Shadowing Practice: What Actually Happens Inside a Space Force Launch - Learn English Speaking with Video
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208 sentences
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Status check to proceed with terminal count.
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Atlas systems.
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Propulsion.
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Go.
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Hydraulics.
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Go.
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Pneumatics.
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Go.
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L02.
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Go.
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Proceeding with the count.
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T minus ten, nine, eight,
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seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
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Lift off.
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Stand by for first motion time.
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Welcome to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where we are T-24 hours away from the launch of the Atlas V rocket.
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Standing 205 feet tall and delivering 2.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, it will soon tear through Earth's atmosphere on a mission to low Earth orbit.
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But the story we are here to tell goes a lot deeper than just this.
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You see, behind the scenes of every launch is a team of Guardians who serve in the newest branch of the United States military.
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You might not notice them at first, but get close enough and you'll see the space blue stitching on their uniform, or the delta patch on their sleeve.
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These men and women help defend nearly every aspect of our modern way of life, and a rocket like this doesn't leave the ground without them.
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Now it's one thing to watch a launch from a distance, but it's another to see what goes on behind the scenes.
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Well get ready, because today I'm taking you inside the United States Space Force
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to see the role these Guardians play in making this mission possible.
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Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is the starting point to get to order.
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It is the world's premier gateway to space.
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Feel the rumble in the air, you get the shudder from the wind.
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It reinforces that what you're doing has a reason.
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MISCO, Operation Rest.
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FACY 63, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4.
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The role of the United States Space Force is to protect the world's largest war fighting domain.
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Mars, mode 1, Charlie.
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One of the things I think most Americans don't realize is just how instrumental space is to their everyway day of life.
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Whether you're taking money out of an ATM, to having meals delivered to your home, to having a conversation with somebody across the world,
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none of that is possible without the capabilities that space brings.
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The United States Space Force was founded in 2019.
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It is the newest branch of the military since the Air Force was founded in 1947.
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It's less than 1% of all the military's forces combined.
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The Space Force oversees the majority of the Department of Defense satellites that get launched into orbit.
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We do that through two of our launch ranges, one at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and the other here at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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Now you might be surprised to hear that the United States conducts military operations in space, but that's been going on for years.
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These aren't battles like Star Trek or Star Wars, but instead involve the launching, controlling, and protection of high-value satellite assets, which as you just heard,
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are responsible for just about everything we do on a day-to-day basis here on Earth.
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It's up to the 15,000 Guardians, the men and women of the United States Space Force, to protect and defend that vital capability.
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Right now I'm inside the Morrell Operations Center, which is the command and control hub for the Eastern Range,
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the roughly 15 million square mile stretch of ocean and airspace used for launches off of Florida's Space Coast.
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Now this room in particular is the Mission Control Room, or MCR, which is the specialized space dedicated to monitoring each launch.
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In just a few hours, it's going to look a lot different.
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Staff with dozens of guardians, who act as range operations officers, engineers, weather, surveillance, even cyber,
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everyone working together to make sure the range is secure.
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Or as they call it, greened up and ready for launch.
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For more than 75 years, Cape Canaveral has been the launch point for nearly every major US space mission.
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It was here that Alan Shepard became the first American in space aboard a Mercury spacecraft.
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From there, the Gemini missions rehearsed spacewalks, Apollo launched astronauts to the moon, and the space shuttle lifted off from nearby Kennedy Space Center for over 30 years.
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And today, rockets from Florida's space coast continue to carry national security payloads, commercial satellites in deep space probes.
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The legacy lives on as the U.S.
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Space Force now leads launch operations from the same ground that shaped the story of American spaceflight.
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Now it's important to note that the Space Force doesn't actually build or launch their own rockets.
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That's not their role.
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Instead, they focus on overseeing, enabling, and protecting access to space, while the actual manufacturing of the rockets is left to commercial launch providers.
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like SpaceX, Blue Origin, or in the case of Atlas V, United Launch Alliance.
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It's similar to how the United States Air Force doesn't build their own fighter jets.
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Companies like Boeing or Lockheed Martin do.
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The military helps support and operate those systems, but relies on private industry to create the technology.
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Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is the starting point to get to orbit.
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It is the world's premier gateway to space.
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It not only helps us deliver national security space assets onto orbit,
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but it also helps us with our commercial customers and providers providing critical capabilities for the nation and the world.
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A guardian is to the Space Force as a soldier is to Army, a sailor is to the Navy, an airman is to the Air Force.
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Space is absolutely critical to national defense, and the criticality has only increased over time.
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Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is part of Space Launch Delta 45.
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Together we form the Eastern Range.
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The Eastern Range has an area of responsibility extending over 15 million miles.
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This covers the land and air and sea over the Atlantic
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that allows us to give clear passage for our assets to get on orbit.
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It's verified, sir.
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Thank you.
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Now, I think a lot of people just truly don't understand that the Space Force is actually involved in launches like this.
