131 --> 00:12:43,784 - Hmm? 207 00:12:44,609 --> 00:12:45,785 - I found a job already. 208 00:12:46,612 --> 00:12:47,178 - At the county? 209 00:12:47,918 --> 00:12:49,006 - It's not that easy. 210 00:12:50,442 --> 00:12:52,009 - [Nichols] I was so new to the business 211 00:12:52,574 --> 00:12:54,490 that when the director told me 212 00:12:54,532 --> 00:12:59,059 to step into my key light, I didn't know where to turn. 213 00:12:59,929 --> 00:13:01,104 I thought after a few years, 214 00:13:01,149 --> 00:13:02,540 a person would start to grow a little. 215 00:13:02,584 --> 00:13:04,934 - [Nichols] Working in television 216 00:13:04,978 --> 00:13:07,589 was not that pleasurable for me. 217 00:13:08,198 --> 00:13:09,505 It's a wonderful medium, 218 00:13:11,027 --> 00:13:14,857 but it really throws a-a-a theater actor, 219 00:13:14,901 --> 00:13:17,512 a performer at first. 220 00:13:17,905 --> 00:13:19,558 ♪ 221 00:13:19,602 --> 00:13:20,429 Oh, Ernie. 222 00:13:21,603 --> 00:13:23,170 - [Nichols] We were shooting at night, 223 00:13:23,997 --> 00:13:28,524 and this person kept hovering over me. 224 00:13:28,958 --> 00:13:31,569 And I said, "Look, you," and then I noticed 225 00:13:31,613 --> 00:13:35,183 that this guy was smoking with a cigarette between-- 226 00:13:35,660 --> 00:13:36,924 - [Interviewer] A-ha. - ...his finger. 227 00:13:36,967 --> 00:13:38,881 And I'd only seen one other person do that. 228 00:13:38,925 --> 00:13:40,665 And I turned around and said, "Look, you! 229 00:13:40,709 --> 00:13:42,972 [gasps] Mr. Roddenberry!" [laughs] 230 00:13:43,016 --> 00:13:45,061 It was this one. [laughs] 231 00:13:45,106 --> 00:13:46,541 ♪ 232 00:13:46,584 --> 00:13:51,502 - I became essentially who I became 233 00:13:51,546 --> 00:13:53,069 through Gene Roddenberry. 234 00:13:53,288 --> 00:13:55,029 ♪ 235 00:13:56,203 --> 00:13:59,554 He, I--I guess you could say, discovered me. 236 00:14:01,644 --> 00:14:03,559 It--it was meant to be. 237 00:14:04,952 --> 00:14:06,649 And we knew that from day one 238 00:14:06,692 --> 00:14:09,564 because he talked exactly like my father. 239 00:14:10,695 --> 00:14:13,089 - [Crump] Because that episode centered on race 240 00:14:13,134 --> 00:14:16,702 was so controversial, they didn't actually air it. 241 00:14:16,746 --> 00:14:18,573 ♪ 242 00:14:18,617 --> 00:14:19,574 [indistinct shouting] 243 00:14:20,881 --> 00:14:22,665 That so aggravated Gene Roddenberry 244 00:14:22,708 --> 00:14:25,668 that he decided he would figure out how to tell 245 00:14:25,711 --> 00:14:27,670 those types of stories in a different way. 246 00:14:28,410 --> 00:14:30,150 [keys clacking] 247 00:14:30,411 --> 00:14:32,282 - [Nichols] On several occasions, Gene remarked, 248 00:14:32,718 --> 00:14:34,155 "I've got something in mind 249 00:14:34,198 --> 00:14:36,069 that I think is going to come about. 250 00:14:36,112 --> 00:14:37,288 And if it does, 251 00:14:38,942 --> 00:14:39,594 there'll be something important in it for you." 252 00:14:41,988 --> 00:14:46,949 I always knew that where he was going 253 00:14:47,429 --> 00:14:52,303 was going to be fresh and new and exciting but enlightening. 254 00:14:53,304 --> 00:14:54,915 He was brilliant in that way. 255 00:14:56,176 --> 00:14:58,700 He loved to talk politics with me. 256 00:14:58,743 --> 00:14:59,309 [telephone rings] 257 00:15:00,616 --> 00:15:02,313 We talked and talked and talked. 258 00:15:02,704 --> 00:15:04,663 - [Gene on phone] ...world of the future portrayed-- 259 00:15:04,707 --> 00:15:07,971 - [Nichols] I remember him talking about something 260 00:15:08,015 --> 00:15:10,930 that had people of all races. 261 00:15:11,409 --> 00:15:14,064 And I said, "Cool. That's a--let me know. 262 00:15:14,107 --> 00:15:17,067 You know, that's...that's what I'm talking about here." 263 00:15:17,111 --> 00:15:18,764 ♪ 264 00:15:18,808 --> 00:15:21,115 I'd just finished a marvelous engagement in London 265 00:15:21,157 --> 00:15:23,290 and gone on to Paris 266 00:15:23,333 --> 00:15:25,336 when a couple of telegrams found me. 267 00:15:25,380 --> 00:15:28,165 "Come home immediately," my agent had wired. 268 00:15:28,469 --> 00:15:30,166 "They're doingStar Trek ." 269 00:15:30,646 --> 00:15:32,343 "Star what?" I wondered. 270 00:15:33,126 --> 00:15:36,694 When I went to read for the part, it was very funny. 271 00:15:36,738 --> 00:15:39,655 They had not written Uhura, she was not named. 272 00:15:39,698 --> 00:15:43,179 They said, "Would you be so kind 273 00:15:43,223 --> 00:15:45,313 as to read the role of Spock?" 274 00:15:45,747 --> 00:15:50,231 And I said, "Well, tell me something about this character. 275 00:15:50,492 --> 00:15:51,666 What is she like?" 276 00:15:53,669 --> 00:15:56,019 And they stopped and looked at me. 277 00:15:56,063 --> 00:15:57,194 And so the director said, 278 00:15:57,237 --> 00:15:58,717 "No, no, no, you won't be playing Spock. 279 00:15:58,761 --> 00:15:59,195 Spock is a man." 280 00:15:59,891 --> 00:16:00,981 Could it be a woman? 281 00:16:01,806 --> 00:16:02,939 And they said, "Yes, 282 00:16:02,982 --> 00:16:05,072 but Leonard Nimoy would not like it." 283 00:16:05,463 --> 00:16:08,117 And I said, "Fine, but tell me about Spock, 284 00:16:08,161 --> 00:16:09,293 because you can't tell me 285 00:16:09,337 --> 00:16:11,642 about the female communications officer 286 00:16:11,687 --> 00:16:13,122 'cause you haven't created her yet." 287 00:16:13,862 --> 00:16:16,039 And they looked at me like, you know, 288 00:16:16,083 --> 00:16:18,694 like the dog looks at you. [laughs] 289 00:16:18,737 --> 00:16:20,261 You know, every time you see a little doggy 290 00:16:20,304 --> 00:16:23,219 and talk to him, he goes. [laughs] 291 00:16:23,525 --> 00:16:25,700 And the next thing I know, I'm reading for it. 292 00:16:25,743 --> 00:16:27,136 And I get to the bottom of the page. 293 00:16:28,833 --> 00:16:31,227 Finally, Joe Sargent, who was the director, said, 294 00:16:31,532 --> 00:16:32,795 "Come on, big talent. 295 00:16:32,838 --> 00:16:34,014 Let's go to lunch. 296 00:16:34,057 --> 00:16:35,711 You had it when you walked in the door." 297 00:16:36,799 --> 00:16:40,410 I had a big book when I came in. 298 00:16:40,846 --> 00:16:42,413 It was calledUhuru, 299 00:16:43,718 --> 00:16:47,026 and"Uhuru" is Swahili for freedom. 300 00:16:47,418 --> 00:16:50,420 Gene asked to see me and he said, 301 00:16:50,464 --> 00:16:53,381 "I really liked this, the book you brought in. 302 00:16:53,858 --> 00:16:59,299 But what I really am interested in is the name, 303 00:16:59,909 --> 00:17:00,736 Uhuru." 304 00:17:02,346 --> 00:17:05,741 He says, "I want to do something with it that involves you." 305 00:17:06,394 --> 00:17:09,309 I said, "Well, why don't you do an alliteration of it 306 00:17:09,570 --> 00:17:12,748 and soften the end with an A and it'll be Uhura." 307 00:17:14,444 --> 00:17:16,185 And I named the character. 308 00:17:18,274 --> 00:17:18,840 [chuckles] 309 00:17:19,232 --> 00:17:20,755 ♪ 310 00:17:40,210 --> 00:17:44,084 - Gene Roddenberry was an enormously gifted storyteller. 311 00:17:44,387 --> 00:17:47,174 He used science fiction as a metaphor 312 00:17:47,478 --> 00:17:49,784 for the realities of the time. 313 00:17:50,176 --> 00:17:51,569 - That was one of the core things 314 00:17:51,613 --> 00:17:53,483 that Gene Roddenberry wanted to have in the show, 315 00:17:53,963 --> 00:17:56,791 was more diversity, more cooperation, 316 00:17:57,184 --> 00:17:59,272 a positive, exciting view of the future. 317 00:17:59,316 --> 00:18:00,838 - My father looked at life 318 00:18:00,883 --> 00:18:02,885 I think the way we should all look at life, 319 00:18:02,927 --> 00:18:05,234 which is to embrace the diversity 320 00:18:05,495 --> 00:18:07,889 whether it's in physical feature and form 321 00:18:07,933 --> 00:18:09,239 or thought, idea. 322 00:18:09,456 --> 00:18:11,154 - The concept of Star Trek 323 00:18:11,197 --> 00:18:13,896 is--is--is quite extraordinary and unprecedented. 324 00:18:14,288 --> 00:18:15,505 I can't think of anything 325 00:18:15,941 --> 00:18:17,899 that has had that kind of lifespan. 326 00:18:17,943 --> 00:18:21,817 - The fact that it was set in a distant time and place 327 00:18:22,947 --> 00:18:27,126 gave it access to the present 328 00:18:27,953 --> 00:18:30,390 in a way storytelling of the present would not. 329 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,960 - It was one of the first mainstream science fiction shows 330 00:18:35,003 --> 00:18:37,876 that really dealt with the issues 331 00:18:37,919 --> 00:18:39,835 that we were dealing with at the time. 332 00:18:40,488 --> 00:18:42,619 - Lokai is of an inferior breed. 333 00:18:43,011 --> 00:18:45,840 - [Spock] The obvious visual evidence, Commissioner, 334 00:18:45,884 --> 00:18:49,148 is that he is of the same breed as yourself. 335 00:18:50,411 --> 00:18:52,368 - Are you blind, Commander Spock? 336 00:18:52,413 --> 00:18:53,153 Look at me. 337 00:18:54,893 --> 00:18:56,286 I am black on the right side. 338 00:18:57,026 --> 00:18:58,288 Lokai is white on the right. 339 00:18:58,331 --> 00:19:00,508 All of his people are white on the right side. 340 00:19:01,290 --> 00:19:03,205 - When I started watching Star Trek 341 00:19:03,250 --> 00:19:04,946 was right at the beginning, 342 00:19:04,990 --> 00:19:07,950 show one, year--year one. 343 00:19:07,992 --> 00:19:10,953 I saw it, and I watched every episode. 344 00:19:10,995 --> 00:19:12,867 - I couldn't believe the diversity 345 00:19:13,521 --> 00:19:15,174 that was on the bridge at the time. 346 00:19:15,217 --> 00:19:17,220 - [Takei] North America represented by the Captain. 347 00:19:17,524 --> 00:19:21,005 Europe represented by a Scottish engineer, 348 00:19:21,049 --> 00:19:24,271 Asia represented by my character. 349 00:19:24,313 --> 00:19:26,924 But we also saw another part of the world 350 00:19:26,969 --> 00:19:30,972 that rarely gets represented in that kind of mix, 351 00:19:31,015 --> 00:19:34,019 Africa represented by an African woman. 352 00:19:34,062 --> 00:19:36,282 - Nichelle at that time 353 00:19:36,326 --> 00:19:38,588 was one of the faces that we had to see. 354 00:19:38,981 --> 00:19:42,984 - The world got to see that like our women are strong, yes, 355 00:19:43,028 --> 00:19:44,203 but they're also smart. 356 00:19:45,204 --> 00:19:47,031 - She was the best person for that job. 357 00:19:47,076 --> 00:19:49,338 And it didn't matter if she was male or female. 358 00:19:50,034 --> 00:19:50,948 - [electricity zapping] - Progress report. 359 00:19:52,515 --> 00:19:54,518 - Mr. Spock, I haven't done anything like this in years. 360 00:19:54,953 --> 00:19:56,172 If it isn't done just right, 361 00:19:56,215 --> 00:19:58,347 I could blow the entire communications system. 362 00:19:59,001 --> 00:20:00,394 It's very delicate work, sir. 363 00:20:01,046 --> 00:20:02,222 - I can think of no one 364 00:20:03,222 --> 00:20:04,354 better equipped to handle it, Miss Uhura. 365 00:20:08,618 --> 00:20:10,707 [chuckles] 366 00:20:10,751 --> 00:20:15,365 Any time Uhura got to get off the bridge. [laughs] 367 00:20:17,061 --> 00:20:18,628 - I submitted several episodes, 368 00:20:18,673 --> 00:20:20,240 and they bought one for 369 00:20:20,501 --> 00:20:21,370 the second season. 370 00:20:21,415 --> 00:20:22,546 ♪ 371 00:20:22,589 --> 00:20:24,374 The great part about it 372 00:20:25,027 --> 00:20:27,985 was that I got to meet Nichelle before I got to script. 373 00:20:28,030 --> 00:20:30,031 And she was wearing that incredible 374 00:20:30,075 --> 00:20:31,467 two-piece bikini outfit, 375 00:20:31,511 --> 00:20:32,947 from "Mirror, Mirror" episode. 376 00:20:33,513 --> 00:20:35,037 So I got to see much more of Nichelle 377 00:20:35,079 --> 00:20:37,257 than I ever expected to. 378 00:20:38,082 --> 00:20:41,303 My God, that woman was the most beautiful woman 379 00:20:41,347 --> 00:20:42,957 I had ever been in the presence of. 380 00:20:43,523 --> 00:20:45,655 And, you know, here's this awkward geeky kid, 381 00:20:46,048 --> 00:20:48,616 still in college and very nerdy. 382 00:20:48,658 --> 00:20:52,489 And I come into the presence of this incredibly beautiful, 383 00:20:52,532 --> 00:20:56,666 talented woman, and I was just heart-stopping speechless. 384 00:20:57,059 --> 00:20:58,973 - Nichelle Nichols had that effect on people. 385 00:20:59,408 --> 00:21:04,283 - Personally, when I saw Nichelle on the show, I got, 386 00:21:04,980 --> 00:21:07,069 yeah, I could date a woman like that. 387 00:21:07,111 --> 00:21:09,418 - Lieutenant Uhura, I was in love with. 388 00:21:09,463 --> 00:21:10,724 She was a knockout. 389 00:21:10,768 --> 00:21:12,596 - [beeping] - Actresses for 2,000. 390 00:21:12,639 --> 00:21:14,771 - [Trebek] In the 1968 episode, 391 00:21:14,816 --> 00:21:16,383 "Plato's Stepchildren," 392 00:21:16,686 --> 00:21:18,079 she went where few women 393 00:21:18,123 --> 00:21:18,993 had gone before, 394 00:21:20,430 --> 00:21:22,693 one of TV's first interracial kisses. 395 00:21:23,563 --> 00:21:25,347 Margie. - Who is Nichelle Nichols? 396 00:21:25,392 --> 00:21:26,480 - [Trebek] Yes! - [dings] 397 00:21:26,522 --> 00:21:28,133 - That was still a time in television 398 00:21:28,176 --> 00:21:32,703 where contact between people of different races 399 00:21:32,747 --> 00:21:36,011 and different sexes was very controversial. 400 00:21:36,706 --> 00:21:40,101 TV affiliates in the Southern states would react. 401 00:21:40,145 --> 00:21:42,321 - They were stuck in that mind frame 402 00:21:43,409 --> 00:21:44,323 um, 403 00:21:45,149 --> 00:21:48,632 that "minorities" had to be 404 00:21:48,675 --> 00:21:50,590 in a subservient position. 405 00:21:51,678 --> 00:21:54,116 - This was a challenging time for people of color 406 00:21:54,158 --> 00:21:56,726 trying to make their way in film and television. 