WEBVTT

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Intro music.

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The gigantic External Tank that will help launch Space Shuttle Discovery on its Return to Flight mission has arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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The arrival of the newly redesigned tank marks a major milestone in NASA's Return to Flight effort.

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"The team at Kennedy Space Center has been very excited for a couple months now since we sort of turned the corner on Return to Flight.

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With the installation of the main engines and the stacking of the solid rocket boosters,

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we saw that we had completed the investigation and corrective actions

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and we're beginning to actually process towards another launch.

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And the delivery of this external tank is just the last element that we were waiting for."

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The 15-story, bronze-colored tank traveled to KSC aboard NASA's specially designed barge called Pegasus.

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Less than 24 hours after its arrival, the tank was unloaded from the barge and transported to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building.

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There, it will begin final preparations for its historic launch, including inspections, further processing and mating with the twin Solid Rocket Boosters.

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Later, Discovery will be attached to the tank, and roll out to the launch pad.

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The tank's arrival is significant not only for Return to Flight, but also in the bigger picture of fulfilling NASA's Vision for Space Exploration.

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"The Vision for Space Exploration has its first and most necessary step -- Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle.

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We are now able to do that and we certainly target for a May/June launch of that Shuttle.

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After the first couple demonstration flights, we will then

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continue the assembly of the International Space Station

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and some 28 to 30 flights from now, we will have the Station assembly complete.

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That will enable us to do the necessary human and biological science on board Station

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which then enables us to go back to the Moon and on to Mars and beyond."

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