Remarks: I was in NYC for a week, so I decided to get on a flight from LGA to IAD just for him... Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center.
Remarks: Atlantis" blasts off on her 32nd mission (since she will be the stand by rescue ship for the last official mission, an act of the President and/or Congress allowed NASA let her fly her for one last time in 2011 as STS-135). Here the water clouds and the SRB exhaust smoke have rapidly consumed the LC-39A complex and spread about .5 miles end to end in seconds. White clouds are water vapor, the brown stuff will kill you if the sound does not. At 3 miles the vibrations & noise are still very loud.
Remarks: Sitting in the commander's seat on Endeavour, this is the view of the functioning attitude directior indicator and other supporting systems. The spacecraft operators (the guys who teach the astros to fly) were extremely gracious and courteous to me by firing her up and loading a data package that made Endeavour mimic her last flight. As you can see the translational motion in all the axis,control surfaces,velocity and acceleration. A sight now preserved only in the history books.
Remarks: The last space shuttle ferry flight in progress. The space shuttle Endeavour sits on top of the shuttle carrier aircraft. This picture was taken looking straight up from ground next to the SCA. The orbiter appears as reptilian creature next to the smooth skin of the 747 SCA.
Remarks: The last space shuttle ferry flight preparation in progress. The space shuttle Endeavour is towed from her hanger to the Mate Demate Device (MDD). Here the rear attachment arms (in yellow) of the hoist on the MDD can be seen. The orbiter is passing the 747SCA that will take her to LAX.
Remarks: The last space shuttle ferry flight in progress. After mounting Endeavour on top of the SCA 905, the duo was pushed out of the Mate Demate Device (MDD) in the morning. For this last pushback, I made my way to the very end of the MDD device and stood as they silently passed by me. Here Endeavour is sliding by my work platform while 905 can be seen beneath her. It is a sight like no other and will never be repeated.
Remarks: The last space shuttle movement ever in progress at dawn. Atlantis on her 10 mile trek from the VAB to the KSC visitor center for her final display. It was rather odd to see the move handled by a local construction company as opposed to the regular NASA/USA orbiter crew. A sad day for me and the end of a 11 year career chasing shuttles.
Remarks: The end of my space shuttle chasing career! On the night of Nov.2nd, the Space Shuttle "Atlantis" sits outside her final resting place @ KSC while a fireworks show "celebrates" her retirement. This would be the final movement of a real space shuttle. After the show, she was pulled into her new building and the sealing of the wall behind her began. And then it was all over! The End.
