Watch NASA's Perseverance Rover Launch to Mars!

IT. >> THE FUTURE IS WHA* WHAT YOU MAKE OUT OF IT AND YOU CAN MAKE IT REAL. >> HERE WE ARE WITH MARS PERSEVERANCE. 51 YEARS LATER GETTING READY TO DO THE FIRST EVER MARS RETURN MISSION. >> EVENTUALLY WE CAN BRING THE SAMPLES BACK TO EARTH AND DETERMINE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME DID LIFE EXIST ON MARS. >> IN LESS THAN AN HOUR NASA'S 300 MILLION-MILE SKWROURPB FREAMERICA'S SHORE TO THE CRATER ON MARS WILL BEGIN WITH THE LAUNCH OF THIS ATLAS 5 ROCKET INTO SPACE. AT THE TOP OF THAT ROCKET WITH A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE IS THE ROVER READY TO RIDE A COLUMN OF FIRE AND SMOKE ON THE WAY TO THE RED PLANET. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING HERE ON THE SPACE COAST. WELCOME, EVERYONE. BEHIND US THE STAR OF THE SHOW. THIS IS A LIFE SIZED MOCKUP OF THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER LIKE THE ONE WE ARE LAUNCHING TO SPACE. >> IN THE 50 MINUTES LEADING UP TO LAUNCH WE WILL TALK ABOUT HOW IT WILL TEST NEW TECHNOLOGIES CRITICAL TO FUTURE HUMAN MISSIONS TO MARS. >> A BEAUTIFUL DAY. WE ARE 57 MINUTES AND COUNTING UNTIL LAUNCH. IT IS ON TRACK. WE HAVE GREAT WEATHER. THE ROCKET IS LOOKING GOOD. IT PUTS US ON TRACK FOR A LAUNCH AT SEVEN:50:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME. THE BEGINNING OF A TWO HOUR WINDOW. >> WE WILL HEAR GREGORY PORTER ALONG WITH THE AEROSPACE ENGINEERS AND ASTRONAUT. >> I LOVE IT. WE HAVE TEAMS FROM COAST TO COAST, FOLKS HELPING US COUNTDOWN TO MARS AM WE'LL GO LIVE TO THE ATLAS SPACE FLIGHT SEPARATIONS CENTER. >> WE'LL GO LIVE TO CALIFORNIA TO THE JE PROPULSION LABORATORY WHERE THEY ARE STANDING BY TO COMMUNICATE AFTER IT GETS TO SPACE. >> WE ARE HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT THE MISSION IS ALL ABOUT. IT'S AN EXCITING DAY FOR ALL OF US HERE. WE WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT YOU WILL SEE NEXT DURING THE COUNTDOWN AND ROCKET LAUNCH. >> GOOD MORNING. I AM HER ATAT LAS 5. ARE YOU EXCITEED TO GO TO MARS. >> I AM EXCITEED TO GO TO MARS. THE SUNRISE LOOKS AWE SKP-PL AND READY FOR A GREAT LAUNCH. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> PROVIDING GOOD CONTEXT. WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF WHAT IS AHEAD IN THE COUNTDOWN. THINGS GOT GOING AFTER MIDNIGHT AND ATLAS IS JUST ABOUT READY TO FLY. THE WEATHER REPORT SHOULD BE COMING BACK IT HAS BEEN GREAT ALL MORNING. WE HAVE THE TERMINAL COUNTDOWN AFTER THAT AND PROCEED THROUGH THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE COUNTDOWN AND THE AT ITS PEAK WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES 0 AND THE SPACECRAFT AND ROCKET TAKE FLIGHT. AFTER PASSING JUST TWO MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS WILL BE JETTISONED. TWO MORE MINUTES AND THE PAY LOAD FERRING, WHAT YOU CALL THE NOSE CONE THAT HAS BEEN PROTECTING PERSEVERANCE WILL NOT BE NEEDED AND SPLIT IN TWO HALFS AND FALL AWAY FROM THE ACCELERATING VEHICLE. A MINUTE LATER THE BOOSTER WILL SEPARATE AND EXPOSE THE CENTAUR RL-10 UPPER STAGED ENGINE THAT WILL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BEGIN ITS FIRST BURN AND LAST APPROXIMATELY SEVEN MINUTES. THE SECOND BURN AROUND EIGHT MINUTES WILL TAKE ATLAS INTO SOLAR ORBIT ON THE WAY TO MARS. THE FINAL MILESTONE WE HOPE TO HEAR IS THE ACQUISITION OF SIGNAL. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT PERSEVERANCE WILL BE IN PERFECT CONDITION BUT WE WON'T MAKES CONTACT DURING THE BROADCAST. LOTS MORE TO COME. LOTS AHEAD. OVER TO YOU NOW TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS AMAZING MISSION. >> WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY SMART PEOPLE AND TALENTED PEOPLE WE ARE GOING TO TALK TO TODAY. LET'S BEGIN WITH -- THIS IS COMING UP IN JUST A BIT. >> THIS HAS BEEN SEVEN YEARS IN THE MAKING AND I AM SO EXCITEED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU AND THOSE VIEWING TODAY. >> IT'S FANTASTIC. WE ARE IN A LAUNCH PERIOD. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHY ARE WE LAUNCHING TODAY AND RIGHT NOW? WE ARE IN A PERIOD THAT ONLY COMES AROUND ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS. EXPLAIN THAT. >> THE ORBITS OF EARTH AND MARS ARE ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE SUN TO REACH THAT DESTINATION WITH LESS FUEL. IT'S THE BEST TIME. SHORT JOURNEY, LESS HOURS. >> WE LIKE THAT. WE ARE STUDYING THE CLIMATE, GEOLOGY AND SEARCHING FOR ANCIENT LIFE. WHAT KIND OF LIFE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN. >> WE ARE NOT GOING TO FIND DINOSAUR FOSSILS. LIKELY WE'LL FIND IT IN THE FORM OF MICRO SCOPIC LIFE. >> WE HOPE TO. >> HOPEING. >> DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THERE, RIGHT? >> DON'T KNOW. >> THAT'S WHY WE ARE GOING. >> YEAH. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BACK HERE ON EARTH OUR FRIENDS AT TWITTERER CELEBRATING MARS 2020 IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY. WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT. CHECK THIS OUT. IF YOU TAP THE LIKE ICON ON ANY TWEET CONTAINING THE #COUNTDOWNTOMARS YOU WILL SEE AN ANIMATION ON YOUR SCREEN. YOU SEE THAT? >> YEAH. >> IT GOS. >> THERE YOU GO. >> IT WILL WORK IN ANY LANGUAGE FROM OUR PARTNER COUNTRIES INKHRAOUTDING SPANISH, FRENCH, NORWEGIAN AND ITALIAN. >> WOW, THAT IS INCREDIBLE. >> PRETTY NEAT. >> DESPITE THE DAUNTING CHALLENGE, NASA HAS A LONG HISTORY OF MISSIONS TO MARS WITH THE MARINER 4 SPACECRAFT. >> WE HAVE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND ON MARS SINCE THEN. LET'S HEAD OUT TO CALIFORNIA TO JPL. WHAT CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT OUR HISTORY OF EXPLORING MARS? >> WES AND LANDERS BUT IT WAS THE ROWER THAT UNLOCKED ITS SECRETS. I AM JOINED BY THE MANAGER WHO HAS WORKED ON EVERY MARS ROVER MISSION FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES. HOW DOES TODAY'S LAUNCH FIT INTO THE HISTORY OF EXPLORING MARS? >> WELL, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN MARS BECAUSE IT IS THE THING THAT IS MOST LIKE EARTH THAT WE KNOW OF. IT'S DIFFERENT TODAY. UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED TO MARS WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM AND ALSO MORE ABOUT EARTH. AS WEED, MARS EXPLORATION STARTED IN 1965 WITH THE MARINER SPACECRAFT FLIES BY MARS. IN 1975 WE ACTUALLY LANDED THE SRAOEUBGSING ONE LANDER ON THE SURFACE OF MARS. AND AFTER THAT WE STARTED SENDING ORBITERS WITH MORE SOPHISTICATED INSTRUMENTS. THE INSTRUMENTS WOULD DO GLOBAL MAPPING. THEY FIND MINERALS AND TOPOG GRAVY OF MARS AND STUDY THE WEATHER. THEY NEEDED PARTNERS. THEY NEEDED PARTNERS TO GO DOWN TO THE SURFACE OF MARS AND EXPLORE LIKE A GEOLOGIST ON EARTH WOULD. WHERE IT WALK AROUND AND TAKES PICTURES AND MAYBE TAKES MEASUREMENTS. THAT'S WHAT THE ROVERS NEEDED TO DO. THAT'S WHAT STARTED THE MARS ROVER PROGRAM FOR US. OUR 50 ROVER WE SENT IN 1997. IT WAS THE SOJOURNER. IT WEIGHED ABOUT 25 POUNDS AND DROVE ALL OF ABOUT 400 FEET. SHE REALLY SHOWED US WHAT VALUE A ROVER ON MARS COULD HAVE. THEN THE MARS PROGRAM STARTED TO FOLLOW THE WATER THEME TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND MARS BETTER. THE FIRST TWO ROVERS SENT TO MARS WERE SPIRIT AND OPPORTUNITY. IN A LANDED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF MARS IN 2004 AND DROVE 30 MILES COMIN BOOED. THEY BOTH FOUND EVIDENCE THERE HAD BEEN WATER ON MARS IN THE PAST. WE STILL WEREN'T SURE WHETHER THAT WATER FOSTERED AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS GOOD FOR LIFE. SO THEN WE SENT CURIOSITY IN 2012. THE CURIOSITY ROVER WAS BIG, HAD A BIG ROBOTIC ARM, HAD A DRILL AND SCIENCE LAB IN THE FRONT AND CURIOSITY WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE HABITABILITY OF MASHES. COULD IT HAVE EVER FOSTERED LIFE? COULD LIFE HAVE GROWN ON MARS? AND WITHIN MONTHS OF CURIOSITY LANDING ON THE SURFACE, SHE ACTUALLY FOUND AN ANCIENT HABITABLE ENVIRONMENT ON MARS. WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF LIFE OF DID FORM ON MARS AND THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE PERSEVERANCE MISSION. >> WOW, THANK YOU, JENNIFER. NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW EACH ROVER MISSION HELPED SHAPE THE OTHER. LET'S GET TO KNOW PERSEVERANCE. >> MARS IS THE CLOSEST PLACE THAT WE CAN REACH WITH ROBOTIC EXPLORATION THAT WE THINK HAD A REALLY GOOD CHANCE OF HAVING ANCIENT LIFE. >> IT WILL LAND AT JEZERO CRATER. IT IS A VERY INTERESTING PLACE. IT IS A KRAEURT THAT ONCE HELD A LAKE. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF CRATER ON THE SURFACE OF MARS THAT COULD HAVE ONCE HOSTED ANCIENT LAKES, BUT NOT EVERY CRATER WE THINK HAD A LAKE PRESERVED EVIDENCE THE LAKE WAS THERE. >> IT HAD AN IN-FLOW AND OUT-FLOW CHANNEL. THAT MEANS THE CRATER WAS FILLED WITH WATER. >> IN JEZERO WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY PRESEVENED DELTA DEPOSITS ON MARS IN THAT CRATER. >> THE MAJOR GOAL OF THE MISSION IS TO INVESTIGATE ASTRO-BIOLOGY ON MARS AND ADDRESS THE QUESTION IF LIFE EXISTED ON MARS. THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER STARTS WITH A DESIGN THAT IS SIMILAR TO CURIOSITY BUT WE ADDED A NEW SET OF SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS. THEY WERE PURPOSEFULLY SELECTED TO HELP US IN THE SEARCH FOR BIOSIGNATURES. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE MICROPHONES WITH US. FOR THE FIRST TIME WE'LL HAVE THAT HUMAN SENSE ON ANOTHER PLANET. PERSEVERANCE CARRIES WITH HER A GRAND EXPERIMENT IN SPACE FARING TECHNOLOGY, A HELICOPTER THE NAME THAT IS NOW INGENUITY. >> THE MAJOR UPGRADE IS IT IS ABLE TO SELF-DRIVE FOR A DISTANCE OF UP TO 200 METERS PER DAY. AS THE ROVER IS DRIVING, IT'S LITERALLY BUILDING THE MAP OF THE ROAD IT IS DRIVING ON ON MARS. >> SCIENTISTS FOR YEARS HAVE TOLD US TO REALLY UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF MARS WE HAVE TO BRING SAMPLES FROM MARS BACK TO EARTH. WHAT MARSES 2020 IS GOING TO DO IS DRILL SATCHELS, PUT THEM IN SMALL TUBES AND SEAL IT IN ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL TUBE. PROVIDE A TARGET FOR THE SECOND TWO MISSIONS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE IN DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AND POTENTIALLY GET THE SATCHELS BACK TO EARTH BY -- SAMPLES BACK TO EARTH BY 2031. IT IS A PROFOUND FIRST STEP IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE AND A STEPPINGSTONE TOWARDS HUMAN EXPLORATION ON MARS. >> A GREAT BREAK DOWN OF THE ROVER THERE. WELCOME BACK TO THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN FLORIDA WHERE THE NEXT MARS ROVER WILL BE PROPELLED INTO SPACE. THE MAN WHO LEADS THE COMPANY TANKED WITH GETTING PERSEVERANCE OFF THIS PLANET IS TOREY BRU THE CEO AND PROSECUTES OF UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE THIS MORNING. >> HAPPY TO BE HERE. >> HOW IS THE LAUNCH TEAM DOING AND HOW ARE YOU DOING? >> THE LAUNCH TEAM IS DOING GREAT. THEY HAVE BEEN ON STATION FOR HOURS. THEY ARE CALM AND CONFIDENT AND GOING THROUGH THE SCRIPT AO*EUFPLT NERVOUS BUT I GET NERVOUS BEFORE ALL 400 LAUNCHS. >> WHY DO YOU GET NERVOUS? >> A ROCKET IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND COMPLEX MACHINE, EVERYTHING HAS TO GO RIGHT. NOTHING CAN GO WRONG. AND IT'S JUST IT NEVER GETS OLD. >> IT IS ALWAYS EXCITING. >> YEAH. >> THIS IS A PARTICULARLY EXCITING MISSION. THIS IS THE LARGEST AND HEAVIEST ROVER WE HAVE EVER SENT TO THE RED PLANET. HOW DID YOU CONFIGURE THE ROCKET TO DO THE LAUNCH ENTERRIVELY? -- EFFECTIVELY. >> THIS IS THE 541, WE CALL IT THE DOMINATOR. IT PUTS OUT THREE 50,000 POUNDS OF THRUST AND IT HAS THE POWER TO GET OUT THERE TO MARS AS WELL AS THE PRECISION. IT'S THE MOST ACCURATE ROCKET IN THE WORLD. WHENLY LET IT GO IT HAS 200 MILLION MILES TO TRAVEL ON THE TRANSFER ORBIT. >> PRECISION IS KEY. >> YES. THE POWER SOURCE IS EYE CONTAINED RADIOACTIVE BATTERY. I HAVE SEEN IT UP CLOSE AND WE HAD TO ALTER THE WAY WE BEHAVED AROUND IT. >> THE OPERATION AROUND THAT ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AM WE HAVE FLOWN ALL OF AMERICA'S RTGs AND THE ONLY PROVIDER CERTIFIED TO HANDLE THEM. IT IS STILL 11 POUNDS OF PLUTONIUM. THE ONE SPECIAL THING WAS TO INSTALL IT WHERE WE WOULD NEVER BREACH THE CONTAINMENT BUT WE CREATED A PORTABLE CLEAN ROOM AND BROUGHT THIS OUT AND INSTALLED IT IN THE MACHINE WHILE KEEPING EVERYTHING PERFECT. >> AWESOME. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE BIFF IS? >> THE VERTICLE INIGRATION FACILITY. WE BUILD THEM IN A FACTORY BUT CAN'T ASSEMBLE THEM THERE. THEY ARE 20 STORIES PROUD ON THE PAD. THEY COME TO CANAVERAL IN PIECES AND WE ASSEMBLE THEM AND THE LAST THING IS TO BRING IN AN ENCAPSULATED UNDER THE FERRING PERFECTLY CLEAN AND PREPARED SWAYS CRAFT AND PUT IT ON TOP, WHICH WE DID, BUT OPENED IT UP TO INSTALL THE BATTERY. >> THAT WAS LATE IN THE PROCESS AND INTENTIONAL. >> YES. >> WHO CERTIFIES THE ROCKET. >> NASA DOES. AND NASA AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CERTIFY A PROVIDER LIKEITOUS HANDLE A NUCLEAR PAY LOAD BECAUSE OF ALL THE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS. >> WHEN YOU WERE PREPARING FOR THE MISSION YOU COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED A YEAR AGO THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. >> OH, YES. >> REEKING HAVOC ON THIS DAY. HOW DID YOU HANDLE THAT AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT? >> YES, YOU KNOW, THE ONE BIG LESSON LEARNED HERE IS YOU CAN'T BUY BACK TIME. WHEN THIS BROKE OUT OUR RESPONSE WAS EARLY AND AGGRESSIVE. FORTUNATELY IT WAS EFFECTIVE. WE DID ALL THE THINGS YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH. WE WIPED DOWN EVERY SURFACE EVERY HOUR. DEEP CLEAN AND WEARING PPE AND HAVE OUR TEAMS SPREAD OUT. WE CHANGED THE FLOW OF THE WORK TO KEEP OUR PEOPLE SAFE BUT ALSO KEEP THE VITALLY IMPORTANT MISSIONS GOING. