APOD: Atlantis Last Approach (2011 Jul 13)

[APOD Robot]

Atlantis Last Approach

Explanation: For the last time, the US Space Shuttle has approached the International Space Station (ISS). Following a dramatic launch from Cape Canaveral last week that was witnessed by an estimated one million people, Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-135 lifted a small crew to a welcome rendezvous three days ago with the orbiting station. Although NASA is discontinuing the aging shuttle fleet, NASA astronauts in the near future will be able to visit the ISS on Russian space flights. Pictured above, Atlantis rises toward the ISS with its cargo bay doors open, showing a gleaming metallic Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Over 200 kilometers below lie the cool blue waters of planet Earth. The much-anticipated last glide back to Earth for the Space Shuttle is currently scheduled for next Thursday, July 21.

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[tomtom]

long island, the bahamas

[Wolf Kotenberg]

APOD has published some astonishing protographs in the last few nights. Has there been a big feel good party recently ?

[TealThomas]

the Bahamas Islands with Long Island in the center and Crooked Island in the far right.

[islader2]

The Kingdom of Bahamas. Since it is not from the launch site, let us make it sound exotic=a place where Queen Elizabeth is the reigning monarch.

[Beyond]

Gee, being the last trip, i would have thought that the cargo bay would have been full of things for the ISS, instead of being half empty.

[nGuinn]

Does anyone know where the LCM (Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier) is in this photo? Were it and the RRM already offloaded before docking and the taking of this photo? I don't see the LCM anywhere - the payload bay seems to be missing something

[Davico]

Shuttle not missing any payload, the LMC is right behind the MPLM on the rocket end of payload bay, you can just make it out if you look real close.

[iRon]

2011 ***NEWS FLASH*** Hal Finally Opens the Pod Bay Doors... Over the Bahamas!

[alter-ego]

Does anyone know where the LCM (Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier) is in this photo? Were it and the RRM already offloaded before docking and the taking of this photo? I don't see the LCM anywhere - the payload bay seems to be missing something

As Davico said, the LCM is located at the engine end of the cargo bay, supporting the MPLM. The picture here shows the LMC (aka Lightweight Multi-Purpose Equipment Support Structure Carrier) carrying an ammonia tank assembly. You can see this same framework in the APOD.

[BikerMike]

2011 ***NEWS FLASH*** Hal Finally Opens the Pod Bay Doors... Over the Bahamas!

Bril! Thanks for the laugh.

[Ann]

Seeing the very last of the shuttles float high above the blue waters of the Earth, and considering how rare such blue waters may be in the cosmos and what we are currently doing to ours, makes for a scene of almost elegiac beauty.

Ann

[toffeemaan3]

I realise that this is totally unfeasible, but it's a pity we couldn't have placed a shuttle into very high orbit,
maybe give it a bit of meteoroid shielding etc. Up where she belongs, and a long duration monument to the
programme and mankinds endeavours in space exploration. Just a thought. Waiting for the next step. Gaz

[funlovincriminal]

[It appears to be The Bahamas.

[Pastor_Mac]

Or is it the bottom of Italy's boot w/ Sicily upper right?

[neufer]

Gee, being the last trip, i would have thought that the cargo bay would have been full of things for the ISS, instead of being half empty.

The cargo bay was made for carrying up things which are mostly empty space like the Hubble Telescope.

If the cargo bay was full of balsa wood it would weigh ~ 50 metric tons which is twice maximum payload weight.

[owlice]

Nice article: Growing Up a Shuttle Kid

[zacharia]

What is the shadow looking spacecraft? Do you see it looking like its connected to the ISS...anyone?

[string]

Yucatan Peninsula?

[oldpops]

New Zealand

[saturn2]

This image is very good indeed.
Space Shuttle Atlentis and I S S.
The blue waters of our planet Earth is beautiful.
The end of Space Shuttle Program.
How will be the new era of space investigation?

[orin stepanek]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[Crashj]

Gee, being the last trip, i would have thought that the cargo bay would have been full of things for the ISS, instead of being half empty.

I would imagine the limit is set by weight, not volume of cargo. So it is at least half full.

[Bob Ig]

It is the channel between india and Sri Lanka.

[Guest]

What is the shadow looking spacecraft? Do you see it looking like its connected to the ISS...anyone?

That is the Canadarm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadarm