1 00:00:08,242 --> 00:00:16,448 Narrator: When they launch in 1981, the space shuttles take the world by storm. 2 00:00:16,450 --> 00:00:22,187 Ken: And it was just one of the most spectacularly beautiful things I'd ever seen. 3 00:00:22,223 --> 00:00:26,191 Narrator: But their fatal flaws are soon revealed. 4 00:00:26,227 --> 00:00:28,494 Male: Rso reports vehicle exploded. 5 00:00:28,529 --> 00:00:32,364 Narrator: Yet the shuttles will go on to be a part of some of the greatest scientific 6 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,366 Discoveries of our age. 7 00:00:34,402 --> 00:00:38,003 Milt: I was looking at a huge amount of galaxies. 8 00:00:38,039 --> 00:00:41,340 Narrator: The shuttles become symbols of peace. 9 00:00:41,375 --> 00:00:43,742 Robert: I'm the person who ended the cold war. 10 00:00:43,778 --> 00:00:47,980 Narrator: And at the end of their mission, the shuttles set the scene for the next chapter 11 00:00:48,015 --> 00:00:50,049 In man's conquest of space. 12 00:00:50,084 --> 00:00:53,118 Dick: That was one of the great days of our lives. 13 00:01:01,062 --> 00:01:02,895 Male: And lift-off. 14 00:01:02,930 --> 00:01:07,733 Lift-off for the 25th space shuttle mission and it has cleared the tower. 15 00:01:07,768 --> 00:01:12,604 Narrator: At the start of the 1980s, the space shuttles promise to be a new, 16 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:18,077 Safe and cost-effective way of getting into space. 17 00:01:18,112 --> 00:01:23,682 But that dream dies on the 28th January 1986. 18 00:01:23,717 --> 00:01:30,422 Just 73 seconds into its mission, the shuttle challenger blows up on live television. 19 00:01:30,458 --> 00:01:32,825 Male: Flight fido: Rso reports vehicle exploded. 20 00:01:32,860 --> 00:01:35,627 Narrator: The crew of seven, including a school teacher, 21 00:01:35,663 --> 00:01:39,531 Perish as their families watch in horror. 22 00:01:39,567 --> 00:01:42,434 Jeff: The challenger disaster was definitely a turning point, 23 00:01:42,470 --> 00:01:45,971 Not just for the shuttle program but for nasa itself. 24 00:01:46,006 --> 00:01:49,408 Narrator: Nasa's shuttle fleet is grounded. 25 00:01:49,443 --> 00:01:53,645 Robert: Our world turned completely upside down in an instant. 26 00:01:53,681 --> 00:01:58,784 Narrator: The challenger disaster shows that the shuttls are much harder to maintain 27 00:01:58,819 --> 00:02:02,321 And more dangerous than nasa ever imagined. 28 00:02:02,356 --> 00:02:05,224 Rowland: Having sewn the idea that the shuttle was something 29 00:02:05,259 --> 00:02:08,494 That was going to deliver routine access to space, 30 00:02:08,529 --> 00:02:12,064 In the most desperate, conspicuous way possible, 31 00:02:12,099 --> 00:02:15,601 The shuttle had been proven not to be that machine. 32 00:02:15,636 --> 00:02:20,939 Narrator: The future of nasa's shuttle fleet is in doubt. 33 00:02:20,975 --> 00:02:27,946 But 5000 miles away, a shuttle is secretly being prepped for flight. 34 00:02:27,982 --> 00:02:29,548 This one isn't american. 35 00:02:32,453 --> 00:02:35,387 This is a russian shuttle. 36 00:02:35,422 --> 00:02:39,024 They call it the "buran", which means blizzard. 37 00:02:39,059 --> 00:02:43,996 At first glance, it looks almot identical to nasa's shuttles. 38 00:02:44,031 --> 00:02:49,768 Jeff: The similarity was not coincidental for sure. 39 00:02:49,803 --> 00:02:53,005 Tom: When I saw it, I said, they copied it. 40 00:02:53,040 --> 00:03:00,112 The structure of details were exactly the same thing that the shuttle had. 41 00:03:00,147 --> 00:03:05,350 Narrator: From the moment nasa started building their shuttle fleet in the early 1970s, 42 00:03:05,386 --> 00:03:09,254 Soviet spies are sent to steal the plans. 43 00:03:09,290 --> 00:03:14,927 Rowland: The russians were supporting a very extensive kgb exercise to get hold of 44 00:03:14,962 --> 00:03:19,298 Technical material in order to build their own shuttles. 45 00:03:19,333 --> 00:03:21,733 Narrator: Soviet leaders know from the beginning 46 00:03:21,769 --> 00:03:25,404 The pentagon has a hand in the shuttle's design. 47 00:03:25,439 --> 00:03:30,309 Jeff: The russian's clearly thought that the shuttle was giving us some sort of great 48 00:03:30,344 --> 00:03:32,911 Military advantage. 49 00:03:32,947 --> 00:03:38,717 Narrator: The soviets conclude the american shuttles have been built to attack them. 50 00:03:38,752 --> 00:03:42,221 Rowland: The russians assumed that this was a machine that was going to be capable of dropping 51 00:03:42,256 --> 00:03:48,760 A bomb on moscow, before soviet defenses had any chance to react. 52 00:03:48,796 --> 00:03:52,731 Narrator: President reagan has no love for the soviet union. 53 00:03:52,766 --> 00:03:55,867 President reagan: They are the focus of evil in the modern world. 54 00:03:55,903 --> 00:04:01,206 Narrator: And he frightens the russians even more, with his plan to use nasa's shuttle flet 55 00:04:01,242 --> 00:04:04,376 To build a missile defense shield in space. 56 00:04:04,411 --> 00:04:06,979 Robert: For us to be able to pick off their weapons, 57 00:04:07,014 --> 00:04:10,449 That sounded to me like a very good idea. 58 00:04:10,484 --> 00:04:15,821 Narrator: Realizing, that if reagan's plans work, it will give the us an overwhelming 59 00:04:15,856 --> 00:04:20,092 Strategic advantage, the soviets have to act. 60 00:04:20,127 --> 00:04:25,597 On the 15th November 1988, the russians launch one of their own shuttles into orbit 61 00:04:25,633 --> 00:04:27,599 For the first time. 62 00:04:27,635 --> 00:04:32,170 And the americans are stunned o see, it's better than theirs. 63 00:04:35,909 --> 00:04:39,177 Milt: One thing that really impressed me, the fact it was unmanned. 64 00:04:39,213 --> 00:04:40,879 That was really significant. 65 00:04:40,914 --> 00:04:43,782 Narrator: Not only can buran be flown remotely, 66 00:04:43,817 --> 00:04:47,619 It can carry more than its american counterparts. 67 00:04:47,655 --> 00:04:52,324 Robert: Their orbiter didn't carry the main engines to orbit. 68 00:04:52,359 --> 00:04:55,093 They threw them away with the booster vehicle. 69 00:04:55,129 --> 00:04:57,229 Wayne: We looked at some of the things that they did and we thought, 70 00:04:57,264 --> 00:05:01,433 Wow that was pretty smart, maybe we should have designed a vehicle like they did. 71 00:05:01,468 --> 00:05:05,837 Narrator: But the cost of matching nasa's fleet with five shuttles of their own 72 00:05:05,873 --> 00:05:10,575 Sets the soviets back $30 billion. 73 00:05:10,611 --> 00:05:15,814 Jeff: They discovered something that we had discovered, and that was that it's pretty expensive 74 00:05:15,849 --> 00:05:18,050 To operate. 