>>> TEN, NINE, 
EIGHT, SEVEN, SINGS, FIVE, FOUR,
THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO, POSITION,
LIFTOFF. 
TWO AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS ARE 
SCHEDULED TO LIFT OFF FROM 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER THIS 
AFTERNOON. THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO
SEND THE CREW DRAGON CAPSULE TO 
THE SPACE STATION. WEDNESDAY'S 
LAUNCH WAS SCRUBBED BECAUSE OF 
THE WEATHER. IF ALL GOES AS 
PLANNED TODAY IT WILL BE THE 
FIRST TIME THAT ASTRONAUTS 
LAUNCH INTO SPACE FROM U.S. SOIL
SINCE THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM ENDED 
IN 2011. YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE AT
HISTORIC LAUNCH PAD 39 AIN CAPE 
CANAVERAL FLORIDA. 
LIFT OFF OF THE FALCON 9 ROCKET 
IS SCHEDULED FOR 3:0029. THE TWO
ASTRONAUTS ARE ON TOP OF THE 
DRAGON CAPSULE. PART OF A 
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN NASA AND 
SPACEX THAT WILL LEAD TO A NEW 
ERA IN PRIVATE SPACE SHUTTLE. 
LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE 
WASHINGTON POST. I'M LIBBY 
CASEY. WE HAVE A LOT TO SHOW 
YOU. WE WILL GO TO FLORIDA AS 
PEOPLE GATHER TO WATCH WHILE 
SAFELY SOCIAL DISTANCING. YEARS 
OF PREPARATION FOR THIS MISSION.
IT IS A MISSION THAT THE 
WASHINGTON POST HAS EXCLUSIVELY 
DOCUMENTED BEHIND THE SCENES AT 
NASA. IT'S BEEN A BUSY AFTERNOON
FOR DOUG HURLEY AND BOB BEHNKEN.
A COUPLE HOURS AGO THEY ANY GOT 
THE WEATHER BRIEFING AND WALKED 
OUT OF THE SPACE CENTER IN A 
HOPPED INTO TESLA. AN ELON MUSK 
OPERATION AND DROVE TO 39A. THEY
WENT TO THE TOP OF FALCON 9 
ROCKET AND CLIMBED INTO THE CREW
CAPSULE TO TAKE THEM TO THE 
SPACE STATION. LET'S INTRODUCE 
OUR GUESTS JOINING ME IS MY 
COLLEAGUE JOEL OKENBOK. AND 
SCOTT KELLEY FORMER NASA KNOT 
AND ELLIN SONO. FROM THE 
SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM. WELCOME. 
JOEL AND ELLEN, WE WERE HERE A 
FEW DAYS AGO WHEN THIS FIRST 
ATTEMPT HAPPENED. SCOTT KELLY, 
YOU ARE NEW TO THE PROGRAM. WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU? 
>> EXCITING. ANYTIME WE LAUNCH 
TO SPACE. TODAY MORE SO BECAUSE 
IT IS A BRAND NEW SPACECRAFT. 
I THINK IT IS A NEW WAY TO GET 
MORE PEOPLE ACCESS TO SPACE 
WHICH IS -- A LITTLE BIT 
UNTRADITIONAL AND A DIFFERENT 
MANAGED AND RUN KIND OF PROGRAM.
EXCITING DAY. 
>> SCOTT, DID YOU THINK IT WOULD
BE THIS LONG OF A BREAK BETWEEN 
THE SHUTTLE ENDING AND 
ASTRONAUTS ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH 
FROM U.S. SOIL. IT HAS BEEN A 
DECADE. 
>> PUTTING PEOPLE INTO SPACE IS 
VERY, VERY COMPLICATED. AND 
CHALLENGING. THAT IS JUST 
DEMONSTRATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN
I WOULD HAVE HOPED IT WOULD BE 
SOONER BUT DOING THINGS THE 
RIGHT WAY IT TAKES TIME AND 
HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE THE FRUITS
OF THE LABOR OF ALL OF THE 
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE 
WORKED ON THIS PROGRAM SOON. 
>> ELLEN, NOT ONLY ARE YOU THE 
DIRECTOR OF THE AIR AND SPACE 
MUSEUM WHICH SO MANY OF US ARE 
FANS ARE, YOU ARE NASA'S CHIEF 
SCIENTIST. WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR 
YOU TO SEE NASA GET TO THIS 
POINT IN WORKING WITH A PRIVATE 
COMPANY TO ARRIVE AT THIS 
MOMENT? 
>> TO ME THIS IS TRULY HISTORIC 
BECAUSE WE ARE REALLY STARTING 
TO SAY WHAT CAN NASA TURN OVER 
TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR DOSOME WE 
HAVE TURNED OVER COMMERCIAL 
CARGO AND CREW AND NOW NASA IS 
FOCUSING ON THE MISSION OF 
EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE AND THE 
PLANETS, OUR SUN AND EARTH AND 
FOCUSING ON THAT NEXT UP OF 
GETTING HUMANS TO MARS AND THE 
MORE NASA CAN TURN OVER THE 
ROUTINE, THIS IS THE HUGE TEST. 
THE MORE NASA CAN TURN OVER TO 
THE PRIVATE SECTOR THE MORE IT 
CAN DO IS FOCUS ON EXPLORATION 
GOALS. 
>> JOEL OKENBOK, WHAT ARE YOU 
WATCHING? 
>> THE WEATHER. 
>> BEHIND THE FALCON 9 ROCKET. 
>> COMING FROM FLORIDA, I KNOW 
HOW FAST THE STORMS POP UP WHEN 
IT GETS HOT LIKE THIS AND I HAVE
BEEN LOOKING AT THE RADAR LIKE 
EVERYONE ELSE AND IT DOES LOOK 
TOUCH AND GO. THEY HAVE BEEN 
SAYING IT 50/50 ON WHETHER THERE
WILL BE LAUNCH. THE ASTRONAUTS 
ARE IN THE SPACECRAFT. YOU KNOW,
ONCE AGAIN, IT HAS TO BE SO 
EMOTIONALLY CHALLENGING TO BED 
PREPARED TO BLAST IN TO ORBIT ON
THIS HISTORIC MISSION BUT YOU 
DON'T KNOW IF THE THUNDER HEAD 
IS GOING TO GET TOO CLOSE TO THE
CAPE. SO LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I'M
WONDERING WHAT IS GOING TO 
HAPPEN TODAY. LET ME JUST SAY 
ONE MORE THING. IT IS GREAT TO 
SEE ELLEN STOVAL AND SCOTT 
KELLY, REALLY FANTASTIC 
SCIENTISTS AND ADVENTURERS THAT 
EXPLAIN STUFF SO WELL. I WANT TO
SAY HI TO BOTH OF THEM. GREAT 
SOURCES OF MINE OVER THE YEARS. 
>> SCOTT KELLY, LET'S TALK ABOUT
WHAT IT IS LIKE IN THIS MOMENT 
FOR THE ASTRONAUTS? YOU ARE 
LOADED IN THIS CASE INTO CREW 
DRAGON INTO THAT CAPSULE WE SEE 
RIGHT THERE. 
YOU ARE IN THIS THROUGH PAUSE 
MOMENT, RIGHT? WHAT DOES IT FEEL
LIKE AS YOU WAIT TO SEE IF 
LAUNCH ACTUALLY HAPPENS? 
>> WELL, IT IS THE INTERESTING. 
THE WHOLE DAY IS VERY RESTRICTED
FROM THE TIME YOU WAKE UP UNTIL 
THE TIME HOPEFULLY THEY WILL GO 
TO SLEEP IN SPACE TODAY. AND YOU
KNOW AT THIS MOMENT THEY HAVE 
BEEN IN THE CAPSULE FOR ABOUT AN
HOUR-AND-A-HALF. I HAVE HAD THE 
PRIVILEGE OF FLYING ON THE SPACE
SHUTTLE FLIGHT AND THE 
RUSSIAN SOIL, THIS IS MORE 
ANALGOUS TO A SOIL LAUNCH. THEY 
ARE WAITING. THE WAY THE 
SPACECRAFT IS DESIGNED, IT IS 
VERY AUTONOMOUS HAS BEEN 
DEMONSTRATED WHERE THE SPACE 
STATION LAUNCHED AND 
RENDEZVOUSED WITH THE SPACE 
STATION. THERE IS PROBABLY NOT A
LOT TO DO OTHER THAN JUST 
WAITING AND PASSING THE TIME AND
THINKING ABOUT CONTINGENCIES AND
WHAT ACTIONS THEY MAY NEED TO 
TAKE IN THE CASE OF ANY THING 
THAT GOES WRONG DURING THE 
FLIGHT AND IT IS MOSTLY WAITING 
AND ANTICIPATING LIKE THE PEOPLE
ARE WATCHING ARE DOING. 
>> WE HAVE A LIVE VIEW RIGHT NOW
OF THE ASTRONAUTS AND YOU CAN 
SEE BOB AND DOUG THERE. SCOTT 
KELLY YOU WERE ON FACIAL 
DISCOVERY AND WENT UP IN RUSSIAN
LAUNCHES. YOU SAID THAT THIS IS 
MORE ANALGOUS TO THE SOARS. HOW 
SO? 
>> YOU ARE IN A CAPSULE AND THE 
SPACE SHUTTLE IS UNIQUE, UNIQUE 
IN ITS CAPABILITY AND UNIQUE IN 
ITS COMPLEXITY AND UNIQUE IN THE
CREW INTERFACES AND THE WAY THAT
THE CREW INTERFACED WITH THE 
SYSTEM. I THINK IF YOU HAVE SEEN
THE INSIDE OF A SPACE SPACE IT 
HAS 2000 SWITCHES AND CIRCUIT 
BREAKERS WHERE AS LOOKING AT THE
DRAGON CAPSULE IT LOOKS MORE 
LIKE A TESLA THAN IT DOES A 
SPACE SHUTTLE AND THE SOARS. 
ALTHOUGH IT FLEW IN THE 1960s IT
WAS UPDATED AND YOU GOT TO THE 
POINT THAT YOU HAD TOUCH SCREEN 
DISPLAYS AND EVERYTHING BUT THE 
CREW INTERACTION WITH THE SYSTEM
WERE NOT NEARLY AS COMPLICATED 
AS THE SPACE SHUTTLE. SO YOU 
KNOW IT LAUNCHES WITHOUT SOLID 
ROCKET MOTORS. THE LIFTOFF IS A 
LITTLE BIT YOU KNOW SLOWER 
ACCELERATION WHERE THE SPACE 
SHUTTLE IS IMMEDIATE. 
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT A DRAGON 
CAPIAS AS EMERGENCY ESCAPE 
SYSTEM THAT THE SPACE SHUTTLE 
DID NOT HAVE. THE BIG DIFFERENCE
HERE BETWEEN THE SOARS, THE 
DRAGON WILL LAND IN THE MISSION 
WHENEVER THAT IS. 
>> LET'S GO TO MY COLLEAGUE, 
CHRIS DAVENPORT. HE IS A SPACE 
INDUSTRY REPORTER AND CHRONICLED
THE RETURN TO SPACE IN A BOOK 
LOOKING AT THE PRIVATE 
COMPETITION AMONG COMPANIES. IES
I AM GLAD YOU CAN 
JOIN US SINCE YOU ARE DOING 
DOUBLE DUTY LAUNCHING A PROGRAM 
AND JOINING US. WE JUST TALKED 
ABOUT THE ABILITY FOR THIS 
CAPSULE TO ESSENTIALLY SERVE AS 
LIKE A SAFETY VESSEL FOR THE 
CREW. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME
OF THE 
SAFETY MECHANISMS PUT INTO 
PLACE? 
>> YES, SURE, SCOTT KELLY'S BOOK
IS GREAT. ONE OF THE BEST 
ASTRONAUT BOOKS I 
HAVE READ. THE DRAGON SPACE 
SHUTTLE WAS OUTFITTED WITH THE 
ABILITY EMERGENCY SYSTEM AND THE
SUPER ENGINE FIRE. IT IS AMAZING
THAT ONCE THE COMPUTER SYSTEM 
GIVES THAT ABORT SYSTEM, THE 
GREEN LIGHT TO GO, IT TRIGGERS 
WITHIN LESS THAN HALF OF A 
SECOND AND SENDS THE ASTRONAUTS 
ON A WILD 
RIDE AND THEY HAVE THAT SAFETY 
ABILITY TO PAD AND THEY ARE 
WATCHING THE WEATHER AT THE CAPE
AND THE WEATHER UP AND DOWN THE 
EAST COAST UNDER WHERE THERE ARE
THOSE ABORT DROP ZONES AND THEY 
ARE ABOUT 50 OF THEM AND THEY 
HAVE GOT RESCUE CREWS STANDING 
BY TO RESCUE THEM OUT OF THE 
WATER IF NEED BE, LIBBY. 
>> SO, CHRIS, YOUR DOWN THERE AT
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. WHAT IS 
THE WEATHER LIKE? WE HAVE STATIC
SHOTS BUT WHAT ARE YOU FEELING 
AND SEEING? 
>> FIRST OF ALL I'M HOT. IT IS 
VERY HUMID. WE JUST HAD A MAJOR 
SORT OF BIG CELL CAME OVER 
US THAT POURED DOWN RAIN. I 
THOUGHT IT WOULD COOL US OFF. 
THERE IS A LITTLE SPIT COMING 
OUT. A 50/50 CHANCE BUT WE ARE 
CLEARLY DEALING WITH MORE 
WEATHER HERE. A LOT OF TALK WITH
HIGH PROFILE ATTENTION WITH THE 
PRESIDENT WHERE THEY HAVE LAUNCH
FEVER AND THEY FEEL COMPELLED TO
GO 
UNDER SOME SORT OF UNSAFE 
SCENARIO. THEY PROVED ON 
WEDNESDAY THEY WOULD NOT DO THAT
AND JIM BRINDENSTINE SAYS IF 
THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE
WEATHER HERE AT THE CAPE OR DOWN
RANGE, ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEM, 
ANY FALSE SENSOR READING THEY 
WILL CALL THIS THING AND 
COME BACK ANOTHER DAY, LIBBY. 
>> CHRIS, YOU MENTIONED 
PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL COME BACK 
TODAY WITH THE FIRST LADY AND 
VICE PRESIDENT. THERE IS SO MUCH
ELSE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND WE 
WILL BE WATCHING TO SEE WHAT IS 
HAPPENING AT SPACEX AND IN OUR 
NATION. WHAT IS THE MOOD THERE? 
ARE PEOPLE FOCUSED 
AT THE TASK AT HAND? 
>> NASA IS AND SPACEX. THERE IS 
A BROADER CONTEXT. WHAT NASA AND
THE WHITE HOUSE ARE HOPING FOR 
IS THAT THIS CAN BE A UNIFYING 
MESSAGE. DURING APOLLO 11 THERE 
WAS THE TURMOIL OF THE CIVIL 
RIGHTS PROTEST AND THE WAR IN 
VIETNAM. 1969, A TIME OF GREAT 
UNREST IN THIS COUNTRY AND WE 
ARE SEEING THAT TODAY. WHETHER 
THE COUNTRY WILL ACTUALLY UNITE 
AROUND THIS MISSION, I THINK 
REMAINS TO BE SEEN. CLEARLY BOB 
AND DOUG ARE ALL AMERICAN 
HEROES. GREAT ASTRONAUTS. AND 
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT 
MISSION. AND I THINK THERE IS A 
GREAT HOPE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE 
THAT IT WILL PULL PEOPLE 
TOGETHER BUT YOU KNOW LIBBY, IT 
FEELS THAT IT IS SUCH A DIVISIVE
MOMENT AND LIKE IT IS HARD TO 
OVERCOME EVERYTHING THAT IS 
GOING ON RIGHT NOW. 
>> CHRISTIAN DAVENPORT LIVE AT 
THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. WE 
WILL TALK TO YOU AGAIN. THANK 
YOU SO MUCH. CHRIS. JOEL OKEN 
BOCK WE ARE MONITORING WEATHER 
AND SEEING WHAT IS GOING TO 
HAPPEN WITH THE DECISION-MAKING 
PROCESS. WATCHING NASA AND 
SPACEX. IT IS SO FASCINATING 
BECAUSE WE WILL SEE IMAGES AS WE
GET CLOSER TO LAUNCH TIME OF 
HAWTHORNE COMMAND CENTER WHERE 
SPACEX IN CALIFORNIA IS MAKING 
THE CALLS BUT HOW DIFFERENT IS 
THIS FOR YOU TO WATCH A LAUNCH 
LIKE THIS COMPARED TO WHAT YOU 
USED TO LAUNCH WHEN NASA WAS 
FULLY IN CONTROL OF THINGS? 
>> THERE IS SO MANY BACK STORIES
TO THIS MOMENT. IT IS HARD TO 
KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN BECAUSE IT 
GOES BACK TO THE COLUMBIA 
SHUTTLE DISASTER THAT SET IN 
MOTION RETIRING THE SPACE 
SHUTTLE AND THAT SET IN MOTION A
WHOLE NEW PLAN TO GO BACK TO THE
MOON THAT GOT CANCELED. OBAMA 
ADMINISTRATION SAYS LET'S GO TO 
COMMUNITY CREW AND THAT IS THE 
APOLLO PAD THAT ELON MUSK HAS 
TAKEN OVER THE PAD FOR THE 
HISTORIC LAUNCH. IT IS AT THE 
CAPE AND CHRIS IS IN THE 
ASSEMBLY BUILDING. 500-FOOT TALL
BUILDING. IT IS WEIRD FOR THEM 
THOUGH THE PRESS CENTER IS 
CLOSED AND EVERYTHING IS 
DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE 
PANDEMIC. THERE IS A LOT OF 
DIFFERENCE ABOUT THIS LAUNCH AS 
YOU POINTED OUT. WE ARE LOOKING 
AT THE COMMAND CENTER IN 
HAWTHORNE CALIFORNIA. THIS IS A 
PRIVATE COMPANY. SPACEX OWNS 
THAT ROCKET. AND THEY ARE DOING 
THIS UNDER A CONTRACT THAT IS 
DIFFERENT FROM THE CONTRACTS IN 
THE PAST WHEN NASA WOULD WORK 
WITH BOEING OR LOCKHEED OR SOME 
OF THE OLD LINE AEROSPACE FIRMS.
>> HOW DIFFERENT IS IT TO 
WITNESS THIS COLLABORATION AND 
WHAT DO YOU HOPE IT MEANS FOR 
THE FUTURE? 
>> YOU KNOW THE MORE PEOPLE WE 
HAVE INVOLVED IN SPACE FLIGHTS 
FROM A SCIENTIFIC POINT OF VIEW 
WE ARE TRYING TO GET MORE CREW 
UP ON BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION TO GET US ONTO THE
MOON AND MARS. SOME OF THE 
THINGS THAT WE TEST ON THE SPACE
STATION AND SCOTT KNOW THE THIS 
BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE FROM 
THE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT WE 
NEED TO GET HUMANS TO MARS TO 
GETTING A TOILET THAT WORKS ALL 
THE TIME. THIS WORK IS REALLY 
CRITICAL AND SO TO SEE US MOVING
TOWARDS COMMERCIAL CREW. TO HAVE
BOTH OF THESE COMPANIES COME 
ONBOARD. IT MEANS MORE 
ASTRONAUTS AND MORE SCIENCE 
GETTING DONE AND MORE READINESS 
FOR THAT NEXT STEP AND 
EXPLORATION. 
>> LET ME REMIND YOU WHAT YOU 
ARE LOOKING AT THERE. ASTRONAUT 
BOB BENKEN AND DOUG HURLEY IN 
THE CREW CAPSULE AND YOU CAN SEE
THE CAPSULE WITH THAT ARM 
ATTACHED TO THIS THAT WILL 
EVENTUALLY PULL AWAY BEFORE A 
LAUNCH OF COURSE AND THE BIG 
PICTURE THAT FALCON 9 ROCKET 
WITH CREW DRAGON APPROACHED ON 
TOP. SCOTT KELLY, YOU HEARD FROM
ELLEN TALKING ABOUT THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. YOU
KNOW IT SO INTIMATELY. I THINK 
MOST OF US KNOW ABOUT YOUR YEAR 
LONG TIME SPENT ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION BUT 
THAT IS NOT THE ONLY TIME YOU 
WERE THERE, OF COURSE. YOU HAVE 
LOGGED A LOT OF HOURS ON ISS. 
