Author Topic: LIVE: STS-135 Flight Day 14 - EOM - RE-ENTRY and LANDING (Read 353561 times)

robertross · « **Reply #440 on:** 07/21/2011 10:19 am »

Quote from: Ford Mustang on 07/21/2011 10:18 am

Atlantis has fallen silent for the final time....

Yup. That was a difficult moment.

Thanks for the memories Atlantis.

Stardust9906 · « **Reply #441 on:** 07/21/2011 10:19 am »

There go the APUs. Goodbye girl and thank you

shuttlefanatic · « **Reply #442 on:** 07/21/2011 10:19 am »

As Atlantis' APUs go silent, it is time for my reflections on the Shuttle program.

Like many others who have written so eloquently their thoughts of the Shuttle program, I am too young to know the Apollo days. The Space Shuttle has been the icon of human space flight in my lifetime.

As a child, I got up one early California morning to watch the first shuttle launch on TV. A few years later, while living in Georgia, my family made repeated attempts to see a launch in person, finally succeeding with STS 61-C, Columbia's flight in January 1986, two weeks before we were to move back to California. In the midst of that move, we were driving past the oil fields of West Texas when I learned of the tragedy of Challenger over the radio. Completing a circle of sorts, my father wound up working at Edwards Air Force Base, and helped get my high school class passes to see Discovery's STS-26 Return to Flight landing at Edwards.

By then, I could drive, and as the years passed, I took every opportunity I could to see shuttles come home to Edwards. At times, my parents feared for my sanity - it was a roundtrip of 6 hours to hear two sonic booms and see the shuttle glide for a few minutes. The loss of Columbia was another shock, and I feared that the shuttles would not fly again. Thankfully, the flights resumed, and the ISS was completed. Looking back, it turns out I saw the last Edwards landing of each of the orbiters (Endeavour STS-126, Atlantis STS-125, and Discovery STS-128), and I was also lucky enough to have attended the final launches of each of the remaining orbiters.

Some vague dreams of becoming an astronaut were never realized, but I did get a pilot's license. The ability to fly, even if only at 1% of the shuttle's altitude, is one to be treasured. In large part, I have the space shuttle to thank for that.

Thanks also to Chris Bergin for setting up this incredible site. It's amazing the amount of information and resources tucked away here, especially in L2.

Thanks to all the various contributors who have made this site what it is.

Last, and certainly not least, thanks to all those in the Shuttle program who have worked through the highs and lows of the last 30 years to bring us to where we are today with the ISS.

As the orbiters move to their places of rest and display, I can only hope that they will continue to inspire the next generation of exploration, and that we as a country, and as a world united, will keep reaching for the stars.

As a way of bidding a fond farewell to our delta-winged spaceships, I thought this would be an appropriate time to retire my handle and undergo a reincarnation of sorts. I'm going to have to find a new vehicle to fanaticize about now, and I doubt it will be quite as graceful.

-- shuttlefanatic, signing off.

Words of wisdom from the MER Memory Book:
“Don’t cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” ~Theodor Seuss Geisel, attributed

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #443 on:** 07/21/2011 10:20 am »

I don't want to say something I may regret later. So I won't.

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #444 on:** 07/21/2011 10:20 am »

Nick L. · « **Reply #445 on:** 07/21/2011 10:20 am »

APU shutdown. Atlantis falls silent for the last time.

After 30 years of proud service to this Earth, the sun sets on the Space Shuttle program as it rises at KSC. We salute you, your sister ships, and the team who have stood behind them for all these years.

Hail Columbia.
Hail Challenger.
Hail Discovery.
Hail Atlantis.
Hail Endeavour.

Mapperuo · « **Reply #446 on:** 07/21/2011 10:20 am »

That silence hurts so much..

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #447 on:** 07/21/2011 10:20 am »

Crew module hatch is now open. Crew Transport Vehicle is in position to receive the crew.

psloss · « **Reply #448 on:** 07/21/2011 10:20 am »

Throwing commentary to KSC (George Diller) -- for now.

FinalFrontier · « **Reply #449 on:** 07/21/2011 10:20 am »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 07/21/2011 10:20 am

I don't want to say something I may regret later. So I won't.

I know the feeling.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #450 on:** 07/21/2011 10:21 am »

Atlantis is lit pretty well now. She looks gorgeous.

robertross · « **Reply #451 on:** 07/21/2011 10:21 am »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 07/21/2011 10:20 am

I don't want to say something I may regret later. So I won't.

No words required.

Thanks Chris, and all you great guys, for the greatest shuttle coverage ever to be found.

Furner · « **Reply #452 on:** 07/21/2011 10:22 am »

Is it normal for people to be so interested in inspecting the nose when the shuttle has just landed?

Nick L. · « **Reply #453 on:** 07/21/2011 10:22 am »

Alpha Control · « **Reply #454 on:** 07/21/2011 10:23 am »

Daylight beginning to show across the SLF.

robertross · « **Reply #455 on:** 07/21/2011 10:23 am »

31000 viewers on the HD net

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #456 on:** 07/21/2011 10:23 am »

kraisee · « **Reply #457 on:** 07/21/2011 10:23 am »

Thanks Chris, and all the team who have so tirelessly worked to inform us about every aspect of this incredible program.

Welcome home Atlantis!

We will miss you, Shuttle!

Ross.

DanWerts · « **Reply #458 on:** 07/21/2011 10:24 am »

I've been keeping quiet as usual but I think now is as good a time as any to speak up:

I am deeply saddened by the end of the Shuttle program.

I am deeply frustrated by the politics behind the cancellation of the constellation program, and the constant revisions to the current plan.

However, I deeply enjoyed this flight. From the launch to landing... I was around for as much as I reasonably could.

Me and the guys elsewhere put together a little image. Enjoy...

Hodapp · « **Reply #459 on:** 07/21/2011 10:24 am »

signing off for work.
God Bless Atlantis, & NASA!

May NASA always have Fair Winds & Following Seas!