1 00:00:01,101 --> 00:00:07,107 [exciting music] 2 00:00:16,383 --> 00:00:19,019 - Well here we are at the Kennedy Space Center, 3 00:00:19,052 --> 00:00:21,288 literally four days away from launching 4 00:00:21,321 --> 00:00:22,856 Perseverance to Mars. 5 00:00:22,890 --> 00:00:25,359 But we're also gonna have Ingenuity with it. 6 00:00:25,392 --> 00:00:27,961 We're gonna fly a helicopter on another world 7 00:00:27,995 --> 00:00:29,630 for the first time in human history. 8 00:00:29,663 --> 00:00:31,665 So many exciting things happening. 9 00:00:31,698 --> 00:00:34,368 And we want you to come with us on this experience, 10 00:00:34,401 --> 00:00:35,802 not just for the launch, 11 00:00:35,836 --> 00:00:37,638 but for the entire mission, 12 00:00:37,671 --> 00:00:40,240 because there is so much discovery ahead of us. 13 00:00:49,216 --> 00:00:50,384 [intriguing music] 14 00:00:50,417 --> 00:00:53,253 So you can see the launchpad over there 15 00:00:53,287 --> 00:00:54,821 that looks like an upside-down L. 16 00:00:54,855 --> 00:00:56,390 That's the launchpad that we use 17 00:00:56,423 --> 00:00:59,826 for our Atlas V launches. 18 00:00:59,860 --> 00:01:02,296 And it's a--it's the same launchpad 19 00:01:02,329 --> 00:01:04,031 that we use for Starliner. 20 00:01:04,064 --> 00:01:06,967 And of course, now we're gonna launch Mars Perseverance 21 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,468 from the same launchpad. 22 00:01:08,502 --> 00:01:10,237 The thing that I'm most excited about 23 00:01:10,270 --> 00:01:14,208 is that this is the first mission we've ever done 24 00:01:14,241 --> 00:01:16,710 that is designated for astrobiology. 25 00:01:16,743 --> 00:01:17,845 - Yeah. 26 00:01:17,878 --> 00:01:20,247 - The idea that we are, no kidding, 27 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,416 designating a rover 28 00:01:22,449 --> 00:01:26,320 to look for signs of past life on Mars. 29 00:01:26,353 --> 00:01:28,856 - And as you said, it's our first astrobiology mission. 30 00:01:28,889 --> 00:01:30,290 We really wanna go after 31 00:01:30,324 --> 00:01:32,559 and identify if there were actually 32 00:01:32,593 --> 00:01:34,761 these early fossils of microbes. 33 00:01:34,795 --> 00:01:36,830 We wanna look for those-- where we wanna drill, 34 00:01:36,864 --> 00:01:39,233 the most likely places to get those samples, 35 00:01:39,266 --> 00:01:41,201 so we can bring 'em back to Earth 36 00:01:41,235 --> 00:01:43,637 because we've got the best instruments on Earth, 37 00:01:43,670 --> 00:01:45,939 where we can do incredible analyses on those rocks 38 00:01:45,973 --> 00:01:47,274 when we get them back here. 39 00:01:47,307 --> 00:01:50,477 - So it's really our first return trip adventure 40 00:01:50,511 --> 00:01:51,712 to another planet. 41 00:01:51,745 --> 00:01:53,313 - It'll be the first time we've ever done 42 00:01:53,347 --> 00:01:55,315 a complete round trip to another planet. 43 00:01:55,349 --> 00:01:57,217 It'll be the first time that we launch 44 00:01:57,251 --> 00:01:59,486 a rocket from the surface of another planet. 45 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,788 - And all of those things conspire to say that 46 00:02:01,822 --> 00:02:05,526 maybe at one time, Mars could have hosted life. 47 00:02:05,559 --> 00:02:07,794 And now we're actually gonna go 48 00:02:07,828 --> 00:02:09,930 and try to make those discoveries. 49 00:02:09,963 --> 00:02:12,432 You're the head planetary scientist at NASA. 50 00:02:12,466 --> 00:02:14,368 What is it that has you the most excited 51 00:02:14,401 --> 00:02:15,903 about this mission? 52 00:02:15,936 --> 00:02:18,272 - I am so excited 53 00:02:18,305 --> 00:02:21,074 to start exploring that river delta in Jezero. 54 00:02:21,108 --> 00:02:22,910 I cannot wait to get there, 55 00:02:22,943 --> 00:02:25,245 and drive up to that delta, 56 00:02:25,279 --> 00:02:26,747 and taking our first look at it, 57 00:02:26,780 --> 00:02:29,416 and seeing what's in there, what's in those rocks. 58 00:02:29,449 --> 00:02:30,851 I think that's gonna be phenomenal. 59 00:02:30,884 --> 00:02:32,719 - So there's so many things that are exciting 60 00:02:32,753 --> 00:02:34,721 about this mission, but, you know, 61 00:02:34,755 --> 00:02:36,523 there's a helicopter involved in this mission, 62 00:02:36,557 --> 00:02:38,258 which is the first time we've ever 63 00:02:38,292 --> 00:02:40,794 tried to fly a helicopter on another world. 64 00:02:40,827 --> 00:02:43,597 But what does the helicopter give us? 65 00:02:43,630 --> 00:02:46,900 - I think the helicopter is just amazing technology, 66 00:02:46,934 --> 00:02:50,070 amazing ingenuity, which is its name. 67 00:02:50,103 --> 00:02:53,140 A very appropriate name for the helicopter. 68 00:02:53,173 --> 00:02:54,942 It's really incredible. 69 00:02:54,975 --> 00:02:57,845 And you, as a pilot, I know understand 70 00:02:57,878 --> 00:03:01,014 just how hard it is to achieve flight on Mars. 71 00:03:01,048 --> 00:03:02,749 And what's really cool about that 72 00:03:02,783 --> 00:03:04,852 is it's gonna give us insight into the future 73 00:03:04,885 --> 00:03:06,253 of what we could do. 74 00:03:06,286 --> 00:03:08,889 So I think the powered flight is gonna be something 75 00:03:08,922 --> 00:03:10,357 that changes the way we think 76 00:03:10,390 --> 00:03:12,359 about doing exploration on Mars. 77 00:03:12,392 --> 00:03:15,229 - We have all witnessed COVID. 