Let's Light this Shuttle One More Time! : Historic final launch of Atlantis STS135

NASA Commemorative Patch

Stayed up late last Friday 8 July 2011 to watch the shuttle Atlantis being launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It blasted off at 11.29pm our local time. This is the last launch of  the 30 year US shuttle program which started in 1981 with the shuttle Columbia.

Atlantis blasting off into history on Friday 8 July 2011- Credit:NASA

Atlantis blasted off at 11:29 a.m. EDT (1529 GMT) from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, thrilling huge throngs of spectators who had descended on Florida's Space Coast to see the swan song of an American icon. NASA estimated that between 750,000 and 1 million people turned out to watch history unfold before their eyes.

"On behalf of the greatest team in the world, good luck to you and your crew on the final flight of this true American icon," shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts just before launch. "And so for the final time, Fergie, Doug, Sandy and Rex, good luck, Godspeed and have a little fun up there."

"Thanks to you and your team, Mike. We're not ending the journey today, we're completing a chapter of a journey that will never end," Atlantis' commander Chris Ferguson replied. "Let's light this shuttle one more time Mike and witness this nation at its best. The crew of Atlantis is ready to launch."

The above were the exchanges between the Atlantis shuttle commander Ferguson and the launch Director at Kennedy Space Center.

After 135 launches over 30 years, the space shuttle will never streak into the sky again. 

The three remaining shuttles, Discovery, Endeavor and Atlantis are being retired to the museum. The other two shuttles, Challenger and Columbia met with accidents in 1986 and 2003 respectively with the loss of 14 astronauts. All together more than $200 Billion had been spent on the program over the period.

The four Atlantis crew with Commander Ferguson on the right

: Credit NASA

Space shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson and crew mates Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim are on their way to the International Space Station 

The 12-day mission will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with more than 8,000 pounds of supplies and spare parts to sustain the International Space Station (ISS) operations after the shuttles are retired. STS-135 is the 135th shuttle flight, the 33rd flight for Atlantis and the 37th shuttle mission dedicated to the station assembly and maintenance.

May Atlantis return safely to earth as scheduled on 20 July 2011.

It has been an awesome human endeavor and fantastic space mission on the part of  USA to run the program enabling many scientific research to be undertaken, the launching of the Hubble telescope to study the universe and the establishment of the International Space Station (ISS). No wonder people are rather emotional and sentimental following the termination of the program.

I cannot help but marvel at those skilful people who are involved in this industry for the last 30 years and the brave and intelligent men and women who were astronauts carrying out individual  mission. Many useful spinoffs from this space program have improved the fields of e,g  health, electronics, engineering and telecommunications and not to forget the old Hubble being tuneups  many times by the shuttle crews over the years to give us some of the most spectacular views of the universe!

Thank you to the vision of the leaders of America, the world has also benefited from your dream. And farewell to all three shuttles, the astronauts who operated them and all NASA staff who are also being laid off because of the program's termination. You are all indeed the greatest team in the world!

Space Science and my Big Dream

Discovery preparing to lift off on 24 Feb 2011

Discovery landed safely back on Earth at Kennedy Space Centre  Florida on 9 March 2011 after a flawless mission - Credit NASA

 

I stayed up early this morning to watch the safe landing back on Earth of Discovery from its 39th and final flight to outer space. It lifted off on 24 Feb 2011 and was in space for 13 days mainly docked at the International Space Station (ISS). It transported storage space and repair materials as well as the first humanoid robot named Robotnaut2 or R2 to help enhance the operations of ISS and its research laboratory space and technical capabilities.

Discovery is one other remaining three shuttles still operational, the other two are Endeavour and Atlantis. NASA used to have five shuttles for its space program. Challenger broke up at its launching in 1986 and Columbia burst into flame at its re-entry to Earth in 2003. I only remember the names of female astronaut teacher Christa McAullief from Challenger and Kalpana Chwla a naturalised Indian female engineer from shuttle Columbia. I remember feeling very sad hearing about the astronauts' death. And so with this particular Discovery flight I prayed for their safety and will continue to do so for Endeavour in April and Atlantis in June as they fly off to space and dock with ISS and return for the last time when the world will say farewell to all  three of them as they are being retired after 30 years.

