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Rocket takes off from Spaceport America Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT REPORTER: CURETTE SPACEPORT AMERICA, YOU CAN LOOK UP AND SEE NO COMMERCIAL AIRPLANES. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN RIDGES THE WHITE SANDS MISSLE RANGE. MAKI THIS A PERFECT PLACE TO LAUNCH ROCKETS. THE ROCKET READY FOR TAKEOFF. PHONES AND CAMERAS OUT. READY FOR LIFTOFF. >> FIRE. REPORTER: THE ROCKET SHOOTS TOWARD THE SKY. YOU CAN SEE A BIG FLASH RIGHT ABOVE THE ROCKET JUST SECONDS AFTER IT LEAVES THE GROUND BLASTING 374,000 FEET, OR 70 MILES INTO THE SKY, WELL INTO SPACE. THE ROCKET IS TESTING HOW A HEAT SHIELD FUNCTIONS AT REALLY HIGH SPEEDS IN SPAC THE HEAT SHIELD WOULD OPEN ON ITS OWN WHEN IT GETS NEAR PLANET’S ATMOSPHERE, OPENING LIKE AN UMBRELLA, AND SLOW DOWN AN AIRCRAFT FOR EXAMPLE. WHEN YOU GO INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, YOU GET HOT AND YOU NEED A SHIELD TO PROTECT THE ASTRONAUTS, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE THAT YOU ARE REENTERING. REPORTER: SCIENTISTS SAY THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED ON MISSIONS TO MARS WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE. AND HAVING IT TESTED HERE, IS PUTTING NEW MEXICO ON THE MAP. THIS IS AN INCREDIB OPPORTUNITY. WE DON’T HAVE A WAY TO DO THIS, THIS TYPE OF EXPERIMENT ANYWHERE ELSE. REPORTER: SO WHY NOT A PLACE LIKE CAPE CANAVERAL? >> THE AIRSPAC WE HAVE ABOVE IS IS WHAT IS CALLED PROTECTED AIRSPACE FROM GROUND TO INFINITY. IT ALLOWS US TO LAUNCH MORE FREQUENTLY. REPORTER: AND, THERE’S NO OCEAN OR NEIGHBORHOODS IN SITE, SO THEY CAN LAND PART OF THE ROCKET ON LAND NEARBY SCIENTISTS SAY AFTER GATHERING DATA FROM TODAY’S LUNCH, THEY HOPE TO BUILD A BIGGER ROCKET THAT MOVES FASTER AND GOES HIGHER UP INTO SPACE.