IT DIRECTLY IN THEIR PAYCHECK,
ET CETERA.
>> YEAH.
DAVID: BY THE WAY, WE GOT TO
TAKE A SLIGHT BREAK HERE.
MELISSA: YOU ARE LOOKING AT LIVE
PICTURES OF THE SPACEX REUSABLE
FALCON 9 ROCKET.
THERE WE GO.
THERE IT IS FROM CAPE CANAVERAL,
ON A MISSION TO PROVIDE MORE
THAN 5800-POUND OF SUPPLIES,
INCLUDING EXPERIMENT HARDWARE
AND FOOD TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
LOOK AT IT GO.
THIS IS THE 14th RESUPPLY
LAUNCH TO THE SPACE STATION BY
SPACEX SINCE 2012 UNDER A
MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR CONTRACT
WITH NASA.
ITS COMPANY'S 7th ROCKET
FLIGHT.
DAVID: SO IRONIC TALKING ABOUT
TESLA AND PROBLEMS IT IS HAVING,
THAT SAME COMPANY IS THE COMPANY
THAT PUT THIS ROCKET UP HERE.
MELISSA: ON THE PHONE FORMER
NASA ASTRONAUT TOM JONES OF THE
LET'S LISTEN FOR ONE SECOND,
THEN WE'LL BRING TOM IN.
>> ONE MINUTE 18 SECONDS AFTER
LIFTOFF.
ROCKET REACHES ITS PEAK BECAUSE
OF THE ROCKET'S VELOCITY AND
RESISTANCE CREATED BY EARTH'S
ATMOSPHERE.
>> GOING SUPERSONIC.
>> VEHICLE EXPERIENCING MAXIMUM
PRESSURE.
>> CONFIRMATION OF MAX Q.
ONE MINUTE 30 SECONDS INTO
FLIGHT.
AND THE SECOND IS STAGE HAS
BEGUN.
AROUND 2 MINUTES 35 SECONDS INTO
FLIGHT, THE NINE MERLIN ENGINES
WILL SEQUENTIALLY SHUTDOWN.
YOU WILL HEAR THE TERM MECO.
WHICH MEANS MAIN ENGINE CUTOFF
YOU WILL HEAR THE TERM MECO. WHICH MEANS MAIN ENGINE CUTOFF.
MELISSA: BOY, NEVER GETS OLD.
GO TO FORMER ASTRONAUT TOM JONES
NOW.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION?
>> MELISSA, THAT IS ABOUT AS
BEAUTIFUL A LAUNCH AS I'VE SEEN
EXCEPT FOR ONE OR TWO OF MY
SHUTTLE LAUNCHES.
IMPRESSIVE TO SEE THE ROCKET
SECOND FLIGHT INTO SPACE WITH
USED OR REUSED CARGO CAPSULE.
SPACEX IS PUTTING THEIR
REPUTATION ON THE LINE, REUSE
HARDWARE LOWERING COST OF LAUNCH
TO ORBIT.
MELISSA: THEY HAVE DONE A NUMBER
OF INNOVATIVE THINGS.
WE'VE SEEN THEM BRING ROCKETS UP
AND LAND IT LIKE A PENCIL ON ITS
TIP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE THINGS
THEY ARE TRYING TO DO VERSUS THE
WAY THE SPACE PROGRAM WAS RUN
BEFORE MAYBE?
>> THEY HAVE BUILT ON 50 OR 60
YEARS OF NASA EXPERIENCE TO TRY
TO INNOVATE TO GET TO EARTH
ORBIT.
REUSABILITY ON THE FIRST STAGE,
WE'VE SEEN DRAMATICALLY, ALMOST
OUT OF A SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE.
THEY'RE WORKING ON RECOVERING
THE NOSE CONE FOR THE ROCKETS.
EVENTUALLY THEY MAY TRY TO
RECOVER THE SECOND STAGE.
