>> "HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PODCAST."
WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL
PODCAST OF THE NASA
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER,
EPISODE 63, "REACH NEW HEIGHTS
"AND REVEAL THE UNKNOWN."
I'M GARY JORDAN, AND I'LL BE
YOUR HOST TODAY.
SO IF YOU'RE NEW TO THE SHOW,
WE BRING IN EXPERTS TO TALK
ABOUT ALL THE COOLEST PARTS
ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON
RIGHT HERE AT NASA.
NOW, THE PODCAST IS NORMALLY
AN AUDIO SHOW.
BUT WE DID SOMETHING
A LITTLE EXTRA FOR THIS EPISODE.
JUST RECENTLY, WE HAD
A SPECIAL VISIT FROM
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE,
WHO ADDRESSED AN EXCITING FUTURE
FOR US HERE AT NASA.
AND WHILE HE WAS HERE, I WAS
LUCKY ENOUGH TO SIT DOWN
AND CHAT WITH SOME OF NASA'S
LEADERS ABOUT THIS FUTURE.
SO OUR GUESTS ON "HOUSTON,
"WE HAVE A PODCAST" TODAY ARE
JIM BRIDENSTINE AND MARK GEYER.
MR. BRIDENSTINE IS THE 13TH
ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA,
SWORN IN ON APRIL 23, 2018.
AND MR. GEYER IS THE 12TH
DIRECTOR OF THE JOHNSON
SPACE CENTER, AS OF
MAY 25, 2018.
WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION
ABOUT THIS VERY EXCITING
PERIOD WE'RE IN FOR HUMAN
SPACE FLIGHT, AND WHAT IT MEANS
FOR US HERE AT HOUSTON.
WE DISCUSS NASA AS A WHOLE,
COMMERCIAL CREW,
THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF SPACE,
AND THE MISSION AND DIRECTION
OF AMERICA'S SPACE AGENCY.
SO WITH NO FURTHER DELAY,
LET'S JUMP RIGHT AHEAD TO
OUR TALK WITH NASA ADMINISTRATOR
JIM BRIDENSTINE, AND DIRECTOR
OF THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER,
MARK GEYER.
ENJOY.
[ MUSIC ]
>> T-MINUS 5 SECONDS
AND COUNTING-- MARK.
MISSION START.
T-0-- ALL LAUNCH COMMAND
LIGHTS ARE GREEN.
OH, THERE SHE GOES.
"HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PODCAST."
[ MUSIC ]
>> JIM AND MARK, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR COMING
ON THE PODCAST TODAY.
THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING DAY,
BUT ALSO JUST AN EXCITING TIME
FOR US HERE AT THE AGENCY.
SO I APPRECIATE
YOU COMING ON TODAY.
>> GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> YEAH, THANKS.
>> SO-SO JUST TO SORT OF RECAP
THE EVENTS OF TODAY, WE HAD
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE
HERE, UH, TO ADDRESS
SOME FANTASTIC MISSIONS
AND-AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT
WE HAVE HERE AT NASA
TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
IS-- I'M-- THAT'S WHAT I--
I REALLY MEAN,
"IT'S AN EXCITING TIME."
SO IF WE CAN JUST GIVE,
LIKE, A QUICK SUMMARY, UH,
JIM, IF YOU WANT TO--
>> YOU BET.
>> --UH, FOR WHAT WAS
SAID TODAY.
>> SO IT WAS, UH-- IT WAS
HIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME
AND LAY OUT, FOR THE FOLKS HERE
AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER,
BUT ALSO, FOR EVERYBODY
WHO WORKS AT NASA NATIONALLY--
>> MM-HMM.
>> --UH, REALLY HIS VISION FOR
CIVIL SPACE, FOR OUR JOURNEY
BACK TO THE MOON, FOR
COMMERCIALIZING LOW EARTH ORBIT,
UH, FOR BUILDING SLS AND ORION,
TO GET HUMANS DEEPER
INTO SPACE THAN EVER BEFORE.
UM, AND REALLY GET, UH--
GET THE-- GET NASA
AND ITS WORKFORCE ENTHUSED ABOUT
THE NEXT CHAPTER OF
HUMANS IN SPACE.
AND SO, UM, I WOULD, UH,
I WOULD SAY, BASED ON
HIS-HIS SPEECH TODAY,
I-I THINK-- I THINK
IT WAS EFFECTIVE.
[ LAUGHS ]
>> I ABSOLUTELY AGREE.
AND HE WAS HERE
AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
BECAUSE WE DO PLAY
AN INTEGRAL ROLE.
SO MARK, WHAT IS-- WHAT IS
THE ROLE OF THE JOHNSON
SPACE CENTER IN ALL OF THIS?
>> SO JOHNSON HAS, IN THE PAST,
AND STILL, PLAYS
AN INCREDIBLE CORE ROLE
TO HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT.
>> MM-HMM.
>> SO WE DO-- OF COURSE, WE DO
THE OBVIOUS THINGS--
THE ASTRONAUTS ARE TRAINED
AND PICKED AND FLOWN FROM HERE.
WE DO OPERATIONS,
SO WE CONTROL THE SPACECRAFT
AND WORK WITH THE CREWS HERE
IN-IN MISSION OPERATIONS.
AND THEN, ALSO, WE DO
DESIGN WORK, UH, LIKE ORION,
PROGRAMS LIKE ORION.
WE MANAGE PROGRAMS LIKE
SPACE STATION, WHICH TIES, UH,
THE WORLD TOGETHER,
ON AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM.
THEN WE DO HUMAN HEALTH
AND PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS
PART OF SEEING HOW THE BODY
BEHAVES IN SPACE, WHICH
KIND OF TIES TO OUR WORK
WITH ASTRONAUTS.
AND THEN WHAT-WHAT WAS GREAT
ABOUT THE VISIT TODAY,
I THINK, WAS HE ALSO VISITED,
UH, THE CURATION FACILITY--
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> --WHICH IS WHERE IN THE--
REALLY, IN THE UNITED STATES,
WHENEVER WE BRING SAMPLES BACK
FROM OTHER WORLDS, THEY COME
HERE TO THE-- TO THE JOHNSON
SPACE CENTER.
SO THAT'S A KEY PIECE,
I THINK, A LOT OF PEOPLE
FORGET THAT WE DO.
>> YEAH.
A HUGE ARRAY OF ACTIVITIES,
A LOT OF IT DEALING WITH
RESEARCH, AND SORT OF TRYING
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED
TO KNOW TO GO OUT FURTHER
INTO SPACE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> AND THEN THE ACTUAL
TECHNOLOGIES BEHIND THAT.
UH, JIM, YOU WERE-- YOU WERE,
UM, A-APPOINTED, UH,
VERY RECENTLY HERE.
SO YOU'VE BEEN-- WHEN-WHEN
YOU FIRST CAME ON, YOU SAID
YOU RECOGNIZE NASA AS A FAMILY.
>> YEAH.
>> UM, NOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN
HERE A COUPLE MONTHS,
DO YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE PART OF THE FAMILY?
>> WITHOUT QUESTION.
UH, FOLKS HAVE BEEN JUST SO,
UH, WELCOMING AND NICE.
UH, IN FACT, I HAD MY FAMILY
HERE AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UM, AND WHAT AN AMAZING
OPPORTUNITY FOR MY KIDS,
TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH
THE BRILLIANT FOLKS THAT ARE
HERE, AND, UM, REALLY--
HAVE THE-- HAVE A CHANCE
TO SPEND TIME WITH
SOME OF THE SMARTEST MINDS
IN OUR COUNTRY.
UM, SO YEAH, IT-IT HAS BEEN--
IT HAS REALLY FELT LIKE
A FAMILY.
AND-AND HAVING MY FAMILY HERE
REALLY, UH, I THINK, UH,
SOLIDIFIED THAT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
SO YOU'VE BEEN-- YOU'VE BEEN
A PROPONENT FOR SPACE FLIGHT
AND-AND NASA, JUST IN GENERAL,
EVEN THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER.
NOW, COMING HERE AND BEING
PART OF NASA, WHEN SOMEONE
COMES UP TO YOU NOW AND SAYS,
"WHAT DOES NASA DO?"
KNOWING-KNOWING KIND OF,
WHAT WE DO FROM THE INSIDE NOW--
>> YOU BET.
>> --WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> WE INCREASE THE AWESOME.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
[ LAUGHS ]
>> I LOVE IT.
>> AS A-- WE-WE ARE A PART OF
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
THAT WORKS ON REALLY,
REALLY AWESOME THINGS.
>> YEAH.
>> AND, UM, YOU KNOW,
THE-- MY-MY JOB, AS THE NASA
ADMINISTRATOR, IS REALLY
FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT
WE'RE FOLLOWING THROUGH
ON THE PRESIDENT'S
SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVES.
>> MM-HMM.
>> HIS FIRST SPACE POLICY
DIRECTIVE IS THAT
WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON.
AND WE'RE GONNA GO
IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY.
HIS SECOND SPACE POLICY
DIRECTIVE IS ABOUT REGULATION,
AND ENABLING COMMERCIAL
PARTNERSHIPS.
