STS-135: Here today, gone tomorrow

[jimmydeanno]

I'm surprised that nobody brought up STS-135 launch today.  I would have loved to have been in Florida to see it go, but I was able to watch it on TV.  There's been some neat composite videos of all 135 shuttle launches made, as well as some excellent journalism for the event.

I, for one, am saddened that this will be the last shuttle mission.  However, the discoveries and exploration that NASA has been able to do through telescopes, probes, satellites, and other unmanned missions has been nothing but remarkable.  Deep down, I can't wait to see the shuttle replacement and get the world back on track of exploring space and advancing humanity.  In many ways, this feels like a step back for humanity.  It's a good thing that Neil Armstrong made that Giant Leap, or we'd be in a worse spot than we were before.

Here's to you, STS-135.  May your voyage be smooth.

[jimmydeanno]

NPR Coverage: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/07/08/137685660/sts-135-the-shuttle-programs-final-space-odyssey

[bosshawk]

Atlantis has a special place in my history: I have a STS-27 patch flown on Atlantis on a DoD mission.  I happened to be on the team that worked the payload on that mission.  Had the pleasure to get to know the five astronauts on that mission.  I received a certificate with the patch and real signatures from the crew.  It is on my "hero' wall.

[jimmydeanno]

Sir, I can only imagine how gratifying it must have been to have assisted with that mission.  I'd certainly treasure those mementos.

This page on the mission from NASA is pretty interesting.  They have features about the meals, water purification, etc.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/

[bosshawk]

It was and is gratifying.  We actually got to spend time three times with the crew: once in a mission rehearsal at the Satellite Control Facility in Sunnyvale, Ca(where I worked) , a session after they returned and they brought a video of the deployment of our satellite and then at a local watering hole after the serious work was finished.  They were all military guys(two Navy and three AF): all flew at least one more mission and one(Bill Shepherd) commanded the first team on the ISS. 

Great memories.

[DC]

I was on Cocoa Beach for the launch, about 16 miles away from Pad 39A. The clouds obscured the view a little bit, but I still saw the first 15 seconds very clearly, and heard it very well after about 2 minutes.

I've lived in Florida my whole life, but that was the first time I had actually gone over to that area to view a launch. I shot some video, but it did not come out well, I was far more interested in watching with my own eyes than through a camera.

[JC004]

I attended the final night launch of the program, which was a heck of an experience.  Watched it from the causeway - NASA employee viewing area.  aaaaand got free tickets to KSC, thanks to CAPTalk.   

[Eclipse]

I was about 11 when the Enterprise was rolled out for flight tests - I still remember watching it on my grandmother's black-and-white television.
This was to be the promise of manned spaceflight, and was to usher in "easy" access to the heavens.  Space stations and alien encounters
would not be far behind. 



Once we made first contact with somebody they'd help us with technology from there.  Sadly, financial realities, not to mention things like "physics", got in our way, and I don't see that changing much any time soon.  The tech needed to get us to the moon was as much brute-force effort as nuance,
and we haven't made the leaps in materials or launch vehicles that were predicted, I don't think man will see Mars even in my children's lifetime, but one can hope...

For you younglings, the first shuttle rolled out before Star Wars or Star Trek('s revival).

[PHall]

Okay, here's a challange for you "Shuttle Geeks".

Without rsorting to Google or the internet, name all the shuttles.

[davidsinn]

Okay, here's a challange for you "Shuttle Geeks".

Without rsorting to Google or the internet, name all the shuttles.

Enterprise (OV-101), Columbia  (OV-102), Challenger (OV-099), Atlantis (OV-103?), Discovery (OV-104?), Endeavour (OV-105), Pathfinder (OV-098?) There is one other ground test article that escapes me at the moment.

