Space Flight Archives

May 5, 2011April 13, 2022 by Ken Kremer

Alan Shepard and MESSENGER Stamps Unveiled at Kennedy Space Center Ceremony

Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter speaks in tribute to Alan B. Shepard, first American in Space. Carpenter spoke at the First-Day-of-Issue Stamp dedication ceremony at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on May 4, 2011. Credit: Ken Kremer

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – 50 Years ago this week, Alan B. Shepard became the first American to be launched into space. Shepard blasted off on May 5, 1961 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA and the US Postal Service honored Shepard’s historic achievement today (May 4) at an Official First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Alan Shepard was one of the seven Project Mercury astronauts – who will be collectively known for all eternity as – “The Original 7”.

The US Postal Service simultaneously released two new 44 cent Forever Stamps at today’s commemoration, which bookend two historic space achievements – Shepard’s inaugural manned spaceflight aboard the Mercury capsule and NASA’s unmanned MESSENGER mission which recently became the first probe from Earth to achieve orbit about the Planet Mercury.

Alan Shepard and MESSENGER First-Day-of-Issue Stamp dedication ceremony at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on May 4, 2011. Alan Shepard is the only American astronaut to be honored with his image on a US postal stamp. Credit: Ken Kremer

Fellow Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter attended the ceremony and unveiled the stamps along with Steve Masse, United States Postal Service Vice President of Finance at the Rocket Garden at the KSC Visitor Complex.

Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter poses in front of a Mercury Atlas rocket at the Rocket Garden at KSC. Carpenter was propelled to space by the Atlas rocket as the 2nd American to orbit the Earth on May 24, 1962. Credit: Ken Kremer

“Today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of many, many important issues, among them is the first steps from the home planet that were taken by the family of man,” said Carpenter.

Although Shepards suborbital flight aboard the one man “Freedom 7” Mercury capsule lasted barely 15½ minutes, the flight ignited America’s Moon landing effort and propelled American Astronaut Neil Armstrong to become the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission – one of the crowning technological achievements of the 20th Century.

The success of “Freedom 7” emboldened President John F. Kennedy to declare that America “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth,” just three weeks later on May 20.

“That was largely a response to Alan’s success,” Carpenter told the crowd of assembled officials, journalists and visitors. Also on hand for the stamp dedication was Shepard’s daughter Laura Shepard Churchly; Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator and former shuttle astronaut; Bob Cabana, KSC Director and former shuttle astronaut; and Jim Adams, NASA deputy director, Planetary Science.

“A decision was made not to put 44 cents on the stamp, but it is forever,” Carpenter emphasized. “It is appropriate to the time we should honor and remember Alan B Shepard and Freedom 7.”

Alan Shepard display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Credit: Ken Kremer

Shepard’s tiny capsule measured just six feet by six feet, reached a maximum speed of 5,100 MPH, roughly eight times the speed of sound, and a zenith of 116 miles above the Earth. Freedom 7 was bolted atop a Redstone rocket that generated only 78,000 pounds of thrust, followed a ballistic arc and landed 300 miles down range in the ocean.

“These stamps, which will go out by the millions across this country, are a testament to the thousands of NASA men and women who shared dreams of human spaceflight and enlarging our knowledge of the universe,” said Bolden.
Shepard’s flight and MESSENGER both blasted off from launch pads quite close to one another at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station which is adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center.

Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter is applauded at tribute to Alan B. Shepard, first American in Space ceremony at the Rocket Garden at KSC on May 4, 2011. Credit: Ken Kremer

On Thursday May 5, watch for my on site coverage of NASA’s special ceremony marking the 50th Anniversary of Shepard’s milestone “Freedom 7” mission – and an interview with Scott Carpenter.

Shepard’s mission came barely three weeks after Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. The bold flights of these brave Cosmonauts and Astronauts – backed by a few insightful political leaders – began the Era of Human Spaceflight. As the shuttle program winds to a close, the future of US Human Spaceflight is very uncertain.