78 00:03:15,262 --> 00:03:17,497 And... 79 00:03:17,531 --> 00:03:20,167 we watched the world stop. 80 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,002 Jim and I both just so amazed 81 00:03:22,035 --> 00:03:23,937 at your workforce, 82 00:03:23,971 --> 00:03:25,439 our workforce. 83 00:03:25,472 --> 00:03:27,307 And to continue during COVID. 84 00:03:27,341 --> 00:03:28,842 - And they have worked 85 00:03:28,876 --> 00:03:30,911 and been so incredibly dedicated, 86 00:03:30,944 --> 00:03:32,713 really done an amazing job, 87 00:03:32,746 --> 00:03:34,681 and it's inspirational. 88 00:03:34,715 --> 00:03:36,817 - It is inspirational. It's aspirational. 89 00:03:36,850 --> 00:03:37,818 - Yeah. 90 00:03:37,851 --> 00:03:39,853 - And as a team, we came together. 91 00:03:39,887 --> 00:03:42,856 And here we are in the middle of a pandemic, 92 00:03:42,890 --> 00:03:45,192 the worst in 100 years, 93 00:03:45,225 --> 00:03:47,261 and we're still going, "We're gonna do it!" 94 00:03:47,294 --> 00:03:49,363 - [chuckles] - That's so exciting to me. 95 00:03:49,396 --> 00:03:51,398 This has been great. I've learned so much. 96 00:03:51,431 --> 00:03:52,466 - Good. - And I appreciate 97 00:03:52,499 --> 00:03:54,434 both Jim and Lori. Thank you. 98 00:03:54,468 --> 00:03:55,636 - Well, awesome. 99 00:03:55,669 --> 00:03:56,803 Lori, thank you for all your time today. 100 00:03:56,837 --> 00:03:58,805 - Thanks, Jim. 101 00:03:58,839 --> 00:04:00,140 - Hi! - Hi, how are you? 102 00:04:00,174 --> 00:04:01,275 - Good. How are you? 103 00:04:01,308 --> 00:04:02,910 - [indistinct] - Same here! 104 00:04:02,943 --> 00:04:04,011 Elbow bump? Yeah! 105 00:04:04,044 --> 00:04:05,012 [laughs] - There you go. 106 00:04:05,045 --> 00:04:06,813 What I love about NASA 107 00:04:06,847 --> 00:04:09,016 is that it--it's one of those things 108 00:04:09,049 --> 00:04:11,285 that unites people. It brings people together. 109 00:04:11,318 --> 00:04:13,487 When you look at the team that put this robot together 110 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,590 and the team that put this launch vehicle together, 111 00:04:16,623 --> 00:04:17,824 that's what they've done. 112 00:04:17,858 --> 00:04:19,126 They've persevered. - So, yeah. 113 00:04:19,159 --> 00:04:20,694 This is where the magic happens. 114 00:04:20,727 --> 00:04:21,929 - Fantastic. - Yeah. 115 00:04:21,962 --> 00:04:23,230 - So tell me what you're working on here. 116 00:04:23,263 --> 00:04:26,033 - So we've taken over 117 00:04:26,066 --> 00:04:28,836 15,000 samples of the spacecraft over time. 118 00:04:28,869 --> 00:04:29,937 - Okay. 119 00:04:29,970 --> 00:04:31,805 - Each sample is taken. 120 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:33,373 It's sonicated. 121 00:04:33,407 --> 00:04:35,042 It's heat shocked in a water bath 122 00:04:35,075 --> 00:04:36,510 at 80 degrees Celsius. 123 00:04:36,543 --> 00:04:38,946 And we search for specific endospores, 124 00:04:38,979 --> 00:04:40,480 bacterial endospores, 125 00:04:40,514 --> 00:04:42,516 because those are the things that have the highest potential 126 00:04:42,549 --> 00:04:44,551 of surviving the journey from here to Mars. 127 00:04:44,585 --> 00:04:45,552 - Right. 128 00:04:45,586 --> 00:04:46,787 - And the reason why we do that 129 00:04:46,820 --> 00:04:48,689 is because we don't wanna contaminate Mars... 130 00:04:48,722 --> 00:04:50,290 - Right. - With our Earth bacteria. 131 00:04:50,324 --> 00:04:52,659 - So a lot of people hear "planetary protection." 132 00:04:52,693 --> 00:04:53,794 - Yeah. 133 00:04:53,827 --> 00:04:55,529 - But your word there, "contamination." 134 00:04:55,562 --> 00:04:57,231 That's really what we're trying to prevent. 135 00:04:57,264 --> 00:04:59,366 Planetary protection is all about 136 00:04:59,399 --> 00:05:02,102 keeping the science as pure as possible... 137 00:05:02,135 --> 00:05:03,203 - Mm-hmm. 138 00:05:03,237 --> 00:05:04,838 - So that when we do make discoveries, 139 00:05:04,872 --> 00:05:07,107 we know that they are, in fact, discoveries. 140 00:05:07,140 --> 00:05:08,342 - Exactly. Wow. 141 00:05:08,375 --> 00:05:09,977 You can just take over this job. 142 00:05:10,010 --> 00:05:11,245 [both laughing] 143 00:05:11,278 --> 00:05:13,780 - I'll leave the science to you. 144 00:05:13,814 --> 00:05:15,282 - So these are actually samples 145 00:05:15,315 --> 00:05:17,818 from the Windbreaker that goes over the MMRTG 146 00:05:17,851 --> 00:05:18,919 on the back of the rover. 147 00:05:18,952 --> 00:05:20,153 So that was just a few days ago. 148 00:05:20,187 --> 00:05:21,522 - Right, right. - Yeah. 149 00:05:21,555 --> 00:05:23,323 - MMRTG, that's in essence, 150 00:05:23,357 --> 00:05:25,659 the fuel for the rover. 151 00:05:25,692 --> 00:05:27,427 - Exactly. So we were in there 152 00:05:27,461 --> 00:05:29,830 by the radiation source, taking those samples, 153 00:05:29,863 --> 00:05:31,532 and it came out really, really clean. 154 00:05:31,565 --> 00:05:32,833 - Awesome. - We actually have-- 155 00:05:32,866 --> 00:05:35,035 we're far, far below the requirements 156 00:05:35,068 --> 00:05:36,236 for the entire vehicle. 