75 00:05:18,085 --> 00:05:21,887 Narrator: And it isn't just the shuttles the russians are trying to keep up with. 76 00:05:21,922 --> 00:05:26,391 There are new american war planes, ships and submarines as well. 77 00:05:26,427 --> 00:05:28,427 Robert: We just ran them out of money. 78 00:05:28,462 --> 00:05:33,999 Our technology, our capabilities, they just couldn't keep up with us. 79 00:05:34,034 --> 00:05:36,435 Narrator: The russians face financial ruin. 80 00:05:36,470 --> 00:05:42,507 Within a year of the buran's flight, the berlin wall comes down and the soviet union stars 81 00:05:42,543 --> 00:05:44,242 To collapse. 82 00:05:44,278 --> 00:05:49,081 After flying a buran just once, the fleet is abandoned. 83 00:05:49,116 --> 00:05:55,120 The russians are forced to go back to using conventional rockets. 84 00:05:55,155 --> 00:06:00,992 Rowland: They poured what money they had, and it was scarce, into trying to build and support 85 00:06:01,028 --> 00:06:03,261 The mir space station. 86 00:06:03,297 --> 00:06:07,332 Narrator: The focus now for the russians is using their mir space station to master 87 00:06:07,368 --> 00:06:09,735 Long term space flight. 88 00:06:09,770 --> 00:06:17,075 To keep their shuttle program alive, nasa has to come up with a new purpose for them. 89 00:06:17,111 --> 00:06:22,180 After the challenger disaster, the shuttles are believed to be to risky to carry out 90 00:06:22,216 --> 00:06:26,017 Any mission that can be done using conventional rockets. 91 00:06:30,791 --> 00:06:35,861 Wayne: All this talk of flying, all the commercial satellites, all the military satellites, 92 00:06:35,896 --> 00:06:38,296 That all went away. 93 00:06:38,332 --> 00:06:44,436 And so to justify our continued existence we had to launch a lot more scientific satellites and 94 00:06:44,471 --> 00:06:47,339 Do more scientific missions. 95 00:06:47,374 --> 00:06:52,344 Narrator: Nasa knows the shuttles have to deliver a big scientific breakthrough. 96 00:06:52,379 --> 00:06:57,349 And they hope launching this the largest and most powerful space telescope 97 00:06:57,384 --> 00:07:00,452 Ever built, will do it. 98 00:07:00,487 --> 00:07:06,691 Male: Three, two, one, and lift-off of the space shuttle discovery with the hubble space 99 00:07:06,727 --> 00:07:09,895 Telescope, our window on the universe. 100 00:07:12,166 --> 00:07:15,767 Jeff: People were really excited about the idea that this was going to be this incredible 101 00:07:15,803 --> 00:07:20,305 New instrument that would be able to unlock the secrets of the universe. 102 00:07:20,340 --> 00:07:24,776 Rowland: Nasa depended on capturing the public's imagination for funding. 103 00:07:24,812 --> 00:07:27,746 They desperately needed it to be a success. 104 00:07:31,752 --> 00:07:32,984 Commander: Max. Astronaut: Go. 105 00:07:33,020 --> 00:07:34,519 Commander: Ers. Astronaut: Go flight. 106 00:07:34,555 --> 00:07:36,388 Commander: Eva. Astronaut: We're go. 107 00:07:36,423 --> 00:07:39,658 Commander: This is mission control, houston. 108 00:07:39,693 --> 00:07:43,595 Commander: Discovery, go for hubble release. 109 00:07:43,630 --> 00:07:49,901 Narrator: Flying 380 miles aboe the earth, higher than any shuttle has ever flown before, 110 00:07:49,937 --> 00:07:54,573 Discovery flawlessly deploys the giant telescope. 111 00:07:56,009 --> 00:07:58,543 Commander: Thank you for a good day. 112 00:07:58,579 --> 00:08:04,983 Narrator: Three weeks later hubble beams back its first images of distance stars. 113 00:08:08,522 --> 00:08:13,492 Jeff: It's one of these situations where I see it but I can't believe my eyes. 114 00:08:13,527 --> 00:08:16,061 The images were blurry. 115 00:08:16,096 --> 00:08:20,665 You know, this is a billion and a half dollar telescope and it can't focus straight. 116 00:08:22,135 --> 00:08:24,703 Narrator: Hubble's optics are the wrong shape, 117 00:08:24,738 --> 00:08:29,074 Which effectively leaves the telescope near-sighted. 118 00:08:29,109 --> 00:08:33,345 Milt: Really embarrassing, obviously to the agency, to the nation, you know, 119 00:08:33,380 --> 00:08:35,981 To all the people who were involved with it. 120 00:08:36,016 --> 00:08:37,849 Jeff: It was a disaster. 121 00:08:37,885 --> 00:08:42,287 Narrator: Nasa's reputation is once again in tatters. 122 00:08:42,322 --> 00:08:47,959 Dick: It became a touchstone for everything wrong with nasa. 123 00:08:47,995 --> 00:08:51,530 Rowland: It's hard to imagine anything more humiliating. 124 00:08:51,565 --> 00:08:58,236 It was a really stupid error, uh, it was something which they could and should have checked. 125 00:08:58,272 --> 00:09:01,640 Narrator: American politicians are furious. 126 00:09:01,675 --> 00:09:06,745 Milt: The senate committee told us, nasa if you are not able to do what you say you can do 127 00:09:06,780 --> 00:09:10,015 To repair hubble and get it back in good condition, 128 00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:13,251 There's a good possibility that funding will be cut. 129 00:09:13,287 --> 00:09:15,887 Narrator: But nasa realizes there is much more to do 130 00:09:15,923 --> 00:09:18,823 Than just correcting hubble's faulty lens. 131 00:09:18,859 --> 00:09:22,727 A host of other components will also need replacing. 132 00:09:22,763 --> 00:09:27,566 Repairing the telescope will be the most complex mission nasa has ever attempted. 133 00:09:41,348 --> 00:09:48,153 Jeff: This mission was going to require five space walks of a degree of complexity far greater 134 00:09:48,188 --> 00:09:50,589 Than anything that nasa had ever done before. 135 00:09:50,624 --> 00:09:54,225 -And could you roll a little be more up right, please... 136 00:09:54,261 --> 00:09:59,831 Narrator: For the next 11 months, the astronauts plan and practice the dozens of intricae 137 00:09:59,866 --> 00:10:03,668 Procedures they'll perform on the telescope in space. 138 00:10:03,704 --> 00:10:05,904 Male: Continue to come forward. 139 00:10:05,939 --> 00:10:10,041 Jeff: We spent about 400 hours underwater, a tremendous amount of training. 140 00:10:10,077 --> 00:10:15,213 Narrator: The repairs are so complicated, the fear is the astronauts will run out of powr 141 00:10:15,248 --> 00:10:20,218 And oxygen before they can all be completed. 142 00:10:20,253 --> 00:10:24,789 To help them train, nasa makes a giant inflatable telescope 143 00:10:24,825 --> 00:10:28,760 Complete with an inflatable astronaut. 144 00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:32,797 Every aspect of the mission is carefully timed to ensure 145 00:10:32,833 --> 00:10:37,302 It can be done before the astronaut's supplies are exhausted. 