AND OF COURSE, HIS THIRD
SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE IS ABOUT
SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS,
AND SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND OF COURSE, NASA PLAYS
A ROLE AND/OR WILL BENEFIT
FROM EACH OF THOSE.
UH, AND SO, WE'RE REALLY
PUTTING TOGETHER
THE ARCHITECTURE THAT, UM,
THAT FOLLOWS THROUGH ON
THE PRESIDENT'S DIRECTIVES.
AND THEN, UM, WATCHING,
YOU KNOW, WHAT THE GREAT
WORKFORCE HERE DOES IN ENABLING
OUR MISSIONS TO GO FORWARD
IN A REALLY AMAZING WAY.
SO PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW,
"WHAT DOES NASA DO?"
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE-- YOU KNOW,
YOU THINK ABOUT THE HISTORY.
THERE'S A LOT OF AWESOMENESS
IN THE HISTORY.
UH, AND YOU THINK ABOUT
THE SPACE SHUTTLES,
AND THE RETIREMENT
OF THE SPACE SHUTTLES.
>> MM-HMM.
>> UM, PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT.
UM, REMEMBER THOSE DAYS
GOING BACK TO, YOU KNOW,
GEMINI AND APOLLO,
AND MERCURY BEFORE THAT, UM,
AND OF COURSE, THEY REMEMBER
THE SPACE SHUTTLES.
BUT AT THIS POINT,
WE'RE FOCUSED ON GETTING
AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS TO LAUNCH
ON AMERICAN ROCKETS AGAIN
FROM AMERICAN SOIL
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE
2011, THE RETIREMENT OF
THE SPACE SHUTTLES.
UM, AND-AND SO, UM,
WE'RE GONNA GET THERE,
AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO BEING
AT THE HELM WHEN
ALL OF THAT HAPPENS AGAIN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THIS IS ONE-- THIS IS
ONE OF THOSE EXCITING THINGS
THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
>> OH YEAH.
>> YOU KNOW, LAUNCHING FROM
AMERICAN SOIL AGAIN.
SO WHEN WE'RE-- I DO WANT
TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE
EXCITING THINGS, RIGHT?
LAUNCHING FROM AMERICAN SOIL,
THIS-THIS COMMERCIALIZATION,
THIS-THIS DEEP SPACE
EXPLORATION.
BUT I WANT TO KNOW, S-SINCE
I HAVE YOU HERE, WHAT'S
YOUR ROLE, AS THE ADMINISTRATOR,
AT NASA, TO MAKE
ALL OF THIS HAPPEN?
>> SO AGAIN, UH, FOLLOWING
THROUGH ON THE PRESIDENT'S
SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVES--
>> MM-HMM.
>> AND THEN, ULTIMATELY, UH,
GUIDING THE AGENCY
AS-AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE POLICY
AND THE-- AND THE DIRECTIONS
THAT-THAT WE'RE-- THAT-THAT--
THE DIRECTIONS THAT
WE'RE TAKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE-- YOU KNOW,
MY-MY ROLE IS REALLY GUIDANCE.
UM, AND I WORK A LOT WITH
THE INTER-AGENCY.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK SPACE
AND THEY THINK NASA.
BUT, UH, FOR ALL OF
OUR COMMERCIAL PARTNERS,
A LOT OF THEM PROVIDE THINGS
IN SPACE THAT ARE LICENSED,
IF YOU WILL, BY
THE FAA OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL
SPACE TRANSPORTATION.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM,
YOU KNOW, REMOTE SENSING
AND IMAGERY, ALL OF--
ALL OF THAT IS LICENSED BY
THE-THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT
THROUGH-THROUGH NOAA, UH,
SO-SO THERE-THERE'S A LOT OF
ACTIVITY IN SPACE.
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY,
THE DEPARTMENT OF-OF
TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY
THAT ISN'T SPECIFIC TO NASA,
WHERE WE NEED INTER-AGENCY
KIND OF COLLABORATION.
SO I WORK WITH
THE INTER-AGENCY.
UM, I ALSO WORK AS-AS
A FORMER MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
UH, I WORK ON THE HILL,
TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM,
OUR, YOU KNOW, BUDGET
REQUIREMENTS ARE-ARE BEING MET
TO ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVES
SET FORTH BY THE PRESIDENT,
AND OF COURSE, BY CONGRESS.
UH, THEY AUTHORIZE, YOU KNOW,
WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO
BE DOING.
AND OF COURSE,
THEY APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS
TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE OBJECTIVES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, MY GOAL IS
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
WITHIN-WITHIN THE LAW,
THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THROUGH
ON THE PRESIDENT'S GUIDANCE.
UH, AND THAT, UM, AT THE END
OF THE DAY, UH,
WE'RE-WE'RE HEADING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
>> SO WITH THIS GUIDANCE,
WITH-WITH THESE DIRECTIVES,
UM, MARK, IN THE JOHNSON
SPACE CENTER, WHAT ARE WE DOING
TO SORT OF TAKE THIS PATH?
>> SO WE HAVE, OF COURSE,
UM-- WE'RE FINISHING, UH,
THE COMMERCIAL CREW VEHICLES.
AND PART OF OUR JOB
AT JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
IS TO BE KIND OF
THE SPACECRAFT EXPERTS.
>> OKAY.
>> SO WE'RE FOLLOWING ALONG
WITH THE PROVIDERS, AND
FOLLOWING ALONG ON THE DESIGN,
AND CHECKING THE REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE'RE GETTING INTO
A CERTIFICATION PART OF THAT.
ARE WE READY?
ARE THESE VEHICLES MEETING
THE REQUIREMENTS?
ARE THEY READY TO
PUT OUR CREWS IN 'EM?
AND THAT'S GONNA BE ESSENTIAL,
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING
TO BASICALLY OPERATE
THE SPACE STATION,
KEEP UP THE SPACE STATION,
AND AS JIM SAID,
FLY FROM U.S. SOIL.
>> MM-HMM.
>> KEEP-- CUT THE COSTS DOWN.
SO A KEY PART OF THAT IS
FINISHING THAT PART OF THE JOB.
>> HMM.
>> AND THEN ON SPACE STATION,
OF COURSE, WE'RE DOING
RESEARCH FOR HOW THE HUMAN
BODY BEHAVES IN LONG DURATION.
AND THAT'S A KEY PART OF
ANY EXPLORATION PLAN, RIGHT?
HOW-HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP
OUR CREWS SAFE AND HEALTHY FOR
THESE LONG DURATION MISSIONS?
SO THAT'S A BIG PART
THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY
THAT APPLIES.
THEN SLS ORION, UH,
AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE
MANY TIMES, SO WE'RE-WE'RE
ALMOST READY TO FLY.
>> MM-HMM.
>> UH, IN 2020,
WE'LL BE FLYIN'.
AND THOSE ARE KEY MISSIONS
THAT ENABLE, UH, SPACE, UH,
POLICY DIRECTIVE NUMBER ONE,
GOING BACK TO THE MOON.
'CAUSE YOU NEED THE KINDA
ENERGY THAT SLS PROVIDES,
AND THE KIND OF SYSTEMS THAT
ORION PROVIDES TO GET A CREW
OUT PAST THE MOON.
>> YEAH.
>> SO THOSE ARE GONNA BE
VERY VISIBLE THINGS
IN THE NEAR TERM.
AND THEN, REALLY, WE'VE BEEN
WORKING, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE
ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO
AROUND THE MOON, RIGHT?
HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE
THIS GATEWAY TO BASICALLY
PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE MOON.
AND SO WE'RE IN THE EARLY
STAGES, BUT JOHNSON PLAYS
A KEY ROLE IN-IN HOW THAT'S
GOING TO WORK AND HOW
THAT MIGHT COME TOGETHER.
AND WE USE OUR EXPERIENCE
IN HOW TO PARTNER WITH PEOPLE,
BOTH INTERNATIONAL
AND COMMERCIAL, TO FIGURE OUT
THE SMARTEST WAYS
TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PIECES
THAT WE'RE PULLING TOGETHER TO
HELP NASA IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN.
>> THAT'S GREAT.
>> WHEN-WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
THE HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, WHICH
MARK MENTIONED, THAT'S ONE OF
THE BIG REASONS, UM, THE FIRST
SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE, UH,
BY THE PRESIDENT IS TO GO
BACK TO THE MOON.
WE-WE KNOW, BECAUSE OF
THE GREAT WORK DONE HERE AT
JOHNSON, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
TO HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
IN A MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT.
WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW,
YOUR-YOUR BONE MASS WILL
DECREASE BY ABOUT 1% TO 3%
PER MONTH.
AND THERE ARE WAYS TO MITIGATE
AGAINST THAT, BUT, UM--
BUT THERE WILL BE A DEGRADATION
OF THE BONE MASS.
WE KNOW THAT THE HEART
WILL BE DECONDITIONED.
UM, WE KNOW THAT
THE NEUROVESTIBULAR SYSTEM
GETS, UM, THROWN OUT OF WHACK
WHILE YOU'RE IN A MICROGRAVITY
ENVIRONMENT, WHEN YOU COME
BACK TO A-A GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT.