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And it's true, right, that no matter what the launch is, no matter what the payload is, there are guardians involved behind the scenes to make sure it gets up to orbit safely.
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Is that true?
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That is 100% true.
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So when it comes to the guardian presence that we have for every single space launch that we do, Mission Flight Control Officer, the person with the big red button, I like to call it the big red button,
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but it's more complicated than that.
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We're here to launch National Security Space Launch commercial, but we're mostly here for public safety.
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We want to make sure that the entire surrounding cities here are safe in case something does go wrong.
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And we're here to support both the public and national security when it comes to launches like this.
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So a lot of people might think, hey, wait a second, the government already has a space agency, NASA, right?
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What would you say is the difference between NASA and the Space Force?
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How I'd like to characterize is Space Force is inherently DOD, Department of Defense Military.
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While NASA is our more civil aspiration, so imagine space exploration.
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A good example of what we just previously launched was Europa Clipper, that's on its way to Europa to try and discover life there.
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While military is mostly focused on national defense, national security, so missile warning GPS etc but
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that doesn't change how the Space Force supports launches
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when it comes to NASA or DoD commercial doesn't matter
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if it launches here from Eastern range Space Force will support
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it 100% of the way all right I'm back here in the mission control room
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and as you can see things are starting to fill up in fact
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if you look up on that screen right there we are T minus one hour until launch.
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And this is right about the time when things start to feel real.
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Every single person in this room has a specific job that's critical to ensuring Atlas V makes it off the ground.
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But there's one individual in particular that's in charge of overseeing this entire room and ensuring that the launch operations run smoothly.
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And that responsibility lies with none other than the range operations commander.
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RC, this is a rock with an instrumentation outage to report when you're ready to copy.
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A good way to look at it is a quarterback for the range team.
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I want those questions answered.
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What we do is we give the final go-no-go for the range.
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This is back up and running.
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Range status is proceeding.
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Our job is ultimately public safety, ensuring that those rockets are going where they're supposed to,
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when they're supposed to, and not impacting anybody or anything that it should not.
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One zero, colon, five four.
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First off, one of the biggest factors here on the range is weather.
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Simply put, if the weather's not looking good, chances are the rocket's not launching.
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You guys are one of the biggest go-no-go factors, right?
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Like, you guys can scrub a launch more than anyone else.
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We have two radars that we actually use.
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We actually work with the National Weather Service.
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We have our own weather radar that's actually out in Titusville.
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It's just west of us.
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On a day where there's weather, we're constantly looking at each cloud that's close to the launch pad that can give us,
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obviously, that lightning that we're hoping doesn't exist before launch.
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The winds will be from the southeast around 12.
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Next up is our surveillance team, tasked with ensuring our airspace and waterways are secure and clear.
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In this room, we're basically in charge of monitoring sea traffic and air traffic as it applies to launch day.
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And all these little text boxes, that's a ship or an aircraft?
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Or what are we looking at?
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So if you see these orange ones right here, this is actually Legacy of the Sea.
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It's one of our cruise liners.
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So the gray ones you're looking at right here, this is all aircraft.
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The orange ones, these are ships.
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You can't even make it out.
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There's thousands.
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Like how do you distinguish what you're looking at?
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It takes a lot.
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It takes a lot of coordination, communication.
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We work with our airspace managers, our MRUs, our Coast Guard we sit with.
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So they have vessels out there that can go chase down ships.
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And lastly, a job not many people know exists, but is critical to ensuring safe launch operations is our cyber team.
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Everything has ones and zeros.
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Everything's interconnected.
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And when it comes to space, everything that's in the air needs to be protected, and that's what we do.
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So if cyber wasn't involved in a launch, a threat actor, whether nation state or anyone with malicious cyber intent, could get in, alter data, and that could be catastrophic,
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it could be damaging to life and property, and that could affect the launch significantly.
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If it's a crewed launch, even more dangerous.
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LDA, this is a rock.
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We are ready to proceed with the final clear to launch poll.
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Our launch cadence here is just increasing exponentially.
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Last year we launched 93.
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The year before that it was in the 70s.
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Prior to that was in the 50s.
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The year before that was only 30 some.
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This year we are on track to hit over 100 launches from this installation.
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There's definitely a high amount of pressure.
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Our training prepares us for this, and we're ready to just follow our procedures and make it happen.
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We are now in the final stretch.
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After months of preparation, everything comes down to this.
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Team is assembled in every system, from the range security, to the weather, to the comms, to the surveillance, is being triple checked.
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The launch window is extremely narrow, only 30 minutes, but they only need a few seconds to make that call.
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So everyone here is locked in and ready for anything until that launch authorization is made.
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Good morning and welcome to live coverage of ULA's Atlas V launch of the second batch of Project Kuiper satellites for Amazon.
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Liftoff is scheduled for 6.54 30 a.m.
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Eastern at the opening of today's 30-minute launch window.
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So rocket launches might look pretty effortless on screen
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but what you don't always see is the chaos that happens behind the scenes.