157 00:05:36,270 --> 00:05:37,504 - Awesome. Good, good, good. 158 00:05:37,538 --> 00:05:38,639 - So yeah. 159 00:05:38,672 --> 00:05:40,707 This is our next-to-last set of samples. 160 00:05:40,741 --> 00:05:42,743 We have our final set in the incubator. 161 00:05:42,776 --> 00:05:44,845 It's from the payload launch fairing doors. 162 00:05:44,878 --> 00:05:46,380 - Okay. - And that's it. 163 00:05:46,413 --> 00:05:48,048 The doors are on and it's ready to launch. 164 00:05:48,081 --> 00:05:49,583 - Awesome. - It's pretty exciting. 165 00:05:49,616 --> 00:05:52,119 - These are all very important things that you're working on. 166 00:05:52,152 --> 00:05:53,754 - I actually have a 3D printed model... 167 00:05:53,787 --> 00:05:54,988 - Oh, wonderful. - Of the tube assembly 168 00:05:55,022 --> 00:05:56,590 if you wanna see. - Let's go look at it. 169 00:05:56,623 --> 00:05:59,126 - It's what the robotic arm on the inside of the rover uses 170 00:05:59,159 --> 00:06:00,460 to manipulate the tubes. 171 00:06:00,494 --> 00:06:01,828 And the tube itself. 172 00:06:01,862 --> 00:06:03,730 - The sample that we collect on Mars... 173 00:06:03,764 --> 00:06:05,098 - Uh-huh. - Goes in where? 174 00:06:05,132 --> 00:06:06,967 - Goes in here. - In this side here. 175 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,902 So we have the sample in here. - Mm-hmm. 176 00:06:08,936 --> 00:06:10,137 - And it could be a rock. 177 00:06:10,170 --> 00:06:12,206 It could be some kind of soil. - Yes. 178 00:06:12,239 --> 00:06:13,407 - It could be whatever it is. 179 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,142 And then you leave this... - Yeah. 180 00:06:15,175 --> 00:06:17,344 - On the surface of Mars... - Yeah. 181 00:06:17,377 --> 00:06:20,547 - For our 2026 mission... - Exactly. 182 00:06:20,581 --> 00:06:22,482 - Which is gonna go pick this up... 183 00:06:22,516 --> 00:06:23,483 - Yes. - And bring it back to Earth. 184 00:06:23,517 --> 00:06:24,484 - Yeah. 185 00:06:24,518 --> 00:06:25,886 - And just make sure we don't 186 00:06:25,919 --> 00:06:27,187 bring any microbes back 187 00:06:27,221 --> 00:06:28,589 that are gonna hurt us, all right? 188 00:06:28,622 --> 00:06:29,590 - Got it. - All right. 189 00:06:29,623 --> 00:06:30,791 - You got my word. [laughs] 190 00:06:30,824 --> 00:06:32,626 - Thank you so much. - Oh, thank you! 191 00:06:32,659 --> 00:06:34,294 - All right. - Thank you. 192 00:06:34,328 --> 00:06:40,167 [dramatic music] 193 00:06:42,569 --> 00:06:44,671 [gentle music] 194 00:06:44,705 --> 00:06:47,274 - 30 seconds. - Hey, how are you? 195 00:06:47,307 --> 00:06:50,110 - So we just had the launch readiness review, 196 00:06:50,143 --> 00:06:52,546 and we are, in fact, go for launch. 197 00:06:52,579 --> 00:06:54,448 So it's a very exciting time, 198 00:06:54,481 --> 00:06:56,316 and the press conference should be a lot of fun. 199 00:06:56,350 --> 00:06:58,218 But we are in fact gonna launch 200 00:06:58,252 --> 00:07:00,787 what we now call Mars Perseverance 201 00:07:00,821 --> 00:07:02,356 in the year 2020. 202 00:07:02,389 --> 00:07:04,191 And we are in extraordinary times right now 203 00:07:04,224 --> 00:07:06,960 with the coronavirus pandemic. 204 00:07:06,994 --> 00:07:09,563 And yet, we have in fact persevered. 205 00:07:09,596 --> 00:07:12,032 - The most important thing that happens in these missions 206 00:07:12,065 --> 00:07:13,400 are the things we did not plan. 207 00:07:13,433 --> 00:07:15,035 - Really for the first time, we're looking 208 00:07:15,068 --> 00:07:16,236 for signs of life 209 00:07:16,270 --> 00:07:17,471 on another planet. 210 00:07:17,504 --> 00:07:19,806 - And we are literally chomping at the bit 211 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,276 to take this nuclear-powered dune buggy 212 00:07:22,309 --> 00:07:23,577 out to Mars. 213 00:07:23,610 --> 00:07:25,946 - Suppose we get to the Mars sample return 214 00:07:25,979 --> 00:07:29,183 and in fact we find irrefutable evidence 215 00:07:29,216 --> 00:07:31,185 of life existing on Mars. 216 00:07:31,218 --> 00:07:32,586 How will that change the Earth? 217 00:07:32,619 --> 00:07:35,822 - It'll transform how we think about exploration. 218 00:07:35,856 --> 00:07:38,158 What comes next? What else can we discover? 219 00:07:38,192 --> 00:07:40,894 - And all the likelihoods that relate to life 220 00:07:40,928 --> 00:07:42,629 all went up. - Right. 221 00:07:42,663 --> 00:07:43,764 - There was no water there. 222 00:07:43,797 --> 00:07:45,232 There's water everywhere, right? 223 00:07:45,265 --> 00:07:47,167 - So the more discoveries we make, 224 00:07:47,201 --> 00:07:49,770 the more we understand how much we don't know. 225 00:07:49,803 --> 00:07:50,971 - Mm-hmm. 226 00:07:51,004 --> 00:07:52,706 - And how much more work there is to be done. 227 00:07:52,739 --> 00:07:54,041 - And the exciting part, of course, 228 00:07:54,074 --> 00:07:55,843 is to get humans there too. - Absolutely. 229 00:07:55,876 --> 00:07:58,145 - I mean, that will be a huge accelerator of research. 230 00:07:58,178 --> 00:07:59,279 Right? I mean-- 231 00:07:59,313 --> 00:08:01,548 - But if we wanna do even more science, 232 00:08:01,582 --> 00:08:03,817 we need to have human exploration partner with us. 233 00:08:03,851 --> 00:08:06,620 - The exploration could be your body, could be human. 