SO THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW,
IF WE'RE GONNA SEND
ASTRONAUTS TO MARS,
THEY'RE GONNA BE IN
THAT MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT
FOR SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT,
NINE MONTHS.
>> MM-HMM.
>> UM, AND ONCE THEY'RE AT MARS,
THERE'S NO COMIN' HOME
FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
WELL, THE MOON GIVES US
AN OPPORTUNITY, UM,
TO-TO PROVE OUT, YOU KNOW, CAN--
YOU KNOW, ARE-ARE THERE, UM--
ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN HAVE
AN ASTRONAUT IN A MICROGRAVITY
ENVIRONMENT FOR SIX MONTHS,
AND THEN SEND THEM
TO THE MOON, AND SEE IF THAT
REVERSES THE EFFECTS?
LIKE, WH-WHEN YOU'RE IN 1/6 G,
WHICH IS THE SURFACE OF
THE MOON, UM, DOES THAT REVERSE
THE EFFECTS THAT YOU HAD
IN MICROGRAVITY?
UM, AND IF IT DOES, THEN
WE WOULD KNOW THAT IN 1/3 G,
WHICH IS MARS, UH, IT WOULD
PROBABLY ALSO BE EFFECTIVE.
>> MM-HMM.
>> UM, BUT THE REALITY IS,
WE CAN'T SEND ASTRONAUTS
FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER BEING
IN A MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT
FOR SEVEN MONTHS, PUT THEM
ON A-- ON A SURFACE OF ANOTHER
WORLD AND HAVE THEM BE PERFECT.
THEY HAVE TO BE PERFECT
IN ORDER TO STAY ALIVE
FOR TWO YEARS.
>> YEAH.
>> UM, AND PROVING THAT OUT
AT THE MOON IS REALLY
THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT
SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE ONE
IS ALL ABOUT, AS WELL AS
RETIRING THE RISK FOR
A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGIES
AND THE CAPABILITIES.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH, THAT'S-- IT'S ONE OF
THE THINGS-- ONE OF THE NICE
THINGS, I THINK, ABOUT
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
IS THAT IT'S SO CLOSE.
250 MILES SOUNDS PRETTY FAR.
BUT HONESTLY, IT'S PRETTY
CLOSE TO HOME.
IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG,
YOU CAN COME BACK.
IT'S THE PERFECT PLACE,
REALLY, TO TEST A LOT OF
THESE CAPABILITIES.
AND THAT'S, I THINK, WHERE
THE COMMERCIAL CREW COMES IN,
RIGHT-- NOW WE'RE DOING
THIS CERTIFICATION PROCESS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH SPACEX
AND BOEING VERY CLOSELY, UH,
TO PROVIDE US THE CAPABILITY
FOR LOWER-- FOR ACCESS
TO LOW EARTH ORBIT.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST THAT, RIGHT?
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE SPACE STATION.
UH, UH-- WE'RE ENDING
DIRECT FEDERAL FUNDING IN 2025.
BUILDING A LOW EARTH ORBIT
ECONOMY, SOMETHING THAT'S,
I DON'T THINK, BEEN DONE BEFORE.
WHAT'S-- SO THAT'S PART OF
THIS DIRECTIVE, RIGHT,
IS ESTABLISHING AN ECONOMY
IN SPACE.
SO HOW ARE WE DOING THAT?
>> YEAH, THAT'S A--
IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
WORK THROUGH IT.
>> YEAH?
>> UM, YOU-YOU CAN IMAGINE,
UM, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF
TECHNOLOGIES AND CAPABILITIES
THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED
ALREADY.
AND-AND MARK HAS BEEN REALLY
GOOD ABOUT TALKING ABOUT
HOW THE SPACE STATION,
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,
HAS REALLY BEEN A-A KEY DRIVER
OF ENABLING US TO-TO
COMMERCIALIZE LOW EARTH ORBIT.
>> MM-HMM.
>> IF THERE IS NO SPACE STATION,
THERE WOULD BE
NO COMMERCIALIZATION.
AND SO, UM, IT HAS BEEN
A VERY EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR
BUILDING THE SPACE ECONOMY,
IF YOU WILL.
AND NOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, EVEN
EXPERIMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW, YOU THINK ABOUT
FIBER OPTICS BEING
MANUFACTURED ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,
WHICH COULD, UM, DRIVE DOWN
THE COST FOR, IN ESSENCE,
MAKING, UM, NOT JUST AMERICA,
BUT THE WORLD MORE CONNECTED.
YOU THINK ABOUT, UM,
THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE
PHARMACEUTICALS IN
A MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT,
WHERE YOU CAN, UM, DO THINGS
THAT YOU CANNOT DO ON EARTH.
YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, TAKING
ADULT STEM CELLS
AND 3D PRINTING HUMAN ORGANS,
UH, TO INCREASE THE-THE-- YOU
KNOW, THE LIVES OF-OF HUMANS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE BEING
DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW, UH,
WITH THE SUPPORT OF NASA ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE THINGS
IS A MARKET UNTO ITSELF.
>> MM-HMM.
>> UH, AND THERE'S SO MUCH
MORE, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> SO, WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE--
AND ON A-ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS,
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT
COMMERCIAL CREW.
WE'RE GOING TO BE LAUNCHING
COMMERCIAL CREW HERE, UM,
IN THE NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT,
AS-AS-AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT,
SENDING AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS
ON AMERICAN ROCKETS
FROM AMERICAN SOIL.
ALL OF THAT IS FANTASTIC.
BUT THESE COMMERCIAL CREW
PROVIDERS, AND MANY--
THEY-THEY HAVE SEATS.
THEY HAVE-- THEY HAVE SEVEN
SEATS ON THEIR SPACECRAFT,
WHICH MEANS WE COULD BE FLYING
TOURISTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
UH, IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S--
AND I'M NOT SAYING
WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
I'M SAYING, THAT IS
AN OPPORTUNITY THAT
WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
>> MM-HMM.
>> UH, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE
A DAY WHEN, UM, WE HAVE
NOT JUST TOURISTS BUT, UM,
YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF
SCIENTISTS, UM, DIFFERENT
TYPES OF EVEN JOURNALISTS,
UM, FLYING TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, UH, TO SHARE
WITH THE WORLD KIND OF
WHAT'S-WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH,
IN-IN LOW EARTH ORBIT.
SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF WAYS
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION TO BECOME
MORE COMMERCIALIZED.
BETWEEN NOW AND-AND 20--
UH, 2025--
>> MM-HMM.
>> UM, THAT'S SEVEN YEARS
FROM NOW-- THERE'S--
>> YEAH.
>> BETWEEN NOW AND THEN,
THERE'S A LOT THAT'S
GONNA CHANGE.
AND IT'S NOT JUST
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
THAT COULD BE
MORE COMMERCIALIZED.
IT WOULD BE OTHER PRIVATE
HABITAT-HABITATS IN LOW EARTH
ORBIT THAT WOULD BE ADDING
TO THAT, UM, MARKETPLACE
IN LOW EARTH ORBIT.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF
REALLY EXCITING THINGS
HAPPENING.
WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO,
THOUGH-- AND MARK AND I HAVE
TALKED ABOUT THIS--
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE PLANNING TODAY--
>> MM-HMM.
>> --FOR A FUTURE WHERE
WE HAVE NO GAPS IN
LOW EARTH ORBIT.
WE-WE DON'T WANNA HAVE A DAY
WHEN AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS
ARE NOT THERE.
KIDS THAT ARE GRADUATING FROM
HIGH SCHOOL TODAY HAVE LIVED
THEIR ENTIRE LIVES WITH
A HUMAN LIVING AND WORKING
IN SPACE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT
THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW,
18 YEARS FROM NOW,
AND THEN 18 YEARS FROM THEN,
SO THERE'S NO GAP.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT
WE'RE WORKING TO ACHIEVE NOW.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
AND IT'S-IT'S ALREADY
UNDER WORK.
MARK, I KNOW JUST RECENTLY,
THE NASA RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT
CAME OUT.
WE SELECTED COMPANIES TO
ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK
SPECIFICALLY AT THIS.
WHAT CAN WE DO, RIGHT?
SO-SO WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?
>> YEAH, EXACTLY.
THAT'S A G-- A GREAT LEAD-IN,
'CAUSE WE'RE--
YOU KNOW, WE NASA,
WE'RE SMART PEOPLE.
WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH
PEOPLE FOR OUR WHOLE--
OUR WHOLE HISTORY.
SO NOW WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE
THAT ARE ON THE CUTTING EDGE
OF COMMERCIALIZING SPACE.
AND SOME ARE SUPPLIERS.
SOME ARE CREATING DEMAND SIDE.
SO WE ASK THEM,
"WHAT WOULD YOU DO?"
>> RIGHT.
>> "WHAT-WHAT DO YOU THINK
"MAKES SENSE, AS A COMPANY,
"THAT WOULD ENABLE YOU?"
AND "WHAT DO YOU THINK
"NASA'S DOING THAT'S
"STOPPING YOU?"
>> MM-HMM.
