Nobody knew where we
would be 10 years ago.
It got really quiet here
at the Kennedy Space Center.
But I don't think
anyone really could have envisioned
where we are today.
And liftoff!
Liftoff! Liftoff!
July 8, 2011
Today, weather permitting,
Atlantis will display its power
and spectacle one last time
under the direction of flight
director Richard Jones.
The shuttle was sort of iconic.
You know, there weren't many
spaceships that looked like it.
There weren't any that landed like it.
And I think it had become sort of
so commonplace.
Yeah, you know, the shuttle flies
six times a year.
It has done it ever
since I was a little kid
or even before I was born.
And I think it just became a bit
of a surprise to the world
that, wow, it's it's
not going to fly anymore.
Here's our commander, Chris Ferguson.
He's in the suit up room.
Going over to pilot Doug Hurley.
And here is mission
specialist number one, Sandy Magnus.
This is Rex Walheim.
He's our mission specialist number two.
He's making his third space flight.
He spent more than 24 days in space.
It was a real honor
to be a part of the last shuttle
mission, STS- 135,
because it's such -
it was such an important mission
from the viewpoint of really showcasing
what the shuttle program accomplished
during its so 30 years.
And here they come.
I was looked upon a shuttle
flight is like preparing for Christmas.
You know,
all the work is done ahead of time.
You know, all the shopping
and the cooking.
And that's what the training is like.
You know, when you launch,
it's like Christmas Day.
You get - if you did everything
the right way, preparing for it,
it's it's all fun.
Jones has already polled his team for a
go for launch from a systems perspective,
as has the International Space Station
flight control team led today
by flight director Emily Nelson.
This is an incredibly experienced
and dedicated team
that gets the people on the orbiter.
[music builds]
OK, Fergie, we're starting to feel
pretty good down here
on the ground about this one today.
So on behalf of the
greatest team in the world,
good luck to you
and your crew on the final flight
of a true American icon.
Let's light this fire one more time
Mike and witness
this great nation at it's best.
The crew of Atlantis is ready for launch.
T minus 35, 33 ...
Clock will hold at T minus 31 seconds due to a failue.
And all of a sudden at 31
seconds, it's like, oh, we're stopping.
And we all looked around like, huh?
What do you mean we're stopping?
You don't stop .
We have 31 seconds to lifting off.
What had happened
was that the little beanie cap
that sits on top of the external tank,
you know, they get that out of the way
so so we can launch.
And when they moved it
out of the way, there was a microswitch
that was supposed to the launch control
center, "Hey, I'm out of the way.
It's safe to launch."
And that microsystem failed.
And so the launch control center wasn't
sure if it was out of the way or not.
OTC says we need to verify using a camera.
But it's just amazing how seamlessly
the entire ground game team
ended up covering it and we ended up
launching just a few minutes late.
This is CMC, we verify - retracted.
It's like, oh, wait, we're launching!
Nine, eight, seven, six ...
[Roar of engines igniting]
All three engines up and burning ...
two, one, zero and liftoff,
the final liftoff of Atlantis
on the shoulders of the space shuttle,
America will continue the dream.
Roll Program, Houston.
Roger, roll Atlantis.
Atlantis, station
on the big loop, we have you in sight.
Excellent.
We'll be there soon.
Every time I was in the shuttle
and we were rendezvous and docking
to the space station.
Every time I was awestruck
because it starts out
as this distant point of light.
And then you keep getting
closer and closer.
It's getting bigger and bigger.
And it's like, wow, look what we did.
This is a monster building
that we've built in space.
Atlantis, Aladdin,
welcome to the International Space Station
for the last time.
Big ol' Russian hug.
How you doing guys?
The crew is just wonderful.
We got along really well.
You know, I think we
we laughed at each other
and we knew when it was time to work
and we knew when it was time to,
you know, relax.
This is President Obama.
Who am I talking to?
Hello, Mr. President.
