Atlantis touched down flawlessly at 5:56 Thursday morning after three decades of space shuttle missions to the International Space Station and the Russian station Mir and the Hubble Telescope. I heard the sonic booms of re-entry for the final time outside my Edgewater home.
Did you know memory metal alloys used in golf clubs were developed for the shuttle program? According to the nasa.gov website, some innovative ideas from this program made our lives safer such as the fiber optic foreceps, lightning detectors, theremal protectors, and 3-D graphic tools for special effects.
As consumers, we benefited from the years of technology improvements and inventions created from the space shuttle program. Shuttle missions gave our country a chance to improve space exploration, national security, international relations, conduct complex science experiments, advance science and math education, and create a great sense of national pride.
Shuttle launches brought a surge of tourism to our otherwise small beach town. People came from other states just to catch a glimpse of the shuttle launch and watch the lingering contrail. My family and I were thrilled by the launches and the kaboom of the shuttle returning to our atmosphere.
Shuttle launches brought a surge of tourism to our otherwise small beach town. People came from other states just to catch a glimpse of the shuttle launch and watch the lingering contrail. My family and I were thrilled by the launches and the kaboom of the shuttle returning to our atmosphere.
I awoke early to hear the sonic boom of the shuttle returning for the last time. I can't help but be concerned with what is next for our area: This beautiful land on the edge of a natural wildlife habitat that launched men and women into space.
The final touchdown of the shuttlre was the 42nd anniversary of when man walked on the moon. Now it is the end of the space shuttle era. Our future locally must rely on the tourism from visitors to sail, fish and enjoy our beautiful beaches.
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