The press site at the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility was filled with working press, NASA employees, contractors, and many others for this morning’s landing of space shuttle Atlantis. I had not seen nearly that many reporters and others at the Shuttle Landing Facility since the STS-7 landing attempt — the first scheduled to land the shuttle at Kennedy Space Center, which was waived off to Edwards Air Force Base. (Oh well, my “Welcome Home STS-7: First KSC Landing” bumper sticker must be worth something, eh?)
Space shuttle Atlantis lands at the Kennedy Space Center July 21, marking the end of the U.S. shuttle program // Photo by NASA/Kim Shiflett
This morning, a bright gibbous waning Moon was high in the clear sky, as was Jupiter. At about 5:47 a.m., the International Space Station (ISS) made its appearance, traveling from the southwest to the east. It was as if the ISS was leading the parade, welcoming the final shuttle mission home to the Kennedy Space Center.
Then around 5:53 a.m., the loud double boom of the shuttle awoke anyone who was asleep, as the shuttle broke the sound barrier. The double boom — versus the more-traditional single boom of an aircraft breaking the sound barrier — is due to the shuttle’s shape. People cheered, knowing all was safe and the final shuttle crew was about to arrive back home.
Right on time, Atlantis, moving from the northeast to the southwest, arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility like a ghost appearing in the dark. Only visible due to the xenon lights, the shuttle raced by us, drag parachute fully deployed. The various support vehicles began to move out in position to service Atlantis, which came to a full stop about a minute after touchdown. The United States Space Shuttle Program is now history; the Omega Mission STS-135 of Atlantis is over.
The reaction of the crowd at the Shuttle Landing Facility was interesting — very quiet. It was a somewhat somber reaction to the end of an era. A few people waved American flags. Some reporters were busy typing stories or text messaging bites. A number of television stations and network studios were broadcasting thoughts. For many at the Shuttle Landing Facility, they will be losing their jobs shortly. Many of the press will move onto other stories, but certainly all had witnessed history this morning.
More coverage of STS-135 and the end of the Space Shuttle Program