In Flight USA Article Categories
In Flight USA Articles
An Interview with NASA’s STS 135 Crew… Is it an end of an era?
By Pete Trabucco
In order from left to right: Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus, Shuttle Pilot Douglas Hurley, Pete Trabucco, Commander Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim (Pete Trabucco)It’s hard to believe that the NASA Space Shuttle program is actually at an end. It wasn’t very long ago we were marveling at this new flying vehicle that could not only orbit the earth but also glide back from the heavens to be reused over and over again. Thirty years ago, NASA launched Columbia, the first space shuttle, on a two-day mission to circle the Earth. Aboard the space vehicle were veteran astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen. Since then, 135 shuttle missions (at an average cost of 1.4 billion dollars per flight) on five different shuttles has carried more than 350 astronauts into space. This represents almost 70 percent of the 523 people (since the beginning of spaceflight) from all nations that have been in space. Indeed, it was a vehicle unparalleled by any that have come before. This past July the last of these incredible vehicles, Atlantis, left Pad 39A at Cape Canaveral for the final time and since then has successfully completed its mission and has been recorded in the history books for all of us to remember.
Astronaut For A Day: STS 132 and the Ship Atlantis
By Pete Trubucco
From Left to right MS Garrett Reisman, Shuttle Pilot Tony Antonelli, Pete Trabucco, Commander Ken Ham, MS Michael GoodAs a pilot and space fanatic, I have always followed our NASA space program closely and secretly hoped that one day that I would be able to work with these astronauts in space. Of course this could never really occur but a funny thing did happen to me on my way to Houston (and Johnson Space Center) not too long ago. As we all know, the end of the Space Shuttle program is right around the corner. Due to budget cuts, it looks like after the final mission is scheduled for next June and the program will truly be concluded. However on a faithful day in March, I did get to play “astronaut in training” with these star voyages and I can tell you, not many things that I have done can top this experience.
As the Space Shuttle Atlantis was scheduled for its last flight, I got a call from the NASA front office saying if I were able to get down to Houston, I would be in for a real treat. The flight that was up next was designated as STS 132 and the ship Atlantis was scheduled for liftoff (from pad 34A) on May 14, 2010. This flight marked the 32nd and (at the time) final flight for Atlantis closing almost a quarter century of service for NASA and our manned space program.