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO GO THROUGH 
THE PROCESS OF LAUNCH AND A 
RIVAL AT ISS, IS THERE A POINT 
THAT YOU RELAX YOURSELF? AT WHAT
POINT IF YOU ARE IN THE 
ASTRONAUT CREW DRAGON RIGHT NOW 
WHEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU 
KNOW, JUST CATCHING YOUR BREATH 
FOR A MOMENT? 
>> I THINK OF, FOR ME IT WAS 
ABOUT A MONTH INTO THE MISSION 
WHEN YOU START SORT 
OF FEELING NORMAL. NEVER 
COMPLETELY NORMAL BUT WHERE THE 
LONGER YOU SPEND IN SPACE THE 
MORE FAMILIAR IT IS. THE FIRST 
FEW WEEKS AND EVEN IF YOU ARE 
EXPERIENCED ARE, YOU KNOW, IT IS
AN ADJUSTMENT TO MICRO GRAVITY 
AND THE INTENSITY AND THE STRESS
INVOLVED OF LIVING AND WORKING 
IN SPACE. YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH 
BOB AND DOUG ARE VERY 
EXPERIENCED THERE WILL BE AN 
ADJUSTMENT PROCESS AND WHAT IS 
INTERESTING ABOUT THIS FLIGHT 
FOR THESE GUYS IS AS FAR AS I'M 
AWARE, THEY ARE NOT SURE HOW 
LONG THEY WILL BE THERE. WHEN 
THEY DOCK, ANYWHERE FROM I THINK
A MONTH TO FOUR MONTHS PERHAPS. 
THAT ADDS A LITTLE BIT OF STRESS
TO THE WHOLE SITUATION. 
>> AND, OF COURSE, THEY LEAVE 
FAMILIES HERE ON PLANET EARTH. 
THEY HAVE SONS, YOUNG SONS AND 
WIVES THAT HAVE BEEN ASTRONAUTS 
SO THE FAMILIES KNOW WHAT THE 
EXPERIENCE IS LIKE. FOR DOUG 
HURLY AND BOB BEHNKEN THIS WILL 
BE A RETURN 
TO SPACE AND THEY TOLD THE WASH 
POST WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE IS 
LIKE. 
>> FROM LAYING ON YOUR BACK IN 
JULY TO BEING IN SPACE. ALL OF 
THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU 
EXPERIENCE ARE JUST AMAZING. YOU
CAN SEE THE EAST COAST AND I 
REMEMBER ON MY FIRST FLIGHT I'M 
LOOKING AT THE ENGINES BECAUSE 
THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO
DO AS THE PILOT AND I REMEMBER 
MY COMMANDER MARK POLANDSKY GO 
LOOK OUT THE WINDOW BECAUSE HE 
WANTED ME TO SEE THE VIEW. 
>> YOU WANT TO SEE THE WATER 
FLOW START ON THE LAUNCH PAD. 
NOT CRITICAL BUT NOT SOMETHING 
THAT EVERYBODY GETS TO SEE. YOU 
WANT TO SEE THE ORANGE FLIGHT 
FROM THE CLOUDS AND NOT 
EVERYBODY GET TO SEE THAT AND I 
WAS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT THOSE 
MEMORIES THAT WAS GOING TO BE 
EVENTFUL EIGHT-AND-A-HALF 
MINUTES. 
>> THE 3G THROTTLING, SOMEBODY 
IS ON YOUR CHEST AND THAT LASTED
FOR ROUGHLY TWO MINUTES AND THE 
ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. IT WAS 
PROBABLY ONLY A SECOND BUT IT 
FELT LIKE I SAT THERE FOR TEN 
MINUTES LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON? 
YOU KNOW YOU ARE HANGING OUT OF 
YOUR SEATS. I FELT LIKE I WAS 
TUMBLING BECAUSE THE ENGINE YOU 
ARE ACCELERATING AND YOU ARE OFF
AND STUFF IS FLOATING AND YOU 
CAN FEEL MICRO GRAVITY FOR THE 
FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE AND IT 
IS JUST UNREAL. YOU ARE LIKE 
THIS HAS TO BE A DREAM. 
>> THE OTHER MEMORY IS GOING ON 
A SPACE WALK FOR THE FIRST TIME 
AND OPEN THE HATCH AND OUT I GO.
YOU KIND OF POP OUT AND YOU CAN 
SEE THE EARTH BELOW YOU 
ROTATING. YOU SEE NIGHT AND DAY 
AND LIGHTNING AND ALL OF THOSE 
ACTIVITIES HAPPENING. IT WAS 
MESMERIZING FOR ME. SO THE 
MEMORY OF THAT ACTIVITY IS ONE 
THAT I HOPE TO KEEP FOR THE REST
OF MY LIFE. 
>> IT CHANGES YOU. YOU SEE HOW 
IN THIS THE ATMOSPHERE IS. YOU 
SEE NO BORDERS AND THIS 
BEAUTIFUL BLUE BALL AND THE 
BEAUTIFUL OCEAN AND MOUNTAIN 
RANGES AND IT IS JUST REALLY 
INDESCRIBABLE. AND I JUST THINK 
THAT THE MORE PEOPLE THAT GET TO
DO IT, THE BETTER OFF WE WILL BE
AS A SPECIES, I REALLY DO. 
>> DOUG HURLY AND BOB BEHNKEN IN
THE CREW CAPSULE PREPARING FOR 
THIS AFTERNOON'S HISTORIC 
LAUNCH. SCOTT KELLY IT IS 
POIGNANT TO HEAR THE ASTRONAUTS 
TALK ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL AND 
UNIFYING IT IS TO GET OUT OF 
THIS ATMOSPHERE AND ORBIT THE 
EARTH AND BE AT THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE SHUTTLE. 
WHAT 
ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF THIS 
EXPERIENCE? 
>> I AGREE WITH WHAT BOB AND 
DOUG SAID. THERE IS TWO BIG 
THINGS TO NOTICE. FIRST OF ALL 
HOW FRAGILE THE ATMOSPHERE 
LOOKS. THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE 
EARTH FROM SPACE, NOT THE FIRST 
TIME BUT MAYBE THE FIRST DAY I 
COMMENTED TO ONE OF MY CREW 
MEMBER IS WHAT IS THAT THIN FILM
OVER THE SURFACE AND THEY ARE 
THAT'S THE ATMOSPHERE IT LOOKS 
INCREDIBLY THIN AND FRAGILE. THE
EARTH IS BLUE. IT'S INTERESTING 
WE DIDN'T NAME IT PLANET WATER 
INSTEAD OF PLANET EARTH. THERE 
IS A LOT OF LAND MASSES AND YOU 
DON'T SEE POLITICAL BORDERS. IT 
GIVES YOU THE PERCEPTION THAT WE
ARE ON 
THIS PLANET TOGETHER. PART OF 
ONE TEAM ON EARTH AND CONNECTED.
THIS PANDEMIC SHOWS HOW 
CONNECTED AND RELIANT WE ARE ON 
ONE ANOTHER MORE SO THAN I 
THOUGHT. BUT THOSE ARE THE TWO 
SENSES YOU GET WITH THIS 
CONNECTIVITY AND JUST HOW 
FRAGILE THE EARTH ACTUALLY LOOKS
FROM SPACE. 
>> ELLEN, WHAT DREW YOU TO NASA 
AND TO A CAREER WORKING IN THIS 
FIELD? 
>> I HAVE AN UNUSUAL STORY. MY 
MOM WAS A SCIENCE TEACHER AND MY
DAD WAS A ROCKET ENGINEER AND I 
WENT TO MY FIRST LAUNCH AT FOUR 
AND SAW THE TWO VIKING LANDERS 
THAT WENT TO MARS IN THE 1970S 
LAUNCH AND THE VOYAGER LAUNCH AT
THE CAPE. THIS IS PART OF MY 
LIFE. WHEN WE GO OUT AND STEADY 
THE OTHER PLANETS OF THE SOLAR 
SYSTEM, IT IS TO BRING THAT 
INFORMATION BACK AND TO 
UNDERSTAND OUR OWN PLANET BETTER
AND TO ANSWER REALLY BIG 
QUESTIONS LIKE IS THERE LIFE 
BEYOND EARTH? AND GETTING TO 
WORK ON THESE QUESTIONS AND 
GETTING TO WORK WITH AN 
INSTITUTION LIKE NASA IS 
INCREDIBLE. AT THE ERRAND SPACE 
MUSEUM WE CELEBRATE THAT AND WE 
CELEBRATE IT BECAUSE TO ME IT IS
WHAT INSPIRES THE NEXT 
GENERATION TO GO ON AND INNOVATE
AND EXPLORE AND TO DO AMAZING 
THINGS. 
>> JOEL OKENBOK. THIS HAS BEEN A
SPACE RACE OF A NEW GENERATION 
LOOKING AT THE PRIVATE 
COMPANIES, BOEING AND SPACEX. 
THIS MOMENT, VYING TO GET TO 
THIS DAY. IT IS A BIT OF A 
SURPRISE THAT SPACEX MADE IT 
HERE FIRST. 
>> SPACEX HAS GREAT ENGINEERS AS
BOEING DOES. BUT SPACEX HAS THIS
CHARISMATIC LEADER IN ELON MUSK 
THAT STARTED IN 2002. HE MADE A 
BUNCH OF MONEY FROM THE INTERNET
AND IT TOOK YEARS FOR HIM TO 
HAVE A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH. NASA 
WAS HIS SAVIOR ACTUALLY. 
PEOPLE THINK OF IT LIKE SPACEX 
VERSUS NASA. I THINK THIS 
MISSION SHOWS THAT IS NOT THE 
STORY AT ALL. THE GOVERNMENT 
SPACE AGENCY IS THE -- HAS GAVE 
THIS CONTRACT FOR COMMERCIAL 
CREW TO SPACEX AND TO BOEING AND
SPACEX BEAT BOEING, THIS OLD 
SCHOOL LINE, OLD AEROSPACE 
COMPANY, BEAT THEM TO THE FIRST 
LAUNCH. I DON'T THINK THAT THE 
PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW SPACE NEWS 
ARE SHOCKED BY THAT AND IN PART 
BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEEN THE 
AGGRESSIVE PACE OF THING AT 
SPACEX. THEY WANT MORE THAN JUST
THIS. THEIR GOAL IS NOT TO PUT 
HUMANS INTO ORBIT. ELON'S GOAL 
IS TO PUT HUMANS ON MARS AND TO 
CREATE CITIES ON MARS AND HAVE A
CIVILIZATION ON MARS. SO THAT IS
A BIG DREAM AND YOU KNOW HE IS 
DETERMINED TO DO IT. HE HAS A 
LOT OF SPIRIT BEHIND SPACEX. 
>>> SCOTT KELLY, GETTING TO 
MARS. WHEN ASTRONAUTS TALK ABOUT
WHERE THEY SEE THIS FUTURE GOING
AND WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE
SPACE TRAVEL GO, WHAT ARE THE 
REALITIES OF GETTING TO MARS? 
>> YOU KNOW, I'LL QUOTE MY 
BROTHER ON WHAT THE REALITY IS 
GOING TO MARS AND HE SAYS YOU 
KNOW MARS IS NOT -- GOING TO 
MARS IS NOT ABOUT ROCKET SCIENCE
BUT POLITICAL SCIENCE. WE HAVE 
MOST OF THE TECHNOLOGY. WE 
UNDERSTAND MOST OF WHAT WE NEED 
TO DO. CERTAINLY AREAS OF  
PROTECTING THE CREW FROM 
RADIATION AND THE LIGHT SYSTEMS 
AND THEY NEED TO BE MORE ROBUST 
AND HAVING THE PUBLIC DESIRE AND
THE POLITICAL WILL AND THE 
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT BEHIND IT 
BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE 
REALLY, REALLY EXPENSIVE BUT YOU
KNOW MY OPINION AND THE OPINION 
OF MANY OTHERS THE WORK VALUE. 
>> SCOTT, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU 
HAVE ABOUT WHAT THIS TEST FLIGHT
CAN REVEAL? AND I SAY THAT IT IS
A TEST FLIGHT, EVEN THOUGH IT 
HAS ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD. THIS IS
CONSIDERED TO BE A TEST. 
THEY ARE TEST PILOTS. YOU SPENT 
SO MUCH TIME IN SPACE AT THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, 
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS 
ROCKET PERFORMED AND WHAT THESE 
TWO ASTRONAUTS LEARNED. 
>> IF YOU LOOK BACK ON 
THE SPACE SHUTTLE, RIGHT, WE 
FLEW OR RAN 140 MISSIONS. I 
FORGET THE EXACT NUMBER. EACH 
ONE WAS A TEST FLIGHT. IF YOU 
CONSIDER WHAT IT TAKES TO 
CERTIFY AN AIRPLANE, IT IS MANY,
MANY MORE, YOU KNOW, HOURS AND 
FLIGHTS. ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE 
MORE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE 
VEHICLE OPERATES AND BEHAVES SO 
YOU KNOW THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT 
FLIGHT BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST 
FLIGHT AND THE FIRST FLIGHT 
ALWAYS HAS MORE SIGNIFICANCE. 
BUT THE OTHER ONES WILL BE TEST 
FLIGHTS AS WELL. AND YOU KNOW 
WHETHER THEY CALL THEM THAT OR 
NOT, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER SPACEX
WILL OR NOT. UNTIL YOU ARE 
FLYING SOMETHING AS REGULARLY AS
THEY -- THE COMMERCIAL AIRLINER 
OR MILITARY AIRPLANE ONCE IT'S 
CERTIFIED THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH 
ALL TEST FLIGHTS AND WE'LL LEARN
A LOT OF THINGS ON THIS FLIGHT 
AS WE WILL OTHERS. 
>> SCOTT KELLY, THANK YOU SO 
MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. WE WILL 
LET YOU GO SO YOU CAN WATCH THE 
LAUNCH. ELLEN AND JOEL WILL STAY
WITH US. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING 
ABOUT THE SPACEX ELON MUSK AND 
TALKED TO CHRIS DAVENPORT ABOUT 
THE LAUNCH. 
>> PUT POLITICS ASIDE AND THINK 
THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL 
GOOD THING. UNITED STATES IS A 
NATION OF EXPLORERS AND I THINK 
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING 
TO APPEAL TO PEOPLE WITHIN 
ADVENTURES STARTS. I AM EXCITED 
ABOUT IT AND GOING THROUGH AND 
DOUBLE-CHECKING EVERYTHING TO 
MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE AS 
RELIABLE AND AS SAFE AS 
POSSIBLE. WE HAVE FLOWN DRAGON 
1 MANY TIMES. WE HAVE FLOWN 
DRAGON 2 TO THE SPACE STATION 
AND BACK. I THINK THIS IS A 
FUNDAMENTALLY A SITUATION SAFER 
THAN THE SHUTTLE BECAUSE IT HAS 
ESCAPE SYSTEM AND BECAUSE WE 
HAVE ALREADY FLOWN SO MUCH OF 
THE HARDWARE BEFORE. IT IS A 
SCARY THING TO BE LAUNCHING 
PEOPLE AND ROCKETS ARE JUST A 
REALLY A LOT OF ENERGY IN A 
ROCKET. IT IS HARD RISK IS NEVER
ZERO. 
>> WELL, LET'S GO BACK TO 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER 
WHERE OUR COLLEAGUE CHRISTIAN 
DAVENPORT IS STANDING BY. CHRIS,
WE HEARD ABOUT YOUR INTERVIEW 
WITH ELON MUSK AND WE HEARD JIM 
BRINDENSTINE SAY YESTERDAY THAT 
HE FEELS THE RELATIONSHIP 
BETWEEN NASA AND SPACEX HAS 
TURNED INTO A FRIENDSHIP AND 
PARTNERSHIP AND EXPRESSED 
CONFIDENCE IN ELON MUSK. TALK TO
US ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP. 
>> RIGHT, LIBBY. THIS IS NOT A 
RELATIONSHIP THAT STARTS WITH 
THIS LAUNCH EVEN THOUGH THERE IS
A LOT OF PEOPLE TURNING IN NOW. 
THIS IS ONE THAT STRETCHES BACK 
TO REALLY ABOUT 2008 OR BEFORE 
WHERE SPACEX IS STRUGGLING WITH 
THE VERY FIRST ROCKET, THE 
FALCON ONE THAT IT FAILED THREE 
TIMES TO MAKE ORBIT THE 4th TRY,
LUCKY 4th TRY, IT MADE ORBIT AND
NASA CAME IN AND AWARDED SPACEX 
A $1.6 BILLION CONTRACT TO FLY 
CARGO AND SUPPLIES TO THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. AND
AT THE TIME ACTUALLY ELON 
CHANGED HIS LOG IN PASSWORD TO I
LOVE NASA. THEY HAVE BEEN 
WORKING TOGETHER FLYING CARGO 
AND SUPPLIES TO THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. 
UNDERSTAND OBAMA THEY AWARD THE 
THE CONTRACT TO FLY ASTRONAUTS 
AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING 
CLOSELY FOR A LONG TIME. THAT 
SAID, THERE HAVE BEEN 
A LOT OF ATTENTION, NASA IS AN 
OLD BUREAUCRACY NEARING IN ITS 
'60s. SPACEX IS YOUNGER, FUNKIER
AND THEY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY 
LIKE WE SAW YESTERDAY IN TEXAS. 
THEY BLEW UP THEIR STAR SHIP 
THAT MAYBE WASN'T THE IMAGE THAT
NASA WANTED AT THIS POINT. THAT 
IS OBVIOUSLY NOT RELATED TO THIS
MISSION AT ALL. AT WHAT POINT 
JIM BRINDENSTINE THE NASA 
ADMINISTRATOR WAS ANNOYED THAT 
ELON WAS SPENDING SO MUCH OF HIS
TIME AND ENERGY WORKING ON STAR 
SHIP WHEN HE WAS ENTRUSTED WITH 
FLYING ASTRONAUTS BUT SINCE THEN
THEY HAVE MADE UP AND ELON 
ALAYED HIS CONCERNS AND FOCUSED 
ON CREW. YOU'RE RIGHT. SORT OF A
LONG AT TIMES TUMULTUOUS 
RELATIONSHIP, LIBBY. 
>> CHRIS, I WANT TO HEAR FROM 
YOU ABOUT GWEN SHOTWELL THE 
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE 
OPERATION. ELON MUSK IS THE FACE
WE SEE AND CONTROVERSIAL AND 
GETS A A LOT OF ATTENTION BUT 
SHE IS THE WOMAN THAT HAVE 
GOTTEN TO US THIS POINT IN A LOT
OF WAYS. TELL US MORE. 
>> GWEN IS RUNNING SPACEX ON A 
DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. RIGHT? ELON 
MUSK IS THE VISIONARY AND THE 
GUY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW 
WILL WE GET TO MARS? GWEN IS 
REALLY RUNNING THE COMPANY. SHE 
IS THE PRESIDENT. SHE IS THE CEO
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT SHE IS 
LIKE THE ELON WHISPERER. SHE CAN
TALK TO ELON IN A WAY THAT VERY 
FEW PEOPLE CAN. A LOT OF PEOPLE 
THINK THAT WHAT ELON NEEDS AT 
TESLA WHERE HE HAS MADE 
CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS IS 
BECAUSE HE DOESN'T BE HAVE A 
GWEN SHOTWELL EQUIVALENT. GWEN 
IS BELOVED IN THE NASA COMMUNITY
AND THE SPACE COMMUNITY. SMART 
AND SOUND ENGINEER AND KNOWS HER
STUFF AND HAS BEEN THERE FROM 
THE BEGINNING AND ALSO EMBODIES 
THE TAKE CHARGE. THE QUOTE SHE 
GAVE FOR ME FOR MY BOOK THAT IS 
A MONTRA FOR SPACEX IS HEAD 
DOWN, PLOW THROUGH THE LINE. 
