Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test Landing

BACK TO EARTH SO WE COULD STUDY IT FOR BENEFIT OF FUTURE LANDINGS. >> ASSUMING ALL CONTINUES ON TRACK, STARLINER'S ORBITAL MANEUVERING AND ATTITUDE CONTROL THRUSTERS OR OMATS, SHOULD TOUCHDOWN AT 6:45 A.M. >> AT THE MOMENT, NASA IS -- THE TEAM HERE IN THE MISSION CONTROL ROOM HAS STILL GOT AOT OFK TO DO TO FINISH PREPARING FOR THAT LAUNCH. >> AND EARLIER IN THIS SHIFT, THIS TEAM GOT A BRIEFING ON THE WEATHER AT WHITE SANDS, WHICH IS LOOKING PROMISING TODAY. IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE CHILLY FOR THEANDING TEAM HEADING OUT TO MEET STARLINER. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DIP DOWN TO 22° OR 23° FAHRENHEIT RIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE, WHICH IS WHEN STARLINER'S GOING TO COME DOWN, AND THAT'S ABOUT THE -- AND THEN, THE CLOUDS ARE SCATTERED, BUT THE WINDS ARE LIGHT. ALL IN ALL, IT LOOKS GOOD. >> UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE CHOSEN THE LONGEST NIGHT TO BRING STARLINER HOME. IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 5:57 TO BRING STARLINER HOME, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SUNRISE ISN'T UNTIL ABOUT 7:04. WE'LL SHOW YOU AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT IT WILL BE DARK FOR A WHILE. >> BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO THE MISSION, WE WANT TO SHOW YOU THE LAUNCH OF STARLINER, HEADING TO THAT MORNING LIFT OFF AT CAPE CANAVERAL. [VIDEO] >> SO THERE YOU SEE THE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE ATLAS V HEADING INTO THE SKIES ABOVE CAPE CANAVERAL. >> CROWDS GATHERED THERE TO H IT AS IT LIFTED OFF ON ITS JOURNEY. >> LAUNCH WAS TIMED PRECISELY TO CATCH UP TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION'S ORBIT. [VIDEO] >> 1:27 IN FLIGHT. BODY RATE RESPONSES LOOK GOOD. 1:30 IN. STANDING BY FOR S.R.V. BURNTOUT, AND WE HAVE BURNOUT ON BOTH ROCKETS. 1:50 IN. ATLAS IS NOW 17 MILES IN ALTITUDE, 11.5 MILES DOWN RANGE DISTANCE, TRAVELING AT 12,300 MILES PER HOUR. NOW PASSING TWO MINUTES INTO FLIGHT. ORIGINAL OPERATING PARAMETERS CONTINUING TO LOOK GOOD AT FULL THRUST. AND AT 2:11 IN FLIGHT, THE ATLAS ROCKET NOW WAITS -- >> SOT REALLY WAS A BEAUTIFUL LAUNCH, AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE VISITING THE SPACE STATION, WE ARE STILL ACCOMPLISHING A LOT OF STARLINER'S MISSION OBJECTIVES. >> THAT'S RIGHT. FIRST WAS THE LAUNCH ITSELF WHICH CONFIRMN RATING OF THE ROCKET. IT WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WITH THE STATION WHILE THE STATION WAS ABOUT 500 KILOMETERS AWAY. WE ALSO GOT A GOOD REPORT CARD ON STARLINER'S STATE AND ATTITUDE LOGGING DEMONSTRATION. THE UNITS WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE REALLY GOOD NAVIGATION. >> AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A GOOD CHECKOUT OF THE SYSTEM THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO CONNECT TO THE SPACE STATION'S DOCKING METRIC. AND ROSY THE ROCKETEER IS STILL STRAPPED INTO THE SAFETY SEAT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF FOLKS ASKING ABOUT ROSY, AND SHE IS STILL UP THERE. >> ROSY AND STARLINER SHOULD BE LANDING IN 1:05 NOW, BUT A LOT STILL HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S AHEAD IN THE MISSION PROFILE. >> 3.5 G ACCELERATION LIMIT. ENGINE RESPONSES ALL LOOK GOOD. 3:55 INTO FLIGHT. AND CENTAUR'S BEGUN THE CHILL DOWN SEQUENCE. >> AND LIFT OFF. THE RISE OFRLINER AND NEW SPACE FLIGHT. >> STARLINERS MANEUVERING AND ATTITUDE STORE THRUSTER SLOW HER DOWN FROM ORBIT VELOCITIES AND ALLOW HER TO FALLBACK TO EARTH. AT THE D, STARLINER ANGLES ITSELF FOR REENTRY, BUT STARLINER ISN'T READY TO ENTER YET. FIRST, THE HEAVY SHIELD PREPARES THE CREW MODULE TO KEEP THE HEAT SHIELD POINTEDT EXACTLY THE RIGHT ANGLE. NEXT UP IS THE ENTRY INTERFACE. AT 400,000 FEET ABOVE THE PLANET, IT FACES EXTREMELYIGH TEMPERATURES FROM ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE. AT 30,000 FEET, STARLINER JETTISONS AND PREPARES TO LAND. NEXT, ITS PARACHUTE IS DEPLOYED TO ALLOW IT TO DRIFT DOWN TO THE RECOVERY SITE. EN, THE BASE HEAT SHIELD THAT PROTECTED STARLINER THROUGH REENTRY SEPARATES AT 3,000 FEET, UNCOVERING THE LANDING AIR BAGS. NEXT, THE BAGS FILL WITH HYDROGEN, MAKING IT THE FIRST ORBITING CREW CAPSULE TO LAND ON LAND. FINALLY, IT REACHES ITS TARGET, AND RECOVERY TEAMS MOVE IN TO RECOVER THE VEHICLE. >> AND FLIGHT DIRECTOR RICHARD JONES HAS GIVEN A GO TO COMMENCE THE DEORBIT RECOVERY AT THE DESIGNATED TIME. >> AND SPENDING ONE BIT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THE PROPULSION ORBITER'S SIDE. >> SO THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING THERE, OF COURSE, AND GETTING BACK TO NEW MEXICO IS THE ORBIT BURN, AND THAT IS -- THAT IS COMING UP AT 6:23 EASTERN TIME. AND THAT IS GOING TO BE A 55-SE FOUR OF THE ORBITAL MANEUVERING AND CONTROL ENGINES ON STARLINER. TO GET READY FOR THAT, THE TEAM HERE ON THE GROUND IS DISCONNECTING STARLINER'S SOLAR ARRAYS AND RADIS. IT HAS ENOUGH FUEL TO GET HOME NOW, AND ITS SUBLIMATORS WILL TAKE OVER COOLING. AND AS WE PROMISED, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TEAMS AROUND AMERICA TAKING PART IN TODAY'S LANDING OPERATIONS. ONE OF THOSE TEAMS IS, OF COURSE, DOWN AT WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, AT THE LANDING SITE, AND WE'RE GOING DOWN TO JOSH AND DAN. >> I IMAGINE THIS SET UP LOOKS QUITE A LOT DIFFERENT. HOW DO YOU EXPECT THIS TO GO? >> YEAH, IT WAS VASTLY DIFFERENT. IF YOU FOLLOW THE SPACE STATION, WE'VE BEEN LANDING OUR ASSETS IN THE KAZAKHSTAN DESERT. IT'S AN EXTREMELY REMOTE AREA, SO THERE'S NO WAY TO DRIVE ON, EXCEPT WITH LIMITED ACCESS VEHICLES. ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT LANDING RE IS WE HAVE A LOT MORE ACCESS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE ACCESS TEAMS LINED UP. ACCESS IS RUNNING LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE NOW. EVERYBODY IS COLOR CODED, SO THEY ALL H THEIR SPECIFIC JOBS, SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE. WHY DON'T WE WALK-THROUGH SOME OF THE TEAMS, AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING. >> YEAH, TIM -- OR JIM, WHY DON'T YOU FOLLOW ME. LET'S GO UP HERE. WE'LL KIND OF GO LINE BY LINE. WE HAVE THE CONVOY. THAT'S WHERE OUR RECOVERY DIRECTOR, IN CHARGE OF THE WHOLE OPERATION, MAKES SURE EVERYTHING GOES EXACTLY AS PLANNED. RIGHT BEHIND IS THE GOAL TEAM. THEY'RE THE FIRST TO THE VEHICLE AND THEY ACTUALLY SNIFF HYDROZINE. IT CAN BE DAMAGING IF YOU INHALE IT. THEY WILL BE SPECIALLY SUITED UP, HAZMAT SUITS, AND MAKE SURE THE REST OF THE TEAM CAN COME UP TO THE VEHICLE. NEXT UP, WE HAVE SILVER TEAM RIGHT BEHIND GOLD TEAM, AND THEIR FIRST JO IS TO GROUND THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WILL BE POWERED DOWN, BUT THERE TO BE SOME RESIDUAL ELECTRICITY. SO BEFORE ANYONE TOUCHES THE VEHICLE, THEY'RE GOING TO GROUND THE VEHICLE BEFORE ANYONE TOUCHES IT. NEXT UP IS BLUE TEAM. WE'RE BLUE TEAM. SITUATIONAL CAMERAS, ALL THE MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT TO GET BACK TO OUR UPLINK AND MAKE SURE YOU SEE THIS RECOVERYFORT. NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO THE GREEN TEAM. YOU SEE THESE BIG HVAC UNITS, THEY'RE GOING TO HOOKUP SOME COOLING UNITS, BUT FIRST, SINCE IT'S 22°, THEY'RE GOING TO PUT AN ENVIRONMENTAL INSULATION TO WRAPAROUND THE VEHICLE, HUG IT, AND WE'RE G TO GET SOME WARM UP ON THE CREW MODULE AND MAKE SURE THE COOLING LINES DON'T FREEZE. AND THEN, AFTER THAT, THEY'RE FUN TO WATCH. THEY'ROSTLY BOEING FIRE RESCUE EMPLOYEES. LET'S GO UP HERE SO I CAN SHOW YOU THE MOBILE ACCESS LAS FORM. SO HERE, THAT PLATFORM WILL GET BACKED UP TO THE HATCH ON THE CREW MODULE. THAT GIVES OUR TEAMS ACCESS TO THE HATCH. RIGHT NOW SINCE THERE'S NO ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD, WE'RE JUST GOING TO COPE UP THE HATCH. ONE OF OUR ENGINEER -- OPEN UP THE HATCH. ONE OF OUR ENGINEERS IS GOING TO GO IN AND RUN A TEST. BUT IN A CREW LANDING, THAT'S WHEN THE CREW LANDING WILL EXIT AND BE TAKEN TO THIS TRUCK BEHIND ME FOR THEIR MEDICAL CHECKUPS, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE CONVOY, SO I'M GOING TO GO OVER HERE WITH DAN. >> YEAH. AS YOU CAN TELL, HE'S WANTING TO KEEP MOVECAUSE IT IS PRETTY COLD FOR THE TEAMS HERE TODAY. WE ARE GOING TO BE BRINGING YOU A COUPLE OF VIEWS OF THE TEAM HERE. THERE'S SOME TRACKERS ONOME OF THE TRUCKS THAT DRIVE OUT HERE, THE MDTV. >> IT'S THE MOBILE DATA AND TRACKING VEHICLE. SINCE IT'S INFRARED, IT'S SO DARK OUT, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE DEPENDING ON. NEXT IS OUR MOBILE COMMAND. THOSE GUYS ARE HOOKED UP TO HOUSTON, AND THAT IS WHERE THE NOTIFICATION THAT THE CREW MODULES LANDED WILL COME THROUGH. THEY WILL RELAY THIS THROUGH THEIR CREW RADIOS, AND THAT'S HOW THIS THING WILL START HAPPENING. >> ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WB-57 IN THE AIR, HOPEFULLY GETTING SOME VIEWS IN INTERFACE, WATCHING THE PARACHUTES COME OUT, THE HEAT SHIELD JETTISON, ALL THOSE THINGS. IT IS DARK, SO WE A'T GOING THE PRETTIEST PICTURE, BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME NICE SHOTS OF STARLINER COMING DOWN. >> AND I SHOULD REPORT, WE WERE TRAINING IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS. IT WAS QUITE A BIT WARMER. >> IT WAS. IT WAS. >> THE TEAM IS READY FORT. WE'VE BEEN ON-SITE SINCE 1:00 A.M. WE'RE READY TO EXECUTE AND RECOVER THE FIRST AMERICAN ORBITER TO LAND ON LAND. >> I KNOW THAT STEVE AND BRANDY ARE GOING TO WALK YOU GUYS THROUGH THIS QUITE A BIT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR THESE THINGS QUITE A BIT. THE FORWARD HEAT SHIELD IS GOING TO COME OFF UNDER PARACHUTES. THE DRONES ARE GOING TO COME OUT, AND THEN, THE PILOT WILL DEPLOY AND BRING OUT THE MAIN PARACHUTE, AND THEN ABOUT 3,000 FEET OFF THE GROUND, THE HEAT SHIELD IS GOING TO POP OFF AND REVEAL THE LANDING AIR BAGS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO INFLATE AND ALLOW STARLINER TO COME DOWN NICE AND SOFT ON THE GROUND. >> AND HOW FAST WHEN THEY LAND? I KNOW YOU ASKED FOR MILES PER HOUR. >> ABOUT 19 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THEY LAND. THE LOADS ON THE CREW WERE ACTUALLY LOWER THAN WE PREDICTED IN OUR ANALYSES, SO THAT'S A GOOD SURPRISE TO HAVE. >> YEAH. AND A LOT OF THE OPERATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE TODAY ARE THE EXACT SAME AS WHEN WE HAVE A CREW ON BOARD. SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES ARE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE PULLING ANYBODY OUT OF THE CAPSULE TODAY. IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN A SOYUZ LANDING, IT'S VERY COMMON TO HAVE THE CREW COME OUT, AND THEN, THE FLIGHT SURGEON, NURSES, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER PERSONNEL WHO ARE JUST KIND OF THERE ON LOCATION FOR THE CREW. WE KNOW COMING HOME FROM SPACE AFTER SIX MONTHS IS A LITTLE JARRING ON THE BODY, SO WE MAKE SURE TO DO OUR BEST TO TAKE CARE OF THESE SPACE MEMBERS ONCE THEY'RE BACK ON TERRA FIRMA. >> WE TAPPED OUR FIRE RESCUE -- BOEING FIRE TEAMS HERE. THEY'RE TRAINED IN ENCLOSED AREA RESCUE. THEY'RE GOING TO GO IN AND EXTRICATE THE CREW MEMBERS, SO THAT'S WHAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS WILL BE DOING, AND I WILL SAY THEY'RE FANTASTIC. THEY WORK SO WELL TOGETHER. I KNOW EVERYONE IS CURIOUS HOW ROSY IS DOING. WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE HER BEING PULLED OUT OF THE VEH TODAY. SHE'S PRETTY HEAVY. IT'LL BE WORK TO GET HER OUT. >> WE DO HAVE TEAMS MONITORING HER. WE HAVE SONNY WILLIAMS FROM NASA WITH HER, AND SHE'S GOING TO BE FLYING IN STARLINER. >> YEAH. I'M SURE SHE'S GOING TO BE EXCITED TO SEE HER VEHICLE COME DOWN. >> THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL OPERATION. >> YEAH. WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BRING YOU AS MUCH VIDEO AS WE POSSIBLY CAN ON THE WAY OUT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME CAMERAS RIGGED OUT, AND WE'LL BE ONE GROUND WITH THE CASTLE ONCE IT'S DOWN, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR SOME CAMERAS TO PROVIDE SOME VIEWS, PROBABLY PITCH-BLACK, AND WE'RE LOCKED IN AND LOADED HERE AND READY TO GO. >> YEAH. SO STEVE AND BRANDY, WE'LL GO BACK TO YOU FOR UPDATES AT THE FLIGHT CONTROL THAT THE LANDING SHOULD BE COMING UP SOON. >> THANK YOU, STEVE AND DAN. WE REALLY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW US A LITTLE BIT LATER. >> AND SPEAKING OF THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP, STARLINER IS OVER THE SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN, HEADING BELOW AUSTRALIA BEFORE IT COMES OVER THE PACIFIC WHERE IT WILL ABOUT 16:18. IT WILL BE DISPOSED OF, AND THE CREW MODULE WILL BE WHAT WILL FLY THROUGH THE HEAT OF REENTRY AND ON OVER THE SKIES OF NEW MEXICO WHERE DAN AND JOSH ARE WAITING TO RETRIEVE IT. >> AND THAT WILL ALL GET KICKED OFF WITH A DEORBIT BURN COMING UP IN 15 MINUTES NOW. BUT WHEN WE WAIT FOR A FEW MINUTES FOR THAT TO TAKE PLACE, WE ARE GOING TO TALK WITH STARLINER ENGINEER JIM MAY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE LANDING PROCESS AND WHAT WE'VE ADY ACCOMPLISHED ON THIS MISSION. >> THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THIS PROGRAM IS MAKING SURE THAT THE WAY WE TRAIN IS SAFE ENOUGH FOR US TO FLY. THE ASTRONAUTS ARE PRETTY EASY