234 00:08:06,653 --> 00:08:08,455 But it's exploration, right? - Right. 235 00:08:08,488 --> 00:08:10,290 - And we need to find the right ways. 236 00:08:10,324 --> 00:08:12,693 Thanks to you and for everything you've done. 237 00:08:12,726 --> 00:08:14,361 Especially during this COVID time. 238 00:08:14,394 --> 00:08:15,696 And we said it together. 239 00:08:15,729 --> 00:08:18,332 "Yes, we will make this 2020 launch." 240 00:08:18,365 --> 00:08:21,201 We will put everything we can behind this team. 241 00:08:21,235 --> 00:08:22,402 And we did, you know? 242 00:08:22,436 --> 00:08:23,737 - Well, thank you for all your leadership, 243 00:08:23,770 --> 00:08:25,305 and we'll look forward to a good launch. 244 00:08:25,339 --> 00:08:27,274 - Well, thanks to you. 245 00:08:27,307 --> 00:08:28,375 - Howdy. 246 00:08:28,408 --> 00:08:29,743 - Welcome to the RPSF. 247 00:08:29,776 --> 00:08:32,079 We're gonna go through-- go in those side doors. 248 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,149 - When humanity is multiplanetary, 249 00:08:36,183 --> 00:08:38,252 that's kind of, I think, the vision 250 00:08:38,285 --> 00:08:40,988 that all of us who are interested in exploring space, 251 00:08:41,021 --> 00:08:43,090 that's what we would like to see. 252 00:08:43,123 --> 00:08:44,591 What we do right now today 253 00:08:44,625 --> 00:08:47,895 is either going to enable or prevent that future. 254 00:08:47,928 --> 00:08:49,396 - We're very proud to be a part of this. 255 00:08:49,429 --> 00:08:50,597 - Good. 256 00:08:50,631 --> 00:08:52,099 - These are all three programs coming together, 257 00:08:52,132 --> 00:08:53,667 all working every single day together. 258 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:55,469 - As we put this rocket together, 259 00:08:55,502 --> 00:08:57,571 these are the solid rocket boosters 260 00:08:57,604 --> 00:09:00,874 that are gonna be attached to the Space Launch System, SLS, 261 00:09:00,908 --> 00:09:03,010 with the Orion capsule on top. 262 00:09:03,043 --> 00:09:05,279 - The solid rocket fuel is in there right now? 263 00:09:05,312 --> 00:09:06,313 - Yes, sir. 264 00:09:06,346 --> 00:09:07,915 - We're gonna take that first woman 265 00:09:07,948 --> 00:09:09,449 and next man to the Moon. 266 00:09:09,483 --> 00:09:10,450 - How you doing, sir? - Hey! 267 00:09:10,484 --> 00:09:11,552 Good. How are you? 268 00:09:11,585 --> 00:09:12,553 - Pretty good. How about yourself, man? 269 00:09:12,586 --> 00:09:13,654 - I'm doing excellent. 270 00:09:13,687 --> 00:09:14,888 - That is one segment right there. 271 00:09:14,922 --> 00:09:16,456 There's five segments. - Right. 272 00:09:16,490 --> 00:09:19,293 - And we'll stack these rocket segments 273 00:09:19,326 --> 00:09:20,360 that you see here, these solid segments, 274 00:09:20,394 --> 00:09:21,428 on the mobile launcher. 275 00:09:21,461 --> 00:09:23,063 - Now--which is amazing. - It is! 276 00:09:23,096 --> 00:09:24,765 - You know, what's so cool is, 277 00:09:24,798 --> 00:09:27,301 we're here because we're gonna launch 278 00:09:27,334 --> 00:09:30,604 Perseverance going to Mars. 279 00:09:30,637 --> 00:09:32,739 - Precursor for sending humans. - Exactly. 280 00:09:32,773 --> 00:09:34,641 - We're building a sustainable architecture. 281 00:09:34,675 --> 00:09:36,109 The rover--Perseverance rover-- 282 00:09:36,143 --> 00:09:37,911 Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, 283 00:09:37,945 --> 00:09:39,179 that is really hard. 284 00:09:39,213 --> 00:09:41,782 That is a huge challenge to get that 285 00:09:41,815 --> 00:09:43,951 onto the surface of Mars 286 00:09:43,984 --> 00:09:45,352 and have everything work, 287 00:09:45,385 --> 00:09:48,255 but that is nothing compared to putting humans down, 288 00:09:48,288 --> 00:09:50,657 'cause humans--you gotta give 'em air to breathe. 289 00:09:50,691 --> 00:09:52,626 You gotta scrub the CO2. 290 00:09:52,659 --> 00:09:54,361 You gotta provide a pressurized environment. 291 00:09:54,394 --> 00:09:55,562 You gotta take care of all their waste. 292 00:09:55,596 --> 00:09:57,397 You gotta give 'em food to eat. 293 00:09:57,431 --> 00:09:59,833 - People ask us, you know, why are you doing this? 294 00:09:59,867 --> 00:10:01,301 Why is this so important? 295 00:10:01,335 --> 00:10:03,470 - It's about learning, about exploring, 296 00:10:03,504 --> 00:10:05,472 about going beyond what we currently know 297 00:10:05,506 --> 00:10:06,607 to make us even better. 298 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:08,809 And I truly believe we as a species 299 00:10:08,842 --> 00:10:10,644 have to be able to live off our home planet. 300 00:10:10,677 --> 00:10:13,146 Huge challenge, but we've got an awesome team. 301 00:10:13,180 --> 00:10:14,648 - Thank you, Bob. - Thank you, sir. 302 00:10:14,681 --> 00:10:15,883 - All right. 303 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,756 [dramatic boom] 304 00:10:22,789 --> 00:10:25,192 [dramatic music] 305 00:10:25,225 --> 00:10:28,462 - So today we're gonna watch this big rocket behind us, 306 00:10:28,495 --> 00:10:32,666 the Atlas V with the Mars Perseverance on top inside the fairing, 307 00:10:32,699 --> 00:10:34,368 roll out to the launchpad. 