Read my related articles about Yuri Gagarin and the 50th Anniversary of Human Spaceflight:

Yuri Gagarin and Vostok 1 Photo Album – 50th Anniversary of Human Spaceflight
Countdown to Yuri’s Night and the 50th Anniversary of Human Spaceflight !
Stirring Video Tributes to Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin From the Earth to Mars Tribute

NASA Administrator and former shuttle astronaut Charles Bolden praises Alan Shepard at KSC stamp unveiling ceremony on May 4, 2011. Credit: Ken Kremer

May 4, 2011December 24, 2015 by Jason Major

USPS Commemorates Spaceflight Past and Present

Postage stamps honoring Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, America’s first man in space, and NASA’s MESSENGER probe, the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, will be presented on May 4th at a public event taking place at the Aviation Heritage Park in Dayton, Ohio.

Alan Shepard poses in his pressure suit before his historic flight on May 5, 1961. Credit: NASA.

The first stamp salutes NASA’s Project Mercury, America’s first manned spaceflight program, and astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr.’s historic sub-orbital flight on May 5, 1961 aboard the spacecraft Freedom 7.

The other stamp highlights NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft currently exploring the planet Mercury. It successfully established orbit around the planet on March 18, 2011, the first spacecraft ever to do so.

These two historic missions frame a remarkable fifty-year period in which the U.S. has advanced space exploration through more than 1,500 manned and unmanned flights.

Both stamps were designed by professional artist Donato Giancola of Brooklyn, NY, who based the stamp designs on NASA photos and images.

Both stamps will be issued as “Forever Stamps” for use in mailing a one-ounce letter. Regardless of when the stamps are purchased and no matter how postage prices may change, these stamps will always be equal to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.

NASA's Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket, with Alan Shepard inside the Freedom 7 capsule, launches from Cape Canaveral on May 5, 1961. Credit: NASA.

Stamps are now available online at the US Postal Service store here.

May 3, 2011April 26, 2016 by Nancy Atkinson

Astronaut On Board ISS Gets Word of Mother’s Death

Paolo Nespoli with his mother in November 2010, shortly before he was launched to the International Space Station. Credits: ESA

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ISS astronaut Paolo Nespoli from Italy received some sad news while in orbit on the International Space Station: his mother, Maria Motta, has died following an illness. She was 78. This is the second time an ISS astronaut has lost a mother during a long duration mission. U.S. astronaut Daniel Tani’s mother was killed in an accident during the midst of Tani’s ISS expedition in 2007. Nespoli is not scheduled to return to Earth for another three weeks.

Nespoli knew his mother was ill. According to the Associated Press, Nespoli’s family members who live near Milan, Italy have been able to stay in touch with Nespoli with a video system set up in his mother’s home by the European Space Agency. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, and officials at the European Space Agency said that in such an instance it might be possible to set up a satellite hookup so the absent astronaut could participate in the services.

Just before Nespoli launched on his first mission to space in 2007, his father passed away.

UPDATE: At 15:05 CEST on Wednesday, May 4, the ISS will fly over @Astro_Paolo’s hometown and the crew will observe 1 minute silence. ESA is asking anyone who wishes to participate on their own to please do so.

Anyone interested in expressing their condolences to Paolo can send cards to:

Paolo Nespoli
ESA – European Astronaut Centre
Linder Höhe
D-51147 Cologne
Germany

or on Twitter:
@Astro_Paolo

The STS-134 shuttle will bring Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori to the space station, and Italians were anticipating having two of their countrymen aboard the ISS at once, and plans were in place for Pope Benedict to call the two astronauts while they were in orbit. The technical problems with shuttle Endeavour has caused a delay in the launch, however, with NASA officials saying the shuttle won’t be able to launch any earlier than May 10. Italian officials are hopeful the shuttle won’t be delayed further so that the meetup in space will still be possible.

ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli works with an experiment on board the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

May 2, 2011December 24, 2015 by Jason Rhian

Behind the Scenes at SpaceX’s Space Launch Complex 40

SpaceX's Director of Mission Assurance and Integration, Scott Henderson, discusses the benefits of horizontal integration inside the hangar of Space Launch Complex 40. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian

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CAPE CANAVERAL – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) took members of the media on a tour of Launch Complex 40, where the NewSpace firm has successfully launched two of its Falcon 9 rockets and one of its Dragon spacecraft (the first entity other than nations or government bodies to do so). For the media, this tour was an eye-opening experience.

