Original subtitles

Narrator: SPACE EXPLORATION IS ONLY 60 YEARS OLD.

HARD-WON KNOWLEDGE IS STILL PACKED INTO EVERY LAUNCH.

BUT WHILE WE WERE FIRST PUSHED BY POLITICS,

NOW SOME ARE MOTIVATED BY PROFIT.

Man: IT'S MARKET TIME, BABY.

Narrator: SPACE IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

Man: WE'RE GOING TO BREAK OPEN SPACE LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

Narrator: FOR 30 YEARS, NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE BLAZED THE TRAIL.

TODAY PRIVATE COMPANIES ARE BUILDING

ON ITS CRUCIAL BREAKTHROUGHS.

Man: WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THOUSANDS,

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

EVENTUALLY GOING INTO SPACE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

Narrator: AND TAKING LESSONS FROM ITS CRUSHING LOSSES.

Men: EVERYBODY WAS IN DISBELIEF

THAT IT COULD ACTUALLY FAIL LIKE THAT.

Narrator: DESPITE THE RISKS, SPACE TRAVEL PROMISES NEW WAYS

FOR HUMANITY TO EXPLORE AND EXPLOIT THE COSMOS.

Man: THE MISSIONS WILL BE ON A SCALE

WHICH I THINK DEFIES IMAGINATION AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

Narrator: EVERY SPACE MISSION

PROPELS US FURTHER ON OUR REMARKABLE HUMAN VOYAGE.

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE IS ROARING INTO SPACE.

THE SKY IS NO LONGER THE LIMIT.

COMPANIES ARE INVESTING BIG MONEY...

BUILDING THEIR OWN ROCKETS AND ORBITERS...

DEPLOYING COMMERCIAL SATELLITES TO CONNECT THE ENTIRE GLOBE...

DEVELOPING NEW DRUGS...

PREPARING FOR SPACE TOURISM...

AND PLANNING THE POTENTIAL FOR THE NEXT GOLD RUSH,

MINING PRECIOUS RESOURCES ON OTHER PLANETS AND ASTEROIDS.

SPACE IS NOW A QUARTER OF A TRILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY.

WITH PRIVATE ENTERPRISE ON BOARD, IT'S GROWING FAST.

Mark Sirangelo: WE'RE SEEING A SEMINAL CHANGE

WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO REALIZE

THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A FANTASY,

THERE ARE REAL HARDWARE BY SERIOUS COMPANIES

THAT WITHIN A FEW YEARS WILL BE DELIVERING ROUTINE SERVICE

TO LOW EARTH ORBIT ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS.

Jeff Carr: THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESS BEING DISCUSSED NOW.

IT'S A NATURAL REFLECTION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING

IN THE COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY.

IT'S MARKET TIME, BABY.

George Whitesides: I THINK WHAT DISTINGUISHES

THIS CURRENT SPACE AGE RIGHT NOW

IS FRANKLY THAT A BUNCH OF VISIONARY, WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS

HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GOING

TO MAKE BIG INVESTMENTS INTO SPACE,

AND THAT'S FUELED THIS RECENT SPURT OF INNOVATION.

Narrator: THESE WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS

ARE SOME OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS OF OUR TIME.

AND THEY ARE LAYING THEIR BIGGEST BETS IN SPACE.

ONE OF THEM IS LAS VEGAS PROPERTY TYCOON ROBERT BIGELOW.

HE HAS INVESTED A QUARTER OF A BILLION DOLLARS

IN HIS SPACE HOTEL PROJECT.

TWO OF HIS PROTOTYPE HABITATS ARE NOW ORBITING THE EARTH.

RICHARD BRANSON'S VIRGIN GALACTIC

OPERATES PASSENGER AIRCRAFT FOR TOURIST JOYRIDES INTO SPACE.

AND LEADING THE PACK

IS A 42-YEAR-OLD DOT-COM BILLIONAIRE.

ELON MUSK, FOUNDER OF PAYPAL,

SOLD HIS STAKE IN THE COMPANY TO REALIZE HIS DREAM.

Man: AND LAUNCH OF THE SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET.

Narrator: IN 2012 MUSK'S COMPANY SPACEX

BECAME THE FIRST PRIVATE FIRM

TO LAUNCH ITS OWN SPACECRAFT INTO ORBIT

AND DOCK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

[APPLAUSE]

FOR A COMPANY ONLY TEN YEARS OLD,

IT WAS A STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT.

Alan Bond: I REALLY ADMIRE THE FACT

THAT HE HAS BROKEN THE PARADIGM OF HOW LONG

AND HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO DEVELOP LAUNCH VEHICLES.

Bob Crippen: SPACEX HAS DONE A MARVELOUS JOB

PROVING THAT THEY COULD TAKE CARGO UP.

I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED

WITH WHAT THEY'VE BEEN MANAGING TO DO.

Narrator: THE NEW GENERATION CAN ONLY SUCCEED

IF THEY TACKLE THREE KEY CHALLENGES OF SPACE FLIGHT:

RELIABLY SAFE LAUNCHES;

SAFE RE-ENTRY AND LANDING BY REUSABLE VEHICLES;

AND CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF HARDWARE IN ORBIT.

SOME 30 YEARS AGO, NASA OVERCAME THESE INTRICATE CHALLENGES

WITH BIG GOVERNMENT SPENDING.

Carr: WE'RE LEARNING HOW TO DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY,

WE'RE LEARNING HOW TO DO IT IN AN INNOVATIVE FASHION,

WE'RE LEARNING HOW TO DO IT FOR A LOT LESS MONEY,

AND WE'RE AT A TIPPING POINT.

THERE HAS NOT BEEN A PERIOD

OF SUCH GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND INVENTION

SINCE THE VERY EARLY DAYS OF MERCURY AND GEMINI.

Narrator: IN FACT THE NEW SPACE AGE IS FOCUSED ON PROBLEMS

DATING BACK TO THE MERCURY AND GEMINI PROGRAMS

AS THEY PAVED THE WAY

FOR APOLLO'S HISTORIC LUNAR LANDINGS.

Neil Armstrong: THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN...

ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.

Narrator: AMERICA'S TRIUMPH ON THE MOON HAD A HEFTY PRICE TAG.

IN TODAY'S MONEY THIS ACHIEVEMENT COST

OVER $100 BILLION.

Armstrong: MERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH

FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON, JULY 1969, A.D.

Narrator: WHEN THE APOLLO MISSIONS CONCLUDED IN 1972,

NASA NEEDED TO FIND A NEW, MORE AFFORDABLE WAY

TO CONTINUE EXPLORING SPACE.

Ken Bowersox: THE BIG INNOVATION THAT PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR

WAS REUSABILITY.

IF YOU HAD TO THROW AWAY A 747

EVERY TIME YOU MADE THE TRIP OVER THE PACIFIC,

IT WOULD BE REALLY EXPENSIVE,

BUT WE DON'T DO THAT.

WE LAND THE AIRPLANE, WE REFUEL IT,

AND WE FLY IT BACK WITH ANOTHER LOAD OF PASSENGERS.

Narrator: NASA DECIDED TO EMULATE THE AIRLINE MODEL:

DESIGN A REUSABLE AIRPLANE FOR EARTH ORBIT.

THE SPACE SHUTTLE.

