Orbit, Ho!
Riding 30 stories of fire, twin solid rocket boosters propel space shuttle Endeavour toward low earth orbit on the final launch of her career, and the penultimate launch of the entire 30-year long space shuttle Program.
Tower Clearance
Space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134, clears the tower on the final launch of her career as seen from the Banana Creek viewing site.
Endeavour Boys
The Endeavour boys (from left to right Mark Kelly, commander; Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel, European Space Agency’s Roberto Vittori, Michael Fincke, and Gregory H. Johnson, pilot) ham it up for the cameras upon their arrival at the Kennedy Space Centre for the second launch attempt of space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134.
Where The Wind Blows
Wreathed in her own launch plume, space shuttle Endeavour lifts off on the final launch of her career, hauling the US $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station. After landing, she’ll be processed and turned over to the California Science Center for permanent display.
NASA Marshalls
A family of ospreys stand watch in their nest, framed by the NASA ‘meatball’ logo on the side of the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Flag Forward
Endeavour’s flag flies proudly over Launch Complex 39A. This is actually a fairly difficult shot to get, 95% of the time the wind blows the flag backwards.
Endeavour Xenon
Space shuttle Endeavour, shortly after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, sits bathed in Xenon lights for the final time.
Cloudburst
Space shuttle Endeavour disappears into the clouds 22 seconds after liftoff, seen across the water from the Banana Creek viewing site.
Zero Days
A sign on the roadway leading to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building proclaims the day of launch for space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134.
Infrared Liftoff
A camera modified to photograph the near-infrared wavelength of light captures the final launch of space shuttle Endeavour, STS-134, as seen from the Dike Road.
