Finding Mastery Goes to Space, Part 1: Preparing For Takeoff | NASA Astronaut, Woody Hoburg

Woody Hoburg (0:02)

You're starting at rest on the surface of Earth, sitting on top of a rocket filled with chemical fuel, and less than 10 minutes later, you're going 17,500 miles an hour, and you're in orbit.

Michael Gervais (0:23)

Okay, welcome back, or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast. I am your host, Dr. Michael Gervais, by trade and training a high-performance psychologist.

Today, we have a very special conversation for you. Maybe the most special and ambitious podcast we've ever done, Finding Mastery is going to space. In life, we can be presented with moments where even our most meticulous planning and preparation reach their limits. And these moments are where we find ourselves at the crossroads, needing to decide whether we go for it or we play it safe. Now imagine the weight of that choice when it involves venturing into the ultimate unknown outer space. Today's guest doesn't have to imagine. He's lived in it and he's found true growth playing on his edge.

Among a staggering pool of 18,000 applicants, all vying for the rare opportunity to train and become a NASA astronaut, Dr. Woody Hoburg emerged as one of 13 individuals selected in 2017 So then fast forward to 2023, and on March 2nd, he launched to the International Space Station, piloting NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission. And before he left for his incredible journey, had the honor of connecting with Woody. Today you'll hear about how he prepared himself, physically and mentally, for venturing into space, one of the most extreme environments known to humans. However, our exploration, just like Woody's, does not stop here. We are embarking on a three-part series chronicling Woody's entire space expedition. Be sure to come back next week for part two, where I had the incredible privilege to chat with Woody directly from outer space. I mean, Finding Mastery in outer space, it's unreal. So then part three, which will come to you early next year, will uncover the profound insights that he's gleaned during his time among the cosmos.

Woody embodies the spirit of exploration. In my mind, he is the best of us. Whether he's tackling intricate technical challenges, he's scaling cliffs, traversing from outer space, wrestling down what it means to be a good human, deeply committed to his relationships, his relentless curiosity isn't just admirable. It's contagious. Woody believes that we're in the golden age of space exploration. And after tuning into our conversation today, I have a feeling you might agree as well. So with that, let's dive into part one of our three-part series with the remarkable astronaut and human, Dr. Woody Hoburg.

Woody, I'm so stoked to sit with you. This is the first interview I've ever had, the first conversation I've ever had with somebody who is preparing to go to outer space.

Woody Hoburg (3:24)

I am so stoked to be here. It's such an honor to be here. Thanks for having me.

Michael Gervais (3:27)

Oh, man, we're gonna start in a fun way. Okay, so the path to becoming an astronaut is not clear. It's not clear to me. I think it's not clear to a lot of people.

So it's rare space. It's only a handful of folks are gonna ever have the experience that we're about to talk about.

Can you start without flyover about what led you to be here? What led you to have the opportunity to be an astronaut?

Woody Hoburg (3:59)

The path to becoming an astronaut was not clear for me either. I always knew even being as a little kid, I thought it would be the coolest job ever, but I did not know how to do it.

And I think it's common for many, everybody wants to know what are the steps to get this job.

And the answer is there is no set of set, defined set of steps. So if you look at my class, or the astronaut office as a whole, we have such a diverse set of backgrounds.

We're about half and half military and civilian. Even on the military side, NASA used to be all test pilots, and we still have lots of test pilots in our corps, and they're a hugely important part of our corps. We have submariners, we have Navy SEALs, we have helicopter pilots, we have surgeons. Do you have a really diverse-

Michael Gervais (4:56)

Is there a chance still?

Woody Hoburg (4:58)

There probably is. I suspect there is in the future.

Michael Gervais (5:01)

Any fifth decade.

Woody Hoburg (5:03)

Okay, good. And then on the civilian side, which is where I come from, we almost have even more diversity. So we've got geologists, we've got scientists, we've got engineers. I'm an engineer. We've got microbiologists, you name it. People with kind of a technical and operational background end up becoming astronauts.