1 00:00:12,300 --> 00:00:17,220 We’re here outside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. 2 00:00:17,220 --> 00:00:20,890 I’m Joshua Santora, and today I’m going to be your tour guide, taking you behind the 3 00:00:20,890 --> 00:00:24,120 scenes of the Exploration Ground Systems Program. 4 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,300 They’re responsible for all the infrastructure to build, launch and recover the world’s 5 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:33,260 most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System, or SLS, and the Orion crew capsule. 6 00:00:33,260 --> 00:00:37,620 Those three major elements make up the Artemis program, which is our mission and our drive 7 00:00:37,620 --> 00:00:42,660 to return to the moon and go farther beyond to Mars and even world’s unknown. 8 00:00:42,660 --> 00:00:46,730 Our tour stops today include an underway recovery test, where you’ll get a firsthand look 9 00:00:46,730 --> 00:00:51,780 at what it’s like to be on a NAVY ship trying to pull a spaceship out of the Pacific Ocean. 10 00:00:51,780 --> 00:00:57,879 Be sure to enjoy the view and look around as we go, and let’s get going. 11 00:00:57,879 --> 00:00:59,880 Goal one was to build. 12 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:03,929 This high bay was previously used by the shuttle program and had to be completely overhauled 13 00:01:03,929 --> 00:01:08,570 with brand new platforms custom-made for the Space Launch System, or SLS. 14 00:01:08,570 --> 00:01:13,360 There are 10 levels of platforms, and they have been designed in a modular fashion where 15 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:18,470 the platform inserts can change to accommodate different rockets or future configurations 16 00:01:18,470 --> 00:01:20,610 of SLS. 17 00:01:20,610 --> 00:01:25,501 The distance the platforms extend and retract can change, just like kitchen drawers, and 18 00:01:25,501 --> 00:01:29,960 even the vertical location of each platform in the High Bay can change. 19 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:34,820 These platforms allow up-close access to do stacking and checkout of the vehicle before 20 00:01:34,820 --> 00:01:38,030 rolling out to the launch pad. 21 00:01:38,030 --> 00:01:42,850 This high bay represents one of many facilities that had to be built or modified to be ready 22 00:01:42,850 --> 00:01:44,220 for future vehicles. 23 00:01:44,220 --> 00:01:49,640 We’ve also had to build incredible pieces of software to perform necessary functions 24 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,280 and provide launch controllers the data they need. 25 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:59,310 As you can see, this 510-foot-tall high bay is just one example of how massive the challenge 26 00:01:59,310 --> 00:02:00,830 has been for us. 27 00:02:00,830 --> 00:02:05,060 The second major function of EGS is to launch. 28 00:02:05,060 --> 00:02:10,459 Launch is the culmination of years of intense labor to actually get the hardware into space. 29 00:02:10,459 --> 00:02:15,970 It’s also the culmination of a two-day, around-the-clock procedure to prepare, power, 30 00:02:15,970 --> 00:02:18,870 and fuel the vehicle for flight. 31 00:02:18,870 --> 00:02:22,820 Right now, the teams around the room are working together to walk through full simulations 32 00:02:22,820 --> 00:02:24,310 of the countdown procedure. 33 00:02:24,310 --> 00:02:29,010 It’s a procedure that takes up books that fill entire shelves. 34 00:02:29,010 --> 00:02:32,780 Everything is choreographed and meticulously planned. 35 00:02:32,780 --> 00:02:37,490 The teams here are even simulating failures and unexpected situations to ensure they’re 36 00:02:37,490 --> 00:02:41,370 ready to tackle any challenge that arises on the journey to liftoff. 37 00:02:41,370 --> 00:02:45,300 Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the first female launch director, is leading the entire team 38 00:02:45,300 --> 00:02:47,660 and preparing them for Artemis launches. 39 00:02:47,660 --> 00:02:49,750 Her task is no small one. 40 00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:54,430 She has to know that her people are ready not only to launch, but ready to stop a launch 41 00:02:54,430 --> 00:02:57,050 if circumstances arise that demand caution. 42 00:02:57,050 --> 00:03:03,120 It’s not an easy thing to be the one who says, “We can’t launch today.” 43 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,900 The final phase of the responsibility of EGS is to recover. 44 00:03:06,900 --> 00:03:11,390 Once SLS leaves Earth, EGS hands the reins over to the Johnson Space Center and Mission 45 00:03:11,390 --> 00:03:13,120 Control in Houston. 46 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,550 But as soon as Orion returns to Earth, EGS resumes control. 47 00:03:17,550 --> 00:03:22,630 Once Orion touches down gently in the Pacific Ocean, it will be the job of teams on a ship 48 00:03:22,630 --> 00:03:29,320 just like this to get to the capsule quickly, secure it, and get the astronauts out safely. 49 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:34,220 Then they have to pull Orion into the well deck of a Navy landing platform dock ship, 50 00:03:34,220 --> 00:03:36,790 just like what you see here now. 51 00:03:36,790 --> 00:03:40,569 The partnership that NASA has formed with the U.S. Navy is proving to be invaluable, 52 00:03:40,569 --> 00:03:45,040 as they have provided all the necessary support to ensure mission success. 53 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:49,020 They have provided the help of several vehicles, each outfitted with an enormous well decks 54 00:03:49,020 --> 00:03:53,290 to be able to grapple Orion and pull her inside to safety. 55 00:03:53,290 --> 00:03:57,370 That might sound like it’s pretty easy, but this is the ocean, which can be a very 56 00:03:57,370 --> 00:03:59,130 unforgiving place. 57 00:03:59,130 --> 00:04:03,780 These teams have spent years using mockups, like this one, to practice understanding how 58 00:04:03,780 --> 00:04:06,599 Orion will move in the ocean and what to expect. 59 00:04:06,599 --> 00:04:11,380 There is also a wave-monitoring system onboard to chart the best course for minimal energy 60 00:04:11,380 --> 00:04:16,590 in the well deck—that is to say… we want as few waves as possible. 61 00:04:16,590 --> 00:04:21,370 They practice for when conditions are ideal, and they practice for when things go wrong. 62 00:04:21,370 --> 00:04:27,680 The mission isn’t over until everyone is home safely. 63 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,289 We hope that you will continue to track our progress as we work towards the first woman 64 00:04:31,289 --> 00:04:33,319 and next man to walk on the moon. 65 00:04:33,319 --> 00:04:37,330 From NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for Exploration Ground Systems, that’s all we have time 66 00:04:37,330 --> 00:04:38,620 for today.