THEY HAVE CHARGED AHEAD. LIBBY. 
>> CHRIS DAVENPORT, THANK YOU SO
MUCH. WE WILL TALK TO YOU LATER.
COMING UP, WE'LL LOOK 
AT SOME OF THE TRAINING THAT 
ASTRONAUTS DOUG HURLY AND BOB 
BEHNKEN HAVE DONE. WE WILL ALSO 
HEAR FROM ASTRONAUT SUNNY 
WILLIAMS. STAY WITH US. 
YOU'RE WATCHING LIVE COVERAGE 
FROM 
THE WASHINGTON POST. NASA WILL 
SEND ASTRONAUT DOUG HURLEY AND 
BOB BEHNKEN TO THE SPACE 
STATION. THIS IS THE SECOND TRY 
AFTER A FIRST TRY WAS SCRUBBED 
BECAUSE OF LIGHTNING ON 
WEDNESDAY. JOINING ME NOW IS 
SUNNY WILLIAMS AND MEMBER OF THE
COMMERCIAL CREW. AND ALSO JOEL 
OKENBOK AND ELLEN SOFEN THE 
DIRECTOR OF THE SPACE MUSEUM. 
WHERE ARE WE TALKING TO YOU? WE 
TALKED IN JOHNSON 
TEXAS BUT WHERE ARE YOU NOW? 
>> A UP THE COAST IN DAYTONA 
BEACH. MY MOM IS HERE WITH ME 
AND SHE WILL GET TO WATCH FROM 
THE BEACH. THAT'S EXCITING. 
>> FANTASTIC. WHAT ARE YOUR 
HOPES 
FOR TODAY AFTER ONE SCRUBBED 
LAUNCH? 
>> IT IS THE WEATHER THAT WE 
TALKED ABOUT IN FLORIDA IN THE 
AFTERNOON. JUST LIKE THE 
ADMINISTRATOR SAID, WE JUST GOT 
TO TAKE EVERY DAY AND TRY IT. 
THERE MAY BE A BREAK IN THE 
WEATHER AND THEY CAN GET OFF. 
THEY ARE READY. THE ROCKET IS 
READY AND THE SPACE STATION IS 
READY AND SO WE JUST GOT TO TAKE
EVERY CHANCE THAT WE CAN JUST TO
GET THEM GOING AND IT MAY NOT GO
BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER BUT IT 
WILL GO AND THERE WILL BE A 
BREAK AND WE ARE READY 
FOR IT. THE PATROL TEAMS ARE 
READY. SPACEX AND NASA. IT WILL 
YOU AWESOME. 
>> YOU CAN SEE HAWTHORNE 
CALIFORNIA IS LOCATED AND WE 
HAVE TWO RUSSIAN COUNTERPARTS 
AND THEY WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE 
TO GREET THE TWO AMERICAN 
ASTRONAUTS AS THEY ARRIVE. SUNY,
HAVE YOU AND THE REST OF THE 
COMMERCIAL CREW BEEN IN TOUCH 
WITH BOB AND DOUG SINCE 
WEDNESDAY'S SCRUB? 
>> YES. I WROTE THEM A NOTE AND 
GOT A RESPONSE. THEY ARE SO 
GRACIOUS AND WONDERFUL. THEY 
KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL WATCHING 
AND WE ARE ALL CHEERING FOR THEM
AND READY FOR 
THEM TO GO SO I HAVE TAKEN A 
COUPLE MINUTES SAYING WE ARE 
READY AND THEY ARE LIKE ALL 
RIGHT. IT IS WONDERFUL. 
>> JOEL OKENBOK A COUPLE MINUTES
AWAY FROM THE MILESTONE IN THIS 
LAUNCH TIME. 45 MINUTES OUT FROM
LAUNCH. THE SPACEX DIRECTOR IS 
SUPPOSED TO VERIFY A GO FOR THE 
PROPEL LENT LOAD. WE SAW THEM 
GET PAST THE MILESTONE AND WHY 
IS THIS SO SIGNIFICANT TO MAKE 
THE CHOICES AND DECISION TO LOAD
THE PROPELLANT. 
>> IT IS A BIG MOMENT. A 
MINUTE-AND-A-HALF AND THE TEAM 
GOING FROM 
LOADING THE PROPELLANT, ZERO 
KEROSENE AND LIQUID OXYGEN, THEY
BEGIN AT 35 MINUTES AND THEY ARE
STARTING NOW. BUT IT IS 
IMPORTANT DECISION. ONLY THEY 
CAN CALL OFF THE LAUNCH. SCRUB 
IT AT ANY POINT PRIOR TO 
IGNITION. AND LOOKING AT THE 
RADAR, THE NATIONAL SERVICE 
RADAR. IT IS TOUGH AND GO 
BECAUSE YOU HAVE POP-UP STORMS 
IN THAT AREA BUT I THINK THERE 
CAN BE A WINDOW, AN OPENING AT 
3:22. 
>> ELLEN, WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH 
THE IMAGES OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE 
LAUNCH NEXT TO THE ROCKET GOING 
UP AND THIS IS A DIFFERENT 
DESIGN. WE HEARD SCOTT KELLY 
TALK ABOUT IT AWHILE AGO THROUGH
THE SOERS DESIGN AND THIS DESIGN
BY SPACEX. HOW DIFFERENT DOES 
THIS HOOK AND FEEL TO YOU? 
>> IT IS BACK TO THE FUTURE, 
RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT THIS 
ROCKET DESIGN, IT IS MORE 
FAMILIAR WITH THOSE OF US THAT 
SPENT THE LAST YEARS CELEBRATING
THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF APOLLO 
THAT IN THAT CASE THE APOLLO 
CAPSULE SAT ON TOP OF THE SATURN
5 ROCKET. IN A WAY THIS IS MORE 
TRADITIONAL ROCKET DESIGN TO 
HAVE THE ASTRONAUTS IN THE 
CAPSULE, IT IS VERY SAFE 
BECAUSE SCOTT KELLY EARLIER THE 
SYSTEM. [ UNINTELLIGIBLE ] STAY 
SAFE. 
>> ISSUES AFFECTING THE SAFETY 
OF THE OPERATION. HOLD HOLD HOLD
ON THE COUNT DOWN NET. LAUNCH 
CONTROL IMMEDIATELY UPON THE 
LAUNCH AND PROCEED TO THE 
LAUNCH. ABORT SEQUENCE. 
OPERATORS SHALL ADVISE LAUNCH 
DIRECTOR IF A FIRE IS EMINENT 
FOR DRAGON MANUAL ESCAPE FLIGHT 
RULES. A REMINDER ON FIRE ALARM 
INSTRUCTIONS IN THE EVENT OF A 
FIRE ALARM KEY OPERATORS 
PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED WILL REMAIN 
AT THE POST WHILE THE ALARM IS 
AL EVALUATED. IF IT IS 
THREATENED EVACUATE TO THE 
EMERGENCY EXIT THAT LEADS 
DIRECTLY OUTSIDE. AT THIS TIME 
WEATHER IS GO FOR LAUNCH. 
>> ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME 
WEATHER IS GO FOR LAUNCH. YOU 
JUST SAW THE CREW ARM RETRACT. 
42 MINUTES BEFORE LAUNCH TIME 
AND AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. THEY 
TALKED ABOUT THE ARM PRO 
TRACKING. WE ARE ALL INTERESTED 
IN THIS PROCESS AND IT DID 
HAPPEN LAST TIME BUT THEY 
SCRUBBED THE MISSION AFTER THE 
FACT. THIS PROPELLANT LOADING 
HAPPENS AS JOEL SAYS 45 MINUTES 
BEFORE LAUNCH AND THE PROPELLANT
IS KEROSENE AND LIQUID OXYGEN. 
THE PROPELLING LOADING PROCEDURE
HAS YEARS OF DEBATE TO LOAD THE 
ASTRONAUTS OR FUEL FIRST AND 
DOING THE FUEL AND ASTRONAUTS 
BUT THEN LOAD AND GO WHICH WAS 
DELAYED UNTIL AFTER THE 
ASTRONAUTS WERE ON BOARD. SPACEX
PREFERS THIS LOAD AND GO METHOD 
BECAUSE OF THE USE OF CHILLED 
PROPELLANT. NASA REPORTED THAT 
THE ROCKET WAS INCREASED 
SUBSTANTIALLY BY THE LIQUID 
OXYGEN AND THE PROPELLANTS TO 
FREEZING POINTS AND THAT 
INCREASED THE HIGHER DENSITY 
PROPELLANTS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE 
PERFORMANCE WHILE USING THE SAME
SIZE TANK. IN OTHER WORDS IF 
SPACEX HAS TO FUEL THE ROCKET 
THE PROPELLANTS WOULD HEAT UP 
THAT WOULD NEGATIVELY AFFECT 
PERFORMANCE. I AM SO CURIOUS AS 
TO WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE WILL BE 
LIKE FOR THE HAWTHORNE COMMAND 
CENTER AND THE CREW. YOU CAN SEE
THEM WEARING MASKS. WHAT A 
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE TO SEE THE 
PRIVATE FIRM INVOLVED. HOW DO 
YOU THINK IT IS FOR NASA TO BE 
WORKING IN COLLABORATION AND 
LISTENING TO THE DIRECTION COME 
FROM SPACEX. 
>> I THINK ORIGINALLY WHEN 
COMMERCIAL CREW CAME ABOUT, I 
DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, 6 OR 8 
YEARS AGO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT 
COMMERCIAL CREW THERE WAS A LOT 
OF APPREHENSION. IT IS SOMETHING
THAT NASA TAKES SERIOUSLY AND 
THEY UNDERSTAND THE RISK AND 
THEY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR 
EXTREME SAFETY AND IT HAS BEEN A
SHOCKER TO SEE HOW CAN THE 
ASTRONAUTS BE ENTRUST TO A 
PRIVATE COMPANY BUT OVER THE 
YEARS WORKING WITH SPACEX THERE 
IS A LOT OF TRUST THERE AND A 
LOT OF FEEL THAT SPACEX IS 
PUTTING SAFETY FIRST AND NASA IS
LEARNED TO BE A REALLY GOOD 
PARTNER WITH SPACEX BECAUSE THEY
HAVE BEEN SUCH A GOOD PARTNER 
THEMSELVES. 
>> JOEL OKENBOK. WE ARE WATCHING
THE WEATHER FROM OUR LIMITED 
VANTAGE POINT. IT LOOKS MORE 
OPTIMISTIC AT THIS POINT. 
>> IT DOES. I'M LOOKING AT THE 
RADAR. YOU KNOW, JIM 
BRINDENSTINE SAYS WE ARE GO FOR 
LAUNCH. THE WEATHER IS NOT 
IMPEDING IT AND YOU KNOW IT IS 
FLORIDA. IT IS GOING TO CHANGE 
QUICKLY TO GO FROM TORRENTIAL 
DOWNPOUR TO BEING BLAZING SUN 
AND RIGHT NOW IT IS LOOKING MORE
FAVORABLE. CROSS OUR FINGERS. WE
WANT THIS THING TO GO. AND 
I KNOW THE ASTRONAUTS DO. 
>> OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN 
JOINING THIS STORY AND JOINS US 
FROM PORT CANAVERAL FLORIDA. 
WHITNEY, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING 
THERE? WHAT IS THE ENERGY LIKE? 
>> HI, LIBBY. WE ARE AT RUSTY'S 
SEAFOOD AND OYSTER BAR. 39 AIS 
ACROSS THE WATER THIS WAY AND 
WEAR SEEING A LOT MORE PEOPLE 
TODAY THAN ON WEDNESDAY. 
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ON THE PORT 
AND TRAFFIC. THERE WAS GREAT 
EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE TO 
COME OUT AND WATCH. ORIGINALLY 
THEY THOUGHT HALF A MILLION 
PEOPLE AND WHEN WE INTERVIEWED 
THE ASTRONAUTS FOR THE FIRST 
TIME THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH 
IT MATTERS FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE TO
SEE THEM AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR 
THE REINVIGORATION OF THE SPACE 
PROGRAM AND SEEING PEOPLE OUT. 
WHITNEY YOU HAVE DOCUMENTED THE 
CREW AND TRAINING AND LEADING UP
TO THIS POINT TODAY. WHAT SORT 
OF SAFETY PREPARATION HAVE YOU 
SEEN? 
>> ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING 
EMERGENCY TRAINING EXERCISES 
THAT I SAW IS CALLED EMERGENCY 
EGRESS TRAINING. IF YOU THINK 
ABOUT IT, WHEN THE ASTRONAUTS GO
TO LAUNCH INTO SPACE, THEIR 
SPACECRAFT IS ATTACHED TO A 
ROCKET. IN SPACEX IT IS 230 FEET
TALL FOR BOEING, ANOTHER COMPANY
THAT HOPES TO LAUNCH HUMANS TO 
SPACE WITH NASA IT IS SHORTER, 
ABOUT 170 FEET. IF THERE IS ANY 
EMERGENCY THERE IS A FUEL LEAK 
AND HAVE TO GET TO THE GROUND 
PRONTO. WHAT THEY DID IS 
DESIGNED A ZIPLINE SYSTEM AND 
THE ASTRONAUTS WILL ZIP TO THE 
GROUND OF A SPEED UP TO 40 MILES
PER HOUR. AND GETS THEM ABOUT 
1300 FEET AWAY FROM THE ROCKET. 
AND YOU KNOW ONCE THEY ARE 
THERE, THEY CLIMB INTO AN 
ARMORED VEHICLE AND DRIVE THAT 
TO A SAFE PLACE NOT TOO FAR AWAY
AND ALL IN CASE THIS ROCKET 
EXPLODES AND THEY NEED TO BE A 
SAFE DISTANCE AWAY FROM IT. AND 
YOU KNOW I ACTUALLY GOT TO FILM 
THIS FROM THE TOP AND FROM THE 
BOTTOM AND I RODE IN THE 
MILITARY VEHICLE. THEY DID NOT 
LET ME GO ON THE ZIP LINE THAT I
AM STILL UNHAPPY ABOUT BUT AS 
FUN AS IT LOOKS IT IS A VERY 
SERIOUS EXERCISE. 
>> AND I UNDERSTAND, WHITNEY, 
YOU GOT TO REPORT ON ANOTHER 
ASPECT OF TRAINING. ASTRONAUTS 
TRAINING UNDER WATER. 
WHAT IS THAT LIKE? 
>> YES. THIS IS PROBABLY THE 
COOLEST TRAINING EXERCISE I GOT 
TO SEE. IT HAPPENS AT NEUTRAL 
BUOYANCY LAB IN HOUSTON. WHAT IT
IS IT IS THIS GIANT POOL, ABOUT 
TEN OLYMPIC SIZE SWIMMING POOLS 
CAN FIT INSIDE OF THIS ONE POOL 
AND TAKES ABOUT A MONTH TO FILL 
IT WITH WATER AND A REPLICA OF 
THE SPACE STATION UNDER WATER. 
THE ASTRONAUTS TRAIN THERE SO 
THEY CAN PRACTICE WHAT IT IS 
LIKE TO BE ON THE SPACEWALK AND 
IT GIVES THEM WEIGHTLESSNESS AND
IN A WAY THAT NOTHING ELSE CAN 
ON EARTH. WHEN THEY GO UNDER, 
THEY ACTUALLY WEAR RETIRED 
FASHIONS AND THEY COST TENS OF 
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO MAKE. IT 
IS COOL THAT THEY ARE GETTING A 
SECOND LIFE. WHEN THEY GO IN 
THEY STAY FOR SIX HOURS AT A 
TIME. SOMETIMES MORE AND THE 
REASONS FOR THAT, THAT IS HOW 
LONG THEY WILL SPEND ON THE 
SPACEWALK. FOR EVERY HOUR THAT 
THEY SPEND ON THE SPACEWALK THEY
SPEND 7 TO 8 HOURS IN THE POOL 
TRAINING. A LOT OF POOL TIME. 
THEY SAY  IT IS EXHAUSTING TO DO
THIS WORK. SOME SAY IT IS AKIN 
TO RUNNING A MARATHON. I HAVE 
NEVER DONE IT SO I CAN ONLY 
IMAGINE HOW TOUGH IT IS. 
IMPORTANT TRAINING. BACK TO YOU,
LIBBY. 
>> WHITNEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
WE WILL TALK TO YOU ANYWAY DOWN 
IN FLORIDA. LET'S GO TO SUNNY 
WILLIAMS. SUNNY, WE SAW FOOTAGE 
IN TRAINING. IT DOES LOOK 
EXHAUSTING BUT NOT ONLY HAVE YOU
BEEN TO SPACE AND A RUNNER BUT 
YOU EARLY RAN A MARATHON ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. 
>> YES, LIBBY, THAT WAS NOT THE 
BEST PIECE OF HEAD WORK AS YOU 
ARE TRAPPED ON TO A TREADMILL 
RUNNING THE MARATHON FOR A 
NUMBER OF HOURS MY TIME WAS 420 
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. NOT SO 
SMART BUT IT WAS FUN. A LOT OF 
US AND ALL OF US HAVE TO STAY IN
GOOD SHAPE FOR BEING ABLE TO 
ADAPT TO GOING TO SPACE AND 
BEING ABLE TO ADAPT TO COMING 
BACK FROM SPACE. EXERCISING FOR 
THE SPACE STATION, CAN YOU HEAR 
ME STILL? 
>> WE CAN. 
>> OKAY. WE ARE EXERCISING 
EQUIPMENT, A TREADMILL LIKE I 
MENTIONED, A BIKE AND 
WEIGHTLIFTING EQUIPMENT AND ALL 
OF THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
ARE GETTING YOUR MUSCLE MASS 
STAYING INTACT COMING BACK HOME.
WE TAKE THIS PRETTY SERIOUSLY 
AND LIKE WHITNEY SAID THE 
SPACEWALK BOTH UNDER WATER AND 
THE REAL ONE OUT IN SPACE ARE 
PRETTY TAXING BECAUSE OF THE BIG
SUIT THAT WE WEAR. IT IS OVER 
300 POUNDS AND YOU ADD TOOLS AND
EQUIPMENT ON IT AND ADDS ANOTHER
100 POUNDS TO IT. IT IS NOT THAT
YOU FEEL THAT WEIGHT IN SPACE 
BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO 
MANEUVER IT UP THERE. I WAS 
LUCKY, I GOT TO DO THE BOB 
BEHNKEN'S LAST WALK TRAINING IN 
THE MLB WITH HIM AS HE WAS GOING
OVER THE TASK THAT HE MAY HAVE 
TO DO WHEN HE GETS UP THERE. ONE
IS CHANGING OUT BATTERIES THAT 
JUST HAPPENED EARLIER IN THE 
YEAR ON THE OTHER SOLAR ONE. 
THERE IS A LOT TO GO ON GOING TO
SPACE AND THEY ARE READY TO GO. 
>> LET'S CHECK IN WITH THE 
PROCESS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW
AS WE GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO 
LAUNCH. 
>> THE PROPELLANT LOAD HAS 
STARTED. 
>> YOU JUST HEARD 
THAT CALL.
NOW WE ARE DOING THE LOADING OF 
THE PROPELLANT. THE ROCKET GRADE
ZERO KEROSENE AND THE LIQUID 
STAGE LOADING. YOU CAN SEE THAT 
ON THE SCREEN, SO MANY DIFFERENT
PLACES WE ARE WATCHING. YOU CAN 
SEE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AND 
THAT IS WHERE THE ROCKET IS 
GOING TO BE LAUNCHING FROM. WE 
HAVE BEEN WATCHING HAWTHORNE 
COMMAND WHERE SPACEX IS. A 
SYMBOL OF 
THE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS 
HAPPENING BETWEEN SPACEX AND 
HAWTHORNE THAT YOU CAN SEE. 
