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>> THE LIFTOFF BROADCAST
STARTED.
ROGER 0J.
COPY ON THE GROUND.
SEEP TISK COOPERATION --
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>> WELL, HELLO, EVERYBODY, AND
WELCOME FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER IN FLORIDA.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE
TO THE TRADITIONAL PRE LAUNCH
NEWS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING
TODAY'S LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW
AHEAD OF THE CREW ONE FALCON 9
AND DRAGON FLIGHT TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
HERE TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE
DETAILS ARE FOLKS THAT WERE PART
OF THE REVIEW TODAY.
AND ALSO HAVE BEEN PART OF A LOT
OF THE PREPARATIONS THAT HAVE
LED UP TO THIS MOMENT.
IT'S AN EXCITING DAY FOR
EVERYONE FOR NASA AND SPACEX AND
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE TUNING IN
TODAY.
LET ME INTRODUCE THE PANEL AND
I'LL LET THEM GIVE YOU WORDS
BEFORE THEY TAKE QUESTIONS.
STEVE, THE PROGRAM HERE AT
KENNEDY, AND JOEL MONTBANO, OF
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER IN HOUSTON,
AND NORM KNIGHT, THE DEPUTY
MANAGER OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS
DIRECTOR AT JOHNSON.
ALSO JOINING US IS BENGY REED,
THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN
SPACE PROGRAMS AND SPACEX, GREAT
TO HAVE HIM WITH US, AND KURT
COSTELLO, THE NASA CHIEF
SCIENTIST AT JOHNSON SPACE
CENTER.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ARLENEA
MOSES, THE LAUNCH WEATHER
OFFICER FOR THE 45th WEATHER
SQUADRON, SO I KNOW EVERYBODY IS
LOOKING FORWARD 20 HEARING FROM
HER.
WITH THAT, TURN IT OVER TO
STEVE.
>> THANK YOU, KYLE.
AND IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE
FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH READINESS
REVIEW TODAY.
IT HAS BEEN A BUSY FEW DAYS
SINCE WE LAST TALKED.
WE TALKED TO YOU AFTER THE
FLIGHT MAINSTREAM REVIEW ON
TUESDAY, AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE
HAVE PUT THE FALCON 9 VEHICLE
THROUGH A FIRE, TO MAKE SURE
THAT ALL OF THE SYSTEMS ON THE
ROCKET WERE FUNCTIONING AS
EXPECTED AND WE HAVE REVIEWED
ALL OF THAT DATA AND THE ROCKET
LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO
SOME INSPECTIONS AFTER THAT.
AND WE SWAPPED OUT A COUPLE OF
INSPECTIONS AND EVERYTHING LOOKS
REALLY GOOD.
WE DID A DRY DRESS PRACTICE WITH
THE CREW AND THEY SUITED UP AND
GOT IN THEIR SPACE SUITS AND ON
THE LAUNCH PAD AND INTO THE
VEHICLE.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE
PUT FOUR PEOPLE IN DRAGON'S
VESTS, AND THAT WET REALLY WELL.
OVAL, IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE
WEATHER AND LOOKING AT RECOVERY
OF THE BOOSTER FOR THIS FLIGHT,
WE HAVE ADJUSTED THE LAUNCH DAY.
WE WERE DOING A SATURDAY LAUNCH,
AND ADJUSTED IT 24 HOURS LATER
AND TODAY WE'RE STARTING A
SUNDAY LAUNCH AT 7:27 EASTERN
TIME AND THAT WILL PUT DOCKING
ON MONDAY AT 11 P.M. EASTERN
TIME.
WE DID THAT, AND LOOKED
CAREFULLY AT THE WEATHER AND THE
ONSHORE FLOW LOOKED REALLY NOT
SO GOOD FOR SATURDAY.
AND ALSO, WE NEEDED TO GET THE
DRONE RECOVERY SHIP IN PLACE TO
RECOVER THE BOOSTER FOR NASA,
AND THE BOOSTER FOR SPACEX IS
VERY IMPORTANT FOR US.
WE'RE GOING TO REUSE THE FIRST
PHASE WE'RE FLYING ON 1 FOR THE
CREW MISSION, AND CREW 2 HAS A
LAUNCH DATE OF MARCH 30th.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOVER
THAT BOOSTER TO GET THE DRONE
SHIP IN PLACE.
OVAL, IT'S GOING TO BE AN
EXCITING FLIGHT.
CREW ONE IS GOING TO BE THE
LONGEST SPACE FLIGHT EVER,
EXCEEDING WHAT WE HAD ON SKY LAB
3.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE CREW
IN THE CAPSULE, WHICH WE'RE
EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE SPACE
STATION, AND IT'S OUR FIRST FAA
LIGHT LAUNCH AS WELL AS WE MOVE
INTO THE NEXT STEP.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO FLY THIS
INCREMENT MISSION FOR THE
PROGRAM AND TO LAUNCH.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A
LAUNCH ON SUNDAY.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOEL.
>> THANK YOU, STEVE.
AND WELCOME TO THE PRESS BRIEF.
IN THE PAST DAYS, WE HAVE HAD A
NUMBER OF REVIEWS AS STEVE
MENTIONED AND TODAY AS WE
CONCLUDED THE READINESS REVIEW,
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'RE READY
FOR THIS MISSION.
A LAUNCH TIME OF 7:27 P.M.
EASTERN TIME ON SUNDAY, GIVING
US A DOCKING OF LATE MONDAY
ENGLAND, APPROXIMATELY 11 P.M.
EASTERN TIME.
SHORTLY AFTER DOCKING, WE'LL DO
THE STANDARD LEAD CHECKS AND
THEN HAVE A WELCOME CEREMONY
ONBOARD, AND THAT WILL BE 2 AND
A HALF HOURS AFTER DOCKING.
THIS WEEK, WE HAVE BEEN DOING A
LOT OF DISCUSSION WITH KATE AND
SERGEI ON ORBIT TODAY AND
KEEPING THEM UP TO SPEED ON THE
PREPARATIONS AND THEY'RE EXCITED
AND READY TO HAVE NEW CREW
MEMBERS ONBOARD.
THIS VEHICLE IS BRINGING IN
APPROXIMATELY 240 KILOGRAMS OF
PRESSURIZED CARGO TO ENHANCE
WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
WITH THESE FOUR CREW MEMBERS,
ADDING TO THE THREE ONBOARD,
WE'LL HAVE A TOTAL OF SEVEN CREW
MEMBERS FOR A SUSTAINED
INCREMENT.
THIS VEHICLE WILL STAY UP FOR A
LONG DURATION INCREMENT AND
RETURNING APRIL OF NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE
SUSTAINED TIME ONBOARD TO ALLOW
THE SCIENCE AND THE INCREASED
DEVELOPMENT WE DO AND FOR THE
ART MISS PROGRAM AND FUTURE
PROGRAMS.