Story Musgrove: THE SHUTTLE WOULD BE SOMETHING

THAT WOULD SATISFY EVERYONE'S REQUIREMENTS.

IT WOULD BE ALL FOR EVERYBODY,

IT WOULD GO UP AND DOWN WHENEVER WE WISHED TO SEND IT,

AND SO THAT WOULD TOTALLY OPEN UP SPACE FLIGHT.

Narrator: NASA'S NEW GOAL FOR MANNED SPACEFLIGHT

WAS FREQUENCY, NOT DISTANCE.

RATHER THAN SHOOT FOR THE MOON OR BEYOND,

THEY WANTED TO LAUNCH PEOPLE AND PAYLOADS INTO EARTH ORBIT

ALMOST AT WILL.

IF WE COULD EXTEND THE HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE OUT

A FEW HUNDRED MILES,

SPACE WOULD BECOME THE NEXT FRONTIER

OF SCIENCE AND BUSINESS.

TO ACHIEVE THIS, THEY SCRAPPED THE APOLLO MODEL

AND STARTED FROM SCRATCH.

Crippen: TECHNOLOGY-WISE WE WERE PRESSING THE STATE OF THE ART

QUITE A BIT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHUTTLE.

Narrator: IN PLACE OF APOLLO'S THREE-MAN CREW,

THE NEW VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO CARRY UP TO SEVEN PEOPLE

AND 16 TONS OF CARGO INTO ORBIT.

FULLY LOADED, THE NEW CRAFT COULD WEIGH 130 TONS,

FAR HEAVIER THAN THE APOLLO SPACECRAFT'S 80 TONS.

TO LIFT THAT MUCH INTO SPACE

WOULD REQUIRE A NEW TYPE OF ROCKET HARDWARE.

IN FACT, TWO NEW TYPES.

Crippen: PROBABLY THE TOUGHEST THING WE DID

WAS THE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES.

Narrator: THREE MAIN ENGINES WERE THE FIRST NEW TECHNOLOGY.

THEY WERE INSIDE THE SHUTTLE ITSELF,

PROVIDING SOME OF THE THRUST NEEDED FOR LAUNCH.

IN STARK CONTRAST TO APOLLO'S DISPOSABLE LAUNCH SYSTEM,

THIS ONE WOULD BE REUSABLE.

Crippen: FOR THEIR SIZE AND WEIGHT,

THEY PUT OUT A LOT OF POWER, AND WE HAD A LOT OF FAILURES.

Musgrove: IT WAS JUST MORE DIFFICULT THAN WE THOUGHT.

Narrator: NASA FINALLY GOT THE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES

TO FIRE AS PLANNED,

BUT IT TOOK A YEAR LONGER THAN THE SCHEDULE HAD ALLOWED.

THE SECOND NEW ROCKETS WERE SOLID BOOSTERS,

ONE STRAPPED TO EACH SIDE OF THE SHUTTLE.

EACH WOULD DELIVER 3 MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST.

ASIDE FROM DELIVERING MASSIVE POWER,

THESE ROCKETS WERE DESIGNED TO SAVE MONEY.

AFTER LAUNCH THEY COULD BE RECOVERED

AND REFURBISHED TO FLY AGAIN.

OVER 30 YEARS LATER, SPACECRAFT DESIGNERS

ARE PUSHING REUSABILITY TO WHOLE NEW LEVELS

IN SEARCH OF THE NEXT BIG BREAKTHROUGH.

Bond: ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE WAY THAT WE GET INTO SPACE

AT THE MOMENT WITH EXPENDABLE ROCKETS

DERIVED FROM COLD WAR TECHNOLOGY

IS THAT IT'S VERY CUMBERSOME AND IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.

Narrator: THE NEW SKYLON SPACECRAFT DESIGN

ELIMINATES EXPENSIVE BOOSTER ROCKETS ALTOGETHER.

IT WILL LAUNCH LIKE AN AIRPLANE, USING ADVANCED JET ENGINES

ON THE FIRST LEG OF ITS TRIP TO SPACE.

THEIR ENGINE IS CALLED SABRE.

Richard Varvill: THE SABRE ENGINE IS A HYBRID ENGINE.

AT LOW SPEED IT USES AIR

INSTEAD OF LIQUID OXYGEN WITH LIQUID HYDROGEN.

AND THAT TAKES YOU UP TO MACH FIVE.

Narrator: AT VELOCITIES THIS GREAT,

AIR IS TOO HOT FOR JET ENGINES TO USE.

SKYLON'S UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY COOLS THAT AIR

IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND

SO ITS ENGINES CAN WORK,

TAKING THE PLANE TO THE EDGE OF SPACE.

AT THAT POINT, SKLYON'S ENGINES TRANSFORM.

Varvill: BEYOND MACH FIVE

THE AIR-BREATHING EQUIPMENT SHUTS DOWN, AND WE REVERT

TO A STATE-OF-THE-ART ROCKET ENGINE,

WHICH IS THEN ABLE TO TAKE YOU ON INTO ORBIT.

SO EFFECTIVELY WE'VE GOT THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

Narrator: SABRE IS CURRENTLY IN TESTING.

IF IT WORKS, IT MIGHT BE AN EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL WAY

TO GET INTO ORBIT.

BUT GETTING UP THERE IS ONLY HALF THE CHALLENGE.

RETURNING TO EARTH SAFELY IN A LARGE, REUSABLE SPACECRAFT

IS JUST AS TRICKY.

BACK IN THE 1970s THIS RETURN JOURNEY

POSED ONE OF NASA'S GREATEST CHALLENGES...

TO FLY A WINGED SPACECRAFT

TEN TIMES HEAVIER THAN ANYTHING THAT HAD COME BEFORE IT

SAFELY BACK TO EARTH.

AN ORBITING SPACECRAFT IS TRAVELING 17,500 MILES PER HOUR.

TO GET BACK TO EARTH, IT MUST PASS

THROUGH AN ATMOSPHERE THICK WITH MOLECULES.

THE FRICTION OF THESE MOLECULES HELP SLOW DOWN THE SPACECRAFT,

BUT THE SIDE EFFECT IS EXTREME HEAT.

AND THE HEAVIER THE SPACECRAFT, THE HOTTER IT BECOMES.

ALL PREVIOUS SPACE VOYAGES WERE TAKEN IN SINGLE-USE VEHICLES,

EFFECTIVELY DESTROYED BY THEIR RE-ENTRY.

THE SHUTTLE AND ITS HEAT SHIELD

WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE TRIP COUNTLESS TIMES.

NASA'S SOLUTION WAS A CARPET OF HEATPROOF TILES.

Crippen: IF YOU PICK UP A SHUTTLE TILE,

IT'S ABOUT LIKE THE CONSISTENCY OF STYROFOAM.

BASICALLY IT'S GLASS,

SILICA FIBERS THAT THEY LEARNED TO SUSPEND IN A FLUID

AND THEN BAKE THE FLUID OUT,

AND IT'S REMARKABLE, YOU CAN HOLD A TILE IN YOUR HAND

AND TAKE A BLOWTORCH ON THIS SIDE AND PUT IT ON

AND YOU WON'T FEEL IT AT ALL.

Narrator: BUT WHILE THE TILES DID THE JOB,

THEY WERE FRAGILE, EXPENSIVE, AND HARD TO WORK WITH.