SUNNY WILLIAMS WE TALKED ABOUT 
THE SPACE SUITS AND HOW INTENSE 
THEY ARE. THEY LOOK SO 
DIFFERENT. LET'S TALK ABOUT 
COMMERCIAL CREW AND HOW YOU ARE 
PART OF THIS CREW THAT IS 
PREPARING TO GO INTO SPACE WITH 
SPACEX AND BOEING. YOUR ASSIGNED
TO BOEING. LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW 
DOES IT WORK TO HAVE YOU BE PART
OF THE BOEING GROUP AND HAVE THE
TWO ASTRONAUTS HERE TODAY TO BE 
PART OF THE SPACEX GROUP? 
>> YES. ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO THE
FOUR OF US WERE SELECTED BOB 
AND DOUG AND MYSELF AND ERIC 
BOE. WE HAVE FLOWN TO SPACE AND 
WE WERE TOLD TO GO TO BOEING AND
SPACEX AND CHECK OUT THE DESIGN 
AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY WAY WE 
CAN ADD ANY OF OUR EXPERIENCE TO
HELP WITH THE PROCESS. IT WAS 
REALLY AN 
AMAZING TIME FRAME. WE DID THAT 
UNTIL ABOUT 2018 GOING TO BOTH 
COMPANIES. YOU CAN SEE HOW BOTH 
COMPANIES WERE GETTING 
EVERYTHING GOING FROM THE 
SPACECRAFT TO THE SUIT AND SEAT 
AND TO THE GLOVES. ALL OF THAT 
PROCESS. AND IN 2018 WE MADE A 
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AND WE DECIDED 
HEY, IT IS TIME TO FOCUS ON ONE 
SPACECRAFT AND GETTING CONFUSING
ACTUALLY, A LOT OF INFORMATION 
THAT WAS GROWING AT THAT TIME. 
IT WAS NICE TO FOCUS ON ONE 
SPACE CRAFT. MYSELF AND ERIC 
WENT TO THE BOEING SIDE AND WE 
ARE JOINED BY CHRIS FERGUSON 
FROM THE BOEING COMPANY. DOUG 
GOING OVER TO SPACEX AND THEY 
ARE JOINED BY SOME OF THE NEWER 
ASTRONAUTS WHO WILL BE FLYING ON
THE SECOND MISSION OF THIS 
DRAGON CAPSULE. YOU KNOW, IN 
PART OF THAT WAS SUITS. BOTH 
COMPANIES HAVE THEIR OWN SUITS 
AND SO WE WERE THERE, TEST 
DUMMIES TO PUT THE SUITS ON AND 
TRY THEM OUT AND GIVE THEM 
FEEDBACK AND WORK WITH THEM TO 
SEE IF THEY WILL DO WHAT THEY 
NEED TO DO FOR PRESSURIZED GOOD 
SUITS. WE SAW THE DRAGON SUIT 
AND THE BOEING SUIT IS THE BLUE 
SEAT THAT IS DIFFERENT, MADE BY 
A DIFFERENT COMPANY, DAVID CLARK
THAT IS A CONTRACTOR TO BOEING 
VERSUS SPACEX THAT HAD THEIR OWN
SUIT DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND MADE 
THEIR OWN SUIT. SO JUST A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT IN DESIGN. THEY 
BOTH TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW 
MATERIALS MAKING THEM LIGHTER 
AND MORE MOBILE FOR WORKING 
INSIDE THE COCKPIT AND THEY ARE 
NICE SUITS AND THEY WILL BE -- 
THEY ARE AWESOME AS YOU CAN SEE 
THE GUYS WALKING OUT TO THE 
LAUNCH PAD. THE BOEING SUIT HAS 
ESSENTIALLY SNEAKERS ON THE 
BOTTOM SO THEY ARE LIGHTWEIGHT 
AND THE ZIPPER THAT IS THEIR 
FEATURE TO CLOSE THE HELM VERSUS
BRINGING THE HELM DOWN LIKE A 
MOTORCYCLE IT HELMET THAT THE 
LOOK THAT BOB AND DOUG HAVE NOW.
>> 30 MINUTES AWAY FROM LAUNCH 
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING AS 
PLANNED. ELLEN, VISITORS TO THE 
SPACE MUSEUM LOOK AT THIS 
EQUIPMENT THAT LOOKS SO 
FUTURISTIC AND LOOKS OLD SCHOOL 
WITH KNOBS AND BUTTONS AND 
GADGETS AND WE ARE SEEING THE 
NEW ERA OF SLEEK PANELS AND THAT
HIGH TECH DESIGN. HOW DIFFERENT 
IS THIS IN TERMS OF THE USER 
INTERFACE OF THE ASTRONAUT'S 
EXPERIENCE? 
>> IN SOME WAYS YOU HAVE TO KNOW
THAT THE SPACES GO FROM SUPER 
SOPHISTICATED SPACE SUITS LIKE 
THE ONE THAT THE ASTRONAUTS WEAR
OUTSIDE OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION OR ON THE SURFACE 
OF THE MOON LIKE THEY ARE A 
SPACE CRAFT THAT HAVE TO KEEP 
YOU ALIVE TO THE MORE PROTECTIVE
SUITS THAT ASTRONAUTS WEAR FOR 
ASCENT AND DESCENT AND A LOT OF 
PROTECTION FOR THEM. ONE OF THE 
THINGS THAT I LOVE AT THE AARON 
SPACE MUSEUM WHEN I GO TO THE 
SPECIAL STORAGE FACILITY THAT WE
HARDLY LET ANYONE INTO BECAUSE 
THE CONDITIONS HAVE TO BE SO 
CAREFULLY CONTROLLED WITH 
HUMIDITY WHERE WE HAVE THE NASA 
SPACE SUITS GOING BACK FROM THE 
MERCURY TO THE GEMINI PROGRAM 
AND APOLLO TO THE SHUTTLE ERA. 
TO SEE THE DEVELOPMENT AND 
TECHNOLOGY GOT MORE 
SOPHISTICATED AS WE UNDERSTOOD 
MORE ABOUT HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE 
HEALTHY AND ALIVE IN SPACE, IT 
WAS FUN TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW 
THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER
TIME. AND OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE 
THINGS THAT CERTAINLY CAME UP IN
THIS PAST YEAR THAT I'M HOPING 
WE CAN PAY CONTINUAL ATTENTION 
TO, TO DESIGN SPACE SUITS FOR 
ALL PEOPLE SINCE WE DON'T HAVE 
SMALL SUITS SPECIFICALLY 
DESIGNED FOR WOMEN. 
>> OF COURSE LOOKING AT THE 
FUTURE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN 
THE AMERICAN 
SPACE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, 
ELLEN, YOU KNOW, ARTEMIS IS WHAT
IS ON DECK AND IN GREEK 
MYTHOLOGY THE TWIN CITY OF 
APOLLO. WE GET THAT NAME AND THE
NAME OF A WOMAN GODDESS. THERE 
IS THIS IDEA OF HOW DO WE SEE A 
WOMAN WALK ON THE MOON SOME DAY?
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF SPACE 
TRAVEL AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK 
LIKE? 
>> WELL I THINK WITH ALL OF 
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEER AND 
MATH, WE WILL NOT DO THE BEST 
JOB AND HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE 
UNLESS WE INCLUDE EVERYONE IN 
THE POPULATION AND THAT MEANS 
ALL WOMEN. IT MEANS MEN OF 
COLOR. SO WE REALLY HAVE TO 
THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE OUR 
SPACE ASTRONAUT POPULATION LOOK 
A LOT MORE LIKE OUR POPULATION 
AND I THINK THAT HAS BEEN VERY 
MUCH IN NASA'S PHILOSOPHY OF 
GOING BACK TO THE MOON. 
THEY WANT TO PLACE AN EMPHASIS 
ON IT'S TIME TO PLAY WOMEN ARE 
PLAYING AN EQUAL ROLE IN 
EXPLORATION. AS WE HAVE SEEN 
ASTRONAUTS LIKE SUNNY DOING 
EXCELLENT AMAZING WORK LIKE 
PEGGY WHITSON ON THE SPACE 
STATION. WOMEN ARE WORKING RIGHT
ALONG SIDE THE MEN, DOING THE 
SAME JOB AND THEY NEED THE SAME 
OPPORTUNITIES. 
>> AND SOMETIMES RUNNING 
MARATHONS WHILE IN SPACE BECAUSE
YOU KNOW, NO BIG DEAL. NO BIG 
DEAL, SUNNY WILLIAMS. WE ARE 
LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW CREW DRAGON
AND IT IS ON THAT FALCON 9 
ROCKET. IT WILL LAUNCH FROM 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. SOMEPLACE 
THAT WE HAVE HEARD AND KNOW SO 
MUCH ABOUT. IT IS LOCATED ABOUT 
ON CAPE CANAVERAL IN CENTRAL 
FLORIDA AND THAT AREA IS 
NICKNAMED THE SPACE COAST 
BECAUSE OF NASA'S PRESENCE. OUR 
COLLEAGUE, WHITNEY SHEETSKY HAS 
REPORTED ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT 
OF HUGE SPACE FLIGHT LEADING THE
AREA IN 2011. WHITNEY, WHAT DID 
YOU LEARN ABOUT IT'S THE IMPACT?
>> YEAH, LIBBY, THERE IS NOTHING
LIKE THE SPACE SHUTTLE. I HAVE 
NEVER REPORTED 
ANYTHING ELSE 
LIKE IT. IT IS ICONIC. ASTRONAUT
HIGH SCHOOL AND BARS AND T-SHIRT
SHOPS HERE. THE CULTURE AND THE 
ECONOMY IS JUST SO INFLUENCED BY
THE SPACE INDUSTRY HERE. AND YOU
KNOW WHILE WE SPENT TIME AT A 
BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLACES, WE 
LEARNED THAT OVER TIME THINGS 
HAVE REALLY CHANGED. SO THE 
ECONOMY DID TAKE A BIT OF A 
NOSE-DIVE, RIGHT BEFORE SPACE 
SHUTTLE. WE HAVE THE GREAT 
RECESSION AND WE TALKED TO 
ROBERT CABANA THAT IS THE 
DIRECTOR OF KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
AND HE TOLD US THAT THEIR WORK 
FORCE WENT FROM 15,000 TO 7500 
AT THE END OF THE SHUTTLE 
PROGRAM. AS COMMERCIAL COMPANIES
HAVE COME IN. SPACEX, ALL OF 
THESE OTHER COMPANIES HAVE COME 
TO THIS AREA, WE HAVE SEEN THAT 
PICK BACK UP ACTUALLY. AND 
ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PLACES THAT 
WE TALKED TO A BREWING COMPANY 
THAT MAKES MIDNIGHT LAUNCH BEER 
AND STARLINER LOGGER AND A BUNCH
OF OTHER SPACE THEMED BEERS AND 
THEY OPENED UP IN 2014, AFTER 
THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM ENDED IN 
2011 AND THEY HAVE DONE QUITE 
WELL AND OPENED A SECOND 
LOCATION SINCE THEN. THEY HAVE 
DONE WELL LAUNCH DAYS ACTUALLY. 
THE LAST FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH 
DREW 250,000 PEOPLE TO THE AREA.
THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HOW 
MANY PEOPLE WILL COME OUT FOR 
THOSE AND AS WE SEE MORE MAN 
LAUNCHES HAPPEN. THE EXPECTATION
IS THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE 
WILL COME BACK AND REINVIGORATE 
THIS ECONOMY MORE. INTERESTING 
TO SEE. 
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH WHITNEY. 
SUNNY WILLIAMS WE HAVE BEEN 
WONDERING ABOUT HOW THE PANDEMIC
WOULD IMPACT THINGS AND WE KNOW 
THAT ASTRONAUTS ARE NORMALLY 
QUARANTINED. BUT THERE IS AN 
EXTRA ADDITIONAL QUARANTINING 
HAPPENING HERE FOR DOUG AND BOB.
HOW IS THE PANDEMIC IMPACTING 
YOUR TRAINING AND WHAT ALL OF 
COMMERCIAL CREW IS DOING? 
>> YEAH, VERY INTERESTING 
QUESTION. IT IS A LITTLE BIT 
TOUGH BECAUSE USUALLY LIKE YOU 
SAW THE FOOTAGE FROM WHITNEY'S 
TRAINING, IT IS PRETTY HANDS ON 
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE 
HELPING OUT WITH THE SPACEWALK 
TRAINING AND ROBOTICS TRAINING 
WITH INSTRUCTORS AND TRAINING 
THERE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER 
DURING EGRESS TRAINING AND LOTS 
OF PEOPLE AROUND. WE HAD TO PUT 
THAT ON HOLD, THAT PHYSICAL 
TRAINING. WE HAVE HAD THE 
OPPORTUNITY RATHER TO SIT BACK 
AND LOOK AT ALL OF OUR 
PROCEDURES. ALL OF THE WAY -- 
ALL OF THE PLACES WHERE WE WILL 
GET INVOLVED WITH SOFTWARE AND 
WE STILL HAVE MEETINGS OF 
COURSE. WE ARE HAVING VIRTUAL 
MEETINGS, NOT OM JUST VIRTUAL 
MEETINGS, THAT'S HOW IT STARTED 
BUT WE ARE HAVING VIRTUAL 
STIMULATIONS THAT ARE COOL WHERE
THERE IS A CAMERA ON THE 
SOFTWARE AND WE ARE ALL TOGETHER
AND WE CAN GO THROUGH A WHOLE 
PROCEDURE LAUNCH AND DOCKING AND
UNDOCKING LANDING AND WE CAN SEE
THE COMMENTS AND HOW THE 
PROCEDURES ARE WRITTEN AND HOW 
WE WOULD INTERACT AND SEE HOW 
ALL OF THAT WORKS. A SELECT FEW 
PERIODICALLY GO IN LIKE BOB AND 
I DID A SPACE WALK TRAINING. A 
COUPLE OF US AND THE MINIMAL 
AMOUNTS OF PEOPLE NEEDED TO BE 
THERE TO SUPPORT THAT, EVERYBODY
HAD MASKS ON. EVERYBODY HAS TO 
GO THROUGH A PROCESS  TO GET TO 
THAT POINT BUT I FELL SAFE IN 
THAT SPACE ROOM WHEN THE HELMET 
WAS ON AND NOTHING AROUND YOU 
EXCEPT FOR THE WATER. ALL JOKING
ASIDE WE DO THE SAME THING WITH 
THE SIMULATORS IN THE SECOND 
SPACEX CREW THE CREW IS GOING 
OUT TO HAWTHORNE AND PROTECTED 
IN THEIR TRAINING AS WELL. 
SO BOTH STARLINER CREWS AND 
SPACEX CREWS AND ASTRONAUTS THAT
ARE FLYING ON THE SOARS. WE 
HAVE SET OUT THE MINIMUM AMOUNT 
OF PEOPLE TO GET THROUGH THE 
TRAINING. IT HAS IMPACTED US AND
GIVEN US TIME TO LIKE I SAID SIT
BACK AND DO THE HOMEWORK THAT WE
SHOULD HAVE DONE AWHILE AGO AND 
MAKE SURE THE TS ARE CROSSED AND
THE IS ARE DOTTED. IT IS THAT 
TIME TO GET YOUR HANDS ON AND 
GET THE STARLINER LAUNCHED AS 
WELL. 
>> SONY WILLIAMS THANKS SO MUCH.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ELLEN 
SOFEN THE DIRECTOR OF THE SPACE 
MUSEUM. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
COMING UP, THE FINAL COUNT DOWN 
TO THIS HISTORIC SPACEX LAUNCH, 
THE FIRST TIME A COMMERCIAL 
COMPANY HAS PARTNERED WITH NASA 
TO SEND ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE. 
STAY WITH US. 
LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE 
WASHINGTON POST OF THE SPACEX 
LAUNCH. THE SECOND ATTEMPT AFTER
WEATHER SCRUBBED THE LAUNCH ON 
WEDNESDAY AND THE FIRST TIME A 
COMPANY IS PARTNERING WITH NASA 
TO SEND ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE. 
THE FALCON 9 WITH DOUG HURLY AND
BOB BEHNKEN WILL LIFT OFF AT 
3:22 IF ALL THINGS GO ACCORDING 
TO PLAN. YOU CAN 
SEE THE CREW RIGHT THERE. I'M 
LIBBY CASEY AND JOINED BOY JOEL 
OKENBOK AND FRANK CULBERSON, 
FORMER ASTRONAUT. WELCOME AND 
ANY TO SEE YOU. I UNDERSTAND YOU
ARE POURING OVER THE WEATHER 
RADAR AND LOOKING AT EVERYTHING.
YOU HAVE HAD LAUNCHES SCRUBBED 
BEFORE AND GO UP IN TO SPACE. 
WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING IN TERMS 
OF THE WEATHER? 
>> WATCHING THE RADAR AROUND THE
CAPE AREA TO SEE HOW THE STORMS 
ARE DEVELOPING, LIKE WE ALWAYS 
DO FOR LAUNCHES AND THERE ARE 
SOME STORMS AROUND, SOME SHOWERS
ANY WAY AND A LOT OF THIS WILL 
DEPEND ON WHETHER THE LIGHTNING 
POTENTIAL IS BELOW THE 
THRESHOLD. SO WE WILL WATCH IT 
VERY CLOSELY AND KEEP OUR 
FINGERS CROSSED THAT, YES, WE 
HAVE HAD A FEW SCRUBS, I 
SCRUBBED FOUR TIMES ON MY SECOND
ATTEMPT AND TWICE ON THE THIRD 
ATTEMPT. YOU JUST KEEP GOING 
BECAUSE YOU KNOW PRETTY SOON YOU
WILL HAVE A VERY EXCITING TIME 
AND DELAY THAT SUCCESS UNTIL 
EVERYTHING IS RUNNING. 
>> FRANK, I LOVE WHAT YOU SAID 
ON WEDNESDAY. WHEN WE HAD A 
SCRUB AND NOW WE ARE BACK HERE, 
YOU SAID THIS DOESN'T STOP 
EVERYTHING. IT JUST DELAYS THE 
SUCCESS THAT YOU JUST ECHOED  TO
US NOW. AND WHEN YOU REFLECT ON 
THE MISSION EVERYONE REMEMBERS 
THE MISSION BUT WE DON'T 
REMEMBER IF IT HAPPENED ON MAY 
27th OR 30th AND IN TERMS OF THE
HISTORY BOOKS. A COUPLE OF DAYS 
MEANS LESS THAN IT DOES TO US IN
THIS MOMENT WAITING WITH 
ANTICIPATION. WHEN A LAUNCH IS 
SCRUBBED, FRANK, HOW DO YOU RIDE
THAT WAVE AS AN ASTRONAUT? 
>> THERE IS ALWAYS OF 
DISAPPOINTMENT BUT YOU ARE SO 
BUSY DOING THINGS ON THE 
CHECKLIST AND GET OUT OF THE 
SPACE SHIP IN A SAFE MANNER THAT
PROTECTS YOU AND YOUR CREW AND 
HARDWARE. YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO
THINK BIT. IT IS PART OF THE 
TRAINING AND GO THROUGH THE 
SIMULATIONS TO MAKE SURE YOU DO 
THE CONTINGENCY PROCEDURES AS 
WELL AS THE NORMAL ONES. IT IS 
LATER WHEN YOU GET BACK IN CREW 
QUARTERS AND YOU THINK I THOUGHT
WE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
LET'S GO HAVE SOME PIZZA OR 
SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK ABOUT 
IT. BUT IT IS A PART OF WHAT WE 
DO. IT IS A PART OF TECHNOLOGY. 
CERTAINLY PART OF AVIATION AND 
WE HAVE SEEN OVER AND OVER PART 
OF SPACE FLIGHT. THE CREWS ARE 
MENTALLY PREPARED FOR IT AND 
THEY JUST MOVE ON. AND GET READY
FOR THE NEXT ATTEMPT AND IN FACT
USUALLY THE FIRST THING YOU DO 
IS GO SEE WHAT TOMORROW'S 
WEATHER IS. WHETHER YOU NEED TO 
STAY UP AND WATCH A MOVIE OR GO 
FLY. 
>> I WOULD 
LIKE TO WELCOME, PAM MEL ROY. A 
FORMER ASTRONAUT. 