407 00:21:57,031 --> 00:21:58,032 There weren't a lot of roles. 408 00:21:59,817 --> 00:22:01,558 - [Nichols] Uhura was a new kind of television woman. 409 00:22:01,863 --> 00:22:04,473 Yet, it was becoming uncomfortably obvious 410 00:22:04,518 --> 00:22:08,086 that whatever ambitious plans Gene had for my character, 411 00:22:08,478 --> 00:22:11,481 Uhura's role was constantly being diminished. 412 00:22:12,438 --> 00:22:16,747 Even in the enlightened 23rd century of Gene's imagination, 413 00:22:16,790 --> 00:22:20,490 a strong, independent black woman was not welcome. 414 00:22:22,144 --> 00:22:29,194 To me, it seemed there were always "female roles," 415 00:22:29,238 --> 00:22:31,761 but roles were male roles, 416 00:22:32,154 --> 00:22:34,590 and then there were the "female roles." 417 00:22:34,635 --> 00:22:37,507 Well, this was not a "female role," 418 00:22:38,769 --> 00:22:43,383 and I refused to treat it that way. 419 00:22:44,252 --> 00:22:46,733 We're not just fancy little... 420 00:22:49,126 --> 00:22:52,174 [chuckling] We are tough broads, you know. 421 00:22:52,653 --> 00:22:57,527 We're human beings, and we come in all forms. 422 00:22:58,136 --> 00:23:00,703 Directors tried to even change me, 423 00:23:00,748 --> 00:23:04,751 make me more feminine, [laughs] make me-- 424 00:23:06,884 --> 00:23:09,539 - Would Uhura? [laughs] 425 00:23:10,758 --> 00:23:12,889 - I tried often to write scenes for her. 426 00:23:12,934 --> 00:23:14,239 Usually, I tried to make them 427 00:23:14,282 --> 00:23:16,589 emotional, personal kinds of scenes 428 00:23:16,633 --> 00:23:18,155 where there was some conflict going on 429 00:23:18,591 --> 00:23:20,115 that the women had to resolve 430 00:23:20,157 --> 00:23:22,203 or that they were strongly involved in. 431 00:23:22,247 --> 00:23:24,684 - [Nichols] There were marvelous scripts. 432 00:23:24,902 --> 00:23:27,731 And so you'd get it and you'd see this wonderful script 433 00:23:27,774 --> 00:23:29,603 that involves you so well. 434 00:23:29,819 --> 00:23:32,474 And then you'd get the revisions, 435 00:23:32,519 --> 00:23:33,954 and then you'd get the pink revisions, 436 00:23:33,998 --> 00:23:35,695 and then you'd get the orchid revisions, 437 00:23:35,739 --> 00:23:36,696 and then you're down to-- 438 00:23:36,957 --> 00:23:38,611 Hailing frequencies open, sir. 439 00:23:38,655 --> 00:23:40,222 Hailing frequencies open, sir. 440 00:23:40,264 --> 00:23:41,570 Hailing frequencies, sir. 441 00:23:41,615 --> 00:23:42,267 Hailing frequencies. 442 00:23:42,310 --> 00:23:43,181 Hailing frequencies. 443 00:23:43,224 --> 00:23:44,444 Hailing frequencies open, sir. 444 00:23:44,661 --> 00:23:46,140 Hailing frequencies open. 445 00:23:46,184 --> 00:23:46,924 - Lieutenant Uhura. 446 00:23:48,056 --> 00:23:49,360 - Hailing frequencies still open, sir. 447 00:23:49,405 --> 00:23:51,886 - And there's a legendary story about one day, 448 00:23:52,277 --> 00:23:53,887 Nichelle turns to the camera and says, 449 00:23:53,931 --> 00:23:57,281 "If I have to say 'open hailing frequencies' one more time, 450 00:23:57,326 --> 00:23:58,674 I'm gonna blow up this console." 451 00:24:00,328 --> 00:24:01,548 She was so frustrated with not getting to do more. 452 00:24:02,156 --> 00:24:04,202 - Miss Uhura, your last subspace log 453 00:24:04,245 --> 00:24:06,248 contained an error in the frequencies column. 454 00:24:06,857 --> 00:24:08,729 - Mr. Spock, sometimes I think 455 00:24:08,771 --> 00:24:12,166 if I hear that word "frequency" once more, I'll cry. 456 00:24:12,559 --> 00:24:15,779 - The unfortunate part of it is that her role 457 00:24:15,822 --> 00:24:19,261 seems to have been diminished because she was a black woman, 458 00:24:19,303 --> 00:24:22,873 and that character was viewed as perhaps more expendable 459 00:24:23,308 --> 00:24:24,831 than the other characters. 460 00:24:25,222 --> 00:24:27,877 - I told them they were doing that. 461 00:24:28,312 --> 00:24:31,491 And they said, "Oh no, this has nothing to do with you." 462 00:24:31,707 --> 00:24:33,187 And I said, "You're not me. 463 00:24:35,755 --> 00:24:37,932 It has everything to do with me." 464 00:24:38,627 --> 00:24:40,674 - She was told that she was gonna be 465 00:24:40,716 --> 00:24:43,241 more significant to this show than she was, you know. 466 00:24:43,284 --> 00:24:46,288 We were the movable furniture to a great degree. 467 00:24:46,330 --> 00:24:49,203 - She's the chief communications officer 468 00:24:49,725 --> 00:24:51,511 and she can't talk? 469 00:24:52,293 --> 00:24:53,512 What good is she? 470 00:24:55,123 --> 00:24:57,994 And I said, "That's what they wanna do with the character, 471 00:24:58,039 --> 00:24:59,300 I want out." 472 00:24:59,344 --> 00:25:00,520 I didn't have all this 473 00:25:00,562 --> 00:25:04,348 wonderful thought process going before. 474 00:25:04,393 --> 00:25:05,699 I got a job. 475 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:10,790 I was an actress, got a job, right on, you know. 476 00:25:10,834 --> 00:25:13,750 I thought my career would be in musical theater 477 00:25:14,358 --> 00:25:16,665 until Star Trek interrupted my career. 478 00:25:17,666 --> 00:25:19,277 And that's the way I looked at it. 479 00:25:20,321 --> 00:25:22,889 And I'll have other opportunities 480 00:25:22,933 --> 00:25:25,674 to grow in--in--with my talents, 481 00:25:25,719 --> 00:25:27,284 you know, of singing and dancing. 482 00:25:27,328 --> 00:25:28,635 And I'll go to Broadway, 483 00:25:28,677 --> 00:25:30,854 and I'll do big pictures and that kind of thing. 484 00:25:30,897 --> 00:25:33,248 Well, a funny thing happened on the way there. 485 00:25:33,726 --> 00:25:37,686 - [Dawson] An NAACP event that was being held, 486 00:25:39,384 --> 00:25:42,039 organizers of the event were trying to get her 487 00:25:42,082 --> 00:25:44,867 to meet this fan, and she said, "Wait a minute. 488 00:25:44,912 --> 00:25:46,914 I don't wanna meet fans right this minute." 489 00:25:47,261 --> 00:25:49,698 - This person came up to me 490 00:25:51,353 --> 00:25:54,573 and said he needed to talk to me. 491 00:25:54,964 --> 00:25:56,705 [clears throat] And I said, "I'm sorry," 492 00:25:56,750 --> 00:25:59,230 and I turned around and I was looking in the face 493 00:25:59,273 --> 00:26:00,840 of Dr. Martin Luther King. 494 00:26:01,841 --> 00:26:02,930 [laughs] 495 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,061 - And what's typical about Nichelle 496 00:26:05,106 --> 00:26:08,282 when she meets celebrities of all types, 497 00:26:08,326 --> 00:26:14,289 um, they want to tell her about how she affected their life. 498 00:26:14,942 --> 00:26:18,858 Dr. King was telling her Star Trekis the only show 499 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:20,730 that he lets his children watch. 500 00:26:21,122 --> 00:26:23,079 - It was always a wonderful experience because 501 00:26:23,124 --> 00:26:24,994 Dad did not have a lot of time 502 00:26:25,866 --> 00:26:30,609 to actually watch anything with us because he was so engaged 503 00:26:31,001 --> 00:26:35,353 in civil and human rights campaigns and the struggle. 504 00:26:35,396 --> 00:26:38,051 But I guess, in retrospect, it was important to him, 505 00:26:38,095 --> 00:26:39,792 but it certainly was important to us 506 00:26:39,836 --> 00:26:41,358 to have time with our dad. 507 00:26:42,143 --> 00:26:43,665 - She then says to him, 508 00:26:43,710 --> 00:26:45,450 "Well, I'm so glad you feel this way." 509 00:26:45,493 --> 00:26:48,322 And you know, "I'll be going off into another career move." 510 00:26:48,888 --> 00:26:50,063 And he's stunned. 511 00:26:50,107 --> 00:26:51,413 He says, "What do you mean?" 512 00:26:52,456 --> 00:26:53,633 She said, "Well, I just turned in my resignation." 513 00:26:54,155 --> 00:26:55,416 Dr. King says, "No, you can't. 514 00:26:55,460 --> 00:26:56,722 You can't leave." 515 00:26:58,289 --> 00:26:59,812 - And my first thought was, "What are you talkin' 'bout, 516 00:26:59,856 --> 00:27:02,990 Dr. Martin Luther?" [laughs] 517 00:27:03,032 --> 00:27:05,774 He's gonna tell me how to run my life now. 518 00:27:06,166 --> 00:27:07,864 - She says, "Well, the work I'm doing 519 00:27:07,907 --> 00:27:10,736 is I'm just delivering a line or two in each show. 520 00:27:10,780 --> 00:27:14,696 I'm really not using my craft to any great extent." 521 00:27:15,044 --> 00:27:17,090 - He said, "You don't understand 522 00:27:17,134 --> 00:27:20,790 the effect that you are having, not only on black people, 523 00:27:21,050 --> 00:27:24,097 not only on young women, but on everybody. 524 00:27:24,489 --> 00:27:29,842 Everybody's mind and attitude is changed immeasurably 525 00:27:29,886 --> 00:27:31,800 simply because you are there." 526 00:27:32,367 --> 00:27:34,803 - Lieutenant Uhura was the most important person on the bridge 527 00:27:35,369 --> 00:27:37,067 because she was the only one who could say-- 528 00:27:37,110 --> 00:27:38,764 - Captain. 529 00:27:38,808 --> 00:27:40,201 - ...and everybody would stop what they were doing 530 00:27:40,243 --> 00:27:41,723 and turn around to hear what she was gonna say next. 531 00:27:42,811 --> 00:27:44,465 - But also because she appealed to us 532 00:27:44,509 --> 00:27:47,991 by making us understand that we were going to be present 533 00:27:48,034 --> 00:27:51,038 in whatever future was being imagined. 534 00:27:51,212 --> 00:27:52,953 - I was a little boy at that time, 535 00:27:53,474 --> 00:27:56,086 and it was at a time where, 536 00:27:56,521 --> 00:27:57,521 my mother was from the South. 537 00:27:57,566 --> 00:27:58,828 I was from the North. 538 00:28:00,395 --> 00:28:02,396 They could just barely get to the front of the bus then. 539 00:28:02,789 --> 00:28:04,442 And that's what Dr. King was saying 540 00:28:04,834 --> 00:28:07,402 because he could see where it was going. 541 00:28:07,444 --> 00:28:10,186 - "You're looked up to, and you're a role model, 542 00:28:10,231 --> 00:28:12,406 and people aspire to be you, 543 00:28:12,841 --> 00:28:15,409 that person that they see on television. 544 00:28:15,453 --> 00:28:17,716 So don't leave, don't go away. 545 00:28:17,978 --> 00:28:19,414 You stay right where you are." 546 00:28:19,806 --> 00:28:21,502 He was a man of such wisdom. 547 00:28:21,546 --> 00:28:23,722 And when he made a statement like that, 548 00:28:24,114 --> 00:28:25,985 he had a good reason for doing it. 549 00:28:26,508 --> 00:28:27,857 - And it's the first time 550 00:28:27,901 --> 00:28:31,992 that I really talked to anyone important 551 00:28:32,557 --> 00:28:34,733 about what was going on. 552 00:28:35,125 --> 00:28:37,953 It was equally as important 553 00:28:37,998 --> 00:28:40,434 as anything I could possibly have done. 554 00:28:41,828 --> 00:28:45,004 So I stayed, and I never regretted it. 555 00:28:46,136 --> 00:28:47,442 Uhura and I... 556 00:28:48,835 --> 00:28:50,010 became friends. 557 00:28:51,793 --> 00:28:56,015 It was the character that I had the blessing to create 558 00:28:56,886 --> 00:28:58,018 and never failed me. 559 00:28:58,060 --> 00:29:00,585 [doors whirring] 560 00:29:00,628 --> 00:29:01,803 [electronics beeping] 561 00:29:03,588 --> 00:29:05,895 And the show only went two more seasons, 562 00:29:07,114 --> 00:29:08,463 and then we were gone. 563 00:29:10,203 --> 00:29:13,555 In show business, everything ends sooner or later, 564 00:29:13,597 --> 00:29:16,252 you learn to say goodbye and look to the future. 565 00:29:17,037 --> 00:29:20,169 After all, you never know what's around the corner. 566 00:29:26,046 --> 00:29:29,178 - [Miles] How did they sort of notify you of 567 00:29:29,657 --> 00:29:31,877 your introduction to NASA? Did-- 568 00:29:32,617 --> 00:29:37,186 - Well, again, Star Trek had a little bit to do with that. 569 00:29:37,578 --> 00:29:42,845 The--the response to it going off the air 570 00:29:42,888 --> 00:29:44,063 was unbelievable. 571 00:29:44,107 --> 00:29:45,500 - Rumors that it was going off the air 572 00:29:45,542 --> 00:29:47,849 brought more than one million letters 573 00:29:47,894 --> 00:29:50,287 of outraged fan mail to NBC. 574 00:29:50,330 --> 00:29:52,898 - [Reporter] The universe it created was self-consistent, 575 00:29:53,203 --> 00:29:57,164 imaginative, and makes its viewers long to be part of it, 576 00:29:57,206 --> 00:29:59,165 and they didn't want to see it come to an end. 577 00:30:00,688 --> 00:30:02,212 [crowd cheering] 578 00:30:02,255 --> 00:30:03,605 ♪ 579 00:30:05,912 --> 00:30:09,872 - Some of the most incredible people on the planet 580 00:30:09,915 --> 00:30:11,613 are Star Trek fans. 581 00:30:11,655 --> 00:30:14,094 [crowd cheers] 582 00:30:14,136 --> 00:30:17,488 Fans started holding Star Trek conventions. 583 00:30:17,531 --> 00:30:19,969 - Oh, I am a Denebian slime devil. 584 00:30:20,012 --> 00:30:23,015 - I'm Ambassador X from Ecosystem Four. 585 00:30:23,059 --> 00:30:26,193 - I think it's the extreme logic of the characters. 586 00:30:26,671 --> 00:30:28,542 - I was one of the fans waiting in line 587 00:30:29,195 --> 00:30:31,675 for an autograph or a photo or something. 588 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,243 If you were a science and a science fiction geek 589 00:30:34,288 --> 00:30:37,595 and Star Trekperson, this was where you wanted to be. 590 00:30:37,638 --> 00:30:40,555 - It's just the happiest day of my entire life. 591 00:30:40,597 --> 00:30:42,599 Like, it's just so beautiful. 592 00:30:42,644 --> 00:30:44,124 [sobbing] I can't help it. 593 00:30:45,865 --> 00:30:50,086 - [Nichols] But in '75, I was invited to go to Chicago 594 00:30:50,129 --> 00:30:52,174 to what turned out to be 595 00:30:52,219 --> 00:30:54,655 the largest Star Trek convention ever. 596 00:30:54,698 --> 00:30:57,876 - By the '75 convention, it was a full-fledged movement. 