♪
♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WELCOME BACK!
MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A BILLIONAIRE ENTREPRENEUR WHO HAS
GONE ON ADVENTURES IN HOT AIR BALLOONS, SUBMARINES, AND
SPEEDBOATS, AND ON SUNDAY HE FLEW TO OUTER SPACE IN HIS OWN
ROCKET.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE LATE SHOW, SIR RICHARD BRANSON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪
>> Announcer: THAT'S A 3.3.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A 5.5.
I MEAN, HOW CAN YOU -- YOU CAN TAKE YOURS OFF.
THERE YOU GO.
>> Stephen: OH, YEAH.
OH, YEAH.
4.93, BABY.
WHAT ELSE IT WITH YOUR BILLIONAIRES NOT WEARING SHOES?
DO YOU JUST HAVE THE ENTIRE YARD LEATHERED INSTEAD?
LOVELY TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
WELCOME BACK TO THE COOL GREEN HILLS OF EARTH.
>> THANK YOU.
I'M STILL COMING DOWN SLOWLY.
>> Stephen: I CAN IMAGINE.
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: I JUST WANT TO TAKE -- JIM, LOOK AT THIS
ACCELERATION THAT YOU WENT THROUGH ON SUNDAY MORNING.
DO WE HAVE THIS, JIM?
THERE YOU GO.
THERE'S THE RELEASE.
FIRE IN THE ROCKET AND HERE'S WHERE WE SEE YOU GET JAMMED BACK
INTO YOUR SEAT.
THERE'S THE DROP, THEN HERE WE GO, SLAM -- HERE IT IS.
AT ANY POINT DURING THAT PROCESS, DO YOU THINK THIS WAS
NOT A GOOD IDEA?
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TIMES IN
THE YEARS LEADING UP TO IT, I WAS WONDERING WHETHER THE BODY
WOULD COPE, AND THE MOMENT I REALIZED THE BODY WOULD COPE, I
JUST ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
IT WAS A DREAM FROM TEENAGE YEARS COME TRUE, AND WE HAD A
BLAST.
>> Stephen: YOU HAD A MESSAGE FROM SPACE FOR KIDS EVERYWHERE,
JIM.
>> TO ALL YOU KIDS DOWN THERE, I WAS ONCE A CHILD WITH A DREAM,
LOOKING UP TO THE STARS.
NOW I'M AN ADULT IN A SPACE SHIP WITH LOTS OF OTHER WONDERFUL
ADULTS LOOKING DOWN TO OUR BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL EARTH.
TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF DREAMERS, IF WE CAN DO THIS,
JUST IMAGINE WHAT YOU CAN DO!
YAY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NOW, ONCE YOU GOT
BACK DOWN HERE, I ASSUME A MILLION PEOPLE CALLED YOU TO
CONGRATULATE YOU OR TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS.
WHO'S THE MOST MEANINGFUL CONTACT ONCE YOU GOT BACK TO THE
PLANET?
>> IT WAS BUZZ ALDRIN.
SOMEBODY, AS A TEENAGER, WHEN I WATCHED THE MOON LANDING, MY DAD
TOOK ME OUT SIDE AND WE LOOKED UP TO THE MOON WITH MY SISTERS,
AND HE JUST SAID, THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE STANDING ON THE MOON
RIGHT NOW.
THAT WAS SO INSPIRATIONAL.
AND BUT ONE OF THE SAD THINGS IS WE'VE ALL BEEN LOOKING BACKWARDS
TO THOSE SORTS OF FLIGHTS.
AND NOW KIDS CAN START LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CHANCE OF GOING
TO SPACE THEMSELVES ONE DAY AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO
THAT.
>> Stephen: A LOT HAS BEEN MADE OF THE COMPETITION BETWEEN
THE SPACE BILLIONAIRES.
YOU AND JEFF BEZOS, WHO IS GOING UP IN SEVEN DAYS AT THIS -- NOT
THAT IT MATTERS AT THIS POINT BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN UP.
( LAUGHTER ) SORRY, JEFF.
