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>> This was once just a dream.
>> TTC is good for launch.
>> Three, two.
>> And liftoff of Discovery and a team
of explorers shaping their destiny!
>> An answer built by those who dared to ask.
What if we were to channel humanity's knowledge
and creatively into something truly revolutionary?
What if we built a bridge between and above all nations --
to jointly discover the galaxy's great unknowns?
To endeavor to live and to work outside our planet
for the benefit of all within.
What started as an accord
between two former rivals became a beacon of opportunity
for the rest of the world.
>> We have ignition and liftoff
of the Soyuz rocket beginning the first expedition
to the International Space Station and setting the stage
for permanent human presence in space.
>> Are you ready for visitors?
>> We live this dream aboard the International Space Station.
>> It's good to have you there and adjusting to your new home.
>> Adapting to life in space has been a process.
>> For the past 20 years, over 230 astronauts from all
over the world have worked tirelessly together,
boldly performing pioneering research
and high-stakes space walks
in the unforgiving environment of space.
In this unparalleled orbital laboratory, circling the planet
at 17,500 miles an hour,
thousands of groundbreaking scientific experiments
from over 100 countries have led to discoveries unachievable
in the confines of Earth.
From 250 miles up, an unbroken chain
of residents have shared their view and their research
with a generation eager to understand this higher plan.
The space station is a symbol of humanity at its best,
a shining example of international peace
and collaboration in action.
>> Three, two, one.
>> Endeavor, this is Houston.
You've completed a historic ride to the ISS and have opened
up a new chapter in human space exploration.
>> And as we turn our gaze outward still,
this International Space Station is a living testament
of our collective strength and perseverance,
where our human curiosity prepares
for the audacious efforts ahead.
We continue to bridge the distances between us
and prove just how much more is possible when we dream together.
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