SpaceX had obviously worked long and hard to allow the world to get a grasp what it is that they are doing – while at the same time avoiding International Travel in Arms Regulations (ITAR) related issues. In a well-choreographed affair the tour was split into two separate groups, one checked out the Falcon 9 hangar, while the other group inspected the launch pad that sent last December’s Falcon 9 flight on its date with history.

889882161_42mpu-L — The first Falcon 9 rocket takes off from Space Launch Complex 40 on June 8, 2010. Photo Credit: Alan Walters/awaltersphoto.com

One enters the hangar and is greeted by the impressive site of nine Merlin engines facing them – the business end of the next Falcon 9 rocket being prepped for launched. Despite the eye-candy on display it is the simple elegance of what is described that sells this place. The horizontally integration system allows the rocket to be extremely mobile (about four people could move one of the rocket’s stages around). The system’s frictionless design is what allows SpaceX such ease of mobility.

Members of the media listen to a description of the hangar housing the next Falcon 9 rocket that is being prepared for launch. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian

“Our concept of operations is unlike anybody else’s that is flying these days with the exception of the Russians and maybe Sea Launch,” said SpaceX’s Director of Mission Assurance and Integration Scott Henderson. “We use horizontal integration, we will build an entire booster here in the hangar so you have the first stage and the interstage are here now, the second stage will arrive, the Dragon and trunk will arrive and we’ll put all that together, test it inside the hangar and then when we are ready to roll out for launch we’ll open this hangar door, you saw the vertical transporter-erector outside, that would lower down on pistons, we’d roll that whole structure…into the hangar drive the transporter-erector beneath the rocket, then roll out to the launch pad and lift it vertical.”

To ensure that everyone was afforded the opportunity to check out SLC 40, former astronaut Ken Bowersox now SpaceX's vice president of Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance gave up his seat and sat in the bus' stairwell. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian

After this segment of the tour wraps up we move outside to the launch pad. The most striking contrast to other launch sites at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is that it isn’t vertically-based. Rather the Falcon 9 rolls out horizontally and is moved into the vertical position much in the same way as the Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles are. Also, the launch pad has been simplified, this highlights SpaceX’s philosophy as well as helps the company. If something does get damaged during launch, it requires minimal effort to repair and reset the launch pad for the next mission on the horizon.

Space Launch Complex 40 stands ready to send another Falcon 9 to orbit. Photo Cedit Jason Rhian

May 1, 2011April 13, 2022 by Ken Kremer

Endeavour’s Final Launch further delayed another Week or more

Space Shuttle Endeavour awaits launch sometime in May from Pad 39 A following launch scrub on April 29, 2011 at 3;47 p.m. Endeavour and her 6 man crew will deliver the $2 Billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station which seeks to unveil the Unknown and uncover the birth of the Universe. Credit: Ken Kremer

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – The final launch of shuttle Endeavour will be further delayed, perhaps by a week or more – to May 6 or 11 time frame – as technicians working at the pad seek to determine the cause of the failure of multiple heaters in auxiliary power unit-1 (APU) which caused the scrub of Endeavour’s launch attempt on Friday, with just 4 hours remaining in the countdown. The six man crew of Endeavour had just departed for the launch pad inside the Astrovan and was forced to turn around soon thereafter. We saw them pass us by, heading back to crew quarters to await a resolution of the issues.

The launch delay came as a huge disappointment to NASA and the enormous crowd estimated at 750.000 people who came to Florida to watch the momentous liftoff in person for what many call a “life changing experience”. Even President Obama and the entire first family were on hand to witness Endeavour’s launch. But the top priority is to launch the shuttle safely and the launch team emphasized that they made absolutely no changes to the countdown procedures.

Repairs to Space Shuttle Endeavour are in progress at the launch pad. Arrow shows location of access door used by technicians to swap out the faulty Aft Load Control Assembly (ALCA-2) near the main engines. Credit: Ken Kremer

On Saturday, technicians gained access to Endeavour’s aft fuselage which houses the components suspected to have malfunction and found that the cockpit control fuse panel is working. They also verified that thermostats associated with the failed APU heaters are still not working. This indicates that the root cause of the malfunction lies deeper inside the orbiter and it will take longer for technicians to access and fix whatever is causing the problem.