>> SO LET'S TALK ABOUT
BOTH OF THOSE, AND WHAT ARE
THE THINGS WE CAN DO AS A--
AS AN AGENCY TO HELP THAT?
'CAUSE WE-- 'CAUSE AS JIM SAID,
THAT'S THE GOAL.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE-- UH,
AND I LIKE THE PHRASE,
"ONE OF MANY CUSTOMERS."
SO HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?
THAT MEANS THESE OTHER FOLKS
NEED TO BE CUSTOMERS.
THESE OTHER FOLKS NEED TO HAVE
A REASON TO BE IN SPACE.
AND SO, HOW DO WE ENABLE THAT?
SO WE'RE REALLY CASTING A WIDE
NET, ASKING PEOPLE WHO HAVE--
NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE-ARE
THINKING, BUT PEOPLE WHO
HAVE ACTUALLY DONE COMMERCIAL
IDEAS IN SPACE AND SAY,
"OKAY, HOW WOULD IT WORK?"
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> SO WE CAN PUT TOGETHER
A REAL PLAN.
I THINK THAT'S THE KEY.
>> YEAH, WORK, AND THEN
ALSO, BE SUSTAINABLE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> SOMETHING-SOMETHING THAT'S
A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY,
SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT PEOPLE
TO COME AND PARTICIPATE IN.
>> EXACTLY.
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S-IT'S IN A--
IT'S SOMETHING THAT
COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIES
CAN PROFIT FROM.
>> YEAH.
>> UM--
>> I THINK WE SEE WHAT--
IF I-- IF I COULD JUST
ADD TO THAT?
>> YEAH, SURE.
>> I THINK WE'RE SEEING,
ON STATION, WITH THE--
WITH THE NATIONAL LAB AND OTHER
THINGS, WHERE IT'S NOT--
IT'S NOT REAL, REAL SIMPLE
TO START A COMPANY
IN SPACE, RIGHT?
IT'S NOT REAL, REAL SIMPLE
TO START CREATING A PRODUCT
IN SPACE.
IT TAKES, UH, SOME HELP FROM
NASA, JUST TO GET UP THERE.
IT TAKES PEOPLE WITH
EXPERTISE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS,
UH, IN SPACE.
AND THEN IT TAKES
TRI-TRIAL AND ERROR.
SO THE NATIONAL LAB IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE, WHERE WE TAKE PEOPLE
WHO ARE INTERESTED, WHO AREN'T
OUR NORMAL SPACE FOLKS THAT
HAVE BEEN IN SPACE, ALL SORTS
OF DIFFERENT COMPANIES.
UM, AND THEN WE, UH,
GIVE THEM-- TALK ABOUT
THE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE TIE THEM WITH PEOPLE
WHO HAVE CAPABILITIES.
WE LINK 'EM WITH PEOPLE
WHO HAVE MONEY, SAY,
"HEY, THESE PEOPLE MIGHT BE
"INTERESTED, TOO."
>> YEAH.
>> 'CAUSE IT'S SEEDING THAT
THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WHAT'LL--
THE KEY WAS-- IF O--
WHEN ONE OF THOSE TAKES OFF,
WHERE SOMEBODY REALLY STARTS
MAKING MONEY--
>> MM-HMM.
>> --UH, IN SPACE, UH,
THAT'LL BE GREAT FOR US.
WE JUST NEED TO
GET OUT OF THE WAY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE-THEY'RE GONNA
TO BE DOING THEIR THING.
AND THAT'S REALLY GONNA HELP US
REDUCE OUR FIXED COSTS.
'CAUSE THEY'LL BE BUYING
SERVICES, TOO.
>> FOR SURE.
>> IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD.
>> AND THEN WHEN THAT HAPPENS,
THEN AS MARK SAID, W-WE WILL
BE-- NASA WILL BE ONE CUSTOMER
OF MANY CUSTOMERS, WHICH
DRIVES DOWN OUR PRICE.
BUT WE WILL ALSO HAVE
A LOT OF PROVIDERS.
WHEN I SAY A LOT OF PROVIDERS,
WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF
LAUNCH PROVIDERS.
WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF,
POTENTIALLY, COMMERCIAL
SPACE STATIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE
OUR NASA ASTRONAUTS TO
ON COMMERCIAL LAUNCH,
UM, PROVIDERS.
UM, AND THEN SO IF YOU HAVE
MULTIPLE PROVIDERS, AND WE ARE
ONE OF MANY CUSTOMERS, THEN,
UM, THEY'RE COMPETING
ON INNOVATION.
THEY'RE TRYING TO DO MORE,
UH, IN ORDER TO BECOME
A BIGGER, YOU KNOW--
THEY WANT US TO BE
AN-AN EVEN BIGGER CUSTOMER.
SO THEY'RE GONNA COMPETE
ON INNOVATION.
THEY'RE GONNA COMPETE
ON COSTS.
THAT MEANS NASA CAN DO MORE
THAN IT'S EVER DONE BEFORE.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT WE'RE GONNA
BE ABLE TO TAKE
OUR RESOURCES FROM
THE TAXPAYER AND DO THINGS
FOR WHICH THERE IS
NO COMMERCIAL MARKETPLACE.
WE CAN FLY TO THE MOON ON SLS
AND ORION, WHICH RIGHT NOW,
THERE ISN'T A COMMERCIAL
CAPABILITY THERE.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND OF COURSE, WE CAN BUILD
THE GATEWAY.
AND THE FIRST GATEWAY IS ABOUT
MORE ACCESS TO MORE PARTS
OF THE MOON THAN EVER BEFORE.
AND THE SECOND GATEWAY IS
A DEEP SPACE TRANSPORT
THAT TAKES US TO MARS.
SO ALL OF THOSE CAPABILITIES
ARE DEPENDENT ON
US COMMERCIALIZING
LOW EARTH ORBIT.
WE DON'T WANNA LOSE
LOW EARTH ORBIT.
WE JUST WANT IT TO BE
COMMERCIALIZED.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN TAKE
OUR RESOURCES AND DO THINGS
WHERE THERE IS NO
COMMERCIAL MARKET YET.
>> YEAH.
WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE IT.
IT GOES BACK TO YOUR POINT
OF SAYING CONTINUING
ACCESS, RIGHT?
WE STILL WANT TO BE A PART OF
THAT-- NASA IS ONE OF
MANY CUSTOMERS-- BUT ALSO,
THE ACCESS, YOU KNOW,
FOR-FOR ASTRONAUTS, TOO.
AND EVEN FOR-FOR PRIVATE
COMPANIES, TO-TO SEND PEOPLE
UP THERE.
AND THAT'S-THAT'S ACTUALLY
A MONEY-MAKING ENDEAVOR AS WELL.
BUT THE-- YOU KNOW,
WHILE WE'RE-- WHILE WE'RE ALSO
DOING THAT, THERE'S
THIS-THIS ECONOMY DOWN THERE,
SO WE CAN FOCUS ON,
LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, EXPLORATION.
AND THIS GATEWAY THING,
I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING
WE'VE TOUCHED ON SO MUCH
ON THIS SHOW.
SO-SO WE'VE-- WHAT IS GATEWAY?
WHAT IS THIS THING?
>> SO THE IDEA IS, UM,
SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE ONE
SAYS WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON.
>> YEAH.
>> IT ALSO SAYS THAT
WE'RE GONNA GO SUSTAINABLY.
>> HMM.
>> IN OTHER WORDS, UM,
WE'RE NOT GONNA DO
FLAGS AND FOOTPRINTS AGAIN.
BUT THIS TIME,
WHEN WE GO TO THE MOON,
WE'RE GOING TO STAY.
>> MM-HMM.
>> SO ONE OF THE WAYS
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T
COME HOME IS TO PUT
A SPACE STATION AROUND THE MOON
FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND WE'RE-- YOU KNOW,
IT'S GONNA HAVE
SOLAR-ELECTRIC PROPULSION,
WHICH MEANS, UH,
VERY HIGH SPECIFIC IMPULSE.
IN OTHER WORDS, UH, THE, UH--
THE FUEL ECONOMY WILL BE
VERY, VERY HIGH.
>> NICE.
>> UH, SO IT CAN STAY THERE
FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IT'S IN WHAT'S CALLED
A NEAR RECTILINE--
NEAR RECTILINEAR HALO ORBIT,
WHICH MEANS IT'S KIND OF
BALANCED BETWEEN EARTH OR--
YOU KNOW, EARTH AND THE MOON
ARE-- YOU KNOW, THE GRAVITY
WELLS OF THE TWO
PLANETARY BODIES.
SO ALL OF THAT BEING SAID,
IT CAN BE THERE FOR
A LONG, LONG TIME.
UM, AND THEN WHAT WE NEED IS
WE NEED REUSABILITY.
WE-WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
WITH REUSABLE LAUNCH.
THE COSTS GO DOWN,
ACCESS GOES UP.
WE NEED, YOU KNOW,
TUGS BETWEEN EARTH ORBIT
AND LUNAR ORBIT TO BE REUSABLE.
WE NEED LANDERS THAT GO
FROM THAT GATEWAY,
THAT SPACE STATION, IN ORBIT
AROUND THE MOON--
WE NEED LANDERS TO BE REUSABLE.
