44 years ago the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys played for the NFL championship
at Lambeau Field in Winsconsin in the famous Ice Bowl.
Today 44 years later in weather very reminiscent of that day,
it is 15 degrees below zero Fahrenheit here at the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan as the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft has now reached the pad rand is ready
to be hoisted by hydraulics vertically on the pad
for final preparations for Wednesday evening's launch.
Once it goes vertical, the clamshell-like gantry arms will fold around the vehicle,
and launchpad technicians working in bitterly cold conditions will hook up electrical,
data and fuel lines for the final hours of pre-launch readiness.
That's the scene at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Astronaut Mike Barratt, deputy chief of the Astronaut Office.
Mike, sunrise here at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Soyuz vehicle at the pad,
15 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, your thoughts as we prepare
for this final launch of this memorable year.
Well, I think all of us out here are reminded just how robust this system is.
I have been out here when we hit, I think it was, 114 degrees in July of '93,
and today minus 14 Fahrenheit, and everything rolls on exactly as per the plan.
The rocket's in great shape.
The crew's in great shape.
Everything is clicking along, so I think we're feeling awfully good
about this transportation system.
Underneath all that, that's really Bill Gerstenmaier, the associate administrator
for human exploration operations.
Bill, a memorable year, a transitional year, and here at sunrise in -15 degrees Fahrenheit,
the Soyuz is ready to be hoisted vertically for another trip to the space station.
Your thoughts as the year draws to an end.
It's been an amazing year.
I think back and I reflect on what we really accomplished this year,
and it's just absolutely phenomenal; the conclusion of the shuttle program,
then the Progress failure, recovery from the Progress failure with the Soyuz,
and then to be here today, ready to go launch the Soyuz again is just phenomenal testimony
to what we're doing.
And then also I think about all the work that's been going on onboard the space station.
You know, even during this time when we've had three crew,
we've been getting a lot of research done.
We're getting a lot of activities done aboard the space station.
So it's really been just an amazing year for us, and I just think back,
and I just think how blessed we are to work in this industry.
This'll be the, I think, 13th launch to the space station,
so just been an amazing, amazing year for us.