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So depending on the rocket and what launch and payload it is we could be pre-mission planning for months on out.
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In this case, we've been planning now for a couple months to launch, but scrubs happen and they can happen for many different reasons.
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Space launch Delta 45 forecast for our early morning launch is looking good.
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The probability of violating launch constraints is less than 5%.
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Ground winds are 10 to 15 knots out of the east and the temperature is currently 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
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All communications switch to channel 1.
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All personnel and visitors remain in present position until launch maintain operational silence in the LCC.
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I will tell you that the feedback loop that Launch Operations provides is like no other.
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You can tangibly see everything you've been working towards launch into space.
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Step 63 complete, 1034.
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Copy 63 complete, 1034.
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Oh, I'll look now, stand by.
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Watch what we had a part of.
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That's when you feel the rumble in the air, you get the shutter from the wind.
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It reinforces that what you're doing has a reason.
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Status check and proceed with terminal count.
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Atlas system.
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Propulsion.
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Go.
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Hydraulics.
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Go.
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Pneumatics.
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Go.
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LO2.
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Go.
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Proceeding with the count.
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T minus ten, nine, eight,
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seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
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Lift off.
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Stand by for first motion time.
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The Our
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motto in the United States Space Force is Semper Supra, always above, because we are always above.
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We are here to protect the world and our nation and its allies.
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If there's one thing I want to leave you with, it's this.
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Space isn't some distant concept.
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It isn't science fiction.
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It's real.
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It's strategic.
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And it's critical to the way we live our lives every single day.
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And the guardians of the United States Space Force, they're the ones ensuring we stay connected, protected, and always above.
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At the end of the day, they're people just like you and me, who have stepped up to raise their right hand and serve our country in the nation's newest branch of service.
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If you're interested in being a part of something bigger, you can head to SpaceForce.com to start your journey today.
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That's it from here on the Space Coast at Cape Canaveral.
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I'll catch you guys next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “What Actually Happens Inside a Space Force Launch”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: space, launch, Force, range. This video has 208 sentences and 2448 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:40. The speaker talks at a natural 156 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| orbit noun | /ˈɔɹ.bɪt/ | An elliptical movement of an object about a celestial object or Lagrange point, especially a periodic elliptical revolution. |
| proceed verb | /pɹəˈsid/ | To move, pass, or go forward or onward; to advance; to carry on. |
| cyber adjective | /ˈsaɪ.bəɹ/ | Of, or having to do with, the Internet; alternative form of cyber-. |
| airspace noun | A specified portion of the atmosphere, especially that under the technical aviation control and/or jurisdiction of a particular state over which territory (and… | |
| payload noun | /ˈpeɪloʊd/ | That part of a cargo that produces revenue. |
| oversee verb | /ˌəʊ.vəˈsiː/ | To survey, look at something in a wide angle. |
| minus | /ˈmaɪ.nəs/ | Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity). |
| capability noun | /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ | The power or ability to generate an outcome. |
| delta noun | /ˈdɛltə/ | The fourth letter of the modern Greek alphabet Δ, δ. |
| surveillance noun | /sɚˈveɪ.ləns/ | Close observation of an individual or group; person or persons under suspicion. |
| hydraulics noun | /haɪˈdɹɔːlɪks/ | The engineering science that deals with practical applications where liquid is in motion and transmits energy. |
| liftoff noun | The point in the launch of a rocket or an aircraft where it leaves contact with the ground. | |
| pneumatics noun | The branch of mechanics that deals with the mechanical properties of gases | |
| propulsion noun | /pɹəˈpʌlʃən/ | The process of propelling, driving, or pushing, typically forward or onward; a propulsive force or impulse. |
| rumble noun | /ˈɹʌmb(ə)l/ | A low, heavy, continuous sound, such as that of thunder or a hungry stomach. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lift off verb | Synonym of take off (leave the ground and begin flight). |
| back up verb | To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so. |
| come down to verb | To reach by moving down or reducing. |
| get up to verb | To do something, especially something that is forbidden or improper. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- It reinforces that what you're doing has a reason.
- It's just west of us.
- It's one of our cruise liners.
- You can't even make it out.
- Like how do you distinguish what you're looking at?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | that's been going · we've been planning · you've been working |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was founded · is left · is actually involved |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has been · has only increased · have stepped |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Center, which is · MCR, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 41 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, you're, doesn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/, authorization /ˌɔːθəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən/, thrust /θɹʌst/, southeast /sawˈθɪjst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: propulsion /pɹəˈpʌlʃən/, aspiration /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃən/, exponentially /ɛkspə(ʊ)ˈnɛnʃəli/, shudder /ˈʃʌdɚ/, shutter /ˈʃʌtəː/
- Long words — get the stress right: capability /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, aspiration /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃən/, characterize /ˈkɛɹəktəɹaɪz/, criticality /ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti/, exponentially /ɛkspə(ʊ)ˈnɛnʃəli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like orbit, proceed, cyber.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.