Final Flight

"Final liftoff of Atlantis, shoulders of the space shuttle; America will continue the dream."

It was a little over 30 years ago (12 APR 81) I watched the Space Transportation System—STS-1 (Columbia) rocket skyward towards the heavens. In addition to the contrails that streaked skyward, its journey marked the beginning of a new era of space travel and demonstrated to the world that the USA maintained its dominance in space exploration. Today, STS-135 (Atlantis) began the final journey that will close this chapter in manned space exploration. It leaves a legacy along with Enterprise (never orbited), Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Endeavour. In addition to the cargo, experiments, and astronauts, the Shuttles carried American pride. Their recognizable silhouettes represent a rich history of American tenacity, technology, and triumph. Together they carried 803 crew members into space and returned all but 14. We shall forever be indebted to those brave souls that remain “in-flight” and the sacrifices they made for all of mankind. Today, NASA’s Final Four—Christopher J. Ferguson, CAPT. USN, Douglas G. Hurley, Lt. Col. USMC, Sandra Hall Magnus, and Rex J. Walheim, Col. USAF—rocketed into history and space—the Final Frontier. They in our Final Flight like their predecessors have “trod the high untresspassed sanctity of space, put out their hands, and touched the face of God”. God Speed Atlantis.