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT OUR TEAM. THEY ARE SO DISCIPLINED AND COURAGEOUS TO TERSE VEER THROUGH ALL -- TO PERSEVERE THROUGH ALL OF THIS. >> WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH US. GOOD LUCK WITH THE ROCKET LAUNCH TODAY AND ENJOY IT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GO ATLAS. GO PERSEVERANCE. >> THE COUNTDOWN TO MARS IS WELL UNDER WAY. LET'S GO TO OUR LAUNCH COMMENTATOR TEAM ON THE PRE-LAUNCH EFFORTS AND THE WEATHER FORECAST. >> THANK YOU. ARE ASYSTEMING THE LAUNCH VEHICLE AS WE GET READY TO LIFTOFF THIS MORNING. >> IT IS A PROGRAMMED HOLD. THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN. THIS IS NOTHING GOING WRONGS. WE HAVE A TWO HOUR WINDOW BUT EVERYTHING IS CHARGING TOWARD TH 7 TIME TIME 50:00 A.M. LEFT OFF TIME. BEFORE WE GET THIS WEATHER BRIEFING. >> THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCES RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLIC AND PERSONNEL SAFETY HERE WHERE WE ARE LAUNCHING FROM. VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE MISSION TODAY. THEY ARE 1 OF 5 TEAMS WORKING WITH US TO LAUNCH MARS PERSEVERANCE ON THE WAY THIS MORNING. AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT NOT ONLY PUBLIC SAFETY BUT THEY ALSO DO WEATHER FOR US TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD AS WE SAW THE SUNRISE COME UP RIGHT BEHIND EVERYTHING WAS LOOKING GOOD. SORRY, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET THAT FOR YOU LIVE, BUT THE AUDIO IS ON ANOTHER CHANNEL. FORGIVE US. >> WE SHOULD LOOK AT A VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGE AND HAVE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. A PEW CLOUDS TO THE EAST OVER THE WATER. WE WERE MONITORING ONE CELL ON THE RADAR 10 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST THAT HAS DISSIPATED AND THINGS ARE LOOKING GREAT FOR LAUNCH. WE ARE GO ON ALL L CCs AND EXPECT TO REMAIN GO THROUGH THE COUNT. OUR TEMPERATURE IS CURRENTLY 80. COULD CLIMB TO 82 BY THE END OF THE WINDOW. WINDS FROM 220. 10% POV FOR THE CUMULUS CLOUD RULE. NORMAL BACKGROUND LEVELS AND EXPECTED TO REMAIN SO THROUGH THE COUNT. THIS CONCLUDES THE WEATHER BRIEFUNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. >> WE HEARD A GREAT REPORT THERE. HEARING THE GO ON ALL LCCs. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> LAUNCH COMMITMENT CRITERIA. I CAN NEVER REMEMBER THE SECOND C. TELL US ABOUT THE T-CLOCK. WE ARE AT T-MINUS FOUR MINUTES AND HOLDER. A DIFFERENCE IN THE 2:00S. >> THE TEAMS ARE WORKING TO TWO DIFFERENT CLOCKS THE L CLOCK OR LUNCH TIME IS THE REAL TIME CLOCK THAT CONTINUES TO COUNTDOWN TOWARD LIFTOFF. T-TIME IS THE CLOCK THE TEAM USES FOR OPERATIONAL SEQUENCES OF EVENTS. IT HAS BUILT IN HOLDS, WE ARE IN A 30 EMPTY HOLD TO ALLOW THE -- 30 MINUTE HOLD TO ALLOW THE TEAM TO ADJUST WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. THE L CLOCK WILL CONTINUE COUNTING DOWN. WHAT IS UNIQUE AT L-MINUS FOUR OR T-MINUS 4 THE 2:00S WILL SYNC UP AND WE'LL COUNTDOWN TO LIFTOFF THIS MORNING. >> ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO PIGGY OFF IS THE POWER SOURCE FOR PERSEVERANCE. IT HAS A NUCLEAR BATTERY. THAT MIGHT BE ALARMING FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR THAT. IT'S NOT A NUCLEAR REACTOR, IT'S A NUCLEAR BATRE AND SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN -- BATTERY AND SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR. IT IT'S A THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR BUT AN MMRTG. THE SIZE OF A FIVE-GALLON BUCKET AND DESIGNED -- HOW DOES THIS PRODUCE POWER FOR THE ROBOT? >> USING NUCLEAR MATERIAL INSIDE TO GENERATE THE ELECTRICITY THERE. IT WILL BE ABOUT 110 WATTS OF POWER. IT WILL PROVIDE POWER FOR MARS PERSEVERANCE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MISSION LIFE. THAT'S IS THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS POWER SOURCE. IT WILL CONTINUE FOR THE WHOLE TIME. >> THE ATLAS 5 HAS A PERFECT LAUNCH RECORD. IT IS IN GOOD SHAPE. WE ARE NOT EXPECTING ANY PROBLEMS. IF THERE WAS A CONTEUPBGIENCY STAY WITH US TO TALK THROUGH DETAILS. WE HAVE TEAMS FOCUSED ON THIS SPECIFICALLY AND ARE WORKING TOWARDS MAKING SURE EVERYBODY IS SAFE AND OUR EXMOREERS ARE SAFE AS WELL. A GREAT WEATHER BRIEFING. BACK OVER TO YOU. >> THANK YOU. WITH THE COUNTDOWN TO MARS WELL UNDER WAY, WE WANT TO TAKES A MOMENT TO HONOR OUR COUNTRY WITH THE SINGLING OF AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL. >> WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT TO YOU NOW, TWO TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SINGER GREGORY PORTER. ♪ PURPLE MOUNTAINS MAJESTY ABOVE THE FRUITED PLAINS. WITH THE INSTRUMENTS WE HAVE ON THE ROVER. THEY ARE WONDERFUL. IT'S A GREAT SUITE BUT NOTHING COMPAREED TO THE STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUMENTS IN THE LABORATORIES AROUND THE WORLD. WE WANT TO GET THE PROFICIENCY SAMPLES BACK HERE -- PROFICIENCS SAMPLES BACK HERE. NOT ONLY DO WE WANT TO STUDY THEM NOW TODAY WITH THE STATE OF THE ART INSTRUMENTS AND FACILITIES, WE CAN PRESERVE MOST OF THE SAMPLES FOR DECADES TO ALLOWITOUS USE FUTURE INSTRUMENTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN INVENTED YET OR ANSWER QUESTIONS WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF YET. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THE SAMPLES BACK HERE. >> COULD WE CONFIRM LIFE IF IT IS THERE WITH THE INSTRUMENTS WE HAVE ON THE ROVER OR WOULD THAT HAPPEN BACK ON EARTH? >> I FULLY EXPECT WE WON'T MAKE THAT DETERMINATION UNTIL THEY ARE BACK HERE ON EARTH. WE EXPECT WITH THE INSTRUMENTS WE HAVE ON BOARD TO DETECT BIOSIGNATURES AND THE THINGS THAT SAY YES, THIS IS A SAMPLE THAT MAY CONTAIN EVIDENCE OF PAST LIFE IN THE SAMPLE. IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CONFIRM THAT UNTIL WE GET THE SAMPLES BACK HERE ON EARTH. >> SPEAKING OF GETS THEM BACK TO EARTH, HOW WILL YOU DO THAT? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE ARE ALREADY STARTING WORK ON THAT NEXT MISSION CALLED MARS SAMPLE RETURN. WE THINK IT WILL LAUNCH. WE ARE PLANNING FOR A LAUNCH IN 2026. THIS IS A REALLY COMPLEX MISSION. TELL REQUIRE TWO LAUNCHES FROM EARTH AND ONE LAUNCH FROM MARS IN ORDER TO GET THE SAMPLES BACKS HERE. >> WOW. >> WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY THE CORE PARTNERS ON THIS MISSION. WE'LL HAVE A LAUNCH FROM THE U.S. THAT WILL LAUNCH A SAMPLE RETURN LANDER THAT WILL LAND ON THE SURFACE CARRYING A ROVE THEY'RE WILL PICK UP THE SATCHELS AND BRING THEM BACK, LOAD -- SAMPLES AND BRING THEM BACK AND LAUNCH THEM INTO ORBIT AROUND MARS. WHEN WE LAUNCH FROM EARTH THE EUROPEANS ARE LAUNCHING AN ORBITER AROUND MARS THAT WILL CAPTURE THOSE SAMPLES WITH THAT ORBITER. WE WILL CAPTURE THEM AND RETURN BACK TO EARTH, RELEASE THEM AND COME DOWN AND LAND IN THE UTAH DESERT WHERE WE WILL SAFELY CARRY THEM AND PUT THEM IN A CURATION FACILITY. >> WHAT A PROCESS. >> AWESOME. THAT IS AMAZING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. >>PLEASURE. >> ENJOY THE LAUNCH. >> GO PERSEVERANCE, GO INGENUITY. >> THE WRIGHT BROTHERS PROVED NIGHT WAS POSSIBLE AND NOW NASA WILL FLY ON MARS WITH AN INGENIOUS HELICOPTER. THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE IS 99% LESS DENSE THAN HERE ON EARTH. THIS IS NO EASY TASK TO FLY ON MARS. >> HITCHING A RIDE ON THE PERSEVERANCE RIDE AND THE HELICOPTER. IF SUCCESSFUL IT WOULD MARK THE FIRST TIME HUMANS HAVE TAKEN POWERED FLIGHT ON ANOTHER PLANET. INGENUITY'S PROJECT MANAGER TELLS US TO TALK ABOUT THE SET OF MILESTONES NEEDED TO TAKE FLIGHT ON MARS. >> WE JUST HAD AN EARTHQUAKE IN THIS ROOM. WITH THAT, MARS HELICOPTER DEMO IS MOTIVATED BY THE POTENTIAL OF ADDING ARIEL DIMENSION. IN THE FUTURE A HELICOPTER CAN SERVE AS A SCOUT FOR ROVERS AND ASTRONAUTS. A HELICOPTER CAN GET US TO PLACE OF HIGH SCIENTIFIC INTEREST THAT CANNOT BE REACHED TODAY. IT IS NOT EASY TO BUILD A ROTOR CRAFT. THE ATMOSPHERE THERE IS VERY THIN. 1% OF THAT COMPAREED TO EARTH. A HELICOPTER FROM MARS HAS TO BE VERY LIGHT AND HAVE A ROTOR SYSTEM THAT CAN SPIN VERY FAST. BEHIND ME IS A FULL-SCALE MODEL OF THE INGENUITY. IT IS VERY LATE. 1.8 KILL GRAM, ABOUT 4 POUNDS. IT IS CAPABLE OF FLYING THROUGH THE THIN ATMOSPHERE OF MARS AND CAPABLE OF SURVIVING AND OPERATING AUTONOMOUSLY. A SET OF MILESTONES BETWEEN NOW AND INGENUITY'S FIRST FLIGHT. THE FIRST IS WHEN WE TURN ON THE HELICOPTER TO CHECK THE HEALTH. FIRST TIME OPERATING IN TRUE SPACE ENVIRONMENT. THE NEXT MILESTONE IS WHEN PERSEVERANCE ROVER DEPLOYS INGENUITY TO THE SURFACE. TELL MARK THE FIRST MOMENT THE HELICOPTER STARTS TO WORK ON ITS OWN IN A STAND ALONE MANNER. TELL NEVER RETURNO THE ROVER. THE FIRST MAJOR MILESTONE THEN WILL BE THE HELICOPTER SURVIVING THE FIRST COLD MARTIAN NIGHT. MINUS 90 DEGREES CELSIUS. WE HAVE DESIGNED THE HELICOPTER TO KEEP ITSELF WARM. WE HAVE PLANNED UP TO FIVE FLIGHTS IN THE 30 DAYS SET ASIDE FOR THE FLIGHT EXPERIMENT. THE DATA WE GET WILL INFORM OUR TEAM THE HEALTH OF THE HELICOPTER AND PERFORMANCE OF EACH FLIGHT. THE DATA COULD ALSO INCLUDE A FEW COLOR PHOTOS. FIRST EVER PHOTOS OF MARTIAN TERRAIN FROM AREAIEL VANTAGE. THAT WOULD KNOW TRUE ICING ON OUR CAKE. >> THANK YOU. WE DID HAVE A LITTLE SHAKE-UP. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE OKAY RIGHT HERE SO FAR. WE LOOK FORWARD TO INGENUITY'S FIRST FLIGHT. LET'S GO BACK TO KFC AS WE CONTINUE THE COUNTDOWN TO MARS. >> THANK YOU. WHEN THE NAME PERSEVERANCE WAS CHOSEN OUR COUNTRY WAS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE COVID-19 PANDENDIC. NOW IT'S A FITTING DESCRIPTION OF WHAT TEAMS NEEDED TO GET THIS TO THE PAD ON TIME. JOINING US IS NASA ADMINISTRATOR JIM BRIDENSTINE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. PERSEVERANCE IS MEANING A LOT, INCLUDING A 3.9 EARTHQUAKE WE HAVE IN CALIFORNIA. WE JUST SAW MIMI SAY THINGS ARE CAN ONLY GO ONCE EVERY 26 MONTHS WHEN THE PLANETS ARE ALIGNED. IF WE MISS THIS LAUNCH WINDOW IT WOULD COST HALF A BILLION TO STORE THIS VEHICLE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS TO GO FORWARD. SOME OF IT IS FINANCIAL. THE NASA BUDGET AND THEN THE OTHER BIG REASON IS AMERICANS WANT TO SEE US CONTINUE TO DO BIG THINGS. I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR THOUGH, WE HAVE MADE SURE ALL ALONG THIS PROCESS IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT THEY HAD THE OPTION TO NOT WORK ON THIS PROJECT. AND I WILL TELL YOU WE DIDN'T FIND THAT VERY OFTEN, IF AT ALL. I WILL ALSO SAY OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY WAS THE SAFETY OF OUR PEOPLE. WE WANTED THEM TO KNOW IF THEY COME TO WORK THEY WILL BE SAFER AT WORKS THAN THEY WOULD BE IF THEY STAYED AT HOME. AND, OF COURSE, THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND SOCIAL DISTANCING AND CHANGING OF SCHEDULES TO MINIMIZE PEOPLE WORKING ON THE VEHICLE AT ONE TIME WERE PUT INTO PLACE AS PROTECTIVE MEASURES. IT IS TRUE THE NAME PERSEVERANCE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO THIS ROBOT BY ALEX MATHER, A SEVENth GRADER IN VIRGINIA. THIS IS ALL ABOUT PERSEVERANCE. GOING TO MARS AS YOU SAID, GOING TO MARS IS ALL ABOUT PERSEVERING IN GENERAL. DOING IT NOW IS MORE PERSEVERING THAN EVER BEFORE. >> WE HAVE A LAUNCH COUNTING DOWN. HOW ARE YOU FEEL SOMETHING. >> NERVOUS AS ALWAYS. THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY AT THE TOP OF A ROCKET. NOT JUST THE MONEY, BUT THE ENTIRE LIFE'S WORK OF SO MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. LOOK, AUTOGOING TO BE A GOOD DAY. WE ARE KNOXING ON WOOD. -- KNOCKING ON WOOD. IT WILL BE A GOOD DAY FOR NASA. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> ALWAYS. >> APPRECIATE YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE ARE NOW AT L-MINUS 14 MINUTES AND COUNTING. LET'S CHECK WITH JOSHUA AND GET A LOOK AT PREPARATIONS. >> THE COUNTDOWN IS CONTINUING. OBVIOUSLY STATUS REPORT WE HEARD THEM TALKING ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE. EVERYTHING IS STILL GOOD. WE HEAR THINGS ARE PROCEEDING WELL. NO MAJOR ISSUES OR HICCUPS BECAUSE OF THAT. THE SAVVY VIEWERS WILL NOTICE THE CLOCKSES IN MOTION TWO, CLOCKS THE COUNTDOWN CLOCK AT T-MINUS 4 MINUTES AND HOLDING AND THE CLOCK ON YOUR SCREEN IS ISTHE L CLOCK. THE REAL TIME CLOCK. AT ONE POINT THE 2:00S WILL SYNC UP AS THE TEAMS CONTINUE TO WORK SEQUENCE EVENTS AND PROCEDURES. THE TEAMS ARE FOCUSED. THE EARTHQUAKE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP THE TEAM HAS A ASSESSED THAT AND ARE DOING A GREAT JOB GETTING US TO 0 THIS MORNING. WE MENTIONED THE U.S. SPACE FORCE AS ONE OF THE FIVE TEAMS AND NEXT UP WE HAVE THE NASA LAUNCH SERVICES TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE LAUNCH. WE'LL HEAR A POLL FOR READINESS IN A FEW MINUTES. HE IS PUNCTUAL. THIS WILL COME RIGHT ON TIME IN A FEW SECONDS. LET'S LISTEN IN NOW. >> CURRENTLY WORKING. NO ISSUES ON THE LAUNCH VEHICLE. WEATHER IS GREEN. 