Vice Presidential Pool Reports of August 29, 2022

VP travel pool report #1 / Artemis I launch and KSC

Good morning from Florida's partly cloudy, humid Space Coast, where the world awaits the roar of the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built. I'll be your print pooler for VP Harris's visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), where she will watch the first launch attempt for the uncrewed Artemis I test flight, tour KSC facilities, and give remarks.

The earliest launch opportunity is 8:33am ET on the dot, but weather delays and ongoing troubleshooting of the rocket will push the launch until later this morning, if it happens at all today. Today's launch window lasts until 10:33am ET.

The pool has been tested for COVID-19, and we're awaiting Harris's arrival.

VP travel pool report #2 / Artemis I launch and KSC

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 8:04am ET. Her plane touched down at the Shuttle Landing Facility: the same 15,000-foot-long runway where the last space shuttle mission, STS-135, returned to Earth in 2011. After disembarking AF2 at about 8:12am ET, she and Second Gentleman Emhoff were greeted by a group including:

• Kelvin Manning, KSC deputy director
• Janet Petro, KSC center director
• Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
• Pamela Melroy, NASA deputy administrator

Smiles and hearty handshakes abounded. The VP offered a single wave to the pool before getting in the motorcade.

The Artemis I countdown is currently in an unscheduled hold, as the NASA launch team continues to assess an issue with chilling one of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's four main engines.

The VP motorcade is leaving for KSC's Operations Support Building II (OSB II), where the VP is slated to view the launch.

VP travel pool report #3 / Artemis I launch and KSC

The VP motorcade arrived at KSC's Operations Support Building II (OSB II) at about 8:25am, wending its way past the gargantuan Vehicle Assembly Building, where the Apollo Saturn V rocket, the space shuttle, and now the Artemis program's SLS were readied for rollout to the launch pad.

OSB II's observation deck should offer an excellent view of Launch Complex 39B, where Artemis I's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket awaits launch. Atop SLS sits the Orion capsule, which is slated to fly a six-week uncrewed mission to lunar orbit and then back to Earth.

Though we're about 3.5 miles southwest of the launch pad here, we'll have no problem hearing Artemis I take to the skies if it launches today. If SLS is as loud as the Apollo program's Saturn V rocket was, the noise should be between 120 and 125 dB at our distance, about as loud as a jet plane's takeoff.

VP travel pool report #4 / Artemis I launch and KSC

Per NASA Communications, Artemis I launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson has called a scrub of today's launch because of the engine issue.

The SLS is currently stable on the launch pad, and NASA is collecting more data. The next opportunity to launch starts 12:48pm ET on September 2—but whether the engine issue will be remedied by then is unclear.

VP travel pool report #5 / Artemis I launch and KSC

Scrub or no scrub, observation decks are meant to be observed from: At about 9:08am ET the VP and Second Gentleman Emhoff walked out onto the OSB II observation deck to greet and speak with NASA deputy administrator Pamela Melroy, three NASA astronauts including Jessica Meir, and a group of seven students.

The layout of the observation deck—and the cinematic backdrop of the VAB and the Artemis I launch pad—meant that the VP's back was to the pool for much of the meet-and-greet. Nevertheless, your pooler can report that the VP discussed the importance of science, research on the ISS, and the work of NASA's civil servants. The VP and the Second Gentleman departed at approximately 9:20am ET. More will follow shortly.

Your pooler apologizes for the delayed updates: Cellular reception and WiFi have been extremely spotty throughout the morning.

VP travel pool report #6 / Artemis I launch and KSC

The VP motorcade took a short drive from OSB II and arrived at the KSC Operations Checkout Center at about 10:01am, where the VP will tour facilities containing the Orion capsules that are being built to fly on Artemis II and III, the program's first two crewed launches.

Some additional color on the meet-and-greet:

As the VP approached the three astronauts, she greeted them with an effusive "Hi guys!" She then waved over the seven students over: "Hey kids, don't you want to be astronauts?"

As the astronauts thanked VP Harris for her work and leadership of the National Space Council and presented her with a small gift—perhaps a lapel pin?—from the astronaut corps.

