History in the making: U.S. space shuttle Atlantis lifts off on final mission

By Anny Shaw

Lift off: The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis blasted off this evening in what is expected to be its final mission


The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis blasted off last night on what is expected to be its final mission.

Carrying six crew members, the space shuttle left the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 7.20pm on its last historic journey.

The shuttle should reach its destination - the International Space Station (ISS) - which was orbiting 220 miles over the South Pacific at the time of lift off on Sunday.


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All aboard: Atlantis Commander Ken Ham, right, smiles as he holds a viewing mirror reflecting pilot Tony Antonelli as the crew prepares for launch


More than 40,000 people gathered on roads nearby the NASA base and on the beaches of Florida's Space Coast, keen to witness history in the making.

The six astronauts - all men - waved and shook their fists as they headed to the launch pad this morning.

Aware of the significance of the task ahead of them, the crew said they were keeping focused on the job in hand.


Historic moment: Atlantis rocketed into orbit for the first time in 1985. This will be its 32nd trip and the 132nd shuttle flight overall


'In a lot of ways you can't afford to get too distracted,' Ken Ham, who will command Atlantis, told the BBC.

'This is the kind of thing that's going to hit all of us after the mission, when we realise what part in history we played. I think the space shuttle is the single most incredible machine humanity has ever built.'

The crew is led by Ken Ham, who will command an all-veteran flight crew including pilot Tony Antonelli, and mission specialists Michael Good, Garrett Reisman, Piers Sellers and Steve Bowen.


On a mission: The 12-day journey will see Atlantis delivering a Russian module to the ISS, as well as batteries and a communications antenna


Spectacle: More than 40,000 people gathered on roads nearby the NASA base and on the beaches of Florida's Space Coast, keen to witness history in the making


The men were given substantial breakfasts this morning, with three of them feasting on steaks and chips, one eating a cheeseburger and the other two filling up on sandwiches.

The 12-day mission will see Atlantis delivering a Russian module to the ISS, as well as batteries and a communications antenna.

Atlantis rocketed into orbit for the first time in 1985. This will be its 32nd trip and the 132nd shuttle flight overall.


Stand by: Atlantis stands ready for lift off this evening before its historic journey


On their way: Aware of the significance of the task ahead of them, the crew said they were keeping focused on the job in hand


NASA has been asked to concentrate its efforts on developing space shuttles that can reach more distant targets and to hand over missions to and from the ISS to private companies.

It is expected Atlantis will be given to a museum once it has been retired, although it will remain on standby after its mission to the ISS in case astronauts on November's Endeavour flight should need rescuing.

President Barack Obama has announced a new exploration policy that would take humans further than the ISS, beyond the Moon and even to Mars.


Final mission? The space shuttle sits on its launch pad early this morning



source :dailymail