10% CHANCE OF VIOLATION. AND WINDS ALOFT. THE SPACECRAFT DID EXPERIENCE SOME EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY AT THEIR CONTROL CENTER IN PASADENA BUT APPEARS TO BE READY TO PROCEED. WITH THAT I WILL LIKE TO POLL THE TEAM FOR FINAL LAUNCH POLL AND SPACECRAFT CONFIGURATION. >> NASA CE IS GO. >> SMA. >> SMA IS GO. >> SMD. >> SMD IS GO. >> NASA MISSION MGR. >> NATIONA MISSION MANAGER IS GO. >> WELL, IS SP. >> L SP IS GO. >> COPY. NASA TEAM IS READY TO PROCEED. >> WE HEARD NASA TEAM IS READY TO PROCEED. THE WEATHER IN THERE ONLY A 10% CHANCE OF VIOLATION. A THANK YOU TO JESSICA WILLIAMS OF THE U.S. SPACE FORCE 45th SPACE WING. I LIKE WE ARE WORKING NO ISSUES. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART BROUGHT UP. ONE THING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS IT'S A COMBINED NASA TEAM OF SPACECRAFT AND ENGINEERING. HEARING ALL THE GOES IS GOOD. >> WE'LL KEEP MOVING. WE HAVE A LOT TO DO STILL. >> THANK YOU. OF OUR NASA TEAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY OVER CAME CHALLENGES CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 OUT BREAK AS YOU HEARD SO FAR TO GET IN MARS ROVER TO THE LAUNCH PAD ON TIME. >> WE ARE ABOUT TO HEAR FROM WORKERS IN CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA WHO TOOK EVERY IMAGINABLE PRECAUTION WHILE MANAGING TO GET THIS VITAL WORK DONE. ♪ >> WHEN I SAW THE COUNTRY SHUTTING DOWN I THOUGHT FOR SURE THERE IS NO WAY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS. >> IT'S SOMETHING NOBODY EXPECTED. IT'S SOMETHING NOBODY CAN PLAN FOR. RATHER THAN YOUR 50 PRIORITY BEING MISSION SUCCESS AND GETING TO THE LAUNCHPAD, YOUR 50 PRIORITY IS DISPLACED AND IT'S NOW THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE. >> SERIOUSLY THINKING MARS WAS BE MARS 2022. >> IT TOOK WORK TO KEEP MOMENTUM GOING AND KEEP PEOPLE WORKING SAFELY AND HEALTHY AND ON SCHEDULE. >> THERE IS NODOUBT WORKING IN ISOLATION, NOT VIRTUAL ISOLATION, BUT IN PHYSICAL ISOLATION FROM EVERYONE ELSE IS A CHALLENGE. >> HARD FOR ME. I HAVE TWO YOUNG KIDS. SOMETIMES I'M NOT ABLE TO FOCUS OR LISTEN PROBABLY AS WELL AS I WOULD WANT TO. >> A LOT OF WORK WAS OCCURRING IN A CLEAN ROOM ANY WAY, BUT EVEN BEFORE WE ENTERED THE CLEAN ROOM WE HAD TO FIND A WAY OF ENSURING THAT WE WERE NOT PUTTING OURSELVES OR OTHERS AT RISK. >> MOST OF THE TIME BEFORE THE MISSIONS OUR RELATIONS WITH THE SPACECRAFT CUSTOMER IS INCREDIBLY PERSONALITY BUT WE ARE ABLE TO BE HERE WORKING BESIDE THEM ON THEIR EQUIPMENT AND MAKING SURE ALL THEIR NEEDS ARE COVERED BEFORE THIGH ASK FOR IT. IT IS A CHARGE -- BEFORE THEY ASK FOR IT. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR FACILITY. >> A DIFFERENT SET UP WE HAVE TO OVERCOME. IT'S NOT LIKE A BROKEN ROCKET BUT IT HAS ITS OWN CHALLENGES. >> OUR JOB IS TO GO INTO THE UNKNOWN. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE UNKNOWN. HOW TO MAKE THIS JOB HAPPEN. WHEN YOU ARE DOING IT LARGELY THROUGH A COMPUTER SCREEN. >> I ASKED THE TEAM A COUPLE MONTHS AGO IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING TO SYMBOLIZE AND MARK THE CHALLENGES WE FACED. AND DESIGNED A COVID-19 PERSEVERANCE PLATE. IT IS NOW AFFIXED TO THE PORT SIDE OF THE ROVER AND HAS A GLOBE REPRESENTING ALL OF US THAT FACE THIS CHALLENGE TOGETHER. THE SPACECRAFT LEAVING THE EARTH ON ITS WAY TO MARS AND ALL OF THE SUPPORTED BY THE NOW FAMILIAR STAFF AND SERPENT OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY. WE HOPE THIS MISSION IN SOME SMALL WAY CAN INSPIRE THEM. >> PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY I TALKED TO ASOERBGTSED WITH THE MISSION -- ASSOCIATED WITH THE MISSION SAID THE SAME THING YOU COULDN'T HAVE COME UP WITH A BETTER NAME THAN PERSEVERANCE. >> WE HAVE PERSEVERED. WE WILL GET THIS MISSION DONE. WE WILL GET IT DONE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. >> I THINK IT NOW IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SYMBOL OF HUMANITY. HOPEFULLY PERSEVERING THROUGH THIS GREAT CHALLENGING TIME WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. >> WE APPRECIATE THAT TEAM AS WELL AS THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY THAT STEPPED UP AND HELPED. IT'S IRONIC THE NAME PERSEVERANCE WAS CHOSEN BY A SEVENth GRADER AT THE TIME. HE DIDN'T KNOW WE WOULD BE FACED WITH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HIM AND HIS FAMILY HERE WITH THE STUDENT WHO NAMED THE HELICOPTER. >> THEIR NAMES ARE ALEXANDER MATHER AND RAPIZZA RAMANNY AND JUST A STONE'S THROW AWAY FROM THE COUNTDOWN CLOCK. THERE THEY ARE LOOKING COOL. ALEXANDER MATHER SUBMITTED THE WINNING ESSAY TO NAME OUR ROVER PERSEVERANCE. >> THEY HAVE A GREAT VIEW. I HAVE SEEN IT FROM UP THERE. IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SET UP FOR THIS AWESOME LAUNCH. YOU SEE HER WAVING. HEY, GUYS. APPRECIATE YOU. SHE IS JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. SHE CAME UP WITH INGENUITY FOR THE HELICOPTER THAT WILL ACCOMPANY OUR ROVER TO MARS. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. WHAT A NEAT VIEW THAT IS. WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW AFTER THE LAUNCH IT WILL BE ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE MARS PERSEVERANCE SEPARATES FROM THE SECOND STAGE AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS ROVER WILL BE ON ITS WAY TO MARS. HANG IN THERE. >> DON'T GO AWAY AS WE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THE FLIGHT AROUND THE EARTH AND TALK LIVE WITH THE ASTRONAUT ABOUT OUR HUMAN EXPLORATION AMBITIONS. >> IT WILL BE GREAT. STICK AROUND. IT'S L MINUS-6 MINUTES AND 62NDS NOW. TIME TO FOCUS ON THE LAUNCH OPERATION THE REST OF THE WAY TO LIFTOFF. LET'S SEND IT BACK OUT. >> THANK YOU. I WANT TO LET YOU LISTEN IN TO THE REMAINDER OF THE POLL IN MOTION. >> RANGE COORDINATOR. LAUNCH DIRECTOR. >> IS GO AND PERTPHOEUGZ LAUNCH. >> PROCEEDING WITH IT NOW. >> AL C FOR 11:50. >> THAT IS SEVEN:50:00 A.M. EASTERN TEAM. THAT TIME IS CORRECT. >> WATCHING JOSH. [LAUGHING] THERE IS A LOT TO COME AHEAD. ONE OF THE THINGS COMING UP IN JUST A FEW SECONDS. >> ALL STEPS ARE COMPLETE PRIOR TO TERMINAL COUNT. >> THINGS ARE REALLY STARTING TO PICK UP. YOU WILL HEAR MORE AND MORE CHATTER. THAT CALL WAS TO SAY PERSEVERANCE IS POWERED AND READY TO GO, WHICH IS A PHENOMENAL CALL. >> LAUNCH CONDUCTOR PULLED POLLED THE TEAM AND THEY WERE GOOD TO GO. THE THIRD OF FIVE TEAMS. WE GOT TO HEAR THE END WHERE THE RANGE WAS CLEARED TO PROCEED AND THE LAUNCH DIRECTOR GAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GO FOR LAUNCH AT 7:50 A.M. WE GOT TO HEAR FROM THE JPL SPACECRAFT TEAM. >> THE FOURTH TEAM. >> THE FOURTH TEAM THEY ARE ON INTERNAL POWER AND TIMERS ARE SET. THEY ARE TARGETING A LIFTOFF OF 7:50 A.M. ALL THINGS ARE LOOKING GOOD. WE TALK ABOUT BEING STKPHEFRBS EXCITED. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NERVOUS AND EXCITED. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING AS WE GET READY TO COUNTDOWN TO LIFTOFF THIS MORNING. WE HAVE 15 SECONDS LEFT IN THIS HOLD BEFORE WE PICK UP THE COUNT. >> THE FIFTH TEAM IS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RPG, THE POWER SOURCE FOR PERSEVERANCE. >> 2, 1, MARK. >> THIS IS NOW THE TERMINAL COUNTDOWN THE TIME WHEN THINGS BECOME MORE AND MORE AUTO MATED IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES AND THE ENERGY BUILDING BUT THE FOCUS INCREASING. >> TOREYED DURING HIS INTERVIEW THE TEAMS ARE DISCIPLINED AND FOCUSED ON WHAT THEY ARE DOING THE OPERATIONAL SEQUENCE OF EKWEPBTS THEY ARE FOLLOWING AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN THE T-MINUS 4 AND COUNTING. THEY HAVE TO FINISH TOPPING THE VEHICLE AND MAKE SURE ALL THE TANKS FIRST STAGE AND SECOND STAGE ARE AT FLIGHT PRESSURES AND FULL OF FUEL READY TO GO THIS MORNING AND THE FTS SYSTEM IS ARMED AND READY FOR PERSONNEL SAFETY, JUST IN CASE. THEY HAVE TO CHECK THE ELECTRICAL AND AVIONIC SYSTEMS AND MAKE SURE THE COMPUTER HAS THE INFORMATION IT NEEDS TO PLACE IT INTOOR BIT. A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON. EXCITING TIME FOR THE TEAM RIGHT NOW. AGAIN, STAYING FOCUSED AND FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE THEY HAVE. AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO POST LIFTOFF. THERE WILL BE A LOT GOING ON. YOU WON'T HEAR FROM US YOU WILL HEAR FROM THE UL A FLIGHT COMMENTATOR. HE WILL GIVE THE CALLS PAST LIFTOFF THAT WILL WALK US THROUGH MAXIMUM DYNAMIC PRESSURE AND THROUGH SEPARATION AND FERRING SEPARATION AND FIRST MAIN ENGINE IGNITION OF THE CENTAUR. YOU WILL HEAR US JUMP BACK IN AND PROVIDE CONTEXT. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY WITH US FOR THE REST OF THE SHOW. THERE IS A TON MORE CONTENT TO BRING YOU. THE COUNTDOWN TO MARS IS NOT DONE AT 0 TODAY. THE COUNTDOWN TO MARS ENDS IN FEBRUARY WHEN MARS 2020 SAFELY DELIVER THE PERSEVERANCE AND INGENUITY TO THE RED PLANET AM WE'LL LET YOU ENJOY THE LAST PEW MINUTES OF PROCESS OF. WAKING A ROCKET. >> 1:59. >> VEHICLE INTERNAL. >> LAUNCH SEQUENCERS START. >> 1:50. >> 69 CENTAUR L O-2. >> HEARD THE FUELING. THE SEQUENCE IS READY TO GO AND GETTING READY TO TURN IT OVER TO AUTOMATIC AT TMINUS 31 SECONDS. THEY WILL GIVE THE FINAL GOES EVERYTHING IS READY TO GO AND THE LAUNCH VEHICLE IS READY TO LIFTOFF FOR THE MISSION. >> 1:15. >> CCS FOR LAUNCH. >> ROGER. >> 1:10. 1:HUNDRED. >> RANGE GREEN. >> THAT IS GOOD TO HEAR. >> YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN A BEAUTIFUL SHOT. THE SKIES LOOK GREAT. LITTLE WIND HAPPENING. YOU CAN SEE MORE OF THE VENTING. WE ARE READY TO GO. THEY ARE STABLE AT STEP 3, THE TANKS ARE READY TO GO. HERE IN ABOUT FIVE SECONDS WE'LL HEAR THE TEAM GIVE THE FINAL GO. >> STATUS CHECK. >> GO ATLAS. >> GO CENTAUR. >> GO MARS 2020. >> THERE WE GO. WE ARE READY TO GO LIFTOFF THIS MORNING. >> 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, ENGINE IGNITION, 2, 1, 0. AND LIFTOFF. THE COUNT TOWN TO MARS CONTINUES. THE PERSEVERANCE OF HUMANITY LAUNCHING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLANET. EXPLORERS TO THE RED >> COMING UP ON 30 SECONDS THE 180. ENGINE RESPONSE LOOKS GOOD. MACH 1. ATLAS IS NOW SUPER SONIC. PASSING 452NDS INTO FLIGHT, VEHICLE IS NOW PASSING THROUGH MAX CUE, MAXIMUM DYNAMIC PRESSURE. AND PASSING ONE MINUTE INTO FLIGHT THE RD 180 IS THROTTLING BEING BAUP AND ENGINE RESPONSE LOOKS GOOD. AT THIS TIME PRESSURE CHAMBERS REMAIN NOMINAL AND FUEL INJECTOR PRESSURES ARE RESPONDING WELL TO DEMANDS ON THE ENGINE. STAND BY FOR BURN OUT SHORTLY. AND WE HAVE BURN OUT ON ALL FOUR SRBs, BURN OUT PRESSURE SIGNATURES LOOK GOOD. STAND BY FOR JETTISON SHORTLY. AND WE HAVE GOOD INDICATION OF SRB JETTISON OF ALL FOUR SRBs. THE SR*BG HAS GONE TO CLOSE-LOOP GUIDANCE. VEHICLE BODY RATE, RESPONDING NOMINALLY AT THIS TIME. AND COMING UP ON TWO AND A HALF MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THE RD 180 HAS THROTTLED DOWN SLIGHTLY AS EXPECTED AND ENGINE RESPONSE LOOKS GOOD. THE VEHICLE IS 50 TPHAOEULS ALTITUDE, 85 MILES DOWN RANGE TRAVELING AT 6,000 MILES PER HOUR. AND THE CENTAUR REACTION CONTROL SYSTEM IS PRESSURIZING TO FLIGHT LEVELS. AND JUST PAST THREE MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THE RD-180 IS THROTTLING TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT LIMIT FOR PAY LOAD FERRING JETTISON. VEHICLE ACCELBATION LOOKS GOOD -- ACCELERATION LOOKS GOOD. AND WE HAVE GOOD INDICATION OF PAY LOAD FERRING JETTISON AND CENTAUR FORWARD REACTOR JETTISON. AND THE RD 180 IS THROTTLING BACK UP TO ACCELERATION. ENGINE RESPONSE CONTINUES TO LOOK GOOD. AND CENTAUR HAS BEGUN THE BOOST PHASE TO CONDITION THE RL-10 FOR OPERATION. STANDING BY. >> THAT IS THE CALL FOR BOOSTER ENGINES. >> WE HAVE BOOSTER ENGINE CUT OFF STANDING BY FOR STAGE SEPARATION. AND WE HAVE GOOD INDICATION OF ATLAS CENTAUR SEPARATION. RL-10 OPERATING PARAMETERS LOOK GOOD. CHAMBER PRESSURES ARE STABLE. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF TWO BURNS FOR TODAY'S MISSION. THE FIRST BURN WILL BE APPROXIMATELY SEVEN MINUTES IN LENGTH. >> IT IS EXCEPTIONAL FOOTAGE. LIVE VIDEO AM WE'LL SEE THE SWITCH OVER TO AN ANIMATION THAT HELPS LET US KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE ROCKET. A BEAUTIFUL LIFTOFF. FUN TO FEEL THE RUMBLE IN THE BUILDING HERE AS WE PROCEED TOWARDS ORBIT AND TOWARDS MARS DESTINATION. >> IT IS GREAT WATCHING KNOW ON TIME LIFTOFF WITH A LITTLE OVER 2 MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST CLEAR THE TOWER IN FIVE SECONDS. YOU AND I WORKED THE INSIGHT SKPHEUGZ IF YOU RECALL IT TOOK 17 SUBJECTEDS AND THIS REALLY -- IT TOOK 17 SECONDS. EVERYTHING IS LOOKING NOMINAL AND ALL VEHICLE PARAMETERS ARE WITHIN THE DESIGN LIMITS AND WE ARE GETTING READY TO COME UP ON THE MAIN ENGINE START FOR THE FIRST BURN. >> RECAPPING THE COUNTDOWN TO MARS. THE STATIONS FILLED UP JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. FUELING, POWERING UP ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT LIFTOFF THAT HAPPENED I THINK IT WASN'T PRECISEY ON TIME, LIKE 10 MILLISECONDS EARLY, SO PRETTY MUCH DEAD ON. >> THIS TEAM DOES A GOOD JOB. THEY ARE FOCUSED AND DISCIPLINED AND AS TOREYED, COURAGEOUS. THEY HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO GET US HERE TODAY. THE PANDEMIC CHANGED HOW THEY DID SOME OF THEIR SPWORBG MADE ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED. A L >> THE SPACE TRACKING SYSTEM. THERE YOU GO. THIS IS NOT NATURAL VIDEO. THIS IS AN ANIMATION DRIVEN BY REAL DAT A. ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT ACTUALLY SEEING THE ENGINE ON SCREEN, WE CAN SEE IT IS LIT AND DRIVEN BY THE DATA THAT SAYS THE ENGINE IS TRULY LIT AND WE ARE IN THE BURN. >> IT ALLOWS THEM TO CONTINUE TO WATCH WHAT IS GOING ON AND MAKE SURE ALL SEQUENCE OF EVENTS MEET THE TIME LINE. WE CONTINUE ON A NOMINAL FLIGHT THIS MORNING. THIS FIRST BURN AS WE HEARD EARLIER WILL BE SIX MINUTES AND GET US INTO THE PARK ORBIT AROUND EARTH AND ALLOW US TO GET ON OUR WAY AND THE 30 MINUTE COAST PERIOD WE'LL HAVE EIGHT MINUTES INTO FLIGHT. SEEING STABLE BODY RATES FROM THE CENTAUR. >> WE MENTIONED FIVE TEAMS IN PLAY. IF YOU WERE WATCHING HOPEFULLY YOU SAW IT IN PERSON, IF NOT ON CAMERA. IT IS EASY TO SAY IT'S OVER, LIKES, JOB DONE. ALL FIVE TEAMS VERY MUCH ENGAGED AND FOCUSED. THERE IS A LOT OF WORK AHEAD GOING THROUGH THE FIRST BURN AND COAST AND SECOND BURN. AND THE ACQUISITION OF SIGNAL FROM MARS 2020. I KNOW FOR LAUNCH SERVICES PROGRAM YOU MANAGE THE LAUNCH. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THIS IS YOUR WORK IN ACTION. >> THAT IS THE FIFTH TEAM. WE TALKED JPL AND UNITED SPACE FORCE, UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE AND UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE. LSP ARE LIKE THE BROKERS TO SELECT THIS LAUNCH VEHICLE AND MANAGE THE MISSION. THE JPL FOLKS COME TO US AND HAVE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THEY NEED FOR THE MISSION. LAUNCH SERVICES PROGRAM MADE UP OF ENGINEERS AND FLIGHT ANALYSIS FOLKS AND LOOK AT EVERYTHING AND DEFINE THE REQUIREMENTS. WE GO OUT AND PROCURE A VEHICLE FROM A COMMERCIAL PARTNER. THIS WAS THE ATLAS 541 NEEDED FOR PERFORMANCE. WE TALKED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS ONE OF THE THINGS IMPORTANT TO LOOKS AT WAS THE PERFORMANCE TO GET IT INTO TRANSFER OBBIT INTO SOLAR ORBIT. IT IS AMALGUS TO A QUARTERBACK THROWING A FOOTBALL DOWN FIELD. YOU NEED A QUARTERBACK WITH I A LOT OF PERFORMANCE WHO CAN GET THE FOOTBALL WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE SO THE RECEIVER CAN INTERCEPT THAT. IN OUR CASE SEVEN MONTHS LATER. >> THE LONGEST FOOTBALL PASS EVER. THE EARTH IS THE QUARTERBACK, THE ATLAS IS THE QUARTERBACK'S ARM, PERVEERANCE IS THE FOOTBALL AND MARS IS THE RECEIVER. >> EXACTLY RIGHT. >> WE TALKED ABOUT TECHNICALLY YOU COULD LAUNCH IF YOU HAD A ROCKET POWERFUL ENOUGH. BUT THIS IS THE LAUNCH PERIOD EVERY 26 MONTHS OR SO THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE BECAUSE YOU REQUIRE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF ENERGY TO GET TO MARS. IT TAKES A LOT TO GET THERE. THE ATLAS 541 IS A WORK HORSE. >> THEY ARE A DOMINATOR AS TOREYED. I LOVE THAT NAME FOR THE ATLAS 541. WE HEARD JIM BRIDENSTINE TELL US IF WE DIDN'T MAKES THIS LAUNCH PERIOD WE WOULD BE DOWN FOR ROUGHLY 26 MONTHS. THE PERIOD STARTED JULY 17th AND WENT UNTIL AUGUST 15th. TODAY, JULY 30th IS ONE OF THE LAUNCH OPPORTUNITIES WE HAD. WE HAD A TWO HOUR WINDOW AND WITHIN THAT WINDOW WE HAD SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES. 25, ACTUALLY. WE LAUNCHED ON OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO GET MARS 2,020 2020 GOING ON THE WAY. IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, AND IT IS. THE FLIGHT ANALYSIS GROUP DID A LOT OF WORK TO PICK OUT THOSE TARGET SETS AND FIGURE OUT WHERE WE NEED TO BE. WE'LL SEE HOW THIS MISSION CONTINUES. TELL US ABOUT THE TWO BURNS REQUIRED. WE ARE COMING UP ON THE END OF THE FIRST ONE. WE ARE LIKE WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST KEEP FIRING THE ENGINES AND FIRE ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND GET TO MAR IN ONE SHOT? >> THE FIRST BURN IS THE PARK ORBIT WE TALKED ABOUT. WE LIFTED OFF AND LEFT EARTH AND GOT INTO A PARK ORBIT AROUND EARTH. WHILE IN THAT ORBIT WE WILL PERFORM MANEUVERS TO ROLL IT AND THE CENTAUR AND COAST DURING THAT TIME BASICALLY SETTING ITSELF UP LOOKING AT THE SUN AND AWAY FROM THE SUN TO CONTROL THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENTS. THAT COAST PERIOD WILL ALLOW US TO COAST AROUND INTO THE POSITION WE NEED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE SECOND FIRING TO GET THE VELOCITY NEEDED TO HEAD OFF INTO MARS. >> WE'LL BE BACK FOR THAT SECOND BURN IN JUST UNDER 30 MINUTES NOW. THERE IS MORE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS MISSION AND ALL THE AMAZING SCIENCE INVOLVED. BACK TO YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT LAUNCH AND GREAT JOB, GUYS. BACK OUTSIDE NOW TO RECAP. AN ATLAS FIVE ROCKET LAUNCHED ON TIME FROM THE CAPE CANAVERAL STATION AT 8:50 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME. >> PERSEVERANCE IS ON A TRAJECTORY TOWARD MARS AND GIVES ME GOOSE BUMPS. >> WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL. WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE SECOND BURN HANG IN WITH US, WE HAVE EXCITING COVERAGE TO GO. WE WILL WELCOME IN ONE OF OUR LAUNCH GUESTS DR. DEREK MUELLER THE CREATOR AND HOST OF THE POPULAR SCIENCE EDUCATION CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE. HE HOLDS A DOCTORATE IN PHYSICS EDUCATION. HE IS REALLY SMART. THAT'S WHY YOU SAW US HAVING FUN. HE WAS ON SET AND WE WERE HAVING A GOOD TIME. TALKING ABOUT THIS LAUNCH, YOUR FIRST TIME SEEING A LAUNCH IN PERSON. WHAT DID YOU THINK? >> WHAT CAN YOU SAY? VINOTHING TO COMBEAR IT TO BUT IT WAS AWESOME. I WANT TO BE INVITED BACK. IF YOU COULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN, JUST SO AMAZING. >> GREAT JOB EXPLAINING PHYSICS. WALK ME THROUGH AS YOU WERE WATCHING AND EXPERIENCING. >> IT IS LIKE ALL THE PHYSICS GOES OUT THE WINDOW A BIT. IT'S A VISCERAL MOMENT BETWEEN YOU AND THIS POWERFUL CRAFT. IT'S JUST AMAZING ALL THE, YOU KNOW, ENGINEERING THAT GOES INTO MAKING SOMETNG THAT POWERFUL AND TO WITNESS THAT IS PHENOMENAL. TO FEEL THE RUMBLE OF THE SOUND AS IT HITS YOU. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. IT IS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE TO SEE IT TAKING OFF. IT'S VERY SURREAL FOR SURE. >> WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER? >> IT IS GOING TO DO A LOT OF GREAT SCIENCE. TELL CACHE SAMPLES WE WILL BRING BACK. SUPER EXCITED WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SAMPLES FROM MARS IN OUR HANDS AND THAT MAY CLENCH IF WE CAN SEE LIFE IS THERE. I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT INGENUITY AND THE HELICOPTER I GOT TO VISIT BEFORE IT WAS STRAPPED TO THE UNDER BELLY OF THE ROVER. TO THINK ABOUT FLYING A ROTOR CRAFT IN, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER WORLD ESSENTIALLY IN A PLACE THAT ONLY HAS 1- 100th OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE IS AMAZING. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IF IT WORKS AND I THINK THE TEAM IS PHENOMENAL. >> YOU DID A YOUTUBE STORY ON IT AND A FANTASTIC STORY. >> I WAS SO LUCKY IT WAS THERE A METEOR TWO AWAY FROM ME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A DOOR IN A CLEAN ROOM. ONE OF THE GREAT MOMENTS OF MY LIFE. AND IT WEIGHS AS MUCH AS MY LAPTOP. YOU THINK ABOUT IT'S SUBSTANTIAL IN SIZE AND TAKE OFF AND FLY BY ITSELF BECAUSE WE CAN'T CONTROL IT GIVEN THE TIME DELAY AND EVERYTHING, THAT IS -- I JUST THINK ONE OF THE PINNACLES OF HUMAGE ENGINEERING. >> ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS GOING TO DO BIG SCIENCE AS WELL. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SEARCH FOR ANCIENT MICROBIAL LIFE ON ANOTHER PLANET, MARS? >> I THINK CHANCES ARE GOOD THAT MARS ONCE HABORED LIFE. IT WAS SIMILAR TO EARTH IN THE PAST. ONE CAN ONLY EXPECT LIFE SPRUNG UP THERE AS WELL. I AM REALLY EXCITED FOR US TO GET THAT CONFIRMATION. IT TRANSFORMED OURED WHYS ABOUT LIFE AND HOW FREQUENT IT IS. WE HAVE THE SAMPLE SIZE OF ONE. ONE EARTH WITH LIFE. IF WE FIND ANOTHER ONE THAT IS 100% MORE INFORMATION AND DATA AND LIKELY THAT LIFE WILL NOT BE EXACTLY LIKE OURS. IT WILL BE FASCINATING. ANYTHING WE CAN LEARN ABOUT OTHER POTENTIAL FORMS OF LIFE BY FINDING LIFE ON ANOTHER PLANET. >> YOU SEE THIS AND THINK THERE IS LIFE. >> I DO. YOU HAVE LIQUID WATER FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HALF BILLION OR BILLION YEARS. ON EARTH THAT WAS ENOUGH TO CREATE LIFE. SO, YOU KNOW, THE GUESS IS THAT'S NOT A UNIQUE THING, RIGHT? THE HIGHWAY POTTING SIS IS YOU RUN THAT ENOUGH TIMES IT IS GOING TO LEAD TO LIFE AGAIN IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. >> WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. YOUTUBE CREATOR. WE KNOW YOU HAVE A TWO AND A HALF WEEK OLD CHILD AT HOME NOW. >> VERY FEW THINGS I CAN LEAVE FOR. THIS IS ONE. [LAUGHING] >> A SELFIE WITH OUR FULL-SIZED ROVER HE. >> I DEFINITELY WELL. >> THANK YOU. >> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF AN TISIPATION BY NASA TEAMS LEADING UP TO THE LAUNCH. SOME WON'T BE ABLE TO FULLY CELEBRATE UNTIL THE ROVER HAS LANDED ON MARS SEVEN MONTHS FROM NOW. HOW ARE THEY REACTING TO SEEING MARS 2020 TAKES FLIGHT? >> IT HAS BEEN QUITE AN EVENTFUL MORNING WITH THE EARTHQUAKE. YOU COULD FEEL THE ENERGY BUILDING IN THE ROOM IN THE RUN UP TO LAUNCH. BOBBY, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU ARE FEELING? >> IT'S JUST A GREAT DAY. WE ARE ALL SO EXCITED TO GET STARTED IN THIS WAY AND TO BE ON OUR WAY AFTER ALL THIS WORK THE TEAM HAS GONE THROUGH. IT IS REALLY JUST FANTASTIC. >> THAT'S GREAT. WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? >> WE ARE ALMOST ON THE PATH TO MARS, IF YOU WILL. THE LAUNCH VEHICLE HAS DONE GREAT SO FAR. OUR PARTNERS AT ULA ARE FANTASTIC AND WE ARE HOPE TO WORK WITH THEM AND THEM TO GIVE US THIS BOOST SO FAR. WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER BURN OF OUR UPPER STAGE. WE HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE NIGHT SIDE OR SHADOW OF THE EARTH AND COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND FIND THE SUN AND POWER UP AND THEN ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE SPACECRAFT. ONCE WE DO, WE'LL TRULY BE ON OUR WAY TO MARS. WE'LL HAVE A SPACECRAFT THAT IS POWER SAFE WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH AND OUR JOURNEY WILL REALLY BEGIN. >> LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. THANK, BOBBY. THERE IS AN EXCITEMENT HERE IN THE ROOM AS THE TEAM LOOKS AHEAD TO THE SECOND CENTAUR BURN. BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, LET'S LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SCIENCE ON BOARD THIS ROVER. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THERE ARE NUMEROUS SCIENTIFIC STUDIES AND TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS ON PERSEVERANCE. SOME ARE DIRECTLY PREPARING US TO ONE DAY SEND HUMANS TO MARS. ONE IN PARTICULAR IS CALLED MOXIE. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES -- >> IT'S A BRITNEY SPEARS-STYLE MIC. WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THIS MOXIE. WHAT IS IT? AND WHY IS IT TPH-RPBT? >> IT IS MARSES OXYGEN, INSTITUTE RESOURCEUTEILIZATION EXPERIMENT. WE JUST GRAB THE LETTERS AND CALL IT MOXIE. IT HAS A CERTAIN ATTITUDE THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS AMBITIOUS MISSION -- MARS. IT UTILIZES THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE USEFUL COMMODITIES. WHAT MOXIE WILL DO IS SUCK IN THE MARS ATMOSPHERE THAT IS MOSTLY CARBON DIOXIDE AND PRODUCE PURE OXYGEN. O*BS GEN IS A COMMODITY WE CAN USE. MOXIE IS THE FIRST RESOURCULEITIZATION EXPERIMENT ON ANOTHER -- RESOURCE UTIZATIONEXPERIMENT ON ANOTHER . >> AN INCREDIBLE WEIGHT, FUEL, RESOURCES TO USE THE ONES THERE AND IN PLACE. >> THAT'S RIGHT. IT TOOK A LOT OF MOXIE. [LAUGHING] WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING THE TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGNING AND BUILDING IT. >> THE TEAM THAT PRODUCED THE HARDWARE WE SAW LAUNCHED ON THE WAY TO MARS. THEY HAD MOXIE. THEY HAD TO OVERCOME A LOT OF CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY. WHEN YOU START TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGIES YOU ARE WORKING IN A LAB TOREY AND HAVE ALL THE ROOM YOU NEED USUALLY AND CAN BUILD IT BIG AND HEAVY BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT TRYING TO MAKE IT LOO PRETTY, BUT JUST MAKE IT WORK. CAN YOU CONTROL THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT AND HAVE PEOPLE COME IN AND TINK WER IT WHEN IT BREAKS. YOU CAN SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS. WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS TIME TO FLY THAT HARDWARE AND PROVE IT OUT IN THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT OR ON THE PLANETARY SURFACE, THE RUBBER REALLY HITS THE ROAD IN TERMS OF ENGINEERING. THAT'S WHERE THE TEAMS. ENGINEERS COME INTO PLAY. THEY DEVELOP CLEVER SOLUTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN THE LAB AND FOOTAGE FOR SPACE FLIGHT. MOXIE FACED A LOT OF CHALLENGES. ONCE YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE ROVER, THE SIZE BECOMES IMPORTANT. IT HAS A CERTAIN FIT AND VOLUME ON THE ROVER. THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT OR MASS BECOMES REALLY IMPORTANT. EVERY OUNCE YOU LAUNCH INTO SPACE TAKES PROPELLANT TO MOVE IT. WE WANT TO MAKES MOXIE AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE. TO FIX WITHIN A CERTAIN BUDGET OR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN KICKED OFF THE ROVER. >> GLAD YOU MADE. IT HOW DOES IT CONVERT CARBON DIOXIDE TO OXYGEN. >> IT USES A THERMAL AND ELECT ROW CHEMICAL PROCESS. A COMPRESSOR WAS BUILT BY AIR SQUARED. SOME OF THAT FUNDED UNDER THE NASA SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM, ACTUALLY. THEY BUILT THE COMPRESSOR. IT ACQUIRES THE CARBON DIOBVIOUSIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND PUSH ITS INTO THEENTIOUS LENGTH ROL SIS SYSTEM. --ENTIOUS LENGTH TROL SIS -- ELECT TROL SIS SYSTEM. IT TAKES CO 2 AND PULLS THE OXYGEN OFF LEAVING CO. >> OH, WOW. >> THE ATOMS MI GRATE THROUGH AND THE IONS ARE NEUTRALIZED AND RECOMBINED AN 0 AND AN 0 BECOMEE OXYGEN OUT OF THE SYSTEM. >>TO GET PHOBGSO BOARD YOU HAD TO CLEAR IT WITH THE LADY TO MY LEFT. SHE HAD TO CLEAN OFF PART OF IT. >> THE SOFT PART WAS SELF-STERILIZING. IT WAS HOT ENOUGH TO CLEAN ITSELF. PART OF THE SENSORS WERE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE USE IT ON HARDWARE. >> SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR LETTING US DO THAT. >> SPEAKING ABOUT THE ROVER, WHAT -- CURIOSITY TOLD US WE HAVE OR HAD AT ONE TIME ON MARS MOVING WATER. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> WHAT IS PERSEVERANCE GOING TO DO IN TERMS OF CONFIRMING WHETHER LIFE COULD BE THERE? >> YEAH, EXACTLY. THE PAST MISSION SET UP WHAT COULD SUSTAIN LIFE AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR SIGNATURES OF THAT LIFE. >> SO SOME OF THE ANSWERS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, WHICH ONE ARE YOU PERSONALLY LOOKING MOST FORWARD TO? >> I'M PERSONALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SIGNS OF LIFE WHERE NO ONE WILL ARGUE WHERE IT HAS A BIOTIC SOURCE. IT'S EASY TO SAY THIS CHEMISTRY COULD HAVE HAPPENED FROM NATURAL REASONS, I WANTEE A SMOKING GUN. THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. >> THAT'S NOT EASY, RIGHT? >> NO. NOT AT ALL. >> EXPLAIN THAT TO US. >> YEAH, SO IN ORDER TO GET THAT DEFINITIVE SIGNAL YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CLEAN INSTRUMENT YOU ARE SAMPLING WITH. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME CLEANING, BAKING OUT HARDWARE FOR SOME OF THE PARTS TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAN ENOUGH. >> THIGH HAVE TO BE SPECIALLY MADE TO HANDLE THE HEAT. >> YEAH. >> TO GET PAST YOU. >> ALL THE MATERIAL SELECTION, EVERYTHING WAS DONE SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PURPOSE. >> WHERE ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD EXPLORE FOR LIFE? >> I'M EXCITED ABOUT EUROPA. IT HAS AN OCEAN UNDER A THICK LAYER OF ICE. IT HAS VENTS SO THERE IS A HATE SOURCE AND -- HEAT SOURCE. ICY MOON IS THE NEXT PLACE TO GO. >> A VERY, VERY COLD, COLD PLACE. >> YEAH. >> YOU HAVE A ROVENER FRONT OF YOU. >> I DO. >> WE HAVE ONE BEHIND US, RIGHT? YOU ALSO HAD TO MAKE SURE THE NUCLEAR BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. >> YEAH. BACK HERE. >> TELL ME ABOUT HOW THAT WORKED AND WHEN YOU DID IT AND HOW THAT PROCESS WAS. >> IT WAS ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THIS LAUNCH DAY. WE JUST FINISHED COUNTING OUR SAMPLES JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO. >> HOW ABOUT THAT? >> WE HAD TO ALTER THE WAY WE SAMPLE AND TAKE WIPES AND SWABS. FOR THIS WE HAD TO MAKE SURE OUR HEAD WAS FAR BACK AND HAD AS MINIMUM RADIATION IMPACT AS POSSIBLE. EVERYONE HAS DONE A FANTAST I THINK SO JOB MAKING SURE IT IS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FULL-SIZED ROVER. >> IT'S INCREDIBLE. YOU SHOULD BE UP THERE. >> APPARENTLY IT IS RIGHT TO SCALE. A SHOT OF IT THERE. THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL ROVEER. >> IT IS. >> THANK YOU FOR DESCRIBING THAT TO US. >> YEAH. >> I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU DESCRIBING THAT. >> MY PLEASURE. >> BACK INTO THE SHOW MOVING FOR ON.WE CONTINUE TO TRACK AND TRACKING MARS 2020 ON THE WAY. WHEN SEARCHING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE ON MARS IT'S ABOUT LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. PERSEVERANCE'S DESTINATION IS JEZERO CRATER. YOU HAVE A SCIENTIST WHO BELIEVES IT GIVES THEM THE BEST CHANCE OF FINDING ANY EVIDENT OF PAST MICRO SCOPIC LIFE. >> THAT'S RIGHT. KNOWING WHERE TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF ANCIENT LIFE ON MARS CAN BE A DAUNTING TASK. IT TOOK FIVE YEARS TO SELECT THE PERFECT LANDING SIGHT. NOW WITH US IS ONE OF THE PROJECT SCIENTISTS WHO HELPED PICK THAT LOCATION. CAN YOU TELL US WHY WE ARE HEADING TO ZEZER O CRATER? >> MANY REASONS WHY SCIENTISTS ARE EXCITEED TO SENSE PERSEVERANCE TO ZEZERO CRATER AND WHY IT -- JZERO. WE THINK IT CAN GET A DIVERSE SET OF SAMPLES TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE BEYOND EARTH AND THE EVOLUTION OF PLANETS OVER TIME. WE KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THERE WAS AN ANCIENT LAKE AND RIVER DELTA. AND WE HAVE RIVER VALLEYS THAT FLOW INTO AND OUT OF THE CRATER AND KNOW IT FILLED UP WITH WATER AND OVER FLOWED. LIFE AS WE KNOW IT REQUIRES WATER TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE AND WE THINK JEZERO HAS ALL THE KNOWLEDGE BLOCKS TO PRESERVE LIFE. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST PRESERVED DELTAS AND THEY ARE IDEAL FOR SUPPORTING LIFE. THE ROCKS PERSEVERANCE WILL EXPLORE CAN TELL US MORE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY FOR PAST LIFE ON MARS. THE ROCKS AT THE CRATER ARE SOME OF THE OLDEST ON MARS BETWEEN THREE AND A HALF AND 4 BILLION YEARS OLD AND THAT'S THE SAME INTERVAL OF TIME LIFE DEVELOPED ON EARTH. BY EXPLORING THE ROCKS WITH PERSEVERANCE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE MORE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIFE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND CAN ANSWER SOME OF THE MAJOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION. BACK TO YOU. >> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, KATY. WITH THAT LET'S HEAD BACK YOU SEE THE TWO STEREO CAMERAS. THE EYEBALL THAT LOOKS LIKE AN EYE IS A LASER. IT SHOOTS AT THE ROCKS AND DEPENDING ON THE SIGNATURE THAT COMES BACK A SPECHTROMETER READS IT AND TELLS YOU WHAT IS COMING BACK. >> THIS IS THE ARTICULATING ARM THAT COMES OUT AND GOES DOWN ON TO THE PLANET AND STARTS DRILLING. >> EXACTLY. >> WHAT ALL IS HERE THAT WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE GEOLOGY OF MARS AND THE CLIMATE AND IF THERE WAS LIFE. >> THERE IS PIXEL AND SHERLOC. IN THE MIDDLE THERE IS THE CORING DRILL. THE REAL DRILL WILL HAVE A DRILL BIT THAT IS HOLLOW IN THE MIDDLE AND A TUBE INSIDE. THIS IS A 3D PRINTED VERSION. AS IT COLLECTS SAMPLES THEY WILL GO INTO THE TUBE. >> A TUBE THERE. >> THE TUBE HERE. IT WILL GO DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE TUBE AS IT IS ACQUIRING THE SAMPLES. WONTS IT'S DONE TELL -- ONCE IT IS DONE IT WILL DOCK HERE AND INJECT THE BIT WITH THE TUBED IN IN THE SAMPLE AND ROTATE DOWN TO THE BELLY AND A LITTLE ARM ON THE INSIDE TO MANIPULATE IT AND TAKE PICTURES AND SEAL IT. >> THAT'S FANTASTIC. QUITE A BIT OF ROBOTICS. >> A LOT. >> HAPPENING BETWEEN THIS PART AND GETTING IT UNDERNEATH. IT IS UNDERNEATH. HERE IS A SPECIAL GUEST. WE WILL DUCK DOWN. THIS IS THE MARS HELICOPTER. >> INGENUITY. >> IT WILL BE TUCKED UNDER THE ROVER. A LATE ADDITION TO THE PROJECT. >> YES. >> ONE OF THE NEATEST THINGS ON IT. >> AMAZING, 2,400 RPM THE BLADES WILL SPIN IN A COUNTER-DIRECTION. A LITTLE UNDER 4 POUNDS. IT'S SUPER LIGHT. IT WILL BE THE FIRST ROTOCRAFT FLIGHT ON THE SURFACE OF MARS. SPECTACULAR. >> IT WILL TAKE PICTURES AS L, RIGHT? >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> AND THEY TURN IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. >> THEY DO. >> IT WILL HAVE A CAMERA ON IT AND SHOOT LIVE VIDEO WE WILL GET BACKS AND SHOOT VIDEO OF THE ROVER AS IT IS DOING ITS WORK. >> IT IS SPECTACULAR. LOOK AT THIS CLEARANCE. IT NEEDS TO CLEAR THIS HELICOPTER AFTER BEING DEPLOYED. >> THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE TOUR. >> YEAH. >> IT'S JUST LIKES THE REAL ONE EXCEPT NOT GOING TO MARS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND SO BY NOW YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THIS ROVER WAS NAMED BY A SEVENth GRADER. IT WAS GIVEN THAT NAME WHICH WAS VERY SPECIAL TO US. WE ASKED HIDDEN FIGURES ACTRESS OCTAFIA SPENCER WHY IT IS MORE THAN JUST A NAME TO US HERE AT NASA. >> WE ARE A SPECIES OF EXPLORERS. >> WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON NOT BECAUSE IT THEY ARE EASY, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD. >> WE ARE WILLING TO DO THE HARD THINGS TO OVERCOME THE MANY CHALLENGES THIS. IS WHAT BRINGSES OUT THE BEST IN US. >> WE ARE GO FOR A MISSION TO THE MOON. >> OUR PATH HAS LED TO SUCCESS. >> WE COME TOGETHER TODAY TO MOURN THE LOSS OF SEVEN BRAVE AMERICANS. >> YET, EVEN WHEN FACED WITH TRAGEDY, SETBACKS, WE PERSEVERE. WE KEEP STRIVING. WE KEEP BELIEVING. FROM SPACE WE SEE OUR PLANET AS A WHOLE. WE SEE THE CHALLENGES FACES US AND WE FACE THOSE CHALLENGES TOGETHER. WE WILL NOT GIVE UP. WE CHALLENGE CONVENTION. WE REFUSE TO ACCEPT. THE TIME AT HAND IS HARD, BUT WE WILL PERSEVERE. WE CAN STILL DRAW HOPE FROM THE MOON AND THE STARS. FROM SPACE. FROM EXPLORATION. THERE IS A MEW DAY BEYOND THE CHALLENGES WE FACE NOW. -- NEW DAY BEYOND THE CHALLENGES WE FACE NOW. >> THE NAMES OF PAST MARS ROVERS. >> 10, 9, WE HAVE IGINATION SEQUENCE. >> 3, 2,. >> PERSEVERANCE. >> LAUNCH COMMENCE. LIFTOFF. WE HAVE LIFTOFF. >> WE ARE A SPECIES EVER EXPLORERS. WE WILL ALWAYS PERSEVERE. >> OUR COLLECTIVE PERSEVERANCE IS WHAT HAS GOTTEN US TO THIS DAY AND MARCH 2020 IS ON THE SEVEN MONTH JOURNEY TO MARS WITH LANDING DATE IN FEBRUARY 2021. WE ARE JOINED BY THE ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR STRAEUFRT FOR ADMINISTRATOR FOR SCIENCE. >> I'M SO GLAD I'M HERE AND SO RELIEVED. WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH THE SPACECRAFT AND EVERYTHING IS NOMINAL. WAITING FOR THE SECOND BURN. >> EXACTLY. >> NOT QUITE THERE, BUT REALLY CLOSE. >> CAN YOU TELL US WHAT MAKES GOING TO MARS INCREDIBLY HARD. >> THE FIRST IS YOU NEED TO HEAD IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY AND THE RIGHT DIRECTION. WHAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE IS IN FEBRUARY WHEN MARS COMES YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT THERE TO GET CAPTURE. THE SECOND ONE THAT WILL MAKE US NERVOUS IN FEBRUARY IS ENTRY, DESCENT AND LAND. THE MARS ATMOSPHERE IS THE WORST OF ALL. IF IT IS WAS EARTH YOU COULD PARACHUTE. IF NOT OF THEM BEING LIKE THE MOON. BUT IN MARS YOU HAVE TO DO BOTH ON TOP OF EACH OTHER THAT MAKES IT 10 TIMES HARDER THAN THE OTHER TWO. THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO HARD. >> YOU HAVE DEVOTED MUCH OF YOUR LIFE TO SCIENCE. YOU WERE ASKED DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE WHY ANOTHER ROVER. YOU GAVE A PRETTY IMPASSIONED RESPONSE. WHY IS THIS ROVER IMPORTANT IN YOUR MIND TO THE WORK THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE DOING IN SCIENCE? >> IT IS REALLY KIND OF A KEY OF A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW RESEARCH WE ARE DOING THAT IS FOCUSED ON A QUESTION THAT FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS PHILOSOPHERS AND SCIENTISTS HAVE ASKED AND WE ARE READY TO ANSWER WITH THE TOOLS OF SCIENCE THAT GETS RELIABLE ANSWERS, THAT IS: IS THERE LIFE OUT THERE? WE KNOW ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT OF MARS AND WE ARE READY TO ASK THAT. THE WAY WE ARE DOING THAT IS WITH THIS ROVER. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES THE FIRST ASTRO-BIOLOGY MISSION WE ARE READY FOR IT. THE NEXT STEP. THERE ARE OTHERS COMING, DRAGONFLY, WE ARE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT. AND OTHER MISSIONS. WE WANT TO GO TO EUROPA AND LEARN ABOUT LIFE THERE ALSO. IT IS AN AMAZING FIRST. >> WHETHER THERE IS LIFE OR NOT. THAT IS THE ANSWER THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN THESE PLACES. >> EXACTLEY. >> WE WANT TO DO A SOCIAL MEDIA QUESTION IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WU. >> WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM TWITTER: WHAT IS THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREVIOUS NASA ROVER MISSIONS TO MARS AND PERSEVERANCE? IN WHAT WAY IS PERSEVERANCE UNIQUE FROM THE PREVIOUS ONES. >> A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE IN THE APPROACH. IT IS THAT WE DECIDED TO PUT THE INSTRUMENTS ON PERVEERANCE THE BEST GEOLOGY AND SCIENCE ON THIS TO FIND THE RIGHT SAMPLES AND WE DECIDED NOT TO PUT A CHEMISTRY LAB ON IT. THAT'S WHY. WE DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE YET. WE ARE COLLECTING THE SAMPLES THAT WE WILL BRING TO THE BEST LABS AVAILABLE TO HUMANITY ALL OVER THE WORLD AND THAT'S THE CHOICE HERE. OF COURSE, TO DO THAT WE NEED TO DO ANOTHER FIRST, HUMANITY'S 50 ROUND TRIP TO ANOTHER PLANET. THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT. >> WE HAVE MORE TO GO. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT LAUNCH? >> PUNCHING A HOLE IN THE SKY AND GETTING OFF THE SHORE OF OUR EARTH INTO WADING OUT THERE INTO THE COSMIC OCEAN. I JUST LOVE IT. EVERY TIME IT GETS ME. >> THANK YOU, DOCTOR. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TO EXPLAIN ALL THE SCIENCE AND EXCITEMENT COMING UP. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> APPRECIATE IT. WE TALKED TO SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS AND WE HAVE SHARED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MISSION AND TECH DEMONSTRATIONS CENTRAL TO THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER. WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO SHARE. >> MARS PERSEVERANCE HAS BEEN FLYING IN SPICE FOR MORE THAN A HALF- SPACE FOR MORE THAN A HALF-HOUR NOW. LET'S HEAR WHAT IS COMING UP NEXT. >> AS YOU ARE SEEING ON SKRAOEP SCREEN, THE ANIMATION OF CENTAUR IN MOTION AROUND EARTH. YOU CAN SEE THE AN MISSION BEING DRIVEN -- ANIMATION BEING DRIVEN BY REAL DATA. >> WE ARE HEARING EVERYTHING HAS BEEN NOMINAL AND CENTAUR IS PERFORMING WELL AND THE FUEL STILL IN THE TANK WHERE WE IT NEEDS TO BE WHERE WE GET READY FOR THE SECOND BURN THAT IS IMPORTANT TO GET THE VELOCITY AND INTO THE TRANSPERORBIT TO MARS. >> THAT WILL BE UP IN A FEW MINUTES. I AM BEING HELD. WE WILL HANG OUT HERE. COMING UP, TALK ABOUT THE C-3. HAVING TO DO WITH THE ENERGY TO LEVER EARTH AND GO SOMEWHERE -- LEAVE EARTH AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. SPEEDS OVER 25,000 MILES PER HOUR, EARTH'S ESCAPE VELOCITY. >> THAT IS THE TEXICAL TERM WE USE -- TECHNICAL TERM TO REFER TO THE VELOCITY WE NEED TO GET THE VEHICLE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. A LITTLE OR 2 MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST WE LEFT EARTH WITH, WITH THE MIGHTY FOUR SOLIDS ON THE DOMINATOR. I STILL LIKE THAT. I WILL TAKE THAT FROM TOREY. WE GOT OFF HERE INTO THE PARK ORBIT WITH THE PROPER VELOCITY WE MEDED. THE SECOND BURN IS SO IMPORTANT TO GET INTO TRANSFER ORBIT. >> DOMINATOR PUNCHING A HOLE IN THE SKY. WE'LL GO TO THE MAIN DECK AND BE BACK TO CATCH THE SECOND BURN. >> JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT HOW SPECIAL THE MISSIONS ARE IS DR. MICHAEL WATKINS THE DIRECTOR EVER THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WE HAVE SOME MAYBE GREAT QUESTIONS FOR YOU. WHY ARE MISSIONS TO MARS UNIQUE? >> FOR TWO REASONS. ONE IT IS JUST MARS HAS BEEN IN OUR IMAGINATION FOR CENTURIES. IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN HOME TO LIFE. WE CAN GET THERE EVERY COUPLE YEARS AND SEND MISSIONS AND BUILD ON THE MISSIONS AND LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES AND SUCCESSES. ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKES TO JOKE ABOUT WE SAY PERSEVERANCE LOOKS LIKE CURIOSITY. THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THEM ARE THE SAME. [LAUGHING] A LOT OF OUR FOLKS WORKED ON MARS PATHFINDER, SPIRIT, OPPORTUNITY, CURIOSITY AND NOW PERSEVERANCE. THAT HISTORY, THAT GROUP OF FOLKS, THEY ARE JUST WORLD LEADERS. IT'S WHY WE ARE SUCCESSFUL. >> YOU OVER SEE THE JET PROPULSION LAB TORE NECALIFORNIA. DOING INCREDIBLY COMPLEX WORK. WHY ARE THESE ROBOTIC MISSIONS SO HARD? >> THEY ARE HARD BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE WHAT IS GOING TO. YOU CAN'T USE YOUR HUMAN RESPONSES. YOU ARE USED TO DRIVING YOUR CAR AND SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING AND YOU TURN THE WHEEL. IN THIS CASE WE HAVE TO TELL THE ROVER, WE HAVE HAD TO REPAIR THE ROVE TORE DO A LOT OF THAT STUFF ON ITS OWN. WE UNDERSTAND MARS AND HOW THE ROVER WORKS AND HAVE TO PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER INTO A MACHINE THAT CAN FUNCTION WT US. WE HAVE TO TELL IT TO DO EXPERIMENTS AND IT HAS TO DO IT. WE GIVE IT INTENTION AND IT DOES IT YOURSELF. >> YOU HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE FOLKS AT JPL. A EARTHQUAKE PLAYED OUT. HOW IS YOUR TEAM? >> THEY ARE DOING GREAT. IT WAS THE EARTH BEING EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO MARS. A MINOR EARTHQUAKE. LIKE HURRICANES OR TROPICAL STORMS HERE. A MINOR EVENT AND EVERYTHING IS FINE. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO MARS. >> A RUMBLE HERE IN FLORIDA, SOME IN CALIFORNIA, IT WORKS OUT GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US. >> MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU. >> AWESOME. WE WILL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION COMING UP. >> THE ASTRONAUT. >> EXCITED ABOUT. >> YEAH. >> ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CENTAUR BURN. WE'LL ALSO HIGHLIGHT SIX MAJOR TECHNOLOGIES NASA IS FOCUSING INCLUDING THE CRITICAL ENERGY NEEDS FOR SUCH MISSIONS. LET'S TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE NEXT OPERATIONAL SET. >> WE ARE HERE AND EXCITED. WE HAVE A FUEL PRESTART CALL JUST COMING IN AND GETTING READY TO HEAR THE CALL FOR THE SECOND BURN OF THE CENTAUR RL-10 ENGINE. EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS FOR. >> IT IS REALLY TO GET US THE VELOCITY HEADING INTO THE TRANSFER ORBIT. IT WILL HEAD INTO THE SOLAR ORBIT ON THE WAY WITH THE PROPER VELOCITY. WE WILL THEN GET READY TO SEPARATE ON ITS WAY. I AM HEARING SETTLING IS DONE AND MAIN ENGINE START. THERE WE GO. THE ANIMATION THERE DRIVEN BY ACTUAL DATA COMING FROM THE ROCKET. THAT'S A PHENOMENAL SIGN. IT IS TOUGH WITH THE IMAGES PERSPECTIVE AND SCALE AREO IMPORTANT. THIS VEHICLE IS IN EARTH ORBIT AND NOT NEAR ANYTHING SO YOU CAN'T SEE THE ACCELERATION OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. FOR EIGHT MINUTES IT WILL PICK UP SPEED. >> THIS IS THE BURN THAT GETS US MOVING IN THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO THE FAST VELOCITY TO GET OUT OF OUR PARK ORBIT AND HEAD TO MARS. CENTAUR AND MARS 2020 ARE STILL TOGETHER AND WE ARE HEARING EVERYTHING IS LOOKING NOMINAL ON THIS FIRE. THE MAIN ENGINE START LOOKS GOOD >> TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE. WHAT DO YOU DO? >> WE ARE THE ENGINEERING TEAM LEAD FOR A LOT OF THE ROCKETS WE LAUNCH OUR SCIENCE MISSIONS ON AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVER SIGHT AND INSIGHT INTO THE LAUNCH VEHICLES FOR NASA. >> THAT'S AWESOME. IN THE PAST YOU SUPPORTED A VARIETY OF VEHICLES. TELL US ABOUT THE VEHICLES YOU HAVE SUPPORTED AND THE ONES YOU ARE FOCUSED ON TODAY. >> THE DELTA 2, WHICH WAS A LONG TIME WORKING WITH OUR SCIENCE MISSIONS AS WELL AS THE PEGASUS AND TAURUS AND MIN TAUR AND RIGHT NOW FOCUSED ON FALCON 9. >> AWESOME. NOT FOCUSED ON THE ATLAS 5 BUT A EXPERIENCE AND PROCESS IS THE SAME. I WANT TO TAKES A MOMENT TO PAUSE AND SAY AT THE HANGAR THEY ARE PROUD OF THAT. TH TELEEMETRY CENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY. IS THE PROCESS THE -- OF THE UNIVERSE. IS THE PROCESS THE SAME GETTING FROM EARTH TO MARS. DOES FALCON HAVE TRENDS LIKE ATLAS. >> MANY PROCESSES ARE THE SAME. SHIP TO THE LAUNCH SITE AND ASSEMBLED BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LAUNCH VEHICLES THAT MAY CHANGE THAT PROCESS A BIT. THE PROCESSIES ARE THE SAME. >> HE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT VEHICLES HE'S WORKED ON BUT DENTON IS ONE OF MY SENIOR ENGINEERS. EVEN THOUGH HE IS NOT TOTALLY SUPPORTING ATLAS 5 HE DOES HAVE EXPERIENCE AND THING, SIMILAR. USING HIS EXPERIENCE WE ARE ABLE TO TRAIN AND BRING ON NEW GENERATIONS OF ENGINEERS AND HE HAS BEEN A HUGE PART OF THAT TO ALLOW US TO GROW OUR BENCH, IF YOU WILL, TO START WORKING COMMERCIAL PARTNER SKWRAOGS WHAT GOES BEHIND THE SCENES AND THE ROCKET SCIENCE OF GOING FROM EARTH TO MARS. TO GO INTO SOLAR ORBIT? >> A LOT BEHIND THE SCENES A LOT OF ANALYSIS WORK DONE BY OUR TEAMS. IT IS MONTHS AND MONTHS THAT ARE PERFORMED BASED ON THE ORBIT INSERTION, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE LAUNCH VEHICLE AND MODELING AND SIMULATIONS DONE TO GET TO THIS POINT WHERE WE CAN TRANSFER FROM EARTH ORBIT INTO SOLAR ORBIT. >> AWESOME. YOU ARE A ROCKET SCIENTIST. THAT'S LIKE THE PINNACLE AND HEY I WANT TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST. WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HEIR IN YOUR CAREER? THERE ARE THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH. >> FOR ME, ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS IS WORKING WITH LAUNCH, RIGHT? >> ABSOLUTELY. >> WHO DOESN'T LOVE A LAUNCH AND WORKING LAUNCHES? >> WE LOVE THEM. THAT'S WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT. >> OF COURSE. ONE OF THE IDEAL JOBS SUCCESS A LAUNCH DIRECTOR BECAUSE YOU GET TO WORK ALL THE LAUNCHES. HOW COOL IS THAT? >> THAT'S TRUE. AND IS IT RIGHT TO SAY YOU CALL THE SHOTS OR THE BUCK STOPS WITH YOU? >> THE BUCK STOPS WITH THE LAUNCH MANAGER. TODAY WE TALK THE OUR LAUNCH MANAGER FOR MARS 2020 HAD TO POLL THE TEAM AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS READY TO GO AND THE BUCK DOES STOP WITH HIM ON TODAY'S LAUNCH. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD LOVE THAT JOB AND HE IS LOOKING AT THE NEXT STEP. WE HAVE TO GIVE OMAR AND HIS ASSISTANT LAUNCH MANAGER A HEADS UP. [LAUGHING] >> IS THERE YOU GO. >> DR. GIBSON IS ON THE WAY. LETT ARE YOU WORKING ON? >> SUPPORTING THE CREW LAUNCH COMING UP. >> DR. GIBSON, APPRECIATE YOU. WANT TO TAKE A SPECIAL MOMENT ON THE COMMERCIAL CREW NOTE TO COMMENT. WE GOT A BIG DAY PENDING WEATHER. A TROPICAL SYSTEM THAT MIGHT GET IN THE MIX. WE HAVE A TROPICAL SYSTEM OTHERWISE WE HAVE BOB AND DOUG COMING HOME ON AUGUST 2nd. >> THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US. DENTON WAS MY LEAD WITH A FEW OTHERS THAT ARE IN THE GROUP THAT WORKED THAT MISSION WITH THE COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM. IT'S IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT OTHER PROGRAMS WITHIN THE AGENCY TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN AS WE LAUNCH MARS 2020 TODAY, ANOTHER STEP FOR US GETTING HUMANS TO MARS IS GETTING HUMANS LAUNCHED OFF EARTH SOIL, A HUGE STEP, OFF AMERICAN SOIL, WAS A HUGE STEP FOR US. >> TALK ABOUT THAT BRIEFLY WITH LSP. APPRECIATE DENTON AND HIS CONTRIBUTION AND YOU WORKING TOWARDS COMMERCIAL CREW AND SUPPORTING ARTEMIS PART OF GET BEING HUMANS TO MARS. >> THE GATEWAY PROGRAM, RIGHT. DEEP SPACE LOGISTICS. THEY ARE PROVIDING THE ROCKETS FOR THOSE MISSIONS. ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT WORKING WITH LAUNCH SERVICES PROGRAM IS WE WORK WITH ALL OF OUR COMMERCIAL PARTNER, SpaceX, NORTHROP GRUMMAN. IT'S A GROWING FIELD IN THE AEROSPACE FIELD. WE TAKE PRIDE IN WORKING WITH THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR NASA AND THE COUNTRY. >> IT IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR SPACE FLIGHT. IT IS BOOMING. ALWAYS MEW THINGS HAPPENING. IF YOU KEEP AN EYE ON THE NEWS THERE ARE NEW THINGS. THE ENGINE CUT OFF HAPPENS AND FIVE MINUTES UNTIL WE SEE THE SPACECRAFT SEPARATION OCCUR. WE'LL STAY WITH YOU THROUGH THAT AND WANT TO PREVIEW THAT. YOU SHOULD BE SEEING THE ENGINE CUT OFF AND THAT IS EXPECTED. THAT'S A NOMINAL OPERATION. WE'LL HEAR FROM JESSE GONZALEZ LOOKING AT THE ANIMATION THERE. LET'S LISTEN IN FOR JESSE HERE. >> THERE IS THE CALL AND THE ANIMATION. >> RL-10 SHUT DOWN PARAMETERS. >> IT IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC THING TO JUST SHOOT INFORMATION AT EARTH AND HAVE THAT BE USABLE. HOW DO WE GO ABOUT COMMUNICATING THOUGHT ONLY THROUGH LAUNCH BUT ON THE WAY TO MARS AND AT MARS? >> THE IMPORTANT THING THIS MORNING WHEN WE LIFTED OFF FROM COMPLEX 41. WE HAD GROUND STATIONSES LOOKING AT THE LAUNCH VEHICLE AND TRACKED IT TO POVIDE DATA. ONCE WE GOT ON TO ORBIT AFTER STAGE SPRAEUGSZ YOU HEARD A CALL OUT FOR THE NETWORK USED FOR THE ISS AND WILL BE USED FOR THE LANDING. GETTING OFF THE GROUND TODAY WAS GREAT. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET THE TELEMETRY. THE JPL TEAM WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE EVER NASA'S DEEP SPACE NETWORK THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME TO TRANSMIT COMMANDS AND DATA TO MARS 2020. IT TAKES A LOT OF FOLKS WO WORK THOSE AND THE NETWORK AND DEEP SPACE NETWORK ARE VERY IMPORTANT. >> THE COORDINATION OF THAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T GET A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE AS YOUD, WE ARE USING TEDRIS FOR CREW RETURN AND SPACE STKPAEUGZ IT IS NOT AN UNLIMITED RESOURCE. WE HAVE A GOOD NUMBER OF SATELLITES BUT IT IS A COORDINATED EFFORT AND WE HAVE GROUND STATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. >> YES. EVERYWHERE. NOT ONLY HERE IN AMERICA ON THE WEST COAST AND EAST COAST, BUT SOUTH AFRICA AREA, AUSTRALIA, YOU SAID, WE HAVE SEVERAL GROUND STATIONS THAT CATCH UP DIFFERENT THINGS FOR MISSIONS. IN ORBIT TEDRIS AND THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK ARE IMPORTANT. THERE IS NOT AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF RESOURCES. WE HAVE TO COORDINATE THOSE WITHIN THE NASA AGENCY AND COMMERCIAL PAARE THENERS WHEN USE -- PARTNERS WHEN USED FOR OUR LAUNCHES. >> ON THAT NOTE AROUND THE WORLD CURRENTLY IT IS ROUGHLY OVER THE SOUTH INDIAN OEGSZ. INDIAN OCEAN. THINKING ABOUT HOW FAST WE ARE MOVING AND AMAZING WORLD OF SPACE FLIGHT. IT IS HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS. WE ARE FLYING AROUND THE EARTH AND HALFWAY AROUND IT. WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY ARE WORKING TO PROTECT MARS FROM CONTAMINATION. THEY HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN FLYING TO MARS. >> IT IS A COMBINED EFFORT TO LOOK AT THAT FOR WHEN WE GET READY FOR SEPARATION IN A MINUTE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IS CENTAUR AND MARS 2020 ARE ON THE SAME PATH TOWARD MARS RIGHT NOW. ONCE WE SEPARATE THERE WILL BE A CONTAMINATION AND CONTROL AND BLOW DOWN WHAT IS LEFT OF PROTELEANTS IN THE THINK -- PROPELLANTS IN ITS TANK SO IT WILL BE ON A DIFFERENT TRACK SO IT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH MARS 2020 FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. THAT TOOK A LOT OF WORKS BY THE JPL TEAM AND LAUNCH TEAM TO M SURE THAT WOULD HAPPEN. ANOTHER PLANETARY PROTECTION MANEUVER THAT HAD TO BE DONE. >> I UNDERSTAND FROM EXPERTS THIS ROCKET AFTER THE SECOND BURN IS NOT ACTUALLY AIMED DESPERATE AT MARS FOR -- AIMINGED DIRECTLY AT MARS. TELL REDIRECT ITSELF SLIGHTLY. WE HEAR JESSE TELLING US CENTAUR IS SPINNING UP. THIS CITIZEN MANEUVER PRIOR TO SPACECRAFT SEPARATION WHERE WE GET INTO THE SLIGHT ROLL TO GIVE MARS 2020 SOME STABILITY. THE REACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE SERIES OF THE SMALL ENGINES YOU SEE FIRING AROUND THE SPACECRAFT ARE USED FOR THE INFLATE OPERATIONS AND ROLLING ACTIVITIES. IT IS PROVIDING STABILITY TO THE FLIGHT. TELL US. >> WE HAVE SUCCESSFUL SEPARATION OF MARS 2020 WITH THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER. >> AWESOME. >> NICE APPLAUSE THERE. WE HOPE TO GET LIVE VOIDIO BACK FROM THAT -- VIDEO BACK FROM THAT. WE DON'T HAVE IT AT THIS INSTANT AND WE'LL BRING THAT TO YOU IF WE DO. TELL US ABOUT THE SEPARATION MANEUVER. THE APPARATUS. >> SEPARATION CLAMP. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE. YOU SEE THE MISSION DIRECTOR SYSTEM AND WE JOKESSED ABOUT THIS EARLIER, BUT WHEN THE PANDEMIC AND EVERYTHING GOING ON, THE TEAMS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. NORMALLY SPACECRAFT SEPARATION -- >> CENTAUR WILL PERFORM THE PROPELLANT BLOW DOWN SEQUENCE T INERT. THIS WILL CONCLUDE TODAY'S COMMENTARY. THIS IS ATLAS FLIGHT COMMENTARY SIGNING OFF. >> THE END OF UL A'S JOB. >> WHAT I WAS SAYING ABOUT THE MISSION DIRECTOR CENTER, WE WOULD SEE CLAPPING AND HIGH FIVES. >> HANDSHAKING. >> WITH THE PANDEMIC PEOPLE ARE STAYING THEIR DISTANCE AND TAKING THE GUIDELINES SERIOUSLY. WE SAW A LOT OF AIR 5s. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> DOES NOT TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT THE TEAM, HOW EXCITED THEY ARE. THEY HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO THIS POINT. SEEING SPRAYS CRAFT SEPARATION AWESOME. >> ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT MARS 2020 WAS LIKE HERE, HAVE A EARTHQUAKE. WE DID IT. MOST OF THE WAY THERE, NOT THERE YET. >> YOU HEARD OMAR EARLIER SAY A LOT OF US WHEN WE STARTED THIS THE PANDEMIC STARTED, WE THOUGHT MARS 2020 MIGHT BE MARS 2022. MR. BRIDENSTINE AND NASA DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE TEAMS FOUND WAYS TO ON DO THIS. THEY WERE DISCIPLINED AND FOCUSED AND COURAGEOUS. ALL THAT PLAYED OFF TODAY WITH A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH AND NOW SPACECRAFT AND MARS 20S 20S ON THE WAY. >> STAY WITH US. REALLY FAST, TELL US ABOUT THIS MECHANISM. WE TEASED IT. HOW DID THEY SEPARATE. >> THE SEPARATION SYSTEM IS CALLED A CLAMP BAND DESIGNED EARLIER BY KARL MARX. THE CLAMP BAND AND SPRINGS JUST GIVE ENOUGH FORCE TO PUSH THE SPACECRAFT OFF THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. >> HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE THAT VIDEO. WE'LL CHECK IN FOR ONE FINAL TIME IN A LITTLE BIT WITH THE FOLKS HERE. BACK TO YOU. >> THANK YOU. GREAT JOB BOTH OF YOU. IT'S GREAT TO SEE MICK EXPLAIN SPRINGS ARE WHAT IS GETTING US TO MARS. WE HAVE OUR SECOND BURN UNDER WAY. WE HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR AN HOUR AND AS YOU SAW SPACECRAFT SEPARATION WENT WELL. THAT'S FANTASTIC. WE CAN NOW SAY THAT PERSEVERANCE IS OFFICIALLY ON ITS WAY TO MARS. >> WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT THAT IS. WHILE WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING THE SPACECRAFT SINCE LAUNCH, I KNOW THE MISSION CONTROL TEAMALITY JPL IS TURNING TO THE NEXT MILESTONE AND THAT IS ENSURING THE ARRAY OF COMMUNICATION ANTENNAS KNOWN AS THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK RECEIVE A SIGNAL FROM THE SPACECRAFT FLYING THE ROVE TORE MARS. WE EXPECT TO SEA THE TEAMS ACQUIRE THE SIGNAL CLOSE TO 9:14 EASTERN TIME. SEPARATION HAS OCCURRED IN THE SHADOW OF THE EARTH. THIS COULD TAKE LONGER THAN ESTIMATED. >> FINDING LIFE ON MARS WON'T BE AS EASY AS YOU MIGHT THINK AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT. HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND MORE IS NASA ASTRONAUT ZENA CARDMON. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME. YOUR REACTION TO THE LAUNCH. >> WOW. EVERY TIME IT TAKES MY BREATH AWAY. I HAD NEVER SEEN A LAUNCH BEFORE UNTIL I GOT THIS JOB AND I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE THREE. EVERY TIME IT MAKES ME FEEL SO MUCH EMOTION. >> TALK US THROUGH. AS YOU WERE WATCHING IT YOU FEEL THE RUPRUMBLE. >> FIRST YOU SEE IT UP AND THEN FEEL THE RUMBLE AS THE SOUND TRAVELS TO YOU. YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR CHEST. IT'S AMAZING. >> YOU HAVE AMAZING BACKGROUND. YOU SEARCHED FOR SIGNS OF LIFE IN SOME OF THE MOST EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTHANT AICT, ARCTIC. YOU ARE USED TO LOOKING FOR THE BIO-SIGNATURES. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS ROVER SEARCHING FOR SIGNS OF LIFE. >> WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF LIFE IN UNUSUA ENVIRONMENTS HERE ON EARTH. MARS IS VERY COLD AND DRY AND WE HAVE PLACES ON EARTH THAT ARE LIKE THAT ANT ARCTICA. I YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE SIGNS LEFT BEHIND MET ROCK RECORD. MICRO ORCHISMS ARE TINEY AND SOFT AND DON'T LEAVE A FOSSILLIKE A DINOSAUR WOULD LEAVE A BONE OR FOOT PRINT. WE USE CHEMICAL SIGNATURES. >> SOMETHING WIGGLING AROUND. NO. >> WHY DO WE NEED TO GO TO THE MOON BEFORE WE GO TO MARS? >> THAT'S SUCH A GOOD QUESTION. WE ANSWER BEEN TO THE MOON, RIGHT? BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE MOON TO STAY. WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO LIVE OFF EARTH ON ANOTHER PLANETARY BODY. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE RESOURCES, USE TOOLS IF WE WANT TO DO GEOLOGY ON MARS. THE TOOLS WE USE HERE ON EARTH WILL LOOK SIMILAR BUT NOT WORK QUITE THE SAME WAY. BECAUSE THE ROUND TRIP TO MARS IS SO MUCH LONGER THAN THE ROUND TRIP TO THE MOON. WHEN WE GO, WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT. >> HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT ROVER BEHIND YOU? >> I LOVE IT. >> IT'S GREAT. I WANT TO ASK YOU SOCIAL QUESTIONS NOW. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> FROM OUR AUDIENCE WHO HAS BEEN WATCHING. WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT OUR FIRST QUESTION THROUGH FACEBOOK WILL PERSEVERANCE LAND TO INVESTIGATE THE LANDING SITE FOR A FUTURE MANNED MISSION IN THE SAME LOCATION? >> IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ANOTHER SOCIAL MEDIA QUESTION FROM TWITTER. >> DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEND ASTRONAUTS TO MARS IN A SAFE WAY TO SEND A ROVER LIKE PERSEVERANCE TO MARS IN A SAFE WAY. >> WE WON'T GO UNTIL IT'S SAFE AND ROUND TRIP. PART OF THIS SPHEUGSZ A ROUND TRIP. WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING LIFTOFF MARS AND COME BACK. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB AND ARE A GREAT GUEST. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF SYSTEMS TO DEVELOP AND PROVE OUT AS WE PREPARE FOR SENDING HUMANS TO MARS AS YOU HAVE JUST HEARD. HERE ARE SIX TECHNOLOGY DISCIPLINES CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF FUTURE EXPLORATIONS. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> NASA'S FIRST MARS ROVER WERE POWERED BY SOLAR ENERGY. THIS BLOCKS MUCH NEEDED SUN LIGHT. NASA UPGRADED TO NUCLEAR BATTERIES PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. JOINING US NOW IS THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. >> GREAT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> HOW DID YOU ENJOY THE LAUNCH? >> IT WAS AMAZING. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. SO FORTUNATE TO BE HERE AND EXCITEED TO WATCH IT. I'M JUST GIDDY. THIS IS MY FIRST ONE. >> WHAT DID YOU FEEL? >> YOU COULD LITERALLY FEEL THE LAUNCH. IT WAS VERY EXCITING. >> VERY GOOD. >> IT'S REALLY INTERESTING. WHEN YOU SAW THE SEGMENT I WAS FASCINATED BY THE NUCLEAR PART OF IT. HOW DID THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GET INTO THE BUSINESS OF MAKING NUCLEAR BATTERIES FOR SPACE EXPLORATION? >> SPACE EXPLOREERATION REQUIRES POWER SOURCES FOR THE TYPE OF ACTIVITY AND HEAT AND ELECTRICITY TO BE PROVIDED TO THE SPACECRAFT AND THE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT. NUCLEAR ENERGY CAN PROVIDE THAT POWER. ONE SOURCE IS THE RADIO ISOTOPE POWER SYSTEM, RPS. WART OF THAT RPS IS THE RADIO ISOTOPE THERMAL GENERATOR. THAT'S A LOT. HAVE A DECOREDDER RING. BUT IT'S A SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEM THAT CONVERTS HEAT INTO ELECTRICITY WITHOUT ANY MOVING PARTS. IT TURNS THE MATERIALS INTO ELECTRICITY. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE ON THE ROVER THAT WE JUST GOT LAUNCHED THIS MORNING. IT CONNIVITYS OF TWO MAJOR ELEMENTS, A HEAT SOURCE THAT CONTAINS A RADIO ISOTOPE FILL, PLUTONIUM 238 AND SOLID STATE THERM OR COUPLERS. WE DEVELOPED SEVERAL GENERATIONS THAT BE USED FOR LICKITY AND THE HEAT FOR -- ELECTRICITY AND THE HEAT FOR A VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS. >> I WORK AS MISSION COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEER FOR LSP. >> JOSHUA, JESSICA IS ONE OF OUR WIZARDS. WE DEPEND ON OUR FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO OUR ASSESSMENTS AS ENGINEERS. THEY MAKE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE THERE. >> TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU GET THE DATA BACK AND HOW IT'S UTILIZED OUT TO THE TEAM. >> WE GO AHEAD AND GET A DATA AND THAT GOES AHEAD AND GOES BACK TO THE ENGINEERS. THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE FLEET INSIGHT BASED ON THE CONSOLES. >> CAN YOU TELL US HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS MISSION. PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH TIME GOES IN TO MAKE THESE MISSIONS HAPPEN. >> I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR ABOUT 2.5 YEARS ON THIS MISSION. WE START WORKING WITH JPL TO GET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. WE GET THE PROCESSING VIDEO AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT TO JPL, BEING ABLE TO TALK TO HEADQUARTERS. >> WHAT'S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR THIS MISSION? I KNOW THIS MISSION PRESENTED LOT OF UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR ALL OUR TEAM. FOR YOU, WHERE HAS THAT CHALLENGE LIE? >> WE HAVE A TON OF EXPERIENCE FROM DIFFERENT MISSION IN THE PAST. THE MOST UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS MISSION HAS BEEN OUR TREATMENT OF COVID. >> I THINK THAT MEANS YOU DID YOUR JOB REALLY WELL TODAY. >> THEY DID THEIR JOB GREAT, JOSHUA. >> THINGS ARE PRETTY QUIET NOW. THAT'S EXPECTED. THE TIME THERE IS THE ESTIMATE BASED ON THE PRELAUNCH DATA. WE'RE BEHIND THE EARTH. WE'LL COME OUT OF THAT SHORTLY AND HOPEFULLY ACQUIRE THAT SIGNAL. THERE'S SOLAR RAYS THAT HAVE TO PLAY IN HERE. STILL KIND OF SOME -- WE'RE ANXIOUS. >> I WOULD SAY WE'RE ANXIOUS AND FOCUSED STILL. FOCUSED AND DISCIPLINED. EVEN THOUGH IT'S PRETTY QUIET NOW. WE HAVE HAD SPACECRAFT SEPARATION WHICH WAS A HUGE MILESTONE FOR THE TEAM AND EXCITING TIME FOR US AT NASA. THE TEAM IS STILL PERFORMING EVERYTHING THAT NEED TO BE DONE AS WE AWAIT THE ACQUISITION SIGNAL. SOME OF THE THINGS GOING ON HERE IS GROUND SECURING AND EVERYTHING HERE AT THE COMPLEX TO MAKE SURE WE SAFELY DO THE WORK. LOT OF WORK GOING ON. >> WE'LL SEND YOU BACK TO DARRELL. WE NEED TO TALK TO THE FOLKS GETTING THAT DATA BAC >> WELL, WE RECEIVE A SIGNAL EVERYDAY ON OUR CELL PHONES. YOU CAN IMAGINE DRIVING OUT IN THE COUNTRY SIDE, FARTHEST FROM THE NEAREST CELL PHONE TOWER. YOU SEE ONE BAR A FAINT SIGNAL. MARS IS VERY FAR AWAY. THANKFULLY, WE HAVE ONE ON THE GROUND FROM DEEP SPACE NETWORK. VERY LARGE TRANSITION THAT CAN DETECT THAT SAME SIGNAL. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A SIGNAL THAT'S LIKE INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB. WE HAVE 70-METER ANTENNAS AND 3. 70-METER IS ABOUT SIZE OF 20-STORY BUILDING. VERY LARGE SYSTEM THAT CAN DETECT THAT SAME SIGNAL. >> GREAT. THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK COMMUNICATES WITH ALL OUR OTHER MISSIONS BEYOND THE MOON. HOW FAR HAVE WE GONE INTO SPACE? >> WELL, OUR MISSIONS ARE THE FARTHEST AND HUMA MADE OBJECT THAT EXIST. VOYAGE ONE IS 14 BILLION MILES AWAY FROM EARTH. IT TAKES 20 HOURS ONE WAY TO COMMUNICATE TO IT. YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THAT LIGHT BULB. CAN YOU IMAGINE TURNING A LIGHT SWITCH AND THAT LIGHT TAKING 20 HOURS. TO COMMUNICATE TO VOYAGER, WE SEND COMMAND HIGH. VERY FAR AWAY, THANKFULLY, MARS NOT AS FAR AWAY. IT TAKES NOT 20 HOURS BUT SEVEN MINUTES. IT'S LITTLE BETTER SITUATION THERE. >> WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ADD THE PERSEVERANCE MISSION TO THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK? >> IT'S LOT OF PREWORK BEFORE THE LAUNCH. WE TEST WITH THE LAUNCH VEHICLE, WE TEST WITH THE SPACECRAFT. WE TEST WITH THE ROVER. WE TEST OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO ENSURE THAT WHEN IT LAUNCHES, WHEN SPACECRAFT SEPARATES, WHEN IT LANDS ON MARS, WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IT WILL BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THAT COMMUNICATION WITH US BACK ON EARTH. