Jun
08
Space shuttle Atlantis is a little over four hours from launch. This is going to be an exciting mission to the international space station where the crew is going to add a couple more trusses and another solar array to “balance out” the space station. Currently the orbiting lab looks unbalanced (although there really is no balance in zero-g) with only one solar array “wing.”
I am looking forward to watching the launch scheduled for 7:38 EDT and a new desktop wallpaper shot of the station after this assembly mission is complete.
Saw it live on TV. I was about to drive to it to shoot photos with some friends (I’m about 185 miles out), but couldn’t make it.
Here are some of my friend’s shots.
Spectacular launch and one of the cleanest countdowns I have witnessed. Your friend has some interesting pictures for sure.
I talked to Jeff Zinnert (sales guy at Stonefield) just before the launch. He was out at the cape and was wondering if I had the latest status and wanted me to call him if the launch was scrubbed so they could beat the traffic home.
I watched/listened to NASA TV over the Web while I worked and then switched to CNN live. NASA TV was on a 45 second delay so I am glad I jumped on CNN for the live coverage. Miles O’Brien does a good job explaining things that are going on and has more knowledge about the shuttle program than most talking heads. Unfortunately Wolf Blitzer kept pushing in to the broadcast and did not have anything to add except to make sure he was getting air-time and reminding people he was still there.