THEY HOPED IT WOULD CLEAR BY
MIDAFTERNOON BUT IN THE END IT
JUST WASN’T ENOUGH.
FOR HOURS THE AIR AT THE KENNEDY
SPACE CENTER WAS THICK WITH
HUMIDITY AND EXCITEMENT.
ASTRONAUTS DOUG HURLEY AND BOB
BEHNKEN SUITED UP FOR THEIR
HISTORIC TRIP ON A SPACEX
ROCKET, STOPPING TO WAIVE
GOOD-BYE TO THEIR FAMILIES, BOTH
OF THEIR WIVES ALSO ASTRONAUTS.
THEN TO LAUNCH PAD 39 A
♪ OH SAY CAN YOU SEE ♪
>> A SOCIALLY ISOLATED KELLY
CLARKSON SANG THE STAR SPANGLED
BANNER AS MILLIONS TUNED IN
AROUND THE WORLD.
THOUSANDS MORE LINED THE FLORIDA
COAST TO WATCH THE LAUNCH IN
PERSON.
>> HISTORY IS HAPPENING AND WE
JUST LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT.
>> Reporter: AT 2:00 P.M. HURLEY
AND BEHNKEN SCRAPPED INTO THEIR
CAPSULE TO MAKE HISTORY, THE
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
ARRIVED FOR THE FIRST MANNED
MISSION FROM U.S. SOIL IN NINE
YEARS.
BUT THEN JUST 17 MINUTES BEFORE
LAUNCH, WITH RAIN, WIND AND
LIGHTNING NEARBY SPACEX MISSION
CONTROL FINALLY PULLED THE PLUG.
>> WE CONTINUE TO VIOLATE A
COUPLE DIFFERENT WEATHER RULES
THAT WE NOW DO NOT EXPECT TO
CLEAR IN TIME TO ALLOW FOR A
LAUNCH TODAY.
WE’RE GOING TO --
>> Reporter: IT WASN’T WORTH
TAKING THE RISK, WITH THE LIVES
OF TWO AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS ON
THE LINE.
>> DRAGON, SPACEX, UNFORTUNATELY
WE ARE NOT GOING TO LAUNCH
TODAY.
>> WE APPRECIATE THAT,
UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY’S
PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT BUMMED
OUT.
IT’S JUST PART OF THE DEAL.
>> WAIT AROUND FOR THE WEATHER
TO CLEAR OUT BUT ULTIMATELY IT’S
ABOUT SAFETY.
TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
RIGHT TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: HURLEY AND BEHNKEN
HAD BEEN IN ISOLATION SINCE
MARCH TO MAKE SURE THEY AND THE
CREW DID NOT CONTRACT COVID-19.
THIS MORNING THESE BEST FRIENDS
FROM THE ASTRONAUT CLASS OF 2000
WHO MARRIED WHO OTHER ASTRONAUTS
FROM THE SAME CLASS ARE BACK IN
ISOLATION AS THEY AWAIT THEIR
NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE
HISTORY.
SO THEY’LL GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT
SATURDAY, 3:22 IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE’RE GOING TO BE HERE AS WELL.
AND IN THE MEANTIME THEY’RE
GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THE SAME
PROCESSES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
ARE BEING METICULOUS AND
COUNTING DOWN TO SATURDAY AT
3:22, THE EXACT SAME PROTOCOLS,
ALL OF THAT AS YOU LOOK AT THE
LIVE LAUNCH PAD, LAUNCH PAD 39 A
HERE AT THE KENNEDY SPACE