308 00:10:34,401 --> 00:10:37,404 - I've launched almost 400 rockets over my career, 309 00:10:37,437 --> 00:10:39,239 but I still get butterflies. 310 00:10:39,273 --> 00:10:40,941 Everything has to go right. 311 00:10:40,974 --> 00:10:42,176 Nothing can go wrong. 312 00:10:42,209 --> 00:10:43,677 - This particular rocket-- 313 00:10:43,710 --> 00:10:45,312 it's an Atlas V, of course, 314 00:10:45,345 --> 00:10:47,681 but there's different versions of the Atlas V. 315 00:10:47,714 --> 00:10:50,083 This one is one of the more powerful versions. 316 00:10:50,117 --> 00:10:53,654 - So it has four massive solid rocket motors 317 00:10:53,687 --> 00:10:57,257 augmenting the already 860,000 pounds 318 00:10:57,291 --> 00:10:59,259 of thrust from the center core. 319 00:10:59,293 --> 00:11:01,361 And we call this one The Dominator. 320 00:11:01,395 --> 00:11:02,462 - [chuckles] 321 00:11:02,496 --> 00:11:04,264 So, you know, the payload is big. 322 00:11:04,298 --> 00:11:06,366 But it's not that big. 323 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,302 Why do we need that much power? 324 00:11:08,335 --> 00:11:11,805 - We have to escape not just the gravity well of the Earth, 325 00:11:11,839 --> 00:11:15,142 but entirely escape its gravitational influence. 326 00:11:15,175 --> 00:11:16,510 - So right now, we're witnessing 327 00:11:16,543 --> 00:11:19,379 this powerful Atlas V rocket 328 00:11:19,413 --> 00:11:23,250 come out of the Vertical Integration Facility, the VIF. 329 00:11:23,283 --> 00:11:24,484 - It is moving. 330 00:11:24,518 --> 00:11:27,521 This rocket is 20 stories high fully assembled. 331 00:11:27,554 --> 00:11:30,290 So the VIF allows it to assemble the rocket, 332 00:11:30,324 --> 00:11:31,892 integrate the spacecraft 333 00:11:31,925 --> 00:11:34,494 all in a protected, enclosed environment, 334 00:11:34,528 --> 00:11:37,497 and when it's all ready, which it is now, 335 00:11:37,531 --> 00:11:40,300 we open the doors, and it's rolling at us. 336 00:11:40,334 --> 00:11:41,568 In fact, we better be careful. 337 00:11:41,602 --> 00:11:43,937 It's a blistering 3 1/2 miles per hour, 338 00:11:43,971 --> 00:11:45,472 so we don't wanna get surprised. 339 00:11:45,506 --> 00:11:46,540 - Right. 340 00:11:46,573 --> 00:11:48,208 - But in about 45 minutes, 341 00:11:48,242 --> 00:11:50,544 it will traverse this several hundred yards 342 00:11:50,577 --> 00:11:52,346 out to the launchpad 343 00:11:52,379 --> 00:11:53,981 and then be ready to go to Mars 344 00:11:54,014 --> 00:11:56,250 in just about 48 hours. 345 00:11:56,283 --> 00:11:58,752 - It's a lot bigger when it comes out of the VIF, huh? 346 00:11:58,785 --> 00:11:59,753 - Yeah, it is. 347 00:11:59,786 --> 00:12:00,821 [dramatic music] 348 00:12:00,854 --> 00:12:03,156 - Here you go, Tory. - All right. 349 00:12:22,709 --> 00:12:24,678 - And I'll tell you. The rocket looks big 350 00:12:24,711 --> 00:12:27,681 when it's in the Vertical Integration Facility, 351 00:12:27,714 --> 00:12:30,684 but when it's standing alone outside the building, 352 00:12:30,717 --> 00:12:33,587 that thing is massive when you're right there next to it. 353 00:12:33,620 --> 00:12:36,123 Man, it's pretty... 354 00:12:37,491 --> 00:12:39,493 it's pretty inspiring. 355 00:12:39,526 --> 00:12:41,295 It's loud as well. 356 00:12:41,328 --> 00:12:44,131 Yeah, so we're heading over 357 00:12:44,164 --> 00:12:47,100 to do a brief 358 00:12:47,134 --> 00:12:49,870 for members of Congress, bipartisan brief. 359 00:12:49,903 --> 00:12:52,439 You know, in each one of these, we're talking about 360 00:12:52,472 --> 00:12:54,641 billions of dollars of investments. 361 00:12:54,675 --> 00:12:56,910 We're coming up on a few moments in time 362 00:12:56,944 --> 00:13:00,280 that are literally seconds long, 363 00:13:00,314 --> 00:13:02,416 but each one of those moments carries with it 364 00:13:02,449 --> 00:13:03,650 a good bit of risk. 365 00:13:03,684 --> 00:13:05,485 Yeah, people talk about how exciting it is 366 00:13:05,519 --> 00:13:07,321 to watch a rocket launch. 367 00:13:07,354 --> 00:13:08,722 Well... [chuckles] 368 00:13:08,755 --> 00:13:10,591 You know, when you're in charge 369 00:13:10,624 --> 00:13:13,260 of an agency that just spent $2 1/2 billion 370 00:13:13,293 --> 00:13:14,928 of taxpayer money 371 00:13:14,962 --> 00:13:17,364 on a robot, and a helicopter, 372 00:13:17,397 --> 00:13:19,600 and scientific experiments, 373 00:13:19,633 --> 00:13:22,703 and technology demonstrators that are going to Mars, 374 00:13:22,736 --> 00:13:25,172 it is... 375 00:13:25,205 --> 00:13:27,107 it makes it even more exciting 376 00:13:27,140 --> 00:13:30,577 just from a--a, you know, 377 00:13:30,611 --> 00:13:32,112 personal pride, you know? 378 00:13:32,145 --> 00:13:34,815 I wanna make sure that the missions that we do are-- 379 00:13:34,848 --> 00:13:38,318 we're doing everything we can to make them safe 380 00:13:38,352 --> 00:13:40,120 and, of course, successful. 381 00:13:40,153 --> 00:13:42,623 We've invested a lot into this project. 