ALSO THIS YEAR, CELEBRATING 20
YEARS OF CONTINUOUS HUMAN
PRESENCE ONBOARD THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AND DURING THOSE 20 YEARS, WE
SET THE STANDARD FOR
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS, BUT WE
KEEP LEARNING.
WE LEARN EVERY DAY.
AND YOU KNOW, NASA, WITH
AMERICAN INDUSTRY HAS DEVELOPED
THESE SPECIAL VEHICLES THAT
ALLOW US TO BRING MORE PEOPLE TO
LOWER EARTH ORBIT.
TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION, AND ALLOWS MORE SCIENCE
ON EARTH ORBIT AND MORE
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
SO HUGE THANKS FOR THE
COMMERCIAL PROGRAM AND TO SPACEX
TO GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE
TODAY.
WE'RE GLAD TO BE HERE AND
EXCITED FOR THE LAUNCH ON SUNDAY
AND LOOKING FORWARD TO MONDAY'S
DOCKING AND THE LONG DURATION
INK MET.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER
TO NORM.
>> THANK YOU, JOE, AND AS
STATED, THE REVIEW TODAY WENT
VERY WELL.
WEEINGO THAT.
AND STEPPING BACK TO THE CYCLE
WITH JUST THE JOURNEY LEADING UP
TO THIS, AND IT WAS EVIDENT THAT
THE CLOSED OUT WORK AND THE LESS
WORK THERE WAS IN THE OVERALL
READINESS LEVEL IN THE TEAM FOR
THIS VEHICLE.
SO IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING, AN
ABSOLUTE FOCUS ON CREW SAFETY
AND VEHICLE SAFETY.
WHICH BOTH THE NASA AND THE
SPACEX TEAMS HAVE DONE A VERY
GOOD JOB WITH.
AND WE'RE VERY SATISFIED WITH
THAT.
THIS WAS ON THE HEELS OF DRY
DRESS YESTERDAY, AS STEVE
MENTIONED AND THAT WENT VERY
WELL AND IT WAS THE FIRST
OPPORTUNITY TO LET THE CREW SET
UP AND TRY OUT THE VEHICLE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE FIT WAS RIGHT
AND THERE WERE NO LAST MINUTE
TYPE THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE
TWEAKED UP PRIOR TO LAUNCH AND
THAT WENT VERY WELL AND WE'RE
EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET
WITH THE CREW THIS MORNING TO
TALK WITH THEM A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING LAUNCH AND
THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY EXCITED.
AND YOU COULD JUST FEEL THE
RADIANT EXCITEMENT COMING OFF OF
THEM.
AND IN FACT, WHEN I WALKED OUT
OF THAT BRIEFING, I WAS EXCITED
MYSELF.
YOU COULD JUST FEEL THE ENERGY
FROM THE CREW, AND WE HAVE SEEN
THAT THROUGHOUT THE TEAM, WHICH
IS GREAT, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE
REAL CLOSE AND READY TO GO,
WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, THE MESSAGE THAT THEY
WANTED TO CONVEY IS RESILIENCE,
AND TO ECHO ONCE AGAIN THAT THE
JOURNEY TO GET HERE IS ONE OF
RESILIENCE.
AND IT WAS A HARD JOURNEY WITH A
LOT OF STUFF GOING ON, AND COVID
AFFECTING THE TEAMS, BUT IT WAS
THAT RESILIENCE AND
DETERMINATION BY A LOT OF FOLKS
THAT HAVE LED UP TO THIS POINT,
AND WE'LL SAFELY GET THEM INTO
ORBIT AND SAFELY GET THEM DOCKED
BEFORE SIX MONTHS AGO OF SCIENCE
AND RETURNING BACK TO EARTH
SAFELY AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, A LOT OF FOLKS THAT
WERE INVOLVED WITH THAT, AND
JUST AN APPRECIATION FOR THAT
HARD WORK THAT HAS GOT US TO
THAT POINT.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT
OVER TO BENJI AND LOOK FORWARD
TO QUESTIONS LATER.
>> GREAT, AND THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, NORM.
FIRST OF ALL, I AM SITTING HERE
AND I'M EXCITED AGAIN TO BE
HERE.
TO THINK THAT THIS IS OUR THIRD
TIME WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO COME HERE AND LAUNCH FROM
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, AND WE DID
OUR IN-FLIGHT TEST BACK IN THE
BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND DID
OUR DEMO 2 MISSIONS AND NOW
WE'RE COMING UP ON THE FIRST
OPERATIONAL MISSION TO START
PROVIDING CRUDE SERVICES TO THE
STATION, TO KEEP JOEL'S PROGRAM
RUNNING, SIX MONTH INTERVALS,
IT'S INCREDIBLE AND IF YOU
WAUPED THIS BEFORE THE PRESS
BRIEFING, YOU SAW THE MONTAGE OF
THE PAST MISSIONS AND TO HEAR
JOEL TALK ABOUT THE LAST 20
YEARS IN SPACE, IT'S SO COOL AND
AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
I'M CERTAINLY STOKED.
ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE SPACEX
EMPLOYEES AND OUR VENDORS AND
PARTNERS, ALL OF OUR FAMILIES, I
WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
SAY THANK YOU TO NASA AND TO ALL
OF OUR PARTNERS TO LET US BE
PART OF THIS, AND TO HELP CARRY
THE SACRED HONOR AND
RESPONSIBILITY ON OUR SHOULDERS.
THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF YEARS
OF WORK AND EFFORT FROM A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
A LOT OF TIME, AND WE HAVE
BUILT, I THINK WHAT I WOULD CALL
ONE OF THE SAFEST LAUNCH AND
SPACECRAFT EVER.
AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE PART OF
THAT.
WE CULMINATED OUR EFFORTS WITH
THAT WITH OUR STATIC FIRE ON
WEDNESDAY, AND STEVE MENTIONED
THAT AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE A
VIDEO TO SHOW THAT.
THAT WAS A FULL 7 SECONDS STATIC
FIRE, AND THEY FINISHED THAT UP.
THOSE REVIEWS, WE DID JOINT
REVIEWS WITH THE NASA TEAMS AND
OUR TEAMS AND IT LOOKED GREAT.
WE ASSESSED EVERYTHING THAT CAME
FROM THE VEHICLE AND WE FELT
VERY GOOD ABOUT IT.
AS YOU KNOW, WE DID WORK ON THE
ENGINES AND THE VEHICLES, AND
GETTING READY FOR THAT LAUNCH,
AND THAT STATIC FIRE IS VERY KEY
TO ENSURING THAT WE'RE READY TO
GO.
THOSE 7 SECONDS LOOKED AWESOME
AND THE NEXT THING I WANT TO
SHOW YOU, A PICTURE THAT WE HAVE
FROM DRY DRESS, AND THAT'S THE
DRESS REHEARSAL THAT WE DO FROM
THE CREW.
