T minus 10 interview series by space industry leader Dylan Taylor. This episode features author, tech entrepreneur and astronaut, Dr. Scott Parazynski.

1. An interview seires
with Dylan Taylor
T-MINUS 10
DR. SCOTT PARAZYNSKI
with

2. T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor
Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated physician, astronaut, author and tech CEO, inducted into
the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2016. He is a widely sought after keynote speaker on innovation, risk
management, mentorship and leadership under extreme adversity. Scott has lived and traveled all
over the world, spending many of his grade school years in places such as Senegal, Lebanon, Iran
and Greece. A graduate of Stanford University and Medical School, he went on to train at Harvard
and in Denver for a career in emergency medicine and trauma.In 1992 he was selected to join NASA’s
Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 Space Shuttle missions and conducted 7 spacewalks. Mission
highlights include a global ozone mapping flight; leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk while
docked to the Russian space station Mir; serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and “personal
physician”; and assembly of the Canadian-built space station robotic arm.In October 2007, Scott led
the spacewalking team on STS-120, during which he performed 4 EVAs. The final EVA is regarded by
many as one of the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. The tremendous coordinated
effort in orbit and on the ground by Mission Control has been likened to the Space Shuttle and
Space Station era’s “Apollo 13 moment.”In addition to being a diver and accomplished mountaineer, Scott is also a
commercial, instrument, multiengine and seaplane-rated pilot. On May 20, 2009, he became the first astronaut to stand
on top of the world, the summit of Mount Everest. As a life-long explorer, he and a colleague recently set the first
bootprints adjacent the world’s youngest lava lake, inside the crater of Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.He is a prolific
inventor/product developer, and serves on the Boards of several companies. He is Founder and CEO of Fluidity
Technologies, focused on the development of revolutionary input devices powered by machine learning to intuitively move
through physical and virtual space.
ABOUT
DR. SCOTT PARAZYNSKI

3. I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, where my father was working
for the USAF Missile Command, an early predecessor to today’s
“Space Force.” He transitioned to Boeing in the early Apollo
Program, and we then lived in New Orleans and in the
Washington, DC area. After Apollo XVII, as Boeing was
diversifying into international markets, we lived in Dakar
(Senegal), Beirut (Lebanon), Athens (Greece), and Tehran (Iran).
I’ve been chased out of not just one but two countries because of
civil unrest (on account of the Lebanese civil war and the Iranian
Islamic revolution).After college and medical school, I landed my
dream job at NASA, and flew five Space Shuttle missions. Since
then I’ve been working in all manner of tech, currently as Founder
and CEO of Fluidity Technologies. We’ve revolutionized motion
control through physical and virtual space… [Think drones,
computer games, augmented reality, flying cars, cranes and
surgical robotics: www.fluidity.tech]
10. WHAT IS YOUR
BACKGROUND, WHERE DID YOU
GROW UP?
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

4. I grew up in the shadow of the Apollo program, where I had a front row
seat to astronautics. Dad would bring back Saturn V photos and flight
plans from work, and I’d build and lose model rockets all over the
neighborhood. One of my lasting memories was traveling to Cocoa
Beach to see the launch of Apollo IX from the surf, and less than five
months later watching Neil and Buzz hop on the moon during Apollo XI.
From that point onwards, I wanted to be on the first crewed mission to
Mars. I guess there’s still a very remote, outside chance…(!)
9. WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME
INTERESTED IN SPACE?
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

