Atlantis, Launch due 14:28 EST, 19:28 UTC

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/cdt/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

We have a "go"---->in 30 seconds.
T-9 and counting...

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I watched it live on NASA TV online. British TV stations rarely carry anything about NASA unless there is some sort of problem, I suppose good news does not make TV ratings!

Atlantis has launched, Now there are only 5 more shuttle flights to go, Before the 3 remaining Shuttles are most likely scrapped or made into museum pieces maybe.

Two of them should be left with the station for safety and/or utility service...Just an Idea.

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I Desire Peace and Justice, Jim Scott (Mod-Ret.)

I don't think the space shuttle could be transported to orbit, shut down and be expected to restart without problems. If nothing else the liquid oxygen and hydrogen would gas off and need to be replaced before the shuttle could be used again.

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Atlantis has launched, Now there are only 5 more shuttle flights to go, Before the 3 remaining Shuttles are most likely scrapped or made into museum pieces maybe.

Two of them should be left with the station for safety and/or utility service...Just an Idea.

They aren't Russian, they need service in the shop every 15 days!

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Atlantis has launched, Now there are only 5 more shuttle flights to go, Before the 3 remaining Shuttles are most likely scrapped or made into museum pieces maybe.

They definitely will not be scrapped, but they will go to museums.

The Smithsonian gets first pick.

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Atlantis has launched, Now there are only 5 more shuttle flights to go, Before the 3 remaining Shuttles are most likely scrapped or made into museum pieces maybe.

Two of them should be left with the station for safety and/or utility service...Just an Idea.

They aren't Russian, they need service in the shop every 15 days!

That isn't the issue as much as you'd think.

The Shuttle uses a lot of electricity to run, and uses fuel cells for power. While at the station, they can tie to station power to offset that SOME, but as Dena pointed out, the tanks can't hold super-cold fuels forever.

The Soyuz is solar powered, and doesn't have nearly the number of systems, but they're only good on-orbit for about six months.

That's one of the reasons they use them for crew rotation -- they gotta come down anyway.

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Wow! Best Space Shuttle launch I've seen in a long time!
Here's an HD link: STS-129 Launch in Full HD.

Will be sad when these vehicles retire, but I'm all for Project Constellation as well...

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- Luke.

Thanks Luke.

Great video.

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

Wow! Best Space Shuttle launch I've seen in a long time!
Here's an HD link: STS-129 Launch in Full HD.

Will be sad when these vehicles retire, but I'm all for Project Constellation as well...

Great vid Luke, thanks for the link.

Always amazes me watching this event.

5 miles per second, eh?

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Landing due at KSC today.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Atlantis is down and safe.

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