STS-134: The Final Launch of Endeavour

This has to be one of the best NASA videos I have ever seen. Watch as Space Shuttle Endeavour is prepped and launched on its final mission to the International Space Station. If you watch carefully, you will get a glimpse of some of the technology and analysis that goes into a launch, from prepping the spacecraft in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to analyzing the launch video for possible debris impacts on the shuttle's thermal protection system (TPS).

As Commander Mark Kelly says before launch:

"It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop."

It will be your generation that ultimately decides our nation's future in space... whether we linger here on the beach or set sail upon the vast ocean of space. If this video inspires you, I would encourage you to learn more by earning your Space Exploration merit badge.