>> GREAT TO BE HERE LIBBY, THANK
YOU AND GREAT TO SEE FRANK AND 
SUNNY TOO. JUST LIKE FRANK I AM 
OBSESSIVELY WATCHING THE WEATHER
RADAR. YOU KNOW IT IS DIFFICULT 
TO TELL. THERE IS A LOT OF 
EXCELLENT CENSORS AROUND THE PAD
THAT WILL LOOK AT LIGHTNING 
POTENTIAL AND THEN OF COURSE 
LOOKING DOWN RANGE WEATHER AS 
WELL AND WEATHER IN MANY SITES 
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE 
VERY MUCH ON ALL OF OUR MINDS. 
TO ME, WHAT IS REALLY 
INTERESTING IS THAT LAST 
WEDNESDAY AND TODAY, THE VEHICLE
SO FAR, AGAIN, KNOCK ON WOOD. 
SEEMS TO BE COOPERATING AND THAT
IS INCREDIBLE. IT IS -- THE 
SPACE SHUTTLE, WE HAD GLITCHES 
AND HICCUPS AND THINGS THAT 
HAPPENED CLOSE TO LAUNCH AS 
WELL. THAT'S REMARKABLE 
TESTAMENT TO THE PEOPLE WORKING 
SO HARD AT NASA AND SPACEX TO 
GET THAT VEHICLE IN GOOD SHAPE 
TO GO. 
>> SUNNY WILLIAMS ABOUT TO CLICK
THROUGH THE COUNTER HERE. THE 
COUNTDOWN CLOCK SAYS IT IS A 
LITTLE UNDER 17 MINUTES OUT. 
ABOUT TO GET FURTHER THAN 
WEDNESDAY. THE MISSION GOT 
SCRUBBED 16 MINUTES FROM LAUNCH.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WATCH THE 
CLOCK AND KNOWING THAT THE 
PROPELLANT IS BEING LOADED AND 
THE PROCESS IS HAPPENING? WHAT 
GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND? 
>> YEAH, SORT OF LIKE FRANK 
SAID, YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT ALL
OF THE TASK THAT YOU HAVE TO DO 
FROM THAT MOMENT. IT IS LIVING 
IN THE MOMENT BUT I'M SURE, YOU 
KNOW, EARLIER THEY WERE THINKING
THAT WOW WE WILL GO TO SPACE FOR
A WHILE AND MISS MY FAMILY BUT 
AT THIS MOMENT, I THINK WHAT I 
WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT WERE THE
TASKS THAT I HAVE TO DO TO DO 
EVERYTHING CRIMINAL GOING TO 
SPACE. 
YOU ARE FOCUSED ON THOSE 
PROCEDURES THAT, YOU KNOW, 
PROFESSIONALISM TO TAKE TO YOU 
THE NEXT STEP. I THINK THEY WILL
TAKE A BREATH WHEN THEY GET 
ENGINE CUT OFF LIKE PAM 
MENTIONED WHEN WE WERE TALKING 
ON WEDNESDAY. THAT IS THE FIRST 
TIME TO TAKE A BREATH. THIS 
MOMENT UP 
UNTIL THEY GET TO ORBIT, I THINK
THEY WILL BE FOCUSING ON WHAT 
THEY NEED TO DO AND THE ROCKET 
IS WORKING CORRECTLY TO GET THEM
TO ORBIT. 
>> STAGE TWO LIQUID OXYGEN HAS 
STARTED SO THE PROCESS 
IS STILL HAPPENING. THE 
PROPELLANT IS BEING LOADED. JOEL
OKENBOK WE ARE LOOKING AT 39 A. 
IT HAS A STORIED HISTORY FOR 
NASA AND SYMBOLIC AND ALSO 
MEANINGFUL WHERE SPACEX IS 
LAUNCHING FROM TODAY. 
>> THAT IS THE ICONIC LAUNCH 
PAD. THE SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH 
FAMOUSLY APOLLO 11 AND THE 
APOLLO MISSIONS THAT WENT TO THE
MOON LAUNCHED FROM 39A. WHEN 
SPACEX STARTED TO LEASE IT, THEY
WENT IN THERE AND THEY CLEARED 
OUT ALL OF THE OLD HARDWARE AND 
ESSENTIALLY CREATED A WHOLE NEW 
PAD AT 39A. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
IT IS HAPPENING THERE AND THEN 
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT IS 
HAPPENING ON THE KENNEDY SPACE 
CENTER. THE CAPE HAS TWO SIDES. 
IT HAS THE AIR FORCE SIDE AND 
THE NASA SIDE. IT IS RIGHT THERE
JUST, YOU KNOW, 
TWO-AND-A-HALF, THREE MILES FROM
THE BIG VEHICLE ASSEMBLY 
BUILDING AND THE LAUNCH CONTROL 
AND THE PRESS CONTROL AND WHAT 
ELON MUSK STARTED AND I WAS GLAD
TO HEAR THE SHOUT OUT TO GA AN 
WENT SHOTWELL. MAKING IT 
HAPPENING IN SO MANY WAYS ELON 
MUSK AND SHOTWELL HAVE GOTTEN TO
THIS 
POINT. 
WE ARE 14 MINUTES LAUNCH IF 
ANYONE HAS LOOKED AT THE BACK 
SIDE. I HAD MY DOUBTS. CAN THEY 
PULL THIS OFF? I WASN'T 
CONFIDENT THAT THEY COULD AND SO
THEY HAVE PROVED THE DOUBTERS 
WRONG BY 
GETTING TO THIS POINT. NOW, 
OBVIOUSLY LET'S HAVE A 
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH. NO ANOMALIES 
AND LET IT HAPPEN. THERE IS SO 
MUCH TIME AND EFFORT AND HEART 
AND SOUL THAT WENT INTO THIS. 
PEOPLE AND THEIR LIVES ON THE 
LINE OBVIOUSLY AND A RISKY 
ENDEAVOR. WE DON'T TALK A LOT 
ABOUT THE RISKS TOO MUCH BUT 
THERE IS JUST A WHOLE LONG LIST 
OF THEM AND RIGHT NOW IT IS 
LOOKING GOOD RIGHT NOW. 
>> SUNNY WILLIAMS, WHAT DOES IT 
TAKE TO BE SOMEONE THAT IS 
TESTING OUT THESE CRAFT? 
>> I THINK IT WAS TALKED A 
LITTLE BIT EARLIER. 
BOTH FRANK AND PAM AND MYSELF 
ARE TEST PILOTS. WE HAVE A PAST 
AND EXPERIENCE OF THIS GOING 
THROUGH TEST PILOT SCHOOL AND IT
TEACHES YOU A VERY RIGOROUS 
METHODOLOGY OF TAKING THE 
AIRCRAFT TO THE NEXT STEP. WE DO
THIS IN A PROCESS. NOTHING LIKE 
TRYING SOMETHING TOTALLY BRAND 
NEW RIGHT AWAY. WE DO THIS STEP 
BY STEP AND SPACEX HAS DONE THE 
SAME THING WITH THE CARGO DRAGON
AND STARLINER IS DOING THE SAME 
THING WITH THE ORBITAL FLIGHT 
TEST AND THE CREW TEST FLIGHT. 
AS TEST PILOTS ARE BIGGEST JOB 
IS TO BE PART OF THE SYSTEM AND 
OBSERVE WHERE WE PREDICTED 
THINGS AND WHERE THINGS ARE NOT 
GOING AS PLANNED AND MAKE SURE 
THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE TS 
CROSSED AND THE IS DOTTED TO WE 
KNOW WHAT TO DO SO THE PLAN 
SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK AS PLANNED 
AND WE CAN GET IN THERE AND 
MANEUVER THE SPACECRAFT OR THE 
AIRCRAFT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE 
ARE SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL. THERE 
IS A RISK. THIS IS LIKE THE 
FIRST TIME OF COURSE BUT BOTH OF
THESE PROGRAMS THE SPACE SHUTTLE
AS WELL AND THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM 
AND APOLLO AS WELL THEY TOOK 
THINGS STEP BY STEP TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN TAKE THE RISKS LIKE 
JOEL WAS TALKED ABOUT EDUCATED 
RISKS AND CALCULATED RISKS AS 
MUCH AS PONE.  POSSIBLE AND WE 
ARE IN THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT 
AIRCRAFT IS SUCCESSFUL. 
>> MORE THAN 11 MINUTES OUT 
UNTIL LAUNCH. LET'S GO NOW TO 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AND 
CHRISTIAN DAVENPORT SPACE 
REPORTER AND AUTHOR OF THE 
SPACE. CHRIS, I WOULD LIKE FOR 
TO YOU TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT IT 
MEANS TO SEE THIS TEST FLIGHT. 
WE HAVE SEEN THIS FALCON 9 
ROCKET AND THE CREW DRAGON 
ROCKET GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION BEFORE BUT IT WAS 
TRULY A TEST AND NOW WE ARE 
SEEING A TEST WITH ASTRONAUTS ON
BOARD. 
>> RIGHT, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT 
SPACEX AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM
AND ELON MUSK. THEY HAVE 
ACCOMPLISHED A LOT. THEY DESERVE
IT. LET'S NOT FORGET THEY HAVE 
NOT YET EVER FLOWN HUMAN BEINGS.
THAT IS WHY THIS IS SUCH A HUGE 
DAY AND MISSION. IT IS SORT OF A
BIG KIND OF RISKY GAMBLE FOR 
NASA TO OUTSOURCE THAT 
CAPABILITY TO THE PRIVATE 
SECTOR. AS YOU WERE TALKING 
ABOUT EARLIER EVERYONE THOUGHT 
BOEING WOULD BE FIRST AND WIN 
THE RACE BUT ALONG COMES SPACEX 
AND THEY ARE CHARGING AHEAD TO 
GO FIRST. THAT SAID AND THIS IS 
THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DRAGON 
CAPSULE WITH HUMANS ONBOARD. 
THEY HAVE BEEN FLYING DRAGONS, 
THE CARGO VERSION WITHOUT PEOPLE
SINCE 2012. THEY HAVE A LOT OF 
PRACTICE FLYING TO THE SPACE 
STATION. AND, OF COURSE, THE 
FALCON 9 ROCKET IS A WORK HORSE 
AND FLOWN LIKE 83, 84 TIMES AND 
TWO FAILURES AND THEY HAVE 
INVESTIGATED THOSE AND MOVED ON 
AND FEEL CONFIDENT IN THE 
ROCKET. BUT YOU KNOW FOR SPACEX 
YOU CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE HOW BIG 
AFTER DAY THIS IS. HERE WE ARE 
LESS THAN TEN MINUTES TO GO 
LIBBY AND IT LOOKS LIKE 
EVERYTHING IS A GO. 
>> HOW ARE YOU DOING? 
>> I MEAN YOU KNOW SUNNY CAN 
TELL YOU, HER HEART RATE ON THE 
ROCKET WAS PROBABLY DORMANT IN 
SLEEP BUT MINE IS PICKING UP. I 
FEEL LIKE I'M EXERCISING. MY 
HEART RATE GETS HIGH FOR THESE 
THINGS. THE ASTRONAUTS, I THINK 
I SAW ONE CLIP EARLIER WHERE BOB
OR DOUG THEY LIKE YAWNED. COME 
ON. IT WAS STUNNING. YOU CAN 
FEEL IT HERE. THE FIRING ROOM 
BEHIND ME THE LAUNCH CONTROL 
CENTER AND GEARING UP AND WE ARE
GETTING CLOSE, LIBBY. 
>> THANK YOU CHRISTIAN 
DAVENPORT. NOT THE ONLY ONE 
FEELING A BIT NERVOUS. SPACEX 
PRESIDENT GWEN SHOTWELL TALKED 
AND SAID SHE IS NERVOUS AND HER 
STOMACH IS IN HER THROAT, THAT'S
A QUOTE AND SHE SAID SHE IS 
EXCITED AND PROUD AND SAID GOD 
SPEED BOB AND DOUG. OF COURSE 
THE TWO ASTRONAUTS YOU CAN SEE 
THERE INSIDE CREW DRAGON THAT WE
ARE ABOUT 8-AND-A-HALF MINUTES 
OUT FROM LAUNCH. SO WE ARE 
CONTINUING TO WATCH THIS 
COUNTDOWN AND WE HERE AT THE 
WASHINGTON POST WILL BRING IT TO
YOU LIVE AND UNINTERRUPTED. 
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ARRIVED AT 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. I'M 
GETTING THIS FROM THE POOL 
REPORT. THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS 
GREETED ON THE TARMAC BY THE 
NASA ADMINISTRATOR JIM 
BRINDENSTINE. YOU CAN SEE THE 
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE AND 
GREETED BY THE DIRECTOR OF 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER BOB CABANA 
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP 
CONSPICUOUSLY NOT WEARING A MASK
OR THE VICE PRESIDENT EVEN 
THOUGH IT HAS BEEN ADVISED TO DO
SO. WE DO SEE AT HAWTHORNE 
COMMAND LOOKING AT THESE SHOTS 
OF WHERE ALL OF THE COMMANDS ARE
HAPPENING OF THE CREW AT 
HAWTHORNE COMMAND THEY ARE 
WEARING MASKS. PEOPLE ARE TAKING
THE PANDEMIC AND THE SITUATION 
AND THE HEALTH OF THEIR 
COLLEAGUES SERIOUSLY. OUR 
ASTRONAUTS THAT WE SEE THERE, 
DOUG HURLEY AND BOB BEHNKEN 
MAYBE SORT OF RECLINED THERE IN 
THAT CAPSULE BUT SUNNY WILLIAMS,
WOULD YOUR HEART RATE INDEED BE 
LOW? WE MONITOR THESE THINGS. 
HOW ARE YOU FEELING AT THIS 
MOMENT AND HOW WOULD YOU BE 
FEELING IF YOU WERE AT ONE OF 
THOSE TWO GUYS? 
>> WELL, HONESTLY, LIBBY, I 
THINK I AM MORE NERVOUS SITTING 
HERE WATCHING IT THAN WHEN I 
WATCHED IN SPACE AND PAM TALKED 
ABOUT THE SAME THING 
LIKE I MENTIONED. YOU ARE 
ULTRAFOCUSED ON THIS HERE. THERE
IS A COUPLE OF BUTTERFLIES IN 
YOUR STOMACH AND SORT OF LIKE I 
EQUATE IT TO THAT ROLLER COASTER
RIDE THAT THE ROLLER COASTER IS 
HEADING UP THAT WOOD HILL AND 
YOU GET THAT LITTLE BUTTERFLIES 
IN YOUR STOMACH AND YOU ARE ALSO
LIKE I SAID LASER FOCUSED ON THE
TASK AT HAND AND KNOW THAT. [ 
UNINTELLIGIBLE ] ON A ROCKET AND
YOU ARE READY TO DO WHATEVER YOU
NEED TO DO. A LITTLE NERVOUS OF 
COURSE. EVERYONE GETS NERVOUS. 
PEOPLE WOULD BE LYING IF THEY 
SAID THEY WERE NOT A LITTLE BIT 
NERVOUS BUT ONCE THE ENGINES 
FIRE AND ON ITS WAY. I BET YOU 
THAT NERVOUSNESS, IT DECREASED 
BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING. 
AND YOU GOT TO DO YOUR JOB. 
>> IF YOU ARE HEARING A CALL, 
THAT IS THE NEWS IS THE FALCON 9
HAVE BEGUN THE ENGINE CHILL, 
THAT'S THE STAGE WE ARE AT NOW. 
FIVE MINUTES FROM  LAUNCH. WE 
ARE 
SIX MINUTES 9,000 FROM LAUNCH. 
PAM, 
WHAT STAGE DO THE ASTRONAUTS 
RELAX? WHEN DO YOU GET A CHANCE 
TO LOOK AROUND AND ASSESS WHAT 
IS HAPPENING. 
>> I THINK SUNNY HAD IT RIGHT. 
YOU ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE 
JOB THAT YOU HAVE WHICH IS 
MONITORING EVERYTHING, CHECKING 
THINGS. I ACTUALLY THINK THIS 
CLOSE TO LAUNCH THEY ARE NOT 
YAWNING AND THEY ARE FOCUSED. 
REALLY YOU KNOW THERE IS SOME 
ACTIONS AND THINGS WHEN YOU 
TRANSITION UP UNTIL ORBIT. 
CHECKING AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU 
ARE IN A GOOD ORBIT AND 
EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONING. THE 
GROUND HAS ACCESS TO MORE 
INFORMATION THAN YOU DO. YOU RUN
YOUR CHECKLIST AND LET THEM TELL
YOU IF THEY SEE ANYTHING AND 
THEN YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE 
OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW OR SAID TO 
MY CREW ON MY LAST FLIGHT 
WELCOME BACK TO MAGIC LAND 
BECAUSE EVERYTHING STARTS TO GO.
>> SO AT THE FIVE MINUTE MARK 
AND WE WILL LISTEN FOR A MOMENT.
WE ARE FIVE MINUTES OUT NOW FROM
LAUNCH. YOU CAN SEE THERE AT 
HAWTHORNE COMMAND HEADQUARTERS. 
MISSION CONTROL FOR THIS FLIGHT.
FRANK, WHAT STAGE OF THE JOURNEY
DID YOU FIND YOURSELF ABLE TO 
SORT OF RELAX AND CATCH YOUR 
BREATH AND LOOK AT THE WINDOW 
AND ASSESS WHAT WAS GOING ON AND
SAY I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? 
>> ACTUALLY, I REMEMBER THAT 
MOMENT VERY WELL. WE LAUNCHED ON
THE FIRST ATTEMPT AND I REMEMBER
BEING VERY FOCUSED LIKE PAM AND 
SUNNY WERE TALKING ABOUT. 
EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT BACK INTO 
THE COCKPIT. ALL THE WAY THROUGH
THE VARIOUS STAGES. AS THINGS 
FLOAT YOU REALIZE YES, I AM IN 
SPACE FINALLY AND DOING THE REST
OF THE CHECKLIST YOU DO AND HOPE
YOU DON'T GET SICK AND ALL OF 
THE OTHER THINGS THAT GO WITH 
SPACE FLIGHT. I REMEMBER A FEW 
MINUTES IN AS I WAS EXPERIENCING
THAT PHYSICALLY. I LOOKED AT THE
FRONT WINDOW OF THE SHUTTLE AND 
SAW A BRIGHT LIGHT AND IT WAS 
VENUS. SEEING IT FOR THE FIRST 
TIME AS A LITTLE WHITE DISK 
FOLLOWED BY A BRAND NEW MOON AND
FOLLOWED UP BY AN INCREDIBLE 
SUNRISE. HAD TO STOP THEN AND 
SAY WOW. I AM HERE AND I TURNED 
TO DIC COVEY MY COMMANDER AND 
SAID AMAZING. AND HE SAID WILL 
YOU SEE ONE EVERY 45 MINUTES SO 
GET USED TO IT. 
>> JOEL OKENBOK LESS THAN FOUR 
MINUTES TO LAUNCH, WHAT IS ON 
YOUR MIND. 
>> LOOKING AT THE CLOCK, 3 
MINUTES AND TEN SECONDS. 
NERVOUS. THIS IS A NERVE 
WRACKING MOMENT. THE ASTRONAUTS 
HAVE NERVES AND TRAINED FOR THIS
HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS AND SO 
MANY PROFESSIONALS THAT HAVE 
FIGURED THIS THING OUT BUT THE 
CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO GO RIGHT 
IS LONG AND THEY ALL HAVE TO GO 
RIGHT. THIS IS HARD. SPACE IS 
HARD. IT TAKES PATIENCE BECAUSE 
WE HAVE WAITED SEVERAL DAYS TO 
GET TO THIS SECOND ATTEMPT. IT 
LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ABOUT 
TWO-AND-A-HALF MINUTES AWAY AND 
SO YOU KNOW, JUST SPEAKING FOR 
MYSELF AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY 
THAT IS WATCHING THIS, THIS IS 
EXCITING AND ALL APPROPRIATELY 
FOCUSED AND A LITTLE BIT 
NERVOUS. 
>> LESS THAN TWO-AND-A-HALF 
MINUTES AWAY FROM LAUNCH. THERE 
IS THAT TRANSITION TO INTERNAL 
POWER AS THE PROCESS CONTINUES. 
