Space Shuttle Atlantis ready to go!!!!!

[AngelFZ]

It is a gorgeous day here.
Everything is looking good and on time for a 2:20pm (EDT) lift off.

If interested, you can follow up status and watch the lift off from this site:
Spaceflight Now | STS-132 | Mission Status Center

I'm not sure how crowded this site would get and if it will be accessible for the international community.

Record crowds expected today in the area as there are only 3 shuttle missions left:
STS-132 Atlantis May 14
STS-133 Discovery Sept. 16
STS-134 Endeavour Mid-Nov

 

[Red Wazp]

Will you see it? Damn I will never get to see a launch. I was hoping to see it back when they were going to launch on the west coast at Vandenberg- never happened.
I did see one land at Edwards AFB on the 4th of July in the early 80's and also saw one piggy back on a 747 the same day-cool.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

If its not real cloudy I can watch it from across the state to the NE from Cape Coral.

Its really cool at night watching the thrusters light up the sky!

We sometimes get the sonic boom when it comes back in..

 

[krid80]

oh yeah you can see it from Cocoa! That is right up the beach! I honeymooned in Cocoa.

 

[AngelFZ]

Will you see it?

Here it is hard not to see it!!!!!:rockon: but for this one I won't try to get closer to the river (US1 in Titusville) I'll see it from the town. The traffic gets plain simple impossible. I'll make better arrangements for the next ones, hopefully with a nicer camera to film it.

I've been so lucky and I've seen many lift offs (day and night) :rockon:
It is plain simple awesome and amazing. For the landings here, you hear it (pretty loud!!!!) but it is harder to see.

I've never seen a lift off neither from Cocoa Beach or the ocean from a boat.

 

[Spideyrex]

Will you see it? Damn I will never get to see a launch. I was hoping to see it back when they were going to launch on the west coast at Vandenberg- never happened.
I did see one land at Edwards AFB on the 4th of July in the early 80's and also saw one piggy back on a 747 the same day-cool.

Dude I was there as well! What great memories, the double sonic boom, watching the shuttle glide down (more like fall like a rock!) and then seeing the "new" Shuttle (Challenger I think) fly piggyback overhead. Amazing! if any one has the opportunity to see the shuttle in action, you should try your best it is inspiring.:thumbup:

 

[Cloggy]

I had the privalige of seeing 2 launches back in 2000, and it is something I will never forget, it was amazing :thumbup:

 

[Tailgate]

NASA now officially sucks. Can you believe that it's going to jettison the manned space program? I had high expectations and now it's fizzling out thanks to Obama canceling/cutting back so much. Meanwhile, we blow wads of cash on suck/worthless/endless campaigns in Iraq & Afghanistan. NASA: what a letdown to let this proud program peter out.

 

[Red Wazp]

Dude I was there as well! What great memories, the double sonic boom, watching the shuttle glide down (more like fall like a rock!) and then seeing the "new" Shuttle (Challenger I think) fly piggyback overhead. Amazing! if any one has the opportunity to see the shuttle in action, you should try your best it is inspiring.:thumbup:

Double dude- dude, what a party that was. Half a million people out there, never seen so many motor homes in one place. I believe it landed shortly after 7 am. We did peg the fun meter.
Ended up at Disneyland the same day until 2am.

 

[AngelFZ]

NASA now officially sucks. Can you believe that it's going to jettison the manned space program? I had high expectations and now it's fizzling out thanks to Obama canceling/cutting back so much. Meanwhile, we blow wads of cash on suck/worthless/endless campaigns in Iraq & Afghanistan. NASA: what a letdown to let this proud program peter out.

There are lots of expectations (and fear) around here because of this.
Just because of the end of the space shuttle program, a couple thousand people will loose their jobs, on top of all the people that has left and have lost their jobs already.
Constellation started and now who knows!!!!!
NASA's budget had an increased but a complete different request!!!!

Who knows......

Either way, it was a gorgeous launch today.

 

[AngelFZ]

Welcome home Atlantis and its crew!!!!!

After a 12-day mission (Atlantis' 32nd mission to space since October 1985) it is time now to get Atlantis ready in case it would be required to fly again - there are only two scheduled Space Shuttle missions left (Discovery on Sept. 16 & Endeavour Mid-Nov) otherwise this would be Atlantis last mission.

Atlantis odometer currently reads about 120 million miles!!!!!!!!!!