WEBVTT

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[upbeat music]

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- "OUR WORLD."

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- WELCOME TO "OUR WORLD."

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I'M ORBY THE ORBITER,

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AND THIS IS MY FRIEND AMBER.

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FOLLOW US,
AND YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE

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TO LEARN ABOUT NASA'S ORBITERS

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AND SEE WHAT AMAZING THINGS
THE SHUTTLE FLEET ACCOMPLISHED,

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JUST BECAUSE IT FLEW.

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FOR THREE DECADES,
NASA SPACE SHUTTLES

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HAVE ROCKETED
TO LOW-EARTH ORBIT.

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THE SHUTTLE WAS DIFFERENT

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THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE
EVER BUILT.

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WHEN THE ENGINEERS WERE FIRST
PLANNING THE SPACECRAFT,

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THEY WERE TOLD THEY NEEDED
TO BUILD A TRUCK THAT COULD FLY.

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THE RESULT WAS AN AMAZING
SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

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THAT WOULD CHANGE THE HISTORY
OF SPACE EXPLORATION FOREVER.

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THE NAMES OF THE SHUTTLES
EVEN HAD SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE.

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EACH OF THE SPACECRAFT
WAS NAMED AFTER A SAILING SHIP

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THAT HAD PLAYED
AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HISTORY:

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COLUMBIA, CHALLENGER,
DISCOVERY, ATLANTIS,

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AND ENDEAVOUR, THE ONLY SHUTTLE
TO BE NAMED BY STUDENTS.

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SPEAKING OF STUDENTS,

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HEY, AMBER, I'LL BET YOU HAVE
LOTS OF QUESTIONS

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ABOUT THE SHUTTLE.

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- YOU BET I DO, ORBY.

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JUST HOW MANY TIMES HAVE
THE SHUTTLES ACTUALLY LAUNCHED?

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- ALTOGETHER MY SISTER SHUTTLES

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HAVE FLOWN 135 AMAZING MISSIONS

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AND HAVE TRAVELED
OVER 826 MILLION KILOMETERS

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WHILE ORBITING EARTH.

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IF THOSE KILOMETERS

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WERE STRETCHED OUT
IN A STRAIGHT LINE,

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THE SHUTTLES WOULD HAVE TRAVELED
FARTHER THAN THE PLANET JUPITER.

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- WOW, THAT'S A LONG WAY.

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WHY WAS THE SHUTTLE BUILT,
ANYWAY?

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- NASA NEEDED A LARGE SPACECRAFT

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THAT COULD CARRY
HUGE SATELLITES,

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LIKE THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE,
TO SPACE.

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THEY ALSO HAD PLANS
TO BUILD A NEW SPACE STATION.

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THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
WOULD BE SO BIG,

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IT WOULD HAVE
TO BE BUILT IN SPACE.

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BUT EACH SHUTTLE ALSO CARRIED

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ANOTHER IMPORTANT CARGO:
THE CREW.

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355 DIFFERENT ASTRONAUTS
HAVE FLOWN ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE,

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AND SOME OF THOSE ASTRONAUTS

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FLEW ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT
MISSIONS.

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- WOW, THAT SOUNDS LIKE
A BIG JOB.

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HOW BIG WAS THE SHUTTLE
TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL THAT?

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- TO DO ITS JOB, THE SHUTTLE
HAD TO BE PRETTY BIG.

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EACH ORBITER
WAS ABOUT 37 METERS IN LENGTH.

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THAT'S JUST OVER
THREE SCHOOL BUSES LONG.

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AND THE ORBITER
ISN'T EVEN THE TALLEST PART

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OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE SYSTEM.

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A SPACE SHUTTLE
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

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IS ACTUALLY MADE UP
OF THREE SEPARATE PIECES:

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THE ORBITER,
THE LARGE WHITE SECTION

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THAT LOOKS LIKE A PLANE
AND HOLDS THE CREW AND CARGO;

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THE EXTERNAL FUEL TANKS,
BIG TANKS THAT HOLD

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THE LIQUID OXYGEN
AND LIQUID NITROGEN FUEL

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FOR THE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES;

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AND THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS,

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REUSABLE ROCKETS
THAT PROVIDED THE MAIN THRUST

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NEEDED TO GET THE SHUTTLE
OFF THE LAUNCHPAD.

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IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY,

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YOU KNOW JUST HOW TALL
THE SHUTTLES ARE.

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- ONCE THE SHUTTLES WERE BUILT,

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DID THEY MAKE ANY CHANGES
TO THEM?

