[dramatic percussion music]
- HEY, AND WELCOME TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."
I'M YOUR HOST, ALICIA SEARS.
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE, NO DOUBT YOU'VE SEEN IT.
THE SHUTTLE IS THE MOST COMPLEX PIECE OF MACHINERY
EVER BUILT BY MANKIND.
SHE WAS THE WORLD'S FIRST REUSABLE SPACECRAFT
ROCKETING MEN AND WOMEN TO LOW EARTH ORBIT
AND BRINGING THEM HOME FOR THREE DECADES.
YOU MAY KNOW ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS
GENERATED BY THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM.
BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS UNIQUE MACHINE
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AMAZING ADVANCES
IN ASTROPHYSICS AND PLANETARY SCIENCE?
HOW?
THINK ABOUT THAT GIGANTIC CARGO BAY,
A SPACE 4.6 BY 18 METERS.
THE HUGE SPACE ALLOWED THIS NASA WORKHORSE
TO HAUL SATELLITES, PROBES,
AND LARGE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS TO SPACE.
MAGELLAN WAS THE FIRST PLANETARY SPACECRAFT
TO BE LAUNCHED BY A SHUTTLE,
A SUCCESSFUL MISSION TO VENUS
TESTED A TECHNIQUE CALLED AEROBRAKING
THAT USES THE ATMOSPHERE OF A PLANET
TO HELP STEER OR SLOW DOWN A CRAFT.
CRATERS SHOWN IN THE RADAR IMAGES TAKEN BY MAGELLAN
TOLD SCIENTISTS THAT VENUS' SURFACE
APPEARS RELATIVELY YOUNG.
OR WHAT ABOUT THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE?
THIS BUS-SIZED OBSERVATORY WAS NOT ONLY DEPLOYED BY THE SHUTTLE
BUT RECAPTURED FOR REPAIRS AND UPDATES
THAT WILL ALLOW THE TELESCOPE TO CONTINUE TAKING IMAGES
THAT ARE CHANGING SOCIETY'S VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE.
THE SHUTTLE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE
IN SENDING THE GALILEO PROBE TO THE JUPITER SYSTEM.
AND THE NEW ALPHA MAGNETIC SPECTROMETER
DELIVERED TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
WILL EXAMINE THE COSMIC RAYS
COMING FROM EXPLODING STARS AND BLACK HOLES.
ONE OF THE SHUTTLE'S MOST INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
WAS BUILDING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
MODULE BY MODULE, PANEL BY PANEL,
THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART INTERNATIONAL LABORATORY
WILL BE THE HEART OF OUR HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT ACTIVITIES
IN THE COMING YEARS.
BUT BEFORE ANY SPACE SHUTTLE OR ITS CARGO WAS GO FOR LAUNCH,
AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF WORK AND DEDICATION WAS REQUIRED
JUST TO GET IT TO THE LAUNCHPAD.
PEOPLE, PLANTS, AND MORE THAN A MILLION PARTS
NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER PERFECTLY
FOR A SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH.
AND WITH PARTS COMING FROM MORE THAN 35 STATES
AROUND THE COUNTRY,
THIS WAS TRULY A NATIONAL ENDEAVOR.
- WITH SO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES' HELP.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A LANDING FACILITY
OUT AT DRYDEN RESEARCH FLIGHT CENTER.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE UNITED STATE
AND EVERY STATE IN BETWEEN,
WE HAVE ALL OF THESE VENDORS
THAT ARE MAKING PIECE PARTS THAT GO INTO THE SHUTTLE.
THE BIGGER ONES THAT PEOPLE KNOW OF,
THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS,
THOSE BIG BOOSTERS ON THE SIDE OF THE LAUNCH VEHICLE,
THOSE ARE DESIGNED AND MADE AND PROCESSED IN UTAH,
AND THEY PUT THOSE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS ON A TRAIN,
AND THEY TREK THEM ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
TO KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
IN LOUISIANA, THEY BUILD THE EXTERNAL TANKS.
IN ALABAMA, YOU HAVE THE PROJECT CENTERS,
WHERE ALL OF THE PROPULSION ELEMENTS ARE MANAGED.
AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER,
THEY PROCESS THE VEHICLE AND GET IT READY FOR FLIGHT.
YOU KNOW, AT JOHNSON,
WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT,
AND THEN WE FLY THE MISSION.
- TEAMS OF PEOPLE BEGAN WORKING TOGETHER
FROM THE MOMENT A MISSION WAS ANNOUNCED,
AND THE WORK DIDN'T STOP
WHEN THE SHUTTLE WHEELS MADE THEIR DRAMATIC TOUCHDOWN.
- OH, GOSH, THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
THAT ARE BEHIND THE SCENES THAT YOU NEVER SEE,
AND IT'S WHETHER THEIR-- WHETHER THEIR--
YOU KNOW, A CLOSEOUT CREW.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING THE CREW--
LOADING THEM INTO THE SHUTTLE,
MAKING SURE THEIR STRAPPED IN,
MAKING SURE THAT THE VEHICLE IS BUTTONED UP JUST RIGHT.
THE CRAWLER TRANSPORTERS,
THEY'RE JOB IS TO GET IN THIS GIANT CRAWLER WITH TRACKS
THAT IS MOVING AT LESS THAN ONE MILE AN HOUR
AND MOVE THIS-- THIS SHUTTLE STACK
FROM THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING
ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE PAD.
- NOW, AFTER THREE REMARKABLE DECADES,
IT'S TIME RETIRE AMERICA'S SPACE SHUTTLE
AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE.
WHAT WILL NASA'S NEXT SPACECRAFT LOOK LIKE?
WHERE WILL THE NEXT GENERATION OF ASTRONAUTS TRAVEL?
WHAT NEW SCIENTIFIC MYSTERIES WILL BE REVEALED?
NEW DISCOVERIES AND NEW SPACECRAFT
WILL MEAN NEW JOBS.
THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM MAY BE AT AN END,
BUT TOMORROW'S SPACE PROGRAM IS TAKING SHAPE RIGHT NOW,
AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE IT FLEW.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
I'M ALICIA.
SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."