AND THEY DO THE WHOLE THING,
WHERE THEY GET SUITED UP IN THE
ONC BUILDING HERE IN KENNEDY
SPACE CENTER, AND THEY COME
ACROSS IN THEIR TESS LAZ, AND GO
UP THE TOWER AND GO ALL THE WAY
TO THE DRAGON AND IT'S AN
IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT WE DO, WE
WALK THROUGH THAT AND THE GROUND
TEAM IS WORKING WITH THE CREW
AND THE CREW ITSELF AND MAKING
SURE THAT EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT.
WHEN I LOOK AT THIS PICTURE, I
GET EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT IT
STEP ON THE BIG JOURNEY WE HAVE
AHEAD OF US.
WE HAVE FOUR ASTRONAUTS GOING
UP, AND WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO
HAS NEVER BEEN TO SPACE, VICTOR,
WHO IS VERY EXCITED.
WE HAVE SAVICCI, OUR FIRST
INTERNATIONAL PARTNER AND IT'S
REALLY REALLY COOL.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN ON LAUNCH DAY ITSELF.
AND AS I TALKED ABOUT DRY DRESS
AS A PRACTICE FOR THAT.
AND FOUR HOURS BEFORE LAUNCH
DAY, THE CREW WILL BE IN THE ONC
BUILDING, IN THE AREA GETTING
SUITED UP AND OUR SUIT TECHS
WILL BE HELPING THEM GET READY
AND WE'LL BE DOING VARIOUS LEAK
CHECKS AND FIT CHECKS AS WE GO
THROUGH THAT, AND THE ASTRONAUTS
WILL COME OUT 3 HOURS BEFORE
LAUNCH AND GET INTO THE TESLAS,
AND WAVE GOOD-BYE TO THEIR
FAMILIES AND COME ACROSS TO THE
LAUNCH PAD.
COME ACROSS THE LAUNCH TOWER AND
COME ACROSS THE CREW ARM AND 2
AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE LAUNCH,
THEY WILL GET IN THE VEHICLE.
THEY WILL GET INSIDE OF THE
VEHICLE AND GET ALL STRAPPED IN
AND SAFE AT ABOUT APPROXIMATELY
45 MINUTES BEFORE LAUNCH AND
THEY WILL DO THE FINAL GO POLL
FOR LOADING THE VEHICLE AND FOR
ARMING THE ESCAPE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE A LAUNCH ESCAPE SYSTEM
ON DRAGON THAT'S READY TO GO
JUST IN CASE SOMETHING GOES
WRONG WITH THE LAUNCH VEHICLE,
DRAGON CAN ESCAPE THE CREW TO
SAFETY AND SPLASH DOWN IN THE
OCEAN.
AT THAT POINT, 30 MINUTES BEFORE
LAUNCH IS WHEN WE START LOADING
THE LAUNCH VEHICLE WITH
PROPELLANT.
AND WE'RE OFF.
LET'S GO NEXT TO THE LINE
DRAWING THAT WE HAVE.
AND THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE DOING THE
LAUNCH.
I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THE
DETAILS, AND COMING THROUGH THE
HIGHLIGHTS HERE, 2 MINUTES 40
SECONDS, WE HAVE THE FIRST AND
SECOND STAGE SEPARATION, AND
AFTER THAT HAPPENS, THE FIRST
STAGE WILL LAND ON THE SHIP,
WHICH IS HEADING OUT RIGHT NOW
TO BE IN POSITION TO BE READY
FOR THAT.
AND IN THE SECOND STAGE, WE'RE
GOING TO BE CARRYING DRAGON TO
ORBIT.
8 MINUTES 50 SECONDS INTOED
MISSION, THE SECOND ENGINE WILL
CUT OUT AND SHORTLY THAT, DRAGON
WILL SEPARATE AND THEY'RE OFF TO
THE JOURNEY TO STATION.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT LINE
DRAWING, WE CAN SEE THAT.
AND GET A SENSE OF WHAT THIS
LOOKS LIKE.
SO PHASING IS THE PROCESS WHERE
WE'RE ESSENTIALLY CATCHING UP
WITH SPACE STATION.
AND THE PROCESS IS, SPACE
STATION IS ZOOMING AROUND THE
EARTH VERY FAST AND SO IS
DRAGON.
YOU'RE TRYING TO USE THE GAME
WHERE YOU ARE USING THE DRAGON
AND MINIMIZING THE AMOUNT OF
FUEL TO CATCH UP AND GET THE TWO
VEHICLES TO COME TOGETHER.
SO YOU GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS
OF PHASING, AND BASED ON THE
MECHANICS AND THE DAY AND TIME
OF LAUNCH, IN THIS CASE, THE
PARTICULAR PHASING TIME WILL
TAKE ABOUT 25 HOURS, AND 25
HOURS WE'LL BE CLOSE TO WHERE WE
NEED TO BE TO BASICALLY BE IN
POSITION TO COME UP TO THE
STATION, AND THEN A FEW HOURS
THAT, WE WILL HAVE DOCKED TO THE
STATION.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN ONCE THEY DOG.
THE CREW DOCK ON THE STATION,
AND THEY WILL BE WELCOMED BY THE
OTHER CREW UP THERE, AND GET TO
WORK QUICKLY.
THE TWO THINGS INVOLVING SPACEX
DURING THEIR SIX MONTHS ON
STATION, ONE IS COMING UP IN A
FEW WEEKS.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST CARGO DRAGON,
OUR NEW DRAGON 2 CARGO VEHICLE,
THAT WILL BE OUR CIRRUS 21
MISSION, AND THAT'S FULL OF
SCIENCE FOR THE CREW TO BE
WORKING ON.
AND SO THE FIRST FEW WEEKS AFTER
THEY DOCKED, THEY'RE GOING TO BE
GETTING READY FOR THAT AND
WRAPPING UP OTHER WORK AND THEY
WILL BE SPENDING TIME WORKING ON
ALL OF THE CRITICAL SCIENCE
GOING ON THERE, AND NEAR THE END
OF THEIR TIME, WE'LL BE SENDING
UP ANOTHER DRAGON, SO CREW 2
DRAGON WILL GO UP, AGAIN WITH
ANOTHER FOUR ASTRONAUTS ON
POURED AND THAT WILL DOCK TO
STATION, AND AGAIN, THERE WILL
BE A HAND-OFF AND THEY WILL SEE
EACH OTHER, HAND OFF THE WORK
AND ABOUT A WEEK LATER OUR CREW
ONE WILL COME HOME.
LET'S LOOK AT THAT.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE DO ANOTHER
DEPARTURE.
THE DOCKING PROCESS, IT'S FULLY
AUTOMATED AND AUTONOMOUS.
AND THE ASTRONAUTS WERE ABLE TO
TAKE CONTROL.
AND THE ASTRONAUTS ON THE ISS
ARE ABLE TO SEE THAT EVERYTHING
IS HAPPENING CORRECTLY.