APU-1 is located on the left side of the orbiter in the aft section behind the end of the payload bay.

The heaters play a critical role in keeping the APU hydrazine fuel from freezing in orbit and remain in a fluid state. If the hydrazine were to freeze and then thaw back to a liquid, it would expand and potentially rupture the fuel lines with devastating consequences.

Diagram shows location of all 3 Shuttle APU's. Credit: NASA

The orbiter has three APU’s. Only one is required to fly safely. Three units provide redundancy and all must be in working order before launch. Otherwise the launch commit criteria would be violated, forcing a launch scrub. The APUs provide the hydraulics to maneuver the main engine nozzles, elevons, rudder, body flap, landing gear brakes and nose wheel steering system.

Technical teams got to work inside the orbiter on Saturday after the rotating service structure was rolled back around the orbiter to enable access. If the problem is deeper within the orbiter at the Load Control Assembly it will take several additional days to fix the problem. Retesting of any new components inside the LCA will take at least 48 hours. Furthermore if any ordnance needs to be disconnected, a further delay of multiple additional days is inevitable.

In order to launch Endeavour on Monday, May 2, at 2:34 p.m. EDT, NASA must resume the countdown on Sunday afternoon. NASA only has until May 4 to get Endeavour off the ground until they would be forced to stand down to make way for the May 6 blastoff of an Atlas V rocket carrying an Air Force early-warning missile detection satellite.

NASA officials are in touch with Air Force officials to determine if the Air Force could be flexible in changing their launch date in the event that Endeavour would be ready to launch on the blackout dates of May 5 to 7.

NASA will hold a news briefing at 2 p.m. on Sunday to update reporters on the situation.

April 29, 2011December 24, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Endeavour’s Launch Delayed at Least 72 Hours

Endeavour on the launchpad -- still. Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com) for Universe Today.

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Endeavour’s final launch will have to wait a little longer. Problems with the the APU heaters on the shuttle has forced a scrub of today’s planned launch to the International Space Station. The APU system provides power to the hydraulic system for the orbiter.

“Our NASA launch director Mike Leinbach has made the decision that we’re not able to resolve this situation with the APU heaters in time to make a launch attempt today,” said NASA TV launch commentator George Diller. “There’s not a way to do the kind of troubleshooting we need to do and still be able to stay in a count configuration. So we will be scrubbing for today.”

Leinbach later confirmed in an interview on NASA TV that the earliest the team can turn things around is 72 hours. “Today the orbiter is not ready to fly and we always say in this business we will not fly until we are ready and unfortunately we just aren’t ready,” Leinbach said.

A launch on Monday, May 2 would be at 2:33 p.m. EDT.

Besides figuring out and understanding the problem, it will take time to turn around the payloads. The launch team will meet soon to put together a plan for a new target launch based on the work that has to be performed. First the external fuel tank has to be unloaded so the troubleshooting can begin.

We’ll provide an update from our team on hand at Kennedy Space Center when more information is available.

The delay will disappoint hundreds of thousands of people who came to Florida to watch the launch, including President Obama and his family and STS-134 commander Mark Kelly’s wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded by a shooter in January.

You can see a video of Mike Leinbach’s explanation of the problem below.

April 29, 2011December 24, 2015 by Ken Kremer

On the Cusp of Endeavour’s Final Flight

Space Shuttle Endeavour awaits launch from Pad 39 A on April 29, 2011 at 3;47 p.m. Endeavour and her 6 man crew will deliver the $2 Billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station which seeks to unveil the Unknown and uncover the birth of the Universe. Credit: Ken Kremer

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, April 28 – All systems are GO here at the Kennedy Space Center as the countdown clocks tick down to the final launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Supercool cryogenic fuels are now being loaded into the External Tank as of Friday morning. The STS-134 launch is slated for Friday, April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT.

Stormy weather, heavy rain and hours of crackling thunder passed over the launch pad Thursday evening and it was very uncertain if the launch could take place as scheduled on Friday. NASA technicians were pulled back from checking the shuttle stack for any signs of damage during the thunder strikes. Luckily there were no thunder strikes with ½ mile of the pad and no damage to the shuttle or the pad launch systems.