HE LIQUID THE DONUT IS WHAT HE DID.
BUT YOU DON'T CARE, IT DIDN'T MATTER YOU WENT UP FIRST.
>> IT HONESTLY DIDN'T.
>> Stephen: HONESTLY, IT DIDN'T?
( LAUGHTER ) >> HONESTLY --
( LAUGHTER ) NO --
>> Stephen: IF HE HAD ASKED YOU NOT TO GO UP FIRST, WOULD
YOU HAVE SAID, SURE, I DON'T CARE?
>> NO.
HONESTLY, NO.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: BUT ELON MUSK, WHO
HAS ACTUALLY GOT AN ORBITAL PROGRAM, HE STOPPED BY, CAME
AROUND 3:00 A.M. TO WISH YOU GOOD LUCK.
AGAIN, NOT WITH THE SHOES ON.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR BEZOS WHEN HE GOES UP?
>> LOOK, I JUST THINK THAT HE AND THE PEOPLE HE'S BRINGING
UP -- HE'S BRINGING UP A WONDERFUL LADY WHO I'VE KNOWN
OVER THE YEARS -- JUST SIT BACK, RELAX, LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW.
JUST ABSORB THE VIEW OUTSIDE AND THINK OF -- YEAH, REALLY, REALLY
TAKE IT IN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.
ENJOY IT.
>> Stephen: WAS THERE ANY MOMENT WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT MIGHT
BE NAUSEOUS?
PEOPLE FIRST IN ZERO G WILL POP.
>> I WAS NERVOUS.
YOU HAVE THE WORLD FILMING AND IMAGINE JUST THROWING UP ALL
OVER YOUR SPACESHIP.
>> Stephen: NOT THE BEST ADVERTISEMENT FOR YOUR PRODUCT.
>> MY KIDS SAID, DON'T WORRY, THEY'LL SEE YOU'RE A HUMAN
BEING.
NO, IN THE MOMENT, I REALIZED IT DID NOT GIVE YOU THAT KIND OF
FEELING AND I JUST ENJOYED IT.
I WAS RELIEVED, BUT IT WAS -- IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY.
>> Stephen: NOW, WHEN YOU CALLED ME AND ASKED ME IF I
WOULD WANT TO HOST THIS THING, I SAID, THAT SOUNDS VERY EXCITING.
I'M A HUGE SPACE FAN.
I SEE A LOT OF VALUE IN PEOPLE GOING TO SPACE, BUT THERE'S BEEN
A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM PEOPLE OUT THERE SAYING WHY SPEND YOUR
MONEY TO GO DO THAT, AND NOT YOU AND THE OTHER BILLIONAIRE
CREATING YOUR OWN PROGRAMS, BUT ANY SPACE PROGRAM WHEN THERE ARE
SO MANY PROBLEMS ON EARTH, INEQUALITY, GLOBAL WARMING, WHAT
WOULD YOU SAY TO THOSE WHO THINK THIS IS A MISUSE OF RESOURCES.
>> I CAN UNDERSTAND IT BUT I THINK THEY'RE NOT FULLY EDUCATED
ON WHAT SPACE DOES FOR US.
>> Stephen: WHAT DOES IT DO FOR US?
>> FIRST OF ALL, PEOPLE WOULDN'T BE LISTENING TO THIS PROGRAM
MOST LIKELY IF IT WASN'T FOR SPACE.
SPACE IS CONNECTING THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CONNECTED,
YOU KNOW, ON THE TELEPHONES, ON OTHER THINGS.
SPACE IS -- I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE SPACESHIP THAT WE SEND, WHETHER
VIRGIN ORBIT WHICH WE LAUNCHED A WEEK BEFORE INTO ORBIT AND
PUTTING SATELLITES UP THERE AND MONITORING THINGS AROUND THE
WORLD LIKE THE DEGRADATION OF RAIN FORESTS OR MONITORING FOOD
DISTRIBUTION, YOU KNOW, EVEN MONITORING THINGS LIKE CLIMATE
CHANGE AND SO ON, THESE THINGS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR US BACK HERE
ON EARTH.
