WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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- HEY, WELCOME
TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST,
AMBER WHALEN.

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SO WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING
ABOUT THESE HUGE PROJECTS

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THAT NASA IS WORKING ON.

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BUT WHAT ABOUT SOME
OF THE LESS PROMINENT STUFF?

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SURE, EVERYBODY'S HEARD
ABOUT ORION AND ARES

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AND THE LUNAR LANDER.

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WHAT ABOUT SOME
OF THE NON-FRONT-PAGE NEWS?

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WELL, THAT DESERVES
TO BE SEEN TOO.

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SO WE'RE GOING
TO TAKE A LOOK AT A COUPLE

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OF THESE LESSER STORIES
RIGHT NOW

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IN A SEGMENT WE'RE CALLING
"THE LIGHTER SIDE."

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"LIGHTER."
GET IT?

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BECAUSE IT'S NASA,

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AND THEY'RE UP IN SPACE,
FLOATING AROUND?

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WOW, WE NEED NEW WRITERS.

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OKAY, SO THE FIRST THING
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

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ON "THE LIGHTER SIDE"

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DEALS WITH SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN
A BIG DEAL FOR ASTRONAUTS

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FOR A LONG TIME:

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FOOD.

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YEAH, SPACE FOOD DIDN'T EXACTLY
START OUT APPETIZING,

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BUT IT'S GOTTEN A LOT BETTER
THROUGH THE YEARS.

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WHILE THE MENUS HAVE GROWN,

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THERE'S STILL SOMETHING
TO BE SAID FOR THE DRINKS.

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NOT THAT THEY TASTE BAD,

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BUT YOU HAVE TO SUCK THEM
THROUGH A STRAW.

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AND EVEN THE STRAW
TAKES PRACTICE.

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YOU SEE, YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF
THIS LITTLE KEY

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ON THE SIDE OF THE STRAW,

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OR THE LIQUID JUST KEEPS
PUMPING THROUGH THE STRAW

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ONCE IT STARTS,

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EVEN WHEN YOU MOVE
YOUR MOUTH AWAY.

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YOU KNOW NEWTON'S FIRST LAW:

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AN OBJECT IN MOTION
STAYS IN MOTION

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UNLESS IT IS ACTED ON
BY ANOTHER FORCE.

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NO GRAVITY, NO OPPOSITE FORCE
TO STOP THE MOVING LIQUID

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THAT'S COMING UP
THROUGH THE STRAW.

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OF COURSE, YOU CAN TRY TO CATCH
THE LIQUID BUBBLES

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AS THEY FLOAT AROUND.

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BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY CAPTURE
THE FEELING OF SITTING DOWN

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AND SIPPING A CUP OF COFFEE.

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BUT YOU CAN'T USE A CUP IN
A REDUCED-GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT,

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CAN YOU?

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WELL, DON'T TELL STS-126
ASTRONAUT DON PETTIT

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THAT HE CAN'T DO SOMETHING.

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HERE HE IS TO EXPLAIN
HIS CREATION.

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- WE CAN SUCK OUR COFFEE OUT
FROM A BAG,

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BUT TO DRINK IT FROM A CUP
IS HARD TO DO

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BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TIP THE CUP UP
AND GET THE LIQUID OUT,

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AND IT'S ALSO EASY TO SLOSH.

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SO WITH THE SPECIAL SHAPE
OF THIS CUP,

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THE SURFACE TENSION FORCES
WILL WICK THE COFFEE

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UP ALONG THE EDGE THERE,

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AS YOU CAN SEE

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AS I'M PUTTING SOME COFFEE THERE
IN THE BAG.

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AND THE WAY THIS WORKS IS,

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THE CROSS SECTION OF THIS CUP
LOOKS LIKE AN AIRPLANE WING,

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AND THE SHARP ANGLE,
THE NARROW ANGLE THERE,

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WILL WICK THE COFFEE UP.

