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CNN Live Sunday
Space Shuttle Endeavor Scheduled to Lift Off Tonight
Aired November 10, 2002 - 18:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The weather is looking good enough in Florida for a space shuttle launch. Endeavor is set to lift off in just a few hours for an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. CNN Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien is that the Kennedy Space Center -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Anderson. The crew of the International Space Station right now if they could see the site behind me, some three miles over my shoulder, their mouth might very well be watering. We're told to the NASA astronaut onboard, Peggy Whitson, who is the Science Officer on the International Space Station, is dying for a decent meal. She's been in space now for 158 days plus, approaching 160 days.
The hermetically sealed vacuum-packed water dehydrated food just is not cutting it. So, the good ship Endeavor is on its way to offer some relief about seven hours from now if all goes well. They will be bringing a new three-person crew to the International Space Station, the sixth trio of people to man that space station.
It has now celebrated two solid years of tended operations. They will be bringing also with them a $390 million truss, which is another piece in the backbone of this space station. It would hold the solar rays and the radiators and so forth, and will eventually extend the full length of a football field.
We spoke to the commander of this mission, Jim Wetherbee, the veteran astronaut about what goes through his mind on the night of a launch and up through that moment when they light the candle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM WETHERBEE, SPACE SHUTTLE COMMANDER: The only thing that matters to me is between now and the next ten seconds, and I know exactly what I'm going to do if something bad happens going uphill. If one engine fails or two or three or if they're staggered or simultaneous, I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm looking at all the displays, feeling all of the vibrations, sensing all of the crew members emotions and trying to say the right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: And, there you see the good ship Endeavor, some three miles off in the distance. It now has the explosive power of a small nuclear device. Seven people will strap themselves aboard in the hours to come and if all goes well, will be in space a little after one in the morning Eastern time. On board, John Herrington, who is the first Native American ever to fly in space, a member of the Chickasaw nation, there will be a special tribal ceremony going on in a couple of hours to commemorate that event -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Miles, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 10, 2002 - 18:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The weather is looking good enough in Florida for a space shuttle launch. Endeavor is set to lift off in just a few hours for an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. CNN Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien is that the Kennedy Space Center -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Anderson. The crew of the International Space Station right now if they could see the site behind me, some three miles over my shoulder, their mouth might very well be watering. We're told to the NASA astronaut onboard, Peggy Whitson, who is the Science Officer on the International Space Station, is dying for a decent meal. She's been in space now for 158 days plus, approaching 160 days.
The hermetically sealed vacuum-packed water dehydrated food just is not cutting it. So, the good ship Endeavor is on its way to offer some relief about seven hours from now if all goes well. They will be bringing a new three-person crew to the International Space Station, the sixth trio of people to man that space station.
It has now celebrated two solid years of tended operations. They will be bringing also with them a $390 million truss, which is another piece in the backbone of this space station. It would hold the solar rays and the radiators and so forth, and will eventually extend the full length of a football field.
We spoke to the commander of this mission, Jim Wetherbee, the veteran astronaut about what goes through his mind on the night of a launch and up through that moment when they light the candle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM WETHERBEE, SPACE SHUTTLE COMMANDER: The only thing that matters to me is between now and the next ten seconds, and I know exactly what I'm going to do if something bad happens going uphill. If one engine fails or two or three or if they're staggered or simultaneous, I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm looking at all the displays, feeling all of the vibrations, sensing all of the crew members emotions and trying to say the right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: And, there you see the good ship Endeavor, some three miles off in the distance. It now has the explosive power of a small nuclear device. Seven people will strap themselves aboard in the hours to come and if all goes well, will be in space a little after one in the morning Eastern time. On board, John Herrington, who is the first Native American ever to fly in space, a member of the Chickasaw nation, there will be a special tribal ceremony going on in a couple of hours to commemorate that event -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Miles, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
