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NASA Conducts Two Successful Helicopter Flights on Mars; Crews Race to Find Missing Submarine before it Runs out of Oxygen. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired April 23, 2021 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[11:35:00]

TREY GRAYSON, MEMBER, FROST BROWN TODD: And the challenge is there's just a lot of Republicans. You see it in surveys who didn't trust that outcome, who don't trust elections right now. Those legislators were, in some respect, responding to that (ph), but some of these legislators were also believing that big lie.

And so a lot of bills are being introduced that are going to create problems down the road, that create bad policy, whether it is making it hard to vote or administer elections or that change the certification process, which we have a lot of trust.

And so, hopefully, most of those bills will just never go anywhere, but we need to be vigilant. The business community can play a big role in helping to reign in some of those bad ideas.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWSROOM: I want to get to that in just one second. But the push back that I hear from legislators is that well people aren't reading these bills. They don't know what we're trying to do. They're misunderstanding what we're trying to do. This is not ill- intended and some even say this isn't even about 2020. This is longstanding issues that we've had.

I want to play for you the case that one of these Republicans and one -- one of the state reps in Arizona and the case that he tried to make this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REP. JOHN KAVANAGH (R-AZ): I don't think the intent is to discourage legitimate voting. But, frankly, we're moving forward to do bills to correct problems that came up during the election, that need to be solved regardless of whether there was actual fraud or nonexistent fraud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Correcting problems even if fraud was nonexistent. I mean, what do you say to that, Trey?

GRAYSON: Well, I mean, first, there are some bills that need to be done and there are some reactions to the selection. A lot of states tried new things and they did things that were temporary. So we're going to need legislation to tweak some of those things to make things permanent.

There were some really good provisions in that Georgia bill but I worry about the motivations. And I will say it is a fair point that people do need to read the bill. The Georgia bill, to me, is not Jim Crow 2.0, even though I don't support a lot of provisions in that bill. Earlier versions were pretty bad. But the final version -- so that's a fair point. But the larger point is why are we doing this? What is the motivation? Are we really working to improve elections? And a lot of these cases, the answer is no.

We're seeing Republicans though step up in Georgia. They stepped up to make it better. Arizona, contrary to the video that you just heard, there are other Republicans who are stepping up and saying, no, we're not going to make the bad ideas permanent. We're not going to change the laws that have worked really well in our state.

So I'm excited about some Republicans stepping up when push comes to shove, but I worry that the base is going to push some bad bills.

BOLDUAN: Yes, Trey Grayson is saying here is looking at you Doug Ducey.

You signed on to this bipartisan letter supporting voting rights and access, and specifically talking to corporations to speak up. Why is this an important part here?

GRAYSON: Well, corporations played a role actually in Georgia behind the scenes working to shake that bill. Corporations, you know, they want to be good citizens. They want to do business in the state. The they want their people to trust the system. And so we see businesses engage the whole time on various issues.

There is an economic component because we're seeing some companies and some individuals step up. So there is some vested interest. But I just feel like businesses have the opportunity to talk to leadership and explain that some of the things are just wrong, and our employees and our, you know, customers don't like this.

I'm not -- you know, I'm not talking about capital and things like that. Much some of these comments are just -- are things that businesses can do and all about making easy to vote and have a system of elections that we can trust the outcome, win or lose.

BOLDUAN: Trey, thanks for coming. I really appreciate it.

GRAYSON: Welcome. Thanks, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you. Also new this morning, Caitlyn Jenner is officially running for governor of California. The former Olympic athlete and, of course, reality T.V. star, filed her initial paperwork and she tweeted this morning, I'm in. California is worth fighting for. She's a long time Republican and now seeking to replace Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in the expected recall election that he could soon face, that we've talked about so much on this show. Much more to come on that.

Coming up for us, it's a moment more than six years in the making, two successful flights on Mars. That is SpaceX this morning taking off. I'm going to talk to the engineer who led the effort and a helicopter flights on Mars, how is she feeling after this amazing week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:35:00]

BOLDUAN: It has been a huge week for space, NASA celebrating two milestones in space this week. On Mars, the Ingenuity helicopter completed two historic flights marking the first time powered- controlled flight has ever happened on another planet. And separately, right now, four astronauts are on a first of a kind mission on their way to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket that is also making history.

