because even though they grow up, they'll always be your baby. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31st at coveredca.com. >> breaking news, dozens of people have died after tornadoes swept through four states including kentucky. at least four tornadoes tore rescue and recovery operations are underway right now. good morning again everybody. it is saturday december 11th. you're watching abc 7 news at 6 am live here on abc 7 hulu live and wherever you stream. i'm liz kreutz a busy morning a lot to get you. let's start with a quick look at the weather with meteorologist lisa argen some real devasthere. that's right, liz and you know, you usually associate tornadoes in the summer months, but they can occur any month of the year

and as we look at this, this is incredible because of the length of the track tornado going through three states at over a mile wide and 200. feet that he is 200 miles and it has traveled from arkansas to kentucky to mississippi so you can see the red there indicating that that track of tornado. those has certainly moved through the area lofting debris in the air and it's been on the ground for 200 miles with a mile wide. so the devastation you can only imagine. fantastic with those reds right there holding together as it pushes all the way. it looks like across mid-tennessee. so back home. we're going to be talking about a change in our weather. in fact, we've got the clouds right now. it's going to stay dry today. we'll be looking at rain coming in by this time tomorrow, but bundle up it is chilly out there 30s and 40s this morning, liz. alright lisa. thank you and back to that

devastating tornado outbreak in western kentucky. we know now that it's killed at least 50 people. are just in that state governor andy beshear says the total could reach 75 to 100 people. he's calling it. one of the toughest nights in kentucky history abc news reporter brian clark has the latest. big tornado up in massive what this morning parts of the midwest and south decimated after more than a dozen tornadoes from arkansas to illinois rip through the region thousands left without power this amazon distribution center in illinois near the missouri border collapsed in arkansas. one person was killed after a twister tore through a nursing home facility at least 20 people were rescued further east at least four tornadoes ripped through western kentucky one was on the ground for more than 200 miles the governor declaring a state of emergency. we're gonna lose over 50 people

pride closer to somewhere between 70 and 100 adding. the incident is one of the toughest nights in the state's history. we will rebuild we are strong resilient people. and we're going to be there every step of the way the storm now moving east with high wind alerts in effect from alabama to new hampshire ryan clark abc news, new york. and we will keep you posted on any new developments this morning meantime. we're about half an hour away from blue origins lift off with abc's michael strahan on board. this comes two days after a delay due to win conditions abc news reporter morgan norwood is live in van horn, texas for us with a preview of this morning's launch exciting stuff morgan. good morning. good morning to you. so exciting here in van horn, texas liz. yeah, michael and the crew they've completed their last minute saf. trainings the evaluations. we know the spacecraft is on the landing pad in blue origin tells us things are looking good for

liftoff. after a false start to launch week former nfl great and gma. anchor michael strahan along with his blue origin. teammates are finally ready for liftoff gonna be an adventure but it's gonna be a fun one strahan and other crew members were originally slated to rocket to space aboard blue origin's new shepherd thursday. the mission postponed due to high winds, but if those winds are really strong at 10,000 feet, it can actually blow our capsule outside of our area and when it comes to safety the crew is prepped for it all learning how to buckle up in zero g learning how to get seat in the first place. i'm learning the access control panel the crew control panel stray hand will travel to low orbit alongside five others including alan shepard's daughter. whose dad. was the first american in space and who the spacecraft is named after we got to look inside the exact replica of the rocket. so this capsule has some of the biggest windows in the space industry and check. each of the crew members get their own. they also have a screen that

tells them everything that's going on with the flight. so what are you going to be doing when you're inside? i'm gonna i'm gonna try to do some flips and then i'll stay by my window and you yourself in a freedom of floating but as much as michael says he'll be taking in the sights. he's also taking up a few personal items to make the strip even more memorable by hall of fame ring my super bowl ring. so special watches and the most special thing to me when my father passed away and they had his military funeral they the bullets that they fired from the gun. hmm, and that was morgan morgan reporting for us live there in texas. you can watch today's launch right here on abc 7. abc news will cover it live starting at 6:30 am so 25 minutes away. okay in hours long standoff in antioch ended with a man setting a house on fire and then being shot by police gunshots had rung out in the cul-de-sac all day

yesterday officers. say the man shooting as neighbors cowered in their homes abc 7 news reporter tim johns has the details. antioch police initially scene it was confirmed that the suspect was rle anas ayoting cars and houses nearby residents were told to shelter in place and police created a perimeter several blots wide around the house antioch pd says they attempted to make contact with the suspect several times, but the suspects continued firing even bringing down a police drone over the course of those several hours the suspect repeatedly fired shots from inside the house outside in the direction of officers as well as other residents. terry bunting lives one block over from where the events were unfolding. she says that several officers came to her house in the afternoon asking for access to her backyard to try and get a better vantage point bunting tells me she never respected