THE ENGINEERS OF TODAY'S PRIVATE SPACESHIPS

FACE THE SAME RE-ENTRY PROBLEM.

BUT THE LESSONS OF THE SHUTTLE

AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

ARE HELPING THEM SOLVE IT.

THE DREAMCHASER TEAM HAS MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION.

Sirangelo: OUR TILE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING

IS THE LATEST GENERATION OF THE HEAT SHIELD TILES.

WE'VE DESIGNED WHAT'S CALLED ABLATIVE MATERIALS,

OR COATINGS THAT GO OVER THE TILES,

AND IT'S NOW HUNDREDS OF PERCENT TOUGHER THAN IT WAS BEFORE.

Narrator: THEY HAVE ALSO BUILT A SMALLER VEHICLE.

IT HAS 1/17 THE SURFACE AREA THE SHUTTLE DID,

MAKING IT MUCH EASIER TO MAINTAIN,

BUT IT CAN ONLY CARRY CREW AND SMALL PAYLOADS INTO SPACE.

SKYLON ADDRESSES THE RE-ENTRY PROBLEM DIFFERENTLY.

CARRYING ITS FUEL INTERNALLY

REQUIRES THAT IT BE A LARGE CRAFT.

BUT FOR RE-ENTRY WITH TANKS EMPTY,

THIS MEANS IT'S LIGHT FOR ITS SIZE.

Mark Hempsell: IF YOU COMPARE SKYLON WITH THE SHUTTLE,

THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE FUEL TANK'S INSIDE THE VEHICLE,

AND THAT MAKES IT MUCH LESS DENSE,

SO IT MEANS THAT THE RE-ENTRY PROCESS IS GENTLER;

YOU DON'T HAVE QUITE SUCH FIERCE HEATING.

Narrator: THIS LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN ALLOWS FOR COOLER RE-ENTRY,

SO SKYLON DOESN'T NEED THE COMPLEX THERMAL TILE SYSTEM

THAT PROTECTED THE SPACE SHUTTLE.

IN THE '70s, PROBLEMS WITH THE SHUTTLE'S HEAT SHIELD

SLOWED PROGRESS.

WHILE THEY HAD FOUND THE RIGHT MATERIAL FOR THE JOB,

NASA FOUND ATTACHING IT TO THE SPACECRAFT

FAR MORE INTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE THAN THEY IMAGINED.

TWO YEARS BEHIND SCHEDULE AND $6 BILLION OVER BUDGET,

THE FIRST SHUTTLE IS PREPARED FOR LAUNCH ON APRIL 12, 1981.

Musgrove: THESE KINDS OF THINGS YOU CAN ONLY TEST SO FAR.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE SOME WIND TUNNEL.

WELL, THAT'S FINE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE MACH 25 WIND TUNNELS.

THE KIND OF STUFF WE DID,

IT HAD TO BE TESTED BY FLYING IT.

Narrator: IN OTHER WORDS,

ASTRONAUTS BOB CRIPPEN AND JOHN YOUNG

ARE TRUSTING THEIR LIVES TO THEORETICAL TECHNOLOGY.

Bowersox: I REMEMBER THINKING

THAT THOSE GUYS SITTING ON THE TOP OF THE ROCKET

MUST BE NUTS.

Crippen: THEY DID CONSIDER WHETHER THEY SHOULD TRY

TO FLY IT UNMANNED THE FIRST TIME,

AND JOHN AND I LOBBIED VERY HARD

THAT WE OUGHT TO BE ON BOARD THE FIRST FLIGHT,

AND MANAGEMENT, THANK GOODNESS, AGREED WITH THAT,

BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOUGH TO TRY TO FLY IT UNMANNED...

NOT IMPOSSIBLE, BUT TOUGH.

Narrator: AFTER A DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT,

THE MOMENT CAPTIVATES A NATION

HUNGRY FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE IN SPACE.

Crippen: IT WAS ONLY WHEN THE COUNT GOT DOWN

INSIDE OF ONE MINUTE

I TURNED TO JOHN AND SAID I THINK WE MIGHT DO IT.

Man: STAND BY FOR ABORT ADVISORY.

Narrator: AT EXACTLY 7 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING,

THOUSANDS OF ONLOOKERS HEAR THE SHUTTLE'S ROAR

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Man: FLIGHT LIFTOFF CONFIRMED.

ROGER, ROLL.

Crippen: THE LAUNCH WAS GREAT,

YOU KNOW, IT LASTS 8 AND A HALF MINUTES

WHILE THE MAIN ENGINES ARE BURNING,

AND THAT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS LESS THAN A MINUTE TO ME.

Jay Barbree: FOR SIX YEARS THERE'D BEEN NO FLIGHT,

SO EVERYBODY CAME DOWN.

IT WAS LIKE AS MANY PEOPLE AS THERE WERE HERE

FOR THE MOON LAUNCHES.

Bowersox: IT WAS THE MISSION OF THE CENTURY FOR A TEST PILOT.

Narrator: ON THIS DAY, THE MOST COMPLICATED SPACESHIP EVER BUILT

PERFORMS FLAWLESSLY.

Musgrove: ALL THE STUFF THAT HAD TO COME TOGETHER WORKED,

BUT, YOU KNOW, AMERICAN ENGINEERING

IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

WE WERE ABLE TO PULL

THIS MASSIVELY DIFFICULT PROGRAM TOGETHER.

Narrator: NASA BUILT FIVE SPACE SHUTTLES IN THE 1980s,

AND THEY FLEW INTO THE 21st CENTURY.

THEY DEPLOYED BREAKTHROUGH SATELLITES,

CONTRIBUTED TO BIOLOGICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

WITH ZERO G EXPERIMENTS,

AND TAUGHT HUMANS HOW TO LIVE AND WORK IN SPACE.

ONE INNOVATION SEEMED RIGHT OUT OF SCIENCE FICTION...

THE MANNED MANEUVERING UNIT, OR MMU.

Amy Ross: THE MMU'S PURPOSE WAS TO ALLOW THE CREW MEMBER

MOBILITY TO GO RESCUE A SATELLITE

OR DO VARIOUS JOBS FROM THE SHUTTLE.

IT WAS YOUR JET PACK.

Narrator: IN 1984, ASTRONAUT BRUCE McCANDLESS

TOOK THE MMU ON ITS FIRST TEST DRIVE.

Bowersox: I THINK A LOT OF US WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HAD

THAT OPPORTUNITY TO FLY ON THAT MISSION.

Narrator: COMPLETELY UNTETHERED 189 MILES ABOVE EARTH,

McCANDLESS FLOATED AWAY FROM THE SPACECRAFT.

HIS COLLEAGUES ABOARD THE SHUTTLE

KEPT A KEEN EYE ON HIM.

Vance Brand: EVERYONE HAD THOUGHT OUT EMERGENCY SCENARIOS,

SO WE WERE KEEPING OUR RADAR TRAINED ON HIM

AND OUR NOSES WERE UP TO THE WINDOW, WATCHING.

BRUCE McCANDLESS WENT OUT,

FLYING OUT WITH HIS BUCK ROGERS-TYPE BACKPACK,

A HUNDRED METERS OUT FROM THE SPACECRAFT.

Narrator: McCANDLESS FLOATED ALONE IN SPACE ALMOST SIX HOURS

AND CAPTURED IMAGINATIONS BACK ON EARTH.

