I was headed to the Kennedy Space Center to witness the last scheduled launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis from a spot that most people never get to.

About 25 years ago, my grandmother gave me a gift that sparked such an interest in me I’m surprised I didn’t become an astronaut. It was a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photos that she had collected starting in the late ’60s, continuing past the Challenger disaster and on to the exploration of Mars. She then handed it off to me to continue. While I didn’t have the organizational skills that she did, I continued it nonetheless. Eventually I would even become an amateur astronomer, photographing the moon and Jupiter, and often simply stargazing.

I had always wanted to do this, but kept putting it off. Then one day I was home staring at my model of the space shuttle and I decided, It’s now or never, as the shuttle program is ending this year.

The day after I arrived, two days before the launch, I headed to Cape Canaveral to pick up my credentials and spend the day. I was watching the press conference and hearing NASA officials talking about how great the weather looked and how all systems were go when it hit me that there was a greater chance of the shuttle not lifting off than lifting off as scheduled. All I could do was keep my fingers crossed. I picked up my security pass and headed off to the visitors’ center. 

What I like about KSC is that while central Florida has many things to offer such as Disney World, Universal, Sea World, Busch Gardens, etc., here you and your family will walk away with an educational and scientific experience that no classroom can give you, all while having fun. On display is the life-size replica Shuttle Explorer that you can walk into and get a feel for what life is like on a shuttle. New to the center is the Launch Experience simulator, which was developed by NASA astronauts and gives you an authentic feel for what it is like to be on the shuttle during a launch. Afterward, I hopped on the tour bus that takes you around the complex to within a mile of the launch pad, then on to the Apollo/Saturn V center where an actual Saturn V rocket sits on its side inside the building. Then it was on to the International Space Station building where you can see firsthand modules being prepped for the ISS. In addition to the Rocket Garden, IMAX Theatre and the Then & Now tour, you can take part in the Astronaut Training Experience and even have lunch with an astronaut. But this article isn’t just about the visitor center … it’s about the most advanced space vehicle ever developed and its final mission. 

The shuttle replaced the standard rockets that had been used for space exploration and for transportation to the moon as a means to transport humans into space. The concept was simple: Take off like a rocket and land like a plane. It was the first time that 75 percent of the vehicle could be reused. When placed together, the package includes two solid rocket boosters, an external fuel tank and the orbiter (or shuttle). NASA refers to this as The Stack. With the exception of the external tank, the SRBs are refurbished and the obiter reprocessed for the next mission. However, unless there is an emergency with the last flight of the Endeavor or the Discovery, there will be no more missions for Atlantis. 

NASA has become embroiled in a political and economic budget-cut debacle that, by the end of 2010, will leave the United States unable to afford to transport humans into space until 2014. That means our nation will have to rely on, and pay, the Russians to allow us to hitch a ride. Since the days of the Apollo space program of the 1960s, the United States has undoubtedly been the lead in the space program. We won the race to space and held the edge, which led to some of the world’s greatest technological advancements. While NASA still has the capability to launch rockets, none will carry astronauts until the Orion spacecraft is ready. 

"At 800 feet the sound will kill you!"

So today, along with 40,000 other spectators at the space center, I embraced the moment to bear witness to a historical event. I arrived at the press site around 10:30 a.m., bypassing 17 miles of traffic, and there I waited in the 90-degree Florida sun. Thank goodness for the gentle breeze and for Central Florida’s Channel 13 news crew who allowed me to share the shade of their tent. I was 3.5 miles from the launch pad in front of the famous countdown clock and I watched it tick away. Even with security passes, you can’t get closer than this. Within 400 feet of the launch pad, the heat will incinerate you and within 800 feet the sound will kill you, something that I really didn’t believe until launch time. 

"It’s like we knew the finals were coming but we decided to study the night before."

Reports of traffic jams came in and it became clear that people in the area were realizing that this was it. It was all coming to an end. “It’s like we knew the finals were coming but we decided to study the night before,” said news anchor Scott Harris. “We in the media tend to become complacent [with newsworthy material]. I’m so pleased to see so many younger people here today.”

With the clock holding at its planned 20-minute countdown, I overheard the one thing I didn’t want to hear, “There’s a problem,” said Channel 13’s Greg Pallone. “Something about a ball bearing found in the cargo bay.” Scott Harris said, “That’s not a 24-hour turnaround.” I thought to myself, Of course there’s a problem. I’ve been here for four days, I’m leaving tomorrow and of course they are going to cancel this. I remembered what my friend had said: These things are cancelled all the time. 

It turned out that only a few days before, a ball bearing had been found in the cargo bay. The bearing came from a camera mount inside the orbiter. The concern was that the camera could come loose and obviously cause catastrophic damage to the shuttle and its cargo. But at NASA, where there is one person working on a problem there are a thousand, and in no time the engineers felt that there was little to no concern and the flight director proceeded with the “Go for launch!” 

At T-minus two minutes, I attached my video cameras to the stands, took off the lens covers and turned everything on. At T-minus 45 seconds, I started to record. It almost seemed that the clock slowed down as the anticipation sped up. I had a clear shot to the launch pad, but what would I hear? I was told it would be loud but I was three-and-a-half miles away. Was it really true that at 800 feet from the launch pad the sound alone would kill you?

I heard a voice faintly synchronized with the clock say, “10, 9, 8, 7… go for main engine start” and saw a plume of white smoke rush outward past the right side of the launch pad. Then “3, 2, 1” and a second, much larger plume appeared, followed by a yellow illumination of the launch site, but no noise as yet. I was expecting a deep rumble, but suddenly, there was more of a whish, a fast wind-type sound. As the shuttle cleared the tower, I realized the sound I was hearing was from the main engine start that happened six seconds before the sound reached me. As it flew higher, the ground started to shake as the sound from the SRBs closed in. A distant rumble grew into a deafening repetitive concussion. The SRB’s, which cannot be shut off, were creating 3.1 million pounds of force while reaching 6000 degrees Fahrenheit inside (which is hot enough to boil steel) The flames dragged behind the shuttle three times its length burning Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant consisting of ammonium perchlorate, aluminum, iron oxide, PBAN or HTPB and an epoxy, I don’t think you would want to eat that.

The shuttle spun around, initiating its roll program, which places it upside down, and rocketed toward outer space. The sound faded away as quickly as it started. The picturesque yet violent-sounding liftoff was now a white dot that disappeared behind its own vapor trail, arching over the Atlantic. In just a matter of seconds, the shuttle was speeding up to more than 17,000 mph and was more than 100 miles away. 

Back on earth, the vertical roadway of smoke started to dissipate. The sound of equipment cases could be heard opening and closing, vehicles started up, and people began saying goodbye. It was an eerie follow-up to what had just occurred. No announcements, no big screen to watch. It was over. 

For just about 30 years, the shuttle has arguably been the most recognized and most unique spacecraft in history (the Russians had the Buran but it was destroyed in a hanger collapse). As the program winds to an end, NASA will have to decide on one last journey for each of the remaining shuttles – where to send them for permanent display as these gravity-defying machines are grounded once and for all.