anything like this to happen in her neighborhood. it's pretty quiet. it's you know, a lot of older people people with kids grandkids. you don't have a lot of. problems after hours of stalemate police say the suspect set fire to the inside of the garage the flame soon engulfed the house and the man came outside where he was confronted by swat officers. after making contact with officers they fired their weapons and the suspect was struck police. say the man received immediate medical attention, but was pronounced dead on the scene. they wouldn't say if the man was armed or brandishing a weapon when he shots no officer was injured here, but a community service officer who was directing traffic around the barricade was hit by a car. he is in serious condition now police do not think anyone else was inside the house and there's no indication as to what the motive is. the man is believed to be in his 30s, but his has not yet been released now because an officer fired their weapon the contra

costa county law enforcement protocol has been enacted that means the officers involved will be placed on leave that is standard procedure. i'm in antioch tim johns abc 7 news. and last i on our abc 7 news app we kept antioch neighbors updated with the latest information from police. we sent this push alert as we live stream the press conference from police if you want to alerts like this in the future the app is free to download in our app store the app store on your phone. all right meantime a visit from san francisco's archbishop to a local church was rescheduled after many people in that parish voice concerns over his unvaccinated status abc 7 news reporter lo enya spoke to one of the parishioners from saint agnes church. who said the archbishop is welcome. but only if he gets the covid vaccine the news that archbishop salvatore cordeleone is on vaccinated just cost him a visit to a church in san francisco because cordeleon is not

vaccinated and we've had breakthrough vaccinations in the church. i am not comfortable december 19th was a day archbishop cordeleone was scheduled to visit. agnes church, but several weeks before his visit churchgoers like rita voiced concerns. now this church is taking a stance. i called and spoke with him and asked him to reschedule his visit for a later time. this was a bulletin pastor george williams posted on the church's website. the san francisco archdiocese has been outspoken about the covid-19 vaccine encouraging san francisco to get vaccinated. meanwhile, the archbishop is not in a statement. archdiocese responded healthcare decisions are a very personal matter archbishop. cordeleone has every confidence in father williams' ability to know his people well and respond to their sensitivities with compassion. not that he's saying we don't want you. we would more than welcome you

here if you came vaccinated in august pope francis urged people to get vaccinated calling it an act of love. run an interview with the san francisco chronicle cordeleones said his personal doctor told him. it's probably not necessary for him to be vaccinated citing. his immune system is strong if there was some health reason i could see it. there's no religious reason. from the catholic church, that would stop you from being vaccinated in san francisco luz pena abc 7 news. in the north bay people are getting ready for the rain and the potential for flooding in san rafael cruz used a giant leaf vacuum to clear storm drains farther north and healdsburg. pg&e crews were trimming tree. a power lines on dry creek road as well. the utility says extra crews are on standby for the storm and extra equipment is bring brought in. the grounds are ready wet so when that happens with these

winds that we're expecting and the rain and the cold temperatures that we're expecting we could see some potential power outages. sonoma county is also increasing capacity at homeless shelters because of the expected rain and a freeze warning as well. the county is providing 53 winter beds on a first comment first serve basis. san francisco residents can pick up 10 free sandbags tomorrow between 8 am and 2 pm. they can be picked up at the san francisco public works operations yard at the marin and kansas street gate you will need to show proof of address master also required. you can keep an eye on the weather including live doppler 7 anytime you will find it on the abc 7 app on roku amazon fire android tv and apple tv and lisa. it was cold last night really cold. i know right here the warmest temperature 45 in san francisco, and the coldest would be in livermore. or now, it's 31, but with the wind out of the east at five, it

feels like it's 26. so yes, it's morning frost on the roof. you really have to stay under the blanket a couple more hours. we'll talk about a dry saturday a wet sunday and a wild monday coming up. thank you lisa gladstone. i'm not crazy. it really is actually very cold. all right. also, i had new details about a ceo who fired hundreds of employees over. film his apology to the company and raising the iconic ferry building the proposals the port of san francisco are considering to deal with the effects of climate change.

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deposit, plan and pay with easy tools from chase. simplicity feels good. chase. make more of what's yours. here's a live look from van horn, texas for blue origins. launch is coming up this morning. michael strahan will be on board abc news will have a special report at 6:30 this morning. alright developing developing

news a powerful storm a series. powerful storms and tornadoes as we've been telling you have ripped through the midwest from arkansas to illinois in edwardsville, illinois emergency crews have responded to a roof collapse at an amazon warehouse. we know right now that at least two people have died about 40 employees for transported safely to a local police department to with their families officials say they did not know how many people were inside at the time of the collapse or how many are still inside. i have no idea to get a hold of him. i have no idea what's going on and i'm we're just worried sick. we just want to know if he's okay. amazon released a statement saying our thoughts prayers and deepest sympathies are with the victims their loved ones and everyone impacted. this is a devastating tragedy for our amazon family and our focus is on supporting our employees and partners. and one person was killed and five others injured at a minette, arkansas nursing. home at least 20 people were