Apparently the orbital space program will be privatised leaving the US government to undertake deeper space projects which will cost billions of dollars. It seems if you have millions (in USD) to spare you may be able to go as a tourist to ISS and look at our planet Earth from out there!

I have dreamt of becoming an astronomer/space scientist and an astronaut since I read about Armstrong walking on the Moon and famously said " A small step for man and a giant step for mankind". Now what is it like to be walking in space with no gravity? How does it feel to be in that space suit? What is it like to see planet earth being suspended and orbiting  in space? I was inspired to go into pure science through reading about this space program in magazines,newspapers and radio and TV.. there was no internet then mind you. With the availability of copious materials at your fingertip now ,any curious child would be just as inspired and probably more so. Just go to the NASA website and see the information that they have there for different visitors, public, student, researchers etcetera. How I wish our children are conversant in English and able to understand what they read and be inspired to excel in science because that is the edge for any country to be ahead in this globalised world.

Man on the  Moon -1969 (NASA)

I believe children can be inspired from young to be interested in science. One needs to arrange related activities for them to be involved in. I had hoped that Malaysian schoolchildren would have taken an interest in shuttle flight program, just show them the video and what kind of things astronauts do. I saw many schoolchildren in US made time to witness the shuttle launching and look at space exhibits. They might not be astronauts but at least they can appreciate the great potential of scientific knowledge. We do not want children who ascribe everything to God and leave things as they are and are only contented to be technology users rather than technology inventors.

But I have this feeling that in Malaysia, people doing science are not that well appreciated. It is sad to see those clever children going into science and end up nowhere whereas their counterparts who are not so clever especially in maths end up doing Arts and becoming heads of civil service! It is a fact. I have come across a Medical Specialist who lamented that his academically weaker classmate became head of the Ministry he was in, earning more than him.. no wonder he left the service and has gone to Singapore, another brain drain.

Well back to my dream as you all know it remains a dream as I eventually discovered in Malaysia there was no way for you to go ahead with your ambition in space science as we just do not have the industry, the capability nor the money for that kind of program. You just have to be born in the right country I suppose. For now I can continue to dream and follow the space program development and also wonder at Hubble telescopic images as they are being transmitted to earth! And perhaps I would be among the first to know if there is a meteorite going off course and coming straight to Earth or if there is a solar flare cutting off all satellite and electronic communication on Earth.... and according to a prominent NASA scientist, there is one coming up in 2012, the last one was reported in 1889 when the effects were not really great as the world did not have satellites, mobile phones and internet then, now thinking about it is  real scary. It reminds me of the Mayan calendar which stops on 21 December 2012. Will the world end then? And there are these goons going around US reminding people that something spectacular is going to happen on 21 May 2011... I just hope the stock market would not crash on that day.

Well, people actually I am inspired today to write this posting because I want to express my admiration towards NASA and all the people who make the shuttle space program possible for the last 30 years now that they are wrapping it up. So many experimental findings in space have been applied for the betterment of our human race, satellite communication is just one of them. There are also biological research in cancer therapy and many more. It's just a terrific and brilliant human effort.

As Discovery Flight Commander Steven Lindsey on the final flight STS 133 said and I truly concur, " Guys you rock!"

Farewell Discovery.

Facts on DISCOVERY

NASA's oldest and most travelled shuttle 

1984 - (30 Aug) Inaugural flight

1990 - Carries the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit

1995 - First shuttle to be piloted by a woman ( Eileen Collins)

          Carries the first African American spacewalker (Bernard Harris) and first sitting     member             of Congress (Senator Jake Garn)       

2010  (Nov) Planned launch postponed after cracks emerge upon fuelling

2011 (Mar) Ageing shuttle due to be the first of the fleet to be retired following its final   

          Earth landing  Wednesday 9 March after 39 successful missions.