THIS IS CHANNEL 9
EYEWITNESS
♪
NEWS AT 6 COVERAGE YOU CAN
COUNT ON.
RIGHT NOW IT'S
♪
6 HISTORY MADE ONCE AGAIN
ON THE SPACE COAST 5.
THIS
AFTERNOON SPACE X AND NASA
SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED 2
ASTRONAUTS ON TOP OF A FALCON
9 ROCKET AND THE U.S. IS
NEARLY 10 YEAR LONG PAS OF
TRANSPORTING HUMANS INTO SPACE
FROM AMERICAN SOIL.
♪
AND THOSE 2 NASA ASTRONAUTS
ARE HEADING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AS
WE SPEAK, THANKS FOR JOINING
US. I'M CHRISTIAN ROOTS.
I'M VANESSA ECHOLS
CHRISTIAN AND I ALONG WITH A
TEAM OF REPORTERS STATIONED
ALL ALONG THE SPACE COAST.
WATCH TODAY'S HISTORIC
♪
EVENT UNFOLD LIVE. WE'LL GIVE
YOU A LOOK AT THEIR VANTAGE
POINTS TO THE LAUNCH IN A
MINUTE. JEFF WHAT COLLEGE WAS
TODAY FROM PARISH PARK IN
TITUSVILLE WHICH IS A POPULAR
SPOT TO WATCH THE LAUNCH BUT
FIRST WE BEGIN WITH CHANNEL
NINE'S MELANIE HOLT SHE HAS
BEEN FOLLOWING THE LEAD UP TO
THE LAUNCH FOR YEARS, MEL.
AND A NEW ERA OF COMMERCIAL
SPACE FLIGHT HAS BEGUN. NASA
ASTRONAUTS BOB BEHNKEN AND
DOUG HURLEY ARE ON THEIR WAY
TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION THEY SHOULD ARRIVE
TOMORROW MORNING AS SUNDAY
AFTERNOON THEY'LL BE WELCOME
ABOARD THE SPACE STATION BY
THE CREW.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME
IT'S BEEN 9 YEARS SINCE WE'VE
LAUNCHED AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS
ON AMERICAN ROCKETS FROM
AMERICAN SOIL. AND NOW IT'S
DONE AT 03:22PM THIS AFTERNOON
ASTRONAUTS, BOB BEHNKEN AND
DOUG HURLEY LIFTED OFF FROM
THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER'S
LAUNCH COMPLEX 39 A ABOARD A
SPACE X CREW DRAGON ON A
DEMONSTRATION MISSION TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
IT WAS THE FIRST CREWED
FLIGHT TO LAUNCH FROM US SOIL
IN NEARLY 10 YEARS. I WAS
PRAYING, I'M NOT GOING TO LIE
TO YOU I WAS PRAYING. I WAS
PRAYING FOR BOB AND I WAS
PRAYING FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
I WAS PRAYING FOR THEIR
SAFE RETURN EVEN THOUGH
THEY'RE JUST GOING. BUT MAN
I'LL TELL YOU IT WAS A. I'VE
HEARD THAT AROUND THE BEFORE,
BUT IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT
FEELING WHEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR
OWN TEAM ON THAT ROCKET AND A
AND THEY ARE OUR TEAM, THEY'RE
AMERICA'S TEAM MINUTES AFTER
LAUNCH SPACE X ALSO MANAGED TO
LAND A FALCON 9 FIRST-STAGE
BOOSTER ABOARD ITS DRONE SHIP
OF COURSE I STILL LOVE YOU.
AND NOW BEHNKEN AND HURLEY
ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE SPACE
STATION TEAMS WILL PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO MAKE SURE THE
CREW DRAGON IS OPERATING AS
INTENDED YOU LEARN ON EVERY
FLIGHT BUT.
THEY'RE HOPING TO LEARN
MORE
♪
ON THIS ONE THAN THEY DO IN
THE NEXT.
THE DEMO TO MISSION IS THE
FINAL MAJOR STEP BEFORE NASA'S
COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM
CERTIFIES THE CREW DRAGON FOR
OPERATIONAL MISSIONS TO THE
STATION. NASA ADMINISTRATOR
JIM BREITENSTEIN ALSO HOPES
THE FLIGHT TEST IS A SOURCE OF
INSPIRATION. I HOPE THIS
MOMENT IN TIME IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO
REFLECT ON HUMANITY AND WHAT
WE CAN
♪
DO WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER WHEN
WE WHEN WE STRIVE AND WHEN WE
ACHIEVE.
