<p>for all those science, engineer majors, history majors, etc. Today is the last day for the shuttle to launch. Imagine the careers/lives that are changed from this program. John Glenn was on Discovery at 77 yrs. old, returning to space after his legendary flight.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see where we will be in space exploration when I turn 77…</p>
<p>This STS-133 is planned to be Discovery’s last launch. They still plan to launch STS-134 and STS-135 Atlantis -
[NASA</a> - Mission Information](<a href=“http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/index.html]NASA”>NASA - Mission Information)</p>
<p>My sister and a cadre of science teachers are down there now, invited by NASA to watch the launch. These teachers were applicants to become teacher astronauts who didn’t make it past the first cut, but NASA continued to provide them education opportunities. A bunch of them went on zero-G flight, for example. They went down last fall too when the launch was canceled so I’m crossing fingers and toes that they launch today.</p>
<p>I had the opportunity to see Discovery in pieces as it was being assembled. What a thrill!</p>
<p>Through NASA, USRA-member colleges, and other orgs, many colleges have space-related research opportunities. Now that the International Space Station will become a national laboratory, that will open up more microgravity research for colleges as well as suborbital rocket flights, high-altitude balloons, etc. Many prospective students are unaware of these types of programs.</p>
<p>I texted the info to my daughter, a junior at UCF in Orlando. She just has to go outside and look to the East and should get quite a view!!</p>
<p>yes, usually could see it over my house, but missed it today. My area of town had many clouds today. At least I was fortunate to view it in the past (day and night launches). Maybe one day some of us will be on a private flight.</p>
<p>I lived in Florida for a few years but I never had the change to see any of the space shuttle launch. </p>
<p>Today I just watched the Discovery fly over the Lincoln Memorial, the National Monument, and over the Capitol. It circle around 3 times going over to Virginia, NASA in Greenbelt, to the Mall and to Dulles. It was an amazing! All of the adults oooh and ahhh and acted like a bunch of kids again.</p>
<p>Thanks NASA for your space program. You helped the US strenghten science and technology and brought to us so many things that we would never have!!!</p>
<p>We saw it too–some kids in the school next to our building formed the outline of the shuttle, and were cheering. We were running from window to window looking at it.</p>
<p>The end of an era… a glorious era, IMO. This, and other things, make me wonder sadly: are the best days of America behind us…?</p>
<p>Considering that 40 percent of the space shuttle fleet (2 of 5) was lost in flight, along with 14 crew members, I’m not so sure it was a glorious era.</p>
<p>America may do better in the future if we don’t promise more than we can deliver.</p>
<p>Despite this, I’m a little sad that my office is just a bit too far from DC for me to have seen the shuttle today. I keep getting e-mails with photos from people closer in who were more fortunate.</p>
<p>Rovers on Mars (and another on the way), space telescopes gathering tons of data (and more on the way), satellites orbiting around Mercury and Saturn, others on the way to Pluto and Jupiter, Voyager 1 and 2 still sending data from beyond the solar system…what end of a glorious era?</p>
<p>Tomorrow over NYC: between 9:30-11:30 am, apparently, for those in the area of the West Side…</p>
<p>Goodbye shuttle program :(</p>
<p>Will it really be in NY tomorrow? I thought it was going to land at Dulles airport and go straight to the Smithsonian Uvar-Hazy place nearby.</p>
<p>H and I saw it this morning and it was just beautiful, like a big silvery bird. People had stopped in traffic all along bridges and highways, and the rooftops of DC were filled with people. I was surprised it was so popular but not disappointed. Too bad they didn’t do something like that several years ago, to remind us of the wonder of it all.</p>
<p>Here’s a great image someone captured of Discovery with the Washington monument in the background. </p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://instagr.am/p/JhimaMuBFq/]Instagram[/url”>http://instagr.am/p/JhimaMuBFq/]Instagram[/url</a>]</p>
<p>“Thanks NASA for your space program. You helped the US strenghten science and technology and brought to us so many things that we would never have!!!”</p>
<p>Too bad the politics didnt let one ship stay at the Houston center.</p>
<p>Greenwitch: I screwed up; apparently it is a different shuttle (Enterprise) that will be flying over Ny; will settle at the Intrepid Museum</p>