THE DRAGON CAPSULE WILL BE
RECOVERED AFTER MONTH LONG USE
IN THE SPACE STATION.
THAT IS GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR
SPACEX, THAT SAME CAPSULE,
MODIFIED VERSION CARRYING THEM
UP TO THE SPACE STATION, GETTING
THE CARGO UP TO WORKING TOWARD
HUMAN FLIGHT.
MELISSA: WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT
TO PEOPLE OUT THERE, MAYBE
THEY'RE IN ALL WHAT THEY'RE
SEEING, THEY'RE WONDER WITH SO
MANY THINGS GOING ON WHY IS THIS
IMPORTANT TO US GOING FORWARD?
>> VISUALS ARE TERRIFIC.
THE REAL BOTTOM LINE THIS LOWERS
THE COST OF GETTING A POUND OF
CARGO OR SUPPLIES OR SCIENCE
EXPERIMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
WE TAX DAYERS ARE ON HOOK FOR
THE CARGO RUNS, IF NASSDA LOWERS
COST OF CARGO RUNS, THEY GET TO
SPEND MORE OF THEIR FUND,
$20 BILLION ANNUALLY FOR THE
ENTIRE NASA PROGRAM, THEY GET
MORE FOR EXPLORATION AROUND THE
MOON AND OUTPOST ON THE MOON AND
RETURN EVENTUALLY ASTRONAUTS
THERE.
THAT ECONOMIZING AN INNOVATION
WILL HELP US GET MORE MILEAGE ON
THE WAY TO MARS.
MELISSA: AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS
BEEN A PART OF THE SPACE PROGRAM
FOR SO LONG, WHAT DID YOU THINK
ABOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND
COMPETITION WHEN THINGS LIKE
THIS STARTED TO HAPPEN AND HAVE
YOUR FEELINGS CHANGED?
>> I STARTED WORKING ON THIS 10
YEARS AGO ADVISING NASA ON A
PANEL THAT WAS LOOKING AT
COMMERCIAL CARGO LAUNCHES JUST
LIKE THIS WITH ORBIT AL ATK, THE
OTHER COMPANY BESIDES SPACE EX.
WE WERE SKEPTICAL AT FIRST.
IT WAS GOOD NASA WAS TRYING A
NEW WAY TO LOWERING COST TO GET
SUPPLIES TO THE SPACE STATION
WHICH IS A LONG-RUN ENTERPRISE.
YOU CAN'T TO ECONOMIZE OVER NEXT
10 YEARS OF SPACE STATION
OPERATION.
I'VE BEEN BROUGHT AROUND BY THE
PERSISTENCE AND TECHNICAL
EXCELLENCE OF SPACEX.
THEY MADE THE GOALS OF REUSING
HARDWARE AND TREATING IT MORE
LIKE USING AN AIRLINER THAN A
ONE-WAY EXPENDABLE ROCKET.
THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR
BUILDING LANDERS TO GET HUMANS
TO THE MOON INSTEAD OF USING
LANDERS INSTEAD OF THROWING THEM
AWAY.
MELISSA: MY DAD WAS INVOLVED IN
NASA AS ENGINEERS AND BOTH PLY
SONS ARE GOING TO SPACE CAMP
THIS SUMMER.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL MY BOYS?
>> THEY'RE IN FOR EXCITING 20
YEARS AHEAD AND MANY MORE
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN
A SPACE CAREER THAN I HAD WITH
NASA AS ONLY EMPLOYER.
SPACEX, BLUE ORIGIN, ORBITAL ATK
AND THEY WILL HIRE SPACE PLANE
PILOTS AND TOUR GUIDES AND
HOTELS IN SPACE.
A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET
YOUR FEET WET IN THIS AMAZING,
AMAZING ENTERPRISE.
DAVID: SIGN ME UP.
MELISSA: THERE YOU ARE.
MY HUSBAND IS GOING FOR THE
FAMILY WEEKEND AS WELL.
HE WANTS TO BE AN ASTRONAUT TOO.