Shuttle Atlantis Launched Beautifully
It was a beautifully flawless launch, on Monday May 11, 2009, from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, FL. The Atlantis crew set out on their final upgrade mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Public Domain Image via Wikipedia
The Monday May 11, 2009 live broadcast of the launching of the Space Shuttle Atlantis reminded me of the old days of NASA launches with live broadcast, back when I was a kid. The memories of those days back in the 60’s when I was a preteen and it was an event when an Apollo mission launched, or did anything for that matter. My whole family was glued to the old black and white television, when those first steps on the Moon took place. And at the time, we just all expected that pretty much everybody we knew were doing about the same thing with their families, too. Neil Armstrong and Edwin Eugene ‘Buzz’ Aldrin Jr. were unquestioned heroes, back then. That shouldn’t be any different, now.
Public Domain Image via Wikipedia
Public Domain Image via Wikipedia
Yes, that launch today, took me back to those by gone days, and I wished for as much excitement from more people with launch events like the one that just took place.
Public Domain Image via Wikipedia
Atlantis’ mission is Servicing Mission 4, (SM4), to the Hubble Space Telescope. This mission is nothing short of historic, being the last shuttle mission destined to carry out a service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. And after their 11 day upgrade mission, Hubble will be expected to give us at least 5 more years of stunning images of the far reaches of deep space. It’s hopeful that Hubble might even give more years to come. Originally expected for a 15 year duration, Hubble has already made it 18 years, and counting. After these latest replacements and upgrades, Hubble will be renewed and given new eyes, able to see further away, thus further back in time. With the renewed Hubble, scientists hope to see back to the time of galactic formations, and maybe even a little before that.
Public Domain Image via Wikipedia
The next few years will be an exciting time, as we start getting new Hubble images with even greater detail than we’ve already seen form this fantastic space telescope. For more details about SM4 to the Hubble Space Telescope, see another one of my Scienceray articles: Hubble Live 2009. You might call this article something of a public service announcement or you could just call it a geek boy reporting on his favorite subject, “Space News”. Whatever you want to call it, this one gives you the inside scoop on the Shuttle Atlantis mission to refurbish Hubble.
You can see a pretty nice photo montage of several Hubble images over the years at this You Tube video,
15 Years of Science from the Hubble Space Telescope
Our highest and brightest hopes go with the crew of the Shuttle Atlantis. May their mission be successful, as we dare to hope for many more years of breathtaking pictures of the Universe.
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20 Responses to “Shuttle Atlantis Launched Beautifully”
On May 12, 2009 at 8:17 am
you seem to track space events with utmost interest. good article.
On May 12, 2009 at 9:59 am
Thanks so much for returning me to an age when the wonderment that is the space program stll captivated us all. I recall clearly watching Armstrong take that first step on the moon. There was a collective chill up every spine that witnessed it. I wish we would never lose that awe.
On May 12, 2009 at 10:09 am
Great post!..very informative and well presented article about shuttle Atlantis..LOV it..a must read article..well done and thanx for sharing
On May 12, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I enjoyed the read good article nice work
On May 12, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Nice article, It also brings back memories of when I use to watch them on television. After the big explosion at lift off, I kinda stopped watching them as just brought back too many bad or sad memories. But your right, they are going out into the vast void of space, and in the long run, they are doing it for each and every one of us, I think I will start watching them again
On May 12, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Lovely!
On May 12, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Excellent article
On May 12, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I couldn’t agree more with “Bullwinkle Muse”…it still gives me a thrill to watch a launch. I too was a teen in the 60’s and was mesmerized by the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. Those were the only days I was allowed to play hooky from school so I could stay at home & watch with my Mom. We would lay on the floor with Mom’s camera propped on books and take snap shots of launches and splashdowns. The “space jockeys” who ride on a wing and a prayer are real-life heroes…every single one of them and we must never let our children and grandchildren forget them. Thanks Bill…for another outstanding article and for reminding us all of that which we know so well…that it is on flaming gossamer wings that these heroes go and return to us…Godspeed Atlantis!
On May 12, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Intersting and well written !
On May 12, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Nice article, it brought back memories of the day that man first stepped on the moon, we did not even have a television, we listened to the news on the radio and read the papers, everybody was excited.
On May 13, 2009 at 1:32 am
Great article.
On May 13, 2009 at 2:14 am
Space the final frontier with captivation for all its observers. You have a really informative article here.
On May 14, 2009 at 10:20 am
I don’t think it quite matches the excitement of the earlier era, but I am excited of what’s to come.
On May 15, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Your articles are very interesting and educational, it’s your admirable scientific interest. Thank you.
On May 25, 2009 at 12:33 am
Breath taking video. Very interresting article. I don’t read as much about space as it is one of my interrest. But now, I’ve found you and I know where to come when I do. Very nice.
On June 11, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Here’s a belated comment; planned to do this a long time ago and got distracted. Very interesting article and well written. I too have good memories of space launches and have never understood how my children(born in the 70ies)find no excitment in the same. I’ll never forget turning on the (yes) black and white tv for a summer school high school class in 1969 and we all watched the first walk on the moon. It was a real thrill.
When telling my offspring, they turned blank stares at me and asked why we all thought it was such a big deal!
Nice article.
On June 12, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Very well written with great technological informations. I enjoyed reading and like the pictures too. Great job!
On June 18, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Great article, and the photos are breathtaking. Thanks for posting.
On August 1, 2009 at 2:49 am
thats really cool i didnt no all that nice article
On August 31, 2009 at 5:30 pm
WOW!
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