FOR US TO WK THROUGH. NORMALLY, WE WANT IT TO GO FULLY AUTONOMOUS, BUT WE MAKE IT AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE S POSSIBLE. CHRIS FERGUSON WAS THE ONE WHO TRAINED ME ON THIS MISSION. YOUR ASTRONAUTS REPRESENTING YOUR COUNTRY IS VERY SAFE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME. >> WELCOME, JIM. >> GOOD MORNING. >> JIM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED IS WHETHER THE MISSION ELAPSED TIME PROBLEM THAT CREPT INTO THE ORBIT INSERTION BURN COULD CAUSE A PROBLEODAY DURING THIS PHASE, DURING THIS DEORBIT LANDING PHASE. TELL US HOW THE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED IN THE PAST TWO DAYS TO SHOW THAT THIS PROBLEM ISN'T GOING TO SHOW ITSELF AGAIN? >> SURE. THE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN UPDATED. MISSION CONTROL WAS A TO CHGE ITS MISSION ELAPSED TIME WHICH THEN GOES INTO THE FLIGHT COMPUTERS. SO THE MISSION ELAPSED TIME HAS BEEN ADJUSTED, AND ALL OF THE COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING IT AND HAVE B SUCCESSFULLY FOLLOWING IT EVER SINCE. >> THAT'S GREAT NEWS. SO I KNOW THAT THE SOFTWARE IS REALLY ABLE TO DO A LOT FOR STARLINER AND HANDLES A LOT OF THE MISSION EVENTS, BUT HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE TEAM HERE AT MISSION CONTROL. >> THERE ARE PARTS OF THE SPACECRAFT INSIDE THE FLIGHT SOFTWARE THAT SAY HEY, THIS IS WHERE THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO POINT, AND THIS IS WHERE THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO GO TO IN THE FUTURE IN ORDER TO DEORBIT OR RENDEZVOUS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO THE TEAM IS LOOKING AT IT AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS IN CASE IT WANTS TO CHANGE SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE. BUT EVERYTHING THAT IT WANTS TO DO REMAINS ON THE FLIGHT PLAN AS DESIGNED. >> JIM, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING THIS PLAN FOR A WHILE. TELL US, HOW ARE YOU FEELING WITH THE WAY, JUST TO SEE THAT STARLINER'S UP IN SPACE, AND THERE, IT'S GETTING READY TO COME HOME. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS ON YOUR MIND NOW? >> YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE THAT WE TRAIN THE CREW FOR QUITE EXTENSIVELY. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE VEHICLE FLYING THE REENTRY PLAN ONCE WE DESIGNED. THE THING WE CARE ABOUT MOST IS THE SAFETY OF THE FLEW. SO SEEING THAT THE AUTO MATED FLIGHT PLAN CAN GO AS PLANNED IS GREAT BECAUSE THE CREW NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE OVER IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES IF THEY NEED TO. >> JIM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE -- AT SOME OF THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THIS FLIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE BRILLIANT LAUNCH YESTERDAY, HOW TOUGH WAS IT FOR THE TEAM TO EXECUTE SOME OF THE THOSE DEMONSTRATIONS THAT WERE PERFORMED. WAT A P AT ALL OR DID THE SPACECRAFT PERFORM THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO? >> YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GOT IT IN A STABLE ORBIT, WE WERE ABLE TO PERFORM THE TESTS AS PLANNED, JUST WITH A DIFFERENT ORBIT. SO BEING ABLE TO TEST THE PROPULSIONS, THE NAVIGATION, BEING ABLE TO CHECK OUT THE STAR TRACKER, WHICH IS TELLING THE VEHICLE WHERE IT IS RELATIVE TO THE STARS, RELATIVE TO THE SUN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN WORKING AS PLANNED. THE FLIGHT TEAM HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE TRACKER FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO FOR . >> AND I GUESS COMING UP WILL BE ANOTHER BIG DEMONSTRATION WITH STARLINER MAKING ITS WAY BACK TO EARTH. >> EXACTLY. >> CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WE'LL BE SEEING OVER THE COURSE OF THE VIEWING BID AND LANDING? >> SURE. WE ARE GOING TO DO A DEORBIT BURN AND TAKE STARLINER AND LOWER IT WHERE IT COMES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. WHERE IT COMES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE IS A PLACE CALLED ENTRY INTECE. ONCE IT ENTERS THE ATMOSPHERE, IT'S GOING TO START DOING TURNS AND FIRING ITS THRUSTERS TO KEEP COMING DOWN TOWARDS ITS PREFERRED LANDING ZONE IN WHITE SANDS. SO WHILE THE SPACECRAFT IS MANEUVER IT CAN CHANGE HOW FAR LEFT OR RIGHT IT'S GOING TO GO, IT CAN CHANGE HOW CLOSE TO THE GROUND IT'S GOING TO GO, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE DONE BY THE AUTOMATED FLIGHT SYSTEM. ONCE IT'S COME LOW ENOUGH, WE'RE GOING TO FIRE SOME DRONE PARACHUTES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. ONCE THAT HAPPENS, WE'LL DEPLOY SOME MAJOR PARACHUTES AND GET Y FOR THE LANDING. >> YOU KNOW, JIM, WE HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE ELAPSED TIMERS, AND ALL THE TEAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING SINCE THEN, AND NONE OF THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS HAVE BEEN -- YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN -- THE TEAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING THE WHOLE TIME. GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT -- WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER. BUT GIVE US A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT INTO WHAT THAT EVALUATION PROCESS HAS BEEN. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH A LOWER ORBIT THAN EXPECTED, BUT S STILL SOMETHING THAT'S MANAGEABLE, AM I CORRECT ON THAT? >> YES. THE STARLINER IS CAPABLE OF FLYING AT A LOWER ORBIT. THE PROCESSES WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH WORK THE EXACT SAME WAY AS IF WE WERE AT A SLIGHTLY HIGHER ORBIT. IT'S JUST THAT WE GO AROUND THE EARTH A LITTLE BIT FASTER BECAUSE OUR ALTITUDE IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER. BUT THE TEAMS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OPERATE THE SPACECRAFT USING THE EXACT SAME LANDING, THE EXACT SAME PLAN FOR THE ORDER THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR THE MISSION PROFILE. >> AND I GUESS WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT SHORTER JOURNEY. NORMALLY, IT TAKES STARLINER ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO GET DOWN, AND THIS TIME, IT'LL BE 30. >> THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S BECAUSE IT'LL BE COMING DOWN IN A LOWER PATH. >> AND WE CAN SEE FROM OUR MONITORS HERE IN MISSION CON THAT STARLINER IS GOING THROUGH THE ORIENTATION STEPS COMING UP ON THIS BURN COMING UP IN JUST A FEW STEPS. JIM. YOU'RE WATCHING THIS. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS SO FAR? >> EVERYTHING'S LOOKING GOOD. WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO TO DO THE DEORBIT BOARD. I'M REALLY HAPPY BECAUSE THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT I'VE STUDIED FOR. >> WE'RE HEARING HERE IN MISSION CONTRO THAT STARLINER IS BACK ON ITS WAY TO BURN ATTITUDE NOW, SO THAT'LL GET US IN PLACE FOR >> AND AT THIS MOMENT, STARLINER IS CROSSING AUSTRALIA ON ITS WAY OVER THE PACIFIC. IT'S GOING TO FLY BACK ON AN ASCENDING NODE, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS IT'S COMING ON A SOUTH TO NORTH PATH, OVER BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THEN OVER MEXICO ON ITS WAY TO WHITE SANDS. PART OF THE -- PART OF THE TEAM HERE, OF COURSE, THAT'S BEEN WORKING THROUGHOUT THIS MISSION, THE FLIGHT DIRECTORS, THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN TEAMS, AND THE ON ORBIT TEAM IS LED BY BOB DEMPSEY. BOB DEMPSEY IS AN ASTRONOMER AT FLIGHT AND IS A FLIGHT CONTROLLER FOR SPACE STATION AND NOW FOR STARLINER. HERE'S A LOOK AT BOB DEMPSEY. >> -- THAT NASA WAS DOING, SPACE SHUTTLE, PROBES AROUND JUPITER AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WHEN I CAME HERE AND BECAME A FLIGHT DIRECTOR, I REALIZED IT'S NOT THE FLIGHT, IT'S T PEOPLE. MY CALL SIGN IS GALILEO FLIGHT. THAT REFLECTS THAT BY NATURE, I AM AN ASTRONOMER. WHEN THE FLIGHT DIRECTOR CALLED ME, I WAS SURPRISED. I HAD APPLIED, BUT I THOUGHT THE ODDS WERE REALLY LIMITED. IT'S A SMALL CONTINGENT. IN FACT, THERE'S BEEN FR FLIGHT DIRECTORS THAN ASTRONAUTS IN THE HISTORY OF NASA. >> AND AS WE MENTIONED, RICHARD JONES IS BACK ON CONSOLE TODAY TO BRING US IN FOR A LANDING. HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. >> THE ROLE OF THE FLIGHT DIRECTOR, TO PUT IT SIMPLY, THE FLIGHT DIRECTOR MAK DEONS. I MAKE DECISIONS, AND AS THE MISSION IS CONTINUING, WHATEVER TIMELINE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING, WHETHER IT'S PRELAUNCH, ON ASCENT, ORBIT, DOCKED ON ENTRY, A LOT OF TIMES, WE HAVE TO STOP PROCEED BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOOD FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE MAY SUFFER A FAILURE, REACT TO DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, WHATEVER HAS CHANGED, AND SO THE FLIGHT DIRECTOR'S ROLE IS TO TAKE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IN, AND ALL OF THE SYSTEMS INFORMATION, THE HUMAN ELT, IF ASTRONAUTS ARE ON THAT VEHICLE, AND MAKE A DECISION ON HOW TO PROCEED OR NOT TO PROCEED. SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS NOT TO GO FORWARD WITH SOMETHING, SO IT'S REALLY A SPECS ISSUE.THE OR TEAM OF FLIGHT DIRECTORS ARE ED VAN CISE, AND ALSO MIKE GLAMORS WHO IS THE FLIGHTIRECTOR FOR LANDING. ALSO, YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF CAPCOMS ON SHIFT WITH US, TRACEY CALDWELL DYSON AND JOSH, WHO IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE HIS OWN FLIGHT ON STARLINER. HE'LL BE ON THE SECOND CREWED FLIGHT OF STARLINER. EACH OF THOSE MISSIONS SPENT ONE HOUR ON EITHER END OF THE SHIFT. THEY PUT STARLINER IN THE BEST POSITION THUS FAR FOR A SUCCESSFUL LANDING, COMING UP IN JUST 37 MINUTES NOW. >> 37 MINUTES DOWN TO NEW MEXICO. THE G.N.C. POSITION HERE REPORTS THAT STARLINER IS IN THE CORRECT ATTITU FOR ITS DEORBIT BURN THAT IS COMING UP. AT THIS POINT, THE SERVICE MODULE AND THE CREW MODULE ARE BOTH STILL ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER. IT'LL BE THE SERVICE MODULES OMAT ENGINES THAT WILL POWER THE DEORBI BURN. THEY ARE EACH 1500-BOUND GLASS THRUSTERS, MEANING THAT THIS 55-SECOND BURN WILL BE ABOUT 6,000 POUNDS OF THRUST THAT WILL SLOW STARLINER FROM ITS CURRENT ORBITAL VELOCITY AND FALL INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND ULTIMATELY FLY TO NEW MEXICO AND TOUCHDOWN IN WHITE SANDS. >> AND WILL THE OMATS ARE JUST -- AND THE OMATS ARE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH THEIR MISSION, BUT THEY WILL HELP MOVE AWAY FROM THE SERVICE MODULE AFTER THE ORBIT BURN. THAT BURN'S COMING UP IN JUST A LITTLE OVER TWO MINUTES HERE. EVERYONE'S QUIET IN THE ROOM, WORKING THROUGH THEIR LAST STEPS TO GET READY FOR IT. >> AFTER THE DEORBIT BURN, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SOMETHING CALLED REENTRY INTERFACE, WHICH IS WHEN THE HOTTEST PART OF REENTRY BEGINS. THIS IS WHEN THE STARLINER'S HEAT SHIELD WILL FACE ITS BIGGEST TEST. IT'S GOING TO GET OVER 3,000°, AND THE HEAT SHIELD IS GOING TO PROTECT THE STARLINER FROM THAT. IT'S AN ABLATING SHIELD. >> IT'S HOTTER THAN LAVA, AND IT HAS TO PROTECT IT FROM THAT. >> WE ARE ABOUT 3:16 FROM DEORBIT BURN. THIS'LL BE STLINER'S rd ORBIT OF THE EARTH THAT THIS IS HAPPENING ON. >> 30 SECONDS TO GO NOW UNTIL THE DEORBIT BURN BEGINS. AGAIN, IT'LL LAST ABOUT 55 >> TEN SECONDS TO DEORBIT BURNS. EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE. DEORBIT BURN IN PROGRESS. FLIGHT CONTROL REPORTED. FORWARD OMAT THRUSTERS FIRING ABOUT 55 SECONDS TO SLOW STARLINER DOWN TO BEGIN ITS RETURN TO EARTH. >> ALL LOOKING GOOD THUS FAR. >> 40 SECONDS IN, ABOUT 15 MORE TO GO. >> STARLINER, WE CAN SEE, IS MAINTAINING ITS ATTITUDE. SMALLER R.C.S. THRUSTERS ARE KEEPING THE AIRCRAFT IN ITS POSITION. GOOD BURN REPORTED. ENGINES CUTOFF. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO WHITE SANDS, RICHARD JES TELLS HIS TEAM. >> STARLINER IS READY TO COME HOME NOW. NEXT IS REENTRY, BUT BEFORE THAT, STARLINER WANTS TO GET RID OF THE SERVICE MODULE SO THAT THE COMMAND MODULE CAN MAKE IT WAY HOME. THAT MAKES ITS WAY FOR THE HEAT SHIELD AND THE PARACHUTES THAT WILL LOWER STARLINER SLOWLY DOWN TO EARTH. >> SO STARLINER IS ON A PATH COMING HOME NOW. WILL SOON -- WE'LL SOON BE WE JETTISONNING THE SERVICE MODULE AS NOTED, BUT WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO WHITE SANDS. >> MOVING INTO ATTITUDE TO GET RID OF THE SERVICE MODULE NOW. >> AND FLIGHT CONTROLLERS REPORT THAT WE ARE IN THE RIGHT ATTITUDE, AND SERVICE MODULE HAS JETTISONNED. SERVICE MODULE WILL BE RID OVER THE PACIFIC WHILE OUR FLIGHT SERVICE MODULE WILL CONTINUE TO WHITE SANDS WHERE OUR NASA CREWS WILL BE READY TO RECOVER. >> RIGHT NOW, IT WILL POINT BACK AROUND TO GET ITS HEAT SHIELD BACK INTO WHAT WILL BE THE H SPOT, MAKE SURE IT'S READY FOR REENTRY. >> AT STARLINER MISSION CONTROL IN HOUSTON, WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF STARLINER AS IT CONTINUES TO HEAD BACK TO WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. EVERYTHING IS LOOKING GOOD. THE CREW MODULE IS POSITNG SELF FOR THE REENTRY. WE HAVE ENTRY INTERFACE COMING UP IN 13:40. >> AND ANOTHER STARLINER ENGINEER JOINING US THIS MORNING IS TORY WILLS PADRADE. TORY IS AN EXPERT ON THE HEAT SHIELD OF STARLINER AND MANY OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS. TORY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING RIGHT NOW AS WE PROCEED TOWARDS THIS REENTRY WITH STARLINER IN A GOOD ATTITUDE AND HEADING OVER THE PACIFIC ON THE WAY TO WHITE SANDS. >> SO THANKS, STEVE. THIS IS REALLY EXCITING MORNING FOR STARLINER TO BE ABLE TO SHOW NOT ONLY A GOOD F.M. SEPARATION ALSO A GOOD ATTITUDE COMING DOWN INTO THE WHITE SANDS. THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE IN FOR THE VEHICLE. WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TEST THE HEAT SHIELD. WE HAVE TESTED THE HEATIELD HERE AT AMES, BUT THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A FLIGHT TEST TO COM THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF A HEAT SHIELD. >> AND NOW, IT'S REALLY COMING DOWN TO THE CRUNCH TIME. >> YEAH, IT IS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST REALLY EXCITING, AND IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD TEST OF THAT HEAT SHIELD. NOW, A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE HEAT SHIELD IS IT'S A GAME OF THREES, SO THE HEAT SHIELD IS GOING TO SEE ABOUT 3,000° AT ENTRY INTERFACE, AND IT'S GOING TO CONVERT THAT TO ABOUT 300° ON THE INTERIOR OF THAT INNER MOLD LINE WITH ABOUT 3 INCHES OF ABLATOR. IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO TEST THAT HERE. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY TESTED THAT HERE. SOMEARTS OF THIS, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN, BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO SEE HOW THE ABLATOR PERFORMS DURING THIS TEST. >> HOPEFULLY, IT'LL ALL GO AS EXPECTED, AND NEXT TIME, WE'RE BACK WITH CREW ON BOARD, WHAT WOULD THEY BE FEELING AT THIS POINT? >> SO AT THIS POINT, FROM A THERMAL PERSPECTIVE, THEY WOULD NOT BE FEELING ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY'RE FEELING THE REST OF THE TRIP. THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE IS AROUND 70, 75°. IT'S VERY COMFORTABLE. THEY WOULD BE SEEING A VERY COOL LIGHT SHOW OUTSIDE OF THIS WINDOW RIGHT NOW AS SOME OF THAT THERMAL HEATING STARTS TO TAKE PLACE, AND YOU SEE SOME OF THAT AEROHEAT SPARKING AROUND THE VEHICLE. >> AND THE WHOLE THING HAS THER HEAT SHIELD,T IS CORRECT? >> YES, THAT IS CORRECT. ALL OF THAT GRAY STUFF THAT LOOKS LIKE A BLANKET, THAT IS A THERMAL BLANKET MADE UP OF A BUNCH OF DIFNT LAYERS AND THICKNESSES OF A MATERIAL THAT IS SEWN TOGETHER AND GLUED ONTO THE STARLINER. WHILE THAT WILL NOT SEE THE HEAT THAT THE BASE SHIELD WILL, IT STILL PCTS VEHICLE NOT ONLY FROM THE HIGH HEAT OF REENTRY, BUT ALSO FROM THE REALLY COLD TEMPERATURES WHEN WE'RE IN ORBIT, SO BOTH OF THOSE ARE IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS. >> GREAT POINT, TORY. STARLINER IS IN ITS CURRENT -- IS IN THE PROPER ATTITUDE CURRENTLY, ITS BASE HEAT SHIELD POINTED IN ITS DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. TORY, ENTRY INTERFACE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOUE BEEN LOOKING AT FOR A LONG TIME, AND NOW WE'RE COMING UP TO IT. >> YES. WHEN WE WERE DOING DESIGN ON THE HEAT SHIELD AND TESTING IT, ENTRY INTERFACE IS WHEN WE WOULD START CARING ABOUT THE THERMAL LOADS THE HEAT SHIELD WOULD SEE. BEFORE THAT, THE HEA SHIELD IS PROTECTED BY THE S.M. BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE AFFECTED BY ANY MICROMEDIA OR DEBRIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO COVERING THE HEAT SHIELD IS REALLY IMPORTANT UNTIL WE WANT IT TO USE IT BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO BE TO THE EXACT THICKNESS THAT WE WANTED IT TO SO IT CAN PERFORM TO THE BEST OF ITS ABILITY. EACH AREA OF THE HEAT SHIELD IS ACTUALLY LOFTED, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE HEAT SHIELD AS LIKE A GRID, EACH P THAT GRID IS AT A DIFFERENT THICKNESS TO BE ABLE TO COVER ALL OF THE HEATING THAT WE WOULD SEE DURING MULTIPLE DIFFERENT REENTRY TRAJECTORIES BUT ALSO ABLE TO HAVE IT AS THIN AS POSSIBLE TO BE AS LIGHT WEIGHT AT POSSIBLE SO W REALLY WORKED TO MAKE THE HEAT SHIELD AS EFFICIENT AS IT COULD BE AND ALSO AS LIGHT WEIGHT AS IT COULD BE SO WE'RE ABLE TO CARRY MORE CARGO OR CREW TO SPACE STATION WHEN WE EVENTUALLY GO THERE. >> AND WHEN WILL YOU SAY THAT THE HEAT SHIELD HAS DONE ITS JOB? >> UPON RELEASE. THAT'S WHEN THE HEAT SHIELD HAS DONE ITS JOB, AND WHEN IT'S READY TO DROP THOSE DROGUES, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE READY TO SAY HEAT SHIELD IS READY. THE ABLATOR IS GOING TO LOOK HAVE THAT S OF CRUSTY-LOOKINGED, APPEARANCE, AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECT BECAUSE WHEN -- HOW AN ABLATOR WORKS IS BY CHANGING HEAT INTO GAS, AND BY DOING THAT, IT STARS THE MATERIAL. WHEN THE MATERIAL IS NEW, HASN'T SEEN ANY HEAT YET, IT'S WHITE. BUT WHEN IT'S BLACK, WE KNOW IT'S WORKED, AND IT'S TRANSFERRED HEAT INTO GAS. >> AND TORY, YOU'RE AN EXPERT ON ANOTHER SYSTEM, THE INTR GAS SYSTEM. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST ON THAT, BUT AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE INTERIOR VIEWS OF ROSY IN THE COMMANDER'S SEAT FROM THIS MISSION. >> YES, THAT'S CORRECT, STEVE. SO THE INTERIOR SYSTEM FOR THE CAMERA, FOR O.F.T., IT'S RECORDED -- IT WAS SUPPOSED TO RECORD THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. WE DEFINITELY GOT ALL OF THE UPHILLS, AND WHEN WE WERE IN ORBIT AND STATIONARY, WE HAD TO POWER DOWN. SO THE CAMERA WAS POWERED DOWN FOR AHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THEN, WE POWER IT HAD BACK ON AS WE STARTED REENTRY. SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE ROSY AND SNOOPY, NOT ONLY ON THE INTERIOR RIDE, BUT HOW SHE'S AFFECTED BY THE LANDING WITH HER SENSOR DATA. WE HAVE FOUR CAMERAS IN THE VEHICLE, AND ONE OF THOSE IS ACTUALLY POINTED OUT THE WINDOW, SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME REALLY COOL HOPEFULLY VIEWS O THEARTH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW THAT HEAT WE SEE ARC THE HEAT SHIELD FOR REENTRY, SO EXCITED TO SEE IT AROUND THE VEHICLE WHEN IT GETS HOME. >> WE HAD A STARLINER DEORBIT BURN AT 6:23 TODAY, PUTTING IT BACK ON A LANDING IN NEW MEXICO JUST 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM NOW. WE'LL BE COMING UP ON THAT ENTRY INTERFACE IN ABOUT 4.5 MINUTES, SO WE'LL KEEP TALKING ABOUT TORY A LITTLE BIT LONGER. >> SO TORY, SPEAKING OF THE CAMERA SYSTEM, IT'S MADE FOR THE CREW THAT'S GOING TO BE FLYING THIS SAME VEHICLE AFTER P.C.M., AND OF COURSE BEFORE THAT, IT'LL BE THE MISSION WITH CHRIS FERGUSON AND NICOLE MANN. WHAT'S IMPORTANT, WHAT THE CREW WANTS TO SHOW? WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM. >> SO WE DESIGNED THIS EXTENSIVELY WITH CHRIS FERGUSON AND MAKING SURE THAT HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE VIEWS AND MAKING SURE WITH HOW UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WE WOULD BE INSIDE THE CREW CABIN. SO THAT SORT OF DATA THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET FROM FOUR DIFFERENT CAMERA VIEWS ON THE INTERIOR OF THE STARLINER IS GOING TO BE REALLY VALUA TO TRAINING ASTRONAUTS IN HOW TO USE OUR SYSTEMS DOWN THE ROAD AND ALSO IN SHARING THE STARLINER SYSTEM FOR THE PUBLIC. NOW FOR C.F.T., WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME ENHANCED CAPABILITY. WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE DOCK WITH THE I.S.S. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE CREW WITH THE I.S.S. GREETING THE CREW FOR C.F.T. SO THAT MOMENT, BEING ABLE TO CAPTURE, IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT FOR THE CREW TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK AND TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN OTHERS PAST THEM, ALSO JUST TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE STORY AND SHOW EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE HAD A SUCCESSFUL DOCKING. >> THANK YOU, TORY. WE ARE LESS THAN THREE MINUTES AWAY FROM STARLINER'S ENTRY INTERFACE WITH THE ATMOSPHERE, 2:43. THIS PUTS AT 18:31 FROM LANDING AT WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. >> ALREADY BEGINNING TO SEE THE ALTITUDE DROP FOR STARLINER REALLY STEADILY, ABOUT 95 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH RIGHT NOW AND QUICKLY FALLING. >> FLIGHT DIRECTOR RICHARD JONES AND HIS TEAM ARE MONITORING EVERY MOMENT OF THIS. CURRENTLY, STARLINER REPORTS 147,000 FEET. MOVING UNDER THE MACH 25 ORBITAL VELOCITY, CURRENTLY AT 26 MACH. >> AND AT STARLINER MISSION CONTROL IN HOUSTON, WE ARE 40 SECONDS -- WE ARE 40 SECONDS AWAY FROM ENTRY INTERFACE, NOW 34 SECONDS. STARLINER CONTINUES IN THE PROPER ATTITUDE. ALTITUDE, 127,000 FEET -- 127,000 METERS, APOLOGIES. 126,000 METERS. >> AND WE ARE RIGHT -- RIGHT ON TOP OF THAT ENTRY INTERFACE. THIS IS WHEN STARLINER WOULD BE SEEING THOSE 3,000° FAHRENHEIT TEMPERATURES. SHOULD BE JUST ABOUT 75 MILES ABOVE THETH AT THIS POINT. WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE, AS PEOPLE ARE TUNING IN, THAT FOLLOWING STARLINER'S TOUCHDOWN, WE WILL BE POSTING A POST TOUCHDOWN NEWS CONFERENCE AT 7:00 A.M. CENTRAL STANDARD TIME. THAT'S GOING TO BE FEATURING JIM BRIDENSTINE AND STEVE STICH. >> AND STARLINER IS A MINUTE INTO ENTRY INTERFACE INTO THAT PHASE OF MAXIMUM HEATING DURING THIS REENTRY BACK OVER THE PACIFIC. STARLINER IS FLYING AS A CREW MODULE ALONE. THE SERVICE MODULE HAS BEEN JETTISONNED AND DISPOSED OF. ALTITUDE, 104,000 METERS. >> THE ENTIRE TEAM IN THE WORLD HERE IS QUIETLY WATCHING, MAKINO LOOK GOOD. WE'VE ALSO GOT A NUMBER OF V.I.P.s IN THE VIEWING ROOM, AS WELL. WE'VE GOT NASA'S DIRECTOR JIM BRIDENSTINE AS WELL AS JIM CHILTON, AS WELL. >> AND WE ARE SEEING ON THE LANDING TRACK HERE IN MISSION COROL, AS STARLINER MOVES OVER THE PACIFIC. STARLINER IS 13:27 MINUTES FROM LANDING AT WHITE SANDS SPACE HARBOR, NEW MEXICO. >> STARLINER IS ENTERING THE EXPECTED BLACKOUT REGION, WHEN THE PLASMA FORMS OVER THE SPACECRAFT AND THE ANTENNAS CANNOT ADEQUATELY COMMUNICATE WITH THE OVERHEAD SATELLITES. >> CURRENTLY 51 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH, MAKING ITS WAY INTO THE INTERFACE. THE NEXT THINGULD BEHE FOD HEAT SHIELD JETTISON. THAT SHOULD BE COMING UP IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES NOW. >> FLIGHT REPORT, GOOD POSITION, GOOD ROLL TO WHERE IT NEEDS T BE IN. STARLINER AT 75,000 METERS. STARS ATMOSPHERE, GOING THROUGH THE REENTRY FACE, 11:30 UNTIL LANDING AT WHITE SANDS, WHERE A TEAM OF RECOVERY SPECIALISTS WILL BE RECOVERING THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WILL BE USED AFTER THIS MISSION. IT'LL BE TAKEN TO THE STARLINER FACTORY IN FLORIDA AND REFURBISHED AND THEN FLOWN ON THE FIRST OPERATIONAL. IT'LL BE FLOWN -- SLATED FOR THE FIRST OPERATIONAL MISSION. FIVE MINUTES INTO ENTRY INTERFACE, WE ARE NOW 10:34 BEFORE LANDING AT WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. STARLINER'S CONTROLLERS REPORT THAT THE SPACECRAFT IS IN GOOD ATTITUDE. >> ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM WHEN EXPECT THAT FORWARD HEAT SHIELD JETTISONNED. THE FIRST HEAT SHIELD WILL BE JETTISONNED. THE STARLINER WILL BE HEADING OVER THE BAJA PENINSULA SECTION OF MEXICO, AND THEN ONTO NEW MEXICO AND THE WHITE SANDS SPACE HARBOR. >> AND WE HAVE NEWS THAT THE TRACKING VEHICLE AT WHITE SANDS IS TRACKING STARLINER RIGHT NOW. SYSTEMS ARE LOOKING GOOD. 9:30 TO LANDING. >> AND REPORTS THAT STARLINER IS ON TRACK TO WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXI 51,000 METERS. >> THAT'S ABOUT 32 MILES OVER MEXICO AT THE MOMENT. >> GETTING OUR FIRST VIEWS. >> WE ARE GETTING OUR FIRST VIEWS FROM THE NASA WB-57. WE SEE THEIR STARLINER CONTINUING ITS PLUNGE THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE. WE ARE 8:08 FROM LANDING. THAT IMAGE IS INFRARED BECAUSE OF IT BEING DARK, OF COURSE, OVER THE SKIES OF NEW MEXICO RIGHT NOW. >> STILL ABOUT 28 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH AS IT CONTINUES MAKING ITS WAY, JUST ABOUT CROSSING OVER THE NEW MEXICO BORDER NOW. THIS COMING FROM ONE OF NASA'S WB-57 PLANES USING INFRARED CAMERA. >> ALL SENSORS REPORT SPACECRAFT IS DOING WE ALTITUDE ABOUT 57,000 METERS. >> JUST A FEW MINUTES BEFORE WE SHOULD HEAR ABOUT THE FORWARD HEAT SHIELD JETTISON. GREAT VIEW HERE. CAN'T SEE MUCH BECAUSE IT'S DARK, BUT IT'S GREAT TO KNOW THAT STARLINER IS ON ITS WAY HOME, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BETTER THAN I WAS CONSIDERING, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN NEW MEXICO. >> VERY GOOD TO SEE THIS. THAT IMAGE IS EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECT. THE THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM ON STARLINER, OF COURSE, PROTECTING THE SPACECRAFT FROM THE HEAT OF -- OF ENTRY. SLOWING SPEED NOW, NOW SPEED MACH 3.5. OF COURSE, ENTRY VELOCITY IS MACH 25, SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE VELOCITY CHANGE. >> NOW 17 MILES ABOVE NEW MEXICO. >> SIX MINUTES TO LANDING AT WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. STARLINER REMAINS AT ITS PROPER ATTITUDE, PROPER COURSE. SPEED, MACH 1.1, 19,000 METERS. >> LANDING RECOVERY TEAM AS VISUAL ON STARLINER AS IT COMES DOWN. 10,000 FEET. >> THAT'S ABOUT 6.2 MILES STILL ABOVE NEW MEXICO, BUT WE DID JUST -- >> FORWARD HEAT SHIELD DEPLOY. >> -- JUST CONFIRMATION OF THAT FORWARD HEAT SHIELD DEPLOY. >> DROGUES OUT. >> THEY WILL START SLOWING THE STARLINER DOWN A THE MAIN HEAT SHIELDS DEPLOYMENT AFTER THAT -- MAIN PARACHUTES, RATHER, NOT HEAT SHIELD. >> VEHICLE IS SLOWING RAPIDLY. MACH .2. AND LANDING SITE REPORTS THE SONIC BOOMS AS STARLINER CAME OVER. >> AND RIGHT THERE, WE SEE THE TWO SHEETS. >> 3:30 FROM LANDING. MAIN'S DEPLOYED. AND WE SEE THREE MAIN CHUTES, THREE MAIN CHUTES BILLOWING THREE MAIN CHUTES. WE SEE THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE AS STARLINER DESCENDS. 