Space Shuttle Atlantis Launches for Last Time
With one last fiery blast from its massive main engines and one last, iconic, 90-degree roll after liftoff, the space shuttle Atlantis and its four-member crew roared into orbit Friday to begin the final voyage of the 39-year shuttle program.
The primary goal of the 12-day mission is to make a final delivery run to the International Space Station, leaving it as stocked as possible. Although the Europeans, Japan, and Russia will continue to deliver supplies in the shuttle’s absence, none of their vehicles have the cargo capacity a shuttle could deliver.
The mission also provides insurance against any delays that might occur as commercial companies take cargo-delivery, and eventually the crew-delivery, batons from NASA.
Space Shuttle Endeavor Has Entered Orbit on Final Mission
The Space Shuttle Endeavor has launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, with Commander Mark Kelly, the husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, as pilot for the mission. The mission launched without incident, as the Shuttle and its fueling system and rocket boosters eased into a perfect planned arc on the rapid ascent into orbit.
After about 4 minutes, the massive solid-fuel rocket boosters burned out and broke away from the vehicle and main fuel tank, then once out of Earth’s atmosphere, the Shuttle rolled over into an upright position, with the atmospheric horizon below, and released its main fuel tank back to Earth. The Shuttle Endeavor then shut off its main engines and leveled into a perfect planned orbit, to begin its final mission.
