>> BOOSTER IGNITION.
>> ENGINES AT MAXIMUM THRUST.
>> AND LIFT-OFF.
KRISTIN: THAT WAS A SUCCESSFUL
LAUNCH ON FRIDAY TAKING ONE
ASTRONAUT AND TWO RUSSIAN
COSMONAUTS UP TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND
NOW NASA IS GETTING READY TO
TAKE ANOTHER BIG STEP AS THEY
PREPARE FOR A HISTORIC TEST OF
THE FIRST EVER HELICOPTER ON
MARS.
THAT’S RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE
CRAFT, WHICH IS NAMED INGENUITY
ON YOUR SCREEN HERE WAITING ON
THE RED PLANET WITH BLADES WIDE OPEN.
JOINING ME NOW FROM THE NASA’S
DIRECTOR, DR. Z AS MOST PEOPLE
KNOW HIM.
DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR THE
CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE
HISTORIC FLIGHT.
YOU HAVE BEEN COMPARING THIS
HELICOPTER ON MARS, COMPARING
IT TO THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST
FLIGHT IN 1903.
HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT COMPARE
COMPARISON
COMPARISON.
>> I’M GLAD TO BE HERE, IT’S AN
AMAZING STEP FORWARD.
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS, YOU KNOW,
WERE INNOVATEORS THAT DEVELOPED
A NEW TECHNOLOGY AFFECTING MY
LIFE TODAY.
I WAS THAT I GO ABOUT--
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT AS I
FLEW FROM D.C. TO L.A.
IT WAS THE FIRST CONTROLLED
FLIGHT ON EARTH AWAY FROM THE
GROUND 12 SECONDS OF HISTORY.
KRISTIN: RIGHT.
>> WE’RE TRYING TO DO THE SAME
AWAY FROM EARTH, AN
EXTRATERRESTRIAL WRIGHT
BROTHERS MOMENT, CONTROLLED
FLIGHT AWAY FROM EARTH IN A
HARD ENVIRONMENT.
KRISTIN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT.
IN SOME WAYS, IT COULD
THEORETICALLY BE EASIER TO FLY
A HELICOPTER OR SOME OTHER
DEVICE ON MARS BECAUSE THERE’S
LESS GRAVITY THAN HERE ON
EARTH, BUT THEY HAVE LESS OF AN
ATMOSPHERE WHICH MAKES IT HARD
AREFORE THOSE BLADES TO REALLY
CREATE ANY LIFT.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE
WATCHING FOR DURING THAT VERY
FIRST TEST FLIGHT?
>> YOU’RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE GRAVITY IS A LITTLE WEAKER
THERE, BUT THINK OF THE
ATMOSPHERE.
IT’S GOING TO BE COMPARED AT
THE EARTH, AND THE DENSITY OF
THE ATMOSPHERE AT MARS IS ABOUT
THREE TIMES THE HEIGHT OF WHERE
AIRPLANES FLY ON EARTH SO IT’S
VERY, VERY, VERY HIGH UP SO IT
TAKES A LOT MORE SPEED OF THAT
BLADE OF THAT HELICOPTER AND
THE BIGGER BLADE, SO THE
CONTROL SYSTEM, THEY’VE GOT TO
KEEP IT CONTROLLED AND ACTUALLY
USING THAT, WITH VERY LOW
AMATEURS, IT’S REALLY, REALLY
HARD TO DO AND THAT’S WHAT THE
TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
KRISTIN: SO WHAT HAPPENS IF IT
CRASHES?
I MEAN, THAT IT?
GAME OVER?
WHAT DO YOU DO?
>> YEAH, THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE EARTH AND MARS.
WE CANNOT GO PUT IT BACK UP AND
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO YOU,
WE’RE DOING TEST AFTER TEST AND
GOING FORWARD SO BY THE TIME
WE’RE TAKING OFF WE HAVE
BASICALLY TESTED EVERYTHING WE
CAN TEST.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS WE
CANNOT TEST, FOR EXAMPLE, THE
AIR FLOWS, RIGHT THERE, THE
WINDS THERE AND IF WE GET ON A
DAY IF WE DON’T GET GOOD LUCK
THERE, WE HAVE A GUST OR
SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THE
HELICOPTER WILL NEED TO FIGHT
IT AND YOU KNOW, IT’S MORE
RISKY THAN ON EARTH.
KRISTIN: DR. Z WE HAD YOU ON
TODAY BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED
TO FLY FOR THE FIRST TIME
TOMORROW AND YOU HAD TO PUSH IT
BACK A BIT BECAUSE OF THE TESTS
AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
IF WE ZOOM OUT, BIG PICTURE
HERE, WHY IS THIS KIND OF TEST
FLIGHT PROVING TO THE WORLD
THAT WE HAVE THIS KIND OF
CAPABILITY, WHY IS IT SO
IMPORTANT?
>> WELL, I THINK IT’S A TRULY
AMERICAN STORY JUST LIKE THE
WRIGHT BROTHERS, WE KEEP DOING
REALLY HARD THINGS THAT HAVE
NEVER BEEN DONE AND FOR US, THE
INGENUITY FLIGHT IS JUST THE
DEMONSTRATION OF THAT.
IT CREATES AN ENTIRELY NEW
CAPABILITY WITHOUT DOUBT AFTER
SUCCESSFUL TEST THIS WILL
HAPPEN BACK ON EARTH, BUT
SURELY IT WILL KEEP US AHEAD IN
A LEADERSHIP ROLE FOR THE
ENTIRE PROGRAM, ALLOW US TO PUT
A NEW TOOL INTO THE TOOLBOX OF
EXPLOREATION ON MARS AND OTHER
WORLDS.
I CAN’T WAIT TO WATCH THIS TEST
FLIGHT.
ONE MORE THING, PRESIDENT BIDEN
PUT FORWARD HIS PROPOSED BUDGET
JUST THIS WEEK AND THERE WAS A
PRETTY GOOD INCREASE FOR NASA
AND EARTH SCIENCES DIVISION.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE
BUDGET?
IS IT ENOUGH?
>> I BELIEVE THAT THE BUDGET
DEMONSTRATES THAT BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THERE’S
ACTUALLY MANY OF THE ELEMENTS
THAT THE BUDGET SUPPORTS CAN
OPEN IN THIS PROPOSAL BY
PRESIDENT BIDEN, IT’S REALLY A
CONTINUATION AND OFF THE WORK
THAT WAS STARTED IN THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND OF
COURSE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VARIOUS
STAKEHOLDERS ON THE HILL AND I
BELIEVE THE BUDGET IS REALLY
STRONG AND LOOK FORWARD TO