Members of the Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors, accompanied by astronomy faculty and UW Foundation staff, traveled to the Kennedy Space Flight Center to see the final launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on May 14.
NASA chief-of-staff and Astronomy alumnus Dave Radzanowski (BS'88) provided VIP opportunities for the Board, including getting very up close and personal with Space Shuttle Endeavor in the Orbiter Processing Facility.
Wonderfully, after months of planning by NASA and the Board, the launch was on time and a complete success.
The sound was impressive as expected; more surprising was the brightness of the solid rocket booster exhaust — like a small bit of the Sun lifting the shuttle from the launchpad.
As Atlantis disappeared from view in its chase of the International Space Station, which had just passed overhead, all felt inspired by the launch, mixed with a bit of bittersweet feelings knowing that only a couple more Shuttle launches remain to inspire others younger than us.
As a postscript, Jere Fluno reported that twelve days later he left his dentist's chair in Florida and went outside to hear Atlantis' sonic boom as it came overhead for its final landing.
