Soon First Manned Rocket to Launch from U.S. Soil in 9 Years.
BALDWIN: All right. Again, back to Florida. We are on standby for the final go from Kennedy Space Center for the first launch of astronauts on U.S. soil in almost a decade. Remember, the last shuttle launch that was STS-135 that was 2011, that was the "Atlantis." so we're back. At the Kennedy Space Center, CNN space and innovation correspondent Rachel Crane, is on the scene. And Rachel, beauty of technology, here we go. So, the last time you and I spoke, you know, there was a tornado warning, of course, we're in the middle of this, you know, coronavirus pandemic. This is a rocket that has never carried humans. This is a really big deal.</s>RACHEL CRANE, CNN SPACE AND INNOVATION CORRESPONDENT: This is a very, very big deal, Brooke. And it's starting to feel very real. That's because we're, you know, we're only 38 minutes out from a potential launch here. Now they've already retracted the crew access arm. They've armed the launch escape system. And they should begin fueling the rocket with over a million pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid kerosene any minute now. So, you know, we're really getting down to the wire here. We're crossing our fingers, hoping that the weather cooperates. But one thing that I want to point out, Brooke, that's really different about today that anyone was expecting was there's no crowds here, obviously because we are in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic. So, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine urging everybody to watch from home, watch from their backyard if they're in the area. But, you know, as exciting as this moment is, everybody from NASA and SpaceX have expressed some kind of sadness that, you know, they don't have the crowds here, the thousands and thousands of people that they expected to gather here at Kennedy Space Center and all across the space coast to witness this historic, hopefully historic launch -- Brooke.</s>BALDWIN: Tell me, Rachel, I'm going to stay with you, so we know that these two astronauts, Doug and Bob, have been in strict quarantine since March. And I was talking to an astronaut of the top of the show and she said whether it's, you know, COVID or what, obviously, you don't want to send any viruses up to space so they have been hyper safe and self-protective. Tell me beyond that, what preparations have these astronauts undergone to get them to this moment right now to launch day?</s>CRANE: Well, NASA and SpaceX have taken every precaution they can to ensure that the crew is safe. You know, were at Kennedy Space Center there are temperature checks before you go into any building, everybody is wearing a mask and other protective gear so they're really taken every precaution that they can. Only having mission critical personnel around them. A lot of people are actually working -- the ones that can are working remotely. Still a part of the mission. But they've done, you know, everything that they can to continue forward with this mission and ensure the safety of the crew. But it's certainly not business as usual here at the Kennedy Space Center. It doesn't feel that way. And you're constantly reminded of it, obviously everyone around wearing their masks. But this was a critical mission for NASA. They decided to push forward and launch, regardless of the pandemic. It gives everybody something to root for, something to be hopeful for. So, we're hoping that that does happen -- Brooke.</s>BALDWIN: So, the significance of private space enterprise, right, Elon Musk's SpaceX and along with NASA. Why is this such a significant marriage? Because as you pointed out the last time we chatted, the U.S. has been reliant on the Soyuz, on Russia to ferry astronauts up to the International Space Station. Why is in terms of business and maybe saving money, and being self-reliant, why is that so key here? Big picture.</s>CRANE: Well, you talk about saving money, I mean we've been paying the Russians over $4 billion over the past several years to ferry these astronauts back and forth. NASA, they want to focus on bigger things. They've already, you know, mastered low earth orbit, they want to pass the torch to the commercial sector. And that's exactly what they're doing here. They paid SpaceX over $3 billion for this program. And, you know, they're hoping that a robust space economy will develop in low earth orbit and then NASA will be able to focus on, you know, the moon, Mars and beyond. So, this is part of a larger goal of NASA, to continue to maintain a $150 billion investment that we have in the International Space Station, make sure there's a robust space economy to support it. But that they don't have to, you know, have their hand so tightly enclosed around it. That they can, you know, continue to dream big and think about those deeper space explorations. So that's, you know, what this program is all about, passing the torch of these ISS ferries, and taxis, rather, to the commercial sector, so NASA can once again, you know, dream big and go back to the moon and to Mars. And Brooke, I just want to point out that fueling has just started. So once again, a major milestone, to actually getting this rocket off the ground today, fingers crossed.</s>BALDWIN: Fueling has begun. It will shortly be go-time. Rachel Crane, thank you so much. It's been so fun to be able to just get everyone excited for this big launch in about a half an hour, thank you so much. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me. Quick break and Jake Tapper will be up next.