382 00:13:42,656 --> 00:13:45,058 The science is gonna be absolutely remarkable 383 00:13:45,092 --> 00:13:46,627 that we get from it. 384 00:13:46,660 --> 00:13:49,296 And that we're very grateful for all the support we've had 385 00:13:49,329 --> 00:13:51,899 from bipartisan members of Congress. 386 00:13:51,932 --> 00:13:54,701 And I look forward to the results of this. 387 00:13:54,735 --> 00:13:56,436 [soft piano music] 388 00:13:56,470 --> 00:13:58,472 We're not struggling to survive. 389 00:13:58,505 --> 00:14:00,641 What we're struggling to do is strive. 390 00:14:00,674 --> 00:14:02,776 Perseverance is how you achieve. 391 00:14:02,809 --> 00:14:03,911 It's how you move forward. 392 00:14:03,944 --> 00:14:06,513 It's how you make your life 393 00:14:06,547 --> 00:14:09,049 and the lives of others better. 394 00:14:09,082 --> 00:14:11,118 - Hello, Mr. Bridenstine. 395 00:14:11,151 --> 00:14:13,687 - Alex, Vaneeza, how are you? - Good. 396 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:15,455 - Good. How are you? - Good. 397 00:14:15,489 --> 00:14:17,024 Well I just wanna tell both of you 398 00:14:17,057 --> 00:14:18,592 that we are so grateful 399 00:14:18,625 --> 00:14:20,160 that you are this excited 400 00:14:20,194 --> 00:14:21,562 about what NASA is doing 401 00:14:21,595 --> 00:14:23,664 that you decided to put forward names 402 00:14:23,697 --> 00:14:26,934 for our rover and our helicopter. 403 00:14:26,967 --> 00:14:29,336 There will be science books and history books 404 00:14:29,369 --> 00:14:31,972 written about Perseverance 405 00:14:32,005 --> 00:14:33,574 and Ingenuity. 406 00:14:33,607 --> 00:14:35,242 And for the rest of your lives, 407 00:14:35,275 --> 00:14:38,245 you will know that those are the names 408 00:14:38,278 --> 00:14:40,080 that you two gave. 409 00:14:40,113 --> 00:14:42,950 - So my goal was to answer the question of how, 410 00:14:42,983 --> 00:14:45,252 like how is it possible to do something as incredible 411 00:14:45,285 --> 00:14:47,487 as do science on another planet? 412 00:14:47,521 --> 00:14:49,590 And I thought ingenuity was a quality that represented 413 00:14:49,623 --> 00:14:51,792 that intelligence and creativity best. 414 00:14:51,825 --> 00:14:53,493 - I was just thinking about 415 00:14:53,527 --> 00:14:55,229 what makes space possible 416 00:14:55,262 --> 00:14:57,698 and what makes space human. 417 00:14:57,731 --> 00:14:59,633 And not just space, 418 00:14:59,666 --> 00:15:01,568 but all aspects of human life. 419 00:15:01,602 --> 00:15:03,637 What just sums up our species? 420 00:15:03,670 --> 00:15:05,839 And when I thought of perseverance, 421 00:15:05,873 --> 00:15:07,274 it just--it fit. 422 00:15:07,307 --> 00:15:08,775 - Well what was amazing is, 423 00:15:08,809 --> 00:15:10,511 you came up with the name Perseverance 424 00:15:10,544 --> 00:15:12,613 even before the pandemic. 425 00:15:12,646 --> 00:15:14,414 It's a remarkable name in itself, 426 00:15:14,448 --> 00:15:15,716 and even more appropriate 427 00:15:15,749 --> 00:15:19,086 now that we are in these very difficult times. 428 00:15:19,119 --> 00:15:21,288 - And the fact that we're looking for signs of life, 429 00:15:21,321 --> 00:15:23,190 I think that's really exciting. 430 00:15:23,223 --> 00:15:24,558 And that a new technology that's like, 431 00:15:24,591 --> 00:15:26,593 never been tried before is gonna be tested, 432 00:15:26,627 --> 00:15:28,529 I think it's going to be really impressive 433 00:15:28,562 --> 00:15:30,430 if flight can be pulled off on another world. 434 00:15:30,464 --> 00:15:32,466 - Now, do you think we'll find life? 435 00:15:32,499 --> 00:15:34,201 - Maybe. I'm going with strong maybe. 436 00:15:34,234 --> 00:15:36,236 - You're going with strong maybe? 437 00:15:36,270 --> 00:15:38,505 Cautiously optimistic? - Yeah. 438 00:15:38,539 --> 00:15:40,440 - Personally, I'm really into the whole 439 00:15:40,474 --> 00:15:41,975 sample return system. 440 00:15:42,009 --> 00:15:43,343 It looks like a bunch of satellites 441 00:15:43,377 --> 00:15:44,845 playing catch in space. 442 00:15:44,878 --> 00:15:45,946 - [chuckles] 443 00:15:45,979 --> 00:15:47,347 - And that'll be fun to see happen. 444 00:15:47,381 --> 00:15:48,382 - Yeah. 445 00:15:48,415 --> 00:15:49,950 And of course, after sample return, 446 00:15:49,983 --> 00:15:51,218 what's the next thing we need to do? 447 00:15:51,251 --> 00:15:53,187 - Get us some humans on Mars. 448 00:15:53,220 --> 00:15:54,454 - Okay. 449 00:15:54,488 --> 00:15:56,089 - Being able to see people on another planet 450 00:15:56,123 --> 00:15:57,491 would be incredible. 451 00:15:57,524 --> 00:16:00,327 - So how exciting is it for you to be here, 452 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,996 to experience this launch, and what are you expecting? 453 00:16:03,030 --> 00:16:05,365 - I'm expecting something big, 454 00:16:05,399 --> 00:16:07,067 something loud, 455 00:16:07,100 --> 00:16:08,402 something bright, 456 00:16:08,435 --> 00:16:12,039 but most of all, something that is beautiful. 457 00:16:12,072 --> 00:16:18,078 [soft piano music] 458 00:16:22,082 --> 00:16:25,085 [electronic tones] 459 00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:32,226 [sparse piano music] 460 00:16:32,259 --> 00:16:34,361 - It is fantastic to be here 461 00:16:34,394 --> 00:16:36,163 at the Kennedy Space Center. 