Perspective Podcast - July 8, 2011

***Special Edition of Perspective: "The End of the Space Shuttle Program***

The Atlantis Launch.

A million people came out to watch Space Shuttle Atlantis lift off on the final 12 day mission to the International Space Station.  Many of them made the trip to Florida to watch the final launch at the Kennedy Space Center, saying they wanted to witness history firsthand.  While storms threatened to delay the launch, and there was a last-minute computer glitch that stopped the countdown just for a minute, it was a beautiful liftoff for Atlantis.  ABC's Aaron Katersky explains.

"The Final Four".

They signed their names as a joke, "The Final Four", but they have adopted it as a slogan.  The four astronauts flying the last Space Shuttle mission are Chris Ferguson, Doug Hurley, Sandy Magnus, and Rex Walheim, and they know their names will go down in the history books.  With more on who they are and what their mission is, here is our longtime Space Shuttle Correspondent Vic Ratner. 

Presidents and the Space Program.

Over the past 30 years, several different presidential administrations have played important roles in space exploration and the space shuttle program in particular. From John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama, American leaders have had had a part in both the triumphs and the tragedies of sending men and women into space. For more, we turn to White House Correspondent Ann Compton in Washington.    

Vic Ratner Q&A.

It is one thing to talk about a shuttle launch, or to watch one on television. It is quite another to be right there, at the Kennedy Space Center when the shuttle takes off. Our own Vic Ratner has been there, though, describing nearly every liftoff from the beginning. Through the years, we have listened as he has described the shuttle taking off in all its glory. And we were listening as he described one fateful day in particular. ABC's Vic Ratner joins us.

The Legacy of the Space Program.

On April 12, 1981 the Space Shuttle Columbia took off into orbit, marking the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program.  Now, three decades later, the fascination and appreciation that many Americans felt for that first flight still resonates.  Despite two deadly accidents, Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003, with the loss of 14 astronauts in all, the program will leave a record of achievement.  With more on the legacy of the space shuttle program we once again turn to ABC's Vic Ratner.  

How the Shuttle Changed Our Lives'.

Most of us us will never go into space, enter a rocket ship, or walk on the moon.  But the research that has been conducted over the past 30 years as a result of the space shuttle program is part of our everyday lives.  From robotic surgery, to long-distance tele-medicine, to your smart phone, NASA and the space shuttle have had a major impact on the way we live.  With more on what the shuttle program has meant for all of us, we go back to ABC's Vic Ratner.

What's Next?

Space Shuttle Atlantis marks the final launch for the shuttle program. And with the end, come many questions. What is the future of manned space flights? President Obama says he is 100 percent committed to the future of the space program. And he also says that ending shuttle flights does not mean an end to America's leadership in space. But what does that mean? In other words what is next? With the answer we once again turn to ABC's Vic Ratner. 

Host:  Cheri Preston

Producer:  Jason Wesalo

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