Update Note: Progress 42 P just docked at the ISS friday morning:

Universe Today photographer Alan Walters told me that hail fell late Thursday in nearby Titusville, just 12 miles from Shuttle Launch Pad 39 A while I was at the KSC Press Site some three miles away from the pad.

Shuttle launch officials delayed the retraction of the massive Rotating Service Structure (RSS) which protects the orbiter from bad weather and flying debris. RSS retraction had been planned for 7:00 p.m. and finally started just before midnight. The RSS must be pulled away from the orbiter soon in order to commence loading of the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel into the External Tank.

At Thursdays news briefing, NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding said that the countdown was proceeding well with no technical problems of any significance. The weather was the only concern with a forecast of 70% favorable conditions due to the potential for exceeding the launch criteria for cross winds.

“Everything’s going well out at pad A,” he said. “We don’t have any issues right now that we’re tracking.”
Local official expect massive crowds of tourists and onlookers numbering 700,000 or more and massive post launch traffic jams.

If you come to the launch bring lots of food and water and expect a LONGGG wait going home or to your hotels. So bring some entertainment and enjoy the shuttle show. The Shuttle launch team is ecstatic and proud that the public is responding with overwhelming interest in this uniquely American enterprise.

The primary task of the STS-134 mission is to deliver the $2 Billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station which. AMS is a particle detector searching for dark energy, dark matter and anti matter to elucidate the birth of the Universe.

Watch for continuing Shuttle Launch Updates here at Universe Today

Lightning Strikes near Endeavour on April 28 at the Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Ken Kremer

Endeavour unveiled for flight after thunderstorm pass over Kennedy Space Center on April 28. Credit: Ken Kremer

April 28, 2011December 24, 2015 by Ken Kremer

Brush Fires Erupt at Kennedy Space Center during Endeavour’s Last Countdown

Brush fires send billowing smoke skywards at the Kennedy Space Center on April 27, just 2 days before the last launch of Shuttle Endeavour. Credit: Ken Kremer

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – A large brush fire suddenly broke out this today (April 27) less than 1 mile fom the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Press Site in the midst of the countdown to Space Shuttle Endeavour’s last launch, set for this Friday, April 29.

Huge plumes of billowing smoke were sent skyward over the spaceport starting around 1 p.m. from the fires and were spread out over more than 100 acres. The fires erupted at some distance behind the NASA Tweeters tent erected at the press site and were located just 3 miles from the shuttle launch pad. The cause of the fires is unknown but occurred after a long spell of dry weather at KSC.

Brush fire view from the countdown clock at press site at the Kennedy Space Center on April 27. Helicopters dumped water from buckets to bring the fire under control. Credit: Ken Kremer

Helicopters and NASA Firefighters were called in to put out the fires. Fire trucks careened past the countdown clock towards the nearby fire. The helicopters flew back and forth all afternoon dumping buckets of seawater onto the wildfires trying to bring it under control.

“The shuttle launch pad was never in any danger due to the Turn basin in between and it hasn’t impacted any launch operations,” KSC spokesman Allard Beutel told Universe Today.

The Universe Today team of Alan Walters and Ken Kremer witnessed the spectacular and potentially frightening scene first hand and onsite.

It looked like Armageddon all afternoon long and was finally contained tonight. Nothing like this ever occurred so close to a launch and its not clear if the fire would have caused a scrub on launch day. Check out our up close photo album.

NASA Fire truck at the Countdown clock during brushfires at KSC. Credit: Ken Kremer

NASA Fire brigade responds to KSC brush fire. Credit: Ken Kremer

Firefighters at KSC brush fire. Credit: Ken Kremer

A member of the KSC fire crew assesses the fire situation. Credit: Alan Walters.

A helicopter flies through the smoke and haze at KSC on April 27 during the brushfire. Credit: Alan Walters.

Photographers set up in attempt to photograph Endeavour on the launchpad, but smoke hinders their view. Credit: Alan Walters.

Fire at Kennedy Space Center, April 27, 2011. Credit: Alan Walters.