462 00:16:36,196 --> 00:16:38,532 We are less than 24 hours away 463 00:16:38,565 --> 00:16:40,834 from a launch to Mars. 464 00:16:40,868 --> 00:16:42,903 - Our workforce has done an amazing job. 465 00:16:42,936 --> 00:16:45,205 Here we are. We're launching to Mars 466 00:16:45,239 --> 00:16:46,907 in the middle of a pandemic. 467 00:16:46,940 --> 00:16:48,709 - So this is the first time in history 468 00:16:48,742 --> 00:16:50,277 where we're gonna go to Mars 469 00:16:50,310 --> 00:16:52,880 with an explicit mission 470 00:16:52,913 --> 00:16:55,582 to find life on another world. 471 00:16:55,616 --> 00:16:58,719 - I can think of maybe no more profound question 472 00:16:58,752 --> 00:17:00,554 than the question of 473 00:17:00,587 --> 00:17:02,523 whether there's life on another planet. 474 00:17:02,556 --> 00:17:04,691 And, you know, this, when it touches down, 475 00:17:04,725 --> 00:17:06,860 is going to be the best scientist 476 00:17:06,894 --> 00:17:08,195 we've ever sent to the planet 477 00:17:08,228 --> 00:17:09,796 to answer exactly those questions. 478 00:17:09,830 --> 00:17:12,032 - The big screen behind me-- that's the countdown clock. 479 00:17:12,065 --> 00:17:14,168 Everything is good. The spacecraft is a go. 480 00:17:14,201 --> 00:17:17,037 The rocket is a go. The weather is a go. 481 00:17:17,070 --> 00:17:19,306 And as the NASA administrator, I'm thrilled 482 00:17:19,339 --> 00:17:20,841 that we are able to come to this point 483 00:17:20,874 --> 00:17:22,442 where we're ready to launch it. 484 00:17:22,476 --> 00:17:23,644 [exciting string music] 485 00:17:23,677 --> 00:17:24,912 If we're not letting people know 486 00:17:24,945 --> 00:17:26,547 why we're doing what we're doing, 487 00:17:26,580 --> 00:17:28,182 we'll miss out on the opportunity 488 00:17:28,215 --> 00:17:30,017 to continue to stun the world 489 00:17:30,050 --> 00:17:31,752 with these amazing achievements. 490 00:17:31,785 --> 00:17:34,254 I mean, this is the stuff of science fiction books. 491 00:17:34,288 --> 00:17:37,257 People have been speculating what Mars was like 492 00:17:37,291 --> 00:17:39,560 now since the beginning of time. 493 00:17:39,593 --> 00:17:41,495 But if you look at the Mars missions 494 00:17:41,528 --> 00:17:42,763 that we've done in the past, 495 00:17:42,796 --> 00:17:44,765 one builds upon the other. 496 00:17:44,798 --> 00:17:47,568 This will be the ninth robot that we land on Mars. 497 00:17:47,601 --> 00:17:50,604 We do know that Mars, at one point in its history, 498 00:17:50,637 --> 00:17:51,738 was habitable. 499 00:17:51,772 --> 00:17:53,540 It looked a lot like Earth 500 00:17:53,574 --> 00:17:55,709 about 3 billion years ago. 501 00:17:55,742 --> 00:17:58,245 So these are questions that I think are fundamental 502 00:17:58,278 --> 00:17:59,880 that we need to have answered. 503 00:17:59,913 --> 00:18:01,548 We're gonna cache those samples, 504 00:18:01,582 --> 00:18:05,419 and we're eventually gonna do a Mars sample return mission. 505 00:18:05,452 --> 00:18:07,487 We're gonna bring those samples back to Earth. 506 00:18:07,521 --> 00:18:09,690 But there's so much more going on here. 507 00:18:09,723 --> 00:18:10,958 - We're just getting started. 508 00:18:10,991 --> 00:18:13,093 - The stage adaptor is on that barge. 509 00:18:13,126 --> 00:18:14,561 That's gonna be the rocket that takes 510 00:18:14,595 --> 00:18:16,029 our astronauts to the Moon. 511 00:18:16,063 --> 00:18:18,932 We're putting together the most ambitious Moon project 512 00:18:18,966 --> 00:18:20,434 in the history of the world. 513 00:18:20,467 --> 00:18:22,936 This generation is the Artemis generation. 514 00:18:22,970 --> 00:18:25,105 - We as a species are explorers. 515 00:18:25,138 --> 00:18:27,541 - So the answer is yes, we can do it. 516 00:18:27,574 --> 00:18:29,743 We're gonna prove on this mission 517 00:18:29,776 --> 00:18:32,713 that we can take the carbon dioxide of Mars 518 00:18:32,746 --> 00:18:35,983 and turn it into pure oxygen for life support. 519 00:18:36,016 --> 00:18:38,385 And the capabilities that we're building on the Moon, 520 00:18:38,418 --> 00:18:41,221 we're building with an intent to send humans to Mars. 521 00:18:41,255 --> 00:18:42,689 So as much as possible, 522 00:18:42,723 --> 00:18:45,559 we're building capabilities that are replicable at Mars. 523 00:18:45,592 --> 00:18:47,227 - To bring hope and inspiration 524 00:18:47,261 --> 00:18:49,496 to the country and to the world. 525 00:18:49,530 --> 00:18:50,864 And we're gonna continue to do that, 526 00:18:50,898 --> 00:18:52,466 because that's what NASA's here for. 527 00:18:52,499 --> 00:18:55,269 - And this is the thing that has me the most excited. 528 00:18:55,302 --> 00:18:57,638 Is the idea that we are gonna fly 529 00:18:57,671 --> 00:18:59,606 a helicopter on Mars. 530 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,276 - Tomorrow, God willing, we're gonna launch this rocket. 531 00:19:02,309 --> 00:19:04,077 - This is gonna be an inspirational moment, 532 00:19:04,111 --> 00:19:05,479 so stay tuned, 533 00:19:05,512 --> 00:19:06,513 and we will see you all 534 00:19:06,547 --> 00:19:07,881 tomorrow morning for the launch. 