APOD: Atlantis Last Approach (2011 Jul 13)

[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.

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.

Datsa lotta balsa

[Irishman]

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.

Realize this flight was not in the original plan. It is adding the MPLM as a new module, which was decided only within the last couple years. So there are no other large modules to go up - they have already been installed.

Plus, as others said, the MPLM is full of stuff.

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

The module at the top of the screen appears to be a Soyuz. See image here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Soyuz-TM_drawing.png

The thing sticking off to the left appears to be an antenna on Soyuz. See the rightmost end of that image. I'm not certain it's an antenna, but I am certain that is the Soyuz.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/1125 ... t_full.jpg

[GreenDroll]

Looks like Long Island and Cat Island in the Bahamas........

[Silkypaste]

It is indeed the Bahamas that are below the shuttle. See this Google Maps link to validate this assumption:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s ... 77&t=h&z=9

[starchick]

That's really cute - the space shuttle will be disappearing - its over Bermuda - so is it disappearing into the Bermuda triangle? Is Atlantis disappearing into the ocean... again?

I am sooo sad the space program is winding down. I wonder what the Russians are thinking? Did Capitalism fail less than 20 years after the USSR fell?

[rjgjr]

The Bahamas. Long Island,crooked Island, long cay, and near the shuttles left wing is flamingo cay. At the bottom of the photo is nurse cay and bonavista cay. The great Bahama bank is Gooood fishing !!!

[Steve D]

"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."

And that's why the Shuttle, despite being a fantastic idea on paper, was less than ideal in practice. The wings, tail, bay doors, etc. are necessary for launch and landing but drastically reduce the amount of payload that can be launched. As far as getting payload to orbit are concerned, they're dead weight. So when (if?) the US ever launches its own manned spacecraft again, we'll probably see capsules rather than maneuverable landers. Now the reusable solid fuel boosters, that's technology we'll keep.

[Star*Hopper]

"Can you identify what land masses are visible below the shuttle? "

Why, yes.....yes I can!

[Rick DeVille]

I see a lot of responses correctly naming some of the easternmost islands in the Bahamas, but one could also mention the Continental Shelf, which is clearly visible.
This is a wonderful image.

[Anthony Barreiro]

That's really cute - the space shuttle will be disappearing - its over Bermuda - so is it disappearing into the Bermuda triangle? Is Atlantis disappearing into the ocean... again?

Brilliant! I hadn't thought of that. ... .

I am sooo sad the space program is winding down. I wonder what the Russians are thinking? Did Capitalism fail less than 20 years after the USSR fell?

The space program has always been a government enterprise, and the most ambitious cutting-edge missions will always require the coordinated resources of an entire nation, and increasingly (like the ISS) many nations working together. Russia is now a capitalist society, but the Russian government is maintaining their Soyuz fleet.

[neufer]

"Can you identify what land masses are visible below the shuttle? "

Why, yes.....yes I can!

You peeked

[Kris]

My first guess was The greater Caribbean region, but I got distracted by all those -nesias in the Pacific.

[Philo]

Looks like atolls to me, but I don't know which. I'm thinking South Pacific but folks seem confident about the Bahamas. Sailors and pilots in that group?

Congratulations to the Shuttle team. And to ALL the astronauts who flew in the program, my heartfelt thanks and admiration for what you do, and have done, for all of us.

Philo

[nelly]

I have no idea but I want to go swimming now.

[BobStein-VisiBone]

the payload bay seems to be missing something

Some cargo was already um "delivered" over the Bahamas. It was successfully retrieved by a small vessel, I believe it's ship name was "Innocent Fishing Boat". Hey budgets are tight, this should come as no surprise.

[areinheimer]

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 think the cargo bay is half full...

[Nedchem]

Anyone catch the face looking out the right hand window? Question, as the shuttle is a space ship, would it be called a window or a porthole?

[Guest]

I didn't have any doubt it was Italy. When I saw others guessing, I had to wonder if they were looking at the same pic. I double checked & am certain that's the toe of Italy's boot.

[BMAONE23]

If it is the toe of Italy, we are in big trouble because most of the country is under water.

It is Long Island, the Bahamas.
The nose of the shuttle is pointing at
23°12'20"N 75°16'49"W
check it out in http://Maps.Google.Com

[Nedchem]

Land mass is much too narrow to be Italy. It's easy to see that it's the Bahamas if you look at satellite pics from Google maps or Google earth.

[rwb]

Anyone catch the face looking out the right hand window? Question, as the shuttle is a space ship, would it be called a window or a porthole?

If that's a face, then that person is a bit of a contortionist! But then, astronauts are fit...

Thanks for that superb picture. Looking forward to more of that quality.

[drhr]

"instead of being half empty."

Ah, but perhaps it is half full...

[rwb]

Thought: If that's a ship, then that face-like shape must be at the starboard porthole.

One serious question: Why have they almost always opened the bay doors early in the mission? Is there a cooling issue, or is there some other reason, such as making a shuttle more visible to observers?

[jmOR62]

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.

Alternative viewpoints include:
The shuttle is half full
The shuttle is twice as large as it needs to be

[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.

Alternative viewpoints include:
The shuttle is half full
The shuttle is twice as large as it needs to be

The cargo is heavy for it's size.