Bowersox: THE PICTURE'S ICONIC

BECAUSE IT SHOWS A HUMAN FLOATING IN SPACE, RIGHT,

AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT,

HE'S REALLY IN HIS OWN LITTLE SPACESHIP.

Narrator: THE EXPERIMENTAL MMU EVOLVED INTO A MUCH SMALLER DEVICE,

NOW BUILT INTO EVERY NASA SPACESUIT:

SIMPLIFIED AID FOR E.V.A. RESCUE.

ALSO KNOWN AS "SAFER."

Ross: THE SAFER BUILT ON THAT TECHNOLOGY

AND THAT PROVEN CONCEPT,

BUT IT REALLY HAD A DIFFERENT JOB.

ITS JOB IS IF I GET SO FAR AWAY FROM MY VEHICLE

MY VEHICLE CANNOT COME GET ME,

SO THE SAFER IS MY PUSH BACK TOWARD WHERE I NEED TO BE.

Narrator: IT IS EVERY SPACE WALKER'S EMERGENCY LIFE JACKET.

IN THE MID 1980s, THE SHUTTLE STAYED ON A ROLL.

WITH LAUNCHES ALMOST EVERY MONTH,

IT WAS BEGINNING TO MAKE SPACE TRAVEL LOOK ROUTINE.

Bowersox: PEOPLE HAD KIND OF GOTTEN TO THE IMPRESSION

THAT THE SHUTTLE WAS BULLETPROOF

AND WE DIDN'T REALLY NEED TO WORRY.

Kathy Thornton: IT DID SEEM ROUTINE, I THINK, TO THE PUBLIC

BECAUSE WE WERE LAUNCHING IT 10 TIMES A YEAR,

AND SO IT WASN'T AS MUCH OF A FASCINATION

BECAUSE THEY EXPECTED SUCCESS.

THEY EXPECTED EVERY MISSION TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

Narrator: SO MUCH SO THAT IN A FORESHADOWING

OF TODAY'S COMMERCIAL SPACE ENDEAVORS,

NASA BEGAN TO THINK IT WAS TIME TO OPEN UP SPACE TO CIVILIANS.

IN 1984 THEY DECIDED TO BRING THE SHUTTLE INTO THE CLASSROOM.

A TEACHER WILL BE SELECTED TO FLY INTO ORBIT

AND BEAM LIVE LESSONS ABOUT SPACE TO AMERICA'S STUDENTS.

OUT OF THOUSANDS OF APPLICANTS,

NASA CHOSE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER CHRISTA McAULIFFE.

Musgrove: WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS A MARVELOUS THING TO DO.

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE OTHER THAN JUST PLAIN ASTRONAUTS

TO EXPERIENCE SPACE FLIGHT

AND TO COMMUNICATE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

BUT ESPECIALLY TEACHERS,

WITH THE IDENTIFICATION THAT CHILDREN HAVE,

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF KIDS, "THAT'S MY TEACHER."

Narrator: ENTHUSIASTIC AND CHARMING

THROUGHOUT HER FOUR-MONTH SPACE TRAINING PROGRAM,

McAULIFFE BECAME A FAVORITE NATIONAL FIGURE.

Announcer: THIS IS SHUTTLE LAUNCH CONTROL

AT T MINUS 2 HOURS 28 MINUTES AND COUNTING.

HERE COMES THE 51-L FLIGHT CREW.

Narrator: McAULIFFE'S MISSION LAUNCHED ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER

IN JANUARY 1986.

AN UNCOMMONLY FROSTY WINTER NIGHT IN FLORIDA

PRECEDED THE MORNING'S LAUNCH,

BUT IT WENT AHEAD, TWO HOURS AFTER SCHEDULED.

WITH McAULIFFE'S PARENTS AT THE LAUNCH

AND MANY CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE U.S.A. WATCHING LIVE,

THE AIR OF EXCITEMENT WAS UNUSUALLY HIGH.

Mission Control: T MINUS 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

WE HAVE MAIN ENGINES START... 4, 3, 2, 1.

AND LIFTOFF, LIFTOFF OF THE 25th SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION,

AND IT HAS CLEARED THE TOWER.

ROGER, ROLL, CHALLENGER...

GOOD ROLL PROGRAM CONFIRMED.

CHALLENGER NOW HEADING DOWN RANGE.

ENGINES AT 65%.

THREE ENGINES RUNNING NORMALLY.

THREE GOOD FUEL CELLS.

THREE GOOD APUs.

VELOCITY 2257 FEET PER SECOND.

ALTITUDE 4.3 NAUTICAL MILES.

DOWNRANGE DISTANCE 3 NAUTICAL MILES.

ENGINES THROTTLING UP, 3 ENGINES NOW AT 104%.

CHALLENGER, GO WITH THROTTLE UP.

Astronaut: ROGER, GO WITH THROTTLE UP.

[CROWD SCREAMING]

Mission Control: WE HAVE A REPORT FROM THE FLIGHT DYNAMICS OFFICER

THAT THE VEHICLE HAS EXPLODED.

FLIGHT DIRECTOR CONFIRMS THAT.

WE ARE LOOKING AT CHECKING WITH THE RECOVERY FORCES

TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE AT THIS POINT.

Crippen: EVERYBODY WAS IN DISBELIEF

THAT IT COULD ACTUALLY FAIL LIKE THAT...

THE FACT THAT IT HAD TORN UP LIKE THAT

AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE

WAS SOMETHING THAT UPSET ME QUITE A BIT.

Mission Control: CONTINGENCY PROCEDURES ARE IN EFFECT.

WE WILL REPORT MORE AS WE HAVE INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

AGAIN, TO REPEAT THAT THE VEHICLE HAS EXPLODED.

WE ARE NOW AWAITING WORD FROM ANY RECOVERY FORCES

IN THE DOWNRANGE FIELD.

Musgrove: WELL, IT STARTS OUT AS GRIEF

BECAUSE YOU LOST YOUR COLLEAGUES,

BUT VERY SHORTLY IT TURNS TO ANGER,

AND THAT'S WHERE IT STAYS.

ANGER.

Ronald Reagan: THIS IS TRULY A NATIONAL LOSS.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET THEM

NOR THE LAST TIME WE SAW THEM, THIS MORNING,

AS THEY PREPARED FOR THEIR JOURNEY AND WAVED GOODBYE

AND SLIPPED THE SURLY BONDS OF EARTH

TO TOUCH THE FACE OF GOD.

Narrator: IT TOOK MONTHS FOR NASA

TO UNCOVER THE CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY.

FOUND TO BE AT FAULT,

NASA WAS GROUNDED FOR OVER A YEAR.

THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM RECEIVED AN OVERHAUL,

INCLUDING NEW OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES.

Bowersox: TO ME, I MEAN, AS PAINFUL AS THOSE LOSSES ARE,

THE PROGRAM IS STILL IMPORTANT, IT'S STILL SIGNIFICANT,

AND FOR ME I STILL WANTED TO BE PART OF IT.

Crippen: THERE WAS A BIG FOCUS TO GO OUT

AND REALLY UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

SO WE COULD CORRECT IT,

AND I FELT VERY STRONGLY

THAT THAT'S WHAT THE CREW WOULD HAVE WANTED US TO DO,

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE ALL SET ABOUT DOING.

