Shuttle Atlantis Lands Safely After Final Official Mission

saintory writes "Shuttle Atlantis landed this morning after flying its final official mission. In its 25-year service, the shuttle Atlantis has logged over 120 million miles." After a successful mission to deliver a research module to the International Space Station, the craft landed at Kennedy Space Center, and will "go through the normal flow of prelaunch preparations in order to serve as the 'launch-on-need' vehicle for Endeavour's STS-134 mission, the last scheduled flight of the Space Shuttle Program." Congratulations to the people aboard and on the ground who engineered the shuttle's successful return.

Comments

Welcome home.

[Pojut]

Thank you for your years of service, Atlantis. You will be forever remembered :( Billions in bank bailouts, billions in healthcare....but ~$20 billion for NASA? Out of the question!

Re:Welcome home.

[BJ_Covert_Action]

Meh, even if all of the money towards bank bailouts and healthcare went towards NASA, I'd still like to see the shuttles retired. We can make more progress in space exploration using more modern launch systems (Falcon 9, Atlas V) and on-orbit rendezvous than we can flying the Space Shuttle. Don't get me wrong, the shuttles have provided very necessary lessons in manned-space exploration and LEO operations, but the program is almost 30 years old and has been a politicized boondoggle from the beginning. If the shuttles had actually become the quick-cycle space planes they were sold as, then maybe I would say continue the program. However, as it stands now, the shuttle program had its time. Now its time for our nation (and species) to evolve in terms of space exploration. This, of course, is just my humble opinion.

For the record, I'd like to thank the shuttle crews for their years of service as well.

Re:Welcome home.

[Anonymous Coward]

I've actually been inside the Atlantis. I was lucky enough to receive the VIP tour. I'm gonna glow your mind. The technicians there say *every inch* of wire is removed and closely examined after every launch. So yea, I would agree with OP, the shuttle basically gets gutted after launch. How much is replaced after each inspection I can't say.

Fun fact: the shuttle bay doors are only designed to be opened in space. If opened on earth their own weight would rip the hinges apart. During inspection the doors are supported by huge braces. :D
Oblig Picture:

http://imgur.com/7pBjO.jpg

http://imgur.com/qzxT6.jpg

http://imgur.com/2SPRA.jpg

http://imgur.com/EUxbD.jpg

Re:Welcome home.

[Bakkster]

I agree the shuttle has reached its end-of-life. It did years ago, and we've been bootstrapping it for quite a while.

The real shame as far as space exploration is that we have neither a domestic replacement craft, nor a plan to create one. We're supposed to just wait (and hope and pray) that the private sector can satisfy our manned launch vehicle needs, even though none of them are close. AFAIK, all the private space companies are looking at tourism, not rendesvous with the ISS, Hubble, or science missions. There's also no plan to incentivize this development that I'm aware of.

We're just letting our manned space flight program slowly fade away. Such a shame.

Re:Welcome home.

[BJ_Covert_Action]

AFAIK, all the private space companies are looking at tourism, not rendesvous with the ISS, Hubble, or science missions.

Well that's not really true, no. Both the SpaceX Dragon capsule and the Orbital Sciences capsule proposals encompass a docking interface with the ISS. As for Hubble maintenance, you're probably right, neither of those craft will be able to dock with the Hubble. But last I heard, Hubble wasn't going to be fixed again anytime soon. I thought the last maintenance mission was the final one. And as for science missions, I am not sure what science missions you are talking about. So far as I know, the shuttle no longer does any science on its own. It has become a simple ferry to the ISS where larger, more controlled, longer experiments can be set up in space.

Regarding the lack of a domestic replacement craft for the shuttle, I suggest you write to your congresscritters and give them hell for turning an engineering problem into a political boondoggle. I suggest you write to Lockheed Martin and give them hell for dragging their feet on the Orion design. I suggest you write to ATK and give them hell for lobbying to get a heavy launch vehicle design approved based on nonexistent components (Ares V and the fabled 5 stage solid rocket boosters). And, in general, I suggest you direct your ire at incompetent, over bloated national defense contractors and subcontractors that have been promising results for cheap and delivering compromises for twice the damn price. Frankly, the large players in the aerospace industry these days, are some of the most wasteful companies in existence in my opinion. Then again, I was raised with the idea that it shouldn't take three works of paperwork to change a damn screw on a piece of hardware (and yes, that last part was a personal anecdote).

Re:Welcome home.

[Chris Burke]

The real shame as far as space exploration is that we have neither a domestic replacement craft, nor a plan to create one. We're supposed to just wait (and hope and pray) that the private sector can satisfy our manned launch vehicle needs, even though none of them are close.

If you're lamenting that we didn't create and implement a realistic plan for developing a shuttle successor thirty years ago like we should have, then we're in complete agreement.

If you're lamenting the loss of the shuttle replacement program we did actually have, then, well... You should realize that private industry is quite a bit closer than that program was, even if you assume all the delays and budget overruns that have plagued that program suddenly ceased to be.

There is no scenario, starting with circumstances as they existed in 2009, where we weren't dependent on the Russians for some time, and where private industry wasn't likely to beat NASA to providing the same service.

AFAIK, all the private space companies are looking at tourism, not rendesvous with the ISS, Hubble, or science missions. There's also no plan to incentivize this development that I'm aware of.