trapped inside the building when the roof collapsed there those people though many of them were rescued here. you can see first responders helping some of those residents many of them elderly get to safety. will keep you updated on any developments, of course, especially as the sun comes up this morning and we start to see the true devastation there meantime new details this morning about that ceo who fired 900 employees on a zoom call just before the holidays vishal garg of better.com is taking leave now effective immediately. he fired 9% of his workforce without notice in a virtual meeting after that meeting three of the company's top executives resigned in protest. later apologize for his lack of respect. of people who were let go saying it made a difficult decision even worse. he said the reasons for the mass firing included market efficiency performance and productivity. happening today how speaker

nancy pelosi and congresswoman. jackie speier will be here in san francisco to celebrate the bipartisan infrastructure law that law invests four and a half billion dollars in bay area rail highway and public transit. they will hold a news conference at 9:30 this morning at salesforce transit center. also today, san mateo county is hosting a drive-through gun buyback event. you can turn in firearms anonymously. no questions asked $100 will be given for each hand. shotgun or rifle and $200 for an assault weapon people can choose to keep the cash incentive or donate it to selected nonprofits the event. runs from 10 to 2 on skyway road in san cs the alameda county coroner's office has ruled the death of mario gonzalez a homicide. police body camera video captured the april encounter between gonzalez and alameda police during which officers pinned him to the ground. the coroner's report says being pinned down was one factor in his death, but gonzalez was also

on methamphetamine the report cites alcoholism and obesity is other contributing factors. it is now up to the alameda county district attorney's office to decide whether to charge the officers who are on administrative leave. hundreds of san francisco students rallied to protest what they say is the school district's lack of response to sexual assault and harassment cases sky 7 was over city hall where the students presented the district with a list of demands among them. they want to create a support system for survivors and teach students starting in elementary school the meaning of cons. they will have just days where they would go around in like slap people's --. i remember that growing up their upper classmen their way much above us. it's really hard to say. no. it's school district told abc 7 news and sent an email to families highlighting the commitments. it's making to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. the district now wants to engage students in that process. alright the climate and the

environment are issues that we focus on in our effort to build a better bay area. san francisco's iconic ferry building could be raised as part of the port of san francisco's efforts to protect the arcadero from earthquakes and sea level rise. the port has released several early proposals and one includes strengthening the substructure of the ferry building which may later include raising it to install a new seawall. there's another project focused on the stretch between pier 5 and pier 22 and a half, which is most at risk of flooding it could be protected with new railings raised bulkheads and deployable barriers. today the giant forest is expected to reopen three months after a wildfire. and through california's ancient sequoia grows. the area has been closed since mid-september when the knp complex fire burned through 88,000 acres the wildfire threatened the trees including the world's largest the general sherman, which was wrapped in foil. you might remember that to protect it visitors are warned to bring their own food and water since none is available in

the grove. and lisa, let's get a check of the weather now. we're tracking a lot this morning rain on the way tomorrow here in the bay area and also these tornadoes in the midwest. yes in the frost here this morning old people across the country can't believe we get this cold and we do with the numbers below freezing in fact some reports of numbers near 30 degrees added tweed from a friend in san martin. so obviously we're getting that cold air and the protected valleys san francisco the mile this but are you ready for the saying the atmospheric river on the way beginning tomorrow. today is the great day to clean out the gutters. maybe get your tree do some shopping. it will be cool and cloudy throughout the afternoon, but we still are looking at the system queuing up in the pacific northwest and it's going to tap into some moisture that will aim a hose like a fire hose kind of wobbly one on and off right on through sunday into tuesday, so it gets going tomorrow.

and it continues with heavy rain sunday night into monday a bit of a break on tuesday and then more rain wednesday and thursday. there's a look at some clouds out there and the numbers. how about 37 in foster city? that's cold redwood city freezing at 32 33 in menlo park half moon bay 36 31 in the livermore valley with 30 by the delta and temperatures in the low. is for san rafael right now, but the coldest temperatures near sunrise which is our hour after sunrise. that's at about 10 after 7. so look outside here. so cold this morning chilly this afternoon with increasing clouds turning rainy and windy early sunday morning stormy through tuesday cold air is going to be in place another shot of cold air. we could see a rain snow mixed mount hamilton and it's going to be chilly right on through the middle of the week the winds begin later on tonight. this is saturday night. sunday and here comes the rain with the wind 20 to 40 miles an hour from the peninsula to the

south bay and then as we get into your monday afternoon, check it out 20 to 30 mile an hour wind gusts and it's raining. so we're gonna look at kind kind of a dicey morning commute. i the evening hours. it's still breezy and we still have some rain at level 2 system tomorrow. look at the heavy rain five in the morning santa rosa. it's welcome rain, right it lasts throughout the day along the peninsula, but they'll be breaks. it's not going to be raining all day. this shouldn't cause many problems. in fact, we could see a little bit of ponding on the roadways, but the soil is so dry. this should just sink right in through four o'clock on sunday as we get into six o'clock, maybe a few pockets of heavier. pain, you can see the santa cruz mountains getting some heavier rain then and this is just your sunday totals anywhere from about a half inch to an inch, which is some good news, but we need more right more is on the way here. monday an all-day rain and wind goreain on wednesdaytsd into thursday. and then as we look at the

totals here for monday into wednesday upwards of two to three inches, probably not that much in san jose over five inches ben lom and the snow you've heard about it five to seven feet. maybe even eight or nine feet around kirkwood. so highs today underneath the clouds fifties and it'll be chilly, but dry the accuweather 74 cast level 2 system tomorrow level three on monday rain snow mix on tuesday, and then we'll keep that level one going wednesday and thursday liz. so this is exactly what we need, but you have to be careful. on the roadways. yeah, we definitely do. we are happy to see that rain though. although it burr. is it cold up? yeah. all right, lisa. thanks. just ahead say goodbye to reading glasses the new product the fda just approved and how it could change the future. could change the future. number of eye medicine mrs. claus the shopping boss here to help you merry savers decorate with the best bargains ever! ross has savings on everything you need

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alarm fire right now in san francisco. it is burning a warehouse on the corner of newcomb and bar neville avenue. officials tweeted this video in the past hour firefighters are pouring water onto the flames officials say firefighters saved an antique tow truck that was there as well. so they saved that no word yet on if there's a cause or if anybody was inside again, this is a three alarm fire right now in san francisco. we will keep you updated on any more information that we get. alright new eyedrops just approved by the fda could limit the need the need for reading glasses. that is because the help muscles in the eye focus better abc 7 news reporter ryan curry talked to an ophthalm. us about how this could change the future of eye medicine. the usage of reading glasses could be a thing of the past new prescription-based beauty uses eye drops to help treat presbyopia, which is age-related blurry vision if we live long enough our eyes are going to

age. they're not going to be like they used to be levester law is currently writing a book. he says he often spends hours reading or staring at a computer screen after i read too much or write too long. i i have to just close my eyes and relax ophthalmologist lfactorovich with pacific vision says the drops work with the focusing mechanism in our eyes. she says the drops make the pupils smaller and thus is the range which the i can see you can see computer you can see the phone so you can really improve the range of vision. i think it's huge. she says many pharmaceutical companies have been working on this technology for years and beauty is the first to be fda approved patients will need to consult with an eye doctor. get it prescribed but victoria says the drops are already popular this morning. i have written a prescription to all my family members who are 40 plus because the glasses for reading very annoying julie

schallhorn with ucsf says the tools for treating eye conditions have continued to get better. she says a breakthrough like these drops can pave the way for a bright future for eye treatment the data that we have it shows. really really works and the patient reported out comes with it are extremely favorable leaving people like law hoping they won't have to use their glasses as often. of the idea that iea ahave that. you know, it just gives you back a little bit more of your life ryan curry abc 7 news. and if you need to mail items before the holidays the us postal service is extending hours and even sunday hours right now this monday through next saturday are expected to be the busiest days a spokesperson for usps says it will be the busiest days through like we said monday through next saturday and that today the willow glen post office in san jose will be open from 9:00 to 4:00 and tomorrow and next sunday the san jose main and

cupertino post offices will be open from 10 to 2. okay. we are awaiting a special report on the blue origin launch with abc's michael strahan. so please stay with abc 7 news for the liftoff what can i du with less asthma?

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moving forward finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. everybody you're watching abc 7 news live here on abc 7 hulu live and wherever you stream as we mentioned before. we are awaiting an abc news special report on the blue origin la with michael strahan on board, but for right now as we await we are going to get started this morning with a look at the weather again a lot going on lisa including rain on the way tomorrow. so do your activities today if you need to that's right. in fact, we have a pretty sunrise out there right now from

san francisco where you can see the colors there it is clear, but we are looking at some frosty numbers in our protected valleys right now. it is 45 downtown 37 in oakland 33 in mountain view. 37 in san jose with 34 morgan hill and half moon bay beautiful shot of our exploratorium camera where we have low to mid 30s from napa, nevada santa rosa below freezing in fairfield also in livermore a little bit of wind mixed in so the wind chill is about 26 degrees and down around morgan hill, san martin. it is right around 30. you so anywhere from two to about 13 degrees colder this morning. so we did it. we were colder today then yesterday so bundle up temperatures in the 40s to the 50s with increasing clouds throughout the day a dry day will track the rain next time. we see you liz. all right lisa. thanks more than half of fully vaccinated people 65 years and older have received a booster and about two million total shots are being administered

each day, but covid-19 cases continue to go up across the country. here's abc news reporter. a mitchell with the latest the number of new cases in new york city could double this month and infections may rapidly rise across the country according to a concerning new forecast out from the policy lab at children's hospital of philadelphia, though experts are keeping a close eye on the omicron variant. they say the delta variant and thanksgiving gatherings are largely to blame for the current rise in cases for definitely saying high numbers of covid cases both in our emergency rooms as well as inpatient in our hospitals. those cases are continuing to go. in the last several weeks hospitals in connecticut overwhelmed on a daily basis. we are challenged. our emergency departments are very very busy. our floors are very very busy alex kinnerf rt lir' t hospital battling covid-19 complications. he's still sedated. he's been sedated for a i'm grae

he can't feel pain right now new research shows people. teen or playing a key role in the rising infection rate meantime, the cdc says more than 50 million americans have now gotten their boosters health officials are pointing to boosters as a way to protect against the omicron variant. although we don't have all the answers on the omicron variant initial data suggests that covid-19 boosters help to bolster protection against omicron. the pentagon says it's considering making the booster mandatory for service members karina. abc news, new york and his covid cases do continue to spike across the country and right here in the bay area health experts warn new data shows young children and teenagers as was mentioned. there are contributing to the jump in transmission. and that is a concerning trend as kids under five are not yet vaccinated and they do remain unprotected abc 7 news reporter stephanie sierra a member of our

abc 7 vaccine team has a look at the numbers. since the beginning of the pandemic more than 7 million children and adolescents have tested positive for covid-19. both age groups not seen as super spreaders early on but new data shows that's changing, you know, the disease is finally getting into pediatric populations, and we're and we're seeing it there children under 18 now represent the largest per capita increase in new cases since the summer but ucss dr. george rutherford says in part that's due to pediatric cases already being low before our latest. this is an abc news special report. right now two two two two two to including an nfl grape our own michael strahan. i'm excited ready to go and the daughter of a space pioneer launching to space returning his astronauts xperiencing the ride

of a lifetime everybody here. lift off to space with michael strahan live from launch site 1 in west texas and abc news in new york city. tj hom a, robach. beautiful van horn, texas. thank you everyone for joining us on this incredibly exciting saturday morning. the weather is cooperating as we're all here in west texas to watch history be made here as we mark another exciting chapter in space history. you are looking live at the new shepherd rocket where our very own michael strahan and five other civilians are inside. they are about to begin.

in a lifetime journey to the edge of space and it's all happening in just a few moments from now tj. yes, and we are minutes away. it's a momentous occasion. it's another chapter in space history, but for me and robot and all of us here at abc news, our thoughts are not far away from the folks of course and tennessee in arkansas in kentucky as well as missouri who experienced those devastating storms overnight our thoughts continue to be with you, but we do come on the air here to document. something hopeful to document something that we can all be in awe of to document something in human achievement. this is going to be the third crude blue origin flight this year and this is going to be the first one that has six people but this is the first time you all were watching this in a little differently around here abc news because we have a loved one a friend a brother not just a colleague that's going to be a board. yes, michael strahan spaceman straight as we have been calling him and robes.

he's our eyes and our ears for this groundbreaking expedition, but it felt a little different to watch a friend of ours just a short time ago. go up that tower. it certainly did tj. and you know, you like to give everyone nicknames and i really think you might have coined the phrase stray and we just heard mission control they astronaut stray. do you read me? and you said astronaut stray good loud and clear. so it's on tj, and yes, we're just a few moments away from liftoff. we want to let everyone know at home what we're going to expect the flight is going to last 11 minutes and that rocket that's right there behind me if you can see it. 2,234 miles per hour. the passengers onboard, they are going to experience about three minutes of weightlessness as they travel roughly 66 miles. by the way, that is past the carmen line which is defined as the edge of outer space at 60ly 62 miles. so, t.j., this is incredibly exciting. we are -- i can feel my heart

pounding. everyone here is just so excited to see this finally take place. we've been waiting for days for it to happen. >> and he actually said he had one of the best night's sleep he's had in a long time, maybe ever, last night. so what has he been up to this morning? we have some video we can show you of how his day started. he left the training center, got to say bye to some of his family members who were there. his mom, louise, there she is, among them before he got in the vehicle. now, he hopped on a vehicle and took a short drive about ten minutes getting out to the launch pad. you can see there who's driving? jeff bezos himself is giving strahan a lift. there they are, they were leaving. it's a short ride. we can show you this journey they went on. it's about a ten-minute ride to get out to where they climbed into the tower. now, they climbed that tower and then got into the capsule. this is part of the tradition. all six of them went by, rang that bell letting everybody know they were about to get in the capsule. there they are and they have sealed it. now, robach mentioned a moment

ago the first communication that strahan had with the tower when they were asking spaceman stray, astronaut stray, how he was doing. take a listen to this. >> astronaut stray, how do you read me? >> stray is good, loud and clear. >> copy. >> we do want you to know he's still good. we see this countdown clock right now, robach, and he has now, they all have, and this is part of the training and safety, 2:30 to back out. not suggesting anybody is going to do that, but they are trained to use a phrase that for whatever reason, and the phrase is "i will not fly." they learned that in their training. so they have up until that last minute but no indication that that's going to happen. >> no. i can't imagine astronaut stray doing that. we're fully anticipating everyone to blast off, yes, in t-minus 15 minutes or so. we have, by the way, the amazing

gio benitez who has been here at least the last five days but back and forth several weeks. it is electric here in van horn as we all wait for this incredible, historic, momentous occasion to be. there is nothing, i imagine, quite like experiencing a rocket blast-off here on earth. this is my first, by the way. >> listen, the last time someone said that to me, they ended up on a rocketship on a saturday morning and that's what's happening here. you know, what's that we're watching. we're watching the weather but we both saw those weather balloons go up into the air where they're testing the atmosphere just to see if the wind speeds are okay because that's really the biggest concern and just to make sure that everything is okay for that liftoff and that landing. you know when michael was here and he was watching that spaceship, i saw the awe on his face, the wonder in his eyes. so it really was pretty incredible. i think that's where he got that space bug. >> just watching them was a moment within itself.

you hold your breath from the beginning all the way to the end. the sonic boom when the rocket comes back to watching the capsule float down to the ground and land. i don't think there's anyone here who is not overwhelmed by the moment. i don't think i have been at a loss for words for a long time in my life and this is definitely one of those moments. >> yeah, and he described that so beautifully, didn't he? >> he did, he did. >> and that was jeff bezos. that was when jeff bezos launched into space. you know, he still was a little unsure about it all. i still felt some hesitation from him. then he surprised us as we were reporting on the launch for william shatner. take a look at this. >> i would do it. i've changed my mind. >> that's a change. >> being with gio, i realize i would probably do it. >> george and i will be waiting. >> he said he would probably do it and then he got called on it. >> that's when he got that call. that's when he got that call from blue origin.

but i like that he said a few more test flights. no, no, you're on the next one, buddy. you're on the next one. amy, we're looking at that countdown clock right now. it looks like we are on a hold right now so it stopped at t-minus 15 minutes. usually that just means that they may be running ahead of time or behind a little bit. we'll find out from blue origin what that hold is about but it looks like we've been in that hold now about three minutes. >> and this happened before, correct? >> this happened in the jeff bezos flight. this also happened with the william shatner flight. there was a slight hold. it wasn't a big deal, they were able to just wait and make sure everybody is in position ready to go. >> i think all the astronauts aboard are okay with that. even if you're on a plane, we're checking some things, making sure everything is okay, good, do everything you need to know before liftoff, okay? and t.j., you know, we know that this is just -- this isn't just your average ordinary flight, correct? >> it's not, of course, but some things do seem average and ordinary to most us, many of us who fly, right?

we've got a flight delay, need to check something out, and you get a carry-on. and stray and all of these astronauts do get a carry-on if you will. they were all asked what personal items they'd like to take. now, this is a very small bag, if you will. they were told it can only be about three pounds but they could take some personal possessions. take a listen to what stray is taking. >> but there's a three-pound weight limit. my bag and the other passengers bags are loaded on to the capsule. when we get back to earth, each item will get a special certificate saying it's traveled to outer space. i am taking my retired giants jersey, my hall of fame ring, my super bowl ring, those super watches. and the most special thing to me when my father passed away and they had his military funeral, the bullets that they fired from the gun, i'm taking those to outer space. my dad was a paratrooper. hopefully i'm staying in the ship. he jumped out of planes, but it makes me feel closer to him.

so i love my dad and that's for my pop. the watch that my mother gave me, she didn't know this was going to happen, but it's my grandfather's pocket watch. she gave it to me to get repaired during the thanksgiving holiday so she doesn't know i haven't gotten it repaired yet but i'm bringing it with me to space. i had to keep it to bring it with me to space before i can give it back to her after i had it repaired. maybe i won't have it repaired because it's been in space tliek so that's another special thing for me for my mom. >> very personal items there to stray. and looking at the clock as e - well. we're watching it with you. this was scheduled -- this flight was scheduled to take off certainly by now but they're in a hold. they're in a hold at that 15-minute mark. we haven't gotten the answer yet. gio is looking into it to see what the hold is about. nothing to be alarmed about. this happened in the previous flights as well there was a hold for some reason so waiting for that clock to get going.

