120 DOLLARS IN TAXES. HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT AMERICAS SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM WILL DISAPPEAR BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. ONLY 4 MISSIONS ARE LEFT BEFORE WELL HAVE TO HITCH A RIDE WITH THE RUSSIANS. ONLY ON 12 TONIGHT... I SPOKE ONE ON ONE WITH AN ASTRONAUT WHO IS GETTING READY TO RIDE WITH RUSSIA. RUSSIA. After 4 more missions, Americas space shuttle fleet will be grounded. Astronauts like Shane Kimbrough will be flying with the Russians.3000 And they only go in 6 month increments. You dont have the luxury of going up for a couple of weeks and coming home. Youre going to be up there for 6 months. So, itll be a much different experience, but Im looking forward to that opportunity. Hell have that chance in 2012. For now, though, his mission is talking with students like the ones here at Augusta Prep.2051 Well, I love talking to students and its a big part of our job, really, to get NASAs mission out and inspire the next generation of folks that may be going into space or engineer a new space suit or spacecraft so hopefully today, mbe Ive inspired at least one of these people and theyll go on to do great things for our country down the road. 17Shane was already an Army Lt. when hs met a man in a blue suit like his at a military convention in Atlanta.2130 ...and I was ke whats your deal? what do you do? Hes like, Im an Army astronaut, and I was like get out of here I didnt know they had Army astronauts! Fast forwa to fall 2008... and the space shuttle Endeavour. It was a night launch with a full moon. One of his first jobs in orbit opening the payload doors. 2458 We were upside down at the time so I was seeing the curvature of the earth and the payload doors opening against that, it was really spectacular.o If I ever had a free moment, my head was in a window looking at our planet. It was a mission that made news because of the toolbag that got away.A crewmember was dealing with a lfunctioning grease gun at the time. 2824 She just happened to be working on the bag and while she doing that the bag comes out, the tool bag that got loose, and she sees it right at the last minute, tries to grab it once as you probably rember and to her credit she doesnt go leaping off or doing something really crazy to try to save this bag...RR Question about the shuttle program ending... 3032 So its going to be really sad to close the chapter and close the book on the space shuttle era. Theres gonna be a new spacecraft in 5 to 10 years, whenever we can get this ready for humanso fly on who knows where that will take us. Maybe the moon maybe Mars down the road. During the gap we rely the Russians to get to space. Shanes been spending about 8 hours learning the language. Two languages, really.3319 And we have to know not just the colloquial language, we have to know theASA language the technical talk because when we go to Russia for our training all our space classes. So Ill have to get a lot more up to speed than I am now.RR Thats a whole new twist on the rht stuff, right there.laughter laughterstuff, right there. laughter AS FOR AMERICAS MISSION IN SPACE SHANE KIMBROUGH SAYS THE FIRST JOB IS TO FINISH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND THEN LOOK TO THE MOON AND ON TO MARS AS PLACES TO EXPLORE. EXPLORE. ...HIS POINT IS AS WE TRY TO EXPLORE THOSE FAR AWAY PLACES WELL DISCOVER LOTS OF NEW TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE LIFE HERE ON EARTH. AND IF

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AIRDATE: 03-09-2010
TRANSCRIPT: 120 dollars in taxes. hard to believe, but americas space shuttle program will disappear by the end of this year. only 4 missions are left before well have to hitch a ride with the russians. only on 12 tonight... i spoke one on one with an astronaut who is getting ready to ride with russia. russia. after 4 more missions, americas space shuttle fleet will be grounded. astronauts like shane kimbrough will be flying with the russians.3000 and they only go in 6 month increments. you dont have the luxury of going up for a couple of weeks and coming home. youre going to be up there for 6 months. so, itll be a much different experience, but im looking forward to that opportunity. hell have that chance in 2012. for now, though, his mission is talking with students like the ones here at augusta prep.2051 well, i love talking to students and its a big part of our job, really, to get nasas mission out and inspire the next generation of folks that may be going into space or engineer a new space suit or spacecraft so hopefully today, mbe ive inspired at least one of these people and theyll go on to do great things for our country down the road. 17shane was already an army lt. when hs met a man in a blue suit like his at a military convention in atlanta.2130 ...and i was ke whats your deal? what do you do? hes like, im an army astronaut, and i was like get out of here i didnt know they had army astronauts! fast forwa to fall 2008... and the space shuttle endeavour. it was a night launch with a full moon. one of his first jobs in orbit opening the payload doors. 2458 we were upside down at the time so i was seeing the curvature of the earth and the payload doors opening against that, it was really spectacular.o if i ever had a free moment, my head was in a window looking at our planet. it was a mission that made news because of the toolbag that got away.a crewmember was dealing with a lfunctioning grease gun at the time. 2824 she just happened to be working on the bag and while she doing that the bag comes out, the tool bag that got loose, and she sees it right at the last minute, tries to grab it once as you probably rember and to her credit she doesnt go leaping off or doing something really crazy to try to save this bag...rr question about the shuttle program ending... 3032 so its going to be really sad to close the chapter and close the book on the space shuttle era. theres gonna be a new spacecraft in 5 to 10 years, whenever we can get this ready for humanso fly on who knows where that will take us. maybe the moon maybe mars down the road. during the gap we rely the russians to get to space. shanes been spending about 8 hours learning the language. two languages, really.3319 and we have to know not just the colloquial language, we have to know theasa language the technical talk because when we go to russia for our training all our space classes. so ill have to get a lot more up to speed than i am now.rr thats a whole new twist on the rht stuff, right there.laughter laughterstuff, right there. laughter as for americas mission in space shane kimbrough says the first job is to finish the international space station and then look to the moon and on to mars as places to explore. explore. ...his point is as we try to explore those far away places well discover lots of new technology to improve life here on earth. and if