2:53 FROM TOUCHDOWN. >> THE BASE HEAT SHIELD HAS JETTISONNED. >> AND ALL THAT'S LEFT IS FOR STARLINER TO FLOAT DOWN TO THE SURFACE OF THE DESERT I NEW MEXICO. EVERYTHING LOOKING GOOD, AND THE INFRAREDAMERAS GIVING US A GOOD VIEW. >> 3:02 TO LANDING, GIVING US A GOOD VIEW OF STARLINER'S MAIN CHUTES. >> ALL SIX AIR BAGS ARE CONFIRMED TO HAVE DEPLOYED A ARE INFLATED AS STARLINER DESCENDS DOWN TO WHITE STANDS. >> LESS THAN HALF A MILE TO GO. >> GREAT IMAGERY THERE OF IT DESCENDING. >> LESS THAN ONE MINUTE TO LANDING, LESS THAN ONE MINUTE TO TOUCHDOWN AT WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. STARLINER FLOATING SMOOTHLY AND SOFTLY UNDER THREE MAIN PARACHUTES. >> VERY CLOSE NOW. >> 20 SECONDS, 20 SECONDS TO LANDING THE FIRST STARLINER FLIGHT TEST VEHICLE. >> AND STARLINER TOUCHES DOWN IN THE DESERT IN NEW MEXICO. THE FIRST TIME AN AMERICAN MADE HUMAN RATED CAPSULE HAS LANDED ON LAND. >> THATK PLACE AT 6:58 CENTRAL TIME, TWO DAYS, ONE HOURS AND 21 MINUTES INTO STARLINER'S MISSION. CONGRATULATIONS, STARLINER. >> CONGRATULATIONS, INDEED. FLAWLESS FLIGHT BACK TO EARTH. GOOD LANDING THIS MORNING. NOW THE SPOTLIGHT'S GOING TO SHIFT A LITTLE BIT TO THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM WAITING FOR IT OUT THERE IN NEW MEXICO. THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR CLEARANCE BEFORE THEY START HEADING OVER TO THE VEHICLE, BUT STARLINER HAS TOUCHED DOWN AT WHITE SANDS SUCCESSFULLY THIS MORNING. MAIN CHUTES ARE JETTISONNED. >> THAT WILL KEEP THOSE MAIN CHUTES FROM PULLING STARLINER AWAY AS THE RECOVERY TEAM IS MAKING THEIR WAY TOWARD IT. >> ONCE AGAIN, THE TOUCHDOWN WAS 6:58 MOUNTAIN TIME OR 5:58 LOCAL TIME FOR STARLINER. THAT TWO DAYS, 1 HOUR, AND 21 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT MODE. >> AND STARLINER IS IN GROUND MODE. THAT MEANS THE VEHICLE IS TAKING THE STEPS THAT IT NEEDS. MISSION CONTROL IS IN COMMAND OF THE VEHICLE, AND WE WILL SOON SEE THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM HEAD OUT. AND WE'RE GOING NOW TO BOEING'S JOSH BARRETT OUT WITH THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM. JOSH, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL LANDING. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW AS FROM THERE. >> STEVE, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL LANDING FROM HERE. WE HAD A SPOTLIGHT FROM THE GROUND. WE COULD SEE THE STROBING LIGHT ON THE VEHICLE ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND THEN, WHEN THOSE PARACHUTES DEPLOYED IN THE SPOTLIGHT, IT LOOKED ALMOST GHOSTLY AS IT DRIFTED DOWN AND TOUCHED DOWN. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE MOVING IN THE CONVOY RIGHT NOW. WE'VE GOT OUR H-2, WHICH IS OUR CONNECTION THAT I'M TALKING TO RIGHT NOW. OUR RECOVERY OATIONS LATER, WE CALL HIM ROL, THAT'S ROCK AND ROL FOR YOU, THEY ARE LEADING US OUT TO THE CREW MODULE. I CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT STROBING OUT IN THE DISTANCE ON THE HORIZON. WE HAVE THE GPS COORDINATES LOCKED IN. WE ARE JUST GOING TO FOLLOW THAT ALL THE WAY TO THE CREW MODULE. AND GOLD TEAM WILL BE THE FIRST TO APPROACH THE VEHICLE. WE HEARD THE RADIO THAT THERE'S NO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR THE L.R.T. TH'S THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM. GOLD TEAM IS GOING TO APPROACH THE VEHICLE, SNIFF OUT, MAKE SURE THERE'S NO HYDROZINE AROUND THE VEHICLE, THERE'S NO LEAKS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET SOME CLOSURE AROUND THE VEHICLE. AND I THINK WE'LL WRAP THIS BROADCAST AROUND HATCH CLOSURE, BUT TODAY, GETTING THE HATCH OPEN IS REALLY THE BIG MILESTONE FOR THE LANDING AND RECOVERY TEAM. OVER TO THE EAST, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE SUN COME UP, SO HOPEFULLY, WE'LLAVE A LITTLE BETTER CONDITIONS AS WE GET INTO THESE LANDING OPERATIONS, BUT JUST A GREAT FEELING OUT HERE, LANDING OPERATIONS, JUST GAVE EVERYONE CHILLS. VERY HAPPY TEAM, AND THEY'RE READY TO ROCK. BACK TO YOU GUYS, STEVE. >> THANK YOU, JOSH. GREAT TO HEA THAT. RICHARD JONES, FLIGHT DIRECTOR HERE AT MISSION CONTROL SAID THAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A SMOOTH RIDE FOR C.F.T., JUDGING BY HOW SOFTLY AND SMOOTHLY THIS O.F.T., THIS TEST VEHICLE CAME DOWN THIS MORNING. >>'M SUREHE TEAMS WILL GET THEIR ASSESSMENTS, AS WELL, AND BE JUST AS ENTHUSIASTIC AS THAT. THEY'RE EXCITED TO BE THERE. JUST A REMINDER, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK LEFT FOR THIS TEAM IN THEIR ROOM, BUT IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE, WE WILL BE GOING TO A POST LANDINGS COENCE. THAT'S GOING TO BE AT 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL TIME, SO WE'VE STILL GOT A COUPLE OF HOURS TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH STARLINER ACTIVITIES HERE ON THE GROUND, AGAIN, 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL. >> AND ALSO, THE LANDING TEAM THERE IN NEW MEXICO, THERE IN WHITE SANDS, REPORTS THAT "WE HIT THE BULL'S EYE," SO STARLINER CAME DOWN RIGHT WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO AT WHITE SANDS, RIGHT WHERE IT NEEDED TO IT WAS SPECTACULAR ENTRY THIS MORNING, AND OF COURSE REMARKABLE IMAGES COMING DOWN AS IT -- WE'RE ALSO GETTING OUR FIRST LOOK THROUGH THE DARKNESS AT THE STARLINER CAPSULE AS IT TS ON THE DESERT FLOOR THERE IN WHITE SANDS. THIS PICTURE'S FROM OUR -- THIS PICTURE'S FROM OUR LANDING RECOVERY TEAM AS THEY MOVE OUT TOWARDS THE SPACECRAFT. AND YOU HEARD FROM TWO OF OUR STARLINER ENGINEERS, JIM MAY AND TORY WILLS PEDRADE. THEY ARE STANDING BY IN THE STUDIO. JIM AND TORY, IT LOOKED GREAT FROM HERE. NEW MEXICO REPORTS IT LOOKED GOOD. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE -- THE FEELINGS THAT YOU ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED TODAY. >> THANKS, STEVE. IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING MORNING. REALLY TRYING JUST TO KEEP IT TOGETHER, NOT CRY, ON LIVE T.V., BUT IT -- IT IS A FULFILLMENT OF 7.5 YEARS OF WORK TO SEE THIS HAPPEN AND HAPPEN SO SUCCESSFULLY AND MAKE IT LOOK EASY, SO THIS IS -- THIS IS JUST AN ABSOLUTELY GREAT MORNING FOR ME. >> YOU KNOW, I -- I FEEL THE SAME WAY. YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TRAINING. IT'S NOT JUST US AS ENGINEERS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO TRAINING ALL THE FLIG CONTROLLERS, AS WELL, SO BEING ABLE TO GET THEM READY FOR THIS FLIGHT AND HAVE THEM CONTROL THE VEHICLE, COMMAND THE VEHICLE TO COME DOWN SAFELY IN THE DESERT MEANS GOOD THINGS LOOKING FORWARD FOR OUR FUTURE CREWED MISSIONS, AS WELL. >> YEAH, JIM. IT'S S A GREAT SYNERGY FOR NOT ONLY THE TECHNICAL SYSTEMS, BUT THE PEOPLE SYSTEMS. WE HAVE SUCH GREAT PEOPLE ON CONSOLE, AND SUCH GREAT PEOPLE IN THE DESERT, AND REALLY GREAT TECHNICAL TEAM. TEAM EFFORT IS JUST GREAT TO SEE. >> ABSOLUTELY. THE TEAM EFFORT IS JUST GREAT. >> AND FOR THOSE JUST JOINING US, STARLINER TOUCHED DOWN ON THE SANDS OF WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO AT 6:58 A.M. CENTRAL TIME,:58 A.M. LOCAL, OUT AT WHITE SANDS. >> SEEING THE REPLAY HERE OF THAT TOUCHDOWN. AGAIN, EVERYTHING HAPPENED RIGHT ON TIME, THE HEAT SHIELDS JETTISONS, THE CHUTE DEPLOYMENT, EVERYTHING GIVING GOOD INDICATIONS FOR ALL OF THE LANDING SYSTEM ELEMENTS. >> A LOT OF -- LOT OF ACTIVITIES, OF COURSE, TOOK PLACE, THE SPACECRAFT IN CONTROL OF THEM DURING TH FINAL DESCENT. TORY AND JIM, A LOT OF THINGS FOR THE SPACE TEAM TO DO, BUT IT WENT WELL, IT LOOKED LIKE. FROM YOUR TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> SO I HAVE TO SAY, THAT HEAT SHIELD JETTISON WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE MORE OF THE UP-CLOSE IMAGES THAT I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO GET FROM THE GROUND TEAM AND ALSO BE ABLE TO DIG INTO THE DATA. I DON'T THINK WE COULD HAVE HAD A BETTER FLIGHT. >> YEAH. WE SIMULATE THIS REENTRY FOR THE MISSION CONTROLLERS, BUT SEEING THE FLIGHT, WE NAILED THE BULL'S EYE, AND ALL OF THE EXECUTION AND ORDINANCES EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO, MEAN THAT WE'VE PLANNED IT RIGHT. IT MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT A GOOD BACKGROUND MOVING FORWARD INTO OUR FUTURE FLIGHTS. >> AND JUST A REMINDER THAT HER WE ARE, AT TEN MINUTES AFTER LANDING, AND THE STARLINER RECOVERY TEAM IS MAKING THEIR WAY OUT TO THE SPACECRAFT. WE WILL HEAR MORE FROM JOSH BARRETT AND NASA'S DAN HEWITT AS THEY GET CLOSER TO THE SPACECRAFT COMING A LITTLE BIT LATER. WE ARE LKING RIGHT NOW WITH BOEING'S TORY WILLS PEDRADE AND JIM MAY, BOTH ENGINEERS IN THE STARLINER SYSTEMS. YOU'RE ALSO SEEING SOME OF THE REPLAYS OF STARLINER'S VERY SUCCESSFUL, VERY SMOOTH LANDING THISNING IN NEW MEXICO. JIM, YOU HAVE THE -- YOU BOTH OF COURSE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGHOUT THE LAST COUPLE DAYS. WHEN DID YOU -- JIM, WHEN DID YOU FIRST BREATHE YOUR SIGH OF RELIEF AS YOU WATCHED IT COM DO THIS MORNING? >> YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK I LET MYSELF START DEEPLY BREATHING UNTIL WE HAD THE LANDING. THE MAINS CAME DOWN SLOWLY, BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VEHICLE COMES DOWN SOFT AND SAFELY BECAUSE THAT MEANS SOFT AND SAFELY FOR THE CREW. ONCE IT CAME DOWN, I LET OUT A BIG SIGH, BUT A HAPPY ONE. >> IT'S A HAPPY MOMENT. WE LANDED AN AMERICAN AIRCRAFT ON LAND WITH A LANDING SYSTEM. THIS IS JUST REALLY EXCITING TO BE A PART OF THIS. >> AND COMING DOWN SAFELY ON LAND MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SAFE AND READY FOR SONNY WILLIAMS TO FLY ON HER NEXT MISSION. THAT AND -- THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN SAFELY BRING BACK THE CARGO THAT WE'RENNING ON BRINGING CK FROM STATION ON THE FUTURE FLIGHTS SO WE CAN GET THE RESEARCH CONTINUING, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY AFTER LANDING. >> WE'RE HEARING THAT RICHARD JONES HAS HANDED AUTHORITY OF THE VEHICLE OVER TO LANDING AND RECOVERY TEAM. FOR TORY AND JIM, I KNOW THAT YOU WOULD PROBABLY LOVE TO BE THERE. WHAT WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR IF YOU WERE ABLE TO BE ON-SITE? >> SO I WOULD PROBABLY BE IN AN A.T.V., PROBABLY TRYING TO GO PICK U MY HEAT SHIELD FROM SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE DESERT. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PICK UP PARTS THAT WE JETTISONNED BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD. IT'S GETTING THAT DATA AND SEEING THOSE SYSTEMS AFTER REENTRY, GOING TO PUT US IN A GREAT PLACE WHEN CREW GETS ON THE VEHICLE. >> AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE TRAINING SYSTEMS IN THE SIMULATIONS THAT WE USED TO TRAIN EVERYBODY. SO SPECIFICALLY I'M LOOKING TO GET SOME OF THE FLIGHT RECORDER DATA, AND THE DATA THAT ROSY THE ROCKETEERS SO WE C TAKE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED EXACTLY FROM THE VEHICLE FLIGHT AND TURN THAT INTO A BETTER TRAINING PRODUCT FOR THE FUTURE. >> AND SPEAKING OF ROSY THE ROCKETEER, YOU KNOW, WE WERE EXPECTING BEFORE THIS THAT -- THAT STARLINER WOULD BE COMING DOWN ABOUT THE SPEED OF AN EXPRESS ELEVATOR IN A SKY SCRAPER. THAT KIND OF -- REALIZING THAT YOU'RE NOT IN THE CONTROL ROOM, BUT IS THAT THE WAY IT SEEMED TO BE? >> YES. THE LANDING LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE SIMULATION. NICE SOFT LANDING FOR ROSY. >> CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT DATA, I'M SURE. LOOKS LIKE WE'RE STARTING TO GET SOME CLEARER PICTURES OUT AT THE LANDING SITE AS THE TEAMS MOVE IN. AGAIN, WE'VE JUST LANDED IN NEW MEXICO ABOUT 13 MINUTES AGO. 6:58. IF YOU'RE JUST JOINING US, YOU MISSED A LOT OF GOOD STUFF, BUT WE'VE STILL GOT A LOT TO YOU. >> ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WILL BE TO PUT AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COVER OVER STAR LINE. WE CAN SEE THE LANDING RECOVERY VEHICLES GOING OUT TO MEET STARLINER. >> AND L.R.T. IS DIVIDED INTO DIFFERENT TEAMS, DEPENDING ON THEIR TASKS FOR STARLINER RECOVERY. >> 15 MINUTESER THE LANDING OF STARLINER OUT IN WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. STARLINER LANDED AFTER 33 ORBITS OF THE EARTH. >> DURING THAT TIME, IT WAS ABLE TO CHECK OFF THE NUMBER OF MISSION OBJECTIVES. ALTHOUGH IT DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, IT WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT TO THE ATLAS V ROCKET AND OF COURSE ALL THE LANDING SYSTEMS THAT WE SAW TODAY, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER SYSTEMS THAT WOULD BE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE. >> A NUMBER OF US DEMONSTRATIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. MISSION CONTROLLERS, OF COURSE, EXECUTED THEIR OPERATIONS ALL WHILE KEEPING AN EYE ON STARLINER. >> AND STARLINER NEXT WAS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, ALTHOUGH IT DIDN'T VISIT, AND TEAMS ON THE GROUND WERE ABLE TO SEND COMMANDS FROM THE STATION TO STARLINER. ONCE AGAIN, A REMINDER THAT COMING UP IN ABOUT 1:45, THAT WE AIMING FOR 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL TIME, WE WILL