You're talking to the Increment 28 crew
and the crew of the space
shuttle Atlantis.
Oh, that's funny see,
because I was just dialing out for pizza.
I just want to say
how proud I am of all of you.
Congratulations to NASA,
to all our international partners
and all the personnel past
and present who've spent countless hours
and untold effort
making the space shuttle
and the International Space Station
a unique part of our history.
Transfer's the name of the game today,
as it will be for the next several days,
as the crew presses ahead
to complete the transfer
of almost five tons of supplies
from Raffaello to the
International Space Station that will help fortify
the complex for the next 12 months.
I have never been
so busy my whole entire life
just executing that mission on orbit.
We worked really hard,
but we had a lot of good time
while we're doing it.
Good morning, Houston.
We're getting ready for undock today.
We get to do one last lap
with Atlantis around the ISS
and then start our trip home.
Undocking confirmed.
[bell ringing]
Atlantis departing
the International Space Station
for the last time.
♫♫♫
There was one night before we landed,
we had all of our tasks done.
We were ready the next day
to deorbit and come home.
And the four of us had an opportunity
to hang out in the flight deck
and watch the world go by
and that's where we had a chance to
really focus on, wow, this is,
you know, the last night a space
shuttle is going to be on orbit.
♫♫♫
It's it's kind of interesting to be here
on the final night of a shuttle mission.
Don't quite know what to think.
We're just trying to take it all in.
There was a little part of me that was sad.
I thought this is an amazing vehicle.
You know, here it is -
It's sort of fed us and sustained us
and it got to it in space safely.
And it's going to take us home tomorrow safely.
And it's just a shame to put it to bed.
You know, there's just it seems like
there's so much more life in it,
but we understand
all good things do come to an end.
July 21, 2011
Atlantis, Houston, you are go for the deorbit burn.
And you can maneuver on time.
Landing gear down and locked.
Main gear touchdown.
Hurley now deploying the drag chute ...
Having fired the imagination
of a generation,
a ship like no other,
its place in history secured
the space shuttle pulls into port
for the last time,
its voyage at an end.
[engines power down]
Well, you're always relieved
that your mission went well
and then you got everything done
everybody wanted to get done,
so there was relief, but there was
I remember we sat there when we landed
and none of us wanted to move (laughs)
because we knew that was it.
The minute we left the shuttle, you know,
and got out of our suits,
that it was was all over.
And we're just kind of looking around, OK,
who's going to move first? (laughs)
Nobody wanted to move. (laughs)
Mission complete, Houston
after serving the world for over 30 years
the space shuttle earned
its place in history
and has come to a final stop.
We copy your wheels stop
and we'll take this opportunity
to congratulate you, Atlantis,
as well as the thousands of passionate
individuals across this great
space-faring nation
who truly empower
this incredible spacecraft,
which for three decades has inspired
millions around the globe.
Job well done, American.
[soft music]
You know, it's interesting to be,
I guess, a sort of a
a leader in the in the Boeing company
with the ability to influence
not only the design of a spacecraft,
but also have an opportunity
to talk to a lot of our young engineers.
You know, after
we successfully complete OFT-2
you know, then all eyes
are on flying the crew next.
And that's that's
going to be really exciting.
We're looking forward to that.
[epic music]
We've got SpaceX flying people.
We've got two companies ready to do
suborbital business here soon.
We've got the Artemis I launch in the near future.
I mean, there's so many things
that are now that, after
this decade ready to emerge
and really, I think, excite the public
about all the great things
we're doing in space.
You know, the space shuttle changed the way
we view the world and it's changed
the way we view our universe.
It's a lot of emotion today,
but one thing is indisputable -
America's not gonna stop exploring.
Thank you, Columbia,
Challenger, Discovery, Endeavor
and our ship, Atlantis.
Thank you for protecting us
and bringing this program
to such a fitting end.
God bless all of you,
God bless the United States of America.