SO WE NEED MORE SPACESHIP GOING UP TO SPACE, WE DON'T NEED LESS.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE PRICE RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, YOU COULD AFFORD IT.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
HE DID ACTUALLY ASK IF HE COULD COME UP WITH ME WHEN I INVITED
HIM TO HOST THE PROGRAM.
HE SAID, OKAY, I CAN'T COME UP WITH YOU IF IT'S FULL.
I DON'T KNOW, WE HAVE FOOTAGE, I THINK.
>> Stephen: DO WE?
I PROMISE TO TAKE THIS PERSON TO SPACE, SO WE'RE TAKING A
PICTURE OF THIS PERSON UP.
WE DON'T WANT HIM TO WEIGH TOO MUCH BECAUSE EVERY LITTLE BIT OF
WEIGHT COUNTS.
BUT I WOULD HAVE STILL FULFILLED THE PROMISE OF TAKING HIM TO
SPACE.
PUT HIM IN MY TOP POCKET.
ALL RIGHT, STEPHEN.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I'M HONORED.
I'M HONORED.
THANK YOU.
( APPLAUSE ) >> ONE SMALL PHOTO FOR STEPHEN
COLBERT, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.
THIS HAS BEEN TO SPACE AND I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE IT TO YOU.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WOULD YOU SIGN IT?
WOULD YOU SIGN IT?
THAT WAY -- >> I WOULD BE HONORED TO SIGN
IT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALL TO GET MY WHOLE SIGNATURE ON, BUT I'LL
TRY.
THERE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S FANTASTIC.
THANK YOU, RICHARD.
>> THANK YOU.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: RIGHT AFTER YOU
LANDED, YOU TALKED ABOUT AN OMAZE AUCTION YOU'RE RUNNING FOR
CHARITY.
WHAT IS THAT?
>> WELL, WE WANT MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO
BE ABLE TO GO TO SPACE BUT WITHOUT PAYING ANYTHING, APART
FROM A $10 RAFFLETICKET.
SO WE'VE GONE TO A CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
OMAZE WILL RUN A GLOBAL COMPETITION, AND IF YOU WIN, YOU
CAN HAVE A FRIEND, WE'LL GO TO SPACE ON ONE OF OUR EARLY
FLIGHTS, AND I WILL TAKE YOU AROUND THE SPACEPORT, I WILL DO,
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE CHOCOLATE FACTORY WALKABOUTS, I'LL PUT ON
ALL THE GEAR, AND THEN THE $10 WILL AMOUNT UP AND,
HOPEFULLY, IF ENOUGH PEOPLE ENTER, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE
CHARITABLE FOUNDATION FIND, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO CAN
ACTUALLY GO TO SPACE FOR NOTHING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH COULD REALLY
EXCITING IN THE YEARS TO COME.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU THINK THE VALUE OF THAT IS FOR PEOPLE
WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO SPACE?
I DON'T MEAN TO BE FACETIOUS.
WHAT IS THE MENTAL, INTELLECTUAL, SPIRITUAL VALUE OF
HAVING GONE?
>> THERE'S A WONDERFUL VIEW OF THE OVERVIEW EFFECT -- THERE'S
ONLY 500 PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVER BEEN TO SPACE, BUT IT'S A BOOK
THAT'S INTERVIEWED THOSE 500 PEOPLE.
THEY'VE COME BACK, I THINK, SLIGHTLY CHANGED.
YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THIS EARTH AND THINK THAT -- YOU SEE THE BEAUTY
OF IT FROM SPACE AND I THINK ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE COME BACK,
YOU KNOW, REALLY WANTING TO IMPROVE IT, AND THAT'S WHAT I
HOPE WILL HAPPEN WITH THESE OTHER PEOPLE WHO GO GO.
>> Stephen: WELL, RICHARD, HOT JETS AND SAFE LANDINGS.
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN A TRIP TO SPACE WITH VIRGIN
GALACTIC ON OMAZE omaze.com.
SIR RICHARD BRANSON.
BACK WITH CONGRESSWOMAN ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON.