WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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- HEY, AND WELCOME
TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST,
ALICIA SEARS.

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NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE,
NO DOUBT YOU'VE SEEN IT.

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THE SHUTTLE IS THE MOST COMPLEX
PIECE OF MACHINERY

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EVER BUILT BY MANKIND.

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SHE WAS THE WORLD'S FIRST
REUSABLE SPACECRAFT

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ROCKETING MEN AND WOMEN
TO LOW EARTH ORBIT

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AND BRINGING THEM HOME
FOR THREE DECADES.

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YOU MAY KNOW ABOUT
THE TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS

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GENERATED BY
THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM.

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BUT DID YOU KNOW
THAT THIS UNIQUE MACHINE

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IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR AMAZING ADVANCES

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IN ASTROPHYSICS
AND PLANETARY SCIENCE?

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HOW?

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THINK ABOUT
THAT GIGANTIC CARGO BAY,

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A SPACE 4.6 BY 18 METERS.

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THE HUGE SPACE
ALLOWED THIS NASA WORKHORSE

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TO HAUL SATELLITES, PROBES,

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AND LARGE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
TO SPACE.

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MAGELLAN WAS THE FIRST
PLANETARY SPACECRAFT

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TO BE LAUNCHED BY A SHUTTLE,

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A SUCCESSFUL MISSION TO VENUS

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TESTED A TECHNIQUE
CALLED AEROBRAKING

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THAT USES THE ATMOSPHERE
OF A PLANET

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TO HELP STEER
OR SLOW DOWN A CRAFT.

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CRATERS SHOWN IN THE RADAR
IMAGES TAKEN BY MAGELLAN

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TOLD SCIENTISTS
THAT VENUS' SURFACE

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APPEARS RELATIVELY YOUNG.

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OR WHAT ABOUT THE
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE?

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THIS BUS-SIZED OBSERVATORY WAS
NOT ONLY DEPLOYED BY THE SHUTTLE

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BUT RECAPTURED FOR REPAIRS
AND UPDATES

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THAT WILL ALLOW THE TELESCOPE
TO CONTINUE TAKING IMAGES

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THAT ARE CHANGING SOCIETY'S
VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE.

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THE SHUTTLE PLAYED
AN IMPORTANT ROLE

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IN SENDING THE GALILEO PROBE
TO THE JUPITER SYSTEM.

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AND THE NEW ALPHA MAGNETIC
SPECTROMETER

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DELIVERED TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

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WILL EXAMINE THE COSMIC RAYS

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COMING FROM EXPLODING STARS
AND BLACK HOLES.

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ONE OF THE SHUTTLE'S MOST
INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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WAS BUILDING
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

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MODULE BY MODULE,
PANEL BY PANEL,

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THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART
INTERNATIONAL LABORATORY

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WILL BE THE HEART OF OUR
HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT ACTIVITIES

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IN THE COMING YEARS.

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BUT BEFORE ANY SPACE SHUTTLE
OR ITS CARGO WAS GO FOR LAUNCH,

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AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF WORK
AND DEDICATION WAS REQUIRED

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JUST TO GET IT TO THE LAUNCHPAD.

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PEOPLE, PLANTS,
AND MORE THAN A MILLION PARTS

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NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER
PERFECTLY

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FOR A SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH.

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AND WITH PARTS COMING FROM
MORE THAN 35 STATES

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AROUND THE COUNTRY,

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THIS WAS TRULY
A NATIONAL ENDEAVOR.

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- WITH SO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS
THE UNITED STATES' HELP.

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FOR EXAMPLE,
WE HAVE A LANDING FACILITY

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OUT AT DRYDEN
RESEARCH FLIGHT CENTER.

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IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE UNITED STATE

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AND EVERY STATE IN BETWEEN,

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WE HAVE ALL OF THESE VENDORS

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THAT ARE MAKING PIECE PARTS
THAT GO INTO THE SHUTTLE.

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THE BIGGER ONES
THAT PEOPLE KNOW OF,

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THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS,

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THOSE BIG BOOSTERS ON THE SIDE
OF THE LAUNCH VEHICLE,

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THOSE ARE DESIGNED AND MADE
AND PROCESSED IN UTAH,

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AND THEY PUT THOSE SOLID
ROCKET BOOSTERS ON A TRAIN,

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AND THEY TREK THEM ALL THE WAY
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

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TO KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

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IN LOUISIANA,
THEY BUILD THE EXTERNAL TANKS.

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IN ALABAMA,
YOU HAVE THE PROJECT CENTERS,

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WHERE ALL OF THE PROPULSION
ELEMENTS ARE MANAGED.

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AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER,

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THEY PROCESS THE VEHICLE
AND GET IT READY FOR FLIGHT.

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YOU KNOW, AT JOHNSON,

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WE'RE KIND OF IN
THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT,

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AND THEN WE FLY THE MISSION.

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- TEAMS OF PEOPLE
BEGAN WORKING TOGETHER

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FROM THE MOMENT A MISSION
WAS ANNOUNCED,

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AND THE WORK DIDN'T STOP

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WHEN THE SHUTTLE WHEELS
MADE THEIR DRAMATIC TOUCHDOWN.

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- OH, GOSH,
THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

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THAT ARE BEHIND THE SCENES
THAT YOU NEVER SEE,

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AND IT'S WHETHER THEIR--
WHETHER THEIR--

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YOU KNOW, A CLOSEOUT CREW.

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YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE
PUTTING THE CREW--

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LOADING THEM INTO THE SHUTTLE,

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MAKING SURE THEIR STRAPPED IN,

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MAKING SURE THAT THE VEHICLE
IS BUTTONED UP JUST RIGHT.

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THE CRAWLER TRANSPORTERS,

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THEY'RE JOB IS TO GET IN
THIS GIANT CRAWLER WITH TRACKS

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THAT IS MOVING AT LESS THAN
ONE MILE AN HOUR

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AND MOVE THIS--
THIS SHUTTLE STACK

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FROM THE VEHICLE
ASSEMBLY BUILDING

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ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE PAD.

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- NOW, AFTER THREE
REMARKABLE DECADES,

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IT'S TIME RETIRE AMERICA'S
SPACE SHUTTLE

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AS WE LOOK FORWARD
TO THE FUTURE.

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WHAT WILL NASA'S NEXT SPACECRAFT
LOOK LIKE?

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WHERE WILL THE NEXT GENERATION
OF ASTRONAUTS TRAVEL?

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WHAT NEW SCIENTIFIC MYSTERIES
WILL BE REVEALED?

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NEW DISCOVERIES
AND NEW SPACECRAFT

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WILL MEAN NEW JOBS.

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THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
MAY BE AT AN END,

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BUT TOMORROW'S SPACE PROGRAM
IS TAKING SHAPE RIGHT NOW,

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AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE IT FLEW.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING.

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I'M ALICIA.

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SEE YOU NEXT TIME
ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."