PORT OF CALL: Richard Garriott, Spaceflight Participant

Legendary computer game designer Richard Garriott — known to many of us as ‘Lord British’ — joins us once again aboard the DragonHearth from Star City, Russia to update us on his final training and events leading up to his upcoming October 12th spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station. Richard, a tireless crusader for the exploration of space, is a founding board member of the X-prize Foundation, is on the board of directors of Space Adventures, and takes all of us to other worlds in his new Tabula Rasa computer game.

In this interview we’ll learn about some of the final ceremonial duties that are part of his graduation from the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, the experiments he will be conducting and about the infamous ‘spinning chair’.

For those of you who are hearty, you may stay up with me and watch the launch over the internet. You may wish to try NASA Select TV online to watch the launch. According to the NASA Select TV website, Sunday, October 12th, the video feed of Expedition 18/Spaceflight Participant Launching Morning Activities begins at 1:15 a.m. EDT with coverage beginning at 2:am EDT. The launch itself is currently scheduled for 3:01 a.m. EDT. There is a scheduled replay of the morning’s launch at 10:00 a.m. later that morning. Docking of the Soyuz to the ISS has coverage beginning at 4:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 14th. The docking itself is scheduled for 4:38 a.m. EDT. At 5:30 a.m. begins coverage of the Spaceflight Participant hatch opening and Welcoming Ceremony. Both of these events will be rebroadcast at 9:00 a.m. EDT. As the return schedule may have changed, look for updates on the hatch closing and farewells as well as the reentry coverage.

You can read more about both Richard and his mission into space at his Richard in Space website.

Episode 36 / September 26th, 2008