On May 14, 2010, Space Shuttle Atlantis made is final flight. It was a bittersweet end to this shuttle’s excellent record to explore space with humans aboard. This was the only shuttle I watched go up in person after spending years watching them on television. The moment had me in tears as we witnessed history from Titusville, Florida as Atlantis took off from Cape Canaveral “The Cape” and rise up into the abyss.
Last July, we took a little ride to the entrance of Kennedy Space Center about 30 minutes before closing time. The guard was nice enough to let us drive in and take some photos. My sister & her family were here from Texas and we told the guard we were not here to visit the entire center and explained that they we would like to take some photos of Atlantis. For me, it was another moment that reminded me of the last flight and how special it was.
So happy to be back for squares in 2021!
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26 responses to “SQUARES – What Goes Up, Must Come Down”
Awesome pics capturing the last launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Is the shuttle attached to the pictured solid/liquid fuel rocket tanks, Lisa? If so, I can’t tell from this angle of the pic.
The rocket boosters were still attached and yes the red tank is still intact on my last photo. The shuttle was on the other side of the fuel tank. We did watch the two rocket boosters separate before the crowd started to disperse.
Wow, that must have been a sight to see, Lisa! I would have cried too and gotten the chills!
It was another one of those bucket list items that got checked off. Thrill of a lifetime. 🙂
Wow! That’s amazing 👏
It really was amazing! So glad it went off on the day it was scheduled. So many times they were scheduled and didn’t got off. People would travels hours and hours to see one to be disappointed. Not for us on that day. 🙂
We were were booked to see the rocket 🚀 when had our house in Florida..cancelled..lucky you.
It certainly was luck. So many times they got cancelled. 🙂
the launch must have been something to see in person!
It absolutely was incredible. I cried as I took these photos. 😊
I know that feeling of awe – I’m so happy for you that you got to experience it…
Great UP pictures!
Thanks Marilyn. Missed you last week for Birds. 😊
what wow an experience it must have been
Incredible is an understatement! I’ve been saving that for a reason to post about it. Can’t believe it has been almost 10 years. Crazy to think about. 🙂
Honoured Squares is where you decided to post 😀
Awe shucks! I love squares! I just gave you some love in my year in review. 🙂
🙂
Wow! That would be awesome to see live. I bet it was AMAZING!
It was absolutely incredible. So glad we had the opportunity to see it before the shuttle program ended. I think Endeavor was the last to go up right after Atlantis. 🙂
Lovely captures n experience…
It was awesome! You can certainly tell my old camera and lens from the one that I have now. That was 2 cameras ago. LOL! 🙂
What a lasting impression to have witnessed the space launch in person. Great photos of it, too. 🙂
It sure was and I still get choked up sometimes thinking about it. I had a similar nervous energy like when everyone watched Challenger go up and then blow up in the sky. I was so worried it would happen to Atlantis with us there, but it didn’t and all was well. 🙂
For sure! I’m glad this one was a successful launch. I do remember the Challenger, and seeing it on TV. Horrible! I remember when the shuttle Columbia exploded over TX too. One of the astronauts was from here, and we do have a statue in his honor.
We have been to the space centre it was an amazing day!