TEXAS -- On October 12, 2008, video game developer and entrepreneur Richard Garriott became the first second-generation American astronaut, following in the footsteps of his father, Owen Garriott.
And the Austinite did it privately, with help from Russia, at great financial expense.
A new language and several months of training were required for Garriott's 12-day adventure to the International Space Station (ISS.)
That's just one of several stories Garriott tells our Chief Meteorologist Burton Fitzsimmons in this exclusive, extended interview.
In the above video, we talk about:
- How a medical condition prevented him from ever being a NASA astronaut
- What it's like to ride with the Russians
- How Soyuz, workhorse of the Russian space program, gets one of its biggest upgrades in more than 50 years
- How looking out the window at our planet was a highlight of the trip
- What changes we can see on Earth compared to 35 years ago
- Why commercial space travel is essential for affordable space exploration
For more about this incredible journey, watch Garriott's documentary, Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars.