WEBVTT

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Intro music.

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The arrival in Florida of the External Tank that will help launch the next Space Shuttle marks an important milestone in processing for flight.

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Technicians at Kennedy Space Center can then begin final preparation and checkout of the hardware for the next mission.

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The tank is first removed from the barge that carried it to Florida, and moved into the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle.

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Processing the components for any Space Shuttle launch entails the choreography of massive, yet delicate, flight hardware.

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Inside the VAB, the tank is placed in the upright position in one of the building's giant high bays, where the checkout work begins.

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After the tank processing is complete, it is joined to the twin Solid Rocket Boosters, and preparations to join the orbiter to the stack begin.

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When all is ready, the orbiter is carefully lifted and attached.

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With testing complete, the entire stack is rolled to the launch pad.

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Moving at one mile per hour, one of the huge crawler transporters has the heavy

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task of moving the Mobile Launcher Platform and assembled launch vehicle.

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With a combined weight of 12 million pounds, it makes the slow journey to one of the two launch pads at Kennedy's Complex 39.

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After final preparations at the pad, the vehicle is fueled, the astronauts are strapped in, and it's 3...2...1 and liftoff!

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