146 00:10:37,337 --> 00:10:39,404 Male: It's faster than the last time. 147 00:10:39,439 --> 00:10:43,475 Milt: We spent an awful lot of time talking about what if, what if this happens, 148 00:10:43,510 --> 00:10:44,676 What if that happens. 149 00:10:44,711 --> 00:10:49,681 I knew we had to be ready for anything. 150 00:10:49,716 --> 00:10:56,621 Narrator: Finally, on December 2nd 1993, three years after hubble launched, 151 00:10:56,657 --> 00:11:01,092 The astronauts are ready for their 11 day mission to repair it. 152 00:11:01,128 --> 00:11:06,297 Before they leave, the head of nasa gives them a stark warnin. 153 00:11:06,333 --> 00:11:11,236 Jeff: He looked at us and he said, I hope that you realise that the future of nasa's 154 00:11:11,271 --> 00:11:15,073 Human space flight depends on the success of your mission. 155 00:11:15,108 --> 00:11:17,442 Like, thank you sir, like we didn't know this. 156 00:11:18,612 --> 00:11:23,481 Narrator: At 4:27am, the shuttle endeavour blasts off. 157 00:11:23,517 --> 00:11:28,119 Male: Lift-off of the space shuttle endeavour to service the hubble space telescope. 158 00:11:28,155 --> 00:11:33,224 Narrator: Endeavour races to rendezvous with the telescope orbiting 380 miles 159 00:11:33,260 --> 00:11:34,893 Above the earth. 160 00:11:34,928 --> 00:11:38,730 Dick: My big role was gonna be to get us in the right position 161 00:11:38,765 --> 00:11:41,399 To be able to capture the telescope. 162 00:11:41,435 --> 00:11:47,872 Narrator: Travelling at 17,500mph, the shuttle joins hubble in orbit. 163 00:11:47,908 --> 00:11:53,845 Commander dick covey has to fly close enough to grab the telescope with the shuttle's robotic arm. 164 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:59,084 Dick: When you get close to the telescope, it's intense, you're making very precise maneuvers. 165 00:11:59,119 --> 00:12:05,657 Narrator: One wrong move will send the telescope spiraling out of orbit and destroy it. 166 00:12:05,692 --> 00:12:10,228 Dick: Looking through the top windows of the orbiter until it gets to a point 167 00:12:10,263 --> 00:12:15,300 Where it transitions low enough to the telescope for a robotic arm to grab it. 168 00:12:15,335 --> 00:12:25,376 (music) 169 00:12:25,378 --> 00:12:31,916 (music) 170 00:12:31,952 --> 00:12:36,521 Houston, endeavour has a firm handshake with mr. Hubble's telescope. 171 00:12:36,556 --> 00:12:40,892 Female: We copy that covey, there are smiles galore down here. 172 00:12:40,927 --> 00:12:42,961 Great work up there you guys. 173 00:12:42,996 --> 00:12:48,299 Dick: And we were very, very happy when we finally got the telescope captured. 174 00:12:48,335 --> 00:12:53,838 Now we had five days of space walks that the whole crew was going to start focusing on. 175 00:12:53,874 --> 00:12:56,207 Male: Mission specialists story musgrave and jeff hoffman 176 00:12:56,243 --> 00:12:59,844 Go through the first steps of getting ready for their spacewalk. 177 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:04,883 Narrator: The first task for te astronauts is to replace some f hubble's delicate instruments, 178 00:13:04,918 --> 00:13:07,585 Housed deep inside the telescope. 179 00:13:07,621 --> 00:13:13,324 Jeff: We had to open these big doors and I basically pushed story underneath and I would 180 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:18,596 Undo the bolts and he would pull out the unit, hand me the old one, I'd hand him the new one. 181 00:13:18,632 --> 00:13:21,099 Narrator: With limited oxygen and power supplies, 182 00:13:21,134 --> 00:13:25,570 Mission control focuses on sticking to the timetable. 183 00:13:25,605 --> 00:13:27,906 Milt: I'll never forget that first spacewalk. 184 00:13:27,941 --> 00:13:32,076 I was determined to stay on a timeline, do what we needed to do. 185 00:13:32,112 --> 00:13:37,315 Narrator: After almost eight hours the astronauts manage to replace all the faulty instruments. 186 00:13:37,350 --> 00:13:39,951 Jeff: And it worked perfectly, just the way it had done, so we, 187 00:13:39,986 --> 00:13:43,121 We were really feeling pretty good. 188 00:13:43,156 --> 00:13:47,225 Narrator: All that's left is for hoffman to close the telescope doors. 189 00:13:52,866 --> 00:13:57,435 I won't use all the words which went through my mind because we're on television here, 190 00:13:57,470 --> 00:14:04,576 But you know, this is the most complicated mission that nasa has ever undertaken 191 00:14:04,611 --> 00:14:06,911 And I can't get the doors closed. 192 00:14:06,947 --> 00:14:09,380 I mean, what is going on? 193 00:14:11,685 --> 00:14:13,852 Narrator: If hubble's doors remain open, 194 00:14:13,887 --> 00:14:16,888 The sensitive electronics inside will be destroyed 195 00:14:16,923 --> 00:14:19,824 By the extreme conditions of space. 196 00:14:19,860 --> 00:14:26,097 Despite 11 months of preparation, nasa engineers didn't plan for this. 197 00:14:26,132 --> 00:14:28,399 Jeff: They kept sending us suggestions from the ground, 198 00:14:28,435 --> 00:14:32,937 We were describing the problem but it was clear that they didn't quite get it 199 00:14:32,973 --> 00:14:36,140 Because none of the things that they suggested worked. 200 00:14:36,176 --> 00:14:39,310 Narrator: Engineers on the ground are out of ideas. 201 00:14:39,346 --> 00:14:43,147 Everything hinges on the astronauts finding a solution. 202 00:14:47,153 --> 00:14:52,624 Milt: Well story came up with the idea to take a strap to be able to act as another hand, 203 00:14:52,659 --> 00:14:56,361 To put it into place where it could part of the doors together 204 00:14:56,396 --> 00:14:59,831 While they worked on the other areas to get it to latch. 205 00:14:59,866 --> 00:15:04,535 Narrator: But the concern is, f the strap is pulled too tight, 206 00:15:04,571 --> 00:15:08,172 The delicate telescope could be irreparably damaged. 207 00:15:08,208 --> 00:15:12,844 Jeff: The people who were in charge of hubble were worried because this thing can exert 208 00:15:12,879 --> 00:15:18,182 Up to 2000 pounds of force and I think they had these visions of the hubble collapsing 209 00:15:18,217 --> 00:15:21,419 Like an aluminium beer can. 210 00:15:21,454 --> 00:15:26,257 Narrator: With oxygen supplies running out, mission control has no choice, 211 00:15:26,293 --> 00:15:31,663 They have to let the astronauts try and use the strap to force the doors shut. 212 00:15:31,698 --> 00:15:36,134 Milt: As the flight director, I made a decision to tell story, go do it. 213 00:15:51,551 --> 00:15:55,386 Narrator: Finally, hubble's doors are firmly shut. 214 00:15:55,422 --> 00:16:00,825 The first marathon eight hour spacewalk is a success. 215 00:16:00,860 --> 00:16:03,027 Jeff: Good work guys. 216 00:16:03,063 --> 00:16:07,899 Milt: And that was a huge amount of relief in the control center cause we got back on track. 217 00:16:11,204 --> 00:16:15,106 Narrator: Over the next four days, the team completes a record-breaking 218 00:16:15,141 --> 00:16:19,010 35 and a half hours of space walks. 219 00:16:21,648 --> 00:16:26,184 Narrator: And they manage to finish all the repairs to the telescope with just a few hours 220 00:16:26,219 --> 00:16:28,686 Of oxygen and power to spare. 221 00:16:30,824 --> 00:16:35,593 Narrator: But it will be anothr 6 weeks before the astronauts know if their mission 222 00:16:35,628 --> 00:16:36,728 Has been a success. 223 00:16:47,774 --> 00:16:52,310 Nasa releases the new data from hubble. 224 00:16:52,345 --> 00:16:58,116 Ken: I remember just being desperate to see what it was going to look like. 225 00:16:58,151 --> 00:17:05,890 Narrator: When the images emerge, they are extraordinary. 226 00:17:05,925 --> 00:17:10,161 Milt: I'm not an astronomer, but I said, wow man we have fixed this thing. 227 00:17:10,196 --> 00:17:15,900 Narrator: Hubble's spectacular pictures transform our understanding of the universe. 228 00:17:15,935 --> 00:17:22,173 Milt: I was looking at a huge amount of galaxies in that one picture, crystal clear. 229 00:17:22,208 --> 00:17:25,877 I mean, you could see the shapes and you could tell that they were galaxies. 230 00:17:25,912 --> 00:17:28,646 Jeff: They looked like the creations of some psychedelic artists. 231 00:17:32,419 --> 00:17:36,587 Dick: That was one of the great days of our lives. 232 00:17:36,623 --> 00:17:42,093 Narrator: The most complex shuttle mission ever attempted has been a success. 233 00:17:42,128 --> 00:17:44,662 Nasa's reputation is salvaged. 234 00:17:45,765 --> 00:17:53,304 But sending a shuttle to repair the $1.5 billion telescope cost nasa another billion dollars. 235 00:17:53,339 --> 00:17:58,176 The shuttle's future is far from secure. 236 00:17:58,211 --> 00:18:04,615 1994 the us has a new president and a new threat to the progra. 237 00:18:04,651 --> 00:18:09,687 President clinton is concerned about the shuttles' spiraling costs. 238 00:18:09,722 --> 00:18:14,325 Wayne: The clinton administration told us that they considered the space shuttle 239 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:18,863 Program very expensive and it nearly got cancelled. 240 00:18:18,898 --> 00:18:22,834 Narrator: The shuttles' salvation comes from an unlikely place. 241 00:18:22,869 --> 00:18:25,069 Russia. 242 00:18:25,105 --> 00:18:29,507 Since the fall of the soviet union, the russians have been struggling to keep mir, 243 00:18:29,542 --> 00:18:33,778 Their prized space station in orbit. 244 00:18:33,813 --> 00:18:37,381 Rowland: The russian space program was on its knees, absolutely starved of funds, 245 00:18:37,417 --> 00:18:41,219 And in danger of collapsing completely. 246 00:18:41,254 --> 00:18:45,857 Narrator: President clinton is warned, if the russian space program ends, 247 00:18:45,892 --> 00:18:51,329 It can have grave security implications for the us. 248 00:18:51,364 --> 00:18:54,699 Wayne: There was a lot of concern that the russian rocket scientists were going to start 249 00:18:54,734 --> 00:18:57,401 Building missiles for rogue states. 250 00:18:57,437 --> 00:19:03,241 Jeff: There was this feeling that it would be in the interest of the united states to engage 251 00:19:03,276 --> 00:19:09,247 The soviet space program personnel, and what better way to do that than 252 00:19:09,282 --> 00:19:11,649 By a joint project? 253 00:19:11,684 --> 00:19:14,452 Narrator: The us offers russia a deal. 254 00:19:14,487 --> 00:19:18,890 The shuttles will fly regular supply missions to keep mir going. 255 00:19:18,925 --> 00:19:24,228 In return, the russians have to let us astronauts on-board their space station, 256 00:19:24,264 --> 00:19:26,864 To carry out experiments. 257 00:19:26,900 --> 00:19:31,669 Rowland: No country on earth had greater experience of long duration space flight 258 00:19:31,704 --> 00:19:35,606 Than the russians, and america wanted a piece of that as it looked ahead to building 259 00:19:35,642 --> 00:19:38,209 Its own space station. 260 00:19:38,244 --> 00:19:43,380 Narrator: The russians agree to the american proposal and in an historic move, 261 00:19:43,383 --> 00:19:49,053 Nasa sends a team of astronauts to star city, just outside moscow, for training. 262 00:19:51,891 --> 00:19:55,927 Britain's only shuttle astronaut, michael foale is one of them. 263 00:19:56,963 --> 00:20:03,134 Michael: A lot of military american astronauts felt this was (bleep). 264 00:20:03,169 --> 00:20:05,803 This was not something we should be doing, 265 00:20:05,838 --> 00:20:08,539 And when I met russian instructors, 266 00:20:08,575 --> 00:20:11,242 They were disgusted with their government. 267 00:20:11,277 --> 00:20:14,712 They did not want to give us their crown jewels, they did not want to tell us 268 00:20:14,747 --> 00:20:16,914 How their spaceship was built. 269 00:20:16,950 --> 00:20:19,984 Narrator: But the russian and american governments are determined to have 270 00:20:20,019 --> 00:20:22,920 Their astronauts work together. 271 00:20:22,956 --> 00:20:28,059 Former us navy fighter pilot robert "hoot" gibson, is in charge of picking the crew 272 00:20:28,094 --> 00:20:32,496 For the first shuttle mission to mir. 273 00:20:32,532 --> 00:20:36,367 Robert: The press kept asking me, are you going to assign yourself to the mir docking? 274 00:20:36,402 --> 00:20:38,703 And I said, absolutely not. 275 00:20:38,738 --> 00:20:46,911 I had trained to shoot down russian migs and had been a participant in this cold war. 276 00:20:46,946 --> 00:20:49,380 Narrator: But nasa has other ideas. 277 00:20:49,415 --> 00:20:56,153 On June 27th, 1995, hoot finds himself in the driver's seat, in the first shuttle 278 00:20:56,189 --> 00:20:59,056 Scheduled to dock with the russian space station. 279 00:21:03,429 --> 00:21:11,302 220 miles above the earth, hoot guides the shuttle atlantis towards mir. 280 00:21:11,337 --> 00:21:18,843 Hoot: It was the most complex, it was the most demanding mission that I ever got to fly. 281 00:21:18,878 --> 00:21:21,746 Narrator: A special adaptor has been fitted to the shuttle, 282 00:21:21,781 --> 00:21:25,283 To allow it to dock with the russian space station. 283 00:21:25,318 --> 00:21:31,722 At 9am eastern daylight time, the two spacecraft connect. 284 00:21:31,758 --> 00:21:34,692 Robert: It just went off like clockwork. 285 00:21:34,727 --> 00:21:37,962 Everything worked perfectly. Everything went just fine. 286 00:21:39,299 --> 00:21:44,368 Narrator: It's the first time a shuttle has ever docked with another spacecraft 287 00:21:44,404 --> 00:21:49,507 And when hoot opens the hatch, he makes history. 