597 00:30:58,094 --> 00:31:02,706 - It was also the first time that NASA had seen fit 598 00:31:02,751 --> 00:31:05,187 to allow one of their scientists 599 00:31:05,232 --> 00:31:07,059 to come as a speaker. 600 00:31:07,103 --> 00:31:09,584 The day before the convention was to begin, 601 00:31:09,626 --> 00:31:11,367 we held a press conference. 602 00:31:12,065 --> 00:31:13,630 I noticed a tall, handsome, 603 00:31:13,674 --> 00:31:15,676 white-haired gentleman on our panel. 604 00:31:16,155 --> 00:31:18,941 I discovered he was Dr. Jesco von Puttkamer, 605 00:31:18,984 --> 00:31:20,899 NASA's Director of Science. 606 00:31:21,161 --> 00:31:24,946 And the press asks this scientist, 607 00:31:25,686 --> 00:31:29,908 "Dr. von Puttkamer, I mean, this is fantasy. 608 00:31:30,431 --> 00:31:32,912 What's a man of your stature doing here?" 609 00:31:33,434 --> 00:31:37,176 So Dr. von Puttkamer said, and he's this tall man 610 00:31:37,220 --> 00:31:41,049 with a shock of white hair and mustache, you know, 611 00:31:41,094 --> 00:31:43,965 and he looks down the way and he says, 612 00:31:44,313 --> 00:31:46,925 "Well, I tell you, 613 00:31:48,187 --> 00:31:52,366 aside from the dream that Gene Roddenberry had 614 00:31:53,019 --> 00:31:56,195 that put all humankind in the future, 615 00:31:56,630 --> 00:32:00,940 I came for something more important than that." 616 00:32:01,156 --> 00:32:04,986 He said, "I came because I had to find out 617 00:32:05,465 --> 00:32:09,251 if Lieutenant Uhura had the most beautiful legs 618 00:32:09,296 --> 00:32:11,211 that I think she has on the screen." 619 00:32:11,646 --> 00:32:16,346 And of course, the press sat there and looked at him. 620 00:32:16,389 --> 00:32:19,609 And we all on the panel are going, "What did he say?" 621 00:32:19,654 --> 00:32:22,177 I said, "What did he say about Uhura?" [laughs] 622 00:32:24,745 --> 00:32:26,617 And I was cinched. 623 00:32:26,661 --> 00:32:28,750 I said, "I've got to meet that person." 624 00:32:28,792 --> 00:32:33,711 - Jesco von Puttkamer was a charismatic advocate 625 00:32:33,754 --> 00:32:36,409 for space flight and a wonderful voice 626 00:32:36,453 --> 00:32:38,760 for what NASA was doing. 627 00:32:38,802 --> 00:32:42,197 - When he and Nichelle first got together, 628 00:32:42,763 --> 00:32:45,157 uh, I think that was a kind of a natural partnership, 629 00:32:45,201 --> 00:32:46,681 a mentorship and a partnership. 630 00:32:47,724 --> 00:32:48,377 - [Nichols] I sat through 631 00:32:49,684 --> 00:32:50,337 Dr. von Puttkamer's presentation 632 00:32:50,379 --> 00:32:51,685 in utter awe. 633 00:32:52,817 --> 00:32:54,993 ♪ 634 00:32:56,212 --> 00:33:00,173 I saw all of this wondrousness. 635 00:33:01,826 --> 00:33:04,307 ♪ 636 00:33:15,710 --> 00:33:19,713 I remember something happening back then saying 637 00:33:21,194 --> 00:33:22,803 humankind stepped on the moon. 638 00:33:26,850 --> 00:33:30,116 It wasn't just Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. 639 00:33:30,419 --> 00:33:31,421 I stepped on the moon. 640 00:33:34,771 --> 00:33:40,213 And I sat there thrilled and impressed 641 00:33:41,257 --> 00:33:43,738 as I watched the presentation 642 00:33:44,434 --> 00:33:48,176 of where we had gone as human beings. 643 00:33:50,265 --> 00:33:51,441 And I didn't see me. 644 00:33:54,401 --> 00:33:58,752 And out of that awe and out of that thrill 645 00:33:59,319 --> 00:34:05,063 came a feeling of disenfranchisement. 646 00:34:06,934 --> 00:34:11,330 I did not see myself in the present space program. 647 00:34:12,419 --> 00:34:15,203 I didn't see myself as a black, 648 00:34:15,769 --> 00:34:17,423 and I didn't see myself as a woman. 649 00:34:18,468 --> 00:34:23,082 Here I was involved in projecting a future 650 00:34:23,430 --> 00:34:29,435 of what our space program, could--where it could take us. 651 00:34:29,479 --> 00:34:32,481 And I wanted to be there, not in fantasy, 652 00:34:33,917 --> 00:34:38,097 not 300 years from today, but now. 653 00:34:38,444 --> 00:34:40,838 - Oh, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut, 654 00:34:40,881 --> 00:34:43,537 but NASA said that women weren't being considered 655 00:34:43,580 --> 00:34:44,276 for the job. 656 00:34:45,539 --> 00:34:47,106 - The Russians already had women in space. 657 00:34:47,367 --> 00:34:49,499 When is America gonna put a woman in space? 658 00:34:49,542 --> 00:34:51,544 When is American gonna put a black person in space? 659 00:34:51,935 --> 00:34:53,198 - The argument was made 660 00:34:54,809 --> 00:34:57,202 uh, by the National Institute of Sciences and in the mid-'70s 661 00:34:57,245 --> 00:34:58,856 that there were no qualified black people. 662 00:34:58,899 --> 00:35:00,379 - I resented that 663 00:35:01,249 --> 00:35:04,339 and decided I was gonna do something about it. 664 00:35:04,948 --> 00:35:06,515 I started writing about it, 665 00:35:06,950 --> 00:35:08,562 and they got printed in Ebony, 666 00:35:08,604 --> 00:35:12,827 and they got printed in various magazines and newspapers. 667 00:35:13,261 --> 00:35:17,484 And suddenly media, the press wanted to interview me 668 00:35:17,526 --> 00:35:20,312 because as you have probably noticed, 669 00:35:20,356 --> 00:35:23,142 I have a lot to say. [laughs] 670 00:35:23,664 --> 00:35:27,885 In early 1977, I was appointed to the board of directors 671 00:35:27,928 --> 00:35:29,539 of the National Space Institute. 672 00:35:30,278 --> 00:35:33,455 That January, I gave a speech before NSI's 673 00:35:33,499 --> 00:35:35,850 annual joint board council meeting. 674 00:35:36,546 --> 00:35:40,506 I was talking before two or 3,000 people it felt like, 675 00:35:40,549 --> 00:35:43,510 but it was a huge audience. 676 00:35:43,553 --> 00:35:44,901 - She looked out in the audience 677 00:35:44,946 --> 00:35:46,513 and there were very few women 678 00:35:46,555 --> 00:35:49,167 and probably no people of color. 679 00:35:49,515 --> 00:35:50,952 - There were scientists there. 680 00:35:50,995 --> 00:35:53,258 There were NASA officials there. 681 00:35:53,301 --> 00:35:56,566 And the call went out. 682 00:35:57,044 --> 00:35:58,307 - [Nichols] I challenged everyone 683 00:35:58,350 --> 00:35:59,961 to answer the question, 684 00:36:00,004 --> 00:36:02,310 space, what's in it for me? 685 00:36:02,354 --> 00:36:05,575 And I was not talking about becoming an astronaut. 686 00:36:05,618 --> 00:36:09,492 I was talking about if those guys are doing it, 687 00:36:10,972 --> 00:36:12,321 then we're supposed to be there. 688 00:36:12,365 --> 00:36:13,582 Then where are we? 689 00:36:14,367 --> 00:36:17,499 - And she's saying, "Where are my people?" 690 00:36:17,892 --> 00:36:19,459 - Where are my people? 691 00:36:21,939 --> 00:36:24,593 And I meant that then, and I mean it now. 692 00:36:29,990 --> 00:36:30,905 - [Dr. Joels] That was the spark 693 00:36:30,948 --> 00:36:32,385 that caused NASA to say, 694 00:36:32,428 --> 00:36:34,473 "Okay, you've got a good point. 695 00:36:34,517 --> 00:36:35,562 How do we go about this?" 696 00:36:37,127 --> 00:36:39,957 - Well, coming out of that, I was invited to Washington 697 00:36:40,001 --> 00:36:43,482 to meet the administrator of NASA. 698 00:36:43,526 --> 00:36:45,919 He said, "We were in the audience, listening to you. 699 00:36:45,963 --> 00:36:47,399 So was the director." 700 00:36:48,314 --> 00:36:50,316 Suddenly, I'm at NASA headquarters, 701 00:36:50,359 --> 00:36:52,578 and I'm seeing women 702 00:36:54,363 --> 00:36:58,323 and men in every level, 703 00:36:58,584 --> 00:37:01,979 from administration and management. 704 00:37:03,024 --> 00:37:03,981 I was fascinated. 705 00:37:05,504 --> 00:37:07,941 And I said to them, "Why doesn't your public know this?" 706 00:37:08,943 --> 00:37:11,510 - NASA was in a huge period of transition. 707 00:37:11,946 --> 00:37:13,294 - [Narrator] As the last Apollo crew 708 00:37:13,339 --> 00:37:14,252 worked on the moon, 709 00:37:14,513 --> 00:37:15,818 the engineers on earth 710 00:37:15,863 --> 00:37:18,039 prepared for tomorrow's day in space. 711 00:37:18,082 --> 00:37:20,388 - [Dr. Joels] They had already done the Skylab missions. 712 00:37:20,649 --> 00:37:23,044 Apollo-Soyuz flew in 1975, 713 00:37:23,086 --> 00:37:25,002 and then the Apollo mission was over. 714 00:37:25,046 --> 00:37:30,269 The country was engaged in a lot of economic dislocation. 715 00:37:32,401 --> 00:37:35,316 You had a lot of people that were downsized 716 00:37:35,361 --> 00:37:36,665 after the Apollo program. 717 00:37:36,709 --> 00:37:38,450 Now, they were entering the shuttle era 718 00:37:38,711 --> 00:37:40,627 and we need talent. 719 00:37:41,627 --> 00:37:44,544 - I have a model here of the space shuttle. 720 00:37:44,586 --> 00:37:45,761 - [Dr. Weitekamp] In the 1970s, 721 00:37:45,805 --> 00:37:47,589 NASA needed to recruit 722 00:37:47,633 --> 00:37:50,332 a new class of astronauts for the space shuttle program, 723 00:37:50,376 --> 00:37:52,377 and this would be a very different class 724 00:37:52,421 --> 00:37:54,597 than had been previously recruited. 725 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:57,077 - The Astronaut Corps was really kind of the all boys club. 726 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:59,428 It was all white, Anglo Saxon male. 727 00:37:59,472 --> 00:38:01,299 They all have come out of test pilot school. 728 00:38:02,388 --> 00:38:03,432 - [Dr. Weitekamp] For the shuttle program, 729 00:38:03,475 --> 00:38:04,693 this was a new vehicle 730 00:38:04,738 --> 00:38:06,479 that allowed new kinds of work, 731 00:38:06,522 --> 00:38:08,437 which meant that they wanted not only pilot astronauts 732 00:38:08,481 --> 00:38:09,743 but mission specialists, 733 00:38:09,785 --> 00:38:12,048 people with PhDs, medical degrees, 734 00:38:12,093 --> 00:38:14,138 researchers who would be doing the experiments 735 00:38:14,182 --> 00:38:15,008 on the vehicle. 736 00:38:16,227 --> 00:38:17,577 And NASA, when they started looking into 737 00:38:17,620 --> 00:38:19,100 the application pile, 738 00:38:19,142 --> 00:38:21,363 realized that they were dealing with a legacy 739 00:38:21,406 --> 00:38:23,104 of historic discrimination. 740 00:38:23,147 --> 00:38:26,499 - They were not getting the response that they wanted. 741 00:38:26,716 --> 00:38:29,676 And they said this was already eight months underway 742 00:38:29,718 --> 00:38:31,372 and they only had four more months. 743 00:38:31,417 --> 00:38:34,115 And they said, "We're not going to have any black people. 744 00:38:34,158 --> 00:38:35,464 We're not gonna have any women 745 00:38:36,203 --> 00:38:37,684 because no one's responding. 746 00:38:38,510 --> 00:38:39,555 Why?" 747 00:38:39,598 --> 00:38:41,339 And I said, "We don't believe you." 748 00:38:42,602 --> 00:38:45,647 - [Lewis] During the '60s, to be able to ride 749 00:38:45,691 --> 00:38:50,479 and take a seat on a-- on a bus, any place on a bus, 750 00:38:52,176 --> 00:38:56,049 we would be beaten, arrested, and jailed. 751 00:38:56,528 --> 00:38:58,573 [indistinct shouting] 752 00:38:58,618 --> 00:39:00,053 - [Capt. Scott] I could remember days of-- 753 00:39:00,097 --> 00:39:02,055 of blatant racism. 754 00:39:02,448 --> 00:39:05,754 And going into the drugstore one day 755 00:39:05,798 --> 00:39:08,149 and buying an ice cream cone and a comic book, 756 00:39:08,888 --> 00:39:11,412 and a lady came out from behind the counter and said, 757 00:39:11,457 --> 00:39:12,414 "You can't sit here. 758 00:39:12,457 --> 00:39:13,372 You have to get up and leave." 759 00:39:15,111 --> 00:39:16,548 I remember just turning around to walk out of the store 760 00:39:16,765 --> 00:39:19,551 and she yelled at me, "That's the best thing you can do. 761 00:39:19,595 --> 00:39:20,508 Just get outta here!" 762 00:39:22,205 --> 00:39:23,816 - [Maj. Bolden] Walking into the Naval Academy, 763 00:39:23,859 --> 00:39:26,819 a place where I had wanted so badly to go from seventh grade 764 00:39:26,863 --> 00:39:28,778 when I first saw the program Men of Annapolis 765 00:39:29,256 --> 00:39:31,171 and getting in there in Plebe Summer, calling home, 766 00:39:31,214 --> 00:39:33,086 crying to my mom and dad saying, "I made a bi-- 767 00:39:33,129 --> 00:39:35,176 I made a big mistake. I wanna come home." 768 00:39:35,611 --> 00:39:37,700 And my--they would ask me, they said, 769 00:39:37,743 --> 00:39:39,093 "But you've always wanted to go there." 770 00:39:39,135 --> 00:39:40,789 I said, "Yeah, but they don't want me here. 771 00:39:41,617 --> 00:39:42,662 And I don't wanna be here." 772 00:39:43,923 --> 00:39:45,098 Those are the kinds of things that I remember. 773 00:39:46,709 --> 00:39:48,102 - [Funk] I applied to NASA four different times 774 00:39:48,144 --> 00:39:49,582 to be turned down four different times 775 00:39:49,624 --> 00:39:53,760 because NASA reorganized their nomenclature, so to speak, 776 00:39:53,803 --> 00:39:56,196 that you had to have jet test pilot time. 777 00:39:56,240 --> 00:39:58,678 This was impossible for a girl to have in those days. 778 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:01,767 Now, let's go back to the men, the Mercury. 779 00:40:02,508 --> 00:40:06,511 There were 159 men selected from the armed services 780 00:40:06,555 --> 00:40:08,164 to go through these tests at Lovelace. 781 00:40:09,252 --> 00:40:10,515 How many passed? 782 00:40:10,559 --> 00:40:11,430 Seven. 783 00:40:12,691 --> 00:40:16,783 25 women were selected and how many passed? 784 00:40:17,566 --> 00:40:18,131 Thirteen. 785 00:40:19,524 --> 00:40:22,702 We could have done it if they would just let us. 786 00:40:23,702 --> 00:40:27,836 - They said, "How can we get people to apply? 