ALL OF THAT, UM, REUSABILITY
IS WHAT MAKES EVERYTHING
SUSTAINABLE.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S
IMPORTANT IS, WHEN WE GO
TO THE MOON, WE WANNA HAVE
ACCESS TO EVERY PART
OF THE MOON, NOT JUST
THE EQUATORIAL REGIONS.
UM, FROM 1969, WHEN WE FIRST
LANDED ON THE MOON,
ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL 2008,
39 YEARS, WE BELIEVED THAT
THE MOON WAS BONE DRY.
AND IN 2008, AND THEN MORE
IN 2009, WE DISCOVERED THAT
THERE'S HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS
OF TONS OF WATER ICE
ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.
WATER ICE REPRESENTS,
YOU KNOW, WATER TO DRINK,
OF COURSE.
BUT IT ALSO REPRESENTS
AIR TO BREATHE.
AND IT REPRESENTS ROCKET FUEL--
HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN,
ULTIMATELY-- WHEN SEPARATED
INTO ITS COMPONENT PARTS
AND PUT INTO CRYOGENIC FORM,
THAT'S-THAT'S ROCKET FUEL.
NOW, UM, SPACE POLICY
DIRECTIVE ONE, SIGNED BY
THE PRESIDENT, ACTUALLY TALKS
ABOUT UTILIZING THE RESOURCES
OF THE MOON.
SO AGAIN, WE WANNA
GO SUSTAINABLY.
WE WANNA NOT DO
FLAGS AND FOOTPRINTS.
WE WANNA BE THERE TO STAY.
>> MM-HMM.
>> WE WANT TO UTILIZE
THE RESOURCES OF-OF THE MOON,
NAMELY, WATER ICE, FOR NOW.
>> MM-HMM.
>> BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE--
AND WE DON'T KNOW, BUT
IT'S TRUE THAT THERE COULD BE,
YOU KNOW, PLATINUM GROUP METALS
ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.
RARE-- YOU KNOW, ON EARTH,
WE CALL THEM RARE EARTH METALS.
BUT THEY'RE REALLY
ASTEROID IMPACTS FROM
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.
WELL, THE MOON HAS THE SAME--
THE SAME, YOU KNOW, PATH
THAT THE MOON HAS
THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
>> YEAH.
>> WHICH-WHICH MEANS THAT
IT PROBABLY IMPACTED THE SAME
ASTEROID THAT THE EARTH HAS
IMPACTED, WHICH MEANS
THERE COULD BE, UM, A-A LOT.
THERE COULD BE TRILLIONS
OF DOLLARS WORTH OF
PLATINUM GROUP METALS
ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.
WE DON'T KNOW, BUT CERTAINLY,
UH, WE SHOULD FIND OUT.
AND IT SHOULD BE
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THAT FINDS OUT,
NOT SOMEBODY ELSE.
>> RIGHT, YEAH, SO
I-I LIKE THIS IDEA OF
GATEWAY, BECAUSE BASICALLY,
WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS-IS
DEVELOPING NOT ONLY
THE SPACE STATION AND ACCESS,
BUT ALSO A CAPABILITY,
A FLEXIBLE CAPABILITY.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> SO IT-IT ORBITS THE MOON.
BUT BASICALLY, AFTER THAT,
YOU CAN KIND OF DECIDE,
OH, YOU-- IT'S ALL ABOUT
EXPLORATION, RIGHT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> SO AS SOON AS YOU FIND
SOMETHING NEW, YOU CAN--
YOU KNOW, OH,
LET'S GO CHECK THAT OUT.
LET'S GO CHECK THAT OUT.
>> EXACTLY.
>> IT'S ENABLING THIS ACCESS.
IT'S A-- IT'S A AWESOME TIME.
AND THE THING THAT'S GONNA
TAKE US THERE, RIGHT, IS
THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM, RIGHT?
>> THAT'S W-- YEAH.
AND-AND IN FACT,
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS AS WELL.
>> OH, OKAY.
>> IT'S ALL GONNA BE
OPEN ARCHITECTURE.
SO, UH, WHETHER PEOPLE ARE
DOCKING OR USING THE POWER
OF THE GATEWAY, UM, YOU KNOW,
WE-WE WANT-- WE WANT
OUR COMMERCIAL PARTNERS TO BE
ABLE TO BUILD THEIR OWN LANDERS.
WE WANT OUR-OUR INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO BUILD
THEIR OWN LANDERS.
UM, THE-THE GOAL HERE,
ULTIMATELY, IS FOR
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TO ASSUME THE LEAD, AND THEN
ENABLE OUR COMMERCIAL
AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
TO DO MORE AND-AND BE THERE
FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
>> MM-HMM.
>> SO THAT WE CAN LEARN,
SCIENTIFICALLY, MORE ABOUT
THE MOON THAN WE'VE EVER
KNOWN BEFORE.
LIKE I SAID, WE FIRST
DISCOVERED WATER ICE IN 2008.
UM, WHAT ELSE DO WE NOT KNOW
ABOUT THE SURFACE OF THE MOON?
AND I'M WILLING TO BET
THERE IS A LOT WE DON'T KNOW.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> UH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY,
AGAIN, RETIRING THE RISK
ON A LOT OF THESE CAPABILITIES
AND TECHNOLOGIES, SO THAT
THAT GATEWAY CAN BE--
IN THE LONG RUN, THE SECOND
GATEWAY-- CAN BE OUR DEEP SPACE
TRANSPORT TO-TO GET US TO MARS.
AND WE WANT THIS ENTIRE
ARCHITECTURE TO BE REPLICABLE.
LIKE, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO
TAKE IT TO MARS.
>> MM-HMM.
>> AND, UH, THAT'S-THAT'S
THE OBJECTIVE.
NOW, I KNOW, YOU KNOW,
MARS AND-AND THE MOON ARE NOT
THE SAME.
MARS HAS AN ATMOSPHERE
WHICH MAKES ENTRY, DESCENT,
AND LANDING A LITTLE BIT
MORE CHALLENGING.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
UH, AS MUCH OF IT THAT WE CAN
REPLICATE, WE WANNA BE ABLE
TO-TO REPLICATE.
>> FOR SURE.
ANOTHER THEME YOU'VE BEEN
TOUCHING ON IS-IS THIS IDEA OF
LEADERSHIP, THE IDEA OF-OF
AMERICANS, UH, LEADING
THIS-THIS EFFORT.
SO WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT
TO THIS-- TO THIS DIRECTIVE?
>> SO A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T
REALIZE THE SOFT POWER
CAPABILITY OF NASA.
THIS IS REALLY, UM-- YOU KNOW,
EARLIER YOU ASKED,
"WHAT DO YOU DO AS
"THE NASA ADMINISTRATOR?"
WELL, UM, REALLY, ABOUT
A MONTH AGO, I WAS AT
THE FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW
IN ENGLAND, MEETING WITH
THE HEADS OF SPACE AGENCIES
FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, AND THE-THE IDEA--
YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO SELL
THIS NEW SPACE POLICY DIRECTIVE,
THAT WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON,
AND WE'RE GONNA DO
A SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
AT THE MOON, AND WE WANT
OUR COMMERCIAL AND INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERS TO JOIN US
IN THIS EFFORT.
UH, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA
HAVE TO DO A HARD SALES PITCH.
AND THE REALITY IS, UH,
THEY'RE READY TO GO.
IT WAS REALLY EASY.
THEY'RE SAYING TO ME, UH,
"TELL US WHAT YOU NEED US
"TO DO, AND WE'LL GO SELL
"OUR GOVERNMENTS, BECAUSE
"WE'RE READY."
THEY'VE-- A LOT OF COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BEEN
WAITING TO GO TO THE MOON.
UM, AND THEY JUST NEEDED,
YOU KNOW, THE LEADER.
AND THAT'S WHO WE ARE.
WE LEAD.
YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING THAT
I THINK IS IMPORTANT ABOUT
NASA-- WHEN RELATIONSHIPS
BREAK DOWN AROUND THE WORLD--
UM, AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN
PROBABLY TELL THAT WE'VE HAD
A STRAINED RELATIONSHIP
RECENTLY WITH RUSSIA.
WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO
COOPERATE ON
SPACE-RELATED ACTIVITIES,
CIVIL SPACE-RELATED ACTIVITIES,
WHICH HAS ENABLED US
TO DO MORE.
IT'S ENABLED THEM TO DO MORE.
AND THAT'S REALLY AN--
A LINE OF COMMUNICATION, UM,
THAT WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE
WITHOUT NASA.
SO NASA REPRESENTS, UH,
AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TO LEAD.
IT REPRESENTS A SOFT POWER
CAPABILITY, AND, UM,
AND REALLY, AN-AN OPEN CHANNEL
OF COMMUNICATION WHEN
OTHER CHANNELS FAIL.
>> HMM.
>> SO--
>> SO I KNOW IT'S, UH--
KIND OF ALONG THESE LINES
OF AMERICAN LEADERSHIP.
AND-AND IT'S-- IT GOES BACK
TO THIS IDEA OF
COOPERATION, RIGHT?