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AND THIS IS WHAT WE USE

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WHEN WE DESIGN FUEL TANKS
FOR ROCKETS

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TO REIGNITE
IN A WEIGHTLESS ENVIRONMENT.

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THE VEINS IN THE TANKS WILL WICK
THE FLUID INTO THE SUCTION PORT.

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AND IF THAT ANGLE IS LESS

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THAN 2 TIMES 90 MINUS
THE CONTACT WETTING ANGLE,

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THEN THE LIQUID WILL RISE
LIKE THAT.

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SO KNOWING THIS FOR A FUEL TANK,

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YOU CAN MAKE IT INTO A CUP
TO DRINK YOUR FLUID FROM.

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SO YOU CAN JUST SIT THERE
RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE CUP,

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AND AS YOU SIP, MORE FLUID JUST
KEEPS COMING UP AND UP AND UP,

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AND YOU CAN ENJOY
A CUP OF COFFEE

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IN A WEIGHTLESS ENVIRONMENT

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WITHOUT HAVING TO SIP IT
FROM A BAG.

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- THERE YOU GO,
A COFFEE CUP FOR SPACE.

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AND IT'S MADE
FROM A PIECE OF PLASTIC

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FROM ONE OF HIS MISSION BOOKS.

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JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU,
INGENUITY CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE.

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MOVING ALONG,
STILL ON "THE LIGHTER SIDE,"

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THE ASTRONAUTS ON STS-126
WERE JOINED BY SOME ARACHNIDS,

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SPIDERS, SPECIFICALLY
TWO FEMALE SPIDERS

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COMMONLY KNOWN AS ORB WEAVERS.

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AND, NO,
THEY WEREN'T STOWAWAYS.

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IN FACT,
THESE SPIDERS WENT THROUGH

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A COMPLICATED SELECTION PROCESS

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SO NASA COULD MAKE SURE
THEY REALLY HAD THE RIGHT STUFF.

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THE LUCKY TWO WERE HANDPICKED

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FOR THEIR WEB-SPINNING
TECHNIQUES, VIGOR,

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AND YOUTHFULNESS.

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THE SPIDERS WERE PART
OF AN EXPERIMENT

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CONDUCTED BY THE ASTRONAUTS ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

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WITH STUDENTS IN FLORIDA, TEXAS,
AND COLORADO.

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THEY WORKED
TO COMPARE SPIDERWEBS

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CREATED IN MICROGRAVITY
WITH THE ONES CREATED ON EARTH.

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SO WHY SPIDERS?

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WELL, THE WEBS THEY SPIN
ARE VERY VISUAL,

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WHICH COULD MAKE IT VERY SIMPLE
TO MAKE OBSERVATIONS

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AND COMPARE THE DESIGNS
OF SPACE WEBS AND EARTH WEBS.

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SCIENTISTS CAN ALSO WATCH
THE SPIDERS IN ACTION

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TO SEE HOW THEY CHANGE

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THEIR NORMAL DROP AND DANGLE
TECHNIQUES.

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ALSO, THE WEBS CAN BE TESTED
TO SEE IF THEY ARE AS STRONG

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AS THE ONES ON EARTH.

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INITIALLY, THE WEBS CAME OUT
VERY TANGLED

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AND MORE THREE-DIMENSIONAL,

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UNLIKE WEBS SPUN HERE ON EARTH.

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BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS
OF ACCLIMATION,

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THE SPIDERS TORE DOWN THEIR
OLD WEBS AND SPUN NEW ONES,

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VERY SYMMETRICAL AND VERY
SIMILAR TO EARTH-SPUN WEBS.

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THE LAST THING
ON THIS "LIGHTER SIDE:"

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EVER WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN

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IF YOU THREW A BOOMERANG
IN MICROGRAVITY?

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WELL, WONDER NO LONGER.

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THAT'S ASTRONAUT TAKAO DOI,

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ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION,

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THROWING THAT BOOMERANG.