787 00:40:28,185 --> 00:40:30,144 How can we correct that?" 788 00:40:30,796 --> 00:40:35,584 And I said, "I think you need to get someone immediately 789 00:40:36,236 --> 00:40:40,153 with credibility and high visibility 790 00:40:40,196 --> 00:40:42,678 whom they would believe when they speak. 791 00:40:42,722 --> 00:40:45,725 They know that they would not talk to them 792 00:40:45,767 --> 00:40:47,595 if NASA was not serious." 793 00:40:48,336 --> 00:40:48,944 And NASA said, 794 00:40:50,251 --> 00:40:52,165 "How about Lieutenant Uhura?" 795 00:40:52,209 --> 00:40:53,950 ♪ 796 00:40:54,863 --> 00:40:57,867 And I just laughed because I said, 797 00:40:58,564 --> 00:41:01,261 "No, no, people might think it's a gimmick." 798 00:41:01,305 --> 00:41:03,872 Oh, I said, "Don't, not me. 799 00:41:03,917 --> 00:41:05,265 They'll laugh at you." 800 00:41:06,876 --> 00:41:09,269 And they said, "Not if they hear you speak five minutes." 801 00:41:10,314 --> 00:41:12,533 - One of the things that Nichelle was very keen on 802 00:41:12,577 --> 00:41:14,493 is she did not want to be seen 803 00:41:14,841 --> 00:41:19,193 as like an assistant or a mascot of NASA. 804 00:41:19,236 --> 00:41:21,281 She didn't want NASA people around her 805 00:41:21,325 --> 00:41:23,196 when she was out there recruiting. 806 00:41:23,589 --> 00:41:27,897 - I cannot have a NASA representative taking me around 807 00:41:28,332 --> 00:41:32,553 and...and propping me up with a prepared speech. 808 00:41:32,598 --> 00:41:33,642 I won't do that. 809 00:41:34,033 --> 00:41:36,950 And I said, "I will accept it, 810 00:41:36,993 --> 00:41:40,562 but I'll do it under my company, Women in Motion, 811 00:41:41,214 --> 00:41:42,129 and I'll be your PI." 812 00:41:43,390 --> 00:41:47,220 Women in Motion was a company that I began 813 00:41:47,263 --> 00:41:50,223 when I wanted to make a difference. 814 00:41:50,615 --> 00:41:56,272 - It became the vehicle for this--this NASA contract. 815 00:41:56,316 --> 00:41:57,535 - And I said, 816 00:41:59,102 --> 00:42:01,234 "I will bring you so many qualified people, 817 00:42:01,843 --> 00:42:03,323 you will have no choice. 818 00:42:03,367 --> 00:42:05,673 And if I have done my work 819 00:42:05,935 --> 00:42:09,330 and it's still an all-white male Astronaut Corps, 820 00:42:10,374 --> 00:42:12,593 I will be your worst nightmare 821 00:42:12,638 --> 00:42:17,251 because I will file a class action lawsuit against you. 822 00:42:17,946 --> 00:42:21,734 I will go and...and speak before Congress 823 00:42:21,776 --> 00:42:25,301 and I will expose what... what I have done." 824 00:42:25,825 --> 00:42:28,696 And Dr. Fletcher gave me his hand 825 00:42:29,959 --> 00:42:31,917 and he said, "And I'll go with you." 826 00:42:32,745 --> 00:42:34,267 And John Yardley said, 827 00:42:34,660 --> 00:42:35,964 "And so shall I." 828 00:42:36,443 --> 00:42:38,707 ♪ 829 00:42:39,707 --> 00:42:42,885 And on that basis, I, for the next four months, 830 00:42:42,928 --> 00:42:44,843 'cause we only had four months left, 831 00:42:45,321 --> 00:42:50,718 I completely stopped my career, canceled all engagements 832 00:42:51,414 --> 00:42:55,071 and set up a grueling schedule. 833 00:42:59,423 --> 00:43:02,905 - [Dawson] There was a good old boy attitude within NASA 834 00:43:02,948 --> 00:43:06,343 that we know what's best, and we'll--we'll do the hiring, 835 00:43:06,386 --> 00:43:07,301 thank you very much. 836 00:43:08,823 --> 00:43:10,086 - Some of them shared with me the fact that, you know, 837 00:43:10,129 --> 00:43:12,001 when this Hollywood star walked in, 838 00:43:12,044 --> 00:43:14,394 they really were not inclined to initially take it seriously 839 00:43:14,437 --> 00:43:16,004 until they started talkingr. 840 00:43:16,352 --> 00:43:20,095 - I needed some astronaut training 841 00:43:20,443 --> 00:43:25,318 to know what I was talking about to astronauts, you know. 842 00:43:25,798 --> 00:43:29,323 And when I said that first to them, 843 00:43:29,365 --> 00:43:31,977 they kind of went like... [chuckles] 844 00:43:32,021 --> 00:43:33,457 ♪ 845 00:43:33,501 --> 00:43:36,024 Astronaut Alan Bean has agreed to show me 846 00:43:36,459 --> 00:43:38,680 some of the training and evaluation 847 00:43:38,723 --> 00:43:41,334 that new astronaut candidates will be undergoing. 848 00:43:41,727 --> 00:43:43,859 ♪ 849 00:43:50,386 --> 00:43:50,952 [laughs] 850 00:43:54,827 --> 00:43:56,350 - Why don't you take the commander's seat over there. 851 00:43:56,392 --> 00:43:57,350 - All right. -You can handle it. 852 00:43:58,481 --> 00:44:00,441 I get to be a captain at last. [laughs] 853 00:44:06,490 --> 00:44:08,709 - [Dawson] She was able to land 854 00:44:08,754 --> 00:44:11,669 this space shuttle orbiter simulator. 855 00:44:12,060 --> 00:44:13,801 Later on, I asked, "How did you do that?" 856 00:44:13,845 --> 00:44:16,674 "Oh, you know, it wasn't me. 857 00:44:16,935 --> 00:44:19,415 It was Uhura that did it." [chuckles] 858 00:44:19,459 --> 00:44:21,810 ♪ 859 00:44:39,479 --> 00:44:40,481 - [Nichols] The credibility, of course, 860 00:44:40,524 --> 00:44:41,961 in minority community 861 00:44:42,178 --> 00:44:43,397 has been very low. 862 00:44:44,919 --> 00:44:46,443 Uh, I'm sure that they-- - The--our--NASA's credibility? 863 00:44:46,486 --> 00:44:47,749 - NASA's credibility. 864 00:44:47,792 --> 00:44:48,836 How do you feel about-- 865 00:44:48,881 --> 00:44:49,968 - Well, first, I'm kinda-- 866 00:44:50,011 --> 00:44:51,752 - A woman coming on board. 867 00:44:51,796 --> 00:44:53,537 - I think that's a good idea. - [laughs] 868 00:44:53,580 --> 00:44:57,062 - But I think if they think they got any kind of chance, 869 00:44:57,106 --> 00:44:58,760 you know, they should apply, definitely. 870 00:44:58,803 --> 00:44:59,412 - [Nichols] I think the problem is that 871 00:45:00,848 --> 00:45:02,111 most people just don't think it means them this time. 872 00:45:02,155 --> 00:45:03,417 - It does mean them. 873 00:45:03,852 --> 00:45:06,463 - Once she got NASA to accept the fact 874 00:45:06,506 --> 00:45:08,073 that they needed to have people of color, 875 00:45:08,421 --> 00:45:10,205 she faced the battle of going out and convincing 876 00:45:10,249 --> 00:45:12,861 qualified young men and women of color 877 00:45:12,905 --> 00:45:16,169 that--that they would find a place, a welcome place, 878 00:45:16,211 --> 00:45:17,517 if they chose to apply. 879 00:45:18,127 --> 00:45:20,738 ♪ 880 00:45:22,001 --> 00:45:25,743 - I went to every university that I could get to. 881 00:45:26,135 --> 00:45:30,182 I went to every woman's organization, 882 00:45:30,836 --> 00:45:33,881 every professional science organization, 883 00:45:33,926 --> 00:45:36,928 organization of black engineers and scientists. 884 00:45:36,972 --> 00:45:38,539 I went to LULAC. 885 00:45:38,582 --> 00:45:40,540 I went to the Asian community. 886 00:45:40,584 --> 00:45:42,803 I went to the Spanish-American community. 887 00:45:42,848 --> 00:45:44,457 I went to the black community. 888 00:45:44,501 --> 00:45:47,068 I went to the Organization of Black Pilots. 889 00:45:47,113 --> 00:45:51,421 And fortunately, many of these people 890 00:45:51,464 --> 00:45:55,164 were having their annual conventions at that time, 891 00:45:55,207 --> 00:45:59,124 and many had admitted that they allowed me to come 892 00:45:59,167 --> 00:46:00,473 because I was Uhura, 893 00:46:02,171 --> 00:46:06,044 but they finished up because I was Nichelle Nichols 894 00:46:06,088 --> 00:46:07,959 speaking for our space program. 895 00:46:09,004 --> 00:46:12,486 ♪ Show me, I say 896 00:46:13,182 --> 00:46:14,575 - I think that's the perseverance 897 00:46:14,618 --> 00:46:16,620 that Nichelle showed in going around, 898 00:46:16,664 --> 00:46:18,492 being willing to go into the deep South 899 00:46:18,535 --> 00:46:19,187 and try to recruit. 900 00:46:20,667 --> 00:46:25,499 - I went to a university where they were livid with me. 901 00:46:25,542 --> 00:46:28,807 They wanted to hurt me, and they told me that. 902 00:46:30,330 --> 00:46:31,810 And I said, "That's fine." 903 00:46:32,941 --> 00:46:34,812 I said, "Let's stay civil. 904 00:46:36,684 --> 00:46:38,511 But I'm not here to convince you. 905 00:46:39,164 --> 00:46:42,950 I'm here to find that one person who'll take a chance." 906 00:46:43,256 --> 00:46:46,171 Many of them said, "NASA is using you, Ms. Nichols." 907 00:46:46,912 --> 00:46:48,827 And I said, "I know, and I'm using them. 908 00:46:49,957 --> 00:46:51,220 Now, I'm gonna use you." 909 00:46:52,700 --> 00:46:54,223 - Nichelle's personal mission 910 00:46:55,223 --> 00:46:58,227 uh, was to help these people understand 911 00:46:58,923 --> 00:47:00,316 that NASA needed them. 912 00:47:02,187 --> 00:47:04,232 ♪ 913 00:47:04,276 --> 00:47:06,321 - Hello, this is Nichelle Nichols. 914 00:47:06,365 --> 00:47:10,892 NASA needs astronaut pilots and mission specialists 915 00:47:10,935 --> 00:47:12,937 for the space shuttle that becomes operational 916 00:47:12,981 --> 00:47:14,156 in the 1980s. 917 00:47:14,678 --> 00:47:17,028 These people wrote me and said 918 00:47:17,071 --> 00:47:21,075 they would have never thought they qualified 919 00:47:21,685 --> 00:47:25,863 until they heard me speak or saw me on television. 920 00:47:26,124 --> 00:47:31,521 In every city that I visited, we contacted the media. 921 00:47:31,564 --> 00:47:34,046 I went on tel-- on every talk show. 922 00:47:34,089 --> 00:47:37,919 Then I'd might go on and they'd wanna talk about my career, 923 00:47:37,963 --> 00:47:40,138 and I said, "Thank you so much 924 00:47:40,182 --> 00:47:42,575 because my career is so important to me. 925 00:47:42,968 --> 00:47:45,926 It has taken an incredible turn." 926 00:47:45,970 --> 00:47:47,580 "Oh, what are you doing now?" 927 00:47:48,234 --> 00:47:51,671 "I'm helping NASA recruit the first women 928 00:47:51,714 --> 00:47:55,894 and minority astronauts for the space shuttle program." 929 00:47:56,285 --> 00:47:58,069 And they'd go, [laughs] 930 00:47:58,113 --> 00:48:00,680 I said, "No, it's not funny. It's true." 931 00:48:00,723 --> 00:48:03,205 Even the network stations, many of them 932 00:48:03,597 --> 00:48:09,080 played my--my public service announcements in primetime 933 00:48:10,037 --> 00:48:13,040 because they had Uhura, you know. 934 00:48:13,084 --> 00:48:15,609 - Nichelle Nichols came on TV one day, 935 00:48:15,651 --> 00:48:17,915 and I'm just sitting there watching her. 936 00:48:18,176 --> 00:48:20,656 And she was in a blue flight suit. 937 00:48:20,700 --> 00:48:22,658 - Hi, I'm Nichelle Nichols. 938 00:48:23,095 --> 00:48:25,140 - And she pointed at me and she said, 939 00:48:25,184 --> 00:48:29,187 "I want you to join the astronaut program." 940 00:48:29,752 --> 00:48:31,015 - This is your NASA. 941 00:48:31,973 --> 00:48:34,627 - And immediately, I knew she was talking to me. 942 00:48:35,019 --> 00:48:36,977 Other people have claimed she was talking to them. 943 00:48:37,022 --> 00:48:38,937 No, she was talking to me. 944 00:48:39,153 --> 00:48:41,068 - When various men and women 945 00:48:41,287 --> 00:48:44,725 heard me on a--a television talk show 946 00:48:44,767 --> 00:48:47,118 in which I spoke about 947 00:48:49,077 --> 00:48:52,341 the military recruitment and the civilian recruitment, 948 00:48:52,776 --> 00:48:56,693 you see, the military had their own recruitment drive 949 00:48:56,736 --> 00:49:00,261 for NASA and eliminated people 950 00:49:00,305 --> 00:49:03,309 and then gave NASA their selection. 951 00:49:04,700 --> 00:49:06,747 They invited me to the Pentagon 952 00:49:06,789 --> 00:49:09,010 when I first took on the contract 953 00:49:09,053 --> 00:49:10,707 to let me know they didn't want me interfering 954 00:49:10,751 --> 00:49:12,665 with the military recruitment. 955 00:49:12,709 --> 00:49:15,147 They didn't want me out recruiting military, 956 00:49:15,363 --> 00:49:16,365 so I didn't. 957 00:49:16,408 --> 00:49:18,019 - They made it quite clear to her 958 00:49:18,062 --> 00:49:20,281 that they had their ways of picking astronauts 959 00:49:20,325 --> 00:49:23,328 and they wanted her to stay out of their way. 960 00:49:23,676 --> 00:49:25,287 But she found a loophole. 961 00:49:25,330 --> 00:49:27,636 - [Nichols] Just as I was about to leave, I said, 962 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:30,988 "Oh, if you have your own recruitment 963 00:49:31,249 --> 00:49:32,772 and your own selection, 964 00:49:33,252 --> 00:49:37,691 what about the men and women who aren't selected by you? 965 00:49:39,127 --> 00:49:42,435 Would they be able to apply directly to NASA 966 00:49:42,477 --> 00:49:44,002 as American citizens?" 967 00:49:46,091 --> 00:49:50,095 And they went, "Yes." [laughs] 968 00:49:50,877 --> 00:49:54,359 So everywhere I went, I simply talked about that. 969 00:49:54,881 --> 00:49:57,406 - And Fred kind of pulled an end run and applied 970 00:49:57,450 --> 00:49:59,843 through NASA as a civilian. 971 00:49:59,886 --> 00:50:04,151 - And I got a call from General Tom Stafford. 972 00:50:04,412 --> 00:50:07,111 And I remember his-- the first words he said, 973 00:50:07,155 --> 00:50:09,026 he said, "Who the hell are you?" 974 00:50:09,765 --> 00:50:12,030 And I said, "Well, sir, I'm... [laughs] 975 00:50:13,466 --> 00:50:16,251 I'm Major Fred Gregory." [laughs] 976 00:50:16,294 --> 00:50:18,731 And I mean, I never met the man in life. 977 00:50:19,167 --> 00:50:21,734 He said, "But why did you apply as a civilian?" 978 00:50:21,778 --> 00:50:25,347 I said, "Because if I had been in the Air Force 979 00:50:25,390 --> 00:50:27,088 and I'm in the selection committee, 980 00:50:27,131 --> 00:50:28,742 I probably would not have selected me 981 00:50:28,785 --> 00:50:30,309 because I was an unknown." 