WE CAN SEE THERE AT KENNEDY 
SPACE CENTER THE FALCON 9 ROCKET
AND LET'S TAKE A MOMENT AND 
REMEMBER WHAT A MOMENTOUS DAY 
THIS IS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME 
THAT ASTRONAUTS GO TO A PRIVATE 
SPACE STATION AND TEST HOW IT 
WORK AND GO THROUGH THE RIGOROUS
PACES. THIS HAPPENED ONCE BUT 
WITHOUT A CREW. WE HAVE SEEN A 
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH WITHOUT A 
CREW. 
UNDER TWO MINUTES AWAY. 
ASTRONAUTS DOUG HURLY AND BOB 
BEHNKEN ARE ABOUT TO MAKE 
HISTORY. SUNNY WILLIAMS, FINAL 
COMMENTS BEFORE WE WATCH THIS 
AND 
ALL OF ITS FULL GLORY HERE? 
>> LAST COMMENT FROM ME IS GO 
SPACEX, GO NASA. GO DOUG AND 
BOB. 
>>LET WATCH THIS MISSION WITH A 
MINUTE AND 20 SECONDS LEFT 
BEFORE LAUNCH. 
FALCON 9 
IS THE STARTUP. FALCON 9 ON FOR 
LAUNCH. DRAGON SPACEX GO FOR 
LAUNCH. 
>> 30 SECONDS. 
>> 15 SECONDS. 
>> TEN, NINE, EIGHT, 
SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, 
TWO, ONE. LIFT OFF 
FALCON 9, DRAGON. GOD SPEED, BOB
AND DOUG. 
>> AMERICA HAS LAUNCHED. SO 
RISES A NEW ERA 
OF SPACE FLIGHT. NEW GENERATION 
CONTINUING THE DREAM. 
20 SECONDS INTO FLIGHT. 
>> 30 SECONDS INTO THIS HISTORIC
MISSION. FLYING CREW ON BOARD 
DRAGON AND FALCON 9 AND LOOK AT 
THEM GO. 
>> FALCON 9 PHENOMENAL. 
>> THROTTLE DOWN. 
>> THROTTLING DOWN TO GET READY 
FOR THE PERIOD OF 
MAXIMUM DYNAMIC PRESSURE. WE ARE
IN THE THROTTLE. 
ALL SYSTEMS ARE A GO. VEHICLE 
SUPERSONIC WE HAVE EXCEEDED 
MACH ONE ON THE FALCON 9. 
>> THROTTLE UP. 
>> WE ARE THROTTLING PACK UP TO 
FULL 
POWER NEAR MAX Q. 
>> COPY. ONE BRAVO. 
>> THE SECOND BOARD ZONE AND 
WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON THIS 
UNTIL THE FIRST STAGE AS DONE 
ITS JOB. AT THIS POINT DOUG AND 
BOB TWO POINT TIME THE EARTH'S 
GRAVITY. 
1500 MILES PER HOUR. 
>> WE HAVE HEARD THE CALL FOR 
THE MVAC ENGINE. THAT WILL COME 
AT 244 IN TO FLIGHT. RIGHT NOW 
EVERYTHING LOOKING GOOD. NEXT 
MAJOR EVENT COMING UP IS THE 
TRIPLE. WE WILL HAVE MAIN ENGINE
CUTOFF OF THE ENGINES. STAGE 
SEPARATION AND THEN IGNITION OF 
THE SECOND STAGE ENGINE TO 
CONTINUE TO CARRY THE ASTRONAUTS
INTO ORBIT. COMING UP IN ABOUT 
20 SECONDS. 
>> MD1 THROTTLE DOWN. WE HEARD 
WE ARE THROTTLING DOWN THE 
MARYLIN 
ENGINES NGINES ON 
THE FIRST STAGE AND WE HAVE 
MECO. 
>> FALCON 9 CONFIRMED. [ 
APPLAUSE ] 
IGNITION. 
>> WE HAVE STAGE SEPARATION 
CONFIRMED. THE FIRST STAGE 
BEGINNING THE FLIGHT BACK AND 
THE SECOND STAGE BEING POWERED 
BY THAT SINGLE MERLIN HAS 
IGNITED AND NOW CARRYING BOB AND
DOUG INTO ORBIT. SO THEY ARE 
GOING TO CONTINUE ON THE POWER 
OF THIS SECOND STAGE. 
>> IT WILL CUT OFF AT SECO OR 
SECOND ENGINE CUT OFF AT 8 
MINUTES AND 44 SECONDS. FIVE 
MINUTES TO GO ON THIS SECOND 
STAGE. YOU HEARD THE CALL OUT TO
ALFA. NOW IN THE LONGEST ABORT 
ZONE THAT CARRIES THEM FROM 
NORTH CAROLINA UP TO EASTERN 
SEABOARD ALMOST TO CANADA. 
THINGS LOOKING GOOD THOUGH AND 
GETTING GOOD CALL OUTS AND 
NOMINAL PROPULSION ON THAT 
SECOND STAGE. BOB AND DOUG 
CONTINUING 
TO MAKE 
THEIR WAY INTO ORBIT. 
>> DRAGON SPACEX NOMINAL 
TRAJECTORY. 
>> DRAGON SPACEX NOMINAL 
TRAJECTORY. 
>> ALL RIGHT. HEARING NOMINAL 
TRAJECTORY. DRAGON IN THE RIGHT 
DIRECTION CONTINUING TO MAKE THE
FLIGHT IN BERMUDA. ONE OF THE 
OTHER 
GROUND STATIONS 
TO GET TELEMETROMY 
BACK. 
200 MILES DOWN RANGE FROM THE 
KENNEDY 
SPACE CENTER.
NOMINAL TRAJECTORY CONTINUING. 
AND WHILE THEY CONTINUE UPHILL 
WE ARE GETTING A VIEW OF THE 
FIRST STAGE AS WELL. 
>> ON YOUR RIGHT SCREEN YOU CAN 
SEE THAT FIRST SCREEN WITH THE 
ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON THE DRONE 
SHIP OF COURSE. I STILL LOVE YOU
TODAY. AND WE ARE JUST ABOUT A 
MINUTE, A COUPLE MINUTES AWAY 
FROM THE ENTRY WHERE THREE OF 
THE NINE MERLIN ENGINES DO 
IGNITE TO HELP SLOW THE VEHICLE 
DOWN AS IT REENTERS BACK IN THE 
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE AND AFTER 
THAT IS THE LANDING BURN THAT IS
JUST A SINGLE ENGINE BURN. 
>> NOMINAL TRAJECTORY. 
>> AND YOU HEARD -- 
>> NOMINAL TRAJECTORY. 
>> THAT CALL OUT. THEY ARE STILL
ON A NOMINAL TRAJECTORY ON 
DRAGON. STILL ON SECOND STAGE. 
THAT IS THAT MVAC ENGINE ON 
THE LEFT SCREEN. AGAIN ON YOUR 
RIGHT SCREEN IS THAT FIRST STAGE
BOOSTER COMING BACK TOWARDS OUR 
SHIP I STILL LOVE YOU, WE ARE 
ABOUT 
A MINUTE AWAY FROM ENTRY BURN. 
>> THAT SECOND STAGE POWERING 
DRAGON INTO ORBIT. 
IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE TIMER 
IT WILL BURN FROM 8 MINUTES AND 
44 SECONDS. TWO MINUTES FROM NOW
WE WILL HEAR THE CALL OUT SECO. 
A LITTLE OVER THREE MINUTES 
UNTIL 
DRAGON PHYSICALLY SEPARATES 
FROM THE FALCON 9. 
>> DRAGON NOMINAL TRAJECTORY. 
>> CONTINUING TO CHECK IN WITH 
BOB AND DOUG AS THEY ARE ON A 
NOMINAL TRAJECTORY. TEN SECONDS 
AWAY FROM THAT FIRST STAGE 
STARTING THE ENTRY BURN ON THE 
RIGHT SCREEN, WE SHOULD BE ABLE 
TO SEE THAT VIEW LIVE. 
>> STAGE ONE ENTRY BURN STARTED.
AND THERE 
IS THAT ENTRY BURN BEGINNING. 
THIS LASTS ABOUT 36 
SECONDS LONG. 
>> 
STAGE 2FTS IS SAVED. 
>> ENTRY BURN CONTINUES AND A 
MINUTE AWAY FROM SECO. WE WILL 
HAVE A NUMBER OF EVENTS HAPPEN 
IN RAPID SUCCESSION. SECOND 
ENGINE CUT OFF. LOOKING FOR THAT
STABLE ONE LANDING BURN SHORTLY 
AFTER. 
>> ACTUALLY JUST WITHIN A FEW 
SECONDS OF EACH OTHER. SUCH A 
COOL VIEW ON THE LEFT SCREEN 
SEEING BOB AND DOUG ON DRAGON. 
YOU CAN SEE THE 
DISPLAYS THAT 
THEY ARE SEEING THEMSELVES. 
>> WE ARE COMING UP 25 SECONDS 
OR SO AWAY FROM SECOND ENGINE 
CUT OFF OR SECO. 
>> DOUG AND BOB HAS THE HIGHEST 
G FORCE. 
>> COPY SHANNON. 
>> YOU HEARD SHANNON SO THAT 
MEANS THEY ARE IN THE FINAL 
REPORT ZONES. IF THEY WERE TO 
ABORT AT THIS POINT IT WOULD BE 
ABORT TO ORBIT OR LAND OFF OF 
THE 
COAST OF IRELAND.
STANDING BY. 
>> CONFIRMATION. 
>> CONFIRMATION OF S ECO SECOND 
ENGINE CUT OFF. 
>> WE ARE MAKING FOR THE FIRST 
STAGE TO MAKE IT TO THE 
DRONE 
I STILL LOVE YOU. 
>> WHAT YOU ARE SEEING US A LIVE
VIEW OF THE DRONE SHIP WHERE THE
FIRST STAGE IS COMING DOWN. IT 
LOOKS LIKE THAT WE LOST THAT 
LIVE VIEW BUT WE WILL WAIT FOR 
THE CONFIRMATION. 
>> DRAGON 9 SUCCESSFULLY LANDED.
>> YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN 
FALCON 9 HAS LANDED. THE FIRST 
FALCON 9 TO CARRY HUMANS TO 
ORBIT. VERY EXCITING FOR US. AND
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT 
SCREEN, BOB AND DOUG ARE STILL 
MAKING THEIR WAY TO 
THE TARGETED ORBIT. SO EXCITING 
TODAY. 
>> IT DOESN'T STOP. 
>> IT DOES NOT STOP. 
>> WE DID HEAR AGAIN THE CALL 
OUT GOOD ORBITAL INSERTION. THAT
MEANS FALCON 9 AND DRAGON 
EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED 
TO BE. AND RIGHT AT 12 MINUTES 
WHEN DRAGON WILL SEPARATE. IT 
LOOKS LIKE WE SAW 0G INDICATOR 
FLOATING AROUND. BOB AND DOUG 
OWE US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT 
EXACTLY THAT IS THAT THEY 
BROUGHT UP THERE WITH THEM. 
>> BEFORE SEPARATION AND BEFORE 
DRAGON INITIATES SEPARATION FROM
THE SECOND STAGE, THEY DO MAKE 
SURE TO MAKE -- THEY DO ENSURE 
THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT SPINNING
AND IN GOOD CONDITION BEFORE WE 
SEPARATE. 
>> MANEUVERING WITH COL GAS 
PRESSORS IN THE ROCKET BODY 
ITSELF. 
>> EXACTLY. WE DO EXPECT THAT 
SEPARATION TO OCCUR IN A MINUTE 
FROM NOW BUT THEY DO WAIT UNTIL 
THEY HAVE FULL CONFIRMATION THAT
IT IS READY TO SEPARATE. SUCH 
COOL VIEWS. I CAN'T GET OVER THE
VIEW. DOUG AND BOB INSIDE OF 
CREW DRAGON OUT IN SPACE. 
>> YES. ALREADY 200 KILOMETERS 
OVER PLANET EARTH OR A 
LITTLE OF 124 MILES 27,000 
METERS 
PER SECOND. ABOUT 16,000 MILES 
PER HOUR. AGAIN, WE ARE JUST 
STANDING BY THE SEPARATION EVENT
SHOULD BE COMING UP SHORTLY AND 
WE WILL BEGIN COLLECTION ON THE 
DRACO THRUSTERS TO USE TO 
MANEUVER AND POWER DRAG ON ON 
THE FLIGHT TO THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE 
STATION. 
STANDING BY FOR SEPARATION. 
>> SOUNDS LIKE WE HAD A LOSS OF 
SIGNAL WITH ONE OF 
THE GROUND STATIONS WAITING FOR 
CONFIRMATION. 
>> DRAGON SEPARATION CONFIRMED. 
>> DRAGON SEPARATION CONFIRMED. 
>> A GREAT VIEW IN FRONT OF YOU 
OF DRAGON SEPARATING. AND THERE 
IS THAT CALL OUT DRAGON IS NOW 
OFFICIALLY MAKING ITS WAY TO 
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION 
TODAY. 
>> DRAGON SPACE X WITH THAT CALL
WE HAVE A 
FEW WORDS FROM FALCON 19. 
>> STANDING BY. 
>> DRAGON ENGINEER. BOB AND DOUG
ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE TEAM 
THANKS FOR FLYING DRAGON 
9. WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE RIDE.
>> THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO
YOU AND THE TEAM FOR THE FIRST 
HUMAN RIDE FOR FALCON NINE. AND 
IT WAS INCREDIBLE. APPRECIATE 
ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND THANKS 
FOR THE GREAT RIDE TO SPACE. 
>> COPY ALL. 
>> THANK YOU BOB AND YOU GUYS 
AND THE REST OF THE TEAM. THANK 
YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE 
DONE FOR US TODAY PUTTING 
AMERICA BACK INTO ORBIT FROM THE
FLORIDA COAST. 
>> COPY. 
GOOD LUCK. GOD SPEED. 
>> BOB AND DOUG ARE IN. 
>> NOMINAL CHECK OUT. 
>> WHAT A SITE AND WHAT A 
MOMENT. AMERICA HAS A NEW ERA OF
SPACE EXPLORATION. DOUG HURLEY 
AND BOB BEHNKEN ON THEIR WAY TO 
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AND IN 19 HOURS CREW DRAGON 
SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO 
RENDEZVOUS AND DOCK WITH THE 
ISS. THE SPACECRAFT IS DOCKING 
WITH A SPACE STATION ON ITS OWN.
WITH THE CREW ONBOARD AND THE 
SPACE STATION MONITORING CLOSELY
IN CASE THEY NEED TO DO 
ANYTHING. BOB AND DOUG WILL 
JOIN CHRIS 
CASSIDY AND RUSSIAN COSOMANAUTS.
LET'S GO TO SUNNY WILLIAMS. A 
MEMBER OF THE COMMERCIAL CREW 
TEAM. WE COULDN'T SEE YOUR FACE 
BUT WE HEARD YOU WERE JUST 
BEAMING. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR
THIS HAPPENING TODAY, SUNNY? 
>> THIS IS JUST INCREDIBLE. 
JUST AWESOME. LIKE I SAID 
GETTING JUMPED UP. IT IS A LOT 
OF WORK FROM NOT ONLY THESE GUYS
DOUG AND BOB BUT THE TEAMS THAT 
THEY TALKED TO, JASON THAT WAS 
JUST GETTING READY TO RUN THE 
DRAGON AND HIS TEAM. ALL OF THE 
FOLKS ON THE TEAM THAT WE WORK 
WITH. IT IS INCREDIBLE. AND NOT 
TO MENTION ALL OF OUR NASA 
COMMERCIAL CREW AND NASA 
OPERATIONS THAT ARE STANDING BY 
TO GET THESE TWO VEHICLES IN 
SPACE. YOU SAW THE VIEW OF THE 
EARTH. THAT IS WHAT THIS IS 
ABOUT. 
>> SUNNY YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE 
US ALL EMOTIONAL. QUITE A SITE 
TO SEE. PAM, LET'S GO TO YOU. 
PAM MELROY AS SOMEONE THAT TAKEN
THE JOURNEY TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION AND NEVER IN QUITE
A CAPSULE LIKE THIS, WHAT ARE 
YOU THOUGHTS. 
>> IF YOU ARE HOPING I AM LESS 
EMOTIONAL THAN SUNNY, YOU ARE 
WRONG. I'M BALLING TOO. BUT WHAT
I WAS THINKING IS HOW COOL IT IS
GOING TO BE FOR THEM WHEN YOU 
REHEARSE EVERYTHING THAT YOU 
NEED TO DO IN YOUR SPACECRAFT ON
THE GROUND YOU ARE DOING IT IN 
1G AND THERE IS SOMETHING THAT 
HAPPENS IN MICRO GRAVITY. THEY 
WILL TAKE OFF OF THEIR SEATS AND
GET OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND IT 
WILL BE LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER 
SEEN IN THEIR VEHICLE BEFORE. 
WHEN THERE IS NO UP AND DOWN ALL
OF THESE WEIRD ORIENTATIONS THEY
WILL SEE THEIR VEHICLE IN A 
WHOLE NEW LIGHT AND THE FIRST 
ONES TO SEE IT THAT WAY AND 
FRANKLY I'M JEALOUS. I WOULD 
LOVE TO SEE THE INSIDE OF THAT 
VEHICLE IN MICRO GRAVITY AND 
LOOK OUT THE WOULDN'T AGAIN. 
>> FRANK, THE FORCE THAT YOUR 
BODY IS FIGHTING THROUGH AS YOU 
GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND GET
TO THIS STAGE, IT IS JUST 
INCREDIBLE. I MEAN IT IS HARD 
FOR ANY OF US THAT HAVE NOT DONE
THIS TO IMAGINE THE GOOD FORCE 
YOU ARE FIGHTING AGAINST. WHAT 
DOES IT FEEL LIKE, FRANK? 
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF G FORCE 
AND THE MAIN IMAGE CUT OFF THEY 
ALL OF A SUDDEN GO AWAY 
AND YOU REALIZE THAT I'M 
TOUCHING AND NOT THE SEAT BEHIND
ME AND FLOATING. LIKE PAM AND 
SUNNY THIS IS EMOTIONAL AND VERY
PROUD OF THE TEAM AND VERY PROUD
OF AMERICA AND ESPECIALLY PROUD 
OF THE PEOPLE THAT MADE SURE 
THIS HAPPENED SAFE AND OUR CREW 
MEMBERS. IF I WERE TO BE CRYING 
IT WOULD BE BECAUSE I COULDN'T 
GO ALONG WITH THEM. I WOULD LOVE
TO GO BACK WITH THEM ALSO. A 
WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND I DO 
WISH THAT ALL OF A AMERICA WERE 
FOCUSED ON THIS AND THIS KIND OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT AND PEOPLE THAT 
ARE EDUCATED AND TRAINED AND 
GROW UP IN AMERICA CAN DO RATHER
THAN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE
GOING ON NOW. I WISH THERE WERE 
WAYS TO ADVERTISE THIS MORE AND 
I APPRECIATE WHAT THE WASHINGTON
POST IS DOING TO TRY TO MAKE 
THAT HAPPEN. IT IS VERY 
IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND 
WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WHEN WE 
ALL WORK TOGETHER. IT IS TIME 
FOR LEADERSHIP AND TIME FOR 
PAYING ATTENTION TO SUCCESS AND 
THIS IS A SUCCESS SO FAR BUT 
DON'T FORGET THAT THERE ARE 
STILL MILESTONES THAT HAVE TO 
HAPPEN IN ORDER TO GET THE GUYS 
ON BOARD THE STATION. AND 
SOMETIMES PEOPLE THIN ON WAY TOO
FAST ON A RENDEZVOUS. PAY 
ATTENTION TO WAYS UP NEXT. THESE
GUYS ARE EXCITING AND ON THEIR 
WAY. 