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S STILL THAT CONFIDENCE BY TESTING AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE LOT OF TESTING. THE PAYOFF COMES WHEN WE SEE GREAT IMAGES FROM MARS. LOT OF TESTING HAPPENS UP FRONT AND GREAT TEAM THAT WORKS ON THAT. >> GREAT, GETTING AN ACQUISITION OF SIGNAL IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT MOMENT. TELL US HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE FOR THIS MISSION? >> THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT. SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE A SPECTRUM GRAPH, WITH COUPLE OF LINES ON THE BOTTOM. YOU'LL SEE A PEAK IN THE MIDDLE COME UP. THAT'S A CARRIER SIGNAL. IT'S DESCRIBED AS A CARRIER, IT BRINGS IN THE SIGNAL. IT CARRIES THE SIGNAL TO US, THEREFORE, WE CAN SEE THAT SIGNAL AND KNOW WE'RE RECEIVING DATA AND CARRIER SIGNAL BUT AFTER THAT, WE HAVE A DECODE WHAT THE SIGNAL SAYING. HOPEFULLY WE'RE SEEING THE SPACECRAFT SAYING I'M DOING OKAY I'M ON MY WAY TO MARS. WE EXPECT TO SEE THAT SIGNAL AND WE'LL DECODE IT AND GET THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE SPACECRAFT. WHAT WE'LL LOOK OUT FOR IS HOW TO TRACK IT. ONCE WE HAD HAT SIGNAL, WE'LL MOVE OUR LARGE TRANSITION AS THE EARTH SPINS, WE'LL TRACK THE SPACECRAFT AROUND THE GLOBE. THIS IS A GLOBAL EFFORT. WE HAVE OUR STATION CAMERA IN AUSTRALIA, MADRID SPAIN AND CALIFORNIA WHO WILL BE PART OF THIS TRACKING AS THE SPACECRAFT GOES TO MARS. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM PERSEVERANCE. >> THANK YOU PHILIP. WE ARE JUST COUPLE OF MINUTES AWAY FROM THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY WE'LL HAVE TO SEE PERSEVERANCE SIGNAL ON THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK NETWORK. ONE STEP CLOSER TO MARS. WE HAVE MANY OTHER MILESTONES TO HIT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. I'M WITH PERSEVERANCE CHIEF ENGINEER AND TELL US WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE ROVER. WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE NEXT? >> WELL, AFTER WE ACQUIRE SIGNAL, WE HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO MARS. WE'RE NO LONGER IN ORBIT AROUND EARTH. WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT IS WE WILL START OUR CRUISE PHASE. IT WILL BE ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE WE MAKE IT TO THE RED PLANET. WE HAVE A SET OF PLANNED TRAJECTORY CHANGE MANEUVERS THAT WE DO DURING CREWS TO ADJUST OUR TARGETING. WE'RE TARGETING TO MISS MARS NOW. IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR CENTER WHICH THREW US IN THE DIRECTION OF MARS, WE'RE ON A MISSING TRAJECTORY. WE'LL DO TCM1 WHICH WILL TARGET OUR IMPACT WITH THE MARTIAN SURFACE IN A FEW DAYS. WE START WITH THE SPACECRAFT AND MAKE SURE IT'S HEALTHY AND HAPPY AND TWEAK ITS TRAJECTORY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH ADAM. WE ARE JUST A MINUTE AWAY FROM THE ACQUISITION SIGNAL. LET'S PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND WATCH OUR TEAMS AT WORK. [APPLAUSE] >> WE NOW HAVE AN ACQUISITION SIGNAL. IT'S AN AMAZING MOMENT AND YEARS BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS FOR EVERY PERSON WHO WORKED ON THIS MISSION IS REALIZED AS PERSEVERANCE MAKES ITS WAY TO MARS. IF WE STILL HAVE ADAM HERE, I WANT TO KNOW YOUR REACTION TO GETTING THE ACQUISITION SIGNAL? >> IT'S VERY NICE TO HAVE THE SPACECRAFT IN A SAFE, SEPARATED ON ITS WAY TO MARS. IT LOOKS GOOD. WE'RE HEARING FROM THE SPACECRAFT. THAT WAS THE ONLY QUESTION. IT'S NOT REALLY MUCH OF OF QUESTION. IT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT CONFIRMATION. OUR LAUNCH PROCESS IS COMPLETE. THE VEHICLES ARE ON ITS WAY TO MARS. THE NEXT CHAPTER IN PERSEVERANCE'S MISSION CAN BEGIN. >> GREAT. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT? >> I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IDEALLY VERY QUIET AND BORING CRUISE TO MARS AND AS WE PREFER FOR THE NEVER BORING LANDING ON THE 18th OF FEBRUARY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH ADAM. WE HOPE YOU TUNE INTO OUR COVE OF THE LANDING ON FEBRUARY 18, 2021. WE HERE AT JPL WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND THE ENTIRE LAUNCH SERVICE PROGRAM AND UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE TEAMS FOR ALL YOUR AMAZING WORK TODAY AND ALL THE WORK YOU DO EVERYDAY TO MAKE A LAUNCH LIKE THIS POSSIBLE. JOSHUA, BACK TO YOU AT THE CAPE. >> CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND THE TEAM OVER THERE. OBVIOUSLY JPL, I THINK ADAM RESPONSE IS WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM ADAM. CHECK THAT BOX, WE GOT LOT OF WORK TO GO. >> , THE WORK HERE FOR THE LAUNCH TEAM EXCITING DAY. WE GOT THIS DONE, OUR PORTION OF THIS IS DONE. ADAM AND THE TEAM HAVE MARS 2020 ON THEIR WAY. THEY GOT LOT OF WORK IN FRONT OF THEM. HOPEFULLY IT'S A QUIET SEVEN OMONTHS. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO PERFORM THIS THERE THEM AS JPL CUSTOMER. I KNOW TORY AND THE TEAM ARE EXCITED AS WELL. I CAN'T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT HOW THIS WENT >> WE WANT TO CHECK IN WITH THE NASA LAUNCH MANAGER, OMAR TO GET THOUGHTS. KIND OF GIVE US YOUR RESPONSE AFTER SEEING A SUCCESSFUL PROCESS THIS MORNING. >> OKAY. ABOUT A MINUTE AGO, ACQUISITION OF THE SPACECRAFT SIGNAL. THAT SIGNIFIES THAT JPL'S DEEP SPACE NETWORK HAS LOCKED ON THE SPACECRAFT. ITS ON ITS JOURNEY TO MARS. EVERYTHING APPEARS TO BE GOING FOR THEM. THEY'LL GET TO CHECK OUT THE SPACECRAFT NOW THROUGH THOSE CHECKS THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO LEARN HOW TO FLY THAT VEHICLE THE WAY IT WANTS TO FLY ON ITS WAY TO MARS. PRETTY INTERESTING. WE SEPARATED THEM AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES AN HOUR. IT'S -- 25,000 MILES AN HOUR. IT WILL TAKE COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GET TO FEBRUARY 18th LANDING DATE. IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF SPEED THAT E IM-- IMPARTED. THAT SPEED IS WHAT OUR JOB IS LAUNCH SERVICES PROGRAM AND UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCES TO PROVIDE THAT SPACECRAFT. HEAVY LIFTING NOW IS ON OUR PARTNERS AT THE JET PROPULSION LABRATORY. TO SLOW OIT DOWN WHEN IT GETS TO MARS. SKY CRANE AND LAND ON MARS. THEIR GOT A HECK LOT OF WORK TO DO FROM HERE ON OUT. TODAY'S COUNT WENT BEAUTIFUL UP UNTIL THE LAST 20 MINUTES. STARTED TO GET EXCITING WITH SOME OF THE ASSETS ON THE RANGE HAVING DROPOUTS. THEN SURPRISE CALL FROM SPACECRAFT MISSION DIRECTOR THAT WE HAD SMALL EARTHQUAKE IN CALIFORNIA, PASADENA, THAT THE FOLKS IN THE CONTROL ROOM FELT. THEY NEVER LOST SIGNAL AND THEY CAME BACK TO ME AND SAID THEY WERE READY TO PROCEED. WE WERE ABLE TO LOCK DOWN THE TIME WE WERE AFTER. LAUNCHED ON TIME, PERFECT LAUNCH FROM WHAT I COULD SEE. VISUALLY HERE IN THE CONTROL ROOM. THE PARAMETERS LOOKED DEAD ON. OUR VELOCITY IS DEAD ON. WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO MARS. THERE'S NO WAY BACK. GOOD LUCK TO THE MARS 2020 TEAM. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO BE PART OF THIS. I'VE BEEN WITH THIS MARS COMMUNITY SINCE SOJOURNER AND THROUGH SPIRIT, OPPORTUNITY AND CURIOSITY. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE ONCE AGAIN PART THAT LITTLE BIT, THAT BECOMES THAT CLUB, ON MARS. I WANT TO SAY I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS TEAM. THIS TEAM HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO GET HERE. IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO GET TO MARS DURING COVID. TODAY WE'RE DEALING WITH A SMALL EARTHQUAKE. THE THREAT OF A TROPICAL STORM HEADING IN OUR DIRECTION. IT'S AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE TEAM. IT'S SO RELIEVING TO GOTTEN THAT MISSION OFF TODAY ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. WITH THAT, THAT CLOSES THE SHOW FOR US. >> AWESOME, THANKS TO OMAR. APPRECIATE HIM AND HIS WORDS. PHENOMENAL EFFORT FROM ALL OUR TEAMS. FROM LSP, CONGRATS TO THIS TEAM, JPL, CONGRATS TO THE U.S. SPACE FORCE, CONGRATS TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR HOSTING US TODAY AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. SPECIAL THANKS TO COUPLE OF GROUPS RAD CC AND THE JIK. THEY WERE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO PREPARE FOR CONTINGENCY. DIDN'T HAVE TO EXERCISE ANY OF THAT WORK. WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANTED ABOUT. EVERYBODY HAD A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU AS WELL FOR JOINING ME >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AGAIN. I LOVE DOING THIS WITH YOU. EXCITED ABOUT THE MARS MISSION AS OMAR SAID, OUR PRAYERS AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE JPL TEAM. THEY'VE GOT LOT OF WORK IN FRONT OF THEM. WE'RE SO EXCITED TO GET THEM ON THEIR WAY IN A PERFECT LAUNCH IN ORBIT TODAY. >> COUNTDOWN TO MARS CONTINUES. THAT WILL DO IT FOR US. DARRYL, BACK YOU. >> THANK YOU BOTH. GREAT JOB DONE BY YOU AND AGAIN CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LAUNCH SERVICES PROGRAM TEAM HERE AT NASA FOR THE GREAT LAUNCH AS WELL AS UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE GETTING THAT OFF. I GOT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AS WELL DR. REU. YOU'RE WITH JPL AND WORKING ON THIS FOR SEVEN YEARS. CONGRATULATIONS. >> IT'S AMAZING TO HAVE THIS MISSION CEMENTED IN TIME. LIKE ADAM SAID, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO GO >> YOU KNOW YOUR BABY IN FRONT OF YOU ON ITS WAY TO MARS. >> IT IS. >> ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS AT NASA HAVE SPENT YEARS DESIGNING AS TOLD AND TESTING AND BUILDING THE MARS PERSEVERANCE ROVER. WE HAD HELP FROM A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. >> NORWAY, FRANCE AND SPAIN JUST TO NAME A FEW. EUROPEAN AND JAPANESE SPACE AGENCY. HERE NOW IS A COAST TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED US GET TO MARS AND HELPED THAT PERSEVERANCE ROVER GET READY TO FLY. >> CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF THIS FANTASTIC NEW MISSION TO THE PLANET MARS. >> CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE GREAT LAUNCH. DESPITE ALL THE COVID-19. >> I WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY WHO MADE THIS MISSION HAPPEN THUS FAR. >> THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITMENT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. >> CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE TEAMS >> I HOPE YOU HAVE A SAFE CREW. >> WELL DONE. >> OUR INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO REACH MARS IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN IT HAS BEEN BEFORE. >> WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN OVERCOME CHALLENGES. >> A MISSION THAT DESERVES ITS NAME, PERSEVERANCE. >> PERSEVERE IS TO CONTINUE TRYING TIRELESSLY. [INDISCERNIBLE] >> IT'S A JOURNEY TO MAKE HISTORY IN MARS EXPLORATION. >> MARS IS AN AMAZING PLACE TO EXPLORE. >> MARS IS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW ABOUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM AND IMPROVING OUR EARTH. >> WE THINK WE CONTINUE PROPORTION OF -- EXPLORATION OF MARS. >> WE NEED ROBOTIC PRECURSOR MISSION TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE NEED TO DO AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO WHEN WE GET TO MARS BUT ULTIMATELY OUR OBJECTIVE AS A GLOBE IS TO PUT HUMANS ON THE SURFACE OF MARS. >> TOGETHER WE'RE COUNTING DOWN TO MARS. GO PERSEVERANCE. [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> TOGETHER COUNTING DOWN TO MARS. GO PERSEVERANCE. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS THAT YOU JUST SAW THERE. THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB. BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, WE WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT A LITTLE TRADITION THAT JPL HAS WHERE THEY DID THIS AFTER LAUNCH OR BEFORE THE LAUNCH WITH SOME PEANUTS. >> PERSEVERANCE LITTLE BABY PERCY BROUGHT US PEANUTS HERE. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME. IT ACTUALLY STARTED WITH A LANDING EVENT. RANGER 1-6, DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED. THEN WITH RANGER 7, IT LANDED SUCCESSFULLY ON THE MOON. THEY WERE THINKING, WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RANGER 1-6 AND 7. IT WAS THESE LUCKY PEANUTS. >> EVER SINCE THEN, I GUESS THEY'RE BEEN HAVING PEANUTS. >> EVERY LANDING AND NOW LAUNCHES. >> WE GOT OURS. WE'LL HOLD OFF. WE'RE READY TO GO WITH OUR PEANUTS. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING NASA'S LAUNCH COVERAGE OF MARS 2020. STAY TUNED TO NASA TV FOR UPDATES. >> COMING UP OUGHT 11:30 EASTERN, WE'LL HAVE A POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE RIGHT HERE ON NASA TV. STAY TUNED FOR THAT AND TO THE NEXT BIG MOMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. THE LANDING OF THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER ON THE SURFACE OF MARS SEVEN MONTHS FROM NOW. THAT DATE FEBRUARY 18, 2021. FOR NOW, WE LEAVE YOU WITH HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE THRILLING LIFTOFF EARLIER THIS MORNING. TAKE CARE EVERYONE. REMEMBER, KEEP LOOKING UP. CHEERS. >> CHEERS! >> 7, 6, 5, 4, 2, 1, 0 -- LIFTOFF. COUNTDOWN TO MARS CONTINUES TO THE RED PLANET.

Channel: NASA

Views: 4,353,498

Keywords:

Id: JIB3JbIIbPU

Length: 148min 0sec (8880 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 30 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/sp4ce]

They're going to bring back samples from mars?

[u/TheLostcause]

The idea of a drone flying around on mars for high quality aerial video is amazing. I know they probably have great reasons for it, but I just want that cool HD video of another planet to watch.

[u/Mansyn]

Where's the guy with the Hawaiian shirt with sexy girls on it? I miss that guy.

[u/m_ttl_ng]

These Atlas V rockets look awesome when they lift off. Just so much power.