NASA's penultimate shuttle off to space
Source: Agencies |
May 17, 2011, Tuesday
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ENDEAVOUR blasted off on NASA's next-to-last shuttle flight, thundering through clouds into orbit yesterday morning as the mission commander's wounded wife, US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, watched along with an exhilarated crowd well into the thousands.
NASA is winding down its 30-year-old shuttle program before embarking on something new.
The event generated the kind of excitement seldom seen on Florida's Space Coast on such a grand scale - despite a delay of more than two weeks from the original launch date because of an electrical problem.
The shuttle quickly disappeared into the clouds, within seconds of liftoff.
Just before launching, commander Mark Kelly made some patriotic remarks: "It's in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop. To all the millions watching today, including our spouses, children, family and friends, we thank you for your support."
Remarkably, Giffords made a return visit to see Kelly off. She is still undergoing rehabilitation in a Houston hospital to recover from a gunshot wound to the head in an assassination attempt little more than four months ago.
With Kelly at the helm, Endeavour and its experienced crew of five Americans and an Italian are headed for the International Space Station.
They will arrive at the orbiting outpost tomorrow, delivering a US$2 billion magnetic instrument that will seek out antimatter and dark energy in the universe.
Up to 45,000 guests jammed into NASA's launch site, and thousands packed area roads and towns to see Endeavour soar one last time. Only one shuttle flight remains.
Advance estimates had put yesterday's crowd at 500,000, more than the number that saw Discovery's final hurrah in February. Across the Indian River in Titusville, though, the number of spectators appeared to be down compared with Endeavour's previous launch attempt.
Electrical trouble grounded the shuttle on April 29, disappointing the hordes of visitors, including President Barack Obama and his family. Repairs over the past two weeks took care of the problem.
"God Speed Endeavour We're ready for you!" space station resident Ronald Garan Jr said in a Twitter update. At launch, the space station was 355 kilometers high, just southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kelly almost didn't make the flight.
The 47-year-old Navy captain took a leave from training to be by his wife's side after she was wounded. He was gone a month, and it seemed unlikely he would make the space flight he was training for. But Giffords improved.
American Mike Fincke and Italian Roberto Vittori are making their first flight on the shuttle although they've been to the space station twice, ferried their by Russian Soyuz rockets.
Fincke will team up with Andrew Feustel and Gregory Chamitoff for four spacewalks during the 16-day mission. It will be the last spacewalks conducted by a shuttle crew.
NASA's last shuttle flight, by Atlantis, is targeted for July. After that, Atlantis will go on display at the visitor complex.
NASA is winding down its 30-year-old shuttle program before embarking on something new.
The event generated the kind of excitement seldom seen on Florida's Space Coast on such a grand scale - despite a delay of more than two weeks from the original launch date because of an electrical problem.
The shuttle quickly disappeared into the clouds, within seconds of liftoff.
Just before launching, commander Mark Kelly made some patriotic remarks: "It's in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop. To all the millions watching today, including our spouses, children, family and friends, we thank you for your support."
Remarkably, Giffords made a return visit to see Kelly off. She is still undergoing rehabilitation in a Houston hospital to recover from a gunshot wound to the head in an assassination attempt little more than four months ago.
With Kelly at the helm, Endeavour and its experienced crew of five Americans and an Italian are headed for the International Space Station.
They will arrive at the orbiting outpost tomorrow, delivering a US$2 billion magnetic instrument that will seek out antimatter and dark energy in the universe.
Up to 45,000 guests jammed into NASA's launch site, and thousands packed area roads and towns to see Endeavour soar one last time. Only one shuttle flight remains.
Advance estimates had put yesterday's crowd at 500,000, more than the number that saw Discovery's final hurrah in February. Across the Indian River in Titusville, though, the number of spectators appeared to be down compared with Endeavour's previous launch attempt.
Electrical trouble grounded the shuttle on April 29, disappointing the hordes of visitors, including President Barack Obama and his family. Repairs over the past two weeks took care of the problem.
"God Speed Endeavour We're ready for you!" space station resident Ronald Garan Jr said in a Twitter update. At launch, the space station was 355 kilometers high, just southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kelly almost didn't make the flight.
The 47-year-old Navy captain took a leave from training to be by his wife's side after she was wounded. He was gone a month, and it seemed unlikely he would make the space flight he was training for. But Giffords improved.
American Mike Fincke and Italian Roberto Vittori are making their first flight on the shuttle although they've been to the space station twice, ferried their by Russian Soyuz rockets.
Fincke will team up with Andrew Feustel and Gregory Chamitoff for four spacewalks during the 16-day mission. It will be the last spacewalks conducted by a shuttle crew.
NASA's last shuttle flight, by Atlantis, is targeted for July. After that, Atlantis will go on display at the visitor complex.
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