Narrator: NEARLY 30 YEARS LATER, LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE TRAGEDY

STILL INFORM SPACECRAFT DESIGN AND OPERATION,

TO NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE RISKS,

NO MATTER HOW OFTEN WE FLY.

John Mulholland: THIS BUSINESS CAN NEVER BE CONSIDERED COMMONPLACE.

IT WILL BE A LONG TIME

BEFORE ANY OF US ARE COMFORTABLE CALLING IT ROUTINE.

SO IN OUR DESIGN WE WILL HAVE CONTINUOUS ABORT COVERAGE

ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ASCENT PHASE.

WE WON'T HAVE WHAT THEY CALL ANY BLACK ZONES,

WHICH ARE AREAS WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE ABORT CAPABILITY.

SO THAT WILL ADD ANOTHER HUGE LAYER OF SAFETY ON OUR DESIGN.

Varvill: SKYLON HAS MORE TYPICAL ABORT MODES

OF THOSE OF AN AEROPLANE.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM

WITH ONE OF THE ENGINES,

WE CAN SHUT THAT ENGINE DOWN,

AND THE VEHICLE CAN THEN BE SAFELY FLOWN

BACK TO THE LAUNCH SITE.

SO STRAIGHT AWAY THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO BE UP

BY A FACTOR OF A HUNDRED OR SO,

COMPARED TO AN EXPENDABLE ROCKET.

Sirangelo: TECHNOLOGY DESIGN IS NOW SO MUCH BETTER,

AND THE SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE USING NOW

ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER AND FAR SAFER

THAN THEY EVER HAVE BEEN.

Narrator: SAFE ENOUGH, SOME SAY,

THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO TAKE ANYBODY INTO SPACE.

WELCOME TO SPACE TOURISM,

AS ENVISIONED BY VIRGIN GALACTIC.

Whitesides: OUR VEHICLE HOLDS EIGHT PEOPLE...

TWO PILOTS AND SIX PASSENGERS,

OR ASTRONAUTS, AS WE LIKE TO CALL THEM,

AND SO YOU'LL BE IN THREE ROWS OF TWO.

EVERYBODY'S GOT A WINDOW SEAT,

AND THEN WHEN YOU GET UP INTO SPACE,

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO UNBUCKLE YOUR SEATBELT

AND FLOAT AROUND THE CABIN

AND EXPERIENCE THE AMAZING VISTA

OF, YOU KNOW, THE EARTH FROM SPACE.

Narrator: NOW IN ITS FINAL STAGE OF TESTING,

SPACESHIP TWO IS ALREADY BOOKED

TO CARRY MORE THAN 500 TOURISTS TO SPACE IN ITS FIRST YEAR.

Whitesides: WE'RE GOING TO BREAK OPEN SPACE LIKE NEVER BEFORE,

SO YOU KNOW, WHEREAS IT'S BEEN THE REALM

OF MAYBE TEN PEOPLE A YEAR OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW,

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THOUSANDS, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

EVENTUALLY GOING INTO SPACE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

Narrator: ANOTHER COMPANY IS ALREADY COMPETING

WITH VIRGIN GALACTIC.

Andrew Nelson: SO THE LYNX IS A SUBORBITAL SPACE PLANE,

AND WE'RE OFFERING A FLIGHT TO SPACE AND BACK.

YOU WILL DEFINITELY FEEL WEIGHTLESSNESS

FOR 6 TO 7 MINUTES.

YOUR ARMS ARE GONNA FLOAT UP,

YOU'RE GONNA FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, FREEFALL.

SOME PEOPLE MIGHT FIND IT TERRIFYING,

BUT THAT'S... HUMANS LOVE TO SCARE OURSELVES.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S EXCITING.

Narrator: SHORT RIDES BY SPACE TOURISTS

ARE A SMALL FRACTION OF POTENTIAL SPACE BUSINESS.

THE REAL MONEY LIES IN COLONIZING SPACE

WITH BUILDINGS AND MACHINERY.

HERE, TOO, NASA PAVED THE WAY.

IN 1988, THE SHUTTLE WAS CLEARED TO FLY AGAIN.

Musgrove: AS DIFFICULT AS IT WAS,

I THINK THE DIFFICULTY MADE US GOOD.

Narrator: THE SHUTTLE WAS BACK, AND AMERICA WELCOMED IT.

Barbree: IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF US GETTING BACK INTO SPACE.

Narrator: THE SHUTTLE WAS BACK IN ORBIT.

SOON IT WOULD EMBARK ON ITS MOST FAMOUS MISSION EVER:

THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.

Musgrove: PEOPLE WERE FANTASTICALLY EXCITED

ABOUT HUBBLE.

Neal: THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE WAS HERALDED

AS BEING THE FINEST TELESCOPE EVER

AND WOULD BE AN INSTRUMENT

THAT WOULD TAKE US BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME.

Narrator: WITHOUT THE EARTH'S BLURRY ATMOSPHERE IN THE WAY,

AN ORBITAL TELESCOPE WOULD HAVE

A CLEAR, UNBLINKING VIEW OF THE COSMOS.

IN APRIL 1990, SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY

FERRIED THE $1.5 BILLION TELESCOPE TO ITS NEW PERCH

380 MILES UP, AND GENTLY LET IT GO.

ASTRONOMERS ON THE GROUND

EAGERLY AWAITED THE FIRST PICTURES.

Musgrove: SO I WAS IN MISSION CONTROL

FOR THE CARRY UP AND DEPLOYMENT,

AND THINGS STARTED TO GO BADLY.

Neal: WELL, THE FIRST IMAGES THAT WERE RECEIVED

PROVED TO BE A LITTLE BIT FOGGY AND BLURRY,

AND IMMEDIATELY PEOPLE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

Narrator: NONE OF HUBBLE'S PICTURES WERE SHOWING.

THE SCIENTISTS DEDUCED IT HAD A TECHNICAL FAULT

IN THE TELESCOPE.

Thornton: IT WAS DISCOVERED THERE WAS A PROBLEM

WITH THE PRIMARY MIRROR.

IT WAS TOO FLAT BY JUST THE TINIEST LITTLE BIT,

BUT ENOUGH THAT IT COULDN'T LIVE UP

TO THE ENORMOUS EXPECTATIONS

THAT WE ALL HAD FOR THAT INSTRUMENT.

Musgrove: IT'S WORSE THAN EMBARRASSING,

IT'S JUST FRIGHTENING.

Narrator: THE TINIEST FLAW HAD BECOME A HUGE PROBLEM,

NOT JUST FOR HUBBLE BUT FOR NASA.

Man: I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHO TO ASK!

WHAT MIGHT HAVE MADE THIS HAPPEN?

Man: SOMEWHERE IN THIS CHAIN,

A VERY COMPLICATED CHAIN OF EVENTS,

THERE WAS A MISTAKE OR AN ERROR MADE SOMEWHERE

THAT RESULTED THEN IN THE MIRROR BEING VERY PRECISELY MADE,

BUT ULTIMATELY TO THE WRONG FIGURE.

Narrator: NASA'S CREDIBILITY WAS IN TATTERS.

THERE WAS ONLY ONE SOLUTION.

REPAIR THE FLAWED OPTICS IN ORBIT.

SUCH A PROCEDURE HAD NEVER BEEN UNDERTAKEN.

