Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Endeavour's Starry Night

NASA ^ | June 02, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: ISS Expedition 28, STS-134, NASA] Explanation: This luminous night view of the space shuttle orbiter Endeavour, docked with the International Space Station for a final time, was captured on May 28. Orbiting 350 kilometers above planet Earth, Endeavour's payload bay is lit up as it hurtles through Earth's shadow at 27,000 miles per hour. At the top of the frame, the jointed appendages of the station's robotic manipulator arm Dextre appear in silhouette. Motion during the long exposure produced streaks in the starry background and the city lights on the darkened planet below. Completing a 16 day mission, Endeavour made a it's final landing at Kennedy Space Center in the dark, early morning hours of June 1.

[SunkenCiv]

Over a hundred launches spread across five orbiters and 30 years, as Red Forman might say, "playtime is over".

[SunkenCiv]

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[TheOldLady]

Thanks for the last look, Civ. [sheds a tear]

[NCC-1701]

A tribute to the Space Shuttle Program, 1981 - 2011:

Space Shuttle COLUMBIA OV-102


Space Shuttle CHALLENGER OV-099

Space Shuttle DISCOVERY OV-103


Space Shuttle ATLANTIS OV-104


Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR OV-104

[TheOldLady]

Thanks so much. I’m saving that. [more tears]