[dramatic percussion music]
- HI, AND WELCOME TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."
I'M YOUR HOST, ALICIA SEARS.
MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN A SHUTTLE LAUNCH,
MAYBE NOT IN PERSON, BUT AT LEAST ON TV,
BUT ONLY 355 HUMANS ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED THE RIDE
FROM WITHIN.
AND SINCE ASTRONAUTS DON'T MAJOR IN ASTRONAUT STUFF,
THESE MEN AND WOMEN CAME FROM A WIDE VARIETY
OF BACKGROUNDS, CAREERS, AND EXPERIENCES,
FROM PILOTS AND ENGINEERS TO DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS
TO CONGRESSMEN AND TEACHERS, EVEN A FORMER PRO ATHLETE,
AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM 16 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
HAVE FLOWN ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE.
SO WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
WHO BETTER TO TELL US ABOUT THE SPACE SHUTTLE EXPERIENCE
THAN SOMEONE WHO TOOK THE RIDE?
HERE'S STS 118 AND STS 133 ASTRONAUT AL DREW.
- "DEAR LORD, PLEASE DON'T LET ME SCREW THIS UP."
AND THAT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING
ON YOUR WAY OUT TO THE PAD.
IT'S LIKE, "AM I REALLY PREPARED FOR ALL THIS?
HAVE I DONE ALL THE TRAINING?"
OF COURSE YOU HAVE,
BUT YOU'RE JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME--
SOME NOTCH, SOME MISSING SPOT THERE
THAT'S GONNA GO REALLY SOUTH ON YOU
AT SOME POINT DURING THE MISSION,
AND YOU'RE KIND OF RECOUNTING EVERYTHING,
MAKING SURE YOU'VE CHECKED ALL THE SQUARES.
- AND THEN THERE'S LIFTOFF.
IN JUST A LITTLE OVER EIGHT MINUTES,
THIS MIGHTY MACHINE WENT FROM STANDING STILL ON A LAUNCHPAD
TO TRAVELING AT MORE THAN 27,000 KILOMETERS--
OR ABOUT 17,000 MILES-- AN HOUR.
WHAT DOES IF FEEL LIKE TO ACCELERATE
OVER 3,000 KILOMETERS A MINUTE?
- WELL, THE FIRST THING YOU GET IS A PRETTY GOOD--
LIKE A PUNCH IN THE GUT AS YOU COME OFF THE PAD,
BECAUSE WHEN THOSE SOLID ROCKET MOTORS LIGHT,
YOU JUST FEEL IT.
IT JUST SHOVES YOU DOWN IN THE SEAT PRETTY VIOLENTLY.
IT'S RUMBLING. IT'S SHAKING.
SOLID ROCKET FUEL DOESN'T BURN NICELY OR SMOOTHLY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA COMPOSE POETRY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA CUT DIAMONDS.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING BUT HANG ON FOR DEAR LIFE
FOR THOSE FIRST TWO MINUTES.
YOU'RE PRETTY WELL PINNED TO YOUR SEAT
FOR THOSE LAST FEW SECONDS OF THE RIDE TO ORBIT.
- MOST MISSIONS LASTED SEVERAL DAYS.
ASTRONAUTS' SCHEDULES WERE CAREFULLY PLANNED,
BUT WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THEIR FREE TIME?
- I NEVER DID SIT AROUND WATCHING TV
OR LISTENING TO THE RADIO OR SOMETHING
OR READING MAGAZINES.
I WASN'T--WASN'T DOING THAT.
THE CLOSEST I WOULD COME TO FREE TIME
WAS MAYBE THE LAST 45 MINUTES OF PRE-SLEEP,
AND YOU GO FIND SOME SECLUDED PART OF THE SPACE STATION
OR THE ORBITER
AND JUST PRESS YOUR NOSE AGAINST THE GLASS
AND WATCH THE EARTH GO BY,
ENJOY THE FACT THAT YOU'RE IN SPACE, TAKE IT IN,
BECAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY PAY A WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION
FOR THE OTHER 16 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES OF THE DAY.
- AFTER COMPLETING A MISSION,
ASTRONAUTS PREPARED THEMSELVES AND THE SPACE SHUTTLE
FOR REENTRY INTO EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.
OF COURSE, IT TOOK THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION
OF MORE THAN JUST THE ASTRONAUTS
TO MAKE THE SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT SUCCESSFUL.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HELPED MAKE THE SHUTTLE FLY,
AND MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE CRITICAL
TO MAKING SURE THE SHUTTLE RETURNED SAFELY TO EARTH,
AND THE ASTRONAUTS WHO STEPPED OUT OF THE ORBITER
BROUGHT HOME WITH THEM MEMORIES THEY WOULD NEVER FORGET.
- TETHERED TO THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE TRUSS STRUCTURE,
WAY OUT ON THE TRUSS STRUCTURE,
FAR AWAY FROM THE MAIN STACK,
AND JUST BUSY TRYING TO GET THIS PIECE OF--
NEEDED TO BOLT DOWN TO THE SIDE OF THE STATION.
THERE WAS SOME TROUBLE BOLTS FROM ANOTHER MISSION.
WELL, SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, AS I'M CLEANING UP MY WORKSITE,
THE SUN COMES UP AGAIN, AND I'M SEEING A BLUE OCEAN
AND JUST EVERYTHING.
THE SPACE STATION LIT UP AGAIN.
IT WAS REALLY JUST BREATHTAKING TO BEHOLD THAT.
- AND IT'S THEIR STORIES THAT WILL INSPIRE US
TO AGAIN HEAD FOR THE STARS,
CONTINUING OUR EXPLORATION OF SPACE,
THIS TIME TO PLACES FAR BEYOND THE REACH OF THE SHUTTLE.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
I'M ALICIA.
SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."