HAVE THAT POST LANDING BRIEFING, WHEN WE EXPECT TO HEAR FROM JIM BRIDENSTINE, JIM CHILTON, AND STEVE STICH. >> HERE IN MISSION CONTROL HOUSTON, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF SPECIAL GUESTS COMING IN TO SAY HI WHO HAVE BEEN WATCHING FROM THE VIEWING ROOM, INCLUDING NASA ADMINISTRATOR JIMBRIDENSTINE, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER DIRECTOR MARK GEYER. WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LOT OF HIGH FIVES AND A LOT OF SMILES. >> AND THIS FOLLOWS A LOT OF ARD WORK B A LOT OF FOLKS. ALSO JOINING BRIDEN -- NASA ADMINISTRATOR JIM BRIDENSTINE THIS MORNING IS BOEING'S LEE ANN CARETT. >> WE DID MENTION EARLIER THAT THE TEAM HERE IN MISSION CONTROL HANDED AUTHORITY ALREADY OVER TO THE LANDING AND RECOVERY TEAM ON-SITE WITH STARLINER, SO THEY ABLE TO RELAX A LITTLE BIT AND START SOME OF THE CELEBRATIONS. >> AND WE HAVE A REPORT FROM THE LANDING TEAM. "THE VEHICLE LOOKS FANTASTIC." >> WE HOPE TO HEAR MORE FROM THEM SOON. WE'RE STANDING BY TO GET SOME UPDATES FROM JOSH BARRETT AND DAN HEWITT FROM THE SCREEN THERE. >> AND AS YOU CAN SEE, NASA DIRECTOR JIM BRIDENSTINE AND BOEING DIRECTOR MARK GEYER, AND JIM CHILTON, AND LEE AN CARETT, WHO IS THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF BOEING DEFENSE AND SPACE. >> JIM BRIDENSTINE WILL BE JOINING US FOR THAT POST LANDING NEWS CONFERENCE AT 9:0A.M. CENTRAL TIME, AND THIS WILL BE JOINED BY -- THEY WILL BE JOINED BY STEVE STICH. >> THERE WE SEE LEE ANN WITH FLIGHT DIRECTOR JONES AND BOB DEMPSEY. >> MORE TEAM MEMBERS CONTINUING TO FILE INTO THE ROOM. I DON'T THINK THE CONGRATS ARE GOING TO STOP ANY TIME SOON. IT'S BEEN 20 MINUTES NOW SINCE STARLINER LANDED IN NEW MEXICO. THAT TOOK PLACE AGAIN AT 6:58 A.M. CENTRAL TIME OR 5:58 MOUNTAIN IN NEW MEXICO. >> AND TOOK PLACE AT 7:58 EASTERN TIME THERE AT THE LAUNCH SITE. >> ONCE AGAIN, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF V.I.P.s PILING INTO THE ROOM. SOME OF THEM, YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE. NASA DTOR JIM BRIDENSTINE AND JIM CHILTON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR SPACE FLIGHT. ALSO, LEE ANN CARETT, THE BOEING SPACE FLIGHT DIRECTOR. AND MARK GEYER. I THINK WE'VE GOT ALL OF THE STARLINER FLIGHT DIRECTORS IN HERE. RICHARD JONES, WHO WAS ON CONSOLE FOR THE LANDING AND THE LAUNCH. ALSO MILLING AROUND, BOB DEMPSEY, TAKING PART IN THE CONGRATS. >> MEANWHILE, OUT AT WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM IS GETTING CLOSER TO THE STARLINER VEHICLE. THEY WILL BE PUTTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENCLOSURE UP OVER THE VEHICLE. IT IS, OF COURSE, FREEZING IN WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING. AND WE ARE SEEING SOME IMAGERY, SOME REGULAR IMAGERY COMING FROM WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, HERE IN THE CONTROL ROOM. THE TEAM, OF COURSE, BRINGS A LOT OF LIGHTS WITH THEM. AND WE ARE HOPING TO RECONNECT WITH THE BLUE TEAM, PART OF THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM. WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS LINK TO BE COMPLETED. STARLINER'S IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. LANDED 23, ALMOST 24 MINUTES AGO, WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. AND WE ALSO HAVE A REPORT FROM -- WE HAVE A REPORT FROM THE LANDING ZONE CONFIRMING THAT ALL THE PARACHUTES DETACHED AFTER LANDING TO PREVENT THE PARACHUTES FROM PULLING THE VEHICLE OVER IN HIGH WINDS. THE VEHICLE IS LOOKING GOOD. THERE'S ALSO THE REPORT AND THE LANDING WENT VERY SMOOTHLY TODAY. I THINK THE TEAM WILL BE VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY TODAY'S DEORBIT AND LANDING WENT. >> WANT TO SNEAK IN ANOTHER REMINDER OF OUR POST LANDING NEWS CONFERENCE. THAT'L BE AT 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL TIME. MEDIA WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART IN THE NEWS CONFERENCE CAN CALL THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER NEWS ROOM AT 281-483-5111. CALL THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER NEWS ROOM FOR MEDIA TO TAKE PART IN THE NEWS CONFERENCE COMING UP AT 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL TIME, FEATURING JIM BRIDENSTINE, JIM CHILTON, AND STEVE STICH. AND WE ARE GETTING SOME NEW VIEWS OF STARLINER FROM THE LANDING SITE. >> YOU CAN SEE THE OUTLINES OF THE DIFFERENT COLORS OUTLINING THE SPACECRAFT. >> AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THE FIRST MEMBERS OF THE LANDING TEAM RECOVERING STARLINER. THEY NEED TO CONFIRM BEFORE THE WHOLE TEAMS GET THERE THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS SAFE FOR THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM. YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THIS THE PARTIALLY DEFLATED AIR BAGS. THEY HAVE VENTS ON THEM TO CUSHION -- JUST LIKE A CAR AIR BAG, TO CUSHION THE TOUCHDOWN IMPACT. >> SUPPOSED TO COME DOWN AT ABOUT 18 MILES PER HOUR, SO NOT NEARLY AS FAST AS WHEN IT STARTS ITS JOURNEY, BUT YOU STILL LIKE A LITTLE CUSHION THERE. >> ALL INDICATIONS OF THE LOADS ON LANDING ARE THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY SMOOTH, AND AGAIN, RICHARD JONES -- FLIGHT DIRECTOR RICHARD JONES, HIS COMMENT WAS, LOOKS LIT'S GOING BE A SMOOTH LANDING, WHEN THE C.F.T. CREW -- THE ASTRONAUTS OF THE CREW AND FLIGHT TEST MAKE THEIR FLIGHT INTO TEST. >> NEXT CREW THAT WILL BE ON BOARD IS OUT AT THE LANDING SITE. FINK AND NICOLE MAN AND MIKE FERGUSON. WE'RE HOPING TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM THEM AS WE'RE ABL TO GET JOSH AND DAN UP AND RUNNING. >> AND OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE CAPSULE. THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE TEAMS THAT GO OUT AND RECOVER THE BASE HEAT SHIELD AND THE FORWARD HEAT SHIELD AND THE PARACHUTES. E SPACECRAFT ITSELF WILL BE TAKEN OVER TO BOEING'S STARLINER FACTORY IN FLORIDA AND REFURBISHED. THE BASELINER HEAT SHIELD DOES NOT GET REUSED. AND THIS SPACECRAFT WILL BE REUSED. IT CAN BE REUSED UP TO TEN TIMES. THIS VEHICLE, OF COURSE, COMES DOWN ON LAND. WE DESIGNED IT TO COME DOWN ON LAND TO GET THAT REUSABILITY AT YOU DON'T GET WHEN YOU SPLASH DOWN ON WATER. LANDING TEAMS CONTINUING TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. >> NASA ADMINISTRATOR JIM BRIDENSTINE JUST WRAPPING UP SOME ENCOURAGING WORDS TO THE TEAM IN THE ROOM. HE HAD A LOT TO SAY, INCLUDING CONGRATULATIONS. THE LAST 48 H WEREN'T EASY, BUT IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL TEST FLIGHT >> AND HE POINTED OUT WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS. WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF FLYING IT, OF COURSE. >> AND NASA ADMINISTRATOR JIM BRIDENSTINE TOLD THE ROOM WATCHING TODAY WAS A THING OF BEAUTY. A LOT OF THINGS WERE ACCOMPLISHED DURING THIS FLIGHT. WE LEARNED A LOT. THAT'S WHY YOU TEST, AND THIS WAS A CHALLENGE FOR THE FLIGHT TEAM BECAUSE YOU HAD TO DO SOME OF THE FLYING IN A NONOPTIMUM SITUATION, BUT THEY STILL MANAGED TO DO A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT, AND WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE SPACE-PROVEN MODELS OF THE STARLINER SPACECRAFT. WE HAVE A CREWED FLIGHT TEST VERSION BACK IN FLORIDA THAT'S BEING PREPARED FOR THE CREWED FLIGHT TEST TO CARRY ASTRONAUTS, AND WE HAVE A PAT ABORT TEST VEHICLE, ALSO, SO IT'S -- THE FLEET NOW HAS A VEHICLE THAT HA TIMES, AND LANDED BACK IN NEW MEXICO. >> THAT'S A GREAT START. BRIDENSTINE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE CALLED VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE FROM THIS ROOM, AND PENCE MENTIONED THAT HE KNOWS THAT WE UST MADE HIORY HERE, SO KUDOS COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE AT THE MOMENT. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET ONE OF THE FIRST STILL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM OUR NASA PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE FIELD. THIS CAME FROM AUBREY, ONE OF OUR NASA PHOTOGRAPHERS, TAKEN OF STARLINER MAKING ITS WAY DOWN TO THE LANDING IN NEW MEXICO AT 6:58 CENTRAL TIME. >> AND YOU CAN SEE THAT STARLINER IS THE SMALL CONICAL SHAPE AT THE END OF THE THREE PARACHUTES, AND THIS CAME AT THE END OF THE BASE HEAT SHIELD, BEFORE IT JETTISONNED IT. OF COURSE IT CAME IN AT THE 3,000°° REENTRY, AND ITS WORK DONE, IT WAS JETTISONNED IN FLIGHT. >> TEAM HERE IN THE ROOM'S ABOUT TO TAKE A GROUP PHOTO, BUT BEFORE THEY DID, FLIGHT DIRECTOR RICHARD JONES GAVE HIS FLIGHT CONTROLLERS THE GO-AHEAD TO CONSIDER THEMSELVES DONE WITH THE MISSION AND ADVISED THEM TO GO HOME AND RELISH IT. >> AND INDEED, THEY'VE -- ALL THE MISSION CONTROL HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK DURING THE DURATION OF THIS MISSION. >> STILL WAITING FOR OUR COUNTERPARTS THERE ON THE GROUND IN WHITE SANDS TO BE ABLE TO GET R UPDATE. WE'RE HOPING THAT WILL COME PRETTY SOON, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, GOING TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER REMINDER THAT WE'VE GOT A POST LANDING NEWS CONFERENCE COMING UP AT 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL TIME. THAT'S GOING TO FEATURE NASA ADMINISTRATOR JIM BRIDENSTINE, SENIOR V.P. OF SPACE AND LAUNCH JIM CHILTON, AND DEPUTY FLIGHT DIRECTOR STEVE STICH. ME THAT WOULDE TO PARTICIPANT CAN CALL THE JOHNSON MEDIA NEWS ROOM AT 5111. >> AND TORY AND JIM, YOU CAN SEE THE VISUAL IMAGERY FROM WHITE SANDS. YOU SEE THE FIRST VEHICLE RECOVERY GETTING CLOSE TO THE HATCH, BUT YOU'VE SEEN THE DETAILS OF THE HATCH, DETAILS OF THE UPPER STRUCTURE. ARE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU SEE THIS? >> YOU KNOW, THE VEHICLE LOOKS CLEAN, MEANING WE HAD A GREAT REENTRY PROFILE LIKE WE PLANNED. YOU SEE THE VEHICLE SITTING THERE, CURB -- CUSHION AIR B ON THE GROUND, SO WE HAD A SAFE RECOVERY AND LANDING SYSTEM. >> I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THE HEAT SHIELD PERFORMED, AND LOOKING AT THIS AND HOW WE LANDED, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT FOR SONNY'S FIRST RIDE IN P.C.M. ONE. THAT'S GREAT TO SEE SUCH A CLEAN LANDING. >> ONE OF THE FLIGHT CONOLLERS STOPPED BY MISSION CONTROL, AND I THINK HE LOOKED EXCITED AND READY TO GET ON BOARD. >> WE CAN SEE THERE ARE FLIGHT RECOVERY TEAMS MOVING AROUND, DOING THEIR CHECKS. WE'RE HOPING TO HEAR FROM THE BLUE TEAM, WHO ARE RIGHT WITH THAT LANDING RECOVERY CONVOY. >> AND AT THIS POINT, IF YOU ARE JUST JOINING US, THE STARLINER ORBITAL FLIGHT TEST ENDED WITH A FLAWLESS DEORBIT, ENTRY, AND LANDING IN WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. >> ONCE AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, WE ARE SEEING THE STARLINER SPACECRAFT SAFELY ON THE GROUND IN WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. HE FIRST VEHICLE TO LAND -- THE FIRST AMERICAN MADE HUMAN RATED CAPSULE, I SHOULD SAY, TO LAND ON LAND. CAME DOWN UNDER THREE PARACHUTES, TOUCHED DOWN ON SIX INFLATED AIR BAGS, VERY SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN WAS 6:58 CENTRAL TIME HERE AT MISSION CONTROL, 5:58 MOUNTAIN TIME, THE LANDING SITE, AND 7:58 WHERE IT LAUNCHED FROM. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TEAM IS WORKING ON GETTING ACCESS. >> AND WE HAVE BOEING'S JOSH BARRETT ON PHONE OUT FROM WHITE SANDS. WE ARE GOING TO STAY ON THIS IMAGE FROM THE DESERT FLOOR. JOSH, WHERE DO WE STAND? >> HEY, GUYS, IT WAS BEAUTIF I'M LOOKING AT STARLINER WITH MY OWN TWO EYES. WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING OUR CLOSER HANDHELD CAMERAS UP FOR YOU. HOPEFULLY, WE CAN GET THAT UP FOR YOU SOON. RIGHT NOW, THE FIRE RESCUE TEAMS ARE MOVING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THE MODULE. THEY ARE WORKING ON SETTING UP AND INFLATING THE MODULE. YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THAT BIG INFLATABLE ENCLOSURE KIND OF HUG THE VEHICLE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO START GETTING SOME HEAT ON THERE TO MAKE SURE THOSE PROPULSION LINES DON'T FREEZE. GOLD TEAM HAS MOVED IN AND DONE THEIR ASSESSMENT. SILVER TEAM HAS GROUNDED THE VEHICLE AND THEY'RE MOVING ONTO RECOVERING THE PARACHUTES. THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL PINK-ORANGE HORIZON TO THE EAST AS THE SUN IS SETTING UP. REALLY, A BEAUTIFUL DAY OUT HERE IN THE DESERT. ALTHOUGH IT IS STILL PRETTY COLD, THE TS ARE WORKIN HARD, WORKING THROUGH THE COLD. NEXT UP, YOU SHOULD START TO SEE THE MEDICAL TRUCKS START TO MOVE INTO PLACE BESIDE THAT PLATFORM. THAT IS JUST AN EXERCISE FOR TODAY. THAT MEDICAL TRUCK WON'T BE USED TODAY. THE CREW IS ACTUALLY JUST GETTING OUT OF THE TRUCKS IN FRONT OF ME HERE. YOU MIGHT SEE THEM START APPEARING IN AN S.A. CAMERA IN THEIR PINK VESTS, BUT REALLY, IT'S OVERALL A GREAT MORNING. THIS TEAM IS EXECUTING EXACTLY WHAT THEY HAVE TRAINED FOR OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND HOPEFULLY, WE CAN GET SOME BETTER VIEWS AS OUR CAMERA GUYS MOVE INTO A LITTLE BIT CLOSER. WE ARE TRYING TO REESTABLISH A MICROWAVE FEED. WE'RE YOU'RE GETTING A LOOK AT STARLINER ON THE GROUND, SO I'LL LET YOU GUYS TAKE IT FROM HERE. >> THANK YOU, JOSH. THIS HAS BEEN AN EXCITING MORNING. CERTAINLY ONE THAT WE'VE NOT SEEN BEFORE WITH AN AMERICAN HUMAN RATED CAPSULE TOUCHING DOWN ON LAND. >> I CAN'T -- I CAN'T HEAR YOU. >> WE CAN SEE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENCLOSURE BEING PUT INTO PLACE. THEY'RE GOING TO PUT THAT OVER THE STARLINER VEHICLE, AS JOSH JUST MENTIONED, AND THAT'S GOING TO CLEAR THE WAY TO OPEN THE SIDE HATCH. ENVIRONMENTAL ENCLOSURE, OF COURSE, PROTECTS THE VEHICLE AND ITS COMPLEX SYSTEMS FROM THE -- FROM THE COLD. OF COURSE STARLINER HAS BEEN THROUGH AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT DURING THIS DEORBIT BURN, HAVING GONE THROUGH 3,000° OF HEAT BEFORE COMING DOWN SOFTLY UNDER THREE MAIN PARACHUTES AND LANDING ON SIX AIR BAGS IN A FLAWLESS RETURN TO EARTH. >> STEVE, WHILE WE WAIT TO HEAR BACK MORE FROM THE LANDING TEAM, TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW STARLINER GETS BA TO FLORIDA. WHAT'S THAT JOURNEY LIKE? >> WELL, THEY'LL MOVE -- AFTER THEY GET STARLINER SAFE ON THE GROUND, THEY WILL PUT IT ON A TRUCK INSIDE A CRATE THAT'LL CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND IT, AND THEN IT'S A SIMPLE DRIVE FROM WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, TO KENNEDY SPACE STAR. >> SURE, THAT SOUNDS SIMPLE. >> WHERE THE ENGINEERS WILL PORE THROUGH IT AND ULTIMATELY ISH ,T AGAIN. WE ARE NOT ONLY USING THESE CAPSULES ONE TIME. EACH OF THESE CAPSULES IS DESIGNED TO GO IN SPACE TEN TIMES. >> WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS LAND ON ITS TENTH TIME. