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KF5JRV > TODAY 21.07.19 13:04z 7 Lines 3544 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 10946_KF5JRV
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Subj: Today in History - Jul 21
Path: HB9ON<IW2OHX<IR1UAW<F1OYP<ON0AR<VE2PKT<N3HYM<KF5JRV
Sent: 190721/1303Z 10946@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQK6.0.18
On this day in 2011, NASA’s space shuttle program completes its final,and 135th, mission, when the shuttle Atlantis lands at Kennedy SpaceCenter in Florida. During the program’s 30-year history, its fiveorbiters—Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour—carriedmore than 350 people into space and flew more than 500 million miles,and shuttle crews conducted important research, serviced the HubbleSpace Telescope and helped in the construction of the InternationalSpace Station, among other activities. NASA retired the shuttles tofocus on a deep-space exploration program that could one day sendastronauts to asteroids and Mars.In January 1972, two-and-a-half years after America put the first man onthe moon in July 1969, President Richard Nixon publicly announced thatNASA would develop a space transportation system featuring a spacevehicle capable of shuttling “repeatedly from Earth to orbit and back.öNine years later, on April 12, 1981, at Kennedy Space Center, the firstshuttle, Columbia, lifted off on its inaugural mission. Over the courseof the next 54 hours, the two astronauts aboard NASA’s first reusablespacecraft successfully tested all its systems and orbited the Earth 37times before landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.In 1983, a second shuttle, Challenger, was put into service. It flewnine missions before breaking apart shortly after the launch of its 10thmission, on January 28, 1986. All seven crew members were killed,including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who had won a nationalcontest to be the first U.S. civilian to fly aboard the space shuttle.In the aftermath of the disaster, the shuttle program was grounded until1988.The program’s third shuttle, Discovery, made its first flight in 1984.Atlantis entered the fleet in 1985, and was followed by Endeavour in1992. The shuttle program experienced its second major disaster onFebruary 1, 2003, when just minutes before Columbia was scheduled toland at Kennedy Space Center and conclude its 28th mission, it brokeapart while re-entering the atmosphere over Texas. All seven astronautson board perished.Afterward, the shuttle fleet was grounded until July 2005, whenDiscovery was launched on the program’s 114th mission. By the timeDiscovery completed its 39th and final mission (the most of any shuttle)in March 2011, it had flown 148 million miles, made 5,830 orbits ofEarth and spent 365 days in space. Endeavour completed its 25th andfinal mission in June 2011. That mission was commanded by Capt. MarkKelly, husband of former U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.On July 8, 2011, Atlantis was launched on its 33rd mission. With fourcrew members aboard, Atlantis flew thousands of pounds of supplies andextra parts to the International Space Station; it was the 37th shuttleflight to make the trip. Thirteen days later, on July 21, Atlantistouched down at Kennedy Space Center at 5:57 a.m., after a journey ofmore than 5 million miles, during which it orbited the Earth 200 times.Upon landing, the flight’s commander, Capt. Christopher J. Ferguson,said, “Mission complete, Houston. After serving the world for over 30years, the space shuttle has earned its place in history, and it’s cometo a final stop.ö During its 26 years in service, Atlantis flew almost126 million miles, circled Earth 4,848 times and spent 307 days inspace. The estimated price tag for the entire space shuttle program,from development to retirement, was $209 billion.
73, Scott KF5JRV
Pmail: KF5JRV @ KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
Email: KF5JRV@GMAIL.com
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