288 00:21:49,542 --> 00:21:54,845 Hoot: Valdimir dezhurov, the mir commander, one of those russian fighter pilots that I had been 289 00:21:54,881 --> 00:22:02,286 Training to shoot down all those years, and now the two of us cold war warriors, 290 00:22:02,322 --> 00:22:05,623 Shook hands... 291 00:22:05,658 --> 00:22:09,093 And the president of the united states that day said, 292 00:22:09,128 --> 00:22:12,830 This handshake means the cold war is over. 293 00:22:12,865 --> 00:22:19,904 So I'm fond of telling people that hey, I'm the person who ended the cold war. 294 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,016 A new era of international cooperation in space. 295 00:22:32,051 --> 00:22:36,287 Nasa plans to send a shuttle to mir every four months. 296 00:22:36,322 --> 00:22:43,861 But a series of accidents on-board the russian space station fill the nasa astronauts with dread. 297 00:22:43,896 --> 00:22:47,331 Michael: I was worried. They had had a fire on-board the mir, 298 00:22:47,367 --> 00:22:52,069 A very bad fire, it almost caused them to abandon the mir station. 299 00:22:52,105 --> 00:22:57,308 Narrator: Determined to use mir to help them understand the effects of spending long perios 300 00:22:57,343 --> 00:23:00,444 In space, nasa pushes ahead. 301 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:06,484 Three months after the fire, michael foale will serve his stint on the space station. 302 00:23:06,519 --> 00:23:08,719 Michael: Looking at the mir as we approached it, I was just thinking, 303 00:23:08,755 --> 00:23:12,323 I've got to steel myself to do the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, 304 00:23:12,358 --> 00:23:15,393 Get through four months on the mir station. 305 00:23:15,428 --> 00:23:18,729 Narrator: Life on mir is a million miles away 306 00:23:18,765 --> 00:23:22,400 From the highly organized world of the shuttles. 307 00:23:22,435 --> 00:23:24,168 Michael: You're in a tunnel complex. 308 00:23:24,203 --> 00:23:26,203 You're like a mole. 309 00:23:26,239 --> 00:23:30,174 And ah, because the mir had been there for 13 years at that point, 310 00:23:30,209 --> 00:23:32,176 They'd never really thrown stuff away. 311 00:23:32,211 --> 00:23:34,412 It was extraordinary. 312 00:23:34,447 --> 00:23:39,116 Narrator: Michael's job on-board is to conduct experiments for nasa. 313 00:23:39,152 --> 00:23:45,790 A month into his stay, his worst fears come true when mir collides with an unmanned 314 00:23:45,825 --> 00:23:48,225 Russian supply module. 315 00:23:48,261 --> 00:23:54,131 Michael: We'd had a space collision, a lot of loss of power, a de-pressurization. 316 00:23:54,167 --> 00:24:01,772 Basically, the situation had changed dramatically from one that we'd expected to surviving. 317 00:24:01,808 --> 00:24:04,909 Narrator: As the russian cosmonauts assess the damage, 318 00:24:04,944 --> 00:24:10,648 Michael is stuck on the ailing space station until the next shuttle arrives. 319 00:24:10,683 --> 00:24:16,921 Michael: When finally the space shuttle approaches, I'm just thinking, that is so beautiful. 320 00:24:16,956 --> 00:24:22,092 The shuttle is a gorgeous looking vehicle in space and as you see it coming up 321 00:24:22,128 --> 00:24:27,798 To save you, (laughs) all of that emotion kind of washes over you 322 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:33,204 And I had tears in my eyes as it, it came up closer and closer. 323 00:24:33,239 --> 00:24:40,778 And of course I'm as excited as can be to see my new crew-mates who are going to take me home. 324 00:24:40,813 --> 00:24:46,784 Narrator: Serviced by the shuttles, mir is repaired and survives until 2001 325 00:24:46,819 --> 00:24:52,323 When it is finally taken out of orbit and sent crashing into the pacific ocean. 326 00:24:52,358 --> 00:24:56,794 For nasa, the russian space station has served its purpose. 327 00:24:58,531 --> 00:25:03,367 Rowland: Mir provided a stepping stone towards nasa's true ambition. 328 00:25:03,402 --> 00:25:08,572 They built the space shuttle with the hope that one day they might build a space station. 329 00:25:08,608 --> 00:25:13,010 Narrator: At the start of the new millennium, nasa preps the shuttle fleet 330 00:25:13,045 --> 00:25:18,048 To begin construction on a 450-ton space station. 331 00:25:18,084 --> 00:25:24,688 Barbara: It was a huge and really, really important endeavour. 332 00:25:24,724 --> 00:25:29,560 Narrator: Working 200 miles above the earth, the shuttles are going to build 333 00:25:29,595 --> 00:25:33,831 The most expensive machine ever created. 334 00:25:33,866 --> 00:25:37,501 Rowland: Nasa had always had ambitions to build a space station and the shuttle 335 00:25:37,537 --> 00:25:40,771 Was the vehicle through which that could be made possible. 336 00:25:40,806 --> 00:25:46,677 Narrator: When completed, the space station will be enormous. 337 00:25:46,712 --> 00:25:52,750 For nasa, the shuttle fleet will finally be doing what it has been designed for. 338 00:25:56,389 --> 00:26:03,460 Male: A shuttle to carry men and equipment to orbiting space stations is one of nasa's goals for this decade. 339 00:26:03,496 --> 00:26:08,599 Narrator: Since the early 1970s, nasa's dream has been to use the shuttles 340 00:26:08,634 --> 00:26:12,970 And a space station for an even more ambitious project. 341 00:26:13,005 --> 00:26:18,075 Wayne: The shuttles' role in exploration would be as a ferry to the space station 342 00:26:18,110 --> 00:26:21,412 Where the great explorers would take off to the moon and mars 343 00:26:21,447 --> 00:26:25,282 And other destinations in the solar system eventually. 344 00:26:25,318 --> 00:26:29,486 Narrator: But as the costs soa, nasa is forced to concede 345 00:26:29,522 --> 00:26:33,857 It can't afford to build a space station of its own. 346 00:26:33,893 --> 00:26:37,361 Rowland: They realized that a better way of making this program real, 347 00:26:37,396 --> 00:26:41,799 Was to make it international, and so the international space station program was born. 348 00:26:41,867 --> 00:26:48,305 Narrator: Otherwise known as the iss, america joins 14 other countries, including russia, 349 00:26:48,341 --> 00:26:54,144 Japan and britain, to share the cost of the $150 billion project. 350 00:26:54,180 --> 00:26:58,816 Over the course of the next decade, the space station will be built in sections 351 00:26:58,851 --> 00:27:04,388 And carried into orbit piece by piece by the shuttles . 352 00:27:04,423 --> 00:27:10,628 Michael: One of the wonders is that you can get 16 different countries with its own engineers 353 00:27:10,663 --> 00:27:16,433 Working in those countries, designing really complicated space equipment 354 00:27:16,469 --> 00:27:19,436 That comes together only once, and that's in space. 