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JUST LIKE YOU MIGHT UPGRADE
YOUR COMPUTER OR CELL PHONE,

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THE SHUTTLES GOT UPGRADES
AND REPAIRS OVER THE YEARS.

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YOU MAY KNOW
THAT TWO OF NASA'S SHUTTLES,

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CHALLENGER AND COLUMBIA,
AND THEIR CREWS

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WERE LOST IN TRAGIC ACCIDENTS.

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BUT THE COURAGE OF THE BRAVE MEN
AND WOMEN ABOARD THOSE CREWS

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SERVED AS AN INSPIRATION
TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM,

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BUILDING ON THE LESSONS LEARNED

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FROM EACH AND EVERY
SHUTTLE FLIGHT

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TO MAKE SURE THE ASTRONAUTS
WERE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE

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AS THEY CARRIED OUT
THEIR MISSIONS.

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ONE UPGRADE WE SAW
WAS A DRAG CHUTE ADDED

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WHEN THE YOUNGEST ORBITER,
ENDEAVOUR,

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WAS BUILT TO TAKE THE PLACE
OF CHALLENGER.

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LET'S TALK TO RICHARD JONES,

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A SHUTTLE FLIGHT DIRECTOR
AT NASA,

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WHO CAN TELL US
ABOUT THESE PARACHUTES.

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- WHEN THE PILOTS
WERE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE

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TO STOP THE ORBITER,

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IT WAS HEATING UP THOSE BRAKES
A LOT.

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AND SO ENGINEERS DECIDED,
"YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BETTER WAY

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"TO KIND OF MAKE IT
A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMPLE

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FOR THE CREW TO STOP,"

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SO THEY PUT A PARACHUTE
ON THE BACK OF THE SHUTTLE.

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INITIALLY
THERE'S A DROGUE CHUTE,

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OR A PILOT CHUTE,
THAT COMES OUT,

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AND THEN IT YANKS
A BIGGER PARACHUTE OUT OF IT,

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AND THAT PARACHUTE
REALLY TOOK SOME OF THE STRESS

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THAT THE CREW
WAS PUTTING ON THE BRAKES,

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AND THAT ALLOWED
THE SHUTTLE TO STOP

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IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF DISTANCE
BUT WITH LESS BRAKE PRESSURE.

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NOW, THAT'S
A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT.

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YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO,
YOU KNOW, RELY HEAVILY

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ON ONE SINGLE SYSTEM
TO DO SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT

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AS STOP ON THE RUNWAY.

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I MEAN, STOPPING ON THE RUNWAY
IS IMPORTANT.

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YOU DON'T WANT TO STOP SOMEWHERE
WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE.

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- THE SHUTTLES HAVE FINISHED
THEIR LAST FLIGHTS?

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WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
TO THEM NOW?

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- GREAT QUESTION, AMBER.

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NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLES
ARE GOING TO HAVE NEW HOMES

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ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO INSPIRE

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THE NEXT GENERATION
OF EXPLORERS AND ENGINEERS.

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THE SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE,
THE FIRST ORBITER BUILT

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BUT NEVER ACTUALLY
FLOWN IN SPACE, WILL BE MOVING

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FROM THE SMITHSONIAN'S
AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

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TO A NEW HOME AT THE INTREPID
SEA, AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

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IN NEW YORK CITY.

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SHUTTLE DISCOVERY WILL BE GOING

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TO THE SMITHSONIAN'S
UDVAR-HAZY CENTER IN VIRGINIA.

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ENDEAVOUR IS GOING

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TO THE CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER
IN LOS ANGELES.

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AND ATLANTIS WILL BE DISPLAYED

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AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
VISITOR COMPLEX IN FLORIDA.

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THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
HAS BEEN RETIRED,

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BUT NASA WILL CONTINUE

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TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS
OF THOSE FLIGHTS

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AND HAS ALREADY BEGUN PLANNING
WHAT'S NEXT.

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SO, AMBER, WE STILL HAVE
A WHOLE UNIVERSE TO EXPLORE,

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AND THE SHUTTLES HAVE
LOTS MORE THEY CAN TEACH US.

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I HOPE YOU GET A CHANCE
TO GO VISIT

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ONE OF THE ORBITERS
AT ITS NEW HOME.

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- THANKS, ORBY.

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AND WHEN I DO,
YOU CAN BET

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I'LL THINK ABOUT ALL THE TIMES
THE SHUTTLES FLEW,

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BOTH IN AND OUT
OF OUR WORLD.

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- "OUR WORLD."