535 00:19:07,915 --> 00:19:09,049 Thank you so much. 536 00:19:09,082 --> 00:19:10,117 Thank you. 537 00:19:10,150 --> 00:19:11,285 - All right. Thank you, you guys. 538 00:19:11,318 --> 00:19:12,319 - Thanks, everybody. 539 00:19:12,352 --> 00:19:13,587 all: Thank you! 540 00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:19,626 [inspirational music] 541 00:19:21,595 --> 00:19:23,564 [dramatic boom] 542 00:19:23,597 --> 00:19:28,035 [suspenseful music] 543 00:19:28,068 --> 00:19:29,636 - In less than an hour, 544 00:19:29,670 --> 00:19:32,773 NASA's 300 million-mile journey 545 00:19:32,806 --> 00:19:36,076 from America's shore to Jezero Crater on Mars 546 00:19:36,109 --> 00:19:37,778 will begin with the launch 547 00:19:37,811 --> 00:19:40,147 of this Atlas V rocket. 548 00:19:40,180 --> 00:19:43,150 - You're talking about taking a $2 1/2 billion payload 549 00:19:43,183 --> 00:19:44,985 that represents not just 550 00:19:45,018 --> 00:19:46,954 the treasure of the American taxpayer, 551 00:19:46,987 --> 00:19:49,556 but also thousands of people 552 00:19:49,590 --> 00:19:52,793 that have worked a big chunk of their lives. 553 00:19:52,826 --> 00:19:54,361 - This has been seven years in the making, 554 00:19:54,394 --> 00:19:56,864 and I'm so excited to share this moment with you 555 00:19:56,897 --> 00:19:58,632 and with those that are viewing today. 556 00:19:58,665 --> 00:20:01,435 - Every time we launch into space, 557 00:20:01,468 --> 00:20:02,936 it is nerve-wracking. 558 00:20:02,970 --> 00:20:05,239 There's nothing at that point you're gonna do to stop it. 559 00:20:05,272 --> 00:20:06,740 That rocket goes, it's going. 560 00:20:06,773 --> 00:20:08,609 - Go, Atlas. Go, Centaur. 561 00:20:08,642 --> 00:20:09,910 Go, Mars 2020. 562 00:20:09,943 --> 00:20:10,978 - Here it comes. 563 00:20:11,011 --> 00:20:13,247 - Ten, nine, eight, 564 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,016 seven, six, five, 565 00:20:16,049 --> 00:20:17,851 four, engine ignition, 566 00:20:17,885 --> 00:20:20,521 two, one, zero. 567 00:20:20,554 --> 00:20:22,122 [rocket roaring] 568 00:20:22,155 --> 00:20:24,558 And liftoff. 569 00:20:24,591 --> 00:20:26,994 As the Countdown to Mars continues, 570 00:20:27,027 --> 00:20:28,495 the Perseverance of humanity 571 00:20:28,529 --> 00:20:30,898 launching the next generation of robotic explorers 572 00:20:30,931 --> 00:20:32,332 to the Red Planet. 573 00:20:32,366 --> 00:20:33,400 - Oh, man. 574 00:20:33,433 --> 00:20:34,401 [inspirational music] 575 00:20:34,434 --> 00:20:36,003 - Here comes the noise. 576 00:20:37,604 --> 00:20:40,374 [indistinct radio chatter] 577 00:20:44,645 --> 00:20:46,480 Can you feel it inside? 578 00:20:48,882 --> 00:20:51,318 [indistinct radio chatter] 579 00:20:51,351 --> 00:20:55,589 [inspirational music] 580 00:20:55,622 --> 00:20:59,092 The solid rocket motors are gonna fall off. 581 00:21:00,861 --> 00:21:02,763 - And we have good indication 582 00:21:02,796 --> 00:21:04,898 of SRB jettison of all four SRBs. 583 00:21:04,932 --> 00:21:06,366 - [laughing] 584 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,235 - And the vehicle has gone to closed-loop guidance. 585 00:21:08,268 --> 00:21:10,804 [cheers and applause] 586 00:21:11,972 --> 00:21:13,607 - Thank you. 587 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:14,675 Did you feel it? 588 00:21:14,708 --> 00:21:15,976 - Congratulations. - Thank you. 589 00:21:16,009 --> 00:21:18,712 Congratulations so far. 590 00:21:18,745 --> 00:21:19,880 Good work. 591 00:21:19,913 --> 00:21:21,849 So first of all, it was an amazing launch. 592 00:21:21,882 --> 00:21:23,317 Very successful. [chuckles] 593 00:21:23,350 --> 00:21:25,085 Can you be above nominal? 594 00:21:25,118 --> 00:21:26,820 - Right, so you know, this is the actual telemetry 595 00:21:26,854 --> 00:21:27,688 going into the model. 596 00:21:27,721 --> 00:21:29,623 - This launch of Perseverance today 597 00:21:29,656 --> 00:21:30,824 was just the beginning. 598 00:21:30,858 --> 00:21:32,125 There is so much more. 599 00:21:32,159 --> 00:21:33,427 Congratulations and good work 600 00:21:33,460 --> 00:21:34,761 to everybody that made it happen. 601 00:21:34,795 --> 00:21:36,196 The launch is over. 602 00:21:36,230 --> 00:21:37,798 But this mission is gonna go on 603 00:21:37,831 --> 00:21:40,367 for years and years and years. 604 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,336 When we land, it's gonna be magnificent. 605 00:21:42,369 --> 00:21:44,605 - This mission has more cameras on it 606 00:21:44,638 --> 00:21:46,540 than any mission we've ever sent before it. 607 00:21:46,573 --> 00:21:49,209 - Those videos are gonna be absolutely stunning. 608 00:21:49,243 --> 00:21:50,878 - It's a space mission now, right? 609 00:21:50,911 --> 00:21:52,279 And it's on the way to Mars. 610 00:21:52,312 --> 00:21:54,147 - Stay tuned. February 18th. 611 00:21:54,181 --> 00:21:57,518 Watch this spacecraft enter, descend, and land 612 00:21:57,551 --> 00:21:58,752 on the surface of Mars. 613 00:21:58,785 --> 00:22:00,220 And then ultimately, you know, 614 00:22:00,254 --> 00:22:01,488 we're gonna do the science 615 00:22:01,522 --> 00:22:04,291 to make the discoveries as to whether or not 616 00:22:04,324 --> 00:22:06,093 there might have been life on Mars 617 00:22:06,126 --> 00:22:07,294 in its ancient past.