355 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:26,777 Narrator: Starting in December 2000, the first shuttles head into orbit to begin assembling 356 00:27:26,812 --> 00:27:30,280 The huge structure. 357 00:27:30,316 --> 00:27:35,052 Michael: The space shuttle carries a robotic arm and that was essential for delivering 358 00:27:35,087 --> 00:27:40,724 These modules that are part of the international space station core systems. 359 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,995 And so we would never have the international space station today with the space shuttle. 360 00:27:45,031 --> 00:27:51,368 Narrator: Over the next 16 shuttle missions, the space station starts to take shape. 361 00:27:51,404 --> 00:27:56,206 Barbara: It's kind of like a lego game, you put the first piece up and you keep adding on. 362 00:27:58,310 --> 00:28:03,514 Narrator: By 2003, the permanently manned space station is half built. 363 00:28:03,549 --> 00:28:10,621 To complete construction, nasa schedules an additional 30 shuttle flights. 364 00:28:10,656 --> 00:28:16,794 On January 16th, 2003, the space shuttle columbia prepares to blast off 365 00:28:16,829 --> 00:28:22,032 On a rare science-only mission that will not dock with the is. 366 00:28:22,068 --> 00:28:27,071 Led by commander rick husband, the crew will spend 16 days in orbit. 367 00:28:27,106 --> 00:28:30,507 For four of them, this will be their first time in space. 368 00:28:40,453 --> 00:28:43,287 Three, two, one. 369 00:28:43,322 --> 00:28:47,991 We have booster ignition and lift-off on space shuttle columbia with a multitude 370 00:28:48,027 --> 00:28:52,796 Of national and international space research experiments. 371 00:28:52,832 --> 00:28:56,734 Narrator: The launch appears to go perfectly. 372 00:28:56,769 --> 00:29:03,073 But the next day, a standard review of the launch footage shows something alarming. 373 00:29:03,109 --> 00:29:07,111 Wayne: There was video evidence of a debris strike on the wing, 374 00:29:07,146 --> 00:29:10,814 And some of the engineers had been off looking at the video, 375 00:29:10,850 --> 00:29:18,522 Which was not very good, and are trying to draw some conclusions. 376 00:29:18,557 --> 00:29:23,227 Narrator: The video shows a piece of lightweight foam insulation breaking away 377 00:29:23,262 --> 00:29:25,329 From the shuttle's fuel tank. 378 00:29:25,364 --> 00:29:30,701 The concern is it could have hit the shuttle's vital heat proof tiles. 379 00:29:30,736 --> 00:29:35,439 Tom: A tile is not designed to be impacted by anything. 380 00:29:35,474 --> 00:29:42,780 Not water, not debris, not a bird, not anything that's in the atmosphere. 381 00:29:42,815 --> 00:29:46,917 Narrator: During re-entry, the underside of the shuttle is exposed to temperatures 382 00:29:46,952 --> 00:29:49,286 Twice as hot as lava. 383 00:29:49,321 --> 00:29:54,991 If the foam has damaged a tile, the consequences could be catastrophic. 384 00:29:54,994 --> 00:29:59,963 Tom: We knew that if we would lose a tile there, we could lose the entire vehicle. 385 00:29:59,999 --> 00:30:02,900 I mean it was just that straightforward. 386 00:30:02,935 --> 00:30:07,538 Narrator: The columbia crew, unaware of what has happened, continues with their mission. 387 00:30:14,980 --> 00:30:22,219 Onboard the partially completed international space station is us astronaut ken bowersox. 388 00:30:22,254 --> 00:30:26,256 He can't see the shuttle but he can talk to the crew. 389 00:30:26,292 --> 00:30:30,127 Ken: It was almost like being home, to hear their voices, to hear what they were doing. 390 00:30:30,162 --> 00:30:34,965 We started off talking about our different missions and it sounded like typical nasa speak. 391 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,969 Rick: Everybody's been busy with all kinds of different experiments, 392 00:30:39,004 --> 00:30:40,604 I'll let kc kind of tell you some of the things 393 00:30:40,639 --> 00:30:43,574 She's been doing with the combustion module real quick. 394 00:30:43,609 --> 00:30:46,510 Ken: One of the crew members, laurel clark, came up and said, hey enough of that, 395 00:30:46,545 --> 00:30:48,712 Let's talk about our families. How are your families doing? 396 00:30:48,747 --> 00:30:53,417 And switched the whole tone of the conversation and it was really sweet. 397 00:30:53,452 --> 00:30:57,588 Laurel: Don, I was kind of wondering how your twins are doing, how's that going? 398 00:30:57,623 --> 00:31:02,359 Don: They seem to remember me. They, they know who I am and... 399 00:31:02,394 --> 00:31:04,494 Narrator: But as columbia's mission progresses, 400 00:31:04,530 --> 00:31:09,066 Ken starts to sense mission control is worried about the shuttle. 401 00:31:09,101 --> 00:31:13,971 Ken: We sort of felt that the gaze of houston had moved from us over to sts-107, 402 00:31:14,006 --> 00:31:18,008 And we just noticed a little less intensity on the part of the ground controllers. 403 00:31:20,012 --> 00:31:25,816 Narrator: Back on the ground, nasa has been carefully analyzing footage of the foam strike. 404 00:31:25,851 --> 00:31:30,320 Wayne: Engineers felt it was a glancing blow and they had some mathematics that said 405 00:31:30,356 --> 00:31:32,422 It probably was not critical. 406 00:31:36,528 --> 00:31:38,862 Narrator: This isn't the first time this has happened. 407 00:31:43,469 --> 00:31:47,104 Rowland: Foam falling off the tank occurred on kind of almost every flight, 408 00:31:47,139 --> 00:31:51,975 It was so common that people barely remarked on it at all. 409 00:31:52,011 --> 00:31:57,814 Narrator: Nasa concludes it's unlikely the foam caused any serious damage to the shuttle 410 00:31:57,850 --> 00:32:00,817 And columbia is cleared for re-entry. 411 00:32:00,853 --> 00:32:04,821 Male: Columbia, houston, good burn, no trim required. 412 00:32:04,857 --> 00:32:07,658 Narrator: After a successful 16 day mission, 413 00:32:07,693 --> 00:32:12,296 The crew prepares for what should be a routine landing. 414 00:32:12,331 --> 00:32:15,899 Male: The guidance officer confirming that columbia's right on track towards landing 415 00:32:15,935 --> 00:32:19,069 At the kennedy space center at 8:16 am central. 416 00:32:19,104 --> 00:32:22,839 Narrator: At first, all seems fine. 417 00:32:22,875 --> 00:32:28,278 But 10 minutes into re-entry, nasa ground controllers notice the temperature sensors 418 00:32:28,314 --> 00:32:31,581 In the shuttle's left wing have failed. 