CNN's Rachel Crane is at the Kennedy Space Center. Let's talk about SpaceX, Rache. The launch this morning, why is this such an important moment in histroy that they're making?

RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE REPORTER: Well, Kate, the launch this morning was glorious. And as you pointed out, it is a historic mission. This was the third crewed mission for SpaceX's crew Dragon. But something really unique about this system, both the rocket booster, the first stage of the Falcon 9, as well as the spacecraft, Spacecraft Endeavor, they had both flown to space before.

[11:40:04]

They were reused hardware. So NASA and SpaceX had to put the system through thousands of tests. They call them paranoia tests to ensure that this spacecraft was, in fact, safe to once again fly humans to the International Space Station.

A little fun fact that the soot and the scorch marks that you could see on that Falcon 9 booster, you know, SpaceX was proudly displaying and deciding not to repaint or refurbish it because it highlights, you know, their main goal of reusability. In order to drive down the cost of space exploration, they say this, you know, this one and done spacecraft, it has to be over in order to make, you know, humanity a multi-planetary species. And that is Elon Musk's and SpaceX's ultimate goal.

And the astronauts that flew on the system today, on the rocket, on that spacecraft, they actually wrote their names in the soot on the sued of that booster, really personalizing it.

So an incredible day here at the Kennedy Space Center, a beautiful launch, and as you pointed out, those astronauts are making their way, coasting on to the International Space Station as we speak. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Big moment still ahead. It's great to always watch it along with you, Rachel. Thank you so much. So let's turn now to the mission to Mars. Here is the moment this week when NASA scientists confirmed they had successfully flown the first helicopter on Mars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Landing, touchdown has been done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: An awesome moment. You can also see, hope I can show you right there, the mission's project manager ripping up in celebration, her contingency speech that she had prepared, a moment the team has been working toward for six years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIMI AUNG, PROJECT MANAGER, NASA'S INGENUITY MARS HELICOPTER: We can now say that human beings have flown a motor craft on another planet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: NASA's lead engineer in this huge success is Mimi Aung, and she joins me now. It's so great to you have here after just an awesome week. Are you still pinching yourself after this week?

AUNG: Absolutely. It took me a while to absorb it and then, as you know, we had a subsequent second flight that followed successfully. So I'm starting to -- it's starting to soak in, but, yes, it's been surreal and really happy. Our entire team is super, super happy.

BOLDUAN: As you should be. I mean, what was written on that contingency speech?

AUNG: Oh, it was so sad. I didn't even practice or, you know, it was just prepared and I read through it a few times just to be ready. And it actually brought me to tears a couple times I read it. So I was not acting when I ripped that up. I was so happy. Yes, it was, you know, about -- really about a journey in case we didn't -- you know, if we had a bad landing, if it was over. It was about how it was the end. But it really wasn't the end, you know?

We really had taken the concept of Mars helicopter from a concept, whether it's possible, we now know it is absolutely possible. And we had flown it in our chambers and we were getting to a chance to fly at Mars. So this contingency speech was about how far we got and how we didn't get to the very first flight and here we are. We didn't have to use it. We have done two flights already and we're extremely happy.

BOLDUAN: It's so, so cool. I don't even have a better word for it. How different -- talk to me about what this really means. It's not just a helicopter flight. How different does a helicopter on Mars have to be from flying one on Earth and what does that mean?

AUNG: Yes, absolutely. This is game changing. In terms of starting what it means, is we're now using aerial dimension for space exploration today. We have spacecraft orbiting planets and we have rovers roving on the surface, right? The thing that the area dimension that we're not using is the aerial dimension.

So, on Earth, we have trains and cars on the ground and spacecraft in orbit but we also have planes and helicopters flying, right? So, we're not doing that at Mars or any of the other planetary targets that we explore today.

So, super game changing to be able to fly with a rotocraft and it will add to that space exploration tool kit and game changing.

BOLDUAN: Mimi, I was just going to say -- and we could do this for hours and they're going to tell me to wrap and I'm going to try to ignore them. But I am just so pumped I have to say to see a woman leading this. And my six-year-old daughter, she was so excited when I told her that I was going to be able to speak with you today. She dictated a note that she wanted me to read to you and she begged me to actually do it.

She said, dear Mimi, how long did it take you to get to Mars?