AND AS WE HEAD AWAY, WE START
THE PHASING TO COME HOME AND
IT'S THE SAME PROCESS THAT I
TALKED ABOUT.
WE NEED TO PHASE TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE HIT THE RIGHT SPOT ON
THE EARTH AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR
SPLASHDOWN.
AFTER THAT HAPPENS, OUR RECOVERY
CREWS WILL COME OUT AND THEY
WILL BE MEETING THE CREW.
WE HAVE A LARGE RECOVERY VESSEL
AND FAST BOATS, AND THE FAST
BOATS WILL GO OUT AND MEET THE
CREW AND THE FIRST THING THEY
WILL DO IS CHECK THE AREA AND
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS
SAFE FOR APPROACH.
AND THE SECOND FAST BOAT WILL BE
RECOVERING THE PARACHUTES, AND
THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH THE
LARGER VEHICLE, WHICH WILL PULL
DRAGON OUT OF THE WATER.
ALL RIGHT, ONE OF THE THINGS I
DO WANT TO MENTION AS WE TALK
ABOUT THIS RECOVERY PROCESS, WE
KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS VERY
EXCITED ABOUT LAUNCH AND VERY
EXCITED ABOUT RECOVERY AND HUMAN
SPACE FLIGHT IN GENERAL.
AND WE ASK THAT EVERYBODY IS
RESOLVED AND IF YOU COME OUT TO
WATCH THE LAUNCH AND EVERYTHING
THAT WE'RE DOING, WEAR YOUR MASK
AND FOLLOW SOCIAL DISTANCING
GUIDELINES AND KEEP EVERYBODY
SAFE.
AND SECOND, WE ASK THAT ALL OF
THE BOATERS PAY ATTENTION TO
WHAT THE NAVY AND THE COAST
GUARD REGULATIONS ARE AND ADD
ADVISORIES.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP
THE RECOVERY CREWS AND THE
ASTRONAUTS THEMSELVES SAFE.
I WANT TO TAKE ONE MORE MOMENT
TO DO A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT
THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO THANK ALL
OF THE SPACEXERS AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
AND THEN ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT
TEAMS AND PARTNERS INVOLVED IN
THE EFFORT TO GET US HERE.
IT'S A VERY BIG TEAM.
AND PART OF THE CERTIFICATION AS
WE HAVE GONE WILL YOU AND TALKED
ABOUT THE OTHER DAY, THAT NASA
HAS CERTIFIED ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS
FOR HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT.
THAT CERTIFICATIONEST IS REALLY
IMPORTANT AND IT REPRESENTS THE
COUNTLESS HOURS AND HOURS OF
WORK THAT WERE PUT IN BY ALL OF
THESE TEAMS.
DRAGON AND FALCON, THE GROUND
TEAM, THE LAUNCH SITE TEAMS, AND
IT'S ALL OF OUR HARDWARE AND
SOFTWARE OPERATORS AND
EVERYBODY, ALL OF THEM PUT OUR
TIME IN AND SACRIFICE AND
DEDICATION NEEDED.
THE SAME IS TRUE FOR ALL OF OUR
NASA PARTNERS AND VENDORS, A BIG
THANK YOU THERE.
AND FINALLY, A VERY IMPORTANT
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE
ASTRONAUTS WHO WILL BE FLYING.
VICTOR, MIKE, SHANNON, AND TO
YOUR FAMILY, WE THANK YOU FOR
THE TRUST THAT YOU PUT INTO
SPACEX TO GET YOU TO SPACE, TO
BE THERE AS A LIFEBOAT AND GET
THEM HOME SAFELY.
THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL OF
US.
>> WE'LL HEAR FROM KURT, TALKING
ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND THE REASON
THAT THESE GUYS ARE ACTUALLY
GOING UP THERE, TAKE IT AWAY,
KURT.
>> THANK YOU, AS JOEL MENTIONED
EARLIER, IT WAS LESS THAN TWO
WEEKS AGO WE WERE CELEBRATING 20
YEARS OF CONTINUOUS CRUDE
PRESENCE ON ORBIT.
AND WE WERE NOT CELEBRATING AN
ENDING, BUT JUST THE END OF THE
BEGINNING.
THE LAUNCH COMING UP WITH
ADDITIONAL CREW MEMBERS TO THE
ISS IS THE START OF AN ERA FOR
RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY ONBOARD.
THE CAPABILITIES MUCH THE CREW
DRAGON BRINGING ADDITIONAL CREW
AND SAMPLES BACK TO THE SITE AT
KSC IS AN AMAZING CAPABILITY.
WE HOPE TO DOUBLE THE CREW TIME
FOR SCIENCE AND RESEARCH, AND WE
HOPE TO GET EASIER ACCESS FOR
THOSE SATCHELS WHEN THEY COME
BACK TO EARTH AND EASIER ACCESS
FOR OUR CREW MEMBERS, PRE AND
POST-FLIGHT TO CONDUCT SOME OF
OUR HUMAN RESEARCH.
WE HAVE SELF INVESTIGATIONS
GOING UP ON THIS FLIGHT.
WE HAVE 28 KILOGRAMS OF PAYLOADS
GOING UP, AND SOME OF THOSE
EXPERIMENTS WILL BE GOING UP TO
INCLUDE EDUCATION AND PUBLIC
OUTREACH EXPERIMENTS FOR HIM.
AND THEN WE HAVE A HUMAN
EXPERIMENT LOOKING AT THE HUMBLE
FRUIT FLY, AND HOW IT ADAPTS IN
ORBIT FOR RHYTHM.
AND IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WHEN YOU
HAVE 16 DAY AND NIGHT CYCLES
EVERY DAY, IT CAN BE CONFUSING
TO THE BODY.
THEY ARE GREAT LITTLE ORGANISMS,
THEY SHARE 95% OF THE GENES THAT
CAUSE DISEASE IN THE HUMAN BODY.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OUR
ASTRONAUTS ARE ON THE RESEARCH
TEAM, AND THEY WILL BE BEFORE
AND AFTER THE MISSION, ONE IS
FOOD PHYSIOLOGY, WHICH IS
LOOKING AT WHETHER NUTRITIONAL
CHANGES IN THE ASTRONAUT'S DIET
CAN BE FOR THE ASTRONAUT'S DIET.
AND AGAIN, MIKE AND VICTOR AND
ESPECIALLY FOR MY OLD ALUM,
SHANNON FROM RICE, GODSPEED AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HARD
AMOUNT OF WORK AND RESEARCH
YOU'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN.
>> THANKS, KURT.
AND SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY
LIKES TO TALK ABOUT IS WEATHER.
SO LET'S TURN IT OVER TO ARLENEA
AND HAVE HER GIVE THE LATEST
LAUNCH FORECAST.
>> FOR US IN FLORIDA, WE HAVE
BEEN PLAGUED BY TROPICAL STORM
ETA FOR MOST OF THE UPCOMING
WEEKEND AND IT WAS UNCERTAIN AT
FIRST IF IT WAS GOING TO CLEAR
OUT THIS WEEKEND.
