WEBVTT

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Music.

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The STS-130 astronauts visited NASA's 
Kennedy Space Center in

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Florida for a week of launch training for their upcoming mission.

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It's called the Terminal Countdown 
Demonstration Test, or TCDT,

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and every space shuttle crew goes through it before liftoff.

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Led by Commander George Zamka, the six astronauts arrived in T-38 training aircraft,

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touching down at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility on January 18.

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George D. Zamka /STS-130 Commander: It's a beautiful evening and this is a very special trip for us.

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It marks the transition for us from flight preparation and training to the operational stage of our flight.

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We're looking forward to flying this flight here in just a few weeks.

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All the crew members practiced driving the tank-like M113 armored personnel carrier.

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They also learned how to evacuate from the space shuttle, and ride to safety in suspended slidewire baskets.

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Zamka and Pilot Terry Virts spent time flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft,

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modified to mimic the handling qualities of a landing orbiter.

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And the astronauts were able to go into space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay,

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to see the Tranquility connecting node and the seven-windowed cupola ready to fly to the International Space Station.

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The week's activities wrapped up with a full countdown dress rehearsal.

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The astronauts suited up, rode out to the launch pad and strapped inside Endeavour -- just like they will on launch day.

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Terry W. Virts/STS-130 Pilot: This is a beautiful vehicle. We have a great view here. It's just amazing to see the space shuttle.

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I think what stands out to me is how big it is.  When you walk up to it, it's just such a large vehicle that -- the external tank,

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the solid rocket boosters -- it's amazing to think of that vehicle weighing, you know, almost 4 million pounds. It's just impressive.

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With their practice countdown behind them, the crew returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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They'll fly back to Kennedy Space Center when liftoff is just a few days away.

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