Buran sorta counts ;-)


EDIT:
After Googling:

   
• OV-098 (unofficial and honorary) - Space Shuttle Pathfinder, a structural mockup
• OV-099 - Space Shuttle Challenger, originally STA-099
• OV-101 - Space Shuttle Enterprise
• OV-102 - Space Shuttle Columbia
• OV-103 - Space Shuttle Discovery
• OV-104 - Space Shuttle Atlantis
• OV-105 - Space Shuttle Endeavour

I mixed up Atlantis and Discovery like I thought I might have. The last ground test article was never named.

[wuzafuzz]

Nice photo with the Enterprise "crew."   :clap:  I'm excited to see what comes next...hopefully.

I recall watching the Enterprise glide tests on TV with my Grandpa.  We were glued to the set.  Were were tempted drive out to Edwards (60 miles or so) but knew we could see more on TV.  Good memories.

[Майор Хаткевич]

I just watched Apollo 13 (the one with Tom Hanks, not the real deal), and I must say, it made me sad. I grew up with the ISS and the Shuttles. Now I get to see...capsules and the ISS...quite boring - and local.

[Smokey]

Some of us in CAWG are hoping  for bad weather for EOM at the Cape.   

CAWG is part of the Shuttle Recovery Team at Edwards AFB.  If there weather is bad at the Cape, 9 of us will be on hand at Edwards for the landing there.

Although I have five recoveries at Edwards, I never had the chance to see a launch in person.

Smokey,DO
Space Shuttle Recovery Team

[PHall]

Some of us in CAWG are hoping  for bad weather for EOM at the Cape.   

CAWG is part of the Shuttle Recovery Team at Edwards AFB.  If there weather is bad at the Cape, 9 of us will be on hand at Edwards for the landing there.

Although I have five recoveries at Edwards, I never had the chance to see a launch in person.

Smokey,DO
Space Shuttle Recovery Team

Since Atlantis is scheduled to go the Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles, landing at KEDW might almost be cheaper!

[DC]

Some of us in CAWG are hoping  for bad weather for EOM at the Cape.   

CAWG is part of the Shuttle Recovery Team at Edwards AFB.  If there weather is bad at the Cape, 9 of us will be on hand at Edwards for the landing there.

Although I have five recoveries at Edwards, I never had the chance to see a launch in person.

Smokey,DO
Space Shuttle Recovery Team

Since Atlantis is scheduled to go the Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles, landing at KEDW might almost be cheaper!

They have to strip it of certain components and a chemicals before giving it to the museum, which has to be done at KSC.

[bosshawk]

Phil: small nit: Atlantis isn't going to the museum in LA, it is going to remain at Kennedy.  Endeavour is going to LA.  Just checked that all with the NASA press release.

I know that you guys had fun supporting the Shuttle landings.

[NCRblues]

the moon landing was a cover up, we found a crashed ship from cybertron!!!

[PHall]

Phil: small nit: Atlantis isn't going to the museum in LA, it is going to remain at Kennedy.  Endeavour is going to LA.  Just checked that all with the NASA press release.

I know that you guys had fun supporting the Shuttle landings.

There's some major whining from the Ohio congressional delegation about LA getting a shuttle while the Air Force Museum doesn't.
I won't believe that LA is getting one until I see it on display, in person...

[davidsinn]

Phil: small nit: Atlantis isn't going to the museum in LA, it is going to remain at Kennedy.  Endeavour is going to LA.  Just checked that all with the NASA press release.

I know that you guys had fun supporting the Shuttle landings.

There's some major whining from the Ohio congressional delegation about LA getting a shuttle while the Air Force Museum doesn't.
I won't believe that LA is getting one until I see it on display, in person...

They have a point. There will be three shuttles on the east coast and one on the left coast. The midwest gets nothing. Like usual.

[bosshawk]

If the AF Museum got one, why not one to the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola?  There were likely as many Navy and Marine astronauts as there were AF.

I suspect that the Midwest didn't get one because there were darned few places in the Midwest that had close associations to the Shuttle program like the places on the East and West Coasts.  I never saw a launch or recovery in the midwest and the control sites for the missions were either East, West or at Houston.  In fact, I think that Houston is to get one.

In a year or two, very few people will even remember when the Shuttle flew.