982 00:50:30,526 --> 00:50:32,354 He says, "Well, that's all I wanted to know," 983 00:50:32,397 --> 00:50:35,140 and that was the end of the conversation. [laughs] 984 00:50:35,182 --> 00:50:38,446 - [laughs] Fun, huh? [laughs] 985 00:50:39,144 --> 00:50:40,754 - During the recruitment process, 986 00:50:41,319 --> 00:50:43,756 NASA public affairs pulled out all the stops 987 00:50:43,799 --> 00:50:47,760 trying to get Nichelle exposure, and the crown jewel of that 988 00:50:47,803 --> 00:50:49,763 was an appearance on Good Morning America. 989 00:50:50,198 --> 00:50:52,809 ♪ 990 00:50:53,854 --> 00:50:56,334 - Recently, I had an opportunity to do something 991 00:50:56,377 --> 00:50:58,814 that very few people have-- get the chance to do. 992 00:50:58,859 --> 00:51:00,339 A week or so ago, 993 00:51:00,381 --> 00:51:02,557 I visited the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 994 00:51:02,602 --> 00:51:04,082 in Houston, Texas. 995 00:51:04,952 --> 00:51:06,171 And one of the people that I met there 996 00:51:06,214 --> 00:51:07,475 was Nichelle Nichols, 997 00:51:07,519 --> 00:51:09,783 a star of television series, Star Trek. 998 00:51:10,174 --> 00:51:12,742 Over the last few years, Ms. Nichols has gone 999 00:51:12,785 --> 00:51:15,789 from science fiction to science fact. 1000 00:51:16,223 --> 00:51:18,138 why did you choose to become involved 1001 00:51:18,182 --> 00:51:19,792 in the NASA space program? 1002 00:51:20,359 --> 00:51:23,492 - Well, Sandy, a couple of years ago, a friend of mine and I 1003 00:51:23,535 --> 00:51:25,580 formed a company called Women in Motion. 1004 00:51:25,624 --> 00:51:27,930 And all of the things that I had talked with them about, 1005 00:51:27,975 --> 00:51:30,890 about the potential, they included 1006 00:51:30,934 --> 00:51:33,937 about why women should apply, 1007 00:51:33,981 --> 00:51:36,113 why minorities should apply. 1008 00:51:36,330 --> 00:51:37,593 I think it's very important 1009 00:51:37,636 --> 00:51:40,595 that at this selection for astronauts status, 1010 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:43,164 of having a woman astronaut 1011 00:51:43,207 --> 00:51:46,167 and a completely integrated Astronaut Corps. 1012 00:51:46,211 --> 00:51:47,821 The old Star Trek idea, 1013 00:51:47,863 --> 00:51:51,171 I see infinite diversity and infinite combinations. 1014 00:51:51,216 --> 00:51:53,260 - And June 30th is the last day 1015 00:51:53,305 --> 00:51:56,263 for women and other minorities to apply for the program. 1016 00:51:56,524 --> 00:51:58,571 - I was sitting in my office at NASA 1017 00:51:58,613 --> 00:52:00,138 and I got a call from Nichelle 1018 00:52:00,964 --> 00:52:03,271 and she said, "Kerry, I just found out 1019 00:52:03,314 --> 00:52:05,272 we're supposed to do a final report. 1020 00:52:05,577 --> 00:52:08,928 What is a final report?" [chuckles] 1021 00:52:09,408 --> 00:52:10,843 So I said, "When is this due?" 1022 00:52:10,886 --> 00:52:12,845 She said, "In a week." [chuckles] 1023 00:52:13,542 --> 00:52:15,414 I said, "Okay." 1024 00:52:15,457 --> 00:52:17,285 She said, "Can you come and help?" 1025 00:52:17,328 --> 00:52:18,285 I said, "Sure." 1026 00:52:18,678 --> 00:52:19,852 [keys clacking] 1027 00:52:21,549 --> 00:52:23,856 This was an era of typewriters and Xerox machines. 1028 00:52:24,510 --> 00:52:27,468 So we were literally having to type the report 1029 00:52:27,513 --> 00:52:30,515 and take all the photographs and the documents. 1030 00:52:30,559 --> 00:52:31,865 And they weren't in emails 1031 00:52:31,908 --> 00:52:33,432 where you could cut and paste them. 1032 00:52:33,475 --> 00:52:36,564 You actually had to physically Xerox them and stack them. 1033 00:52:36,609 --> 00:52:38,218 It was very labor intensive. 1034 00:52:38,914 --> 00:52:41,569 I could tell that she was driving really, really hard. 1035 00:52:42,397 --> 00:52:45,008 She was doing media constantly. 1036 00:52:45,051 --> 00:52:46,575 She was traveling constantly. 1037 00:52:46,966 --> 00:52:49,577 And she was doing presentations constantly. 1038 00:52:50,057 --> 00:52:52,580 It was an incredible grind. 1039 00:52:53,015 --> 00:52:54,888 I [scoffs] I went to sleep at two in the morning. 1040 00:52:54,930 --> 00:52:56,497 She got me up at five, took me to the airport, 1041 00:52:56,542 --> 00:52:57,977 and I was back at my desk at eight. 1042 00:52:58,457 --> 00:53:00,981 I realized, from a historical perspective, 1043 00:53:01,024 --> 00:53:02,243 this was gonna be important. 1044 00:53:02,287 --> 00:53:03,417 [printer whirring] 1045 00:53:03,939 --> 00:53:05,028 They finished it. 1046 00:53:05,071 --> 00:53:05,725 They got it in. 1047 00:53:07,334 --> 00:53:08,944 I think she didn't know 1048 00:53:08,988 --> 00:53:10,207 how it would turn out at that point. 1049 00:53:14,734 --> 00:53:16,082 - [Dr. Bluford] I was a kid 1050 00:53:16,126 --> 00:53:17,345 out of the inner city of Philadelphia, 1051 00:53:19,173 --> 00:53:22,915 Air Force officer who wanted to be an aerospace engineer. 1052 00:53:25,352 --> 00:53:28,486 January of '78, I was driving to work, 1053 00:53:28,747 --> 00:53:30,097 and I heard on the radio 1054 00:53:30,140 --> 00:53:33,492 that NASA had selected 35 astronauts. 1055 00:53:34,057 --> 00:53:37,017 I was curious at who those people were, you know. 1056 00:53:38,758 --> 00:53:40,062 - [Maj. Gregory] I was a pilot 1057 00:53:40,106 --> 00:53:42,631 and enjoyed flying airplanes a lot. 1058 00:53:42,674 --> 00:53:44,242 And that's the reason I was interested 1059 00:53:44,285 --> 00:53:47,245 in the space shuttle program, because it had a wing on it. 1060 00:53:48,376 --> 00:53:50,290 - [Dr. Bluford] So I got to work. 1061 00:53:50,334 --> 00:53:55,077 And I was probably in the office maybe an hour or so 1062 00:53:55,122 --> 00:53:57,646 when I got this call from this strange guy. 1063 00:53:57,689 --> 00:53:58,995 [phone rings] 1064 00:53:59,734 --> 00:54:01,606 - And I thought, "Oh my goodness, okay. 1065 00:54:02,084 --> 00:54:06,089 This is the, you know, this is the call." [laughs] 1066 00:54:06,133 --> 00:54:09,354 Mr. Abbi gets on the phone and he says, "Fred." 1067 00:54:09,397 --> 00:54:10,484 I said, "Yes, sir." 1068 00:54:10,528 --> 00:54:11,269 He says, 1069 00:54:12,618 --> 00:54:13,662 "You're still interested in this job down here?" 1070 00:54:14,359 --> 00:54:17,057 I said, "Yes." [laughs] 1071 00:54:17,100 --> 00:54:20,495 And he says, "You've--okay, you've been selected 1072 00:54:20,539 --> 00:54:21,975 to be in this first class, 1073 00:54:22,497 --> 00:54:24,673 but you can't tell anybody until noon." 1074 00:54:25,370 --> 00:54:27,327 And this was like 7:30 in the morning. 1075 00:54:27,372 --> 00:54:29,330 I think I kept my word for five minutes. 1076 00:54:29,982 --> 00:54:31,984 And I... [laughs] 1077 00:54:32,638 --> 00:54:35,553 - [Nichols] One day, on television, 1078 00:54:35,597 --> 00:54:37,424 it came on as news. 1079 00:54:37,468 --> 00:54:39,035 - [Reporter] 35 people were ultimately chosen 1080 00:54:39,078 --> 00:54:40,341 to become astronauts. 1081 00:54:40,385 --> 00:54:41,995 - [Nichols] They mentioned my name, 1082 00:54:42,647 --> 00:54:44,649 and my son came running to me 1083 00:54:44,693 --> 00:54:47,522 and said, "Mom, Mom, come quick! 1084 00:54:47,566 --> 00:54:50,002 Your--your people are on television." 1085 00:54:51,004 --> 00:54:55,486 And I said, "Wha--?" I think he's talking about my TV show. 1086 00:54:56,051 --> 00:54:58,968 And I said, "Of course we're on TV, darling." 1087 00:54:59,011 --> 00:55:00,055 He says, "No, no, no! 1088 00:55:00,839 --> 00:55:05,714 Uh, uh. Your people that go up." [laughs] 1089 00:55:08,107 --> 00:55:11,328 And I came running, and I saw and there they were. 1090 00:55:12,155 --> 00:55:14,548 [camera shutter clicking] 1091 00:55:15,463 --> 00:55:17,682 Well, this might sound a little corny, 1092 00:55:19,685 --> 00:55:22,818 but it felt like my children. 1093 00:55:23,165 --> 00:55:26,343 And my heart, it pounded, 1094 00:55:27,823 --> 00:55:32,044 and I knew the world will never be the same again. 1095 00:55:32,437 --> 00:55:34,656 We would go on to great heights. 1096 00:55:35,743 --> 00:55:38,486 And to think that... 1097 00:55:40,662 --> 00:55:43,664 I had the slightest thing to do with it... 1098 00:55:45,711 --> 00:55:47,408 ♪ 1099 00:55:47,452 --> 00:55:48,365 [sighs] 1100 00:55:49,714 --> 00:55:55,155 makes me know that all things good are possible. 1101 00:55:56,722 --> 00:56:01,073 ♪ 1102 00:56:53,517 --> 00:56:56,521 - In '78, we got together for the first time 1103 00:56:56,564 --> 00:56:58,783 in February of '78. 1104 00:56:58,827 --> 00:57:02,178 - When I saw the picture of us, to me, that looked like 1105 00:57:02,222 --> 00:57:05,703 a very representative group of Americans. 1106 00:57:07,314 --> 00:57:09,142 And so from my point of view, 1107 00:57:09,185 --> 00:57:14,189 I saw brothers and sisters up there on that platform. 1108 00:57:14,234 --> 00:57:16,497 - We had six women. 1109 00:57:16,540 --> 00:57:21,850 I got to meet Fred Gregory, and I got to meet Ron McNair. 1110 00:57:25,593 --> 00:57:30,859 - Ron was actually impressed and--and encouraged 1111 00:57:30,903 --> 00:57:32,687 to come into the space program 1112 00:57:32,992 --> 00:57:34,602 due to the work that Nichelle did 1113 00:57:34,646 --> 00:57:35,995 in traveling around the country 1114 00:57:36,037 --> 00:57:37,475 and trying to help recruit for NASA. 1115 00:57:37,736 --> 00:57:39,171 The difference that Nichelle played 1116 00:57:39,214 --> 00:57:42,305 was the fact that she--she helped to make it real, 1117 00:57:42,348 --> 00:57:45,178 to make it a true possibility for him. 1118 00:57:46,004 --> 00:57:47,963 - [McNair] Times have changed to the point where a black man 1119 00:57:48,006 --> 00:57:50,879 can enter areas that were heretofore, 1120 00:57:51,314 --> 00:57:53,272 some sorta--you might say, prohibited. 1121 00:57:53,707 --> 00:57:56,189 - [Interviewer] Do you feel that three is an adequate number 1122 00:57:56,231 --> 00:57:57,495 at this point in time? 1123 00:57:58,582 --> 00:58:00,236 - Well, certainly, I don't feel three is adequate. 1124 00:58:00,280 --> 00:58:03,501 I think as many as you can get in, but a three is a start. 1125 00:58:03,761 --> 00:58:04,589 Let's do it. 1126 00:58:06,242 --> 00:58:08,287 - The first United States space shuttle was rolled out today 1127 00:58:08,723 --> 00:58:11,334 from Palmdale, California, in the Mojave Desert. 1128 00:58:11,377 --> 00:58:13,685 - [Announcer] President Ford may indeed be a fan 1129 00:58:13,727 --> 00:58:15,513 of the showStar Trek. 1130 00:58:15,861 --> 00:58:17,557 When he was asked to approve 1131 00:58:17,602 --> 00:58:20,213 the name of the first American space shuttle craft, 1132 00:58:20,604 --> 00:58:23,651 the President chose the name The Enterprise. 1133 00:58:24,216 --> 00:58:25,827 - That was the first time the crew 1134 00:58:26,218 --> 00:58:29,961 was actually sort of featured along with NASA 1135 00:58:30,004 --> 00:58:32,225 in--in--in a public story. 1136 00:58:32,617 --> 00:58:34,749 - We were absolutely thrilled. 1137 00:58:35,227 --> 00:58:38,709 There was the band there, and they started to play a tune. 1138 00:58:38,926 --> 00:58:40,580 ♪ 1139 00:58:40,624 --> 00:58:44,932 It was the opening tune from the Star TrekTV series. 1140 00:58:45,412 --> 00:58:48,981 - And around a corner, a truck came into view 1141 00:58:49,024 --> 00:58:52,680 and it was towing this huge, enormous thing 1142 00:58:52,723 --> 00:58:55,247 that I had never seen the likes of which before. 1143 00:58:56,292 --> 00:59:00,557 And across the nose of the ship, it said Enterprise. 1144 00:59:02,428 --> 00:59:05,823 And we just burst into cheers. 1145 00:59:05,867 --> 00:59:07,912 I think we came close to tears, actually. 1146 00:59:08,435 --> 00:59:10,350 - It was an exciting 1147 00:59:10,392 --> 00:59:14,615 and deeply, profoundly moving experience for us. 1148 00:59:14,658 --> 00:59:16,182 - [Koenig] We felt like, goodness, 1149 00:59:16,225 --> 00:59:19,751 we really are a part of something that is real, 1150 00:59:19,794 --> 00:59:23,318 that is important, that is not science fiction alone. 1151 00:59:23,928 --> 00:59:26,671 ♪ 1152 00:59:27,367 --> 00:59:27,932 - [man] Incoming. 1153 00:59:29,716 --> 00:59:30,631 - [man 2] Doors opened and they're all down. Comin' down. 1154 00:59:30,674 --> 00:59:31,414 Touchdown here. 1155 00:59:31,937 --> 00:59:32,894 [indistinct radio chatter] 1156 00:59:38,769 --> 00:59:41,598 Four, three, two, drop. 1157 00:59:42,861 --> 00:59:44,296 - [man 3] Hey, that was great. 1158 00:59:45,124 --> 00:59:47,821 ♪ 1159 00:59:49,301 --> 00:59:51,609 [lights thunking] 1160 00:59:52,696 --> 00:59:54,959 - [Maj. Gregory] I was part of the launch team 1161 00:59:55,307 --> 00:59:56,309 for the first launch. 1162 00:59:57,789 --> 01:00:01,879 - [man] T minus ten, nine, eight, seven, 1163 01:00:02,140 --> 01:00:04,752 six, five, four. 1164 01:00:04,796 --> 01:00:06,624 Go for main engine start. 1165 01:00:07,450 --> 01:00:10,888 [engines roaring] 1166 01:00:11,758 --> 01:00:13,325 [birds squawking] 1167 01:00:18,765 --> 01:00:20,332 - [Maj. Gregory] We were all used to Saturns. 1168 01:00:22,203 --> 01:00:23,423 And I can remember when the shuttle came out of the cloud 1169 01:00:23,466 --> 01:00:26,905 for the first time, it was so short and stubby 1170 01:00:27,165 --> 01:00:29,995 that I thought maybe the real one was gonna come back up 1171 01:00:30,473 --> 01:00:31,343 and come out later. 1172 01:00:31,778 --> 01:00:34,347 ♪ 1173 01:00:44,051 --> 01:00:47,446 - And after we got through maybe STS two or three, 1174 01:00:47,490 --> 01:00:49,361 there was a lot of pressure going on 1175 01:00:49,405 --> 01:00:52,408 as to when are you gonna fly the first woman in space. 