WEBVTT

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Intro music.

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NARRATOR:  More than two years after the Columbia accident, NASA is set to Return to Flight on Mission STS-114.

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Music.

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A crew of seven determined astronauts will fly aboard Space Shuttle Discovery to test new safety procedures and deliver needed supplies to

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the International Space Station. This mission will debut and test new External Tank designs and enhanced ground-based and in-flight camera systems.

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New techniques for in-flight inspections and repair of the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System will also be put to the test.

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Mission STS-114 marks the beginning of a new era in human exploration. And NASA stands ready for the journey.

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Liftoff, Discovery.

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Live from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Direct presents Space Shuttle Discovery's Return to Flight webcast.

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Music

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MS. STILSON:  Good afternoon. And welcome to our STS-114 Return to Flight webcast. I'm your host, Stephanie Stilson.

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As NASA vehicle manager, I've been privileged to lead the team that worked so hard for more than two years to prepare orbiter Discovery

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for its most important mission yet. Now space Shuttle Discovery is poised for launch and we're just days away from launching a mission

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that opens a new chapter in the book of space exploration. You're about to experience an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look

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at the Return to Flight mission. We'll talk to Kathy Winters, whose job is to monitor one of the most important factors in a launch,

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the weather forecast. We'll also talk to Doug Lyons, the assistant Space Shuttle launch director. Scott Higginbotham,

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the Space Station payload manager, will be here to explain what we carry into space, plus he'll share some things about payloads

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that might surprise you. And we're honored to have a NASA astronaut, Kay Hire, with us today

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to tell us firsthand about the space flight experience and answer your questions live.

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