Focused on the students, the VP discusses the importance of the scientific method and hypotheses. Gesturing to the SLS on the pad some 3.5 miles away, one astronaut adds: "Hey, that rocket is six million pounds of hypothesis trying to work together."

As the VP departed, the Second Gentleman jokingly stayed behind with the astronauts for a moment, with a huge grin on his face.

On her way out, the VP said that today's event was "showing the great work that happens here with these exceptional public servants—these exceptional skilled professionals—who have the ability to see what is possible and what has never been done before. How exciting is this? It's good."

VP travel pool report #7 / Artemis I launch and KSC

At about 10:19am ET the VP and Second Gentleman visited the High Bay Operations and Checkout building for a tour of Artemis II and III hardware. Scott Wilson, KSC's manager of production, is the tour guide, and is accompanied by NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy, and KSC director Janet Petro. The group was briefed at various stops by NASA staff and/or Lockheed Martin contractors and subcontractors.

Within this bright white high bay, the Orion crew capsules are being assembled and prepared for their eventual launches, alongside the European Service Modules—provided by the European Space Agency (ESA)—that will provide the solar power and key engine burns that will get these Orions where they need to go.

VP and the Second Gentleman first met with ESA director general Josef Aschbacher in front of the European Service Module for Artemis II. (No sooner than May 2024, Artemis II will send a crew of four on a lunar flyby mission.) The VP thanked Aschbacher for ESA's important work and collaboration.

Next the VP and Second Gentleman were briefed on the Artemis II heat shield. The heat shield is designed to protect Orion from the blistering heat it will experience during the spacecraft's reentry into Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour. The pair then stopped at the Artemis II crew module, where three technicians in head-to-toe white "bunny suits" were busy working on the spacecraft atop a large scaffold.

At approximately 10:41am ET, the VP and Second Gentleman met NASA astronauts Shannon Walker and Joe Acabá in front of the structure for the Artemis III Orion capsule. As soon as 2025, this spacecraft will carry the first crew to attempt a lunar landing since 1972—including the first woman to walk on the moon.

In a brief ceremony the VP and Second Gentleman signed a piece of the Artemis III Orion. The pool's part of the tour concluded at about 10:46am ET.

VP travel pool report #8 / Artemis I launch and KSC

At 11:19am the VP motorcade began leaving the site of the Artemis hardware tour, back to the Shuttle Landing Facility.

An important note: Due to the launch scrub, the Vice President will not be making remarks as originally planned. Instead the VP will hold a gaggle soon before departure.

VP travel pool report #9 / Artemis I launch and KSC

At about 11:33am the VP motorcade returned to the Shuttle Landing Facility for departure on AF2. There will be a gaggle.

VP travel pool report #10 / Artemis I launch and KSC

The gaggle started at about 11:35am ET and lasted for eight minutes before the VP entered AF2. The VP spoke on the importance of the American space program and the national investment it represents. She also answered a question on student loan forgiveness. More to follow.

Your pooler departed the Shuttle Landing Facility and is on his way back to the KSC press site.

VP travel pool report #11 / Artemis I launch and KSC

An earlier clarification: During the meet and greet, there were two astronauts—Randy Bresnik and Jessica Meir—and one astronaut candidate, Andre Douglas. The six million pounds quote is attributable to Randy Bresnick. The students were interns through NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM).

Some quotes from the gaggle:

"What today was, was a test: It was a test of pure innovation, inspired by the possibilities of what we know can be in America's leadership."

"Innovation requires this kind of moment: where you test out something that's never been done, and then you regroup and you figure out what the next step will be."

"The technology's extraordinary: I met with a technician who's third in her family—third generation—to work on our space program. The first generation, the grandfather, worked on Apollo. And so you look at every layer and every step from those first shuttles to the moon, to what we're doing now, and how the technology's evolving, is extraordinary. It's extraordinary what we're going to be able to do."

"Scientists and engineers have been working on this for a decade, figuring out how we can keep this mission path and allow it to do what the previous missions really probably dreamed was possible but couldn't do it at that time."

"So much of space exploration is about science, is about research, is about testing our ideas of what is possible ... The diversity of thought that goes into that: the more diverse, the better? Yes, indeed."

Thank you all very much for letting me join you today!