Taco's LAST MEAL

Kenneth "Taco" Cockrell is a five-time space shuttle astronaut, retired US Navy fighter pilot, and cancer survivor who has confronted mortality more than once — and come out the other side smiling. In this conversation, Taco and I explore what happens to a man's sense of purpose, faith, and priorities when he's spent a career dancing with the edge of human existence.From earning his callsign in a Navy squadron to clocking five missions aboard the Space Shuttle, Taco's path to NASA was anything but straight — including a first interview he was certain had ended his chances forever. But it's what happened after he retired from the skies that reveals the most about the man: two battles with blood cancer, a year living in Russia, and a growing willingness to talk openly about a faith he once kept close to his chest.This is one of those conversations that quietly shifts your thinking. We go deep on the weight of mortality, what lasting happiness actually looks like when the things you've always relied on start to slip away, and why — after everything he's seen and survived — Taco's definition of heaven has nothing to do with streets of gold.Chapters:00:00 – Intro05:28 – Born to Wear That Name08:29 – Aiming for the Stars13:00 – Watch Your Words17:41 – Life in Orbit22:00 – Beyond the Atmosphere26:00 – Five Missions, One Year31:00 – Worth Every Cent35:00 – A Faith He Won't Hide40:06 – Confronting Mortality44:00 – The Downwind Lounge51:35 -- Last WordShot on location at Chelsea Wine Barhttps://chelseawinebartexas.com/Special Thanks to John Devereux at ChelseaFollow Tominstagram.com/djhookieAbout the Show: Last Meal is a deep-dive into life’s biggest questions—wisdom, legacy, regret, and everything in between. Join me, Tom Nash, as I serve up thought-provoking conversations with the world’s foremost thinkers.