
Pillars of Fire
Riding twin pillars of fire, veteran space shuttle Discovery embarks on her final voyage to orbit from LC-39A. After this final mission, she’ll be processed and turned over to the Smithsonian for permanent display.

SSME Stabilization
Space shuttle Discovery’s SSMEs (Space Shuttle Main Engines) stabilize after ignition in this sequence. From left to right, the rough orange flame stabilizes to form a smooth blue flow, displaying the characteristic “Mach diamonds”, formed by the supersonic flow of the engine’s exhaust.

Remote 1 Liftoff II
Space shuttle Atlantis, STS-132, soars into the clear Florida skies on her ‘first final flight’.

Remote 1 Liftoff
Space shuttle Atlantis, STS-132, soars into the clear Florida skies on her ‘first final flight’.