Ask yourself, if you wanted to travel 125,935,769 miles, what kind of a vehicle would you need? Interesting question. How about if you only 306 days, less than a year, to do it in, what kind of a vehicle would you need? An impossible task just became even more challenging. And finally, what if your journey had to be taken in the cold, unforgiving vacuum of space, what kind of a vehicle would you need? While this sounds like the makings of science fiction, it really happened…and one vehicle did exactly all these things. Space Shuttle Atlantis.
The dream started back in 1969. The country was solidly in the Apollo program and the fantasy of manned moon flights had become a reality. The challenge is that each of the massive rockets needed to propel mankind past the boundaries of earth could only be used once. The very same, very smart rocket scientist that solved the unimaginable issues to leave earth’s gravity were already starting on the next step in making space travel more accessible. A reusable craft was the answer and the space shuttle program was born.
As a boy, I remember watching the trial flights of Enterprise as she took flight atop a specially modified 747. Like a young majestic bird, I remember watching in awe as she separated from her mother and took flight on her own for a safe landing. In 1981, I remember the 1st flight of Columbia as she launched from the warm sun of Central Florida and started a new day in flight. Sadly, I remember when we lost the brave crew of Challenger as I listened in disbelief.
A couple years later, I had moved to Central Florida and was able to see the excitement as the shuttle program continued. I walked outside on a warm Sept 29, 1988 and watched as Discovery took us back to space. A year later I was working the night shift and was jolted out of bed by the famous, and exceptionally loud, “double boom” made when the orbiter was on final approach. (did I mention I was in a dead sleep when this happen??) Year after year I would see the launches from afar, hear the mission highlights and see the safe landing on local news. Little did I know that Columbia, the ship that lead the adventure as STS-1, would be another casualty.
In true American spirit, we mourned our lose and continued forward with the missions. A program that was initially designed for a 20 year length proudly flew for over 30. The sad end finally came when we retired these marvels of flight. One by one, 2011 saw the last flights of Discovery, then Endeavor and finally, on July 8, Atlantis. July 21, 2011 is the day that ended an era as Atlantis gracefully touched down at the Kennedy Space Center for the final time.
As the son of a once aeronautical engineer, I have always been fascinated by flight. I saw the shuttle program from my youth, through its life and was there at the end. My beautiful bride and I celebrated one of her birthdays by seeing the last night launch from the closest viewing point allowed to civilians. I was on the airstrip when Endeavor made her final ferry flight on the back of a 747 ending in Los Angeles. I was there when Atlantis was rolled from the VAB for the last time to her new home as the star attraction at the Kennedy visitor center.
This past weekend, I was able to visit the new Atlantis exhibit. After seeing the very static shuttle displays at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum, I am impressed at how Atlantis is displayed at Kennedy. The story of the birth and struggles of the shuttle fleet are told. Her cargo bay doors are open and her arm is deployed just as if she were still in space. She is close enough that you can see even the stitching of her outer-skin and the burn marks on the remarkable heat tiles.
While it is sad to see an empty launch pad 39, Atlantis will continue to serve as a way for America to dream towards space as we see the remarkable achievements that can be made when we put our thoughts into actions. Her final mission is to inspire as we look to the future….
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