1176 01:00:52,452 --> 01:00:55,106 - Well, you helped bring the women into the program then. 1177 01:00:55,149 --> 01:00:59,459 What--how do you feel they're going to do in this man's world? 1178 01:00:59,502 --> 01:01:01,852 - I think it's not a man's world. 1179 01:01:02,156 --> 01:01:04,419 - [Announcer] The six women astronauts chosen 1180 01:01:04,464 --> 01:01:07,118 were Dr. Sally Ride, Dr. Judith Resnik, 1181 01:01:07,162 --> 01:01:09,990 Dr. Kathy Sullivan, Anna Fisher, Rhea Seddon, 1182 01:01:10,035 --> 01:01:11,776 and Dr. Shannon Lucid. 1183 01:01:11,818 --> 01:01:14,082 - I wanna get up as soon as I can. 1184 01:01:14,473 --> 01:01:16,345 So that means that I'd like to be the first woman up. 1185 01:01:16,388 --> 01:01:18,390 - How does it feel to realize 1186 01:01:18,434 --> 01:01:20,001 that you are going to become 1187 01:01:20,044 --> 01:01:21,176 a footnote in history 1188 01:01:21,220 --> 01:01:23,526 and a trivia question subject forever? 1189 01:01:23,569 --> 01:01:24,789 - Gosh, that's quite an honor. 1190 01:01:25,832 --> 01:01:27,443 I was, I have to admit, not prepared 1191 01:01:27,486 --> 01:01:29,707 for all the attention that I received. 1192 01:01:29,968 --> 01:01:31,796 - Please welcome Sally Ride. 1193 01:01:31,839 --> 01:01:35,408 - Sally Ride's flight aboard STS-7 in 1983 1194 01:01:35,799 --> 01:01:39,064 uh, was a moment where there were people lined up 1195 01:01:39,106 --> 01:01:42,414 across Florida highways and around Kennedy Space Center 1196 01:01:42,457 --> 01:01:44,504 with signs that said, "Ride Sally Ride." 1197 01:01:44,546 --> 01:01:46,071 ♪ 1198 01:01:48,856 --> 01:01:50,423 [engines roaring] 1199 01:01:55,557 --> 01:01:57,124 - John Young, head of the astronaut office, 1200 01:01:57,169 --> 01:01:59,039 came up and said, "Hey, George wants to talk to you. 1201 01:01:59,084 --> 01:02:01,564 Go over to his office at 10:30." 1202 01:02:01,607 --> 01:02:02,914 I sort of said to myself, 1203 01:02:02,957 --> 01:02:04,915 "Oh, I wonder what I did wrong," you know. 1204 01:02:05,089 --> 01:02:07,178 And we were waiting outside his office, and 1205 01:02:07,222 --> 01:02:10,095 we all came in and we sat down around his table. 1206 01:02:10,834 --> 01:02:13,227 And George said, in a very humbling way, 1207 01:02:13,838 --> 01:02:16,796 "You know, I need somebody to fly on STS-8. 1208 01:02:16,841 --> 01:02:18,973 Do you wanna, do you guys wanna fly for STS-8?" 1209 01:02:19,017 --> 01:02:20,104 Yeah! 1210 01:02:20,147 --> 01:02:22,019 ♪ 1211 01:02:32,290 --> 01:02:34,772 - The flights of those as the firsts 1212 01:02:35,120 --> 01:02:37,470 were both moments of extraordinary pressure 1213 01:02:37,513 --> 01:02:41,821 on the individual who had the burden and the opportunity 1214 01:02:41,865 --> 01:02:44,825 of being the first to do something so significant, 1215 01:02:44,868 --> 01:02:46,131 um, but they were also, I think, 1216 01:02:46,173 --> 01:02:48,568 met with a lot of public enthusiasm. 1217 01:02:49,046 --> 01:02:50,482 - [Dr. Bluford] Well, one, I was pleased 1218 01:02:50,526 --> 01:02:53,486 to be selected to be, uh, to fly on STS-8 1219 01:02:54,573 --> 01:02:58,011 and to recognize that I would be opening the doors 1220 01:02:58,055 --> 01:03:01,189 for other African Americans who would be flying in space. 1221 01:03:02,189 --> 01:03:02,886 - [Mission Control] Challenger, 1222 01:03:03,930 --> 01:03:04,801 the President is on the line. 1223 01:03:06,673 --> 01:03:08,805 - [Reagan] Guys, congratulations. 1224 01:03:09,631 --> 01:03:14,028 You, I think, are paving the way for many others, 1225 01:03:14,071 --> 01:03:15,551 and you're making it plain that 1226 01:03:16,682 --> 01:03:19,990 we are in an era of brotherhood. 1227 01:03:20,513 --> 01:03:23,298 I can't help but express my gratitude. 1228 01:03:23,341 --> 01:03:25,299 [crowd applauding] 1229 01:03:26,258 --> 01:03:27,606 - [Maj. Gregory] The press loved it. 1230 01:03:27,649 --> 01:03:30,088 "Well, what's it feel like being the only? 1231 01:03:30,348 --> 01:03:32,611 Well what's it feel like starting 1232 01:03:32,655 --> 01:03:34,222 or breaking the glass barrier?" 1233 01:03:34,961 --> 01:03:39,227 You could not have found a better selected group. 1234 01:03:41,272 --> 01:03:44,231 - My sister, Judy Resnik, was a scientist 1235 01:03:44,711 --> 01:03:48,627 and found the ultimate job as an astronaut, 1236 01:03:48,671 --> 01:03:52,240 being the second American woman to go into space. 1237 01:03:53,372 --> 01:03:55,156 Nichelle should be proud of what she did 1238 01:03:55,200 --> 01:03:58,943 in her part in recruiting Judy and others 1239 01:03:59,247 --> 01:04:01,031 because she gave them the opportunity 1240 01:04:01,075 --> 01:04:03,207 to do exactly what they wanted to do. 1241 01:04:04,687 --> 01:04:05,906 - [Dr. Joels] The importance 1242 01:04:05,950 --> 01:04:07,211 and the historical significance 1243 01:04:07,254 --> 01:04:09,604 of Nichelle's efforts with NASA 1244 01:04:09,649 --> 01:04:11,216 is probably best summarized 1245 01:04:11,258 --> 01:04:12,999 by the moment where she was given 1246 01:04:13,044 --> 01:04:14,218 the Public Service Award. 1247 01:04:14,261 --> 01:04:16,046 ♪ 1248 01:04:17,396 --> 01:04:18,658 It was Judy that actually 1249 01:04:18,700 --> 01:04:20,006 presented the medal to Nichelle. 1250 01:04:20,702 --> 01:04:24,010 And she and Judy were--were close. 1251 01:04:24,055 --> 01:04:27,622 And she always appreciated the fact 1252 01:04:27,667 --> 01:04:30,669 that they had stayed close after the recruitment. 1253 01:04:33,716 --> 01:04:35,370 - When I got in the Orbiter in the Challenger 1254 01:04:35,414 --> 01:04:36,589 from my first mission, 1255 01:04:37,589 --> 01:04:40,287 I was--went in there actually pretty cocky. 1256 01:04:40,723 --> 01:04:45,946 I would say that we were 90 to 95 percent aware of what it was 1257 01:04:45,990 --> 01:04:48,209 that we were gonna see and experience. 1258 01:04:48,600 --> 01:04:51,169 But they left out the five percent or 10 percent, 1259 01:04:51,778 --> 01:04:53,345 and that was the actual experience. 1260 01:04:53,388 --> 01:04:55,738 [engines roaring] 1261 01:04:55,781 --> 01:04:58,653 When the main engine started and we looked out the window 1262 01:04:58,698 --> 01:05:01,309 and the Orbiter tipped, we called it a plane, 1263 01:05:02,093 --> 01:05:05,182 and when it came back in zero and the solids ignited, 1264 01:05:05,747 --> 01:05:09,622 there was no doubt you were going someplace really fast. 1265 01:05:10,144 --> 01:05:11,711 And it shook and rattled 1266 01:05:11,754 --> 01:05:13,408 and I said it was something like 1267 01:05:13,452 --> 01:05:15,627 an old wooden rollercoaster. 1268 01:05:16,193 --> 01:05:18,325 And by this time, we are screaming. 1269 01:05:19,631 --> 01:05:22,026 At two minutes after liftoff, 1270 01:05:22,068 --> 01:05:24,680 those solid rockets have burned all of their fuel 1271 01:05:24,723 --> 01:05:26,638 and they have blown away from the tank. 1272 01:05:28,075 --> 01:05:31,035 And you see the flash through the windows, 1273 01:05:31,077 --> 01:05:34,689 and suddenly that rattle, that shake, rattle and roll, 1274 01:05:34,734 --> 01:05:37,736 goes into just a very, like an electric motor. 1275 01:05:39,347 --> 01:05:41,044 Now you're accelerating, 1276 01:05:41,088 --> 01:05:43,350 but you just begin to feel it in your chest, 1277 01:05:43,656 --> 01:05:45,658 and it just gets more and more. 1278 01:05:45,700 --> 01:05:49,269 At about a minute or so before main engine cutoff 1279 01:05:49,314 --> 01:05:51,229 and when you've reached orbital velocity, 1280 01:05:51,490 --> 01:05:54,318 you have a steady three Gs and everybody is going... 1281 01:05:54,709 --> 01:05:56,756 [panting] 1282 01:05:56,798 --> 01:05:59,323 At about eight and a half minutes, which is all the time 1283 01:05:59,367 --> 01:06:01,716 it takes to get to space, main engines cut off... 1284 01:06:01,760 --> 01:06:03,370 [ship clanking] 1285 01:06:03,414 --> 01:06:07,071 ...and you go immediately from three Gs to zero Gs. 1286 01:06:07,374 --> 01:06:09,202 And your arms just float up like this, 1287 01:06:09,247 --> 01:06:12,814 and any debris just floats around like this. 1288 01:06:12,859 --> 01:06:13,990 And then you're in space. 1289 01:06:15,600 --> 01:06:17,298 And you look out the window for the first time 1290 01:06:17,341 --> 01:06:19,082 and you see the Earth beneath you, 1291 01:06:19,517 --> 01:06:21,345 this beautiful blue marble. 1292 01:06:23,129 --> 01:06:24,653 ♪ 1293 01:06:24,696 --> 01:06:26,655 You go around the world in a hour and a half, 1294 01:06:26,698 --> 01:06:27,743 every 90 minutes. 1295 01:06:29,397 --> 01:06:32,051 You know, your whole concept of neighbors changes, you know. 1296 01:06:32,095 --> 01:06:34,272 A neighbor that you walk to might take five minutes. 1297 01:06:34,314 --> 01:06:36,274 In five minutes, you're across the Atlantic Ocean. 1298 01:06:36,535 --> 01:06:39,276 Your concept of who a friend is, an enemy, 1299 01:06:39,711 --> 01:06:44,151 your concept of faith, all of these things change 1300 01:06:45,544 --> 01:06:47,066 when you have the privilege and honor 1301 01:06:47,111 --> 01:06:48,763 to do something like that. 1302 01:06:48,807 --> 01:06:50,723 And you know, from the political point of view, 1303 01:06:50,765 --> 01:06:53,117 I wish we could send politicians up there 1304 01:06:53,160 --> 01:06:55,205 and they realize that what we're talking about 1305 01:06:55,553 --> 01:06:57,772 is people in the world down here 1306 01:06:57,816 --> 01:06:59,731 as opposed to factions of this, 1307 01:06:59,774 --> 01:07:04,084 and I think it would have fantastic influence on them 1308 01:07:04,127 --> 01:07:05,129 as they make decisions. 1309 01:07:06,564 --> 01:07:07,827 It all makes sense when you-- when you look at it 1310 01:07:08,435 --> 01:07:10,263 from--from the space point. 1311 01:07:10,307 --> 01:07:12,352 So this was just my first, you know, 1312 01:07:12,397 --> 01:07:15,269 my--like my first five minutes on my first mission. 1313 01:07:15,834 --> 01:07:18,229 It just makes you come home and just go wow. 1314 01:07:18,794 --> 01:07:21,448 ♪ 1315 01:07:26,453 --> 01:07:31,068 - By the time we flew the 24th flight of the space shuttle, 1316 01:07:31,459 --> 01:07:37,073 Charlie, Franklin, and I were the rookies on that flight. 1317 01:07:37,290 --> 01:07:38,814 - [Reporter] Florida Congressman Bill Nelson 1318 01:07:38,857 --> 01:07:40,468 is the second congressional observer 1319 01:07:40,511 --> 01:07:41,426 to fly on the shuttle. 1320 01:07:42,861 --> 01:07:46,082 - It so happened that our CAPCOM was Fred Gregory. 1321 01:07:46,865 --> 01:07:49,868 So after four tries to get off the ground, 1322 01:07:50,435 --> 01:07:53,742 four scrubs over the better part of a month, 1323 01:07:53,785 --> 01:07:56,789 the first time that two shuttles were on the pad, 1324 01:07:57,615 --> 01:08:01,140 on the fifth try, we launched. 1325 01:08:01,185 --> 01:08:03,448 Eight and a half minutes later, we were in space. 1326 01:08:03,490 --> 01:08:06,450 The first words coming from Fred Gregory was, 1327 01:08:06,885 --> 01:08:09,801 "Welcome to space, rookies." 1328 01:08:10,236 --> 01:08:12,848 - [woman breathing heavily] - [birds chirping] 1329 01:08:16,634 --> 01:08:20,508 It's now just 10 days after we've returned to Earth. 1330 01:08:20,856 --> 01:08:23,902 A Challenger has been sitting on the other pad 1331 01:08:24,511 --> 01:08:27,862 because we were so late getting off the pad 1332 01:08:27,907 --> 01:08:30,256 with all of those scrubs. 1333 01:08:30,300 --> 01:08:32,825 - [woman breathing heavily] - [heart thumping] 1334 01:08:34,478 --> 01:08:36,567 - It was a cold day, end of January. 1335 01:08:36,611 --> 01:08:37,568 - [Reporter] Some of the icicles 1336 01:08:37,612 --> 01:08:38,960 which have built up on the-- 1337 01:08:39,005 --> 01:08:39,527 - [Maj. Gregory] I was the lead CAPCOM. 1338 01:08:41,006 --> 01:08:42,921 Uh, the--all of the CAPCOMs work for me. 1339 01:08:43,401 --> 01:08:46,839 - I had a friend had come into town, 1340 01:08:46,881 --> 01:08:48,318 was staying at my house, 1341 01:08:48,580 --> 01:08:50,843 and I had gone for my morning walk. 1342 01:08:50,885 --> 01:08:52,410 [indistinct radio chatter] 1343 01:08:54,281 --> 01:08:56,196 - [Reporter] Countdown going very smoothly 1344 01:08:56,240 --> 01:08:57,589 here at the Kennedy Space Center. 1345 01:08:57,631 --> 01:08:59,416 Uh, all of the crew members 1346 01:08:59,460 --> 01:09:02,158 are onboard the Orbiter Challenger now. 1347 01:09:03,942 --> 01:09:05,249 ♪ 1348 01:09:05,291 --> 01:09:07,511 - [woman breathing heavily] - [heart thumping] 1349 01:09:07,554 --> 01:09:08,861 [machinery whirring] 1350 01:09:10,384 --> 01:09:13,822 - [man] T minus 10, nine, eight, seven, six. 1351 01:09:13,866 --> 01:09:14,953 We have main engine. 1352 01:09:14,996 --> 01:09:16,259 [engine roaring] 1353 01:09:16,303 --> 01:09:19,263 Four, three, two, one. 1354 01:09:19,915 --> 01:09:21,178 And liftoff. 1355 01:09:22,701 --> 01:09:24,442 Liftoff of the 25th space shuttle mission 1356 01:09:24,484 --> 01:09:26,225 and it has cleared the tower. 1357 01:09:26,269 --> 01:09:27,313 - [Maj. Gregory] The Challenger lifted off. 1358 01:09:27,358 --> 01:09:28,446 Everything looked great. 1359 01:09:28,880 --> 01:09:30,665 After the 10-second rise, 1360 01:09:30,709 --> 01:09:32,840 the Orbiter rolls over on its back 1361 01:09:32,884 --> 01:09:37,237 and begins this--this trip out over the Atlantic Ocean. 1362 01:09:37,281 --> 01:09:40,414 And the commander of the mission will say, 1363 01:09:40,457 --> 01:09:41,589 "Roll program, Houston," 1364 01:09:42,067 --> 01:09:45,984 and the CAPCOM will say, "Roger, roll." 1365 01:09:46,027 --> 01:09:49,249 So that's the first conversation that occurs 1366 01:09:49,292 --> 01:09:51,425 between mission control in Houston and the Orbiter. 