[11:45:01]

So I do know that she thought she would actually intend that to be how long did it take you personally to get to Mars? And I refused in that moment to actually burst her bubble about reality of it. But just in general, what is your message to girls, honestly, women watching this today?

AUNG: You know, when you find what you want to do, you know, I really like to say find an intersection at what you're good at, what you like to do, and also what you believe in making a change in. Find that intersection and when you find it, if you put in tons of hard work, you can turn that dream into reality. And don't doubt yourself. Don't let anybody doubt you when you believe that you can do it, absolutely do it. And along the way, continuously always think critically. You know, really be -- think critically to really be objective and go for your goals and nobody can stop you.

BOLDUAN: Rock on, Mimi. We'll talk in the break about what I should tell my daughter and how to break the news that we are not currently physically on Mars. But we'll talk about that. Thank you so much, congratulations. I can't wait to see what happens next.

AUNG: Thank you so much.

BOLDUAN: A programming note for all of you. We have a very special event tonight. Tonight's CNN Dana Bash is going to be hosting a special town hall event called The Climate Crisis. She is going to be joined by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry and other members of the White House climate team. That is tonight at 10:00 P.M. Eastern with my friend, Dana.

Coming up, there is also this ahead. It is a race against time. A missing submarine now just hours away from running out of oxygen. We're going to have the very latest on the search. That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

BOLDUAN: Just in to CNN, President Biden announcing his first overseas trip since taking office in a bid to shore up U.S. alliances, the White House says in June, the president will travel to the U.K. for the G7 summit and then to Belgium for the NATO summit in Brussels.

Now, let's turn to the dramatic search and rescue mission off the coast of Indonesia where time is running out to locate a missing submarine with dozens of people on board. The U.S. military is now assisting in the search. It's urgent now as they believe the sub will run out of oxygen in hours.

CNN's Ivan Watson is joining me now with more on this. Ivan, what is the latest?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's an armada of ships off the coast of Indonesia searching for this submarine. And the big challenge here is how do you find something that is designed to be hidden under the ocean. And that's exactly what they're trying to do, is to find this German-made submarine, the diesel electric attack submarine, that was built more than 40 years ago, and was last seen in a predawn dive on Wednesday. It had been passing through the Bali Straits, and was conducting exercises, firing torpedoes, when it lost contact.

So the Indonesians say they have at least 21 ships operating in the area, aircraft as well, another submarine. You have got other navies, such as Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, that have contributed ships to the effort here, the search and rescue effort. you also have the U.S., the Pentagon has offered to send aerial assets to help with the hunt.

The Indonesians say that they have found an oil slick on the water that they think could be from the submarine. They also say they have detected some object that has magnetic resonance under water. But as you mention, time is running out. The Navy estimates that the submarine would have had enough air to last until Saturday morning, and here in Asia, it's Friday night.

Meanwhile, the families of the crew members onshore, they're going through an agonizing vigil. Listen to what one wife of a crew member had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERDA ASMARA, WIFE OF CREW MEMBER: Hopefully, he is safe and my husband and all of the crew members who are there can reunite with family. Until now, there has been no official news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The Indonesian president is urging Indonesians to pray for the crew members during this search and rescue effort. Kate? BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Ivan, thank you very much for that update.

Coming up for us, a critical moment for Johnson & Johnson after a series of setbacks for the vaccine maker. Now, CDC advisers are meeting as we speak about the vaccine's future. Much more on that ahead.

But, first, the Academy Awards are Sunday, and actress Glenn Close, she's up for best supporting actress for her role in Hillbilly Elegy. She's taking the moment to shine a spotlight on something that hits close to home, mental health. Her sister, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and now close is on a mission to end the stigma around it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENN CLOSE, ACTRESS: I always said mental health is a family affair. When my sister, Jess, came to me and said I need help because I can't stop thinking of killing myself, it was like a bolt out of nowhere. We have, over the last ten years, learned a tremendous amount about stigma, about how toxic it is. We have found that the best way to start ending stigma is to talk about it.

Bring Change to Mind is a nonprofit organization that fights against the stigma that surrounds mental illness. It's a chronic illness. It's not who you are. It's something because we have this amazing, wondrous, fragile brain, is part of being a human being, especially now, because our collective mental health is under such stress.

It should be something that really connects us, this need to take care of our brains. It makes us human.

[11:55:01]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: To learn more, go to cnnheroes.com. We'll be right back.

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