April 27, 2011December 24, 2015 by Jason Rhian

Several Student-Led Experiments to Fly on Endeavour

Several student experiments will travel with the more famous Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 on the shuttle Endeavour. Image Credit: NASA.gov

[/caption]CAPE CANAVERAL – STS-134, the final flight of the space shuttle Endeavour – is set to carry several experiments of students from the middle school, high school and collegiate levels. Two of these payloads are sponsored by the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium.

The first experiment is one that could provide some guidance on future long-duration space flight missions, it deals with seed germination. As missions take astronauts further and further away from Earth, they will need to be able to produce their own food. Learning everything possible about the effects of micro-gravity on seeds therefore is viewed as relevant and important research.

41573_146177755424611_7550_n — Student Spaceflight Experiments Program is working to ensure that the shuttle program maximizes its potential as a tool for education. Image Credit: SSEP

“Crystal Lake Middle Schools’ students and staff members are grateful that the Florida Space Grant Consortium has provided funding that will allow one of our student experiments to fly aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in low Earth orbit for 14 days,” said the Magnet Programs Coordinator for Crystal Lake Middle School, Lenecia McCrary. “The students entered a school-wide competition that involved proposing and designing real and practical experiments. The chosen experiment deals with investigating the effects of micro-gravity on apple seed germination.”

A little higher up on the educational ladder is the STEM Bar experiment being flown on STS-134. High school students Mikayla and Shannon Diesch won the 2010 Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Award and will be at the launch watching as Endeavour takes their newly developed STEM Bar to the International Space Station. The STEM Bar was developed using NASA’s food safety standards and certified to fly on STS-134.

Another experiment, one comprised of squid embryos is being spearheaded by the University of Florida and will research the physiological impact of the micro-gravity environment on the animal’s growth and development.
“The Squids in Space project is a cohesive effort in which the full range of NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium supported categories work together on an experiment destined to fly on what will be the last flight of space shuttle Endeavour,” said Florida Space Grant Consortium Director Jaydeep Mukherjee. “This team, which is composed of Florida colleges and high school students and led by University of Florida PhD research scientist Jamie Foster, will connect the three tiers of education in an experiment studying the effects of microgravity on squid embryos.”

This experiment rack will allow astronauts to study how certain bacteria within squid embryos change in the microgravity environment. Photo Credit: NASA FSGC

The inclusion of these student experiments on board Endeavour is viewed by those sponsoring and supporting these student-led experiments as evidence of NASA’s commitment to educational outreach. NASA has to maximize every square inch of space on the orbiters to stock up the space station for the post-shuttle era. As such, clearing room for these experiments highlights is viewed as an expression of the high value that the space agency places on education. After the launch of Endeavour only a single shuttle flight remains in the program, STS-135 which is slated for liftoff on June 28 on space shuttle Atlantis.

squidums — Students from the University of Florida are sending squid embryos into space on space shuttle Endeavour's final mission. Photo Credit: NASA FSGC

April 26, 2011December 24, 2015 by VirtualAstro

Shuttle Endeavour Will Be Visible Over UK Just After Final Launch

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On April 29th, 2011, the space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to blast off for the last time, delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station.

If you live in the UK you can watch the launch live on NASA TV and a number of other sites on the internet, but that’s not all you can do! You may be able to watch it fly over the UK with your very own eyes about 20 minutes later!

Yes! You can watch the Shuttle fly over the UK roughly 20 minutes after launch (launch time is currently set for 3:47 p.m. EDT – 8:47 p.m. UK Time) if the timing is right and skies are clear. It will be accompanied by its bright orange external fuel tank as it sails across the sky.

I was lucky to see and actually film this in August 2009 with the launch of STS-128 Space Shuttle Discovery.

How to see it? Go outside roughly 15 – 20 minutes after launch and you could see two bright objects similar to what the ISS looks like when it passes over, moving at roughly the same speed. These bright objects in parallel to each other will follow a similar track in the sky to what the ISS does, but it will be the Shuttle Endeavour and its separated external fuel tank!

Hope for clear skies and that the launch isn’t delayed, as this may be our last chance ever of seeing a space shuttle fly over the UK just after launch.

Checkout NASA’s listing of sighting opportunities for your area.

Good luck to the crew of the shuttle and to everyone trying to spot it in the sky on Friday!