NOW EVERYONE WAS WATCHING.

Thornton: THERE WERE A LOT OF INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANELS

THAT WERE LOOKING OVER OUR SHOULDERS

TO SEE WHAT THE PLAN IS, MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS DO-ABLE.

Narrator: AND ON TOP OF THE INFAMOUSLY FLAWED MIRROR,

IT TURNED OUT A NUMBER OF OTHER SYSTEMS ON THE TELESCOPE

NEEDED ATTENTION.

Musgrove: WHEN THINGS BREAK RIGHT UP FRONT

IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY WORE OUT,

IT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THE DESIGN.

AND HUBBLE HAD 13 SYSTEMS BROKEN WHEN I WENT TO FIX IT.

Narrator: IN DECEMBER 1993

HUBBLE'S REPAIR MISSION LAUNCHED.

THREE DAYS LATER THEY APPROACHED THE TELESCOPE

AND GRASPED IT WITH THE SHUTTLE'S ROBOTIC ARM.

Thornton: WE WENT OUT TO REPLACE THE SOLAR ARRAYS,

AND WHEN WE CAPTURED HUBBLE

WE SAW ONE OF THEM WAS KIND OF BENT,

AND WHEN WE TRIED TO RETRACT THEM,

ONE OF THEM WAS NOT GOING TO RETRACT.

AND SO WE KNEW BEFORE WE WENT OUT

WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO THROW ONE OF THE SOLAR ARRAYS OVERBOARD.

Narrator: THE CREW'S FIRST OF MANY ASSIGNMENTS

WAS TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED SOLAR PANELS.

Thornton: WE WANTED TO BE SURE

WE COULD SEE WHERE THE SOLAR ARRAY WENT.

AND SO I WAS JUST HOLDING IT WAITING FOR THE SUN TO COME UP,

AND IT WOULD JUST SORT OF FLOAT IN FRONT OF MY FACE,

AND THEN KEN BOWERSOX FIRED THE REACTION CONTROL JETS,

AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE SOLAR ARRAY

TO ALMOST BEND OVER DOUBLE.

Musgrove: IT WAS GORGEOUS, IT WAS JUST,

FLYING BY ITSELF, YOU KNOW.

BUT AS WE FLEW AWAY,

THE LITTLE JETS, THE PLUME HIT THEM,

SO IT'S, IT'S FLAPPING LIKE A BIRD OUT THERE,

SO IT'S FLAPPING JUST LIKE THIS, LIKE A BIRD FLYING OUT THERE.

Thornton: WE COULD HAVE WATCHED IT FOR HOURS.

Narrator: FOUR DAYS AND TWO SPACEWALKS LATER,

THORNTON WOULD PERFORM THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB OF THE MISSION:

CORRECT HUBBLE'S BLURRY VISION WITH A DEVICE CALLED COSTAR.

Thornton: COSTAR IS AN INSTRUMENT THAT CORRECTED ALL THE LIGHT

GOING INTO THE OTHER THREE INSTRUMENTS

INTO THE BOTTOM PART OF THE TELESCOPE.

I WAS ON THE END OF THE MECHANICAL ARM,

AND MY SPACE WALKING PARTNER TOM AKERS

WAS THE DIRECTOR, ESSENTIALLY.

HE CLIMBED IN THE TELESCOPE

AND WOULD TELL ME WHICH WAY TO POINT IT

AND MAKE SURE IT WENT IN THERE,

AND WHEN IT GOT IN, I HELD IT IN PLACE,

AND HE DROVE THE FIRST OF THE LATCHES CLOSED

SO THAT IT STAYED WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE,

AND THEN WE FINISHED THAT OFF.

Narrator: THE ENTIRE REPAIR CHECKLIST

REQUIRED FIVE DAYS OF SEVEN-HOUR SPACEWALKS.

AND WHEN THE MISSION WAS COMPLETE,

NO ONE KNEW FOR SURE IF THE REPAIRS HAD ACTUALLY WORKED.

Thornton: WE KNEW THAT THE INSTRUMENTS WERE POWERED UP,

THEY WERE SENDING BACK DATA,

BUT UNTIL THE SPACE TELESCOPE INSTITUTE COULD CALIBRATE IT

AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS WORKING RIGHT,

WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW THAT OUR MISSION WAS SUCCESSFUL.

Narrator: IT WAS A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR REPAIR

TO A $1.5 BILLION TELESCOPE.

FAILURE WAS UNTHINKABLE.

Neal: THIS WAS KIND OF THE PRINCIPAL TELESCOPE

OF THE GREAT OBSERVATORIES,

AND IT HAD BEEN SO PRAISED IN ADVANCE,

AND SO MANY PROMISES WERE RIDING ON IT.

Narrator: IT TOOK ONE LONG MONTH

TO OPEN HUBBLE'S EYES AFTER THE SURGERY.

THE PROGNOSIS ARRIVED WITH THE FIRST PICTURES.

Thornton: AND WE SAW PICTURES AT THE SAME TIME

EVERYBODY ELSE DID IN JANUARY OF 1994,

AND THAT'S THE MOMENT WE KNEW

THAT THE MISSION HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

[APPLAUSE]

Narrator: SINCE THEN, HUBBLE HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST NAME IN ASTRONOMY,

REVOLUTIONIZING SCIENCE

AND SHOWING US BEAUTIFUL PICTURES OF THE COSMOS

PREVIOUSLY BEYOND OUR VIEW.

Thornton: I THINK THE HUBBLE

IS PROBABLY THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ASTRONOMY

SINCE GALILEO'S TELESCOPE.

Paul Ceruzzi: THE FACT THAT IT WAS ABLE TO PEER BACK IN TIME

CLOSE TO THE VERY BEGINNING OF OUR ORIGINS,

THAT IS JUST SO EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL.

Narrator: THE HUBBLE REPAIR MISSION PROVED THE SPACE SHUTTLE'S CAPABILITY

IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAYS,

TRANSFORMING A HUGE EMBARRASSMENT FOR NASA.

Neal: THE HUBBLE DEBACLE PROVED TO BE

ONE OF NASA'S MOST SHINING HOURS.

THEY SNATCHED VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT.

Musgrove: IT IS SHUTTLE AT ITS BEST.

IT'S A HUGE SUCCESS.

IT MADE US GOOD.

Thornton: THIS WAS A DEMONSTRATION

THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY BUILD AND FIX THINGS IN ORBIT.

Narrator: BUILDING AND FIXING THINGS IN ORBIT

IS KEY TO THE NEW AGE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.

AND NASA, WITH WORLDWIDE PARTNERS,

PAVED THE WAY BY CONSTRUCTING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

Mike L

IS THE MOST TECHNICALLY COMPLEX

INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING MISSION EVER PERFORMED.

FIVE AGENCIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

MAKING THINGS IN DIFFERENT FACTORIES

WITH DIFFERENT MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS

AND PUTTING THEM TOGETHER IN SPACE,

SO IT'S A REALLY PHENOMENAL ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Narrator: BEGUN IN 1998,

THE I.S.S. TOOK 13 YEARS TO BUILD,

BUT ITS LEGACY WILL EXTEND FAR INTO THE FUTURE.