many of you may remember strahan talking to us on "gma" earlier this week before the initial flight was pushed back a couple of days. he said we're just ready to go. at this point let's go tomorrow even though they were in the middle of training. just the waiting and anticipation was driving him crazy and got moved to saturday. i wonder what's going through his mind as he's sitting there knowing they're in a hold. we talked about the items he's going to take. he got another surprise item this week as well from jeff bezos. take a look at this. >> we cannot send you of all people up into space without a football. and this football, when you bring it back down to earth is going straight to the pro football hall of fame. >> nice. >> you know what, they're going to be so excited. it's going to the pro football hall of fame, hopefully inspires more people to want to know more and explore more outside of our planet and want to explore space and everything that we have up there. even if i fumble this ball, as one of you guys pointed out, if i fumble it, it's just going to

float. >> you like that? >> that was amazing. >> he got an extra item apparently, though, to take up with him. you can't go up there without a football if you're a hall of famer. >> no, no, i think he did the right thing. it's going to be so exciting to see how he handles that weightlessness for three minutes. i asked him to take a selfie but i don't know that they can take their phone. the countdown clock if you're watching has begun so the hold has been lifted. we're at t-minus 14 or so right now as we're awaiting the exciting event that should be happening just moments from now. as we're watching the clock, you know, this isn't something that michael just woke up and said hey, let's do this. he's been in intense training for the last few weeks in fact. so he had to go through this week just to get onboard this flight. take a look at michael's journey to space. michael's preparations began a few weeks ago with getting fitted for his flight suit. and since he clocks in at 6'5" --

>> this is our new shepard astronaut seat. >> blue origin had him test out the flight seat. >> oh, this is comfortable. >> they didn't design it for folks with your shoulders. >> give me your zero g. >> i began my first day of training in astronaut village. >> good morning! >> where i met up with crew member 7, sarah knight. we were given the first-ever look inside the carmen line, a gathering spot for blue origin astronauts and their plus ones, meant to resemble a restaurant the apollo and mercury 7 astronauts would hang in after missions. >> go ahead and have a seat. >> since this is an active test and launch site, i needed a full safety briefing. >> to make sure you understand what's going on and keep you safe. if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, we will get you out of the situation. we want you to say time-out. >> i can't take that home with

me. >> the other phrase is "i will not fly." this is a phrase we hope to never hear from a new shepard astronaut but we take it very seriously. >> i have until t minus 2:30 to liftoff to utter those words. after that the vehicle controls itself so it's risky to stop the program. now i am officially certified. >> michael strahan, it is my great pleasure to give you your astronaut badge. >> that's the most professional-looking astronaut ever, in a business suit and tie. >> it makes it official. >> long day today. we trained from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. it's been a lot of fun, a great learning experience, and i'm a little nervous. you always get nervous but when you learn about the safety and all the protocol that puts you at ease. next, i pose for my official blue origin portrait, then it was time for hands-on training with kevin sproge.

>> come in with me. >> it was surreal stepping inside the test capsule for the very first time with my fellow crew members. >> day two began with a full run h run-through of launch morning in the desert. >> seven flights of stairs. >> good morning, astronauts. welcome to your emergency safety shelter. >> inside the safety shelter, properly named since it's the most secure place on the tower. >> this is the place you're going to go if anything goes wrong on the tower before we launch. you're never going to go downstairs. the only place you go is in the capsule or in this room. >> safety of the blue ogin ing important so they have equipped mission control and safety ratings to stand explosions. >> the entire booster can explode and you'll be here and be safe. >> outside the shelter, michael and his crew mates practice crossing the bridge to the tower where they will load into the capsule. on the way, a blue origin

tradition, ringing the bell. at the crew access tower, a quick explainer. >> you get to go in the capsule. so left, in your seat and then start buckling in. >> michael taking it all in. >> a beautiful view up here between the mountains. the closer we get, the more of these things we do. we're on the launch tower, walking across the bridge, ringing the bell, the more you know this is reality. so very excited. >> back at the astronaut training center, the day ended working inside the test capsule. with three to four minutes in space at zero gravity, the blue origin astronauts need to be masters at rolling in and out of their seats. >> do you want to try this, michael? >> you're clear to egress. loosen up, feet out, cock the harness and then float out. >> get over there.

>> it is getting real. t-minus nine minutes or so. this is happening after a couple of days delay but it was a good thing. i know michael got to spend extra time with friends and family. he got a little refresher training yesterday, so we know he's ready to go, t.j., and he has five fellow astronauts on board with him as well. >> yes, they are all sitting there at t minus nine minutes with the rest of the team onboard joining michael. we have what's going to be the first parent/child duo to go to space. lane bess and cameron bess. lane a tech billionaire, but they're heading up together. evan dick, an investor and software engineer onboard. dylan taylor, the founder of the global nonprofit space for humanity and of course laura shepard churchly, the eldest daughter of the first american in space, alan shepard. that was 60 years ago this year.

