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>> YOU'RE STRAPPED
IN THIS SPACE SHUTTLE
ON THE LAUNCHPAD
AND THE COUNTDOWN GETS TO ZERO
AND-AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE
JUST IN A CAR WRECK BECAUSE
THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS
LIGHT OFF AND THEY GIVE YOU
A KICK IN THE BACKSIDE
LIKE YOU WERE JUST REAR-ENDED
AT A STOP SIGN LITERALLY.
AND LAUNCH YOU INTO SPACE,
AND EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTES
LATER, YOU'RE THERE
AND FLOAT OUT OF YOUR SEAT,
AND START TAKING IN THOSE VIEWS
WHICH I CAN'T DESCRIBE.
IF IT'S ONE THING I WISH
I WAS BETTER AT,
IT WAS ACTUALLY DESCRIBING
THAT EXPERIENCE OF BEING
WEIGHTLESS OR EXPERIENCING
THE VIEWS OF THE EARTH.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW,
SO INCREDIBLE.
I WAS THERE FOR TWO
SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS.
SO I WAS NEVER THERE FOR
MORE THAN 16 DAYS AT A TIME,
BUT EVERY TIME I HAD
A SPARE MINUTE, I WOULD GO TO
A WINDOW, TAKE A LOOK OUT.
THE SPACEWALKS ALWAYS SEEMED
TO BE VERY, UH, BUSY
AND TASK-FOCUSED EVENTS
WHERE I GOTTA DO THIS
AND I GOTTA MOVE OVER HERE
AND DO THIS-- AND RARELY
DID YOU HAVE A MINUTE WHERE
YOU COULD JUST SAY,
"JUST TAKE A MINUTE
"AND ENJOY THE VIEW."
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE THOSE
MINUTES EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE.
AND THE VIEW FROM OUTSIDE
THE SPACECRAFT, YOU KNOW,
WITH THAT FULL PANORAMIC VISION
THROUGH YOUR HELMET VISOR
WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.
SO I ALWAYS KID THOSE ASTRONAUTS
THAT DON'T DO THE SPACEWALKS,
YOU KNOW-- I SAID THE VIEW
FROM INSIDE HERE
THROUGH THIS FLAT WINDOW
IS PRETTY GOOD, YOU KNOW.
THE VIEW FROM OUTSIDE
IS JUST AMAZING.
YOU SEE THE COLORS OF BLUE
THAT YOU'VE NEVER EVEN
SEEN BEFORE.
THE SHADES AND HUES OF BLUE
AND YOU SEE THAT FINE,
THIN ATMOSPHERE
THAT PROTECTS US.
IT'S JUST, UH,
ALMOST OVERWHELMING
WHEN YOU FIRST SEE IT.
I THINK IF YOU'RE NOT
A CONSERVATIONIST BEFORE YOU GO
TO SPACE, YOU'RE AT LEAST
PARTLY A CONSERVATIONIST
WHEN YOU COME BACK.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE HOW THIN
THAT ATMOSPHERE IS,
THAT PROTECTIVE LAYER
THAT WE HAVE HERE
THAT ALLOWS US TO WALK AROUND
WITHOUT A SPACESUIT ON
DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW,
AND BREATHE THE AIR.
YOU THINK, WOW, WE REALLY
HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.
BECAUSE IT DOES LOOK
SO FRAGILE FROM SPACE.
I THINK IF WE COULD GET
ALL SIX BILLION PEOPLE,
OR HOWEVER MANY WE HAVE NOW
ON THIS PLANET TO SEE THAT VIEW
FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES,
I THINK THE WHOLE PLANET
WOULD CHANGE.
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