1367 01:09:51,469 --> 01:09:52,905 - [Commander] Roll program. 1368 01:09:53,600 --> 01:09:54,862 - Roger, roll, Challenger. 1369 01:09:54,907 --> 01:09:56,429 - And then the next thing that occurs 1370 01:09:56,474 --> 01:09:59,607 is as we go through the speed of sound mach one, 1371 01:10:00,041 --> 01:10:01,608 the main engines throttle back. 1372 01:10:02,044 --> 01:10:04,350 But then when we get through mach one, 1373 01:10:04,568 --> 01:10:08,006 we'd go back to 100 percent and it's throttle up. 1374 01:10:08,050 --> 01:10:08,920 - [Mission Control] Challenger, 1375 01:10:08,964 --> 01:10:09,921 go with throttle up. 1376 01:10:11,618 --> 01:10:13,969 - And it was right after that, at 71 seconds, that suddenly... 1377 01:10:14,013 --> 01:10:15,492 [indistinct radio chatter] 1378 01:10:16,058 --> 01:10:16,929 [explosion] 1379 01:10:19,758 --> 01:10:20,933 ...it disappeared. 1380 01:10:22,500 --> 01:10:24,937 ♪ 1381 01:10:34,425 --> 01:10:36,077 - [man] Flight controllers here looking very carefully 1382 01:10:36,121 --> 01:10:36,905 at the situation, 1383 01:10:38,646 --> 01:10:39,777 obviously a major malfunction. 1384 01:10:43,477 --> 01:10:45,957 - [Nichols] It was like part of your family, 1385 01:10:47,393 --> 01:10:50,049 hearing something happen 1386 01:10:51,093 --> 01:10:54,401 to a member of your-- your family. 1387 01:10:56,533 --> 01:10:57,969 [sighs] 1388 01:10:58,796 --> 01:10:59,624 Um... 1389 01:11:02,148 --> 01:11:04,585 And--and we have to deal with it. 1390 01:11:06,544 --> 01:11:09,982 Judy Resnik was... 1391 01:11:16,380 --> 01:11:17,424 I'm sorry. 1392 01:11:19,643 --> 01:11:20,296 I'm sorry. 1393 01:11:20,688 --> 01:11:22,429 ♪ 1394 01:11:24,518 --> 01:11:25,649 - [Interviewer] You wanna take a little break, Nichelle? 1395 01:11:29,130 --> 01:11:31,698 - I was thinking yes, 1396 01:11:33,048 --> 01:11:38,444 but we owe to Judy Resnik and her like kind 1397 01:11:41,013 --> 01:11:42,710 the blessing that God 1398 01:11:46,844 --> 01:11:47,801 meant for her. 1399 01:11:47,845 --> 01:11:49,151 [sobbing] I can't do it. 1400 01:11:49,194 --> 01:11:50,108 I'm sorry. 1401 01:11:50,849 --> 01:11:51,719 - [Interviewer] It's okay. 1402 01:11:53,198 --> 01:11:54,331 Stop. - [man] Stop. 1403 01:11:56,594 --> 01:11:58,030 - [Sen. Nelson] Everybody was gone. 1404 01:12:03,426 --> 01:12:05,341 It's still tough. 1405 01:12:08,822 --> 01:12:11,042 And I said to myself, 1406 01:12:12,218 --> 01:12:15,046 "Why were we spared?" 1407 01:12:16,439 --> 01:12:20,747 Because we had been through so many near misses. 1408 01:12:23,098 --> 01:12:25,143 - And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took 1409 01:12:25,187 --> 01:12:26,624 for the crew of the shuttle. 1410 01:12:27,493 --> 01:12:29,148 But they, the Challenger Seven, 1411 01:12:29,191 --> 01:12:30,627 were aware of the dangers 1412 01:12:32,325 --> 01:12:33,718 and overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. 1413 01:12:33,760 --> 01:12:35,371 - Three of her recruits, 1414 01:12:35,633 --> 01:12:37,156 um, Ron McNair, 1415 01:12:38,200 --> 01:12:39,636 Ellison Onizuka, 1416 01:12:40,550 --> 01:12:41,725 and Judith Resnik, 1417 01:12:42,465 --> 01:12:44,772 um, all passed away in that one mission, 1418 01:12:45,250 --> 01:12:49,081 and that was a very painful experience for her 1419 01:12:49,124 --> 01:12:49,647 at that point. 1420 01:12:51,213 --> 01:12:53,563 - It caught everybody such by surprise 1421 01:12:54,085 --> 01:12:56,393 that it really kinda shook your faith 1422 01:12:57,089 --> 01:12:59,396 in human nature a little bit, in your ability 1423 01:12:59,612 --> 01:13:02,136 to actually do the things and command the things 1424 01:13:02,180 --> 01:13:03,442 and master the things that 1425 01:13:03,487 --> 01:13:05,097 you have to do for space flight. 1426 01:13:05,139 --> 01:13:06,532 - [man] Okay, everybody, start pulling it together. 1427 01:13:08,666 --> 01:13:10,102 - [Dr. Phillis] Because you think about your friends, 1428 01:13:10,493 --> 01:13:12,539 you know, I think about the conversation that I had 1429 01:13:12,582 --> 01:13:13,844 with my friend, Ron about, 1430 01:13:13,888 --> 01:13:15,411 "Hey, we're gonna form a business together." 1431 01:13:15,759 --> 01:13:17,022 And I used to jokingly say, 1432 01:13:17,064 --> 01:13:18,326 "Well, would it be Phillips McNair, 1433 01:13:18,371 --> 01:13:19,764 or would it be McNair Phillips?" 1434 01:13:19,807 --> 01:13:20,634 So who's the most important, you know. 1435 01:13:20,678 --> 01:13:21,765 We used to joke about that. 1436 01:13:22,593 --> 01:13:24,202 But I knew Ron's family and you think, 1437 01:13:24,246 --> 01:13:27,424 wow, you multiply that sense of loss 1438 01:13:28,294 --> 01:13:30,121 over the number of families that were affected. 1439 01:13:30,817 --> 01:13:33,125 When there are people involved, it gets tough. 1440 01:13:34,255 --> 01:13:36,127 ♪ 1441 01:13:41,263 --> 01:13:42,438 - [man] Ladies and gentlemen, 1442 01:13:43,917 --> 01:13:45,572 I'd like to introduce the Vice President, Mr. Bush. 1443 01:13:46,703 --> 01:13:51,795 - When George Bush came to visit us in the crew quarters-- 1444 01:13:51,839 --> 01:13:52,710 - Thank you very much. 1445 01:13:54,146 --> 01:13:57,541 And I'm now gonna go pay my respects to the families. 1446 01:13:57,584 --> 01:14:00,194 - [Scobee Fulgham] My mom stepped forward and just said, 1447 01:14:00,848 --> 01:14:03,720 "Please don't let this end the space program 1448 01:14:04,678 --> 01:14:07,506 because this meant so much to our loved ones. 1449 01:14:07,768 --> 01:14:08,942 Please keep going." 1450 01:14:10,902 --> 01:14:12,947 - The crew of the space shuttle Challenger 1451 01:14:12,991 --> 01:14:15,472 honored us with the manner in which they lived their lives. 1452 01:14:16,298 --> 01:14:17,474 We will never forget them 1453 01:14:18,996 --> 01:14:19,866 nor the last time we saw them this morning 1454 01:14:21,564 --> 01:14:24,175 as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye 1455 01:14:24,741 --> 01:14:27,483 and slipped the surly bonds of earth 1456 01:14:28,353 --> 01:14:29,790 to touch the face of God. 1457 01:14:32,358 --> 01:14:33,620 Nothing ends here. 1458 01:14:34,665 --> 01:14:36,536 Our hopes and our journeys continue. 1459 01:14:39,277 --> 01:14:44,196 - There's a progression of shock and grief immediately. 1460 01:14:44,630 --> 01:14:48,634 And you have to get through that before you get on with, 1461 01:14:48,679 --> 01:14:52,725 okay, we're gonna fix it and get on with the program. 1462 01:14:53,031 --> 01:14:56,861 - I was privileged to have an opportunity 1463 01:14:56,903 --> 01:14:57,991 to go over to the safety division 1464 01:14:58,036 --> 01:14:59,210 at the Johnson Space Center 1465 01:14:59,733 --> 01:15:01,560 and become the Director of Safety. 1466 01:15:01,604 --> 01:15:04,737 And my primary responsibility was to oversee 1467 01:15:04,782 --> 01:15:07,653 the return to flight from a safety perspective. 1468 01:15:07,697 --> 01:15:09,830 And so that became my charge 1469 01:15:09,874 --> 01:15:12,005 for the next two years after the accident. 1470 01:15:12,353 --> 01:15:16,880 - I wanted--I made a commitment to the people on the Challenger 1471 01:15:17,402 --> 01:15:18,795 that I would, you know, stay there 1472 01:15:18,839 --> 01:15:21,233 to make sure that we returned to flight. 1473 01:15:22,669 --> 01:15:24,627 - I always have optimism 1474 01:15:24,932 --> 01:15:29,893 because I only know that if something is not right, 1475 01:15:31,068 --> 01:15:32,591 you can change it. 1476 01:15:32,635 --> 01:15:33,853 - Let's not kid ourselves 1477 01:15:33,898 --> 01:15:36,683 that there is no potential danger in this! 1478 01:15:36,901 --> 01:15:40,599 - Do you wish that the first Apollo mission 1479 01:15:40,643 --> 01:15:42,907 hadn't reached the moon, or that we hadn't gone on to Mars 1480 01:15:42,950 --> 01:15:44,255 and then to the nearest star? 1481 01:15:47,389 --> 01:15:49,566 Dr. McCoy is right 1482 01:15:51,089 --> 01:15:54,831 in pointing out the enormous danger potential. 1483 01:15:55,353 --> 01:15:59,750 But I must point out that the possibilities, the potential 1484 01:16:00,402 --> 01:16:03,274 for knowledge and advancement is equally great! 1485 01:16:04,406 --> 01:16:06,017 ♪ 1486 01:16:08,410 --> 01:16:09,281 Risk, 1487 01:16:10,063 --> 01:16:11,935 risk is our business. 1488 01:16:13,719 --> 01:16:15,286 That's what this starship is all about. 1489 01:16:17,289 --> 01:16:18,898 - [man] We are confident we will launch 1490 01:16:18,942 --> 01:16:20,553 and come back safely. 1491 01:16:20,597 --> 01:16:22,642 But there are no guarantees associated with that 1492 01:16:22,685 --> 01:16:23,295 and there can't be. 1493 01:16:24,643 --> 01:16:26,428 The only way you can guarantee that much safety 1494 01:16:26,472 --> 01:16:27,341 is to never launch. 1495 01:16:27,385 --> 01:16:28,952 [engines roaring] 1496 01:16:28,996 --> 01:16:30,301 - [Mission Control] We have main engine start. 1497 01:16:30,693 --> 01:16:33,609 Three, two, one. 1498 01:16:34,435 --> 01:16:36,350 - [man] We have liftoff! 1499 01:16:36,394 --> 01:16:38,919 Liftoff! America's return to space! 1500 01:16:39,746 --> 01:16:41,791 ♪ 1501 01:16:44,446 --> 01:16:45,665 - [man 2] Roger roll, Discovery. 1502 01:16:46,013 --> 01:16:48,014 [indistinct radio chatter] 1503 01:16:52,715 --> 01:16:54,674 - [Hauck] Today, up here where the blue sky 1504 01:16:54,718 --> 01:16:57,764 turns to black, we can say at long last, 1505 01:16:57,808 --> 01:17:00,331 dear friends, your spirit and your dream 1506 01:17:00,724 --> 01:17:02,334 are still alive in our hearts. 1507 01:17:03,161 --> 01:17:04,423 It sure does feel good to see 1508 01:17:04,465 --> 01:17:05,816 the Challenger mission continue 1509 01:17:06,338 --> 01:17:07,687 and America back in space. 1510 01:17:07,905 --> 01:17:09,733 ♪ 1511 01:17:18,523 --> 01:17:21,657 - [woman] Children, this is the Air and Space Museum. 1512 01:17:22,527 --> 01:17:25,443 Now, have a good time and use your imagination. 1513 01:17:25,487 --> 01:17:28,011 [children] ♪ Then I travel out in space 1514 01:17:28,054 --> 01:17:30,884 ♪ Exploring the whole galaxy 1515 01:17:31,450 --> 01:17:34,060 - [Nichols] I have always been involved with young people, 1516 01:17:34,408 --> 01:17:37,716 and I've always been invited to talk to young people 1517 01:17:37,760 --> 01:17:40,371 about stay in school and this kind of thing. 1518 01:17:40,415 --> 01:17:43,679 Suddenly, I had something wonderful to talk to them about, 1519 01:17:43,941 --> 01:17:44,854 their future. 1520 01:17:44,898 --> 01:17:47,379 [beam whirring] 1521 01:17:50,817 --> 01:17:52,384 - Ms. Nichols has kept up, 1522 01:17:52,426 --> 01:17:54,865 over especially the last 10 or 20 years, 1523 01:17:54,907 --> 01:17:57,823 a busy and active schedule of outreach, 1524 01:17:57,867 --> 01:18:00,871 and she has had a wonderful relationship with NASA. 1525 01:18:00,914 --> 01:18:01,915 - I'm Nichelle Nichols. 1526 01:18:02,133 --> 01:18:03,482 I'm Nichelle Nichols. 1527 01:18:03,524 --> 01:18:04,483 I'm Nichelle Nichols. 1528 01:18:04,526 --> 01:18:05,919 I'm Nichelle Nichols. 1529 01:18:05,963 --> 01:18:07,442 I'm Nichelle Nichols. 1530 01:18:07,486 --> 01:18:09,401 ♪ 1531 01:18:11,054 --> 01:18:12,925 - [Dr. Ellenbogen] I've actually spent a lot of time 1532 01:18:12,969 --> 01:18:15,755 studying the evolution of science education 1533 01:18:15,799 --> 01:18:17,844 in the United States after Sputnik. 1534 01:18:18,236 --> 01:18:23,371 And to find out that Nichelle Nichols actually formed 1535 01:18:23,415 --> 01:18:25,504 one of the early companies, was the first woman 1536 01:18:25,546 --> 01:18:28,768 to run a STEM education company like that 1537 01:18:28,812 --> 01:18:31,771 in an era when there were so many things going on 1538 01:18:31,814 --> 01:18:34,077 to transform STEM education in the United States, 1539 01:18:34,513 --> 01:18:35,992 uh, that was a great shock to me. 1540 01:18:36,210 --> 01:18:37,124 [gasps] 1541 01:18:37,603 --> 01:18:39,430 ♪ 1542 01:18:41,085 --> 01:18:43,522 [beam whirring] 1543 01:18:44,261 --> 01:18:46,090 [crowd cheering] 1544 01:18:48,439 --> 01:18:49,789 - [Whoopi] How are you doing? 1545 01:18:49,832 --> 01:18:51,094 [speaks indistinctly] 1546 01:18:51,268 --> 01:18:52,443 - [Whoopi] Yeah, it's just me. 1547 01:18:53,271 --> 01:18:54,488 - You are-- 1548 01:18:54,532 --> 01:18:56,491 - No, no, no, this is about you. 1549 01:18:56,535 --> 01:18:57,884 [crowd laughs] 1550 01:18:57,928 --> 01:19:00,017 Let's just talk about what you've done for women. 1551 01:19:00,059 --> 01:19:01,800 - [Col. Collins] Well, I can tell you a li--a little story. 1552 01:19:01,844 --> 01:19:04,760 The--the director of Johnson Space Center 1553 01:19:04,978 --> 01:19:07,067 called me up to his office, told me I was gonna be 1554 01:19:07,111 --> 01:19:09,896 the first woman space shuttle commander, 1555 01:19:11,463 --> 01:19:12,812 "The reason I'm talking to you 1556 01:19:12,856 --> 01:19:15,466 is the First Lady of the United States 1557 01:19:15,509 --> 01:19:17,121 would like to announce your mission 1558 01:19:17,903 --> 01:19:21,995 at the White House on Monday," which was three days away, 1559 01:19:22,517 --> 01:19:25,563 "Make some remarks from the White House," so. [chuckles] 1560 01:19:25,999 --> 01:19:29,786 - In December 1998, when the Shuttle Columbia takes off, 1561 01:19:30,046 --> 01:19:33,920 Colonel Eileen Collins will take one big step forward for women 1562 01:19:34,180 --> 01:19:36,269 and one giant leap for humanity. 1563 01:19:36,313 --> 01:19:38,969 [crowd applauds] 1564 01:19:45,236 --> 01:19:48,542 - Dr. Mae Jemison, the first woman African American 1565 01:19:48,586 --> 01:19:50,067 to become an astronaut, 1566 01:19:50,109 --> 01:19:52,852 directly credits Nichelle Nichols's campaign 1567 01:19:52,896 --> 01:19:54,984 with her decision to become an astronaut. 