Skip to main content

NASA Rolls Out Shuttle Atlantis for Final Time

CAPE CANAVERAL:  The US space agency sent its last shuttle, Atlantis, out to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center so it can prepare for the final launch of the American shuttle program in July.

The shuttle began its trek at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT) on Tuesday.

The familiar ritual of rolling a massive shuttle from the Vehicle Assembly Building on a slow journey along a stone-covered crawlerway was a powerful symbol to the thousands of NASA employees who gathered to watch it go.

Atlantis's mission, STS-135, is set to launch on July 8 toward the International Space Station and will be the last journey by a US shuttle before the three-decade program officially draws to a close.

The end of the US shuttle program leaves Russia as the only nation capable of toting astronauts into space until a replacement US vehicle can be built, likely no earlier than 2015. Newsteam

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ellie goulding singing at the Royal Wedding

In a recent interview to Standard Magazine singer Ellie Goulding talks about her encounter to the royal couple and how they invited her to sing at their wedding. The forces aligned neatly in May for this episode: Osama bin Laden's death had been announced five days earlier; the show started strong with Fred Armisen as bin Laden and later had Jason Sudeikis as Satan, I've had my real rock'n'roll phase and I don't want to go back to it because I wasn't in a good place then.  I didn't realise where I was heading. And I didn't realise I'd end up here.' In 2011 she will take on her first American tour after the American release of Bright Lights and see the release of her collaboration with Tinie Tempah when his single “Wonderman” is released. And that's my dark side, I suppose, and I have to accept it will never fully leave me. The 24-year-old singer was introduced to the couple in May 2010 after her performance at the Radio 1'...

Film Star Rami Reddy passes away

Film actor Rami Reddy, known for playing the role of a villain in Telugu and Hindi films, passed away in Hyderabad on Thursday. Rami Reddy became popular with his role in Ankusam. He acted in as many as 250 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and Bhojpuri. The final rites would be carried out at Punjagutta crematorium in Hyderabad Thursday evening. Reddy, who was undergoing treatment for the past couple of weeks, died at a private hospital in Secunderabad at around 11 a.m. on Thursday morning. He is survived by two daughters and a son. The final rites would be conducted at Punjagutta crematorium here this evening. Hailing from Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, Reddy started his career as a journalist before entering the film industry. Rami Reddy became popular with his role in Ankusam. He acted in as many as 250 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and Bhojpuri. The final rites would be conducted at Punjagutta crematorium here this evening...

josh hamilton died,,,when he was trying to catch a foul ball

A tragic accident occurred Thursday in Arlington, Texas, where the Texas Rangers were playing the Oakland Athletics, when a 39-year-old fan fell to his death after trying to catch a foul ball thrown by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. Oh how things have changed in a single year for LeBron James. It's been 365 days since the infamous "Decision" and I'm not sure that time has heeled this particular wound. Still, in the grand scheme of things, you'd have to say James, the Heat, and the NBA don't regret "the Decision"...ESPN might. In one year, the Heat came within a few games of a championship, James shook off some of his critics (at least through the Eastern Conference Finals), and the NBA Finals received tremendous ratings. night died after Josh Hamilton tossed a foul ball to him in the second inning. Shannon Stone, a Brownwood, Texas, firefighter attending the game with his young son, was along the left field outfield wall and fell throu...