Scott "Kidd" Poteet is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel and a commercial astronaut. He was the pilot for the Polaris Dawn mission in September 2024, a privately funded human spaceflight operated by SpaceX. Having previously served 18 years in the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel, Scott transitioned to the USAF Thunderbirds as a pilot in Position 4, racking up over 3,200 total flight hours in various aircraft like the F-16 and Alpha Jet, with over 400 combat hours logged.
In 2022, Scott was selected as the pilot for SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, which launched in September 2024. During the nearly five-day mission, the crew achieved the highest Earth orbit flown by humans since the Apollo program, conducted the first commercial spacewalk, and tested Starlink laser-based communications in space. His journey from a decorated Air Force pilot to a commercial astronaut highlights his dedication to service, teamwork, and pushing the boundaries of aerospace exploration.
Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
03:54 - Pop Stars in Space? - Scott's Thoughts on April's Blue Origin Mission
12:35 - An Iron Man in Orbit - Lightning-Round Questions
32:57 - Born in Chattanooga - Air Force Dreams in Durham, New Hampshire
41:53 - Puke and Swallow - Hiding Motion Sickness at the Air Force Academy
52:09 - Drones in Ukraine - How Unmanned Flight Is Changing The Future of Combat
01:06:18 - Early Operational Assignments - From Korea to Italy before 9/11
01:16:59 - Red Flag Training Exercises - Running Weapons Tests in Las Vegas from 2003 to 2015
01:24:17 - Are There Aliens at Area 51? - Talking Around Classified Operations
01:39:26 - Deploying Into Combat - Dropping Warheads Over Bagram
01:49:08 - Handling & Weight Distribution - Measuring Downforce in Cars and Aircrafts
01:57:21 - Pilot Competency - Nature VS Nurture in Flying Proficiency
02:08:46 - WRONG TARGET, WRONG TARGET - Lessons In Unmistakable Screwups
02:13:00 - Flying Towards SpaceX - Getting Selected As An Astronaut on POLARIS
02:23:44 - We Went To the Moon, Right? - Clearing Up Conspiracies Regarding Space Travel
02:25:51 - Flying Out Into The Universe - Breaking The Orbital Record & Returning to Earth
02:39:54 - Working in Zero Gravity - Learning to Be Comfortable in Uncomfortable Scenarios
02:47:49 - Walking in Space - Leaving the Spacecraft on POLARIS
03:00:25 - I Like Elon - Colonizing Mars with Elon Musk
03:07:15 - So I Have to Ask... - Eating, Drinking, & Bathroom Habits In Space
03:19:11 - Getting Down to Business - Parenting (and Other Hobbies) In Space
03:28:11 - Turning Down NASA - Prioritizing My Family At The End Of All Things
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Support Scott Poteet -
Support Scott in Helping to Raise Funds for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend - https://www.facebook.com/donate/1087127142569274/
Website - https://www.kiddpoteet.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-kidd-poteet-5a548610a/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/f16kidd
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kiddpoteet/?hl=en
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