can you believe that that he was the first american in space. alan shepard famously walked on the moon and played golf on the moon a lot of people will remember, robach. >> yes, it's always good to remember that. yes, they are all suited up and ready to go on those blue origin spacesuits. it's a very special patch. nasa astronauts have been wearing mission patches since 1965. take a look at that patch. it has all of the passengers' faces on it. it's pretty cool. there's a special nod of legendary astronaut you just mentioned, alan shepard. yes, the first american to travel into space and pays homage to glenn devries, the entrepreneur who launched into space on a blue origin flight in october and unfortunately tragically passed away in a small plane crash in new jersey just a few weeks ago, so our condolences to his family as well. as we see the patch you're looking at, it has the faces of michael and the other five

passengers onboard as well. those six faces represent the first flight with six astronauts onboard. each astronaut is represented with a star right near their name. you'll see cameron and lane bess have two stars near their names to represent the first parent ins /child pair to go to space. so much history being made. >> it's so incredible that laura shepard churchley is onboard. her dad the first american in space back in 1961. we had a chance to chat with her and stray himself asked her what she might hear from her dad if he was still around. >> i would say that blue origin was going to put me in a spacecraft and they're going to put the spacecraft on top of a rocket. they're going to blast me up into space and i'll come back to earth safely. that's exactly what daddy said to us. so he would be sitting there on the sofa listening to me.

he would stand up, come over to me, give me a big hug and a kiss. and he would say "go for it, laura." >> that was wonderful to hear her excitement. gio, we just hit a very critical moment in this countdown. we are still t minus six minutes, but go/no go. >> this is the very exciting moment where they poll the room at mission control and they actually say, okay, is it a go or is it no go and they said go. so right now at t minus six minutes or just under six minutes we are a go for launch. it gets very exciting. the next five minutes, amy, i can't wait to see how you're going to be looking at this. i'm sure you are going to have that same look of awe and wonder that michael had that day. >> i've only seen it on television. we're usually much closer than we've ever been before, correct? >> usually we're three miles away. in this case we're a mile and a half away. we are much, much closer. i bet that we're going to really

feel that rumble and hear that -- >> we're going to feel the rumble, not just hear it. >> you are going to feel it. it's going to roll through and you're going to feel it hit you. >> you jealous, t.j.? >> you all are going to hear and feel it and they are about to experience it. it's an 11-minute trip but it's going to be an exhilarating one. what are they going through in that 11 minutes? check it out. >> at liftoff, the new shepard rocket speeds passengers toward space producing 110,000 pounds of thrust propelling all onboard to earth's atmosphere. two minutes after launch they reach mach 3. they'll feel pressure three times the force of earth's gravity. a minute later the main engine cuts off, known as mico, main engine cutoff and the capsule separates from the rocket. it is this moment the astronauts can unbuckle and experience weightlessness. four minutes into the mission they reach apogee as it slows to

zero miles an hour. now both the capsule and new shepard rocket separately make their descent back to earth. new shepard will reach earth before the capsule. six minutes in and the astronauts buckle back in, in preparation for the capsule to re-enter earth's atmosphere. moments before the new shepard rocket lands, the engine reignites and the rocket makes a pinpoint vertical touchdown so it can be reused for future flights. nine minutes after launch the parachutes deploy from the capsule. they will bring the speed of the capsule down to 60 miles an hour as it drifts back to earth. to slow the impact further, seconds before landing the retrothrust system kicks on resulting in a dust cloud. once on the ground the astronauts wait as recovery teams speed to meet them. >> unbelievable. you all, we are t minus. we are three and a half minutes away. oh, my goodness. our colleague is in that capsule right now about to head to

space. my goodness. we do have katie coleman here with us, a former astronaut and abc news distributor and dr. here. katie, we talk about these numbers, 2200 miles an hour, mach 3 and all this. put this in layman's terms for us. what does that feel like? >> when those engines light right underneath him, it's not something sudden like leaping off the pad, it's like this huge, amazing, astonishing force. you can just tell it is relentless and you are just not going to stop until that engine cuts off and that's when they're in space. >> my goodness. robach and gio, as we get close and count down, because we do want to listen and take all of this in, i'm going to come back to you all and these final thoughts before we see our colleague take off. robach, we are covering an event but this is a friend of ours that's about to go up.

you were one when you first found out, i was in the office with you, and you were almost in tears just thinking about him being aboard because this is special. there is a risk here. it's exciting, but we've got a colleague about to go to space. >> you know, i actually got teary-eyed just hearing you say that, and you know i'm not a crier. >> you will be today. >> this is a guy who we all love and admire. he's, i would say, sometimes risk averse. he makes fun of me all the time. why are you hanging off a mountain, what are you doing? look at him now. look at michael strahan going to space. it is awe-inspiring. i told him you inspire me. i'm so excited to see this. and actually i'm nervous. my heart is pounding. >> and you're going to feel that. you're going to feel that right up through launch as you're watching this go up, no doubt about it. it's also something where you have anxiety, but you also are looking at it and saying, wow, this is so inspiring. so let's go ahead and listen in here at 1:30 away.

>> our bit checks will be coming up next. all right. there we go with the aft fins. the aft fins down here at the base of the rocket help direct the vehicle on ascent and descent, so commanding a profile there and making sure that it's tracking. >> folks, you are watching now as we are under a minute from the third crewed blue origin launch, but aboard this one happens to be one michael strahan. and we will continue to listen to the tower here as they take off on this 11-minute round trip journey to space. >> especially right there before landing.

ladies and gentlemen,