Col. Shane Kimbrough, USA (Ret), is just as comfortable blasting 17,500 miles per hour in the Crew Dragon spacecraft as he was flying combat missions in an Army Apache helicopter.

“Completely different rides, but both amazing machines,” Kimbrough told Military Officer magazine while floating aboard the International Space Station. “I really loved flying the Apaches many years ago now, but flying a Dragon is really incredible. When those engines lit just about three weeks ago, we all felt an incredible sense of power underneath us and we knew we were going to go somewhere really fast.”

Kimbrough, a MOAA member, is the spacecraft commander aboard the ISS for a six-month mission to conduct science experiments. He’s one of four astronauts that launched on the Crew Dragon mission (Crew-2), SpaceX’s second long-duration mission with NASA as part of the Commercial Crew program.

He spoke with Military Officer magazine from inside the ISS during a special interview May 13. A stuffed penguin toy floats next to him and at times other crew members are seen floating as they work behind him.

Kimbrough shared how his flight in the Crew Dragon is different than flying Apaches helicopters, his advice for military members as they transition into the civilian workforce, and what he thinks about the possibility for an average person to join him on a ride to space.

[MORE VIDEOS: Check out MOAA's YouTube Page]