>> LET'S GO BACK TO KENNEDY 
SPACE CENTER TO HEAR FROM THE 
SPACE INDUSTRY REPORTER CHRIS 
DAVENPORT THAT IS WATCHING ALL 
OF THIS FROM THE GROUND AT 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. CHRIS, SO 
MUCH BUILDUP TO THIS DAY, NOT 
JUST FOR THE ASTRONAUTS AND THE 
CREWS AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU, WHO 
HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE PROCESS 
UNFOLDING FOR SO 
MANY YEARS. 
WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS? 
>> THAT ROCKET LAUNCH WAS 
IMPRESSIVE. EVERY TIME YOU ARE 
AT ONE I'M SURE THAT FRANK CAN 
TELL YOU, IT NEVER GETS OLD. 
WHERE WE ARE IT TOOK SEVERAL 
SECONDS FOR THE SOUND TO HIT US 
AND IT ROLLED THROUGH LIKE A 
WAVE OF THUNDER. YOU COULD FEEL 
IT IN YOUR CHEST. IT WAS 
AWESOME. IT WAS IMPRESSIVE. IT 
HAS BEEN SUCH A LONG DAY TO GET 
HERE. I WAS THINKING WHEN I 
INTERVIEWED ELON MUSK. HE 
STARTED THE COMPANY IN 2002 AND 
GAVE HIMSELF A 10% CHANCE THAT 
THE COLOR IS SUCCESSFUL AND IT 
WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. RUN OUT OF 
MONEY AND THREE FAILED LAUNCHES 
AND ONE LEFT AND ABLE TO GET TO 
ORBIT AND NASA CAME IN AND 
RESCUED THEM AND WENT AHEAD WITH
THIS CRAZY BET TO GIVE SPACEX 
THE CONTRACT TO FLY HUMANS AND 
IT HAS TAKEN LONGER THAN WE 
THOUGHT. THEY WERE ORIGINALLY 
SUPPOSED TO FLY SPACEX IN 2017. 
A ROUGH ROAD AND WHEN YOU ARE 
BUILDING SPACECRAFT CAPABLE OF 
FLYING HUMANS BUT HERE WE ARE 
AND WEPT. LIKE HALF AN HOUR 
BEFORE WE WENT. A HUGE STORM 
CLOUD THAT CAME THROUGH AND 
EVERYBODY HUDDLED IN THEIR 
CLOUDS AND UNDER THEIR TENTS AND
HERE WE GO. WE WILL SCRUB AGAIN 
AND WENT FORWARD. IT LOOKS LIKE 
THE 
LAUNCH WENT WELL. 19 MORE HOURS 
BEFORE BOB AND DOUG GET TO THE 
SPACE STATION. THEY ARE IN ORBIT
AND DOING PHASING MANEUVERS TO 
RAISE THE ORBIT AND MATCH THAT 
TO THE SPACE STATION AND 
TOMORROW MORNING AT 8:30 IF ALL 
GOES WELL THEY WILL DOCK. IT IS 
VERY CAREFULLY CHOREOGRAPHED 
DANCE AND BOB AND DOUG, TOO, 
BECAUSE THIS IS A DANCE MISSION 
AND  HOW IT IS AUTONOMOUS CRAFT 
THEY WILL TEST OUT THE SYSTEM TO
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING 
ONBOARD WORKS AND SO THEY WILL 
DO THAT ABOUT THE SECOND TIME, I
THINK WHEN THEY ARE WITHIN 150 
METERS OF THE SPACE STATION. SO 
FAR, SO GOOD. OBVIOUSLY A LONG 
WAY TO GO, LIBBY. 
>> CHRIS, WE WILL TALK MORE 
ABOUT JUST WHAT STEPS AND STAGES
HAPPEN NEXT BUT WHAT ARE THE 
ONES THAT YOU WILL BE FOCUSED 
ON? ARE THERE CRUCIAL MOMENTS 
THAT YOU WOULD HAVE NERVES ABOUT
OR EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE IT WILL
GET US YET TO ANOTHER STAGE OF 
SUCCESS ON THIS MISSION? 
>> WELL, I THINK AT THIS POINT, 
DOCKING IS REALLY KEY. YOU KNOW 
THE 
SPACE STATION MOVING AT 17500 
MILES PER HOUR AND THEY HAVE TO 
CATCH 
UP TO THAT AND VERY CAREFULLY 
PARK THAT SPACECRAFT AND THERE 
IS THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD THE 
SPACE STATION NOW INCLUDING 
CHRIS CASSIDY AND FORMER NAVY 
SEAL. GOOD FRIENDS AS IT TURNS 
OUT WITH BOB AND DOUG. HE IS UP 
THERE WITH TWO RUSSIAN 
COSMONAUTS. BUT EAGER TO SEE BOB
AND DOUG. THEY WILL BE UP THERE 
BETWEEN ONE AND FOUR MONTHS. WE 
ARE NOT SURE BECAUSE THE 
SCHEDULE IS NOT SET YET. BUT 
LET'S NOT FORGET. GETTING THERE.
GETTING THEM THERE IS KEY BUT IT
IS NO GOOD TO GET THEM THERE IF 
YOU CAN'T GET THEM HOME AND 
THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND THAT 
WILL BE A BIG MOMENT TOO. THEY 
WILL BE COMING THROUGH THE 
ATMOSPHERE, YOU KNOW, GENERATING
ALL KINDS OF HEAT. THE PARACHUTE
SYSTEMS WILL HAVE TO WORK AND 
THEY WILL SPLASH DOWN IN THE 
OCEAN AND THAT WILL BE THE FIRST
OCEAN LANDING OF ASTRONAUTS 
SINCE 1975. BECAUSE OF COURSE 
THE SHUTTLE LANDED ON LAND. 
STILL, LIBBY, A LOT OF 
MILESTONES TO COME AND SO FAR, 
SO GOOD. 
>> ALL RIGHT. CHRISTIAN 
DAVENPORT LIVE AT KENNEDY SPACE 
CENTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
APPRECIATE IT. 
>> LET'S LOOK AT THE FLIGHT 
PATH. NOW, THIS STARTS WITH 
SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY 
HAPPENED BUT IT WILL TAKE US 
THROUGH SOME OF THE VISUALS AND 
WHAT WE CAN EXPECT WITH HOW 
EXACTLY CREW DRAGON IS GOING TO 
CATCH UP WITH AND CONNECT TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND 
SOME OF THE OTHER STEPS THAT 
CHRIS WAS TAKING US 
THROUGH SO LET'S WATCH THIS. 
>> THAT PAD IS CLEAR. 
>> THE LAUNCH DIRECTOR VERIFIES 
GO FOR LAUNCH. THE ROCKET ENGINE
EMISSION SEQUENCE BEGINS. AND 
FALCON 9 LIFTS OFF FROM THE 
LAUNCH PAD. WITH ITS FIRST STAGE
THE FALCON ROCKET TAKES THE 
DRAGON ROCKET UP TO ORBIT. AFTER
IT BURNS THE ROCKET SEPARATES 
AND RETURNS TO EARTH FOR REUSE. 
DRAGON SECOND STAGE ROCKET 
ENGAGES NEXT BRINGING THE 
CAPSULE UP TO ORBITAL VELOCITY. 
AFTER THE SECOND STAGE BOOSTER 
DRAGON PERFORMS SEVERAL PHASING 
MANEUVERS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION. AN OPEN 
COMMUNICATION WITH THE ISS 
BEGINNING ITS APPROACH 
AUTONOMOUSLY THAT THE ASTRONAUTS
CAN 
TAKE MANUAL CONTROL IF NEEDED. 
AFTER DRAGON'S FINAL APPROACH IT
DOCKS WITH THE SPACE STATION 
PRESSURIZING AND 
ALLOWS THE CREW TO BOARD. WHEN 
THE MISSION IS OVER AND THE CREW
HAS RETURNED TO 
THE CAPSULE DRAGON WILL TAKE 
AUTONOMOUS CONTROL AND RETURN TO
THE SPACE STATION. THE CAST WILL
PERFORM THE SERIES OF PHASING 
MANEUVERS TO LOWER THE ORBIT AND
LINE UP WITH THE LANDING SPOT. 
WITH THE LAST MOVE BEFORE 
RETURNING TO EARTH. DRAGON 
JETTISONS ITS TRUNK TO SAVE 
WEIGHT AND PROPELLANT. THE 
CAPSULE WILL START THE BURN AND 
BEGIN REENTRY. AS DRAGON 
REENTERS EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE WILL
DEPLOY THE 
FIRST PARACHUTE AT 18,000 FEET. 
ITS MAIN PARACHUTES ARE RELEASED
AT  1500 FEET ENOUGH TO TOUCH 
DOWN SAFELY IN THE 
ATLANTIC OFF OF THE COAST OF 
FLORIDA. 
>> AND THAT'S AN ANIMATION OF 
THE FLIGHT PATH. SOME OF WHICH 
WE HAVE SEEN HAPPENED. LET'S GO 
TO JOEL OKENBOK SCIENCE REPORTER
THAT HAS COVERED MANY LAUNCHES. 
BUT NEVER ONE LIKE THIS. LET'S 
GO THROUGH WHAT WE HAVE SEEN 
HAPPEN. THE FALCON NINE ROCKET 
HAS ALREADY LANDED. SO THE FACT 
THAT THIS ROCKET CAN BE REUSED. 
IT IS SUCCESSFULLY LANDED. TELL 
US ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 
THAT. 
>> WELL THEY STUCK THE LANDING 
THAT IS NOT AUTOMATIC ALTHOUGH 
IT 
IS 
ALL AUTONOMOUSLY. THEY HAVE 
PERFECTED THAT. IT IS CRITICAL 
TO 
MAKING SPACE FLIGHT CHEAPER IN 
THE FUTURE AND MAKING IT MORE 
COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO GO INTO 
SPACE AND 
FOR CARGO TO GO TO SPACE AND 
ESSENTIAL TO ELON MUSK'S WHOLE 
MISSION OR THE SPACEX VISION FOR
HUMAN SPACE AND OTHER COMPANIES 
DO THE SAME THING. IT WAS 
VERY EXCITING. I LOVE SEEING 
SUNNY'S TEARS. I WAS GETTING 
THAT WAY TOO BECAUSE THIS IS 
DRAMATIC BOLD DANGEROUS THING 
THAT PEOPLE DO. IT IS NOT 
AUTOMATIC AND ONE OF THE THINGS 
THAT HAS BUGGED ME AS A REPORTER
COVERING NASA AND THE 
ENGINEERING COMMUNITY THAT THERE
IS THIS ALWAYS HEY WE GOT THIS, 
CAN DO. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 
FIGURED OUT THE CONTINGENCIES 
AND TRAINED FOR IT BUT THEYED 
TEND TO SOMETIMES YOU KNOW 
DOWNPLAY JUST THE -- NOT THE 
RISK OF IT BUT THE HEROISM OF IT
TO TRY THESE THINGS. BECAUSE OF 
THAT KIND OF CULTURE OF 
COMPETENCY. SO TO MAKE THIS 
HAPPEN, TO SEE IT HAPPEN AND TO 
SEE IT PULLED OFF SO 
BEAUTIFULLY, IT IS PRETTY 
AMAZING AND AS SOMEONE -- I 
INTERVIEWED ELON MUSK AT A HOTEL
IN ROCKVILLE. HE WAS THIS GUY 
WITH THIS CRAZY IDEA AND I WAS 
DUBIOUS AND SO I'M PRETTY 
IMPRESSED AT 15 YEARS LATER WE 
ARE SEEING WHAT WE ARE SEEING 
TODAY. 
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOEL. WE 
WILL GO BACK AND REWATCH THE 
LAUNCH AND THIS IS SO HIGHLY 
ANTICIPATED AND SO MUCH BUILD UP
TO TODAY. WE FIRST SAW THE SCRUB
ON WEDNESDAY. JUST ABOUT 16 
MINUTES OUT FROM LAUNCH BECAUSE 
OF WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WE 
WONDERED TODAY IF THIS WOULD BE 
A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH DAY AND 
WEATHER REPORTS SHOWED 50/50 
CHANCES AND SPACEX HIT THE 
MARKERS AND TIME CUES AND GET 
EVERYTHING CHECKED OFF OF THE 
LIST, WE WATCHED THAT COUNTDOWN 
CLOCK AND THE LAUNCH HAPPENED. 
SO LET'S WATCH IT AGAIN. 10, 9, 
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 
2, 1, 0. IGNITION. LIFTOFF. THE 
FALCON 9 AND 
CREW DRAGON. GO NASA. GOD SPEED 
BOB AND DOUG. 
>> COPY. ONE ALFA. 
STAGE ONE PROPULSION IS NOMINAL.
WATCHING THAT SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH 
THAT HAPPENED 28 MINUTES AGO. 
SUNNY WILLIAMS. I DON'T THINK I 
WILL GET TIRED OF WATCHING THAT 
OVER AND OVER AGAIN. HOW ABOUT 
YOU? 
>> NO. I WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF
THAT. ROCKETS ARE COOL BUT WHEN 
YOUR FRIENDS ARE ON THEM THAT'S 
COOLER. 
>> IT IS ABOUT 19 HOURS UNTIL 
THE CREW DRAGON CONNECTS WITH 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IF 
ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN. AND 
IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT BOB AND 
DOUG WILL HAVE ABOUT EIGHT HOURS
SLEEP AT SOME POINT AND GET A 
CHANCE TO RELAX. HOW DO 
ASTRONAUTS EVEN MANAGE TO GO TO 
SLEEP AT SUCH A MOMENT LIKE 
THAT? ARE YOU JUST TRAINED AND 
ABLE TO GET YOUR BODY TO REBOOT 
WHEN YOU NEED TO? 
>> WELL, YES AND NO. WE ARE 
TRAINED AND WE KNOW THAT THERE 
IS A LOT AS MR. BRINDENSTINE 
SAID EARLIER THEY NEED TO GET 
REST BECAUSE THERE IS A BIG DAY 
FOR THE RENDEZVOUS AND NEED TO 
BE READY AND SUITED UP AND ALL 
READY FOR THAT AND JUST AGAIN 
LIKE WE'VE MENTIONED TO DO THEIR
TEST POINTS WHERE THEY ARE GOING
TO FLY A LITTLE BIT AND BE READY
TO MONITOR THE VEHICLE FOR A 
SUCCESSFUL DOCKING. SO YEAH, YOU
KNOW WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU ARE 
SUPPOSED TO GO TO SLEEP AND GET 
REST. THAT IS COMPELLING, 
HOWEVER, JUST LIKE I MENTIONED, 
THAT VIEW OFF OF THE WINDOW, 
THEY HAVE WINDOWS ON THE 
SPACECRAFT AND THEY WILL BE 
LOOKING BACK AT THE PLANET AND 
YOU KNOW JUST PINCHING 
THEMSELVES LIKE PAM SAID. IT IS 
MAGIC LAND. THEY ARE THERE FOR 
THE FIRST TIME FLOATING AROUND 
IN THAT SPACECRAFT AND JUST 
PROBABLY CHUCKLING TO THEMSELVES
LIKE LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE AND 
HOW AMAZING THIS IS. SO, YES, IT
IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO GO 
TO BED 
BUT YOU GOT TO BE BIT DISCIPLINE
BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU GOT A BIG 
TASK AND I NEED TO GO TO SLEEP 
AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IN THE 
SPACECRAFT IS SET UP AND READY 
FOR THE BIG EVENT OF THE NEXT 
DAY. SO WE DO. I THINK OUR 
PARENTS TRAINED US RIGHT AND WE 
KNOW WHEN WE HAVE TO GO TO SLEEP
AND WE GO TO SLEEP. 
>> SUNNY, I HAVE COVERED 
ENDURANCE RACES AND ONE OF THE 
SKILLS OF RACERS THEY CAN REST 
THEIR BODIES AND SLEEP WHEN THEY
NEED TO DO THAT. IT IS A SKILL 
THAT 
SOME PEOPLE HAVE. WHEN WE 
WATCHED THE LAUNCH AND THE 
SEPARATION HAPPENING, WHAT WERE 
YOU WATCHING FOR THE ROCKET TO 
BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE? 
>> SO JUST LIKE ALL OF THOSE 
MILESTONES THAT WE SAW IN THE 
VIDEO THAT YOU PLAYED THAT WAS 
GREAT BECAUSE IT SHOWS EVERYBODY
HOW THIS HAPPENS. IT IS NOT JUST
AUTOMATIC BOOM, TURN THE SWITCH 
AND YOU ARE IN SPACE. THE ROCKET
HAS A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND 
ALL OF THOSE ENGINES HAVE TO 
WORK AND WATCHING THEM WORK TO 
THE FULLEST AMOUNT FOR THE FIRST
STAGE AND THE CUT OFF. THAT IS 
THUMBS UP. THAT TAKES AWAY THE 
INITIAL WORRY AND THE SECOND 
STAGE. THE MERLIN ENGINE TO GO 
TO THE SECOND STAGE AND TAKE 
THEM TO A FASTER POINT. AND THEN
WHEN THAT DISCONNECTS, IT IS 
PRETTY DYNAMIC WHEN PIECES 
DISCONNECT. YOU WANT THAT TO 
HAPPEN CORRECTLY SO YOU DON'T 
GET ANY RECONNECT. THAT'S A HUGE
DEAL AND THEN YOU KNOW JUST 
WATCHING THE DRAGON. WE SAW THE 
BOTTOM OF THE DRAGON MOVING AWAY
FROM THE SECOND STAGE. PRETTY 
DARN COOL. AND, OF COURSE, FOR 
SPACEX TO SEE THEIR FIRST STAGE 
COME BACK AND LAND ON THE BARGE,
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING AND 
TRYING TO REUSE SPACE EQUIPMENT 
AND MAKE IT CHEAPER. AS A MATTER
OF FACT FOR THE BOEING 
SPACECRAFT THERE IS ONLY GOING 
TO BE TWO THAT WILL LAUNCH AND 
THOSE WILL BE REUSED AGAIN AND 
AGAIN SO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT 
STEPS ARE HUGE MILESTONES. I 
HAVE TO SAY JUST SEEING DRAGON 
DRIVE AWAY FROM THE SECOND STAGE
KNOWING THAT BOB AND DOUG ARE IN
THERE SAFELY ON THEIR WAY TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND 
WAITING FOR THE NEXT BURN TO GET
THEM INTO A SAFE ORBIT, THOSE 
ARE THE HUGE THINGS THAT WE ARE 
LOOKING OUT FOR AND ALSO OF 
COURSE SEEING THEIR ZERO GRAVITY
INDICATOR. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL 
THEY TALK ABOUT THAT. 
>> SUNNY WILLIAMS. THANK YOU. 
PAM MELROY THE FACT THAT FALCON 
9 CAN BE REUSED. IT MEANS WE CAN
SEE MORE LAUNCHES HAPPEN WITH 
GREATER FREQUENCY AND THE LAG 
TIME. LESS OF FINANCIAL 
INVESTMENT TO BILL A NEW ROCKET 
AND START FROM SCRATCH ALL OVER 
AGAIN. HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THAT 
TO YOU? 
>> WELL, REMEMBER, THAT 
SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THE SPACE 
SHUTTLE WERE REUSABLE AS WELL. 
THE SHUTTLE ITSELF AND THE SOLID
ROCKET BOOSTERS WERE 
REFURBISHED. REUSE ABILITY IS A 
FANTASTIC IDEA. I THINK IT IS 
WHAT SPACEX HAS DONE IS SHIFT 
THE COST AND THE MAINTAINABILITY
AND THE TIME IT TAKES TO 
REFURBISH. THOSE WERE THINGS 
THAT WE LEARNED FROM THE SPACE 
SHUTTLE AND IT IS GREAT TO SEE 
THE NEXT STEP AND I'M GLAD WE 
ARE STILL DOING REUSEABILITY AND
I THINK IT IS GREAT. 
>> WHITNEY SCHEFFEY IS IN PORT 
CANAVERAL FLORIDA. THE CROWDS 
ARE SO MUCH LESS THAN WHAT WE 
WERE ANTICIPATING BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC BUT THERE ARE STILL 
PEOPLE WATCHING. WHAT IS IT LIKE
AND WHAT IS THE REACTION? 