THE LENGTH OF TIME BEHNKEN
AND HURLEY WILL SPEND ON THE
STATION IS STILL UNDETERMINED
BUT WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED THEY
WILL UNDOCK FROM THE STATION
AND SPLASHED DOWN OFF THE
FLORIDA COAST. WE'RE LIVE HERE
AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
MELANIE HOLT CHANNEL 9
EYEWITNESS NEWS.
AND THERE WERE MANY GREAT
VIEWING POINTS ALONG BREVARD
COUNTY FOR THE LAUNCH ONE OF
THEM WAS IN TITUSVILLE CHANNEL
NINE'S JEFF LEFT COOLIDGE
JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM PARISH
PARK WHERE THERE WERE A LOT OF
EXCITED AND RELIEVE SPACE THAN
STEPH. AND CHRISTIAN FOR A LOT
OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT
TO PARIS PARK THIS WAS THE
SECOND TIME THIS WEEK THEY
CAME OUT.
TO SEE A LOT A LOT OF THEM
CAME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
TO HAVE A FRONT ROW SEAT TO
HISTORY AND THEY GOT ONE HECK
OF A SHOW THAT THEY WILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER.
♪
LOUD CHEERS FROM THE CROWD
THAT SPENT ALL DAY AT PARRISH
PARK AS A SPACE X CREW DRAGON
LIFTED OFF ATOP A FALCON 9 AND
HURL ITSELF TOWARDS THE
HEAVENS. THIS WAS A HUGE STEP
FOR MANKIND. I'VE GOT
BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH.
♪
I KNOW IT'S JUST SUPER
EXHILARATING EACH TIME
♪
THE ROCKET POPPED OUT FROM
BEHIND A CLOUD. THE CHEERS GOT
LOUDER ALONG WITH CHANCE.
THAT AMERICA IS
♪
THE PATRIOTIC SPIRIT. IT'S
LIKE YOU KNOW WE'RE NOT
RELYING ON THE RUSSIANS
ANYMORE WE'RE BACK IN THE GAME
TO MAY SING IT'S IT'S JUST
HISTORY BEING MADE HERE SO
IT'S ABOUT HUMAN KIND.
IT'S ABOUT THE PROGRESS
SAYING SO IT'S AMAZING IT'S A
FEELING THAT WE'LL NEVER
FORGET THOUSANDS CAME FROM
HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY TO
WITNESS HISTORY AND SEE 2
ASTRONAUTS ROCKET OFF TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
FEET 9 YEARS IN THE SAY CAN
YOU KNOW.
CRAZY US OR THE MOMENT, I'M
I'M SO GLAD TO GET OUT YOUR
ROUTE SO THAT THE RATING TESLA
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE
HISTORY OF THIS MOMENT, NOT
LOST ON THE SMALLEST OBSERVERS
LEFT
♪
FOR IT.
I FIRST TIME LIKE EVER
SEEING IT LIKE UP CLOSE IT'S A
STORY ABOUT.
♪
THAT'S ON THE ALWAYS REMEMBER,
YEAH. AND IT'S SOMETHING I
DEFINITELY ALWAYS REMEMBER AS
WELL AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT
WILL BE THE TOPIC OF
CONVERSATION ON THE CAR RIDE
HOME.
AS ALL THOSE SPECTATORS
BRAVE THE TRAFFIC TO GET OUT
OF HERE REPORTING LIVE FROM
TITUSVILLE JEFF LEFT COLLEGE
CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
AND HUNDREDS PACKED AROUND
ANOTHER POPULAR TITUSVILLE
PART FOR VIEWING LAUNCHES
TANTALIZE MEGAN CRUZ SHOWS US
JUST HOW PEOPLE THERE WERE
THRILLS NEAR SPACE VIEW PARK.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S STILL A
FEW PEOPLE HANGING AROUND
STILL TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST
MANNED LAUNCH IN ALMOST A
DECADE THAT THEY GOT TO SEE IN
FOR SOME IT WAS THEIR VERY
FIRST LAUNCH NOW THEY'RE
SAYING IT DEFINITELY WON'T BE
THEIR LAST NOW THAT THEY'VE
SEEN THE BEAUTY POWER AND
GENIUS THAT IS LAUNCHING
PEOPLE INTO SPACE. CHEERS
ERUPTED FROM THE CROWD AS SOON
AS PEOPLE SAW SMOKE ON LAUNCH
PAD 39 A AT THE KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER THEN AS FALCON 9 LIFTED
OFF.
