McDougle: Launch was so exciting. Landing was what I remember the most. I’m glad you asked me that. We have to sit on the CTV [crew transport vehicle] and wait for them to come off the Shuttle, and we’re out there hours ahead of time. Most landings I’ve participated in, the crew members come off and they’re not feeling well or fairly weak. Sometimes we have wheelchairs available; sometimes they drape over our shoulders, because they’ve been in space 10, 11, 14 days sometimes. They’re just woozy; they’re getting used to the gravity again. Everybody’s different. It’s real hard on their bodies coming back into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Most times they’re not very strong.But my girl—I’m ready to assist her and here she comes walking out like she just came from the mall. Girl, she’s like, “Hey, Sharon! How you doing?” I was thinking to myself, “Isn’t she supposed to be weak?” I couldn’t believe it. Once again just amazement of her abilities. That also shows you how strong she is. It didn’t affect her at all. I’m looking at her like, “You know you just came from being in space for two weeks.” Didn’t faze her. I was so glad she was my crew member. She was so easy to work with, no problems.
She’s one of the few people that I’ve seen like that.Launch morning, I can’t recall anything that stands out. She was still her normal self. She didn’t seem afraid or nervous or anything. She was always interacting with the other astronauts. You’d think you would have heard about Mae before the astronaut corps, with all her accomplishments and everything she’s done. It’s just amazing. I hadn’t heard about her until I heard about the first black woman getting ready to go into space.
Her just walking off like nothing happened was the most memorable thing about landing, but launch morning it was just like another day in the office. She came in, I suited her up, and we tested. Everything good, there were no problems.I was assigned with Joanie [Joan E. Higginbotham] until I got promoted. I was going to be her suit tech too, because I wanted to keep making history. She was the third African-American woman in space. I got to suit her up at training events. My kids actually got to suit up Joanie on bring your kid to work day. Unfortunately, of course, Mae was long gone by then.
McDougle: No, just get on a regular Southwest Airlines, Continental or whoever’s available. We don’t fly on a NASA plane. The crew members, of course they come in on a T-38.
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