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE JOSH AGAIN TO GIVE US ANOTHER UPDATE. HEY, JOSH, CAN YOU HEAR US? >> YES. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE GREEN TEAM HAS JUST GOTTEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COVER IN PLACE. WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE VEHICLE AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGE THE THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS VEHICLE WILL BE REUSED. THE THERMAL SYSTEM NEEDS TO MAINTAIN INTEGRITY. WE WILL REPLACE THE BASE HEAT SHIELD AND THE FORWARD HEAT SHIELD. THE FORWARD HEAT SHIELD LANDED ABOUT 600 FEET AWAY, ON ITS NOSE. THE BASE HEAT SHIELD IS SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE. YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT PINK TEAM. PINK TEAM IS THE OBSERVERS. THEY ARE IN AN OBSERVATIONAL ROLE, JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE VISIBLE, AND THE OPERATIONAL TEAMS KIND OF AVOID THEM -- OR THEY AVOID THE OPERATIONAL TEAMS AND DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF THE OPERATION. BUT AGAIN, THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ENCLOS THEY'RE JUST KIND OF ADJUSTING IT A LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW TO GET RED TEAM CLOSE TO THE HATCH. THERE YOU SEE THE MOBILE ACCESS TEAM BACKING EVER SO SLOWLY. THEY'RE BACKING VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THAT THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM. >> JOSH, HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH ANY OF THE ASTRONAUTS, GET ANY OF THEIR THOUGHTS ON WATCHING THE LANDING? >> I HAVE NOT. THEY GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WALKED STRAIGHT UP TO THE VEHICLE WHILE WE WERE GETTING EVERYTHING SET UP. I WILL BE SURE TO GRAB THEM AS SOON AS I CAN. >> UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THEY WANT TO HURRY OVER. >> YEAH. I KNOW THAT JOSH IS BACK IN HOUSTON, WATCHING. SONNY'S HERE, AND I'M SURE SHE'S EXTREMELY PLEASED, SEEING HER VEHICLE BACK ON EARTH AFTER A FLAWLESS LANDING. THREE MAIN CHUTES, SIX AIR BAGS, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE EVERY TIME. >> AND JOSH, HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN AFTER THE PAT ABORT TEST? WELL, I -- I WAS HONESTLY EXPECTING A LITTLE BIT OF KIND OF A THERMAL SCORCH MARKS ON THE VEHICLE, BUT IT LOOKS ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT LEFT THE FACTORY IN FLORIDA. IT WAS -- YOU KNOW, EVEN ALL OF THE LOGOS, THE NASA LOS, THE BOEING LOGOS, EVEN THE HATCH MARKS NEAR THE TOP WHERE THE HEAT SHIELDS MEET THE VEHICLE, THOSE ARE ALMOST 100% INTACT. ONCE AGAIN, WHEN THE ASTRONAUTS COME OUT OF THE HATCH, THEY'RE GOING STRAIGHT INTO THAT MEDICAL TRUCK JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HEALTHY AFTER SPENDING AN EXTENDED TIME IN ORBIT. ONCE AGAIN, YOU SEE -- I CAN SEE HER STANDING TOTHE LEFT OF THE PLATFORM, ONE OF OUR FLIGHT ENGINEERS, WITH THE HARD HAT ON. >> AND JOSH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE PRACTICE STUFF. WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS, JUST LIKE THE FLIGHT CONTROL TEAM DOES SIMULATIONS, JUST LIKE THE LAUNCH TEAM DOES SIMULATIONS, THE LANDING TEAM HAS WALKED THROUGH THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES OUT IN WHITE SANDS, CORRECT? >> YEAH. THEY HAVE DONE IT ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE TIMES AS A FALL TEAM, AND THAT'S FOUR OR FIVE SEPARATE TIMES WHEN THE WHOLE -- YOU KNOW, THE FIRE RESCUE TS COME FROMCHARLESTON, SEATTLE, A LOT OF THE MAJOR BOEING FACILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THEN, THE STARLINER PROGRAM TEAMS COME FROM HOUSTON AND FLORIDA MOSTLY, SO THEY HAVE TAKEN, OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, THEY ALL COME TOGETHER AND RUN THROUGH THESE EXERCISES, AND THEN INDIVIDUALLY, EACH TEAM KIND OF PRACTICES THEIR ROUTINES MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAKES SURE THAT EVERYONE STAYS FRESH, KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING. PRETTY DELICATE OPERATION, AND THERE'S SOME TIME CRITICAL ELEMENTS TO IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET CR ONBOARD. THIS TIME, SINCE THE TEAM IS ACTUALLY DOING IT FOR REAL, WE'RE TAKING OUR TIME. THERE'S NOT CREW INSIDE, BUT WE DO HAVE A REQUIREMENT TO GET CREW OUT OF VEHICLE ONE HOUR AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THIS TIME, THE VEHICLE LANDED AND POWERED ITSELF OFF, SO THAT GAVE THE TEAM PLENTY OF TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING THIS RIGHT, THEY'RE DOING THIS DELIBERATELY AND INTENTIONALLY, AND REALLY, THE BIGGEST THING WAS GETTING THAT ENCLOSURE OVER THE VEHICLE AND HEATING IT UP A LITTLE BIT IN THIS FRIGID DESERT [Please stand by] . >> AGAIN, WE'RE JUST DOING THAT TO MAKE SURE THE VEHICLES STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY SO WE CSE IT AGAIN. >> AND JOSH, WE WANT YOU TO STAND BY. WE WANT TO GO TO TORY WILLS PEDRADE WHO'S ONE OF THE ENGINEERS WHO WORKED WITH THIS HEAT SHIELD. TORY, YOU HEARD JOSH'S DESCRIPTION OF THE SPACECRAFT. LIGHT SCORCH MARKS, LOOKING A LOT LIKE WHAT IT DID WHEN IT FIRST WENT INTO SPACE. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? >> SEEING IT AND HEARING THAT THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS EVEN BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED, JUST IS -- IT'S SUCH A GREAT FEELING TO KNOW THAT WE DID -- WE NOT ONLY DID OUR JOB BUT BETTER THAN WE HOPED IT WOULD PERFORM, SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO HEAR, AND I THINK THAT PUTS A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THESE SYSTEMS GOING FORWARD. >> TORY, I THINK WE LOST THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION. CAN WE GET YOU TO RUN BACK OVER IT? >> YEAH. I WAS JUST SAYING THAT LISTENING TO JOSH AND SEEING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AS CLEAN AS IT WAS, THE VEHICLE LOOKS FANTASTIC ON THE GROUND THERE. WHITE, CLEAN, WAY BETTER THAN WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING TO SEE. WE WERE EECTING TO SEE SOME CHAR MARKS. IT'S REALLY GOOD-LOOKING OUT THERE, AND IT REALLY PUTS CONFIDENCE IN THE ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE DONE AND THE MODELS THAT WE HAVE. >> JIM, DOES THIS LOOK THE WAY THAT YOU EXPECTED IT TO? >> YOU KNOW, IT LOOKED BETTER THAN I EXPECTED IT TO, SO I WAS REALLY -- I WAS REALLY THINKING THAT WE WERE GOING TO SEE AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF SCORCHING RIGHT AROUND WHERE THE SHOULDER COMING UP ONTO THE VEHICLE, BUT THOSE TILES ARE IN ALL OF THE RIGHT PLACES, AND THEY LOOK LIKE WHAT THEY DID WHEN THEY LEFT THE FACTORY, SO THAT WAS PHENOMENAL TO SEE. >> THANK YOU, TORY. AND JIM, YOU'RE SEEING WHAT THE CREWS ARE GOING TO SEE. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING RIGH NOW? >> SO FORHE CREW INVOLVEMENT, ONE, THE VEHICLE LOOKING THE WAY IT DOES MEANS GOOD THINGS FOR THEM COMING BACK, BUT IT ALSO MEANS GOOD NEWS FOR THE PARTS ON THE INSIDE OF THE SPACECRAFT, AS WELL. SO WE ARE GOING TO REUSE THINGS LIKE THE TABLETS THAT WE WERE USING TO DO THE CREW PROCEDURES AND ALSO FOR SOME OF THEIR TRAINING WHILE THEY'RE UP IN ORBIT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHILE THEY'RE UP IN THE SPACECRAFT ARE GOING TO BE REUSED ON LATER FLIGHTS, SO IT'S A GOOD THING TO SEE IT THE WAY IT IS. >> AND WE ARE SEEING REALLY GOOD IMAGERY OF THE TEAM COMING OUT. JOSH, DO WE HAVE STILL YOU OUT THERE IN WHITE SANDS? >> AGAIN, STARLINER WORKING ON OPENING THE HATCH. RIGHT NOW, SHE IS -- SHE'S GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TOOLS, SO THAT THE HATCH SEALS ITSELF. IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO OPEN. IT'S KIND OF LIKE TWO SUCTION CUPS STUCK TOGETHER, SO SHE'S KIND OF WORKING ON WHAT'S CALLED BURPING THE SEAL, WORKING ON A HATCH. SHE'S WORKING ON BURPING THE SEAL RIGHT NOW. IF THAT DOESN'T QUITE WORK, THERE'S ANOTHER RELIEF VALVE THAT SHE'LL USE TO POP THE SEAL, ANDT'S -- THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HATCH, WHAT SHE'LL BE WORKING ON. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE PROBABLY WORKING ON RIGHT NOW. NO, SHE'S STILL WORKING ON THAT LOWER VALVE, AGAIN, TRYING TO BURP THAT SEAL. AGAIN, THAT IS THE TECHNICAL TERM. >> THAT'S VERY DESCRIPTIVE. >> IF THEY GET ENOUGH AIR INTO THAT SEAL, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO RELEASE THAT SEAL AND OPEN UP THE HATCH, SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW. >> WE'RE GETTING REALLY GOOD VIEWS RIGHT OVER THE SHOULDER, SO THESE ARE GREAT, JOSH. >> YEAH. I WISH WE GOT IT A LITTLE EARLIER BECAUSE THE FIRE RESCUE TEAM, WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING THAT PLATFORM INTO PLACE, THEY WORK TOGETHER SO WELL HERE ON KIND OF THEIR CALLS, AND THEY ORCHESTRAIGHT THE OPERATION, IT'S REALLY -- ORCHESTRATE THE WATCH. IT'S REALLY FUN. HOPEFULLY, WE'LL GET ALL THIS LIVE. AND GETTING A T.V. INSTALL OUT OF A REMOTE SITE IN THE DESERT PRESENTS ITS OWN TECHNICAL CHALLENGES, BUT I'M GLAD WE'RE GETTING THIS FEED NOW. WE'RE OPENING THE HATCH. >> AND JOSH, WE'RE GETTING CONFIRMATION T IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE RELIEVED PRESSURE ON THE SEAL. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GETTING CLOSE TO PULLING IT OPEN HERE. >> ALL RIGHT. WELL, WHILE THEY WORK ON THAT, STEVE AND BRANDY, I'M GOING TO STEP AWAY. WE ARE GOING TO GO FIND THE CREW MEMBERS AND HEAR FROM THEM, THEIR PERSPECTIVE, AND HOW THAT WENT, MOMENTARILY. >> SINCE WE ARE HIING THE TOP OF THE HOUR, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL IS OUR TARGET TIME. WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE OUR POST LANDING NEWS CONFERENCE THAT WILL FEATURE NASA DIRECTOR JIM BRIDENSTINE, NASA DIRECTOR OF ACE AND LAUNCH, JIM CHILTON, AND NASA DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM, STEVE STICH. THEY'LL BE JOINING US AT 9:00 A.M. POST LANDING CONFERENCE. MEDIA THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT CAN CALL THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER NEWS ROOM AT 281-483-5111. >> AND FOR THOSE OF YOU JUST JOINING US AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR -- AND WE DO HAVE VIEWS NOW, THE HATCH IS OPEN. STARLINER'S O.F.T. HATCH IS OPEN. ROSY, SNOOPY INSIDE. ROSY, THE ROCKETEER, AND THE LOW GRAVITY DICATOR,SNOOPY, BOTH MADE THE TRIP ALONG WITH A LOT OF COMMEMORATIVE CARGO, FLAGS, COINS, AND TREE SEEDS THAT WILL BE PLANTED IN COMMEMORATION OF THIS MISSION. OF URSE, A LOT OF THINGS WERE LEARNED ON THIS FLIGHT. THIS IS THE FIRST FLIGHT TEST OF BOEING STARLINER SPACECRAFT. GROUND CREWS GETTING THEIR FIRST LOOK INSIDE THE CABIN. AND THE FRAME THAT YOU SAW PUSHED INTO PLACE IN THE HATCH IS ACTUALLY A COVER FOR THE SAME SEALS THAT THEY WERE JUST RELIEVING THE PRESSURE ON BEFORE THEY COU OPEN THE HATCH. >> AND WE CAN SEE THE GROUND TEAM GOING THROUGH THEIR CAREFULLY PLANNED STEPS AS THEY PREPARE THE SPACECRAFT, PUTTING A COVER OVER THAT HATCH THAT THEY JUST OPENED A FEW MINUTES AGO. FIRST, THEY'RE GOING TO CONFIRM THAT THE CABIN AIR IS SAFE. THIS FLIGHT TEST PRODUCED A LOT OF DATA FOR ENGINEERS, A LOT OF INFORMATION, AND A LOT OF OPERATIONAL PROCESS -- PROCESSES TO SEE HOW IT PERFORMS IN SPACE. AND OF COURSE, TWO OF THE BIG PARTS OF THAT ARE THE LAUNCH AND THEN THE RETURN TO EARTH. THESE ARE VERY DYNAMIC EVENTS, SHOULDN'T BE OVERLOOKED, AND WE SEEIGHT THAT STARLINER IS DOING VERY WELL THIS MORNING. AND WE HAVE OUR FIRST LANDING RECOVERY TEAM ENGINEER ABOUT TO GO INSIDE THE STARLINER VEHICLE, SELENA DOBART. FOR THOSE OF US JUST JOINING US, STARLINER TOUCHED DOWN IN WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, 1:06 AGO. NOW WE SEE SELENA DOBART MOVING INTO THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TEST OF THE FLIGHT VEHICLE IN SPACE, BUT WE DO HAVE ROSY THE ROCKETEER IN SPACE, AN -- AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC VEHICLE IN SPACE. >> AND WE DO HAVE REPORTS FROM THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM THAT ROSY TH ROCKETEER STILL STRAPPED IN