1 00:00:00,359 --> 00:00:01,420 I'm here Marie. 2 00:00:01,420 --> 00:00:04,200 And I'm actually here with Tim Dunn as well, of the Launch Services Program. 3 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,560 Tim, can you tell us about how today's launch went. 4 00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:07,560 Hey Josh. 5 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:08,680 Wow, are we excited? 6 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:15,190 I mean, we just had a perfect countdown and perfect launch of the TESS mission. 7 00:00:15,190 --> 00:00:16,910 It was a wonderful day. 8 00:00:16,910 --> 00:00:21,340 Obviously, if you got any views outside here of the central coast you saw what a gorgeous 9 00:00:21,340 --> 00:00:22,340 day it was. 10 00:00:22,340 --> 00:00:24,630 So we had perfect weather for the launch. 11 00:00:24,630 --> 00:00:25,900 We had a terrific rocket. 12 00:00:25,900 --> 00:00:31,840 The Falcon 9 just continues to demonstrate what a reliable ride it has become. 13 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:37,870 And spacecraft, we turned on TESS spacecraft early this morning. 14 00:00:37,870 --> 00:00:40,390 And that went super smooth. 15 00:00:40,390 --> 00:00:46,220 We worked one very minor little item with the TESS during the countdown. 16 00:00:46,220 --> 00:00:51,170 It was really insignificant in the overall picture. 17 00:00:51,170 --> 00:00:56,440 TESS was really solid during the rest of the countdown. 18 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,630 The range, hat's off to the United States Air Force and the 45th Space Wing. 19 00:01:01,630 --> 00:01:05,840 They continue to have a beautiful range for us to launch on. 20 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:10,850 And again, I don't have a whole lot to talk about as far as troubles during the countdown. 21 00:01:10,850 --> 00:01:12,400 It was super smooth. 22 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,320 A beautiful day, a beautiful launch. 23 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:15,690 A great rocket. 24 00:01:15,690 --> 00:01:20,290 And we now have an operational spacecraft on its way to do great science. 25 00:01:20,290 --> 00:01:23,680 And talking about the importance of the TESS mission, can you talk about with respect of 26 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,240 the Launch Services Program, how did they launch TESS? 27 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:27,240 Oh, wow. 28 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:33,600 Well for us, this was only Launch Services Program's second flight on a Falcon 9 rocket. 29 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:38,020 A couple of years ago, we did the Jason-3 mission from the west coast. 30 00:01:38,020 --> 00:01:42,570 This was our second full-up science mission on Falcon 9. 31 00:01:42,570 --> 00:01:50,890 So, our entire team of engineers and analysts within LSP was able to demonstrate another 32 00:01:50,890 --> 00:01:59,670 certification process where we certified this full-thrust version Block 4 that flew today. 33 00:01:59,670 --> 00:02:06,420 And to see all of that hard work for the past two-and-a-half years that the entire Falcon 34 00:02:06,420 --> 00:02:12,280 9 team within LSP put together, to see that rewarded with a successful launch, means so 35 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:13,970 much to our team. 36 00:02:13,970 --> 00:02:15,750 It's an incredible team. 37 00:02:15,750 --> 00:02:19,130 And SpaceX has an incredible team. 38 00:02:19,130 --> 00:02:23,130 Their engineers and analysts here at the launch site here at Cape Canaveral, as well as their 39 00:02:23,130 --> 00:02:27,770 team back in California, at Hawthorne, my hat's off to them. 40 00:02:27,770 --> 00:02:29,080 Terrific launch team. 41 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:35,510 And when you put us all together, the government and the commercial guys together, it's just 42 00:02:35,510 --> 00:02:42,310 so satisfying to watch a team kind of seamlessly blend and integrate to accomplish such an 43 00:02:42,310 --> 00:02:44,320 important mission for our agency. 44 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,680 So it sounds like a pretty exciting night for both SpaceX and NASA. 45 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,720 And the Launch Services Program has a big year, and we've got big stuff coming up still. 46 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,370 Can you tell us about what's next for the Launch Services Program? 47 00:02:53,370 --> 00:02:54,370 Absolutely. 48 00:02:54,370 --> 00:02:59,290 So, we were thrilled to launch tonight, mainly because now it kind of clears a little bit 49 00:02:59,290 --> 00:03:06,240 off the runway because our Atlas V team now has to turn around, get out to the west coast 50 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:12,240 for the InSight mission, flying in just two-and-a-half weeks, on May 5, from Vandenberg Air Force 51 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:13,810 Base. 52 00:03:13,810 --> 00:03:20,140 And then we have a Pegasus mission coming up, with the ICON spacecraft. 53 00:03:20,140 --> 00:03:26,220 And that's going to stage out of Vandenberg, fly downrange to Kwajalein, and launch from 54 00:03:26,220 --> 00:03:28,069 Kwaj in mid-June. 55 00:03:28,069 --> 00:03:30,860 Right now we're targeting June 14. 56 00:03:30,860 --> 00:03:34,459 We come back here to the Cape in the end of July. 57 00:03:34,459 --> 00:03:39,970 We'll be processing the Parker Solar Probe mission, which is a mission to go study the 58 00:03:39,970 --> 00:03:41,080 Sun. 59 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:47,000 It will be the first time LSP has flown a science mission on the Delta IV Heavy. 60 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,550 So that's very exciting for our team. 61 00:03:49,550 --> 00:03:57,370 Then, if all goes according to plan, our sixth and final mission for LSP for 2018 will occur 62 00:03:57,370 --> 00:04:01,110 in September, from Vandenberg Air Force Base again. 63 00:04:01,110 --> 00:04:07,310 That will be the ICESat-2 mission on the very last Delta II launch vehicle. 64 00:04:07,310 --> 00:04:12,739 So, I would say if you're a Delta II fan out there, you might want to find your way to 65 00:04:12,739 --> 00:04:16,609 the central California coast right around Sept. 12. 66 00:04:16,609 --> 00:04:20,409 Because that's going to be very special event to watch the final Delta II fly. 67 00:04:20,409 --> 00:04:27,809 It's been a workhorse for the agency and it's really special to a lot of folks that have 68 00:04:27,809 --> 00:04:31,339 been in this business for the last 30 years now that it's been flying. 69 00:04:31,339 --> 00:04:34,960 Well it sounds like we've got a lot to look forward to from the Launch Services Program. 70 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,189 And then a lot to look forward to with the TESS mission, which we launched successfully 71 00:04:38,189 --> 00:04:39,189 tonight.