Mark and Scott Kelly, brothers who are both veterans of four spaceflights, join CBS Mornings to discuss today's SpaceX mission and what they learned from years of pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight.

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Mark and Scott Kelly, both former NASA astronauts, appeared at the Kennedy Space Center to discuss the upcoming launch of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. The brothers, who participated in NASA's twin study on the effects of spaceflight on the human body, reflected on their experiences and the traditions surrounding astronaut launches, such as the pre-launch poker game.

Mark Kelly, now a U.S. Senator, addressed concerns about NASA's future amid workforce reductions and the absence of a permanent administrator. He emphasized the agency's resilience and the importance of ongoing missions like Artemis II, which aims to send astronauts around the moon. Both Kellys highlighted the significance of international collaboration and scientific innovation in advancing space exploration.

NASA astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly talk spaceflight and science

and welcome back to CBS Mornings and a very special edition of Talk of the Table. This morning we're talking space with two people who know just a little bit about being rocket men themselves. Shortly after noon, Eastern NASA will launch its next crew to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Brothers and former NASA astronauts, Mark and Scott Kelly, have each flown four missions and were part of NASA's twin study to research the impact of spaceflight on the human body. Mark, of course, is now a United States Senator from Arizona and they join us from the Kennedy Space Center. Good morning, happy launch day. It's great to be here, thank you. Good morning. Thank you both for being with us. So, Senator Kelly, let me start with you. One of your old crewmates, Colonel Mike Fink, is part of this crew. You were both on the Space Shuttle Endeavour's final flight. What's it like seeing him get ready to head back to space? Well, Vlad, that's why I'm here. You know, Mike and my brother and I, we were all classmates, got to NASA in 1996. We were in the Navy, he's an Air Force guy, but he was one of my crew members on STS-134, the last flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour. And now this is the next time he's going back into space, 14 years later, so I just had to be here to be here for him and his family and watch him launch up to the space station just one more time. Though I have to say, just being here makes me a little bit jealous. I mean, we figured, we saw your tweet where you sort of indicated that you wish that you could go up with him. Yeah. Yeah, Scott, we were... It's an exciting... Go ahead. Well, I was going to say it's an exciting trip, you know, to climb into a rocket, get strapped in, countdown clock gets to zero. You go from zero to 17,500 miles an hour in about eight minutes. Wow. And then dock with this incredible space station on orbit. It is an experience like none other. Yeah, I can imagine. We are jealous, that's for sure. Scott, we saw something a little bit ago where the astronauts were at a table, some sort of tradition. Can you tell us what's going on here? Yeah, so before you can leave to go to the launch pad, the crew, they're in the suit-up room and they play this low-ball poker game. And this goes back to the early days of the space program where the commander of the crew has to lose a hand before the crew can go to the pad. And the idea is you've then kind of got, gotten rid of your bad luck for the day. Oh. How did we not know this? I know. I mean... Look. This has been for decades. I didn't know this. And the fist pumps, that's so good. Scott, you have spent 520 days in space. What is the hardest thing about, you know, being at the ISS? Because we don't yet know when this crew is coming back. You know, there's a lot of things that are hard about. I would say the hardest thing, though, is just to be separated from everything that Earth has to offer. I mean, Earth's an amazing planet and you're separated from the, from the weather. You're separated from your family. You're separated from all these things that you hold dear. So that, I think that's the biggest challenge. Senator Kelly, let me ask you. Astronauts have always been my heroes going back to the early Apollo missions. But now this launch is happening as NASA is set to lose 20% of its workforce as part of the president's efforts to cut spending. And NASA still has no permanent administrator. What impact do you think that all has on our space program and the future of the space program? Well, we always want to retain the best people. I mean, that's critical to any program across government, but also in the private sector. I've been working with Sean Duffy. He's the secretary of transportation, but he's also now the temporary NASA administrator about, you know, what is the path forward for NASA? Just over here on the, right across the street is the Vehicle Assembly Building, and we have Artemis II, which is a heavy lift rocket with a capsule that's gonna take astronauts to the moon, actually around the moon, on this mission that's gonna launch next year. And while we're incredibly excited about that and about the science that NASA's doing, hey, you know, often projects and programs and agencies have to undergo some change. I think this is a time with some change right now. But NASA is a resilient and innovative agency, and I'm glad you guys are covering this flight today. It's always a positive thing when American crew members and our international partners are launching from American soil on an American rocket. It really shows what we can do as a country, and what this investment does, you know, ultimately. I mean, this is science and innovation really grows the American economy. Well, thank you so much, Mark and Scott Kelly. We so appreciate you.

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Breakdown