1568 01:19:55,636 --> 01:19:58,509 - I was very much a Star Trekfan. 1569 01:19:58,553 --> 01:20:02,078 And then to finish the whole story off and go full circle, 1570 01:20:02,906 --> 01:20:05,603 I appeared on Star Trek. [chuckles] 1571 01:20:06,344 --> 01:20:07,953 Phase distortion is dropping. 1572 01:20:08,215 --> 01:20:10,260 The next transport window opens in 42 seconds. 1573 01:20:10,304 --> 01:20:12,523 - I admired her so much. 1574 01:20:13,350 --> 01:20:18,008 And we fortunately became very, very good friends 1575 01:20:18,050 --> 01:20:19,531 and still are today. 1576 01:20:22,359 --> 01:20:23,795 - My mom and dad told me, 1577 01:20:23,840 --> 01:20:25,580 "One day, you too can be President of the United States." 1578 01:20:25,624 --> 01:20:27,539 I knew that was crap, uh, you know, 1579 01:20:27,581 --> 01:20:29,670 'cause I hadn't seen a--a black president. 1580 01:20:29,715 --> 01:20:32,978 And--and it was sort of like, okay, yeah, right. 1581 01:20:33,023 --> 01:20:34,589 I would have said no way in the world 1582 01:20:34,633 --> 01:20:36,590 I'm gonna be an astronaut, no way in the world 1583 01:20:36,634 --> 01:20:38,331 I will end up being the NASA administrator 1584 01:20:38,375 --> 01:20:41,509 appointed by a black president of the United States. 1585 01:20:41,553 --> 01:20:45,077 - Who turned out to be a fan. [laughs] 1586 01:20:47,951 --> 01:20:51,170 So it wasn't me trying to meet the President. 1587 01:20:51,215 --> 01:20:52,911 The President said, 1588 01:20:52,956 --> 01:20:56,655 "I'm in a position to meet anybody I want. 1589 01:20:56,697 --> 01:20:58,917 I wanna meet Nichelle Nichols." 1590 01:20:58,961 --> 01:21:01,877 And I was like, "Oh my God." 1591 01:21:02,703 --> 01:21:03,880 It was wonderful. 1592 01:21:05,316 --> 01:21:08,318 - I hope that people continue to thank Ms. Nichols 1593 01:21:08,362 --> 01:21:11,277 for helping African-Americans and for helping women 1594 01:21:11,670 --> 01:21:15,021 in their pursuits of what we would now call STEM fields. 1595 01:21:15,064 --> 01:21:17,197 - STEM stands for science, technology, 1596 01:21:17,241 --> 01:21:18,938 engineering, and mathematics. 1597 01:21:18,982 --> 01:21:21,635 It's a convenient moniker for something that is vital 1598 01:21:21,679 --> 01:21:23,942 to the future of the human race overall. 1599 01:21:23,987 --> 01:21:28,947 - Having men, women, different ethnicities 1600 01:21:29,166 --> 01:21:31,036 all as astronauts 1601 01:21:31,081 --> 01:21:33,300 and hearing about their journeys going to space 1602 01:21:33,344 --> 01:21:35,693 really made an impact on me as a little girl 1603 01:21:35,737 --> 01:21:38,609 and really taught me that it doesn't matter what, 1604 01:21:39,045 --> 01:21:41,308 whether you're male, female, or what race you are. 1605 01:21:41,786 --> 01:21:43,135 Anyone can go to space. 1606 01:21:43,179 --> 01:21:44,268 Space is for everyone. 1607 01:21:45,746 --> 01:21:47,966 - Today, I'm pleased to announce that NASA has selected 1608 01:21:48,010 --> 01:21:50,317 America's next generation of space explorers. 1609 01:21:50,751 --> 01:21:53,319 - Today, astronaut classes are more equally balanced, 1610 01:21:53,667 --> 01:21:56,758 and they include both women and men, 1611 01:21:56,801 --> 01:21:58,108 much like the diversity 1612 01:21:58,325 --> 01:22:00,631 on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. 1613 01:22:01,459 --> 01:22:03,634 ♪ 1614 01:22:04,723 --> 01:22:06,724 - [Nichols] I was at the last launching 1615 01:22:06,768 --> 01:22:07,943 of the space shuttle. 1616 01:22:09,161 --> 01:22:12,121 It's like visiting family. 1617 01:22:13,036 --> 01:22:14,036 They know you. 1618 01:22:14,080 --> 01:22:15,125 You know them. 1619 01:22:16,603 --> 01:22:18,780 You don't see your family all the time. 1620 01:22:18,823 --> 01:22:20,130 [laughter] 1621 01:22:21,218 --> 01:22:26,309 Being at a launch is like the rarest thing 1622 01:22:26,353 --> 01:22:30,661 that you can think of that you would enjoy the most. 1623 01:22:32,446 --> 01:22:35,796 - [Announcer] Two, one, zero, and liftoff! 1624 01:22:35,840 --> 01:22:38,408 The final liftoff of Atlantis. 1625 01:22:38,451 --> 01:22:40,192 [engines roaring] 1626 01:22:40,497 --> 01:22:43,152 ♪ 1627 01:22:44,109 --> 01:22:45,111 - [man] Houston now controlling 1628 01:22:45,155 --> 01:22:46,330 the flight of Atlantis. 1629 01:22:48,071 --> 01:22:49,680 The space shuttle spreads its wings one final time. 1630 01:22:52,813 --> 01:22:55,251 ♪ 1631 01:22:59,385 --> 01:23:00,648 - [Maj. Bolden] I have been with the shuttle 1632 01:23:00,692 --> 01:23:02,737 from almost its very first day. 1633 01:23:02,781 --> 01:23:05,349 And--and I can remember sitting with her a few times, 1634 01:23:05,697 --> 01:23:08,046 uh, sharing tears as we recognize the fact 1635 01:23:08,090 --> 01:23:10,049 that we were about to bring down the curtain 1636 01:23:10,093 --> 01:23:12,791 on something that had been absolutely incredible 1637 01:23:12,834 --> 01:23:15,054 in fulfilling a dream that she had 1638 01:23:15,098 --> 01:23:18,362 for making space available for all people. 1639 01:23:20,407 --> 01:23:22,192 [sonic booms] 1640 01:23:22,408 --> 01:23:24,107 ♪ 1641 01:23:24,149 --> 01:23:26,022 - [Announcer] Piercing the predawn sky 1642 01:23:26,064 --> 01:23:27,761 as the space shuttle announces its arrival at the launch site 1643 01:23:27,805 --> 01:23:30,286 with its signature sound of twin sonic booms. 1644 01:23:33,768 --> 01:23:37,032 The space shuttle pulls into port for the last time, 1645 01:23:37,294 --> 01:23:39,817 its voyage at an end. 1646 01:23:40,558 --> 01:23:42,167 - [Maj. Bolden] Everybody thinks about the space shuttle 1647 01:23:42,385 --> 01:23:45,127 as this incredible feat of technology. 1648 01:23:45,563 --> 01:23:49,349 I believe that the shuttle's legacy forever will be 1649 01:23:49,393 --> 01:23:52,786 the fact that it opened up the world of space exploration 1650 01:23:52,831 --> 01:23:55,138 in a way that I don't think many of us, 1651 01:23:55,180 --> 01:23:57,749 short of Nichelle Nichols, had dreamed. 1652 01:23:57,791 --> 01:24:02,840 - The space program will go on and on and on 1653 01:24:02,884 --> 01:24:07,063 because our space program is our future. 1654 01:24:07,889 --> 01:24:10,718 We haven't even begun to begin. 1655 01:24:10,761 --> 01:24:12,764 ♪ 1656 01:24:20,424 --> 01:24:24,470 - It's very easy to look along a path 1657 01:24:24,514 --> 01:24:26,211 that someone else has taken. 1658 01:24:26,473 --> 01:24:27,474 It's a very different thing 1659 01:24:29,259 --> 01:24:30,303 when you're trying to do it alone the very first time. 1660 01:24:31,738 --> 01:24:33,785 Without people like Nichelle Nichols, 1661 01:24:34,176 --> 01:24:36,483 a lot of us would not have been able to follow 1662 01:24:36,787 --> 01:24:38,484 those extraordinary footsteps. 1663 01:24:39,920 --> 01:24:41,227 - We can come together 1664 01:24:42,314 --> 01:24:44,795 and be what Dr. King called the beloved community. 1665 01:24:45,188 --> 01:24:46,232 We're one people. 1666 01:24:46,276 --> 01:24:47,277 We're one family. 1667 01:24:48,581 --> 01:24:50,932 We all must learn to live together 1668 01:24:50,975 --> 01:24:53,326 on this little piece of real estate we call Earth, 1669 01:24:53,370 --> 01:24:54,500 on this little planet. 1670 01:24:55,371 --> 01:24:57,896 - I think in the not-too-distant future, 1671 01:24:58,505 --> 01:25:01,116 things are really, really, really gonna change. 1672 01:25:01,813 --> 01:25:03,031 - What is a change in society? 1673 01:25:03,075 --> 01:25:08,124 A change is you cannot even imagine a world 1674 01:25:08,646 --> 01:25:10,125 any other way. 1675 01:25:11,256 --> 01:25:13,825 That's when you know you've really changed. 1676 01:25:14,521 --> 01:25:17,828 - Human mind power and the best of the best 1677 01:25:18,220 --> 01:25:22,920 is...is essential to the exploration of space. 1678 01:25:23,661 --> 01:25:25,924 - Space flight is for philosophical reasons. 1679 01:25:25,966 --> 01:25:28,187 It's for answering the big questions. 1680 01:25:28,231 --> 01:25:29,232 It's what's out there, 1681 01:25:30,581 --> 01:25:31,537 and what is humanity's place there. 1682 01:25:31,581 --> 01:25:33,844 - Space is not the final frontier. 1683 01:25:34,237 --> 01:25:35,847 The final frontier is the human soul. 1684 01:25:35,889 --> 01:25:38,545 Space is where we can meet the challenge. 1685 01:25:39,241 --> 01:25:40,286 - That's the mission. 1686 01:25:40,330 --> 01:25:41,896 It's up to the greatness in us. 1687 01:25:42,419 --> 01:25:44,202 Mindful of our fallibility 1688 01:25:44,420 --> 01:25:47,250 and with knowledge of that fallibility, 1689 01:25:47,510 --> 01:25:50,469 try to prepare for those issues to come up 1690 01:25:50,514 --> 01:25:52,429 as we push forward, 1691 01:25:52,993 --> 01:25:56,259 boldly go where no one has gone before. 1692 01:25:56,997 --> 01:26:01,524 - This is your NASA, a space agency embarked on a mission 1693 01:26:01,567 --> 01:26:05,876 to improve the quality of life on planet Earth right now. 1694 01:26:06,703 --> 01:26:10,881 - What a public service Nichelle rendered for this country. 1695 01:26:11,535 --> 01:26:14,493 - It is so inspiring for our sons and daughters 1696 01:26:14,537 --> 01:26:17,932 to learn from the examples of Nichelle Nichols 1697 01:26:17,975 --> 01:26:22,285 as a testament as to what one person can do 1698 01:26:22,327 --> 01:26:25,505 when they believe in the spirit of diversity 1699 01:26:25,549 --> 01:26:28,465 and the betterment for all of our children. 1700 01:26:29,465 --> 01:26:31,468 - All I can do is think of Nichelle Nichols 1701 01:26:32,295 --> 01:26:35,602 as a force of nature unto herself. 1702 01:26:36,603 --> 01:26:38,910 - Nichelle Nichols, Lieutenant Uhura 1703 01:26:39,606 --> 01:26:42,696 has and will always be a woman in motion. 1704 01:26:43,393 --> 01:26:45,612 - She went into it to be an actress. 1705 01:26:45,656 --> 01:26:46,917 She ended up changing the world. 1706 01:26:47,309 --> 01:26:49,920 ♪ 1707 01:27:31,091 --> 01:27:34,269 ♪ 1708 01:28:03,821 --> 01:28:06,301 - [Nichols] Long before they hired me, 1709 01:28:06,997 --> 01:28:09,696 I said if they let me in the door, 1710 01:28:09,740 --> 01:28:14,309 I will open it so wide, they will see the world. 1711 01:28:15,135 --> 01:28:19,444 And to know that I had really touched 1712 01:28:20,664 --> 01:28:24,710 the future by changing the present, 1713 01:28:26,670 --> 01:28:29,107 by just believing and being me 1714 01:28:30,194 --> 01:28:34,024 and saying we have-- we have lifted off 1715 01:28:34,460 --> 01:28:38,334 and we'll never be earth-bound again, 1716 01:28:40,727 --> 01:28:46,080 and suddenly, there I was, doing exactly what I fantasized. 1717 01:28:47,211 --> 01:28:48,039 It became a reality. 1718 01:28:51,433 --> 01:28:52,564 - [Miles] Whoo, cut. 1719 01:28:52,870 --> 01:28:53,566 [tone beeps] 1720 01:28:56,046 --> 01:28:58,483 ♪ 1721 01:29:14,194 --> 01:29:18,068 ♪ 1722 01:29:41,265 --> 01:29:42,223 - [recording engineer] Nichelle Nichols, 1723 01:29:42,267 --> 01:29:43,094 "Fly Me to the Moon." 1724 01:29:43,660 --> 01:29:45,575 ♪ 1725 01:29:49,666 --> 01:29:52,495 ♪ Fly me to the moon 1726 01:29:52,537 --> 01:29:56,847 ♪ And let me play among the stars ♪ 1727 01:29:57,586 --> 01:30:01,112 ♪ Let me see what spring is like ♪ 1728 01:30:01,155 --> 01:30:05,246 ♪ On Jupiter and Mars 1729 01:30:05,290 --> 01:30:08,118 ♪ In other words 1730 01:30:08,598 --> 01:30:11,209 ♪ Hold my hand 1731 01:30:13,298 --> 01:30:16,126 ♪ In other words 1732 01:30:16,692 --> 01:30:19,522 ♪ Baby, kiss me 1733 01:30:21,567 --> 01:30:24,264 ♪ Fill my heart with song 1734 01:30:24,308 --> 01:30:28,835 ♪ And let me sing forevermore 1735 01:30:29,575 --> 01:30:32,665 ♪ You are all I long for 1736 01:30:32,709 --> 01:30:36,800 ♪ All I worship and adore 1737 01:30:37,322 --> 01:30:40,151 ♪ In other words 1738 01:30:40,542 --> 01:30:44,590 ♪ Please be true 1739 01:30:44,850 --> 01:30:48,550 ♪ In other words 1740 01:30:48,594 --> 01:30:51,161 ♪ I love you 1741 01:31:07,917 --> 01:31:09,484 ♪ Bay-baby 1742 01:31:15,621 --> 01:31:17,580 ♪ Ba ba boo dee 1743 01:31:25,630 --> 01:31:28,198 ♪ Fill my heart with song 1744 01:31:28,590 --> 01:31:32,682 ♪ Let me sing forevermore 1745 01:31:33,595 --> 01:31:36,642 ♪ You are all I long for 1746 01:31:37,033 --> 01:31:40,777 ♪ All I worship and adore 1747 01:31:41,603 --> 01:31:44,215 ♪ In other words 1748 01:31:44,649 --> 01:31:48,741 ♪ Please be true 1749 01:31:49,219 --> 01:31:52,919 ♪ In other words 1750 01:31:53,353 --> 01:31:56,923 ♪ In other words 1751 01:31:57,706 --> 01:32:00,578 ♪ Fill my heart with song 1752 01:32:00,622 --> 01:32:04,670 ♪ And let me sing forevermore 1753 01:32:05,670 --> 01:32:08,674 ♪ You are all I long for 1754 01:32:08,892 --> 01:32:12,678 ♪ All I worship and adore 1755 01:32:13,374 --> 01:32:16,334 ♪ In other words 1756 01:32:16,376 --> 01:32:20,685 ♪ Please be true 1757 01:32:21,251 --> 01:32:24,255 ♪ In other words 1758 01:32:24,733 --> 01:32:30,956 ♪ I love you 1759 01:32:31,349 --> 01:32:33,916 ♪ Hey, yeah 1760 01:32:33,960 --> 01:32:35,919 [laughs] 1761 01:32:36,963 --> 01:32:38,224 - [man over intercom] Wow. - [group cheering] 1762 01:32:38,268 --> 01:32:39,357 - [man 2 over intercom] Oh, that's gold! 1763 01:32:39,399 --> 01:32:40,966 [group applauds] 1764 01:32:42,447 --> 01:32:43,926 - [man over intercom] Whoo! 1765 01:32:43,969 --> 01:32:44,710 I'm gonna have you sing me to sleep tonight. 1766 01:32:44,754 --> 01:32:46,277 [laughter] 1767 01:32:46,319 --> 01:32:47,277 - Okay. 1768 01:32:47,974 --> 01:32:50,759 ♪ 1769 01:33:35,892 --> 01:33:39,330 ♪