STS-132: The Final Planned Flight of Atlantis
 

Lift-off scheduled for 2:20 EDT today. This will be Atlantis' 32nd trip into space and her last. Only two more shuttle flights are scheduled after STS-132.

You can view the launch here

WHY ARE WE WASTING MONEY ON THIS WHEN THE ECONOMY IS IN THE TANK?











Just thought I'd get that out of the way early. :)

Track when Atlantis and the ISS are viewable in your area here:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/

Until Atlantis docks with, and just after separation from the ISS, some lucky viewers will get to see them fly by as a pair.

Well done. In case you've never seen this, I highly recommend it. They are visible with the naked eye and look like a very bright star moving quickly across the sky.

Sad we're running out of shuttles. I always get a kick out of seeing them and the ISS pass over as a pair.

It's bitter-sweet for me. The orbiters are neat and all, but way too expensive and mission capability sucks. They also have a major design flaw. If they keep flying them, they'll lose another one.

So, we get to hitch rides with the Russians from now on.

Have you ever watched one of their delivery vehicles link up to the ISS? I'm assuming you'd be able to see it just like a shuttle, maybe not as bright though. Maybe I'm wrong.

No, I have not.

Hatch closed.

T - 1:50:50

Sweet. I forgot all about this. I should drive over there and watch the lift-off.

T - 15:30

There will be another hold at T - 9:00

T - 9:00 and holding

No constraints. Count resume.

T - 9:00 and counting!

Access arm retract.

Start auxiliary power units (T-5 minutes, 0 seconds)

Arm solid rocket booster range safety safe and arm devices (T-5 minutes, 0 seconds)

Looks like a beautiful day for a launch.

Beanie cap retract

Crew members close and lock their visors (T-2 minutes, 0 seconds)

Ground launch sequencer is go for auto sequence start (T-31 seconds)

Activate launch pad sound suppression system (T-16 seconds)

Activate main engine hydrogen burnoff system (T-10 seconds)

Lift-off!

Roll

Throttle down

Max-Q

Throttle up

Takes my breath away every time.

19 miles up 2,500 mph

Whooohoo!

Booster sep

Zaragoza on two

3,700 mph, 47 miles up

Negative return

Always awesome.

6,000 mph, 62 miles

Always = two more

Press to ATO

67 miles up, 6,800 mph

7700 mph......

What a rush that would be.....

Yeah. Twilight of an era.

Press to MECO

13,000 mph, 64 miles

Max G

15,500 mph, 64 miles

MECO!

She's in orbit.

Well, it <i>was</i> a beautiful day for a launch..I stepped outside to watch Atlantis for the last time...Hopefully I'll be able to see the next two launches as well...I'll be watching the end of an era...

My brother used to live in Titusville near Canaveral I went down to see him and got to watch a shuttle launch once. It was awesome.

End of an era for sure. Really screwing the economy on the space coast as well.