>>> BACK ON A SATURDAY MORNING
>>> BACK ON A SATURDAY MORNING
AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN
FLORIDA.
THEY’RE HOPING THIS IS THE DAY
THE SPACEX ROCKET IS ABLE TO
LIFT OFF THE LAUNCHPAD WITH TWO
NASA ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD.
>> WEATHER PERMITTING.
RAIN AND LIGHTNING SCRUBBED THE
FIRST ATTEMPT DURING THE FINAL
COUNTDOWN ON WEDNESDAY.
TOM COSTELLO WAS THERE THEN.
HE REMAINS AT THE SPACE CENTER
FOR THIS AFTERNOON’S ATTEMPT.
TOM, HOW IS IT LOOKING?
>> Reporter: YEAH.
LISTEN, NASA AND SPACEX SAYS
50/50 CHANCE THAT THE WEATHER
WILL COOPERATE.
WE’RE EXPECTING THAT WE’RE GOING
TO HAVE MORE LIGHTNING AND MORE
RAIN AND MORE WIND, SPECIFICALLY
OUT THERE ON LAUNCHPAD 39A.
60% CHANCE THAT THE WEATHER IS
GOING TO BE A PROBLEM THIS
AFTERNOON.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT LOCAL
METEOROLOGISTS ACTUALLY SAY THAT
THE WEATHER IS LOOKING DOUBTFUL
FOR TODAY.
WE’LL SEE.
IF THEY POSTPONE TODAY, THEY
WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW.
THE WEATHER IMPROVES SLIGHTLY
TOMORROW BUT NOT GREAT.
THE SPACE CAPSULE WAS ON TOP OF
THE FALCON 9 ROCKET.
LAUNCHPAD 39A.
3:22 IS THE SCHEDULED TIME THIS
AFTERNOON.
THE FIRST LAUNCH OF AN AMERICAN
ROCKET WITH AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS
FROM AMERICAN SOIL IN NINE
YEARS.
THE FIRST TIME EVER THAT A
PRIVATE COMPANY, SPACEX, HAS
BEEN GIVEN THAT JOB AFTER YEARS
OF RELYING ON THE RUSSIANS TO
GET US UP TO THE SPACE STATION.
ON WEDNESDAY, ASTRONAUTS DOUG
HURLEY AND BOB BEHNKEN WERE
STRAPPED IN AND READY TO GO.
BUT HAD VOLATILE WEATHER THAT
VIOLATED THE PARAMETERS.
WE HAD RAIN AND WIND AND -- WE
HAD LIGHTNING OFF TO THE
LEFT-HAND SIDE HERE AT THE
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
MISSION CONTROL SCRUBBED THE
LAUNCH AT THAT POINT.
ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT THE
ROCKET ITSELF CAN TRIGGER A
LIGHTNING EVENT.
LISTEN, THE ROCKET IS LOADED UP
WITH FUEL.
THIS CAN BE A VERY, VERY SERIOUS
ISSUE.
THEY DON’T WANT TO TAKE ANY
CHANCES WITH TWO AMERICAN LIVES
ON THE LINE.
LAUNCH TIME 3:22 P.M. THIS
AFTERNOON.
THIS IS A GREAT UNIFYING MOMENT.
ALL AMERICANS CAN GET BEHIND
THIS ONE.
>> IT SURE IS, TOM.
WE’RE ALL GOING TO BE WATCHING,
THAT’S FOR SURE.
SAFETY DOES HAVE TO COME FIRST.
YOU MENTIONED, THE LIGHTNING
RISK.
THE QUESTION, HAS LIGHTNING EVER
HIT A ROCKET BEFORE?
>> Reporter: 1969.
APOLLO 12 WAS HIT NOT ONCE BUT
TWICE AS IT LIFTED OFF FROM THAT
EXACT SAME PAD ON THE WAY TO THE
MOON.
IT KNOCKED OUT SOME SENSORS.
THEY WERE ABLE TO RECOVER.
THEY HAD A GREAT MISSION ON TO
THE MOON.
THAT WAS THE MISSION AFTER NEIL
ARMSTRONG AND BUZZ ALDRIN.
IN 1987, AN UNMANNED ROCKET BLEW
UP ON THE PAD BECAUSE OF A
LIGHTNING STRIKE.
YEAH.
THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF HERE.
THEY TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
WHILE THIS IS A SPACEX MISSION
AND THEY ARE RUNNING THE SHOW,
NASA DOES ALSO HAVE DETAIL
CONTROL.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE’LL STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
TOM COSTELLO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NBC NEWS WILL HAVE LIVE COVERAGE
OF THE SPACEX LAUNCH LATER
TODAY.
I THINK EVERYONE COULD USE SOME