♪
HUNDREDS OF NECKS CRANED UP
INTO THE FLORIDA SKY TO SEE
AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS BLAST INTO
SPACE FROM AMERICAN SOIL. SOME
EVEN WAITING OUT INTO THE
WATER TO GET A BETTER VIEW.
PHONES HELD AS STEADY AS
POSSIBLE TO CAPTURE HER
DRAGONS FIRST RIDE INTO
HISTORY. SPECTATORS NOW
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE
I CITED TO BE ABLE TO TELL
THAT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS AND
SAY WE GOT TO SEE SPACE X
LAUNCH ITS VERY FIRST CHIP I
MEAN I JUST I FEEL ELATED THAT
YOU KNOW THAT THE U.S. IS BACK
IN THE SPACE GAME AND WAS
SENDING ASTRONAUTS UP TO THE
SPACE STATION AND EVENTUALLY
THAT THE MOST EXCITING THING
IS THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING
TO MARS AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT
THE GUY YOU JUST SIZE FROM ST.
PETERSBURG HE WAS HERE ON
WEDNESDAY WITH HIS ENTIRE
FAMILY THEY DECIDED NOT TO
COME WITH HIM TODAY WHAT A BUT
I BET YOU THEY WILL ALL BE
BACK FOR WHENEVER THERE IS THE
NEXT MANNED LAUNCH IN
TITUSVILLE MEGAN CRUZ CHANNEL
♪
9 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
ANOTHER HOT SPOT TO WATCH
THE FALCON 9 BLASTOFF WAS JUST
SOUTH OF THERE IN COCOA BEACH
CHANNEL NINE'S JEFF DEAL WAS
THERE'S PEOPLE PACKED THE BEAT
FOR TODAY'S LAUNCH.
AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
EXPERIENCE OUT HERE WHEN THIS
ROCKET LIFTED OFF WE SAW KIDS
JUMPING UP AND DOWN POINTING
TO THE SKY. THE CROWDS HAVE
THINNED OUT A LITTLE BIT NOW
YOU CAN SEE SOME FOLKS LEAVING
OUT HERE BUT THIS PLACE WAS
REALLY PACKED IN HERE A LOT OF
PEOPLE SHOWED UP OUT HERE FOR
THIS LAUNCH A LOT MORE PEOPLE
THAN WE SAW HERE ON WEDNESDAY.
PEOPLE ARE LINED UP ALL ALONG
THE BEACH WE SAW PEOPLE ON THE
COCOA BEACH PIER TAKING IT ALL
AND WE EVEN SAW PEOPLE ON
BALCONIES AND ROOFTOPS OF
BEACHSIDE BUILDINGS ONCE THE
ROCKET LIFTED OFF WE SAW
PEOPLE WITH THEIR EYES TO THE
SKY. BUT NOT KILLERS BUNCHES
OF PEOPLE WITH CELL PHONES
POINT ALONG THE COASTLINE
LOOKING TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT.
IN THE ROCKET ACTUALLY
EMERGE POPPING UP FROM THE TOP
OF SOME BUILDINGS OUT HERE
FROM HERE LOOK LIKE JUST AN
ORANGE GLOWING FIREBALL GOING
THROUGH THE SKY PEOPLE WERE
EXCITED TO SEE IF THEY WERE
CHEERING, THEY WERE CLAPPING
AND SAID IT WAS AWESOME TO BE
PART OF
♪
THIS HISTORY-MAKING WATCH WE
THOUGHT THAT IT WASN'T GOING
TO GO.
BUT I MEAN THERE WAS A
LITTLE TIME BEFORE BUT IT PASS
AND THEN IT WAS BEAUTIFUL WAS
FROM FOR A LOT OF DOUBT SO
I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE SHUTTLE
LAUNCHES BEFORE, BUT THIS ONE
WAS
♪
PRETTY COOL.
I THOUGHT THOSE PEOPLE OUT.
INTO SPACE. YEAH.