Actually, ISS resupply missions is the very first thing SpaceX is going to be doing under contract from NASA. Science missions are one of the first uses of their Dragon capsule (called 'DragonLab') that they're planning as well. There are lots of incentives to develop this stuff, at least if the proposed NASA budget passes Congress.

My personal prediction: Private industry will be ferrying people to the ISS before 2016, the first year Ares I would have realistically yet optimistically (i.e. without further delays) have been able to do the same.

really?

[Thud457]

final official mission?

WTF are Billy-Bob and Jethro going to take it for a joyride when Ferris foolishly leaves it at a downtown Chicago parking garage?

Re:really?

[Binestar]

Atlantis is the "Emergency Rescue" shuttle for the last 2 missions, so it is possible she could fly up and recover astronauts stranded due to tile damage in one of the last 2 missions.

Re:really?

[yeremein]

It's not scheduled to fly again, but it'll be ready as a "launch-on-need" vehicle to rescue the Endeavour crew if that craft is unable to re-enter.

blue book value sucks

[SethJohnson]

Should have sold it way sooner. With that many miles, it's going to be hard to sell on Craigslist. Best might be to sell it to an unwary eBayer sight-unseen. "broken odometer"

Seth

For Sale

[KiwiCanuck]

1985 Space Shuttle (Atlantis), good condition, auto, A/C, seats 5, 52,250lbs payload, 120 million miles ("highway"), very fast ride 17,320mph, many new upgrades, serious enquiries only.

Re:For Sale

[by (1706743)]

City (atmospheric) mileage: abysmal. Highway (orbit) mileage: near infinite.

Re:For Sale

[exley]

The cost to pick up one of the shuttles is almost $30 million. They aren't being sold (at this point anyway); that number is allegedly just the cost to clean up the shuttle (removing hazardous materials, etc.), get it display-worthy, and transport it to its final location.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/25/space.shuttles.retirement/index.html

Re:And so?

[bjk002]

Not sure what scale you use to evaluate the value of /. article postings to the common nerd, but I think anything NASA has to qualify.

The sheer magnitude of R&D and technology involved with the space shuttle, its missions, and the NASA space programs in general far exceed by any measure the level of "nerdiness" required to end up on /.

It will all be worth it...

[mr_nazgul]

Space is a dangerous challenge, but the rewards will be worth it. In the end, all of man kind will benefit.
"A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner."

Hmmm...

[JasoninKS]

I wonder if any of our astronauts ever tried turning those miles into frequent flier miles.... Of course, now-a-days 120 million miles would probably only get you bumped up from sitting on the wing to being shoved in an overhead bin.

How much of the it is 25yrs old?

[L3370]

We know that it's a reusable craft/frame, but how much (if any) of it is original parts?

I imagine that the shuttle has been torn, gutted, refitted, retrofitted, and modernized many times over the 25 years. You think there's anything on the it that still has "matching serials?"

That would be neat to know.

Re:How much of the it is 25yrs old?

[vlm]

I'm guessing its like a classic airplane, so most of the airframe, most of the wiring, most of the hydraulic system.

Pretty much if its a simple bar of metal, a pipe, or a wire, its probably original. The rest of it, wellllll....

Re:How much of the it is 25yrs old?

[the_macman]

I've actually been inside the Atlantis. I was lucky enough to receive the VIP tour. I'm gonna glow your mind. The technicians there say *every inch* of wire is removed and closely examined after every launch. So yea, I would agree with OP, the shuttle basically gets gutted after launch. How much is replaced after each inspection I can't say.

Fun fact: the shuttle bay doors are only designed to be opened in space. If opened on earth their own weight would rip the hinges apart. During inspection the doors are supported by huge braces. :D
Oblig Picture:
http://imgur.com/7pBjO.jpg

  http://imgur.com/qzxT6.jpg

  http://imgur.com/2SPRA.jpg

  http://imgur.com/EUxbD.jpg

Re:How much of the it is 25yrs old?

[trout007]

I think you might be mistaken about the wire. In 2005 we had a problem with some Kapton insulation so at that time the wiring that could be reached was fully inspected visually. The high wear areas were protected with Teflon and Kapon Tape. We were developing instruments that could detect insulation breaks but that was canceled when the program was scheduled to end in 2010. So now it's just visual inspection of places that we know to be potentially high wear areas.

Re:How much of the it is 25yrs old?

[jewelises]

Wow, you just glew my mind!

Re:So long, America. It was a bumpy ride...

[vlm]

Your neighbor will get a job filling holes.

Another tiger woods joke on slashdot?

Re:Not really 120 Million Miles

[vlm]

Considering the peak for low earth orbit is around 350 km

ISS is around 380km... just saying. Also despite appearances at launch it doesn't pop straight up and down like an elevator, so the actual path traveled under power is somewhat longer than you'd think. And on landing, a crappy 3:1 glide ratio or whatever doesn't sound very impressive, but it starts from so very high altitude, that it does add up (err, multiply up, or you know what I mean)

Re:Not really 120 Million Miles

[SleazyRidr]

under conditions that would destroy any car you've ever owned full stop.

I reckon my Hummer could take it.

Re:can they use it for ISS space? spare parts?

[phaggood]

It should be parked outside just beyond the 'porch' they installed a while back; preferably sans wheels and up on cinder blocks.

Re:Not really 120 Million Miles

[quacking duck]

under conditions that would destroy any car you've ever owned full stop.

I reckon my Hummer could take it.

Your Hummer certainly uses more fuel...