Kennedy Space Center, May 14th, 2010.
I was privileged to travel to the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch of Atlantis on what was then the "final scheduled" flight of the orbiter (STS-132). This video is my homage to the shuttle program through the in-depth experience of a single orbiter launch. I believe we should be thankful for the Atlantis orbiter, all her astronauts, the countless NASA staff who made her fly, and the American people who created a space vehicle of extraordinary power and grace.
This footage incorporates numerous camera views from the ground, the footage I took during launch, and video and audio from NASA showing the orbiter stack itself during takeoff and flight. I hope you enjoy the experience of launch preparation and the resulting eight-and-a-half-minute exhilarating ride into space.
In places, the timeline of the actual events has been extended to allow viewing of several different viewpoints of the same moment. This creative decision aims to bask in the experience from many angles and celebrate the amazing feat of launching a spacecraft into orbit.
I hope you enjoy the ride!
MORE BACKGROUND
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After this flight, Atlantis was processed and prepared to fly one last time... this time as "on-call" STS-335, which would remain flight-ready, should either of the remaining two orbiters' flights require a rescue mission. Thankfully, such a rescue flight was not needed and Congress appropriated funds to extend the program to allow the "flight ready" Atlantis to launch one last time, becoming the last shuttle mission (STS-135) of the Shuttle Program.
Atlantis now has a permanent home on display at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Errata: A video editing error at the end of the video states the launch was in 2012, rather than the correct year of 2010.
MUSIC TRACKS (In order of appearance)
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1) Band Of Brothers Suite Two, Band Of Brothers, (Michael Kamen)
2) Rise, The Space Between Us, (Craig Armstrong)
3) After The Storm, The Space Between Us, (Craig Armstrong)
4) After Antietam, Glory Soundtrack, (James Horner)
5) Now We Are Free (Juba's Mix), Gladiator: More Music From The Motion Picture, (Hanz Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard)
6) Hymn, The Space Between Us, (Craig Armstrong)