Atlantis prepares to come back to Earth in final shuttle voyage
Source: Agencies |
July 19, 2011, Tuesday
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THE astronauts on NASA's final shuttle voyage floated out of the International Space Station for the last time yesterday, leaving behind a historic US flag and a shuttle model to mark the end of a 30-year era.
Atlantis was set to undock from the orbiting lab early today - providing the last glimpses of a space shuttle in flight before the fleet is retired.
As the hatches swung shut behind the four crew members of Atlantis, it closed "a chapter in the history of our nation," space station astronaut Ronald Garan Jr noted in yesterday's emotional farewell ceremony.
He attached the small flag - which rocketed into orbit on the very first shuttle flight in 1981 - to the door of the space station hatch before the shuttle astronauts departed. Atlantis has been docked at the space station for more than a week, unloading a year's worth of supplies and packing up trash and old equipment for the trip home.
Atlantis is due to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center just before sunrise on Thursday.
It was a heartfelt goodbye, with the two crews - 10 astronauts from three countries - embracing. Atlantis crew member Sandra Magnus wiped away tears.
Atlantis commander Christopher Ferguson presented the flag to the space station crew, along with a small model of a space shuttle. The model, signed by senior shuttle managers and flight directors, was also was hung near the hatch.
"What you don't see are the signatures of the tens of thousands who rose to orbit with us over the past 30 years, if only in spirit," Ferguson said.
Space station astronaut Michael Fossum accepted the model "as one of the greatest testaments to the shuttle's incredible capability." Almost all of NASA's shuttle flights since 1998 were devoted to building and maintaining the station - some 37 missions.
"Ninety percent of the world's population can look out of their backyards at night and see us going overhead," Fossum added.
Emotions also welled up down at Mission Control. Lead flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho has one more shift remaining before signing off forever from shuttle Mission Control in Houston. He said he and his team vacillate "between intense pride at how well this mission has gone and sometimes being somewhat freaked out, for lack of a more technical term."
It will be some time before there are so many people aboard the space station again. The Russian Soyuz capsules - the only way to get astronauts there for at least the next few years - carry no more than three.
The retirement of NASA's three remaining shuttles has been in the works since 2004, barely a year after the Columbia disaster.
Atlantis will remain at Kennedy Space Center for retirement, going on public display. Discovery and Endeavour will be transported to museums in Washington and Los Angeles.
While many will descend on Kennedy for Thursday's 5:57am touchdown, Alibaruho will remain in Houston. He debated whether to be attend the final landing, but decided to observe it from Mission Control.
"It's home, so that's where I'll be."
Atlantis was set to undock from the orbiting lab early today - providing the last glimpses of a space shuttle in flight before the fleet is retired.
As the hatches swung shut behind the four crew members of Atlantis, it closed "a chapter in the history of our nation," space station astronaut Ronald Garan Jr noted in yesterday's emotional farewell ceremony.
He attached the small flag - which rocketed into orbit on the very first shuttle flight in 1981 - to the door of the space station hatch before the shuttle astronauts departed. Atlantis has been docked at the space station for more than a week, unloading a year's worth of supplies and packing up trash and old equipment for the trip home.
Atlantis is due to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center just before sunrise on Thursday.
It was a heartfelt goodbye, with the two crews - 10 astronauts from three countries - embracing. Atlantis crew member Sandra Magnus wiped away tears.
Atlantis commander Christopher Ferguson presented the flag to the space station crew, along with a small model of a space shuttle. The model, signed by senior shuttle managers and flight directors, was also was hung near the hatch.
"What you don't see are the signatures of the tens of thousands who rose to orbit with us over the past 30 years, if only in spirit," Ferguson said.
Space station astronaut Michael Fossum accepted the model "as one of the greatest testaments to the shuttle's incredible capability." Almost all of NASA's shuttle flights since 1998 were devoted to building and maintaining the station - some 37 missions.
"Ninety percent of the world's population can look out of their backyards at night and see us going overhead," Fossum added.
Emotions also welled up down at Mission Control. Lead flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho has one more shift remaining before signing off forever from shuttle Mission Control in Houston. He said he and his team vacillate "between intense pride at how well this mission has gone and sometimes being somewhat freaked out, for lack of a more technical term."
It will be some time before there are so many people aboard the space station again. The Russian Soyuz capsules - the only way to get astronauts there for at least the next few years - carry no more than three.
The retirement of NASA's three remaining shuttles has been in the works since 2004, barely a year after the Columbia disaster.
Atlantis will remain at Kennedy Space Center for retirement, going on public display. Discovery and Endeavour will be transported to museums in Washington and Los Angeles.
While many will descend on Kennedy for Thursday's 5:57am touchdown, Alibaruho will remain in Houston. He debated whether to be attend the final landing, but decided to observe it from Mission Control.
"It's home, so that's where I'll be."
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