IN THE COMMANDER'S SEAT. >> STANDING BY ON THIS. WE DO HAVE ANOTHER PHOTO THAT CAME IN AFTER STARLINER'S TOUCHDOWN FROM OUR NASA PHOTOGRAPHERS THERE ON THE SCENE. >> SORRY. SLIGHT DELAY THERE, BUT THERE WAS THAT PHOTO THAT I WAS PROMISING TAKEN BY NASA PHOTOGRAPHERS ON THE SCENE. THERE WAS THE ONE WE GOT OF STARLINER JUST AFTER IT LANDED AT 5:58 MOUNTAIN TIME, 6:58 A.M. CENTRAL TIME. YOU CAN SEE THAT'S RIGHT AT LANDING BECAUSE OF THE POSITION OF THE PARACHUTES. THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS COMING IN FRO AUBREY, ONE OF OUR NASA PHOTOGRAPHERS THERE AT THE SCENE. >> IT REALLY WAS A GREAT VIEW THIS MORNING AS STARLINER TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1:10 AGO. NOW WE'RE BACK TO LIVE IMAGERY OF THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM AS THEY LOOK BACK ON HATCH. >> WE EXPEC TO HEA MOMENTARILY FROM THE LANDING SCENE ON-SITE WHO WE THINK ARE JUST ABOUT TO GET INTO PLACE WITH THE NEXT CREW TO FLY ON A STARLINER -- THE NEXT CREW TO FLY ON A STARLINER,KE FINK AND CHRIS FERGUSON. JUST WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM, WAITING FOR THEM TO GET INTO PLACE, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME WORDS FROM THEM SOON. >> AND JUST A NOTE ON THE INTERIOR CABIN CONDITIONS AS THEY ARE REPORTED. THE INSIDE HUMIDITY WAS 51%. TEMPERATURE INTERNALLY, AROUND 54°, SO THIS SPACECRAFT HANDLED VERY, VERY WELL. IN FACT, BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN WAS ANTICIPATED. >> AND WE'RE LOOKING NOW AT SOME OF THE ASTRONAUTS IN THEIR BLUE PANTS AND THEIR ASTRONAUT JUMPSUITS HERE IN WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO. THEY FLUT TO NEW MEXICO TO FOLLOW STARLINER'S RETURN TO EARTH. WE SEE TWO MORE COMING DOWN JOINING THE -- JOINING THE GROUP THERE WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE STARLINER SPACECRAFT. SO NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ASTRONAUTS AS THEY -- AS THEY SHUFFLE AROUND WITH THE LANDING RECOVERY TEAM. A LOT OF ACTIVITY OUT BY THAT CAPSULE. AND THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY AROUND THE CAPSULE. THIS IS REMINISCENT OF THE SHUTTLE DAYS, WHEN THE CREWS WOULD GATHER AROUND IT WHEN IT LANDED. >> THIS IS A LITTLE LESSER REMOTE THAN THE SHUTTLE BUT NOT QUITE AS REMOTE AS THE KAZAKHSTAN LANDING. AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY BE GETTING CLOSE TO HAVING THE CREW TALK TO US. IN FACT I'M GOING TO TOSS IT TO DAN IN THE FIELD. >> HEY, DAN, I DON'T THINK HAS HIS PROGRAM LINE WORKING, SO I'M GOING TO TAKE IT FROM HE. WE'RE HERE WITH NASA'S NICOLE MANN, CHRIS FERGUSON, AND MIKE FINK. NICOLE, I THINK THIS WAS YOUR FIRST LANDING? >> THIS WAS MY FIRST LANDING. WE'RE SO EXCITED FOR THE SPACE FORCES AND RECOVERY TEAM. THEY DID A GOOD JOB. >> WATCHED ALL OF THE PYROTECHNIC ORDINANCES, TOUCHED DOWN ON A CRYSTAL CLEAR COLD MORNING. >> AND MIKE, YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS? >> THREE PARACHUTES, SIX AIR BAGS, AND A BEAUTIFUL SOFT LANDING. CAN'T WAIT TO TRY IT OUT. >> SO WE HAVE A FLAWLESS LAUNCH. WE HAD A COU ISSUES ONCE IT WAS UP THERE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEE THIS VEHICLE COME DOWN WHEN IT'S PICTURE PERFECT. >> FLIGHT TEST DATA, FLIGHT TEST DATA, FLIGHT TEST DATA. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE ORBITAL PORTION OF THE FLIGHT, THE ENVIRNTAL LIFE SUPPORT, EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT, AND THEN, WE BROUGHT IT OPEN, AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT. AND WE'RE GOING TO ANALYZE IT, AND SEE ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO FIX FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT, BUT IT'S LOOKING GOOD. >> NOW CHRIS, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS WITH YOU DOWN THE SIMULATOR IN HOUSTON. YOU SAID IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE SHUTTLE BECAUSE IT'S COMING DOWN BACKWARDS. >> YEAH. THE SHUTTING GLIDED DOWN INTO THEATSPHERE, AND AT THE END GAME, IT IS PRETTY STEEP. THIS WAS REALLY STEEP, AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO O OVERSHOOT THE LANDING SITE, BUT IT JUST CAME DOWN. BEING ABLE TO WATCH THIS COMING DOWN WAS GREAT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT TO LOOK AT. I THINK REALLY CLEAN LANDING. >> NOW THE REASON WE TOOK A LITTLE BIT TO GET YOU GUYS OVER HERE, WE HAD TO GET YOU AWAY, SEEIHE CREW MODULE AND THE HEAT SHIELD, WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE TO YOU? >> I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WENT THROUGH THOSE TEMPERATURES. OTHER THAN A LITTLE DAMAGE FROM LANDING ON THE GROUND, IT WAS IN GREAT SHAPE. >> WELL, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE COLD OUT HERE. WE'LL LET YOU BUNDLE BACK UP AND TALK TO YOU GUYS, BRANDY AND STEVE, BACK IN HOUSTON, AND I WANT TO BUNDLE BACK UP. IT'S FREEZING. >> AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE NOW JOINED BY FLIGHT DIRECTOR RICHARD JONES COMING OFF A GREAT LANDING. THANKS FOR JOINING US. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT? >> IT'S A BUT EXCENT AT THE SAME TIME. IT WAS -- A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THIS MISSION, THAT WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, BUT IN MY EYES, IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, HUGE SUCCESS. >> AND YOU HEARD THE NASA ADMINISTRATOR SOON AFTER TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH INFORMATION IS COMING FROM THIS MISSION. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM WORKED THROUGH, ISSUES AT THE BEGINNING, BUT THEN, YOU GOT A LOT OF STUFF DONE, AND TODAY'S LANDING WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL. >> YOU KNOW, WE PROVED CLEARLY THE ASSET AND ENTRY SYSTE WORKED GREAT BUT WE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY UNDERNEATH THE SPACE STATION. WE MADE VOICE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEM, NOT NECESSARILY THROUGH A VOICE COMMUNICATION, BUT WE HAD A POSITIVE LINK WHERE WE TESTED COMMANDS, SO WE GOT SOME OBJECTIVENE. >> TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR TEAM. YOU DON'T DO ALL OF THIS BY YOURSELF. NONE OF THIS DO ALL OF THIS BY OURSELVES. >> NO, I AM DEFINITELY A PART OF ONE OF THE MOST EXCEPTIONAL TEAMS THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF. IT'S -- WE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH WITH THIS -- WITH THIS FLIGHT. THE TEAMMEMBERS, THEY -- EVERY SINGLE ONE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS MISSION, EVERY SINGLE ONE. >> I'M THINKING THAT THE SUCCESSES AUE TO A WHOLE LOT OF TRAINING ON YOUR SIDE. >> YEAH. WE'VE HAD A WHOLE LOT OF TRAINING ON THESE THINGS. IT'S JUST PERFORM UNDER -- SOMETIMES UNDER THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AND PERFORM WHEN EVERYTHING IS CALM SO IT'S JUST -- IT'S PART OF WHAT WE DO. >> YOU ALL SEEMED VERY CALM WHEN WE WERE RIGHT HERE WITH YOU, AND YOU ALL SEEMED AMAZING TO US. >> IT'S LIKE A DUCK WITH THEIR FEET PADDLING UNDERWATER. WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET THROUGH SOME CHALLENGES, BUT ON THE SURFACE, YEAH, THAT'S OUR DEMEANOR. >> WHEN YOU HAD, OF COURSE, THIS GREAT SEAT WHEN YOU SAW THE TELEMETRY OF THE VEHICLE AS IT LANDED, WHEN IT CAME DOWN, SOFT AS CAN BE, YOU SAW THE NUMBERS. HOW DID IT LOOK TO YOU? >> THE DATA LOOKED, I MEAN, JUST GREAT. WE -- THERE WAS A PERIOD DURING REENTRY WHERE WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A BLACKOUT, BUT IT HAPPENED EXACTLY WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS WERE PERFORMING EXACTLY LIKE WE PREDICTED. IN FACT A LOT PERFORMED BETTER THAN WE WERE EXPECTING, SO IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THE VEHICLE BEHAVE THE WAY IT DID. >> AND WE'RE SEEING SOME LIVE LOOKS FROM THE ASTRONAUTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. YOU HAD A GOOD SEAT, BUT IT'S HARD TO COMPETE WITH THAT ONE. >> NO, NO, NO. YOU'RE RIGHT, I CANNOT COMPETE WITH THAT. IT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING TO SEE A CREW GETIDE NOT NECESSARILY THIS VEHICLE, BUT THEIR VEHICLE TO FLY TO THE SPACE STATION, IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. >> HOW DO YOU THINK ROSY THE ROCKETEER DID DURING THIS FLIGHT? >> I'M SURE SHE DID JUST FINE. YOU KNOW, SHE GOT AREAT RIDE. THE ATLAS V PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY. ONCE WE GOT IN ORBIT, SHE GOT TO SEE HOW THE CABIN PERFORMED. IT'S LIKE A SOUTHWEST FLIGHT, PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY. >> WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THIS MISSION, WHAT'S GOING TO STAND OUT TO YOU? >> EVERY SINGLE DAY. I WILL LOOK BACK ON THIS AND JUST REMEMBER THE PLE THAT WERE A PART OF IT. THERE WERE JUST SO MANY PEOPLE, NOT JUST IN THIS ROOM. THE ENGINEERING TEAM, WHETHER THEY WERE JUST DOWN THE HALL, IN FLORIDA, THE U.L.A. TEAM THAT WE HAD, THE MISSION TEAM MEETINGS THAT WE HAD. IT'S REALLY SPECIAL TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS COME TOGETHER AND JUST PERFORM SO FLAWLESSLY, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO REMEMBER. >> WE'RE GETTING SOME OF OUR FIRST IMAGES FROM INSIDE THE CABIN OF STARLINER. RICHARD, YOU'RE SEEING THESE FRESH JUST AS WE ARE. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? >> GOSH. I'M LOOKING INSIDE THAT CABIN, AND IT LOOKED LIKE ALL OF THE CARGO DID JUST FINE. I WOULD LTO SEE ROSY THERE TO SEE HOW ROSY DID, BUT LOOKS FINE TO ME. >> LOTS OF GOOD NEWS TODAY. YOU CAN SEE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ROSY THERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN. >> I DO SEE HERE. >> YE, LOOKED LIKE SHE HAD A GREAT RIDE. >> WELL, AND RICHARD, RETURNING TO KIND OF YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR, YOU WERE ON HAND FOR THE LAST FLIGHT OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE AND NOW THIS FIRST FLIGHT. TH SOME INTERESTING BOOK ENDS. >> IT IS. BEING A PART OF S.T.S. 135, SHUTTING DOWN THAT PROGRAM, IT WAS VERY SPECIAL, IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL. CHRIS FERGUSON WAS A PART OF THAT MISSION, SO I'M PAIRED WITH HIM COMING UP ON THIS UPCOMING C.M.T. BUT COMING UP ON ALL OF THE YEARS OF HARD WORK THAT PEOPLE PUT INTO THIS, I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT. >> YEAH, I'M SURE. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS TEAM NEEDS TO DO AND GET READY FOR THE NEXT MISSION? >> YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE DATA. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT ALL THE DATA THAT WE COLLECTED, TAKE IT DOWN. LOOK WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE, WE WE T NEED TO --HERE WE DON'T NEED TO IMPROVE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT THAT FALLS INTO BOTH OF THESE CATEGORIES WITH A EYE IN TERMS OF WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN, WHAT HAS TO CHANGE BEFORE WE GO FLYING. >> WELL, RICHARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE FIELD AND HEAR FROM SONNY WILLIAMS WHO'S GOING TO BE ON THIS CAPSULE NEXT TIME. >> THAT'S GREAT NEWS. >> AND THEY MAY NOT QUITE HAVE HEARD US LAST TIME. SUNNY AND REBECCA, CAN YOU HEAR US? >> HEY. I CAN HEAR YOU NOW. I AM HERE WITH SONNY WILLIAMS. SHE IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST POST CERTIFICATION COMMANDER OF A MISSION. SONNY, I'VE BEEN IN A TON OF FLIGHT READINESS TESTS WITH YOU. I SAW YOU AT THE LING AND COVERY PREBRIEF MEETING. EVERY TIME, LIKE, YOU HAVE GOT TO BRING THE SHIP BACK HOME SO I CAN GET INTO SPACE WITH JOSH AND FLY IT AGAIN. GIVE US A RECAP OF WHAT YOU'RE FEELING, LOOKING AT STARLINER OUT HERE. >> EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING FROM SEEING THE TAIL AS IT FLEW IN -- WELL, FIRST OF ALL, SEEING IT FLY IN WAS PRETTY COOL, SEE ALL OF THE PIECES AND PARTS START TO COME OFF THE FORWARD HEAT SHIELD, THE BASE PLATES HEAT UP. IT WAS JUST PICTURE PERFECT. WE HAD AN AMAZING TEAM OUT HERE TO SUPPORT. EVERYBODY WAS PUMPED UP, EVERYBODY WAS SPECTACULAR, EVERYBODY WAS CHEERING. SHE'S BACK, SHE'S HOME. >> SONNY, DATING BACK TO MERCURY, GEMINI, AND APOLLO, ALL OF THE COMMANDERS OF THEIR SPACE CAPSULES, THEY'VE HAD THE ABILITY TO NAME THEIR SPACE SHIPS. ANY THOUGHTS ON A NAME? >> YEAH. LITTLE HOMAGE TO SPACESHIPS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE RODE ON, CALYPSO. >> JACQUES COSTEAU. GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE NAME? >> WELL, THERE'S SO MUCH TO DISCOVER IN THE OCEAN, AND THERE'S SO MUCH TO DISCOVER IN SPACE. JUST SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL MARRIAGE. >> BACK TO YOU IN HOUSTON. >> THE GOOD SHIP CALYPSO. WE HAVE A NAME FOR THE GOOD SHIP SPACECRAFT THAT'S BEEN RETURNED TO THE DESERT. >> SONNY WILLIAMS, WHO ALONG WITH HER CREW MATES, WILL BE FLYING ON THIS VERY VEHICLE THE NEXT TIME IT GOES TO SPACE. >> SO A LOT OF ACTIVITY OUT AT THE SPACECRAFT TODAY. >> YEAH. IT'LL BE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE THESE CREWS ARE ABLE TO COME BACK IN. ONE MORE REMINDER, WE DO HAVE THAT 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL TIME POST LANDING NEWS CONFERENCE. THAT'S A LITTLE OVER 30 MINUTES AY. YOU WILL GET A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM NASA DIRECTOR JIM BRIDENSTINE, JIM CHILTON, AND STEVE STICH, AGAIN AT 9:00 A.M. CENTRAL STANDARD TIME HERE ON NASA T.V. [Please stand by]

