Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Atlantis Reflection

NASA ^ | July 09, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Space shuttle orbiter Atlantis left planet Earth on Friday, July 8, embarking on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. The momentous launch was the final one in NASA's 30 year space shuttle program that began with the launch of the first reusable spacecraft on April 12, 1981. In this reflective prelaunch image from July 7, Atlantis stands in a familiar spot on the Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A, after an early evening roll back of the pad's Rotating Service Structure. The historic orbital voyages of Atlantis have included a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, deployment of Magellan, Galileo, and the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory, and seven trips to the Russian space station Mir. Scheduled to dock once again with the International Space Station on Sunday, Atlantis has now made its 33rd and final trip to orbit.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: NASA, Bill Ingalls]

[SunkenCiv]

join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[SunkenCiv]

Whoops.

join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[KoRn]

RIP...

[BigCinBigD]

High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941

[linuxnut]

I was never a big fan of the Shuttle. It certainly had it's uses such as a means to lift heavy objects into orbit, but in the thirty years of flying it, and spending enormous amounts of money on it, the shuttle NEVER WENT ANYWHERE!

How we as a nation, who made HUGE strides in technology from Mercury to Apollo, who explored the moon and took tremendous risks and sacrifice to do so, ended up flying round and round the same planet for 3 decades is beyond me.

We, as a nation, have lost our pioneering spirit and I for one wish we could get it back. Of course, we spent every last dime we had plus everyone elses so that won't happen anytime soon.

[Josa]

Now barry HUSSEIN and Bolden can get on with the business of tranforming NASA into a “muslim outreach” program.

[LibLieSlayer]

Another symbol of America that obama has destroyed in his march to destroy all.

LLS

[Calvin Locke]

How we as a nation, ...

Simple. Look at whom we "choose" to be our leaders. Mostly, people
the that couldn't otherwise, hold a real job.

They know it, and they punish and enslave people that work and
achieve, while rewarding their fellow kindred spirits with bread
and circuses.

[knarf]

Most of my adult life has had NASA and off planet realities as a part of my conciousness.

I remember Sputnik and the rush to top the Russians. THEY were the bad guys in those days.

And now ... everything that had anything to do with outer space that was available to a kid ........ is gone.

There is no Santa Clause

No Easter Bunny

and no hope to become an astronaut.

I'm saddened.

[6SJ7]

How we as a nation, who made HUGE strides in technology from Mercury to Apollo, who explored the moon and took tremendous risks and sacrifice to do so, ended up flying round and round the same planet for 3 decades is beyond me.

In less than 10 years we went from the Mercury orbital missions to standing on the Moon. Now NASA puts out PR statements about returning to the Moon the 20 or 30 years, and no one believes them, nor should they. How the mighty have fallen... or been subverted.

[TheOldLady]

Too sad to deal with this today. Sorry.

[Conan the Librarian]

Not as good a photo, but, I took it myself through a 8in scope sitting about 6 miles from the Pad. 1985 I think. I think it was Endeavor.

[SunkenCiv]

Nice job!