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Good Question: What Are The Top Space Shuttle Innovations?

(CBS 5) – While there is a lot of focus on the final Space Shuttle mission, a lot has happened in the program's 30 years. Greg Marasso in San Francisco asked this Good Question: What are the top innovations and discoveries from the shuttle program?

ANSWER: According to astronaut Karol Bobko, the biggest innovations and achievements of the Space Shuttle program include the ability to reuse the spacecraft which saved taxpayers billions in cost. The development of heat soaking tiles also allowed the shuttle to reenter the Earth's atmosphere without damage. Another big innovation was the shuttle's robotic arm which allowed it to lift and repair satellites in orbit.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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