5. 8. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BIGGEST ISSUE FACING THE
INDUSTRY TODAY?
I ’ M M O S T F E A R F U L T H A T N A S A L A C K S A L O N G - T E R M P L A N T H A T C A N W I T H S T A N D
T R A N S I T I O N S I N G O V E R N M E N T . E A C H U S P R E S I D E N T I N R E C E N T H I S T O R Y H A S P U T
T H E I R O W N U N I Q U E S I G N A T U R E O N W H A T N A S A S H O U L D B E D O I N G , A N D I T S
R E S U L T E D I N E N O R M O U S I N E F F I C I E N C I E S A N D M A N Y C A N C E L E D P O W E R P O I N T
S P A C E I N I T I A T I V E S . I ’ M V E R Y E X C I T E D A B O U T A R T E M I S A N D A P A T H W A Y T O T H E
E V E N T U A L H U M A N E X P L O R A T I O N O F M A R S , B U T I F E E L I T N E E D S T O B E I N K E D I N T O A
D E C A D A L P L A N . I N S O D O I N G , A M B I T I O U S H U M A N S P A C E F L I G H T G O A L S W O U L D B E
I M M U N I Z E D T O A D E G R E E F R O M P O L I T I C S A N D B U D G E T V A R I A N C E S , M U C H A S T H E
A G E N C Y H A S D O N E F O R I T S H I G H L Y S U C C E S S F U L S C I E N C E P R O G R A M S O V E R T H E
Y E A R S . I N T E R M S O F C O M M E R C I A L H U M A N S P A C E F L I G H T , T H E U N C O M F O R T A B L E
T R U T H I S T H A T S O M E N E W V E N T U R E S A R E L I K E L Y T O F A L L B Y T H E W A Y S I D E . T H E R E
A R E C E R T A I N L Y A F I N I T E N U M B E R O F H I G H N E T W O R T H A S T R O N A U T A S P I R A N T S W H O
C A N A F F O R D L O F T Y T I C K E T P R I C E S T O S U B O R B I T A L S P A C E , B U T I S T H E R E A R E A L
A N D R A P I D P A T H W A Y T O C U T T H E P R I C E P O I N T B Y 1 0 X O R M O R E ? I S E E T H I S A S
A B S O L U T E L Y E S S E N T I A L I N O R D E R F O R T H E M T O C R E A T E S U S T A I N A B L E B U S I N E S S E S .
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

6. 7. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN?
S P E N D I N G T I M E W I T H F A M I L Y A N D F R I E N D S I N A P R E - P A N D E M I C W O R L D ;
A D V E N T U R E T R A V E L A N D E V E N H I G H E R A D V E N T U R E S P O R T S ; P R O T O T Y P I N G
M Y I N V E N T I O N S I N T H E W O R K S H O P ; A N D F L Y I N G D R O N E S W H E N I C A N ’ T F L Y
S O M E O N E E L S E ’ S A I R P L A N E .
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail“It’s just
a flesh wound…” Takes me back to my
med school days…
6. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE
MOVIE AND WHY?
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

8. Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer
Into the Woods, by Bill Bryson
On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden
Braid, by Douglas Hofstadter
5. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR
FAVORITE BOOKS?
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

9. 4. WHAT ARE YOU
READING NOW?
G U N S , G E R M S , A N D S T E E L , B Y
J A R E D D I A M O N D
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

10. 3. WHERE DO YOU SEE THE SPACE INDUSTRY
IN TEN YEARS?
W I T H T H E C O S T O F A C C E S S T O S P A C E C O N T I N U I N G T O D R O P ,
T H E E N T I R E P L A N E T S H O U L D B E O N L I N E A N D C O N N E C T E D
T H R O U G H V A S T S A T E L L I T E N E T W O R K S . T H E S P A C E S E R V I C E S
I N D U S T R Y I N L O W E A R T H O R B I T W I L L F L O U R I S H , A N D I H O P E
W E ’ L L S E E A V I B R A N T S U B O R B I T A L / O R B I T A L T O U R I S M A N D
S C I E N C E T R A F F I C F L O W . I A L S O H O P E T H A T W E ’ L L H A V E A
P E R M A N E N T L U N A R O U T P O S T S T A F F E D B Y T H E N , A N D T H A T W E ’ L L
B E S E N D I N G P R E C U R S O R H A B I T A T S T O T H E M A R T I A N S U R F A C E
S O O N T H E R E A F T E R .
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

11. The need for bright young minds in the
industry has never been greater – to
include many other fields beyond the
traditional engineering and scientific
backgrounds of the past. In the coming
decades we’ll be moving off of Planet
Earth for good, and it will take every
skill set to make it come about. For
those interested in flying one day, it’s
also important to note that the pathway
to the stars isn’t just by way of NASA
and its prime contractors anymore…
NewSpace companies like SpaceX, Blue
Origin and Virgin Galactic might have a
seat for you too.
2. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL PEOPLE JUST
STARTING OUT IN THE SPACE INDUSTRY?
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

12. Inventive, passionate, perseverant.
1. WHAT THREE WORDS BEST
DESCRIBE YOU?
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES | Dylan Taylor

13. Have someone to recommend
for an interview? Contact me!
T-MINUS 10 INTERVIEW SERIES
WITH LEADERS OF THE SPACE
INDUSTRY
www.dylantaylor.org