BUT THANKFULLY ETA IS WELL OUT
TO SEA AND MOVING FURTHER WITH
TIME AND WITH ITS PASSAGE, IT
BROUGHT A BIT OF A COOL FRONT
HERE INTO FLORIDA.
IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT MUCH
NOW, IT'S STILL WARM AND HUMID.
BUT OVERALL, IT'S GOING TO GIVE
US A PRETTY GOOD SHOT FOR
WEATHER FOR THE PRIMARY LAUNCH
DATE.
AS WE LOOK AT THE FORECAST, WE
ARE LOOKING RIGHT NOW WITH A
POSSIBILITY OF 40% WITH THAT
KIND OF WEAK FRONT THAT CAME
THROUGH.
A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, IT'S GOING
TO KIND OF CREEP BACK TOWARDS
US, AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE
WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS MUCH
OF A CONCERN FOR OUR ATTEMPT TO
LAUNCH ON SUNDAY.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO SEE A FEW
SHOWERS IN HERE WITH CUMULUS
CLOUDS, AND ELECTION THE CONCERN
FOR FLYING BOTH THE DRAGON AND
THE CAPSULE, DURING THE LAUNCH
TIME.
AS WE LOOK AT OUR BACKUP WINDOW
GOING INTO WEDNESDAY, SO A
COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, WE DRY OUT
QUITE A BIT.
A NICE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE,
AND WE GET A TRUE FLORIDA COLD
FRONT COMING THROUGH, AND THE
TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO BE A
BIT COOL FOR AT LEAST US IN
FLORIDA, MAYBE NOT FOR
EVERYBODY.
BUT THE RAIN CHANCES DROP QUITE
A BIT.
A CONCERN FOR ONLY A FEW CLOUDS,
AND THE DOWNSIDE, THE WINDS
COMING FROM THE NORTHEAST, A
LITTLE BIT STRONGER ON THAT
PARTICULAR DAY, BUT IT'S
SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE
MONITORING WITH THE WEATHER.
SO GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE, AND
WE'LL BE DOING OUR PART WITH THE
WEATHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
LAUNCH SUCCESSFULLY.
>> GREAT, THANKS A LOT.
AND THANKS EVERYBODY ELSE, AND
WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
QUEUE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND IT
HAS BEEN A LONG DAY.
WE HAVE HALF AN HOUR OR SO FOR
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER, AND I'M
GOING TO CALL ON YOU BY NAME AND
AFFILIATION, AND IF YOU CAN TRY
TO LIMIT YOUR QUESTION TO A
ONE-PART QUESTION SO WE CAN TRY
TO GET TO AS MANY FOLKS AS WE
CAN ON THE LINE, AND FIRST UP IS
MARSHA DUNN, ASSOCIATED PRESS.
>> Reporter: YES, HI, AND HOPING
THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME.
FOR STEVE, I'M WONDERING WHAT IS
NASA'S THINKING ABOUT ELIN BEING
ALLOWED INTO THE LAUNCH CONTROL
AND FOR BENJI, TO HAVE HIM IN
PERSON FOR THE LAUNCH.
THANK YOU.
>> I THINK MARSHA'S QUESTION, I
DON'T KNOW WHO THIS WOULD BE
DIRECTED TO, IS THERE A CONCERN
RELATIVE TO THE COVID CONCERN
THAT ELIN MUSK RAISED EARLIER
VIA TEXT OR TWEET?
>> I'LL JUMP HAD AND START ON
THAT ONE.
AS WAS IN THE NEWS TODAY, IT WAS
REPORTED THAT ELON TOOK SEVERAL
COVID TESTS, AND THAT STARTED UP
A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO
HEALTH AND POTENTIAL
CONTAMINATION, BUT WHAT I CAN
TELL YOU, NASA AND OUR
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS HAVE A
HEALTH STABILIZATION PLAN IN
PLACE, AND REALLY IT'S A
PROTOCOL THAT PROTECTS THE
FLIGHT CREW FROM ANY DISEASE OR
ILLNESS, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE
COMPROMISED, THAT CAN COMPROMISE
THE MISSION AND WE PAY A LOT OF
ATTENTION TO THAT, AND WE HAVE
DONE THAT FOR YEARS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN
IN PLACE FOR THE APOLLO
TIMEFRAME AND SHUTTLE AND ALL OF
THE STATIONS AS WELL TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THE
FLIGHT CREW, AND HOW WE DO THIS
IS, THAT OBVIOUSLY THE CREW IS,
WHEN THEY COME CLOSE TO LAUNCH
OR PUT INTO A QUARANTINE AND
THEY START THAT SOFT QUARANTINE
ABOUT 21 DAYS PRIOR TO FLIGHT,
THAT PERIOD IS FROM 21 DAYS TO
14 DAYS, WITH THE SOFT
QUARANTINE AND THEY'RE REALLY
STARTING TO ISOLATE AND REDUCE
THEIR MOVEMENT AND EXPOSURE TO
OTHER FOLKS, AND THEN AT 14 DAYS
TO LAUNCH, A HARD QUARANTINE,
WHERE THEY'RE TOTALLY ISOLATED
AND WATCHED CLOSELY BY THE DOCS
AND THAT'S A PROTOCOL THAT'S IN
PLACE FOR THE CREW, AND IN
ADDITION TO THAT, THAT PROTOCOL
IS ALSO FOR ALL FOLKS THAT HAVE
CONTACT WITH THE CREW.
SO WE TRAIN OUR PERSONNEL AND
THE SPACEX PERSONNEL IN THIS
CASE, AND WHAT THE PROTOCOLS
ARE, WE TRAIN THEM AND MAKE SURE
THAT WE UNDERSTAND HYGIENE,
SOCIAL DISTANCING, MASK
REQUIREMENTS WHEN AROUND THE
CREW.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE CERTAIN
PROTOCOLS MET BEFORE YOU CAN GET
CLOSE TO THE CREW, WHETHER TRAIN
ORG GETTING CLOSE TO LAUNCH, AND
THOSE PEOPLE, DEPENDING ON THE
LEVEL OF CONTACT THAT THEY HAVE
WITH THE CREW, THEY'RE COVID
TESTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE
SAFE, AND AGAIN, THAT ACCESS IS
VERY RESTRICTED, SO YOU CAN KIND
OF THINK OF IT AS CONCENTRIC
CIRCLES FROM THE CENTER AND
PROTECTING AS THEY GO OUT AND AS
THE CIRCLES GO OUT, THE
PROTOCOLS CHANGE RELATIVE TO THE
CONTACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE WITH
THE CREW.