IT'S SOMETHING THAT
WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
AND MARK, YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR
WITH IT, RIGHT?
YOU'VE WORKED IN
THE SPACE STATION PROGRAM
FOR A LONG TIME.
YOU, YOURSELF, WERE A LEADER
TO-TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH RUSSIA
AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO DESCRIBE HOW--
IT'S-IT'S CALLED
AN INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
IT'S CALLED THAT FOR A REASON.
IT'S BECAUSE IT'S ALL OF THESE
NATIONS, COMING TOGETHER
TO MAKE THIS THING,
THIS SINGLE IDEA, POSSIBLE.
SO HOW DOES THAT--
HOW DOES THAT WORK,
THIS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION?
>> I THINK IT'S A GREAT
LEAD-IN OR TIE TO
YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION, TOO.
BECAUSE REALLY, IT WAS
NASA, UNITED STATES, THAT
SAID, "HEY, WE WANNA DO
"THIS SPACE STATION."
>> HMM.
>> AND "HEY, WE WANNA DO THIS
"WITH OTHER FOLKS."
AND THEN THEY CAME ALONGSIDE
AND DID IT WITH US.
>> YEAH.
>> BUT TO DO THAT, SO TO LEAD,
YOU KNOW, TO BE A GOOD LEADER,
ONE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE
A VISION.
BUT TWO, YOU ALSO HAVE TO
LISTEN, RIGHT?
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
YOUR PARTNER'S COMMON GOALS.
AND SO UNIFYING AROUND COMMON
GOALS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND THAT WAS A LOT OF
WHAT WE DID WITH THE RUSSIANS
IN THE EARLY STAGE, YOU KNOW.
YOU-YOU SET A POLICY, BUT THEN
YOU SIT DOWN ACROSS THE TABLE
AND TALK ABOUT WHAT DRIVES
THEM, RIGHT, WHAT'S LIKELY
TO ENABLE SUPPORT WITHIN
THEIR COUNTRY FOR THEM TO GET
THE FUNDING TO DO THE THINGS
THAT-THAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND SO A LOT OF THAT IS
YOU-YOU FIND OUT
THAT'S WHAT MAKES THESE KIND
OF PARTNERSHIPS WORK.
UM, SO STATION'S THE--
A-A BIG EXAMPLE OF THAT--
NOT JUST THE RUSSIANS,
BUT OF COURSE, EUROPEANS,
THE JAPANESE, THE CANADIANS.
UM, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE
THEIR OWN THING, RIGHT?
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN THING
THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN,
THEIR OWN THING
THAT DRIVES THEM.
AND SO YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND
THE COMMON-- THAT STILL
MEETS, UH, NASA'S
AND THE UNITED STATES'S GOALS.
SO AS JIM SAID, WE'RE TAKIN'
THAT EXPERIENCE, THEN,
OUT TO THE MOON.
'CAUSE ORION HAS A EUROPEAN
COMPONENT, RIGHT?
THE EUROPEAN SERVICE MODULE
IS A BIG PIECE OF ORION.
>> RIGHT.
>> IT'S-- AND THAT'S
A STRATEGIC DECISION TO GO
PARTNER WITH THEM TO MAKE
THAT PIECE OF ORION.
SO WE-- IT'S THE BEGINNING
OF US LEADING NOW INTO
THE NEXT PHASE.
AND, UM, JIM SAID ALSO,
FOR THE GATEWAY, THERE'LL BE
INTERNATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL
PARTNERS AS PART OF THAT, TOO.
SO IT'S TAKIN' THAT
EXPERIENCE-- I THINK
WE'RE LEARNIN' BETTER HOW TO
PARTNER WITH COMMERCIAL FOLKS,
'CAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
THINGS THAT DRIVE THEM, RIGHT?
AND-AND HOW DO YOU FIND
COMMON-COMMON GOALS THAT-THAT
HELP THEM, HELP THEIR COMPANY,
UH, BUT STILL LINE UP WITH
WHAT WE WANT, UH, AS A NATION?
SO IT'S-IT'S-IT'S A SKILL THAT
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE.
IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN
HOW TO DO IT, BUT IT'S, UM,
IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING,
AND IT'S A BIG PART, I THINK,
AS WHAT'S GONNA MAKE US
SUSTAINABLE, AS JIM SAID,
IN THE FUTURE.
>> AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT YOU-YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON
IS COMMERCIAL PARTNERS ARE-ARE
ONE TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS ARE
ANOTHER TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP.
AND WE WANT TO ENABLE
COMMERCIAL TO JOIN US
AS WE DEVELOP OUR NEXT
GENERATION OF CAPABILITIES.
AND THEY WANT TO JOIN US.
THE-THE CHALLENGE IS
HOW-HOW DO YOU-- IF-IF YOU'RE
DEVELOPING THIS ARCHITECTURE
AND YOU WANT COMMERCIAL
PARTNERSHIPS IN IT, HOW DO YOU
THEN INCLUDE INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERS AS WELL?
AND SO THE IDEA WOULD BE,
WELL, WE BRING IN
OUR COMMERCIAL PARTNERS,
THEY BRING IN THEIR COMMERCIAL
PARTNERS, AND THEN WE PARTNER
AT THE AGENCY LEVEL
WITH ALL OF OUR COMMERCIAL
PARTNERS KIND OF
IN-IN-IN THE MIX.
WELL, THERE ARE SOME COUNTRIES
THAT DON'T HAVE
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS.
THEY DON'T HAVE COMMERCIAL
SPACE CAPABILITIES.
AND IN FACT, I'VE MET WITH,
UH, ONE COUNTRY IN PARTICULAR
WHO, YOU KNOW, TOLD ME
THAT-THAT THEY'RE NOT
INTERESTED IN COMMERCIAL,
AND-AND THAT, YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE NOT REAL THRILLED
ABOUT OUR COMMERCIALIZATION
OF SPACE.
AND I SAID, "WELL, TELL ME,
"WHY IS THAT?
"WE CAN DO MORE NOW
"THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO
"DO BEFORE.
"WHY IS THAT?"
AND THIS-THIS PARTICULAR
PERSON SAID, "WELL, WE DON'T
"HAVE PRIVATE CAPITAL
"IN OUR COUNTRY," UM, WHICH
KIND OF WAS EYE-OPENING FOR ME.
"WE DON'T-- WE DON'T HAVE
"PRIVATE CAPITAL."
UM, SO TO THE EXTENT
WE PARTNER WITH SOME COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY OF
DOING GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS,
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO--
WE HAVE TO THINK CAREFULLY
ABOUT, UM, HOW TO-- HOW TO
INCLUDE THEM IN AN ERA WHEN
WE WANT COMMERCIALIZATION,
AND THEY'RE-THEY'RE NOT
THERE YET.
UM, AND IN SOME OF THESE CASES--
AND I'VE TALKED TO
SOME COUNTRIES-- THEY'RE
WORKING REALLY HARD TO DEVELOP
A COMMERCIAL CAPABILITY THAT
DOESN'T YET EXIST, WHICH IS
ALSO-- THAT'S GOOD TO SEE.
THAT'S-THAT'S AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP.
THAT'S NASA LEADERSHIP, UM,
THAT'S GONNA ENABLE US
AS HUMANITY TO DO MORE THAN
WE'VE EVER DONE BEFORE.
>> THAT'S WONDERFUL.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S THIS SENSE
OF AMERICAN INSPIRATION,
AS WELL, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN
WORKIN' WITH-WITH, UH,
COMPANIES NOW-- OR-OR
NATIONS-- FOR THE-- WITH
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
FOR ALMOST
TWO DECADES NOW, RIGHT?
SO-SO IT'S-IT'S THIS CONSTANT
COOPERATION THAT KIND OF GETS
THE WHEELS TURNIN'
AND-AND-AND MAKES THINGS WORK.
BUT ARE YOU SEEING A CHANGE
IN THE LANDSCAPE?
ARE YOU SEEING THAT
IT'S GROWING, THAT
MORE COMPANIES, MORE INDUSTRY
ARE WANTING TO TAKE PART IN,
UH, SPACE EXPLORATION
AND EVEN COMMERCIAL SPACE?
>> MARK, YOU WANNA TAKE THAT?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
I THINK YOU CAN SEE IT
IN JUST THE VARIATION OF
THE COMPANIES THAT ARE WORKING
ON PAYLOADS AND OTHER THINGS
ON SPACE STATION, COMPANIES
THAT HAVE GROWN UP BASICALLY
REALLY, UH, PROVIDING
A CAPABILITY NOBODY THOUGHT OF
BEFORE, LIKE AN AIRLOCK
TO THEN USE TO FLY, UH,
SMALL SATELLITES--
CUBESATS--RIGHT?
SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T THINK
ABOUT A LOT, AND NOW
THE STATION, I THINK, IS
THE NUMBER ONE PLATFORM
FOR LAUNCHING THESE SATELLITES
INTO SPACE.
SO THINGS WE HADN'T THOUGHT OF
BEFORE, COMPANIES ARE
COMING UP WITH THAT.
