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two and a half years of tireless

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dedication the commitment and effort of

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countless individuals focused on a

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single goal the safe return to flight on

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the space shuttle discovery and her crew

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of five the STS 26 mission will be much

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more than the test of a space flight

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vehicle it would be the ultimate

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verification of human determination and

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never before had NASA undertaken a

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challenge of this magnitude although

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accomplishment and excellence had always

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been synonymous with the space program

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America's aerospace and scientific

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community was faced with the task of

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rebuilding it and rebuild it they did

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fire the responsibility for providing a

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safe and reliable propulsion system for

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the shuttle rested with the people of

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the Marshall Space Flight Center their

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job would require every bit of the

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technological and management expertise

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they could muster and every ounce of

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personal dedication redesign and certify

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test and retest check and recheck one of

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the most aggressive and comprehensive

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test programs industry we have a goal

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for main engine start 76 we have main

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engine start

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up and running although this process

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would not be easy their efforts would

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culminate with several successful key

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system tests each one moving NASA a step

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have faith in progress the preparations

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had seemed overwhelming at times and the

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attention and scrutiny of the entire

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nation had been focused on NASA's

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day-to-day activities at Cape Canaveral

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today the result has been new testing

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programs and redesign so far so good

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that's the words that I could satellite

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report ready from the Kennedy Space

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Center which the people who make things

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happen engineers right here at the

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Marshall Space Flight Center but

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eventually the modifications and

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improvements were made the long hours

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and hard work had been invested the time

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had come just over 36 hours now before

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the scheduled launch of the space

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shuttle discovery and the countdown does

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continue the world would once again be

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looking to the activities now taking

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place on the historic eastern coast of

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these five men would carry the hopes and

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dreams of every American citizen into

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space with them the Mission Control

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teams ready I know the launch control

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team here and the Florida's ready the

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bird is ready and we're ready as in the

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past the public would once again rally

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behind the space program support was

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evident at every turn go discovery I

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think everybody's waiting to fly

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tomorrow and just sit there and cheer

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green ribbons were everywhere and

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wherever we go to eat and stop or

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anywhere on the street people have green

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ribbons on for go for discovery White

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Rock 99.3 FM is w lr q cocoa good

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afternoon I'm John Robbins were coming

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up very shortly on the launch of

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discovery and I tell you the phone lines

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of Jessamine jammed for local artist

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Kenny Michaels song which has been

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chosen by the tourism and development

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council as the official song for the

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launch of discovery here's fly on mon

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light rock 99.3 FM now let's go

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discovery I'm extremely proud of this

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team and all the members of this this

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NASA family we're ready the shuttle

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stack is ready discovery is ready and

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tomorrow the shuttle should return to

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his proper place in the sky and launch

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us into a new era of manned flight

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STS 26 was go

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this is shuttle launch control at

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t-minus three hours and holding Matt the

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test director Frank Marino has been in

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contact with personnel over at the

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astronaut quarters and has given them

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permission to wake the flight crew in

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preparation for this morning's launch of

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the crew has a wide variety of breakfast

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items to choose from ranging from cold

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cereal to steak and eggs juice milk and

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go

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birdie

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he will be italiana now and then we

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going fun would like to go over one more

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thing Walker nothing yet ago and we'll

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September 29 1988 thousands gathered

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together to witness the historic event

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across the country and around the world

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all eyes were on pad 39b t-minus 15 14

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13 12 11 10 we're go for main engine

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Americans return to the phases discovery

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cleared the tower roll discovery know

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what drama I think everybody was very

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excited about being here and then that

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ignition there was a roar in the firing

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room where I was and then two minutes

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later when we get the SRB separation

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command now there was another loud roar

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standing by for solid rocket booster

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after performing flawlessly during asset

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the redesigned solid rocket boosters

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meanwhile the main engines continued to

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boost discovery to orbitz main engine

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cutoff confirm if every three main

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engines have now shut down in the

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program the external tank concluded the

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perfectly executed propulsion sequence

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with a fiery re-entry and planned break

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up over the Indian Ocean and they settle

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the discovery is now in orbit as I

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expected NASA in the Marshall Space

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Flight Center I believe we're at our

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best when things are a little dark if

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you go back two and a half years ago

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certainly that was the spot we found

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ourselves in but as before a lot of hard

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work a lot of dedication commitment to

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the program paid off this whole thing

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has been a total team effort I've never

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seen people work so hard as they had in

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the last two and a half years to pull

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this off and it's you know everybody

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should be just extremely proud well I

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think I sit there probably a little

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white knuckled but again prayer on my in

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my heart that flight would be successful

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as it was chills when I love my body oh

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I want to scream I think ideas scream

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I'm glad we're in back in flight again

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I'm glad they're up there and I'm glad

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that we're starting to experience the

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thrill of victory again it was just

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great just wonderful it's been too long

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unbelievable unbelievable fantastic it's

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great to be back it means more does then

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we can really describe we all the people

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that did that so much they worked so

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hard for so long and it means so much to

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to this Center into this country

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during the next four days NASA would

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demonstrate that the entire space

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transportation system was indeed ready

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to resume flight operations sts 26 would

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provide the country with an opportunity

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to relive the dream a time to re-examine

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the reasons we must continue to explore

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and utilize the resource of space a time

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to again experience it's awesome beauty

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and to reflect upon its ultimate risk

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today up here where the blue sky turns

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to black we can say at long last too

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thick Mike duty to line a now at the

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Christmas break girlfriends we have

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resumed the journey so we promise to

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continue for you dear friends your loss

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has meant that we could confidently

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beginning in dear friends your spirit

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and your dream are still alive in our

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flight dynamics officer reports

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discovery looking good rolling on to

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file but maybe the greatest

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accomplishment associated with the STS

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26 mission had already been realized

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even before launch the team work and

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commitment by the men and women of NASA

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and its contractors was unequal in scope

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and precedent the task held immense

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responsibility and would not be without

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obstacles but these dedicated people

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have overcome obstacles before opening

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doors to the future again they responded

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a tribute to the vision determination

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and ingenuity has made America the

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leader in space exploration roger

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wheelstop discovery welcome back a great

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now with renewed confidence and pride

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the future holds new challenges and

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expectations with the same dedication

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that ensured discoveries successful

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return to flight the potential is

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unlimited and since success ultimately

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depends on people the shuttle program is