Bowersox: SOMEDAY HUMANS WILL LEAVE EARTH FOREVER,

AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE GAINING NOW

ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

WILL BE A LARGE PART OF THE KNOWLEDGE

THAT ENABLES HUMANITY TO MOVE OUT

AND BECOME A MULTI-PLANET SPECIES.

Ceruzzi: I THINK ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL LESSONS

IS THE COOPERATION AMONG NATIONS.

I THINK IF WE'RE EVER GOING TO GO FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLANET,

WE'D NEED TO HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM TO DO IT.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS FROM 16 COUNTRIES

HAVE OCCUPIED THE STATION CONTINUALLY

FOR 12 YEARS AND COUNTING.

IT IS TODAY'S HUB OF HUMANITY IN SPACE,

AND THE PROVING GROUND FOR NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE COMPANIES.

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE HAS NO SHORTAGE

OF GAME-CHANGING IDEAS FOR SPACE

THAT COULD TRANSFORM HOW WE LIVE ON EARTH.

Paul Spudis: SUPPOSE YOU BUILT A COMSAT NETWORK

THE SIZE AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

IN ONE FELL SWOOP YOU WOULD RENDER OBSOLETE

THE ENTIRE TERRESTRIAL CELL PHONE NETWORK.

YOU WOULD HAVE HIGH SPEED INTERNET BROADBAND WORLDWIDE.

YOU COULD HAVE 4,000 CHANNELS OF HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION

ON YOUR iPAD.

IT WOULD LITERALLY REVOLUTIONIZE GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

Narrator: AND WHEN HUMANS PUSH FARTHER OUT INTO SPACE,

COMPANIES WILL BE READY TO OFFER SERVICES

THAT COULD DRAMATICALLY CHANGE SPACE TRAVEL.

Spudis: THE PROBLEM WITH LOW EARTH ORBIT

IS ONCE YOU GET THERE IN MOST MODERN ROCKETS

YOUR FUEL TANKS ARE EMPTY.

NOW SUPPOSE INSTEAD I JUST DEVELOP ROCKETS

THAT ARRIVE IN LOW EARTH ORBIT WITH EMPTY FUEL TANKS,

BUT THEN THEY CAN GO TO A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN REFUEL,

WHERE THEY CAN GAS UP AGAIN.

Narrator: ONE COMPANY PLANS TO LOCATE AND SUPPLY

THAT FUEL IN SPACE.

Bill Stone: PEOPLE ARE SEEING IT REGULARLY

IN THE WASHINGTON POST, IN THE NEW YORK TIMES,

ALL OF THE OTHER PAPERS.

THERE'S WATER ON THE MOON.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Spudis: THE COMPONENT GASES OF WATER... HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN...

WHEN CONVERTED TO A LIQUID FORM

IS THE MOST POWERFUL CHEMICAL PROPELLANT WE KNOW OF.

IN FACT, THE SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINES

USE LIQUID HYDROGEN AND LIQUID OXYGEN.

Narrator: ONE CORPORATION PLANS TO MINE THE MOON'S WATER

AND DELIVER IT TO A FUEL STATION IN EARTH ORBIT.

Stone: IF YOU WORK FROM THE MOON

BY USING VERY CAREFULLY DEFINED OPTIMIZED PROCEDURES,

YOU CAN REDUCE THE COST

OF GETTING RAW MATERIALS TO EARTH ORBIT

BY A FACTOR OF UP TO 20-1.

SO IT'S INEVITABLE THAT IF THE FUEL IS THERE,

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BUY IT.

Bond: ONCE WE'VE GOT A GOOD TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE

AND WE CAN BEGIN TO EXPLOIT THE RESOURCES OF THE MOON,

THEN BRINGING LUNAR OXYGEN INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT

TO FUEL ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES, THAT'S A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH.

THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT

IS THAT THE MISSIONS THAT WE CAN CONSIDER

WILL BE ON A SCALE WHICH I THINK DEFIES IMAGINATION

AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

Narrator: A RESUPPLY STATION IN EARTH ORBIT

WOULD BE A STEPPING STONE INTO DEEP SPACE.

Hempsell: LOW EARTH ORBIT IS THE FIRST STOPPING POINT

YOU HAVE IN SPACE TO GO ANYWHERE IN SPACE.

THE PROCESS OF GETTING THERE IS HALF THE JOB

OF GETTING TO ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE.

Narrator: SEVERAL COMPANIES ARE ALREADY MARKETING SERVICES

OUTSIDE OUR ORBIT,

INCLUDING MINING FOR PRECIOUS MINERALS ON NEARBY ASTEROIDS.

AND GOVERNMENT SPACE AGENCIES AND PRIVATE COMPANIES ALIKE

ARE CURRENTLY DRAWING UP PLANS FOR TRAVEL TO MARS.

Hempsell: TO GET TO MARS, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A SPACECRAFT

IN THE 700-TON REGION.

THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN LAUNCH THAT IN ONE PIECE,

IT'S GOT TO BE LAUNCHED IN PIECES,

IT'S GOT TO BE LAUNCHED COST-EFFECTIVELY.

Narrator: ONE COMPANY SUGGESTS SENDING ROBOTS TO BUILD SETTLEMENTS,

SO HUMANS ARRIVE WITH A PLACE TO STAY.

ALL OF THIS CREATIVITY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

CAN BE TRACED BACK TO NASA'S PEDIGREE OF GROUNDBREAKING WORK.

Stone: NASA HAS SPENT 50 YEARS

INVENTING THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT NEVER EXISTED BEFORE.

WE ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF ALL OF THAT HARD SWEAT AND WORK.

THEY HAVE MADE POSSIBLE

WHAT CAN NOW BE DONE BY PRIVATE ENTERPRISE,

THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.

Narrator: BY 2003, NASA WAS ADVANCING

THOSE SPACE TECHNOLOGIES LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

THEY HAD COMPLETED OVER A HUNDRED SHUTTLE MISSIONS.

HUBBLE WAS DELIVERING IMPORTANT SCIENCE.

THE I.S.S. WAS FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND GROWING FAST.

Man: THIS IS THE CREW COMING OUT OF THE CREW QUARTERS.

Narrator: ON JANUARY 16, 2003, THE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA LAUNCHED

WITH A CREW OF SEVEN ON A TWO-WEEK SCIENCE MISSION.

Mission Control: WE HAVE BOOSTER IGNITION AND LIFTOFF

OF SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA

WITH A MULTITUDE OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL

SPACE RESEARCH EXPERIMENTS.

Man: ROGER, ROLL, COLUMBIA.

COLUMBIA NOW ROLLING ON TO THE PROPER AZIMUTH

FOR A 39-DEGREE INCLINATION TO ORBIT.

SHUTTLE IN A HEADS-DOWN, WINGS-LEVEL POSITION

FOR THE 8 1/2 MINUTE RIDE TO ORBIT.

Narrator: DURING THEIR MISSION THEY CHATTED

WITH THEIR ASTRONAUT COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND KEN BOWERSOX,

WHO WAS ON THE SPACE STATION.

Bowersox: WE HAD A SORT OF A PUBLIC TELECONFERENCE WITH THEM

WHERE WE GOT TO TALK OVER THE RADIO

WITH ONE OF THE SHIFTS OF STS-107 CREW,

AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THEM.

Laurel Clark: THE FIRST TIME THAT I GOT TO SEE

THE ORBITER AS THE SUN SET,

THE WHOLE PAYLOAD BAY TURNS THIS BEAUTIFUL ROSY ORANGE PINK.

Bowersox: IT WAS FUNNY, WE WERE TALKING

ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING, THE SCIENCE WE WERE DOING,

AND THEN ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS CAME UP

AND SAID, HEY, ENOUGH OF THAT,

HOW ARE THE FAMILIES DOING, HOW ARE YOUR KIDS?

Narrator: A SMOOTH AND SUCCESSFUL MISSION

WAS COMING TO A CLOSE

AS COLUMBIA APPROACHED EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

Astronaut: THIS IS AMAZING,

IT'S REALLY GETTING REALLY BRIGHT OUT THERE.

YEAH, YOU DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO BE OUTSIDE NOW.

[LAUGHING]

Mission Control: COLUMBIA, HOUSTON. COMM CHECK.

COLUMBIA, HOUSTON, UHF COMM CHECK.

Woman: INFLIGHT, EECOM? Man: EECOM.

Woman: I'VE GOT FOUR TEMPERATURE SENSORS

ON THE BOTTOM LINE DATA THAT ARE OFF SCALE LOW.

Flight: TC, FLIGHT. TC: FLIGHT, TC.

Flight: LOCK THE DOORS. TC: COPY.

Flight: NO PHONE CALLS... OFF SITE...

OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM.

OUR DISCUSSIONS ARE ON THESE LOOPS

ON THE RECORDED DVS LOOPS ONLY.

Narrator: MINUTES LATER, TELEVISION WAS BROADCASTING THIS IMAGERY

TO A STUNNED AUDIENCE ACROSS THE NATION.

Bowersox: FOR THE FIRST FEW HOURS WE WERE HOPING

THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE THAT HAD SURVIVED,

AND THEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THAT WAS LESS AND LESS LIKELY.

Carr: NASA'S BIGGEST ENEMY IS THEIR RECORD OF SUCCESS.

THEY MAKE IT LOOK SO EASY.

EVERYONE THAT WORKS ON A SPACE SHUTTLE KNOWS

THAT EVERY TIME A SPACE SHUTTLE MAKES IT TO ORBIT

THAT A MINOR MIRACLE IS TAKING PLACE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS COLLECTED THOUSANDS

OF FRAGMENTS OF DEBRIS

AND SLOWLY PIECED TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED.

Barbree: WHEN COLUMBIA LIFTED OFF,

A CHUNK OF FOAM CAME OFF

AND KNOCKED A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BOWLING BALL

IN THE LEFT WING OF THE SHUTTLE.

Narrator: INSULATION FROM COLUMBIA'S FUEL TANK

BROKE OFF DURING LAUNCH AND BOUNCED OFF A WING,

DAMAGING THE SHUTTLE'S ALL-IMPORTANT HEAT SHIELD.

UPON RE-ENTRY, THE SEARING HEAT BREACHED THE SHIELD

AND BROKE THE SHUTTLE APART.

Bowersox: ONE OF THE LESSONS FROM COLUMBIA

WAS SIMILAR TO THE LESSON ON CHALLENGER.

HUMANS CAN MAKE BAD DECISIONS.

THEY CAN GET COMFORTABLE WITH RISK,

MAYBE TOO COMFORTABLE WITH RISK.

Barbree: ON COLUMBIA AGAIN THEY GOT TO THE POINT

THAT THEY WERE OVERCONFIDENT,

AND HAD THEY LOOKED AND FOUND THAT HOLE IN THE WING,

WHICH THEY HAD 16 DAYS TO DO IT,

THEY COULD HAVE SAVED THIS CREW.

Narrator: ALL SHUTTLES WERE GROUNDED

FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO OVERHAUL THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.

NASA KNEW THAT TO SUCCEED,

A MILLION THINGS HAVE TO GO RIGHT.

ONCE AGAIN THEY LEARNED THAT TO FAIL,

ONLY ONE THING HAS TO GO WRONG.

DESIGNS FOR CURRENT SPACECRAFT

MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR FUEL TANKS

TO THROW DEBRIS AT THE VEHICLE.

Sirangelo: WE'VE LEARNED THOSE HARD LESSONS.

WE'RE PUTTING OUR VEHICLE ON TOP OF THE ROCKET

INSTEAD OF SIDE-MOUNTING IT,

AND MANY OF THE CHALLENGES THAT CAME OUT OF SHUTTLE PROGRAM

WAS DUE TO ITS HAVING TO BE SIDE-MOUNTED.

Hempsell: WE HAVE NOTHING LIKE THAT

BECAUSE THE TANKS AREN'T ON THE OUTSIDE,

SO THERE IS NOTHING TO THROW THERMAL INSULATION

OR ANYTHING ELSE ONTO OUR VEHICLE.

Narrator: NASA RECOVERED FROM TRAGEDY ONCE MORE,

AND THE SHUTTLES FLEW UNTIL RETIREMENT IN 2011.

AFTER 30 YEARS OF OPENING A NEW GATEWAY TO SPACE,

TOUCHDOWN OF THE LAST MISSION WAS BITTERSWEET.

Announcer: HAVING FIRED THE IMAGINATION OF A GENERATION,

A SHIP LIKE NO OTHER, ITS PLACE IN HISTORY SECURED,

THE SPACE SHUTTLE PULLS INTO PORT FOR THE LAST TIME.

Narrator: WHEN THE NEXT SUCCESS STORY IS WRITTEN IN SPACE,

IT WILL OWE A LOT TO THE LIFE AND LESSONS OF THE SHUTTLE.

Mulholland: WE WOULDN'T BE ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE WE ARE

WITHOUT THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM.

IT REALLY REVOLUTIONIZED HOW WE OPERATE

AND HAD JUST AN AMAZING CAREER

AND WILL LEAVE BEHIND AN AMAZING LEGACY.

Narrator: THE LEGACY IS THIS:

SPACE IS NO LONGER JUST FOR GOVERNMENTS.

LITTLE COMPANIES WITH BIG IDEAS

ARE SEEDING THE FUTURE WITH COMPETITIVE DRIVE.

IT'S A NEW SPACE RACE, WITH UNLIMITED PARTICIPANTS.

AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SPACE IS BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL OF THEM.

Whitesides: I REALLY THINK THAT COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT

WILL DRIVE THE RATE OF INNOVATION IN SPACE

MUCH, MUCH FASTER THAN WE'VE SEEN,

AND WE'VE ALREADY SEEN IT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS,

YOU KNOW, WITH NOW MANY DIFFERENT VEHICLES

OUT THERE OPERATING.

Nelson: THESE VEHICLES, THE ONES THAT WE'RE BUILDING

AND OUR COMPETITORS ARE BUILDING,

HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE THE WAY OUR CHILDREN THINK.

TO HAVE THEM EMBRACE, TRULY EMBRACE

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS.

IF YOU CAN CAPTURE A KID IN SIXTH GRADE

WITH A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT,

I THINK WE CAN REALLY CHANGE THE WORLD.

Bowersox: BEING IN SPACE REALLY MAKES YOU REALIZE

HOW CONNECTED WE ALL ARE.

AND THAT DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES

IT'S WORTH TAKING THE TIME TO TALK

AND DEVELOP THE PLAN TO WORK TOGETHER

AND TO DO SOMETHING THAT GETS US TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING BIGGER.