NOW, IF ANY OF THOSE PERSONNEL
IN THAT RING, OR ANY OF THOSE
RINGS COMES UP WITH ANY COVID
TYPE SYMPTOMS, THEY'RE TESTED
AND WE DO CONTACT TRACING TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE KNEW WHO THEY
WERE AROUND AND WHAT IMPACT THAT
COULD POSSIBLY HAVE TO THE TEAM.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE A HEALTH
STABILIZATION PLAN IN PLACE, AND
IT HAS WORKED EFFECTIVELY FOR
MANY YEARS, JUST LIKE ITS
WORKING TODAY IN THIS
ENVIRONMENT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANY WORDS
FOR THE SPACEX TEAM?
>> SURE, WE NEED TO REMEMBER
THAT WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
WORKING ON SPACEX, AND IT TAKES
THOSE PEOPLE TO LAUNCH THE
SPACECRAFT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, ANY
ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS, IF THEY
GET A COVID TEST, WE WORK
THROUGH THAT.
WE HAVE ALL OF THE PROTECTIONS
IN PLACE IF WE DO TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYBODY IS SAFE.
AND CERTAINLY IN THE CASE OF OUR
LAUNCHES AND THE CREW, EVERYBODY
IS SAFE AND WE DO THE CONTACT
TRACING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE,
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE GOOD FOR LAUNCH AND ALL OF
THE CRITICAL PERSONNEL INVOLVED.
>> THANKS.
>> RESTRICTED ACCESS AND
EVERYTHING, AND NO ONE IS ABOVE
THIS ACCESS, AND DOESN'T MATTER
IF YOU'RE ELON MUSK, OR JOE
BIDEN, IF YOU DON'T MEET ANY OF
THE PROTOCOLS, WE'RE NOT GOING
TO LET YOU NEAR THE CREW, AND
AGAIN, IT'S TO PROTECT THE
OVERALL MISSION THAT WE'RE
TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, AND
EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT, AND
IT'S NO SURPRISE.
THE.
>> THANK YOU BOTH.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE
AUDIO PROBLEM FIXED AND WE'LL GO
TO ABC NEWS MANY
[ NO AUDIO ]
>> LET'S GO TO THE NEXT ONE, AND
BILL HARWOOD WITH CBS NEWS.
>> CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YEP.
>> GREAT.
I'M NOT SURE WHO THIS IS FOR,
BUT A REALLY QUICK QUESTION, AND
IF YOU COVERED T. I APOLOGIZE.
WAS PART OF THE ISSUE TODAY THE
EXPECTED WEATHER IN THE RECOVERY
ZONE?
IN OTHER WORDS, WAS THE FORECAST
TO BE OUT OF LIMITS OR WAS IT
FAVORABLE AND THE SHIP COULDN'T
GET THERE IN TIME OR BOTH?
THANKS.
>> IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY, IT WAS AN
ISSUE OF GETTING THE DRONE SHIP
THERE IN TIME.
THE WEATHER WAS SUCH BECAUSE OF
THE TROPICAL STORM THAT WE
COULDN'T GET THE DRONE SHIP TO
LEAVE IN TIME TO GET THERE, AND
THE SEAS ARE SUCH THAT WE CAN'T
GET THE SPEED UP TO GET THERE
THAT WE WERE HOME TO TO GET THE
SATURDAY LAUNCH.
WE WERE ABLE TO LEAVE PORT
YESTERDAY AROUND MIDDAY.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE
GETTING THERE IN PLENTY OF TIME
FOR A SUNDAY LAUNCH.
>> OKAY, NEXT IS PAUL, UNITED
PRESS INTERNATIONAL.
>> THANKS FOR TAKING MY CALL,
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES, SIR.
>> MY QUESTION IS, ABOUT THE
CHANGE, COULD YOU WALK US
THROUGH THE NORM ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN YOU DELAY A LAUNCH
BY DAY LIKE THIS, AND A CRUISE
LAUNCH, DOES ANYTHING HAVE TO BE
DONE TO THE CAPSULE?
I'M ASSUMING THAT MORE FUEL HAS
TO BE ADDED AND DOES THE CREW
HAVE TO REPACK THEIR CARGO OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT IF THEY'RE
GOING TO BE THERE THREE TIMES
LONGER OR IN FLIGHT LONGER THAN
WE WOULD?
THANKS.
>> WHY DON'T YOU START OUT WITH
THE VEHICLE.
>> ABSOLUTELY, AND IN TERMS OF
THE VEHICLE, REALLY, THERE'S
NOTHING DIFFERENT THAN WE DO,
RIGHT?
WE CHECKED OUT AND WENT INTO ALL
OF THE TESTS THAT I TALKED ABOUT
AND MANY MONTHS AGO UP TO
LAUNCH, AND NOW WE DO THE TESTS
THIS WEEK TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE READY AND WE GO THROUGH
THE FLIGHT READINESS REVIEWS,
AND ALL OF THESE ARE GO FOR THE
LAUNCH TOMORROW.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT'S NOT GO
FOR LAUNCH IS THE POSITION IN
OVERALL WEATHER.
SO THAT IS REALLY KEY, AND
THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAT WE DO
OTHER THAN DOUBLE AND TRIPLE
CHECK.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING,
ALL OF THE ENGINEERS AND ALL OF
US WILL BE LOOKING AT DATA AND
ENSURING THAT EVERYTHING IS
READY TO GO TO TAKE THE CREW
SAFELY.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO CATCH
UP ON SOME REST.
>> AND THEN FROM A CREW
STANDPOINT, WHETHER THEY'RE
GETTING TO THE SPACE STATION IN
8 HOURS OR 27 HOURS, FLIGHT ONE
OR FLIGHT TWO RENDEZVOUS, FROM A
CREW PERSPECTIVE, IT'S PRETTY
MUCH THE CHANGE.
THE TIMELINE WILL CHANGE.
FROM THE LAUNCH, THEY WILL HAVE
STAYED UP AND PRESSED THROUGH
DOCK AND GO IN THE CASE OF
SUNDAY, IT'S A DAY TWO LAUNCH.
AND THE CREW WILL GO TO SLEEP IN
DRAGON AND WAKE UP AND JUMP INTO
THE RENDEZVOUS PROFILE.
TO PREPARE THEM TO DOCK FOR
STATION.
AND ALSO, FOR SLIPS LIKE THIS,
DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THAT,
THERE COULD BE CARGO THAT COMES
OFF.
AND MAYBE KIRK COULD ADDRESS
THAT.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S THE
CASE FOR SUNDAY.
>> NEXT UP, TARIQ MALICK.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND MY QUESTION I THINK IS ABOUT
THE EXTENDED TRIP FOR THE CREW
AND THE ASTRONAUTS THERE.
ON THE LAST FLIGHT, WITH THE
DEMO TOO, THE TRIP WE SAW, WITH
LIFE ON CREW DRAGON WAS LIKE,
AND I'M SURE WITH THIS ADDED
TIME, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE,
THE TOUR AND A TASTE OF WHAT THE
TRIP IS GOING TO BE LIKE ON
MONDAY PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AND WHAT
YOU CAN EXPECT AND WHAT THE
VIEWERS MIGHT EXPECT.