419 00:32:33,986 --> 00:32:36,119 Male: Flight max... 420 00:32:36,155 --> 00:32:41,458 Fyi I've just lost four separate temperature transducers on the left side of the vehicle, 421 00:32:41,493 --> 00:32:44,461 Hydraulic return temperatures, and there is no commonality. 422 00:32:44,496 --> 00:32:47,197 Male: No commonality. Copy. -Thank you. 423 00:32:47,232 --> 00:32:50,233 Narrator: Instrument malfunction is not unusual. 424 00:32:50,269 --> 00:32:53,737 Mission control isn't concerned until suddenly... 425 00:32:53,772 --> 00:32:56,073 Female: In-flight e-comm. Male: E-comm. 426 00:32:56,108 --> 00:32:59,343 Female: I've got four temperature sensors on the bottom line data that are all off scale. 427 00:32:59,378 --> 00:33:04,414 Narrator: More sensors start failing all over the shuttle. 428 00:33:04,450 --> 00:33:08,285 Male: And columbia, houston, we see your tyre pressure messages and we did not copy your last 429 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,487 Male: This is instrumentation narrator: Then shuttle commandr 430 00:33:10,522 --> 00:33:13,390 Rick husband abruptly cuts off in mid-sentence. 431 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:16,326 Rick: ...Roger... 432 00:33:26,772 --> 00:33:28,405 Male: Flight controllers are continuing to stand by 433 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:34,044 To regain communications with the spacecraft. 434 00:33:34,079 --> 00:33:37,080 Male: Columbia, houston, uhf comm check. 435 00:33:43,822 --> 00:33:49,459 Milt: The body language that we could see down there and some of the voices we were hearing 436 00:33:49,495 --> 00:33:53,296 In the communication, something wasn't right. 437 00:33:53,332 --> 00:33:53,764 You could tell. 438 00:34:01,073 --> 00:34:02,839 Male: Flight, I'd like to state where we're at. 439 00:34:02,875 --> 00:34:05,075 We did go a little erratic for a little bit before they went away, 440 00:34:05,110 --> 00:34:07,244 So I do believe it's instrumentation. 441 00:34:07,279 --> 00:34:09,012 Male: Okay. 442 00:34:09,048 --> 00:34:11,648 Male: Columbia, houston, uhf comm check. 443 00:34:17,556 --> 00:34:20,023 Male: Fido, when do you expect tracking? 444 00:34:20,059 --> 00:34:23,360 Male: One minute ago, flight. 445 00:34:23,395 --> 00:34:28,331 Narrator: 10 minutes before the scheduled touchdown, there is still no sign of columbia. 446 00:34:40,279 --> 00:34:41,311 Male: Okay. 447 00:34:46,251 --> 00:34:52,255 Tom: When you can't communicate with a vehicle and it's not there, then it's, it's gone. 448 00:34:54,359 --> 00:34:57,461 Narrator: Then television news coverage shows what appears 449 00:34:57,496 --> 00:35:02,899 To be columbia breaking apart in a shower of flames. 450 00:35:10,509 --> 00:35:13,810 Male: Tc, flight. Tc, flight. 451 00:35:13,846 --> 00:35:15,846 Flight, tc...Lock the doors. Copy. 452 00:35:17,483 --> 00:35:22,352 Milt: John walked behind me and I said, I said john, what's happened, 453 00:35:22,387 --> 00:35:26,389 And I'll never forget this, he said, we lost them. 454 00:35:32,865 --> 00:35:36,633 President bush: My fellow americans, at nine o'clock this morning, 455 00:35:36,668 --> 00:35:43,440 Mission control in houston lost contact with their space shuttle columbia. 456 00:35:43,475 --> 00:35:50,981 A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above texas. 457 00:35:51,016 --> 00:35:53,550 The columbia's lost. 458 00:35:53,585 --> 00:35:59,222 There are no survivors. 459 00:35:59,258 --> 00:36:04,961 Narrator: What is left of the shuttle columbia is taken back to nasa for analysis. 460 00:36:04,997 --> 00:36:11,468 Ken: I remember going to visit the columbia debris and when I saw it for the first time, 461 00:36:11,503 --> 00:36:14,738 The thing that made the biggest impression on me was the window frames, 462 00:36:14,773 --> 00:36:20,177 And thinking that I had sat behind those window frames on columbia on an entry 463 00:36:20,212 --> 00:36:27,317 And just seeing the melted edges of the metal frame, I mean I can still see that image. 464 00:36:27,352 --> 00:36:34,858 Narrator: Investigators are brought in to find out why columbia burned up on re-entry. 465 00:36:34,893 --> 00:36:41,064 Evidence points to a hole in the shuttle's thermal protection system as the cause. 466 00:36:41,099 --> 00:36:45,635 All attention turns back to the video of the launch. 467 00:36:46,538 --> 00:36:48,538 Dick: The investigation board determined we're zeroing in 468 00:36:48,574 --> 00:36:53,476 On the lightweight foam insulation on the external tank. 469 00:36:53,512 --> 00:36:58,782 Narrator: Enhancing the launch footage reveals the foam insulation from the fuel tank 470 00:36:58,817 --> 00:37:02,652 Didn't strike the fragile part of the shuttle's wing at all. 471 00:37:02,688 --> 00:37:07,123 It hit the wing's leading edge, which is made from a super strong, 472 00:37:07,159 --> 00:37:11,328 High-tech material called carbon-carbon. 473 00:37:11,363 --> 00:37:15,265 Tom: So a piece of foam hits the leading edge, how could that cause something to fail 474 00:37:15,300 --> 00:37:17,634 That's probably as strong as steel? 475 00:37:17,669 --> 00:37:22,105 Narrator: To nasa, it seems impossible that a lightweight piece of foam could have 476 00:37:22,140 --> 00:37:26,276 Penetrated one of the toughest parts of the shuttle. 477 00:37:26,311 --> 00:37:30,180 Investigator: Right now, it just does not make sense to us that a piece of debris 478 00:37:30,215 --> 00:37:35,885 Would be the root cause for the loss of columbia and its crew. 479 00:37:35,921 --> 00:37:37,854 There's got to be another reason. 480 00:37:37,889 --> 00:37:40,991 Narrator: But accident investigators aren't convinced. 481 00:37:41,026 --> 00:37:47,030 They force nasa to test the leading edge of the wing by smashing blocks of foam into I. 482 00:37:47,065 --> 00:37:52,269 Dick: They actually fired it from a canon at pieces of the leading edge 483 00:37:52,304 --> 00:37:55,538 To see what would happen. 484 00:37:55,574 --> 00:38:04,047 Narrator: They discover a piece of lightweight foam fired at a speed of 500 miles per hur 485 00:38:04,049 --> 00:38:07,651 Easily punches a hole in the wing. 486 00:38:07,686 --> 00:38:12,422 Dick: Instead of this being a sponge hitting a leading edge, it was a brick. 487 00:38:12,457 --> 00:38:15,492 That was it. Everybody knew it then. There was no other question about it. 488 00:38:17,062 --> 00:38:21,197 Narrator: Nasa is forced to admit they had been wrong all along. 489 00:38:21,233 --> 00:38:24,034 Investigator: In four simple words, the foam did it. 490 00:38:24,069 --> 00:38:27,070 It ultimately led to the destruction of the orbiter and the loss of crew. 491 00:38:28,974 --> 00:38:34,744 Narrator: For the second time in the shuttle's history, a crew didn't make it back alive. 