AND SO THE KEY IS, UH,
AS WE'VE TALKED, JUST PROVIDING
A FRAMEWORK WHERE YOU CAN GET
THAT INNOVATION, RIGHT?
GETTING ENOUGH FRAMEWORK
THAT WE MAKE SURE, HEY,
STATION'S GONNA BE OKAY,
BUT THEN GIVING ENOUGH ROOM
SO THAT THEY CAN INNOVATE
AND FIND NICHES THAT WE WOULD
NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF BEFORE.
SO WE'RE SEEING THAT A LOT
ON SPACE STATION.
>> ALMOST A DIFFERENT WAY
OF DOING BUSINESS.
>> EXACTLY.
>> YEAH.
>> BUT THERE'S ALSO--
EVEN BEYOND NASA, WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING
WITH COMMUNICATION
ARCHITECTURES, WHERE
IT USED TO BE IN ORDER TO DO
OVER THE HORIZON COMMUNICATION,
YOU HAD TO LAUNCH
TO GEOSTATIONARY ORBIT.
AND THE-THE SATELLITES WERE
$500 MILLION, AND THEY WERE,
YOU KNOW, THE SIZE
OF-OF THIS TABLE HERE.
AND NOW WE'RE SEEING
CONSTELLATIONS OF THOUSANDS OF
SATELLITES BEING LAUNCHED
INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT, UM,
THAT ARE THE SIZE OF
A-A DISHWASHER.
UH, AND THAT'S GONNA ENABLE
LOW LATENCY, HIGH THROUGHPUT
COMMUNICATIONS.
IN OTHER WORDS, UM, IT WILL
MEET THE SAME STANDARD AS
CELL TOWER COMMUNICATIONS.
YOUR-YOUR CELL PHONE WILL
BE ABLE TO WORK
WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD.
YOU COULD BE IN-IN RURAL ALASKA
OR YOU COULD BE IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN,
AND YOUR CELL PHONE WILL WORK,
UH, FROM ANY OF THOSE LOCATIONS,
WHICH WILL CONNECT-- YOU KNOW,
THERE'S STILL TWO-THIRDS OF
THE WORLD THAT'S NOT CONNECTED.
UM, WELL, AT THAT POINT,
ANYBODY WHO HAS A CELL PHONE
IS NOW CONNECTED TO
THE REST OF THE WORLD.
SO THOSE CAPABILITIES ARE
BEING LAUNCHED, AND THERE'S
HALF A DOZEN DIFFERENT COMPANIES
THAT ARE LAUNCHING THOSE TYPES
OF CONSTELLATIONS INTO SPACE.
UH, AND EACH ONE OF THOSE
COMPANIES WILL BE ABLE TO
BENEFIT NASA, UM,
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
THE-THE COMMUNICATION
ARCHITECTURE THAT WE NEED
IN SPACE.
AND ULTIMATELY, THE TYPE OF
COMMUNICATION ARCHITECTURE
THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED
AROUND THE MOON, AND MAYBE
EVEN AT MARS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UM,
A LOT OF COMMERCIAL CAPABILITY
BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW
THAT'S GONNA BE
TREMENDOUSLY VALUABLE, UM,
FOR-FOR NASA.
>> RIGHT-- CAPABILITY,
OPPORTUNITY, EVERYTHING, REALLY.
UH, I KNOW-- SOMETHING ELSE
NEW IS WE'RE IN THIS TIME NOW
WHERE-WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION
IS SUGGESTING, UM,
A SPACE FORCE, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> I ACTUALLY HAD MY MOM TEXT ME
AND SAY, "HOW DOES THIS
"AFFECT YOU?
"DOES THAT MEAN NASA'S
"GOING AWAY?"
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S-THERE'S
SORT OF A DISCONNECT GOING ON
HERE, SO HOW-HOW-HOW DO YOU
DESCRIBE TO THOSE WHO ARE
CONFUSED, UH, SPACE FORCE
AND NASA?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
NASA DOES EXPLORATION
AND DISCOVERY AND SCIENCE.
WE DO NOT DO NATIONAL SECURITY
AND DEFENSE.
UH, OF COURSE, WE-WE DO HAVE
AN ABILITY TO DO INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS AND SOFT POWER
LEADERSHIP, THOSE KIND OF
THINGS, BUT-BUT WE DON'T
GET INVOLVED IN THE HARD POWER
ACTIVITIES OF THE COUNTRY,
INTENTIONALLY.
YOU GO BACK TO 1958,
THE CREATION OF NASA.
EISENHOWER WAS ABSOLUTELY
ADAMANT THAT NASA NOT BE
PART OF THE NATIONAL
SECURITY APPARATUS.
>> MM-HMM.
>> SO THAT'S-THAT'S A GOOD THING
FOR OUR AGENCY.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, UH,
THE SPACE FORCE-- WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT WHAT IT IS, UM,
IT'S-IT'S REALLY, UH--
YOU LOOK AT AIR FORCE
SPACE COMMAND.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR
ORGANIZING AND TRAINING
A CADRE OF PROFESSIONALS
THAT CAN DO SPACE SECURITY
ACTIVITIES, AND THEN
THE SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS
CENTER, WHICH IS ANOTHER
AIR FORCE COMMAND, UM,
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
ACQUIRING ASSETS FOR
SPACE DEFENSE, SPACE SECURITY.
SO YOU TAKE THOSE-THOSE
COMPONENTS, AIR FORCE
SPACE COMMAND AND
THE SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS
CENTER, AND YOU TAKE THEM
OUT OF THE AIR FORCE
AND YOU-YOU PUT THEM UNDER
A NEW SECRETARY, A SECRETARY
OF THE SPACE FORCE,
AND YOU HAVE A REPRE--
HAVE THEM REPRESENTED
ON THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF,
AND THAT, IN ESSENCE, BECOMES
YOUR ORGANIZE, TRAIN AND EQUIP
FUNCTION, WHICH IS
ALL THAT A MILITARY SERVICE IS.
A MILITARY SERVICES IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANIZING,
TRAINING AND EQUIPPING
A CADRE OF PROFESSIONALS
TO FIGHT IN A CERTAIN DOMAIN.
SO ALL OF THAT COULD BE--
IN FACT, YOU KNOW, THE-THE PLAN
IS THAT THAT'S-- YOU KNOW,
IT WOULD-- IT WOULD-- IT WOULD
COME, REALLY, OUT OF
THE AIR FORCE.
NOW, THE BENEFIT OF CREATING
A SEPARATE FORCE IS THEN
IT HAS A LINE ITEM THAT IS
EQUAL TO THAT OF THE AIR FORCE,
AND THE NAVY, AND THE ARMY,
AND THE MARINE CORPS, UM,
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COMPETE
AGAINST THE AIR DOMAIN
FOR RESOURCES.
DON'T GET ME WRONG-- IT WILL
HAVE TO STILL COMPETE BECAUSE
AT THE END OF THE DAY,
THE-THE-THE BUDGET IS ONLY
SO BIG.
BUT IT WILL HAVE ITS-- IT WILL
HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMPETE
ON THE SAME LEVEL AS-AS
THE-THE AIR FORCE, THE NAVY,
AND THE ARMY.
SO ALL OF THAT, I THINK, UM,
IS-IS REALLY WHAT
THE SPACE FORCE IS ALL ABOUT.
UM, IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT
THE VICE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED
A NUMBER OF WEEKS AGO,
HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY WANNA
CREATE A NEW COMBATANT COMMAND.
SO THE MILITARY SERVICE
ORGANIZES, TRAINS AND EQUIPS
THE CADRE OF-OF PROFESSIONALS.
BUT ULTIMATELY, WAR FIGHTING IS
DONE BY WHAT'S CALLED
A-A COMBATANT COMMAND.
IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD BE
A FUNCTIONAL COMBATANT COMMAND.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY FAMILIAR WITH
WHAT A-A GEOGRAPHIC COMBATANT
COMMAND IS.
GEOGRAPHIC MEANING, LIKE,
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS IT.
SO CENTCOM IS-IS IN
THE MIDDLE EAST.
PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH
CENTCOM, OR EUROPEAN COMMAND,
AFRICAN COMMAND.
UH, THERE'S, UH,
THE PACIFIC COMMAND.
ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT, UH,
GEOGRAPHIC COMBATANT COMMANDS.
IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD BE
A FUNCTIONAL COMBATANT COMMAND
RESPONSIBLE FOR FIGHTING
AND WINNING WARS IN SPACE.
THE IDEA BEING, YOU KNOW,
NASA AND OUR COMMERCIAL PARTNERS
AND OTHER COMMERCIAL ENTITIES--
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SPACE,
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS.
PLUS, WE HAVE OUR ASTRONAUTS
IN SPACE.
AND SO THEY GENERALLY--
WE NEED SECURITY.
AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT
ANY POTENTIAL ADVERSARY THAT
WE MAY HAVE, ANY POTENTIAL
ADVERSARY LOOKS AT, UM,
THE SPACE DOMAIN AND THEY SEE
THAT THEY AREN'T GONNA GET
ANY KIND OF ADVANTAGE
BY DESTROYING IT.