>> I'LL START OUT AND TURN IT
OVER TO BENJI FOR DETAILS.
BUT AGAIN, LAUNCH IS A BIG DEAL
AND THEY PREP AND GO ON THE
VEHICLE AND LAGE, AND THEN
OBVIOUSLY, ONCE THEY GET INTO
ORBIT, THEY'RE GOING TO TO DO A
SERIES OF ORBITAL BURNS TO GET
THEM SET UP FOR THE PHASING TO
GET TO THE STATION.
THE CREW HAS A TIMELINE, AND WE
CAN GET YOU INFORMATION ON IF
THERE'S ANY PRESS BRIEFINGS IN
THAT TIME.
BUT THE CREWS ARE IN CONSTANT
CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND I'M
SURE THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM
THEM RELATIVE TO THAT.
THEY GO TO SLEEP.
THEY HAVE A STANDARD SLEEP
PERIOD AND WAKE UP AFTER
SLEEPING IN DRAGON AND START
GETTING PREPPED AND EATING
BREAKFAST, AND GETTING SITUATED
AND START PREPPING FOR THE DAY,
BECAUSE IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT
DAY, AND YOU START DOING THOSE
CRITICAL BURNS, GETTING READY
FOR THE RENDEZVOUS PROFILE TO
GET SET UP FOR DOCKING, AND
THERE'S TIME IN THAT DAY,
OBVIOUSLY FOR IF ANYTHING GOES
WRONG, AND ONCE THEY'RE ON THE
STATION THEY UTILIZE THE TIME AS
WAS STATED EARLIER TO REALLY
LEARN ABOUT THE STATION AND
LEARN WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY, AND LEARN TO USE ALL
OF THE FACILITIES ON THE STATION
THAT ARE GOING TO BE VERY
IMPORTANT ONCE THEY DOCK.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?
>> SURE, IT GIVES THEM MORE OF
AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY OUT THE
DRAGON AND BE CREW MEMBERS OF
THE DRAGON, WHICH I ASSUME WILL
BE EXCITING FOR THEM, BUT ALSO,
IT WILL BE GREAT FOR US TO LEARN
WHAT THAT IS, BECAUSE IT'S
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE
FULLY CAPABLE DRAGON WITH ALL OF
THE SEATS OCCUPIED, TO KNOW WHAT
THAT'S LIKE, AND THEY WILL BE
GETTING OUT OF THEIR SUITS AND
FLOATING AROUND.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF
BROADCAST EVENTS THAT THEY WILL
BE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS TIME
PERIOD.
BUT CHECKING THINGS OUT AND
SEEING THE EARTH GO BY, I KNOW I
WOULD LOVE TO BE THERE TOO, SO
GREAT.
>> OKAY, LET'S SEE, JOEY IS NEXT
WITH REUTERS, GO AHEAD, JOEY.
>> A QUESTION FOR JOEL, I WONDER
IF YOU CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE ON
THE TALKS WITH RUSSIA FOR FUTURE
FLIGHTS, AND SOME KIND OF
BILATERAL AGREEMENT AND WHEN YOU
THINK THE SOONEST WE CAN KNOW
WHEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO FLY WITH
RUSSIANS IN.
>> WE'RE LOOKING TO FLY ON EACH
OTHER'S VEHICLES, PROBABLY LATER
IN 2021, WHERE WE'LL HAVE A
COSMONAUT FLYING ON OUR
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, AND THE
FIRST STEP IS WHAT WE CALL AN
IMPLEMENTING ARRAIGNMENT WITH
THE STATE DEPARTMENT TO DRAFT
THAT.
AND WE'LL BE SUBMITTING THAT.
TURNING ON OVER TO COSMOS, AND
THEY WILL WORK WITH THE
GOVERNMENT TO GET IT BACK TO US,
AND WE'LL HAVE PROBABLY ANOTHER
ITERATION OR SO, BUT ALL OF THAT
WITH THE GOAL OF FLYING IN LATE
2021 ON EACH OTHER'S VEHICLES.
>> OKAY, THE NEXT QUESTION IS
FROM MORGAN FROM BUSINESS
INSIDER.
GO AHEAD.
>> HI, STEVE MENTIONED THE OTHER
DAY THAT THE CREW WAS FLYING FOR
YEARS, AND THIS WOULD BE THEIR
FIRST CRUISE, AND I WONDER WHY
DID THEY LAUNCH OLDER VERSIONS
OF THOSE -- AND ALSO, THE CREW
DRAGON VEHICLES HAVE MORE ROBUST
TOLERATING THE RANGE OF WEATHER
CONDITIONS.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THEY
MAKE THE VEHICLE MORE ROBUST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> I'LL TAKE THAT, AND THANKS,
WE HAVE A FEW UPGRADES FLYING ON
CREW ONE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
WE'RE WORKING WITH SPACEX ON IT,
HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE
THIS VEHICLE AND MAKE IT BETTER?
AND THE PRESSURE INVESTIGATIONS
ON FALCON NINE, MANY OF THEM ARE
AN UPGRADED LINE AND ARE THAT
MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE
ROBUST AS SPACEX IMPROVED THAT
LINE AND ARE IT WILL ALLOW THEM
TO USE IT A LITTLE LONGER.
THE TURBAN WHEELS ON THIS
VEHICLE, THE WHEELS ARE PRONE TO
ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU GET TO A
CERTAIN SETTING OF THE THROTTING
ON THE ENGINES, YOU COULD HAVE
CERTAIN SET UP, AND THESE AMOUR
ROBUST TO THE THROTTLE AND WE'RE
GLAD TO HAVE THAT AS A SAFETY
UPGRADE AND ALSO FOR LANDING, WE
MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE
STRUCTURE SO WE CAN HANDLE A
LITTLE BIT MORE WIND AT THE
LANDING ZONE, WHICH GIVES US A
FEW MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO LAND.
SO THROWS ARE THREE UPGRADES ON
THIS VEHICLE, AND YOU'LL
CONTINUE TO SEE UPGRADES WITH
THE CREW TOO AND FUTURE VEHICLES
TO IMPROVE SAFETY.
>> I GUESS, CNN, ARE YOU OUT
THERE, JACKIE?
>> Reporter: HEY, I SURE AM AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING
THIS.
ANOTHER COVID QUESTION, I WAS
CURIOUS IF I COULD GET SOME
INSIGHT ON HOW THE CONTACT
TRACING PLAYED OUT AND WHO WAS
IN CHARGE OF IT.
WAS IT SPACEX OR A JOINT TEAM
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY,
BENJI OR ANYONE ELSE CAN SPEAK
TO IF SOMETHING WAS TO ARISE IN
HAWTHORNE MISSION CONTROL, HOW
IT WOULD PLAY OUT.