492 00:38:34,780 --> 00:38:37,914 The loss of another seven astronauts underlines 493 00:38:37,949 --> 00:38:43,086 How dangerously fragile and had to maintain the shuttles are. 494 00:38:43,121 --> 00:38:47,424 Nasa is forced to consider grounding its three remaining shuttles... 495 00:38:47,459 --> 00:38:49,693 Permanently. 496 00:38:49,728 --> 00:38:53,830 Wayne: The columbia accident happened and there was talk of not flying the shuttle again 497 00:38:53,865 --> 00:38:58,702 But in an historical sense, you know, any, any great 498 00:38:58,737 --> 00:39:01,871 Endeavour like this has come with casualties. 499 00:39:01,907 --> 00:39:08,878 You don't want to see people, you know, die, but if we're gonna do some great things, 500 00:39:08,914 --> 00:39:10,980 We're gonna take some risks. 501 00:39:13,285 --> 00:39:18,822 Narrator: Nasa decides, despite the inherent danger, there is one project the shuttles 502 00:39:18,857 --> 00:39:21,825 Should complete before they are retired. 503 00:39:21,860 --> 00:39:24,427 The international space statio. 504 00:39:24,463 --> 00:39:29,766 Orbiting 250 miles above the earth, the iss is only half built. 505 00:39:29,801 --> 00:39:34,471 The remaining sections of the multi billion dollar project are still on the ground. 506 00:39:34,506 --> 00:39:39,175 The only way to get them into orbit is on the shuttles. 507 00:39:39,211 --> 00:39:45,849 Wayne: There was no other vehicle available in the world that could carry those 508 00:39:45,884 --> 00:39:48,151 Large pieces into space. 509 00:39:48,186 --> 00:39:54,791 We would have had to trash those and build a completely different set of space station hardware 510 00:39:54,826 --> 00:39:58,528 That would have taken many, many, many more years. 511 00:39:58,563 --> 00:40:03,867 Narrator: In July 2005, nasa prepares the shuttle fleet for flight. 512 00:40:03,902 --> 00:40:08,004 They estimate it will take another five years and 21 shuttle missions 513 00:40:08,039 --> 00:40:13,476 To finish assembling the giant space station 514 00:40:13,512 --> 00:40:17,947 Among the astronauts getting ready to go is barbara morgan 515 00:40:17,983 --> 00:40:22,852 21 years earlier, in a blaze of publicity, barbara was selected 516 00:40:22,888 --> 00:40:26,389 As the back-up for school teacher christa mcauliffe, 517 00:40:26,425 --> 00:40:30,794 Who was to be nasa's first ordinary citizen in space. 518 00:40:30,829 --> 00:40:34,831 Christa: When that shuttle goes, there might be one body, but there's gonna be 10 souls 519 00:40:34,866 --> 00:40:37,734 That I'm taking with me. Thank you. 520 00:40:40,739 --> 00:40:47,210 Narrator: After months of training together, in 1986, barbara watched christa 521 00:40:47,245 --> 00:40:51,548 And the rest of her crew perish as challenger exploded. 522 00:40:53,084 --> 00:40:57,687 Barbara: Nasa asked if I would continue on in christa's shoes, 523 00:40:57,722 --> 00:41:03,393 When the shuttles were ready to fly safely again and nasa was ready, 524 00:41:03,428 --> 00:41:06,796 That I would fly on a shuttle mission. 525 00:41:06,832 --> 00:41:11,100 Narrator: Quitting her teaching job, barbara becomes a professional astronaut. 526 00:41:11,136 --> 00:41:14,671 Barbara: So even though the going on was difficult... 527 00:41:14,706 --> 00:41:16,940 Male: And lift-off. 528 00:41:16,975 --> 00:41:19,709 Barbara: I felt it was just really, really important that we, 529 00:41:19,744 --> 00:41:23,279 That we keep exploration open. 530 00:41:23,315 --> 00:41:28,318 Narrator: Now barbara finds herself working on the most ambitious building project 531 00:41:28,353 --> 00:41:31,221 Ever attempted in space. 532 00:41:31,256 --> 00:41:32,689 Barbara: So we were a construction crew, 533 00:41:32,724 --> 00:41:36,359 We got to help build the international space station. 534 00:41:36,394 --> 00:41:40,864 You now, it's not fun and games, it's fun and really, really hard work. 535 00:41:40,899 --> 00:41:48,071 Narrator: Over the coming years, thanks to the shuttles, the iss doubles in size. 536 00:41:48,106 --> 00:41:50,139 Barbara: If we were to bring it back down to earth 537 00:41:50,175 --> 00:41:52,275 And lay it out on a standard football field, 538 00:41:52,310 --> 00:41:55,445 It would slightly spill out over the edges. 539 00:41:55,480 --> 00:42:01,618 Narrator: By the end of the decade, the international space station is almost complete. 540 00:42:01,653 --> 00:42:03,686 Male: The final lift-off on atlantis. 541 00:42:03,722 --> 00:42:06,356 Narrator: July 15th, 2011. 542 00:42:06,391 --> 00:42:12,395 The space shuttle atlantis blasts off and heads to the iss for its final mission. 543 00:42:12,430 --> 00:42:17,233 Dick: I made sure that I was there to watch atlantis on that last flight. 544 00:42:17,269 --> 00:42:20,136 Robert: It was a very much bittersweet day. 545 00:42:20,171 --> 00:42:24,107 I think everyone had tears in their eyes. I did. 546 00:42:29,114 --> 00:42:33,783 Narrator: 30 years earlier the shuttles were symbolic of the cold war. 547 00:42:33,818 --> 00:42:39,422 Now they are ending their days as great symbols of global cooperation. 548 00:42:39,457 --> 00:42:43,459 Wayne: I think people look at it as a technological thing 549 00:42:43,495 --> 00:42:47,297 When it's really a sociological triumph. 550 00:42:47,332 --> 00:42:51,200 Narrator: Since the first crew arrived at the turn of the millennium, 551 00:42:51,236 --> 00:42:59,676 Over 200 astronauts from 18 different nations have served on-board the iss. 552 00:42:59,711 --> 00:43:04,814 Milt: I think it is a zero-gravity united nations 553 00:43:04,849 --> 00:43:11,087 And it works a hell of a lot better than the one in new york city. 554 00:43:11,122 --> 00:43:14,924 Narrator: After clocking more than half a billion miles in orbit, 555 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,794 The era of the space shuttle is over. 556 00:43:17,829 --> 00:43:21,230 Male: A ship like no other, its place in history secured, 557 00:43:21,232 --> 00:43:24,467 The space shuttle pulls into port for the last time. 558 00:43:24,502 --> 00:43:29,572 Narrator: Although they were never as cheap or as safe as nasa had hoped, in the end 559 00:43:29,608 --> 00:43:35,278 The space shuttles prove to be a giant leap towards a much bigger goal. 560 00:43:35,313 --> 00:43:38,314 Barbara: Now we have new generations working on 561 00:43:38,350 --> 00:43:42,719 Reusable spacecraft that will get us much further. 562 00:43:42,754 --> 00:43:45,021 Ken: What we were doing was laying one of the bricks 563 00:43:45,056 --> 00:43:49,292 For the road that was going to lead humanity out into our solar system. 564 00:43:50,929 --> 00:43:53,529 Captioned by subtitlepro llc