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AND, YES, AS YOU CAN SEE,
IT DOES COME BACK TO HIM,

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JUST LIKE IT SHOULD ON EARTH.

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A BOOMERANG WORKS
BECAUSE ITS SPIN

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CAUSES FORCES ACTING ON IT
FROM THE AIR TO BE UNEVEN.

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THE SECTION OF THE BOOMERANG

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MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION
AS ITS FORWARD MOTION

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MOVES FASTER THROUGH THE AIR

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THAN THE PART MOVING
IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

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THE UNEVEN FORCES
CAUSES THE BOOMERANG

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TO TURN AND FOLLOW
A CIRCULAR PATH,

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WHICH EVENTUALLY BRINGS IT BACK
TO THE THROWER.

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AS LONG AS THERE'S AIR
TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY FORCES,

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THIS WORKS, EVEN IN
THE MICROGRAVITY OF EARTH ORBIT.

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MAKE SENSE?

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HEY, WHO KNEW, RIGHT?

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YOU CAN LEARN PHYSICS
FROM SOMETHING

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YOU THOUGHT WAS JUST FOR FUN.

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THINK ABOUT TOYS
YOU PLAYED WITH GROWING UP.

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HOW MANY PHYSICS LESSONS
WERE HIDDEN IN THEM?

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RUBBER DUCKY FLOATED,

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BUT ACTION FIGURES
AND DOLLS SANK.

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WHY WAS THAT?

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A PERFECTLY GOOD QUESTION
WHEN YOU WERE A KID

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AND EVEN A GOOD QUESTION NOW.

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- REALLY QUICK--SORRY
FOR THE INTERRUPTION, AMBER.

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I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP
ON THAT.

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ALL THOSE QUESTIONS
YOU MIGHT HAVE ARE REALLY GOOD,

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AND GET THIS: YOU MIGHT EVEN
BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM ANSWERED

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BY CREW MEMBERS ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

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I'M TALKING ABOUT NASA'S
TEACHING FROM SPACE PROGRAM.

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TEACHING FROM SPACE ACTIVITIES

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ARE DESIGNED TO FACILITATE
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

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THAT USE THE UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT
OF SPACEFLIGHT

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AND OTHER FLIGHT PLATFORMS.

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THE ACTIVITIES ENABLE FORMAL
AND INFORMAL EDUCATORS

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TO DIRECTLY ENGAGE
AND EDUCATE STUDENTS

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IN STEM SUBJECTS USING NASA'S
UNIQUE CONTENT AND RESOURCES.

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TEACHING FROM SPACE OFFERS
K-12 EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS

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NASA'S UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

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THAT ENGAGE LEARNERS IN SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING,

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AND MATHEMATICS.

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TEACHING FROM SPACE PARTNERS
WITH THE ASTRONAUT OFFICE

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AND NASA CENTERS
THROUGHOUT THE NATION

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TO PROVIDE A WIDE VARIETY
OF OPPORTUNITIES

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THAT CAN'T BE FOUND
ANYWHERE ELSE.

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IMAGINE SPEAKING LIVE WITH
CREW MEMBERS ORBITING THE EARTH

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ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION

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OR USING REAL NASA EQUIPMENT
TO TEST STUDENT EXPERIMENTS.

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THESE OPPORTUNITIES
AND SO MANY MORE

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ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.

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SO IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS
YOU WANT ANSWERED,

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CHECK OUT NASA'S
TEACHING FROM SPACE SITE

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AT THE ADDRESS BELOW.

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- KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS
AND KEEP THINKING,

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BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE LEARN.

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AND THERE'S STILL SO MUCH MORE
OUT THERE TO LEARN.

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WELL, SO MUCH
FOR "THE LIGHTER SIDE."

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THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE
FOR THIS EPISODE.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING.
I'M AMBER WHALEN.

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AND I'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME
ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."