♪
IT.
AND THAT LITTLE GIRL FROM
WINTER GARDEN MADE OUR DAY
WHAT A GREAT THING TO SAY WE
HAD PEOPLE COMING UP TO US
FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH
SIMILAR REACTIONS. WE SPOKE
WITH THE FAMILY THAT DROVE ALL
THE WAY HERE FROM CHICAGO JUST
TO SEE THAT THEY SAID IT WAS
WORTH EVERY HOUR OF THE DRIVE
JUST AN OVERALL COOL
EXPERIENCE TO BE A PART OF
REPORTING FROM COCOA BEACH
JEFF DEAL CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
THE GREATEST THING SHE'S
SEEN IN HER LIFE LOVE THAT A
GROUP OF PEOPLE ALSO WATCH THE
LAUNCH TODAY FOR PATRICK AIR
FORCE BASE CHANNEL NINE'S
ALEXA LORENZO IS ALSO THERE
WHERE THE VIEW WAS PICTURE
PERFECT.
FROM THE MOMENT, I GOT THIS
ASSIGNMENT, I WAS BOASTING TO
MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT WAS
GOING JUST 5 MILES AWAY FROM
THE LAUNCH PAD AND BOY WAS I
RIGHT TO BE EXCITED BECAUSE
THAT LAUNCH PAD GAVE US A
WONDERFUL VIEW OF THE LAUNCH
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
AND YOU HEARD HOW NASA
ADMINISTRATORS WERE SAYING
THAT ASTRONAUTS, DOUG HURLEY
AND BOB BEHNKEN WERE
LASER-FOCUSED MINUTES BEFORE
LAUNCH AS THEY WERE WATCHING
THE DIAGRAMS AND CONTROLS THE
PEOPLE OUT HERE WERE ALSO
LASER FOCUSED BUT ON SOME
DIFFERENT CONTROLS ON. WE HAD
DOZENS HUNDREDS OF
PHOTOGRAPHERS AND JOURNALISTS
LOCKED IN ON THEIR CAMERAS
LASER FOCUS MAKING SURE THEY
GOT THAT PERFECT SHOT AND SO
MANY OF THEM DID THEY'RE
ALREADY UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND
ALL THE PICTURES EVEN THIS ONE
OUR PHOTOGRAPHER JOHN TO LEAD
TOOK IS ABSOLUTELY A
MESMERIZING LET ME TELL YOU
IT'S A MUCH BETTER DAY AT THE
45TH SPACE WING TODAY THAT IT
WAS WEDNESDAY THE WEATHER
SQUADRON HERE WITH THE TEAM
THAT HAD TO MAKE THAT CRUCIAL
CALL BUT FRANKLY DISAPPOINTING
CALL TO SCRUB THE LAUNCH ON
WEDNESDAY BUT TODAY THEY
CHEERED WHEN THEY WERE ABLE TO
GIVE NASA AND SPACE AT
OFFICIALS AND THE GREEN LIGHT
THAT GO FOR LAUNCH AND IT WAS
SOMETHING NO ONE HERE WILL
EVER FORGET THE IN BREVARD
COUNTY I'M ALEXA LORENZO BACK
TO YOU GUYS.
AND IT WAS JUST CITIZENS
WATCHING TODAY'S LAUNCH FROM
THE SPACE COAST. BOTH
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND VICE
PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE WE'RE
WATCHING ALONG WITH EVERYONE
ELSE TO NATIONAL LEADERS WERE
STANDING SIDE BY SIDE AS THE
FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCHED THE 2
NASA ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE
FROM US SOIL IN JUST ABOUT AN
HOUR AGO THE PRESIDENT AND
VICE PRESIDENT SPOKE ABOUT
TODAY'S GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
THIS IS THE FIRST BIG SPACE
MESSAGE IN 50 YEARS THINK OF
THAT. AND IT IS AN HONOR TO BE
DELIVERING IT. TODAY AS WE
GATHER IN THIS SPECIAL PLACE
TO CELEBRATE NOT ONLY THE
LAUNCH OF A NEW SPACECRAFT.
BUT ALSO OUR NATION'S BOLD AND
DRY OFF AND RETURNED TO THE
STARS. IT'S A SPECIAL DAY.
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR
COVERAGE OF THE SPACE X AND
NASA MISSION TO THE