I'm off to watch this Shuttle's last launch
 

At 2:20 pm EST the Shuttle Atlantis will launch for it's last flight.

I'm going to head over to the coast and try and get a few pics. It's about an hours drive for me to get
to one of the closest public viewing spots which still is about 17 miles from the launch pad.
Not quite close enough for an awesome picture but you still get to hear the rumble :)

I've made the drive several times only to have the launch scrubbed so I've got my fingers crossed even though it looks good for launch.

If I manage to get a decent pic I'll post it here when I get back.



The first flight of Atlantis was Oct. 3rd 1985

During is nearly 25 years in service it has flown a total of 115,770,930 miles.

Spent 282 days in space and orbited the earth 4,462 times.

It has flown 31 times and carried 185 crew members.

Good luck on getting some cool pics! I'll be watching it on tv as usual. Always a thrill.

What happens once the flight is complete? Has a shuttle ever been decommissioned before?

I would guess it will become a museum piece. If Endeavor or Discovery need a vital part they will scrounge that. Sad to see the shuttle program winding down.
My wife's cousin is on the next one as a mission specialist.

Sad indeed.
:(

Our programmer will be there as well checking it out. Should be an awesome experience.

Sounds cool take a lot of pics:)

Mr. Romance

Ah fuck I should have done that too !


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The launch was a nice one, picture perfect day.

I heard on the news, that there are 2 more flights after this one. Is that true?

We used to watch launches from my Grandmom's show bar in Ocala that was located on the bay....that was quite a scene in those days

I've always wanted to see a launch... I check the schedule every time I'm in Florida and have never been there at the right time.

any pics yet?

Yeah Nikki, two more shuttle launches and then it's all over for them.

I remember a woman from Melbourne area and she said when she was little, the saturn 5's would just shatter their windows and NASA would replace em, lol. Crazy!

It seems kind of crazy to just scrap the program after all the money spent developing it... where does NASA go from here?

Just got back. Awesome launch and an insane crowd this time.

Roads were closed to traffic and people were stacked about a block deep off the intercostal.

I watched from Titusville which is directly west of the launch pad and about 17 miles away.

Couldn't find a good place to shoot from and had to stand on my tippy toes to shoot over everyone's heads.
That kept me from getting the shot I wanted but still got a few just to show I was there :winkwink:


Also I'll point out that this is the last mission for this particular space shuttle but there are a few more flights left for the other.

It said in todays paper that at least 21 Institutions have applied for the privilege to display the retired orbiter
which NASA says will cost about 28.8 million.

Here's one from today and I'll put up a few more here shortly.

http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h...e_Atlantis.jpg

Awesome Pic bet it was a stunning site to see :winkwink::)

I watched the last moon mission launch from Cocoa Beach and the Saturn 5 rocket has to be the most
outrageous vehicle a human has ever rode in.

I remember the huge fireball but I'll never forget the sound and the way the ground shook :thumbsup

For those that are not familiar with the Saturn 5 do yourself a favor and look it up and just try and imagine
sitting in a little capsule on the very tip of that thing and riding it to the moon :upsidedow

Sounds cool:)

Nice shot!

Here's a few more from today's launch.


That sure is a lot of power coming coming off the launch pad.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h..._atlantis1.jpg

The driver must've been texting because he didn't keep it very straight :winkwink:
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h..._atlantis2.jpg

The crowd was huge and spread down the block and across the street.
It's funny because at first the crowd is quiet with a " come on you can do it " feel
and then as it clears the pad they gasp in awe and once it's up there the cheering and clapping starts.
When the sound wave hits everyone goes wild :)
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h..._atlantis3.jpg

I was only using a 200 mm lens so this is zoomed in and cropped to the max but at least you can see the fuel tanks.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h..._atlantis5.jpg

In a matter of seconds the shuttle is almost out of sight.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h..._atlantis6.jpg

All that's left is the trail it left behind and a lone Osprey that could care less.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h..._atlantis7.jpg

It was so crowded people waded out in the water to get a prime viewing spot.
You can see the launch mound behind the pier to get a perspective as to the viewing distance.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_h..._atlantis8.jpg

Unbelievable shots, thanks for sharing :thumbsup

Here is a pic I ran across tonight while going through some files and I thought it fit the occasion.

http://laughingloonproductions.com/pic/IMG_0071.jpg

Nice pics... that must have been an awesome thing to see!

"The driver must've been texting because he didn't keep it very straight"

Pretty funny .....


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