THEY CANNOT WIN.
THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE.
AND IN FACT, IF THEY TRIED,
IT WOULDN'T WORK.
THAT'S THE GOAL.
AND IF-IF WE CAN DETER THEM
FROM TAKING THE WAR INTO SPACE,
THEN THE REST OF US,
ALL OF HUMANITY, CAN USE SPACE
FOR OUR PEACEFUL PURPOSES,
WHICH IS WHAT, ULTIMATELY,
WE'VE BEEN DOING NOW
SINCE NASA'S CREATION IN 1958.
SO, UH, AS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS,
WHEN I WAS IN CONGRESS,
I VOTED FOR THE SPACE FORCE
THREE TIMES, AND IT PASSED
THE FULL HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
AND IT PASSED IN A STRONG,
BIPARTISAN WAY--
IT GOT 344 VOTES.
UM, AND-AND OF COURSE IT WENT
TO THE SENATE, AND IT DIDN'T
PASS THE SENATE.
UM, BUT THERE WAS STRONG
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE HOUSE.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
THE SAME INTELLIGENCE THAT
WE'VE SEEN IN THE CONGRESS,
AND HE TOOK IT UP A NOTCH
AND SAID, UH, WE-WE GOTTA
GET THIS DONE.
AND I-I THINK HE'S RIGHT.
>> AWESOME.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, NASA IS-IS
LEADING THIS COOPERATIVE
EXPLORATION GOAL, RIGHT?
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
>> AND SO IT'S PART OF OUR--
IT'S PART OF OUR VISION, IS-IS
REACH NEW HEIGHTS
AND REVEAL THE UNKNOWN.
SO AS WE'RE WRAPPING UP,
AND TO BE CONSCIOUS OF
YOUR TIME, THIS-THIS MEANING,
THIS, UH, REVEAL THE UNKNOWN,
UH, REACH NEW HEIGHTS--
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
AND WE'LL CLOSE WITH THAT.
>> SO, IT-IT REALLY-- YOU KNOW,
WE ARE LEARNING NEW THINGS
EVERY DAY.
JUST SINCE I'VE BEEN THE NASA
ADMINISTRATOR, A LITTLE OVER
THREE MONTHS, WE-WE HAVE
DISCOVERED IN THESE LITTLE OVER
THREE MONTHS THAT MARS HAS
A METHANE CYCLE THAT IS
PERFECTLY IN TUNE OR KEEPS
PERFECTLY WITH THE SEASONS
OF MARS, WHICH DOESN'T
GUARANTEE THAT THERE'S LIFE,
BUT IT INCREASES THE PROBABILITY
THAT THERE'S LIFE.
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS HAVE BEEN
FOUND ON MARS, WHICH, AGAIN,
DOESN'T GUARANTEE LIFE,
BUT IT INCREASES THE PROBABILITY
OF LIFE ON MARS.
WE-WE'VE ALSO DISCOVERED NOW,
JUST MAYBE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO,
THERE'S LIQUID WATER
1.5 KILOMETERS UNDER THE SURFACE
OF MARS.
NOW, THAT DOESN'T, AGAIN,
GUARANTEE LIFE, BUT LIQUID WATER
IS A GOOD-- YOU-YOU NEED
LIQUID WATER FOR LIFE.
AND THE FACT THAT
IT'S 1.5 KILOMETERS UNDERGROUND
MEANS THAT IT'S GONNA BE
PROTECTED FROM THE RADIATION
ENVIRONMENT OF-OF DEEP SPACE.
>> MM-HMM.
>> WHICH-- ALL OF THIS,
YOU KNOW, ADDS UP TO SAY,
IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?
WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT WE NEED TO FIND OUT.
AND, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT
SOMEBODY FINDS LIFE
ON A WORLD THAT'S NOT OUR OWN,
IT NEEDS TO BE
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE MAKING DISCOVERIES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH,
UH, IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS,
THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE.
AND WE'RE GONNA SEE
BACK TO THE VERY DAWN OF TIME,
COSMIC DAWN, THE FIRST LIGHT
IN THE UNIVERSE.
WE HAVE IDEAS AND MODELS
AS TO WHAT THE UNIVERSE
LOOKED LIKE WHEN IT WAS
FIRST CREATED, BUT WE KNOW THAT
THOSE MODELS ARE ALL WRONG.
UM, WE NEED TO F-- AND SO
WE'RE GONNA SEE IT WITH-WITH
OUR OWN INSTRUMENTS.
UM, SO THE JAMES WEBB
SPACE TELESCOPE IS NOT JUST
GONNA LOOK ALL THE WAY BACK
TO THE VERY FIRST LIGHT
IN THE UNIVERSE-- IT'S ALSO
GONNA SEE BACK ALL THE WAY
OUT TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE,
WHERE WE HAVE GALAXIES
THAT ARE ACCELERATING, YOU KNOW,
YOU KNOW-- AS THE UNIVERSE
EXPANDS, IT'S EXPANDING
AT AN EVER-INCREASING RATE.
THE UNIVERSE IS ACCELERATING
AWAY FROM A POINT IN THE CENTER,
AND, UM, THAT EXPANSION
ULTIMATELY IS DEMONSTRATING
THAT THERE'S A FORCE AT WORK
HERE THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE
DARK ENERGY AND DARK MATTER--
THINGS THAT WE CAN'T DETECT,
WE CAN'T INTERACT WITH,
BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW, UM,
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SEE
ITS GRAVITATIONAL EFFECTS.
UM, AND-AND WE SEE
THESE GALAXIES ACCELERATING
AT THE EDGE OF OUR UNIVERSE
TO THE SPEED OF LIGHT.
SO THEY JUST DISAPPEAR.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO
LOOK AT ALL THOSE.
WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE
INSIDE OF OTHER GALAXIES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE
WITHIN OUR OWN GALAXY--
WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE
PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS,
AND ULTIMATELY MAKE
DETERMINATIONS WHETHER OR NOT
THOSE PLANETS HAVE A HABITABLE
KIND OF ATMOSPHERE.
WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DETERMINE
WHAT TYPE-- IF-IF THESE PLANETS
HAVE ATMOSPHERES,
WHAT THOSE ATMOSPHERES ARE
COMPOSED OF, AND IF THERE COULD
BE LIFE THERE.
UM, SO, LOOK-- NASA'S DOING
REALLY AMAZING THINGS.
AND, UM, EVERY DAY WE'RE MAKING
NEW DISCOVERIES.
AND THE-THE MORE CAPABILITY
THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO SPACE
EVEN RIGHT NOW, THE--
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SO MANY
NEW DISCOVERIES, WE'RE NOT
GONNA BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE
ALL OF 'EM FAST ENOUGH, UH,
WHICH IS A REALLY GOOD
PROBLEM TO HAVE.
>> YEAH.
>> SO WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT,
UM, MORE ABOUT OUR UNIVERSE.
ARE WE ALONE IN THE WORLD?
AND, UH, THESE ARE-- THESE ARE
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR US
TO ANSWER.
>> WONDERFUL.
MARK, ANY-ANY FINAL THOUGHTS
BEFORE WE WRAP UP?
>> I-I THINK THERE'S SOME OTHER
THINGS ABOUT NASA THAT, UH,
I KNOW CHANGED MY LIFE.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THE FIRST
PICTURES FROM MERCURY AND GEMINI
ABOUT THE EARTH FROM SPACE,
WHICH CHANGED-- WHICH
NO ONE HAD SEEN BEFORE,
SO IT CHANGED OUR WHOLE IDEA.
AND THEN AS JIM IN AN EARLIER
SPEECH TODAY WAS TALKIN' ABOUT
APOLLO 8, AND I REMEMBER
SEEING THE EARTH COME UP
OVER THE LIMB OF THE MOON,
AND REMEMBERING WHAT THAT FELT
LIKE TO SEE OURSELVES
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
FROM A DISTANCE.
IT CHANGED EVERYBODY'S IDEA OF
KIND OF HOW IMPORTANT
THE EARTH WAS.
THOSE WERE-- REALLY CHANGED
OUR WHOLE PERCEPTION.
I REMEMBER WHEN, UH,
BOB CABANA AND SERGEI KRIKALEV
WENT TOGETHER THROUGH
THE-THE HATCH OF THE--
OF THE NODE THE FIRST TIME
ON SPACE STATION, RIGHT,
JOINING TOGETHER.
SO I THINK THOSE IMAGES, UH,
ALONG WITH THE DISCOVERIES,
THOSE IMAGES, I THINK,
CAN CHANGE THE WAY
WE SEE OURSELVES AND THE WORLD
AND CAN BE REALLY,
REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WITH THIS NEW
EXPLORATION CAMPAIGN,
WE'RE GONNA SEE MANY MORE OF
THOSE THINGS.
>> THAT'S WONDERFUL.
THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING TIME.
JIM AND MARK, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR COMING ON THE SHOW
AND-AND SHARING
THESE WONDERFUL INSIGHTS.
IT'S REALLY A PLEASURE
TO TALK TO YOU TODAY.
>> AWESOME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, GARY.
[ MUSIC ]
>> SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE SPACE.
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