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I got to check off an item on my bucket list this past weekend, well, Friday really. I went to watch the last shuttle blast off. Wow, what an experience. It was so awe inspiring, it brought tears to my eyes. How amazing to see that in real time and try to think there are human beings just above that enormous fire and blast. You could actually feel the rumble in your insides.
Anyway, what an experience. They estimated there were 70,000 people (and I believe it!) there on Friday. Apparently this may be the last one for quite some time. What a shame our current administration doesn’t feel that our space station/program should continue. Good thing he wasn’t the one responsible for funding Christopher Columbus or none of us would even be here.
If the "powers-that-be" would just realize what the space program has brought to the USA and to the entire world in science and medicine the cost alone is worth every cent -1,400 documented NASA inventions have benefited U.S. industry, improved the quality of life and created jobs for not just Americans, but around the world from kidney dialysis machines, medical CAT scans, development of a physical therapy and athletic development machine used by football teams, sports clinics and medical rehabilitation centers, dygital imaging for breast cancer (and other cancers), food preperation (and safe food storage), advanced safety of the automobile industry, not to mention computer advancement, the list goes on and on. I am so glad you got to watch it. Makes you proud doesn’t it? I know it does me.
Without trying to turn this into a political debate, this present administration will not stop until all we know is gone. This is just the beginning! I never was able to watch one lift off and I am so glad you were able to!!
That might have been the last for the Atlantis but they’ve still got a couple more Discovery shuttle missions this year.
September 16th – The STS-133 crew members are Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, Tim Kopra and Nicole Stott.
Discovery will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 4 and critical spare components to the International Space Station. This will be the 35th shuttle mission to the station.
November – The STS-134 crew members are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori.
Endeavour will deliver spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields. This will be the 36th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
If funds are available I hope to take my husband for his birthday.
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