Tim Kopra: What It’s Really Like to Be in Space and What Comes After the ISS

Voyager Technologies Chief Human Exploration Officer and former NASA astronaut Tim Kopra joins John “Slick” Baum for the second episode of The Voyager Podcast: a conversation about patience, leadership, life in orbit and the future of human spaceflight. Tim recounts how the Columbia disaster changed the trajectory of the space program and left his astronaut class waiting nine years for its first mission. He describes the years of preparation that followed and the moment it all became worthwhile: opening the hatch for his first spacewalk just four days after launch and seeing Earth pass beneath him at five miles per second. He also reflects on the experience of viewing our planet from orbit, from its interconnected cities and remarkably thin atmosphere to the seemingly endless abyss beyond it. After two missions and 244 days in space, Tim explains how those experiences shaped his perspective on teamwork, exploration and humanity’s place in the universe. Tim then traces the path that took him from West Point and Army aviation to aerospace engineering, test pilot school and NASA. He shares the lessons in discipline, humility and leadership that prepared him for human spaceflight, including why astronaut selection ultimately comes down to one surprisingly simple question: Who would you want to go camping with? The conversation also explores what comes after the International Space Station, why maintaining a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit matters, and how commercial stations such as Starlab can advance scientific research, commercialization and future missions to the Moon and Mars. **Topics Covered** • The Columbia disaster and its impact on NASA’s astronaut corps • Waiting nine years for a first space mission • Training for the space shuttle and International Space Station • Opening the hatch for Tim’s first spacewalk • Seeing Earth, its atmosphere and the abyss from orbit • Life aboard the ISS and 244 days in space • Tim’s path to West Point • Leadership lessons from Army aviation • Flying Apaches and becoming an experimental test pilot • The unconventional path from the Army to NASA • T-38 flight training and preparing for high-consequence environments • The international legacy of the ISS • The transition to commercial space stations • Starlab and the future of continuous human presence in orbit • Using low Earth orbit as a proving ground for the Moon and Mars • What NASA’s astronaut-selection process reveals about teamwork • Why human spaceflight is ultimately a team sport **Timestamps** 01:00 The Columbia disaster and its aftermath 03:00 Tim’s first mission and spacewalk 04:00 Experiencing Earth from orbit 06:00 Earth’s atmosphere and the abyss beyond it 07:00 Tim’s path to West Point 10:00 Life and leadership at West Point 12:00 The childhood dream of becoming an astronaut 14:00 Army aviation and leadership under pressure 16:00 Building an unconventional path to NASA 18:00 T-38 training and spaceflight readiness 20:00 Sharing the experience of space and 244 days in orbit 21:00 Tim’s role at Voyager Technologies 22:00 The international legacy of the ISS 24:00 The transition toward commercial spaceflight 25:00 Starlab and continuous human presence in orbit 27:00 Building a purpose-designed commercial space station 28:00 Connecting low Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars 30:00 Artemis II and the risks of lunar flight 31:00 What it takes to become an astronaut 32:00 The “Who would you camp with?” test 33:00 Why human spaceflight is a team sport