‘POWER COMPETITION’: US, China fight for space dominance

>> 3, 2, 1. IGNITION. AND LIFT OFF. GO FALCON, GO DRAGON AND GO CREW. 13. >> LIFT OFF OF CREW 13 GOING TO. THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. >> Bret: FOUR ASTRONAUTS.

SUCCESSFULLY IN ORBIT TONIGHT. JOINING TO US TALK ABOUT THE. MISSION AND THE FUTURE OF. AMERICAN SPACE FLIGHT, JARED. ISAACMAN. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MR. ADMINISTRATOR. >> IT'S MY PLEASURE. >> Bret: SO WHAT IS THE MISSION. THIS TIME? AND HOW IS IT GOING? >> WELL, ANOTHER GREAT DAY AT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. WE LAUNCH CREW 13. SO ANOTHER SET OF FOUR.

ASTRONAUTS ON THEIR WAY TO THE. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. WHERE THEY WILL RELIEVE CREW 12. ON WHAT IS APPROXIMATELY A 6 TO. 7-MONTH LONG EXPEDITION. THEY WILL BE TESTING NEW. RESEARCH ON PHARMACEUTICALS, AGRICULTURE, DIFFERENT. TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS. THINGS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL. TO MAKE LIFE BETTER ON EARTH AND. NOT TO MENTION HELP EXTEND. AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN SPACE, TO. THE MOON, TO MARS AND BEYOND. SOME DAY. >> Bret: HERE'S JESSICA WATKINS.

TAKEKE A LISTEN. >> TO SAY THAT COURAGE IS GRACE. UNDER PRESSURE. THE INCREDIBLE TEAM THAT GOT US. TO ORBIT TODAY, WE EMBODY THAT. THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK, PERSEVERANCE AND COURAGEOUS. COMMITMENT TO ENSURE WE'RE REY. DID AND SAFE TO FLY. WE CARRY WITH US ALL OF YOU THAT. SUPPORTED US ALONG THE WAY AND. HOPE TO MAKE YOUR PROUD. >> Bret: SO CREW 13'S COMMANDER. THERE, JESSICA WATKINS. SHE WAS JOINED BY THREE SPACE. FLIGHT ROOKIES, LUKE DELAY IN,

ASTRONAUT OF THE RUSSIAN SPACE. AGENCY AS WELL. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE HERE AND HOW. LONG IS IT GOING TO LAST? >> WE'VE KEPT ASTRONAUTS ON. BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE. STATION NOW FOR 27 YEARS. THEY DO A VARIETY OF RESEARCH, EVERYTHING FROM PHARMACEUTICALS, PLANT GROWTH AND AGRICULTURAL. RESEARCH. MAYBE HELPING TAKE CROP FARMS TO. THE LUNAR SERVICE AND OTHER TECH.

DEMONSTRATIONS. SOME OF IT IS TO EXTEND AMERICAN. LEADERSHIP AS WE MOVE FROM THE. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TO A. MOON BASE IN THE YEARS AHEAD AND. EVENTUALLY ON TO MARS. >> Bret: THERE'S ANOTHER LAUNCH. TODAY ABOUT PUTTING OUT. SATELLITES AND A BIG PAY LOAD. THAT IS HAPPENING A LOT. >> OH, THERE'S NO QUESTION. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER HERE IS. VERY, VERY BUSY. IN A MATTER OF HOURSRS, YOU'LL E. A FALCON HEAVY, BASICALLY, THREE.

OF THE FALCON 9s THAT TOOK THOSE. ASTRONAUTS TO SPACE EARLIER. TODAY ARE ESSENTIALLY ATTACHED. TOGETHER TO LAUNCH A VERY. SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL SECURITY. PAY LOAD. THAT WILL LAUNCH LATER ON THIS. EVENING. SO AGAIN, VERY BUSY DAY AT. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. >> Bret: WE'VE GOT THESE ARTISTS. RENDERINGS OF THE FUTURE MOON. BASE. PEOPLE GET THEIR HEAD AROUND. THAT. HOW LONG DO WE THINK THAT TAKES. BEFORE THAT BECOMES REALITY? >> WE LAUNCHED ARTEMIS II.

EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE PRESIDENT PRESENTED THEM THE. CONGRESSIONAL SPACE HONOR. PRIOR TO THE NEXT LAUNCH, YOUR. FIRST MAIN BASE MISSION WILL. LAUNCH THIS YEAR. THE PRESIDENT SAID WE'RE. RETURNING TO THE MOON, BUT THIS. TIME TO STAY. >> Bret: GETTING THERE FIRST IS. IMPORTANT, IS IT NOT? CHINA ABRUPTLY POSTPONED A.

LAUNCH OF THEIR LUNAR MISSION A. FEW WEEKS AGO. WE'RE TOLD LEADING AGAINST CHINA. BUT GETTING THERE FIRST IS A BIG. DEAL. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP IS AWARE. WE'RE IN A POWER COMPETITION, WHETHER IT'S THE SEA, THE. SURFACE OR THE OCEANS. IN SUPER INTELLIGENCE. THAT'S WHY THE PRESIDENT BROUGHT. TOGETHER THE TECH LEADERS TO GET. EVERYBODY ALIGNED ON THE. RESPONSIBLE USE OF THIS. TECHNOLOGY, ENSURE CONTINUED. LEADERSHIP IN SUPER. INTELLIGENCE. LEADING NASA, SPACE IS NO.

EXCEPTION. IT'S A BIG SURFACE ON THE MOON. WE WANT ACCESS TO SOLAR POWER. IT'S THE SIZE OF WASHINGTON D.C. ONLY SO MANY LANDING SPOTS. THE CHINESE KNOW, THIS THEY'RE. PARTNERED WITH THE RUSSIANS. COMPETITIONS ARE GREAT. YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE. WE'RE GOING TO BUILD OUR MOON. BASE AND GETTING OUR LAUNCHES. UNDERWAY. WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH ROVERS, UNCREWED LANDERS ON A MONTHLY. CADENCE IN EARLY 2027 AND.

ARTEMIS 3 GOES BACK AND THEN. THERE'S S ARTEMIS 4. >> Bret: I.