Channel: NASA

Views: 1,682,934

Keywords:

Id: lPzNHeX7OYM

Length: 166min 27sec (9987 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 22 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/Gt6k]

Can someone please tell the presenters that we can hear them whispering things to each other like "we've got dead air"

[u/Gt6k]

I wonder if Boeing will actually show some video from the capsule or will it be an hour's coverage of mission control again.

[u/MajorRocketScience]

Boeing in my opinion really needs to acknowledge that this was not a successful mission and was at best a partial success. We can go from there but in the interest of safety this failure CANNOT be downplayed. There should absolutely be a second increase flight to prove that everything will work perfectly when you put crew aboard

[u/_AutomaticJack_]

Here is a perma-link to the landing...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzNHeX7OYM

[u/Gt6k]

What a deeply strange broadcast. Butt clenchingly amateurish. We get commentary on the video feed of NASA chief addressing control room but no audio. Presenters whispering to each other about what to say next. A parachute landed next to the capsule 5 mins after touchdown but the presenters didn't comment on it.

[u/Wolpfack]

If I were Boeing, Blue and perhaps even NASA itself, I'd outsource the feeds to a third-party professional production company rather than leaving it their Marcom groups to do it.

You can tell that the Boeing folks are more used to internal teleconferences where production values are secondary to the subject at hand.