>> YEAH, LIBBY, RIGHT BEFORE THE
LAUNCH, PEOPLE CROWDED ALONG THE
RAILING AT RUSTY'S AND WAITED 
FOR IT TO GO UP AND EVERYBODY 
WAS SO EXCITED. WE HAD PEOPLE OF
ALL AGES AND A SMALL KID HERE 
SEEING THE LAUNCH FOR THE FIRST 
TIME EVER AND HIS PARENTS WERE 
HERE TOO SEEING THE LAUNCH FROM 
THE FIRST TIME EVER. I SPOKE TO 
ONE MAN THAT SAID HE WAS HERE AT
RUSTY'S FOR THE LAST SHUTTLE 
LAUNCH AND WAITING TO SEE HUMANS
GO INTO SPACE AGAIN. I TALKED TO
SOME OTHER WOMEN THAT ARE SUPER 
IMPRESSED BY SPACE X AND ELON 
MUSK. ONE WOMAN SAYS SHE WANTS 
TO BUY A TESLA BECAUSE OF THIS. 
A LOT OF GREAT EXCITEMENT HERE 
AROUND HERE. PEOPLE SAYING THEY 
ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE HUMANS GO 
UP AGAIN. A LOT OF EXUBERANCE. 
>> WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE FOR 
YOU SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN 
COVERING THE TRAINING AND 
SPENDING TIME WITH ASTRONAUTS 
AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY 
PREPARE FOR THESE MOMENTS. YOU 
HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH THE 
COMMERCIAL CREW. BOTH THOSE WITH
SPACEX AND THOSE WITH BOEING. WE
FINALLY GOT HERE. 
WHAT DID YOU THINK? 
>> IT IS SURREAL. I HAVE SEEN 
OTHER LAUNCHES. UNMANNED 
LAUNCHES OF COURSE AND KNOWING 
THAT THESE PEOPLE WHO I HAVE 
SPENT SOME TIME WITH, YOU KNOW, 
IMAGINING THEM ON THE SPACECRAFT
BEING UP THERE. IT IS CRAZY TO 
IMAGINE. IT WOULDN'T AS LOUD AS 
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. NOT AS 
LOUD AS PREVIOUS LAUNCHES BUT 
STILL REALLY AMAZING. AND I'M 
ALSO GLAD THAT IT WAS NOT IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN A LOT 
OF THE LAUNCHES THAT HAVE BEEN. 
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE DAYTIME 
LAUNCH. 
>> WHITNEY SCHEFFEY. THANK YOU 
SO MUCH. 
>> FRANK, WHAT WILL YOU BE 
WATCHING IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS 
AND STAGES AS THE ASTRONAUTS GET
INTO THE SYNCHRONISMITY WITH THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND 
DO WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE AN 
AUTONOMOUS DOCKING ALTHOUGH WE 
KNOW THE ASTRONAUTS CAN TAKE 
CONTROL IF THEY NEED TO. THEY 
WILL BE IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION FOR WE DON'T KNOW 
HOW LONG. 
>> THE STAGING, THE 
SYNCHRONICITY IS WHAT YOU ARE 
TALKING ABOUT. I WILL BE SEEING 
IF THE BURNS WILL BE ON SCHEDULE
AND WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE 
BURNS ARE. IT IS A SLOW DANCE AS
THE SPACECRAFT APPROACHES THE 
STATION OVER THE 18-AND-A-HALF 
HOURS.  BUT THIS IS SOMETHING 
THAT EVERYONE KNOWS HOW TO DO IN
THIS BUSINESS. I THINK ONE OF 
THE THINGS THAT PAM MENTIONED 
AND OTHERS ABOUT THE 
REUSEABILITY. WHEN YOU SEE THE 
LAUNCH VEHICLE COME BACK WHILE 
THE SPACECRAFT IS STILL GOING TO
ORBIT, YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE 
BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS AND 
OPERATIONAL SIDE OF THINGS. IT 
IS IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE 
THE FACT THAT THERE IS A 
BUSINESS SIDE. THIS IS 
COMMERCIAL CREW LAUNCH AND WE 
HAVE HUMANS GOING TO SPACE AND 
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT ALL GOES
REALLY WELL. IT SETS A GREAT 
EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE 
COUNTRY AND 
WHAT WE CAN DO IN TECHNOLOGY AND
STEM AND TO GET TO ENGINEERING, 
MATH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. 
BECAUSE COMPANIES LIKE SPACEX 
AND BOEING HAVE GROWN A LOT MORE
CENTER IN THE PUBLIC INTO 
SPACECRAFT AND THAT'S A GREAT 
THING. WE HAVE BEEN FLYING 
PEOPLE FOR A LONG TIME. OVER 50 
YEARS BUT IT IS KIND OF LOST A 
LITTLE BIT OF ITS SHINE BUT NOW 
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO TUNE IN 
AND I THINK THAT IS EXCITING AND
HOPEFULLY WILL INSPIRE THE NEXT 
GENERATION TO GET INTO FIELDS 
LIKE THIS. AND I HOPE IT WILL 
ALSO HELP US REALIZE THERE ARE 
OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO THAT ARE
VERY IMPORTANT BESIDES WHAT IS 
BEING COVERED IN THE NEWS ALL 
THE TIME. WE WILL GET THROUGH 
THE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE 
PANDEMIC. WE WILL GET THROUGH 
THE DIFFICULTIES IN OUR CITIES 
AND SOCIALLY BUT WE NEED 
SOMETHING TO LOOK TO, TO THE 
STARS TO HEPATITIS PEOPLE LOOK 
UP AND GO DO THE RIGHT 
THINGS. 
>> 
JOEL OKENBOK. SCIENCE IS 
SOMETHING WE ARE SO CONCERNED 
ABOUT. ESPECIALLY WITH THE 
CORONAVIRUS AROUND THE GLOBE. 
THIS IS SOMETHING NOT GUARANTEED
AND HAVE NOT SEEN A LODGE FOR 
NEARLY A DECADE AND THIS PRIVATE
PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP IS UNIQUE. 
SOME THOUGHT LIKE THE NEXT 
LOGICAL STAGE IN SPACECRAFT 
DEVELOPMENT BUT THERE WERE NO 
GUARANTEES TO GET HERE TODAY. 
>> STILL THE WHOLE ENTERPRISE OF
SPACE TRAVEL HAS TAKEN LONGER 
THAN SOME OF US THOUGHT. SOME OF
US, THOSE THAT GREW UP IN THE 
'60s WATCHING THE APOLLO 
MISSIONS. WE FIGURED BY NOW WE 
WOULD BE ZIPPING AROUND THE 
SOLAR SYSTEM. SPACE IT TURNS OUT
IS HARDER THAN WE THOUGHT. THIS 
IS A BIG MILESTONE BECAUSE OF 
THE NATURE OF THE COMMERCIAL 
CONTRACT. AND I THINK IT IS A 
BIG DEAL IN PROPERLY GETTING THE
ATTENTION IT DESERVES. I ALSO 
THINK THAT THE PANDEMIC, THAT IS
WHAT I HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT 
FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS AND IT 
IS GREAT TO SEE THAT EVEN THE 
MIDDLE OF ALL OF THE TURMOIL IN 
THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW AND THE 
TROUBLES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO 
SUCCESSFULLY PULL OFF THIS 
MISSION WHICH IS A BIG DEAL FOR 
NASA AND FOR SPACEX. AND FOR 
SPACE FLIGHT IN GENERAL. 
>> JOEL. NEXT STEPS HERE. SO WE 
HAVE GOT OF COURSE SEE THE 
CONNECTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION AND THEN WE HAVE 
THE MISSION ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION AS WELL AS GETTING
THE CREW BACK SAFELY TO THE 
UNITED STATES. SO THEN WHAT? 
LIKE WHERE DOES SPACEX GO FROM 
HERE. WE JUST SAW YESTERDAY AN 
EXPLOSION OF UNRELATED PROJECT 
TO THIS MISSION. WHAT HAPPENS 
NEXT? 
>> YES. IF YOU ARE RUNNING A 
PRIVATE COMPANY THAT IS ABOUT TO
ATTEMPT TO FIRST LAUNCH AMERICAN
ASTRONAUTS IN NINE YEARS FROM 
AMERICAN SOIL, YOU WOULD NOT 
WANT TO HAVE A BIG EXPLOSION AT 
YOUR TEXAS LAUNCH FACILITY WHICH
IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT STAR 
SHIP HEAVY LIFT VEHICLE THAT 
EXPLODED. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO 
WITH THIS MISSION TODAY. BUT IT 
IS REMINDER OF ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT CAN GO WRONG DEALING WITH 
THERE KIND OF TECHNOLOGY. ELON 
MUSK AND GWEN SHOTWELL AND 
SPACEX HAVE BIGGER PLANS. THE 
NEXT BIG STEP IS RETURNING 
PEOPLE TO THE MOON FOR THE 
ARTEMIS MISSION. THE 
ADMINISTRATION IS SHOOTING FOR 
2024. VERY UNLIKELY THAT TARGET 
WOULD BE MET. I WOULD THINK IT 
WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY. BUT THE 
IDEA TO GO TO AN ASTEROID OR 
THEN TO MARS AND SKIP THE MOON, 
IT LOOKS LIKE ALL THE ENERGY IS 
GOING BACK TO THE MOON BEFORE WE
ATTEMPT A MARS MISSION. I THINK 
MARS, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER FAR 
AWAY AND MOVING ON ITS OWN ORBIT
AND ANY MISSION TAKES 
TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS UNDER MOST 
CALCULATIONS AND SO I WOULD NOT 
EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN ANYTIME 
SOON. THIS IS A STEP FORWARD AND
A BIG DEAL FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. 
>> PAM MELROY WHERE DO WE GO 
FROM HERE AND WHERE DO YOU HOPE 
TO SEE THE SPACE 
PROGRAM GO AFTER THIS? 
>> WELL, SO MANY CHANGES. 
I THINK THIS IS INCREDIBLY 
EXCITING TIME. I LOOKED BACK TO 
WHEN I STARTED AS AN ASTRONAUT. 
IT WAS THE SOARS AND SPACE 
SHUTTLE. WE HAVE 
SPACEX. THE FALCON. WE HAVE 
BOEING'S AND SUB ORBITAL AND A 
CHINESE HUMAN SPACECRAFT AND 
LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE THINKING 
AND 
DESIGNING AND DREAMING. SO I 
THINK WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE 
IS MORE HUMANS GOING TO SPACE 
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IT IS 
ABOUT AND I PROMISE YOU WHEN YOU
SEE THE EARTH FROM SPACE YOU 
WILL REALIZE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO
WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE OUR 
PROBLEMS AND WE ARE DEEPLY 
INTERCONNECTED AROUND THE WORLD.
THE MORE PEOPLE THAT GO TO SPACE
THE BETTER IT WILL BE FOR 
HUMANS. 
>> JOEL OKENBOK ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IS 
ONE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT AND TWO 
RUSSIAN COSONAUTS AND FRIENDS 
WITH DOUG AND BOB 
HEADED UP THERE.
THE RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS. YVONNE 
BOBNER THAT ARE THERE WILL BE 
WELCOMING THE TWO ASTRONAUTS TO 
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION 
AND WHAT IS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE
DO YOU IMAGINE? BECAUSE THIS IS 
A BIG MOMENT. THIS DOES IDEALLY 
IN THE MINDS OF NASA OFFICIALS 
MAKE THE U.S. LESS RELIANT ON 
THE RUSSIAN. 
>> WE DID NOT EXPECT TO SPEND 
NINE YEARS HITCHING RIDE ON 
RUSSIAN ROCKETS. THE GAP OF THE 
SHUTTLE AND HAVING OUR OWN 
LAUNCH CAPABILITY WAS ASSUMED TO
BE JUST A FEW YEARS AND IT 
STRETCHED OUT TO BEING FIVE OR 
SIX YEARS AND NOW NINE YEARS BUT
THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE 
RUSSIAN AND THE AMERICANS IN 
SPACE, ALONG WITH THE EUROPEANS 
AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
IS IMPORTANT THING FOR THE WORLD
RIGHT NOW WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH
NATIONALISM AND DIVISION AND 
COMPETITION AND RUMORS OF COL 
WAR AND SO ON. THE FACT THAT 
COUNTRIES CAN OPERATE IN SPACE 
PEACEFULLY IS ENCOURAGING SIGN 
AND EVEN AT THE WORSE TIMES OF 
RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE
UNITED STATES, NASA AND THE 
RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY WERE ABLE 
TO STILL WORK TOGETHER AND 
COOPERATE AND OUR ASTRONAUTS, 
THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS WOULD GO
TO COSMIC AND GET LAUNCHED ON 
THE ROCKETS AND THAT -- TO DO SO
SAFELY. THAT'S A BIG DEAL AND A 
GOOD SIGN. GO POLITICALLY. 
>> JOEL OKENBOK THANK YOU SO 
MUCH. FRANK, LET'S GO TO FINAL 
THOUGHTS FROM YOU 
HERE BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE. I 
THINK FRANK JUST MIGHT HAVE 
FROZEN. SEE IF WE CAN GO BACK TO
FRANK IN A MOMENT. FRANK, THE 
CONNECTION ISSUE. LET'S SEE IF 
WE GOT YOU. 
>> OKAY. HOW ABOUT NOW? 
>> I THINK YOU ARE GOOD. 
GO AHEAD. 
>> THIS IS A DESTROYING DAY AND 
THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS ARE 
REPORTED THAT THE FACT THAT 
BUSINESSES CAN SUCCEED AT THIS 
AND WORK WITH NASA AND THE REST 
OF THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCOMPLISH 
THESE THINGS IS TREMENDOUS. I 
THINK PAM'S POINT ABOUT 
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION THAT 
WAS A HALLMARK AND IS A HALLMARK
OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE 
STATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE 
NEED TO REALLY CONTINUE TO FOCUS
ON. WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF 
PROBLEMS IN THIS WORLD AND THE 
MORE WE DO TOGETHER THE MORE 
SUCCESSFUL WE ARE GOING TO BE IN
REALIZE THAT WE WILL SAVE AND 
FURTHER GO LITERALLY. I HAD 
GREAT EXPERIENCES WORK IN 
MANAGEMENT AND ON THE STATION 
WITH ALL OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
PARTNERS ON THE SPACE STATION 
AND THEY ARE JUST AS 
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT EXPLORING 
SPACE AS WE ARE. SO I'M LOOKING 
FORWARD TO THIS CONTINUING TO 
EVOLVE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO 
THE COUNTRY PAYING ATTENTION TO 
IT AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO 
THAT NEXT GENERATION THAT IS IN 
SCHOOL RIGHT NOW WHO ARE GOING 
TO BE THE FIRST MARTIANS BECAUSE
THEY ARE COMING. 
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS BEHIND 
YOU. I LIKE TO THINK IT IS 
WALLPAPER. IT IS GREAT. 
>> LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IT IS. 
>> WHAT IS. 
>> IT BUNK BEDS IN THE BASEMENT 
FOR THE GRANDFATHER AND THIS IS 
THE SHEET OFF OF THEM. 
>> I CAN'T IMAGINE HAVING A 
GRAND PARENT THAT IS AN 
ASTRONAUT. COOL. THANK YOU. PAM 
MELROY YOU HAVE GIVEN US SO MANY
LOVELY THOUGHTS. I WANT TO POINT
OUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL 
HAPPEN NEXT IS CREW ONE. AFTER 
THIS TASK CREW ONE WOULD SEND UP
NASA ASTRONAUTS AS WELL AS 
JAPANESE FOR A SIX MONTH STAY 
AND ON THE DOCKET AS WELL. 
>> YES. SO EXCITING AND THAT'S 
WHAT IT IS ABOUT, RIGHT? THIS IS
ABOUT RESUPPLYING THE SPACE 
STATION AND MAKING SURE THAT THE
PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING TO AND 
FROM. IT IS THE FIRST SPACE 
LINER. I MEAN, RIGHT? THIS IS 
COMMERCIAL. SO THE IDEA THAT YOU
CAN RIDE TO THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION. ISN'T THAT 
ASTOUNDING? BUT IT WILL BE 
WONDERFUL FOR THE CREWS, I THINK
TO BE ON THIS BRAND NEW VEHICLE 
AND THEN LOOK FORWARD TO SIX 
MONTHS OF LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW
AND DOING SCIENCE OF COURSE. 
>> THANK YOU. SUNNY WILLIAMS, 
FINAL THOUGHTS. ARE YOU GOING TO
BE ABLE TO SLEEP TONIGHT? 
>> I DON'T EVEN KNOW. THIS IS A 
PRETTY COOL DAY. WE ARE RIDING 
HIGH ON ALL OF THIS. IT IS 
AMAZING. ALL OF THE OTHER FOLKS 
ON THE PANEL, THEY SAID WHAT I 
WAS THINKING ABOUT THE 
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP. I 
MEAN I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO 
FLY ON A RUSSIAN SOAR AND IT 
THAT IS TRUST AND WORK WITH THE 
JAPANESE ASTRONAUT THAT I FLEW 
WITH, A BACKUP ASTRONAUT AND A 
CANADIAN ASTRONAUT. THIS WHOLE 
PARTNERSHIP INTERNATIONAL 
PARTNERSHIP BRINGS US LIKE FRANK
SAYS CLOSER TOGETHER WITH THAT 
TRUST THAT YOU NEED TO INVEST BY
PUTTING YOUR ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD
THE ROCKETS. I THINK WE ARE TAKE
THAT NEXT STEP AND I AM LOOKING 
FORWARD TO OUR FLIGHT BECAUSE I 
THINK AT THAT TIME WE WILL ALSO 
BE HAVING INTERNATIONAL 
ASTRONAUTS, COSMONAUTS JOIN US 
HOPING THERE WILL BE A RUSSIAN 
COSMONAU T AND SHOW OFF OUR 
SPACECRAFT. 
>> A REMINDER THAT SUNNY WILL 
EVENTUALLY BE ON THE STARLINER. 
SUNNY, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR 
TRAINING? IS IT JUST BUSINESS AS
USUAL COME MONDAY MORNING? 
>> YES. IT IS BUSINESS AS USUAL.
WE NEED TO GET OUR SPACECRAFT 
READY TO GO. WE HAVE ALONG TO DO
LIST. PARTICULARLY THE MANUAL 
FLYING AND RENDEZVOUS AND MANUAL
ENTRY BACK TO EARTH THAT WE WANT
TO PERFECT AND THEN JUST MAKING 
SURE THAT WE ARE ALL SQUARED 
AWAY FOR OUR FLIGHT SO IT IS 
BUSINESS AS USUAL AND WE HAVE A 
LOT ON OUR DOCKET. 
>> SUNNY WILLIAMS. THANK YOU SO 
MUCH AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK 
OUR GUESSES. SUNNY WILLIAMS AND 
FRANK CULBERSON AND PAM MELROY 
AND JOEL OKENBOK. EARLIER WE 
TALKED TO ELLEN SCOTT KELLYFEN 
AND SCOTT KELLY. THANKS TO THEM.
AMERICA HAS MADE SPACE HISTORY. 
A BEAUTIFUL REMINDER OF WHAT 
VISION, DREAMS AND SCIENCE CAN 
DO TOGETHER. ON A PERSONAL NOTE 
WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR 
SHARING THIS HISTORIC MILESTONE 
WITH THE NEWSROOM OF THE 
WASHINGTON POST. WE COULD NOT DO
WITHOUT THE SUPPORTERS LIKE YOU.
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO 
SUBSCRIBE. ON THE HOME PAGE 
CLICK THE LINK IN THE UPPER 
RIGHT CORNER OR ON YOUTUBE CLICK
SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW THE CHANNEL
SO WE WILL BRING YOU NEWS AS 
THIS MISSION CONTINUES. I'M 
LIBBY CASEY, I HOPE YOU AND 
FAMILY STAY SAFE AND DREAM BIG. 
WE ARE ON STAND BY FOR A PRESS 
CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.
DOWN AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AND
BRING THAT TO YOU LIVE RIGHT 
NOW. WE WILL LIVE YOU WITH NASA 
TV. 