>> THE WAY WE WORK FROM A
MEDICAL VIEW AT NASA, WE HAVE
SPACEX FLIGHT SURGEONS, AND NASA
HAS FLIGHT SURGEONS, AND WE HAVE
HEALTH AND HUMAN MEDICAL
DIRECTOR, AND WE ALL WORK VERY
CLOSELY TOGETHER.
AND OUR FLIGHT SURGEONS TALK TO
THE NASA FLIGHT SURGEONS, AND
OURS COME FROM NASA, AND WHAT
THEY HAVE WORKED OUT, NOT ONLY
FOLLOWING THE HEALTH
STABILIZATION PROTOCOLS THAT
THEY TALKED ABOUT, THE OVAL GOOD
PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES, MAKING
SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE
CDC GUIDELINES, INCLUDING WITH
THE CONTACT TRACING.
WE HAVE WORKED THAT, AND THESE
ARE THINGS THAT WHILE WE'LL DO
THINGS ON OUR SIDE.
AND THE CONTACT TRACING
OURSELVES FOR HOW WE'RE MANAGING
ALL OF OUR STAFF W. HE PROVIDE
THAT DATA AND REVIEW THAT WITH
NASA, AND EVERYBODY FEELS GOOD
ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE STAFF, YOU
ASKED ABOUT THE OPERATIONS IN
HAWTHORNE, FOR EXAMPLE N. THE
LAUNCH CONTROL AND FIRING
ROUTES, AND WE HAVE PLANS IN
PLACE, RIGHT?
WE HAVE THE BACKUP OPERATORS,
AND OUR OPERATORS HAVE BEEN AT A
HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF CARE, AND
THEY GO INTO A TYPE OF
QUARANTINE THEMSELVES, VERY
LIMITED INVOLVEMENT ACCESS, AND
DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DO, AND
DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE SCREENS TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE READY FOR
THE LONG-TERM MISSION AS WELL.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL
OF THAT GREAT SCIENCE GOING ON
IN THE STATION REQUIRES 6 MONTHS
AGO OF WORK, AND THAT MEANS THE
DRAGON WILL BE UP FOR SIX
MONTHS, AND WE'LL BE MONITORING
THE DRAGON SYSTEMS, AND HOW NASA
IS CONTINUING TO FLY, WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE CRITICAL
PERSONNEL ARE HEALTHY FOR THE
LONG HAUL.
>> ON THE CONTACT TRACING, IF
THERE'S ANY THOUGHT OR CONCERN
OF COMPROMISE TO THE FLIGHT
CREW, THE NASA TEAM WILL BE
DOING THAT CONTACT TRACING AND
WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT
SPACEX TO DO THAT TRACING OR
WHOEVER THE CONTRACTOR OR NASA
FACILITY MAY COME FROM, AND
WE'LL TRACE THAT BACK AND FIND
THE IMPACT.
FOR THE SPECIFIC TEAMS, IF THEY
HAVE NOT HAD CONTACT WITH THE
CREW, WE DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE
HAD CONTACT WITH THE CREW, AND
THE DIRECTOR, TO DO THOSE KINDS
OF CONTACT TRACES, AND AS BENGY
SAID, IT'S UNDER THE AUSPICE OF
THE HEALTH STABILIZATION PROGRAM
AND THE GUIDELINES SET FORWARD.
IT'S VERY THOROUGH.
>> NEXT UP, KENNETH CHANG,
"NEW YORK TIMES", AND GO AHEAD,
KEN.
[ NO AUDIO ]
>> LET'S SEE WHO IS NEXT IN THE
QUEUE.
JUST WAITING FOR THAT UPDATE.
KEN DROPPED OFF.
SUZIE FROM BUSINESS INSIDER.
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> YES, THANK YOU.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE
LAUNCH DATES BEYOND SUNDAY F.
YOU HAVE TO DELAY AGAIN, AND
WHAT ARE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS
AT THE SPLASHDOWN SITE LIKE FOR
EMERGENCY RECOVERY?
>> I CAN TAKE THAT QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE A SERIES OF LAUNCH
DATES COMING UP.
AND OBVIOUSLY, SUNDAY IS OUR
PRIME DATE.
AND THEN WE WOULD STAND DOWN ON
MONDAY, MONDAY, THERE'S A
SPACEWALK GOING ON ON THE ISS SO
THAT'S NOT A GOOD DAY TO GO OFF
AND RENDEZVOUS AND DOCK TO THE
SPACE STATION.
TUESDAY, ALSO IS NOT A GOOD DAY,
IT'S A LITTLE LONGER RENDEZVOUS
PROFILE AND WE DON'T WANT TO
TAKE THAT PROFILE.
SO THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE
WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY IN
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
RIGHT NOW, FOR SUNDAY, THE
WEATHER LOOKS PRETTY GOOD ALONG
THE COAST.
WHAT WE DO, WE PROTECT FOR AN
ESCAPE FROM THE LAUNCH PAD, ALL
THE WAY UP INTO ORBIT.
SO WE HAVE WEATHER CONSTRAINTS,
AND RIGHT NOW, THOSE LOOK GOOD
FOR MONDAY.
AND WE HAVE NOT LOOKED FAR OUT
TO WEDNESDAY, AND IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE WEEK, IT LOOKS GOOD NOT
ONLY FOR THE LAUNCH WEATHER, BUT
THE RECOVERY DRONE SHIP, WHICH
IS IMPORTANT AS WELL.
SO WE'RE PRETTY WELL SET UP FOR
SUNDAY, AND AS ARLENE SAID, WE
HAVE TO WATCH THE LOCAL WEATHER
AS THE FRONT COMES THROUGH.
WE GET SOME PRESIP OR STORMS
ALONG THE FRONT LINES.
>> THANKS, STEVE AND THANKS,
EVERYBODY, THAT'S ALL OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD.
THAT LEADS US TO SUNDAY, WHAT
EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT, THE
PREPARATIONS FOR LAUNCH ARE ON
GOING BE OBVIOUSLY, AND WITH OUR
NASA TV COVERAGE, IT'S GOING TO
CONTINUE AND START AT 3:15 P.M.
EASTERN TIME ON SUNDAY.
WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE
BROADCAST PLANNED FOR YOU, AND
MAKE SURE THAT YOU TUNE INTO
THAT.
THE LAUNCH IS TARGETED FOR
7:20 P.M. EASTERN TIME FROM
LAUNCH COMPLEX 39-A, THE
STARTING POINT FOR CREW ONE'S
ADVENTURE IF YOU WILL TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
WITH THAT LAUNCH SUNDAY EVENING,
CREW DRAGON RESILIENCE AND IT'S
FOUR ASTRONAUTS ARE SCHEDULED TO
DOCK AT 1 12 P.M. ON MONDAY AS
WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE TUNING
IN TODAY.
AND ONE REMINDER, KEEP
PRACTICING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND
GO CREW ONE, THANKS AGAIN, EVER.