![]() Since the 2003 Columbia accident, NASA had required this safeguard for every launch there was little likelihood that a rescue flight would be needed.īehind the scenes, though, agency planners had long considered turning STS-335 into a real mission. The mission had originally been STS-335, a “launch on need” flight that would wait on the ground to rescue the crew of STS-134-the last scheduled flight-in case that vehicle was unable to return from the station. WHEN THE last shuttle astronauts began training in the summer of 2010, there was no guarantee they’d get a chance to fly. With only five days left-five days in the entire 30-year history of the shuttle program-he was finally starting to relax. Besides, everything had gone pretty much perfectly on this flight so far. Hardly a big deal, and only a few insiders would even have noticed. But in all the commotion he forgot, and he had to settle for describing it instead. The symbolism was important to Ferguson, and he had planned to hold up the flag during the presidential phone call. The Atlantis crew had brought it up to the station to leave behind, so that some day, years from now, the next American spacecraft to dock there would be able to retrieve it. The flag! There were thousands of tiny American flags tucked into every crevice of the shuttle, souvenirs to be given out later, but the one the president referred to was special. He asked about a robotics experiment, then said: “I also understand that Atlantis brought a unique American flag up to the station?”įerguson gave a little start and his eyes widened. The president opened with a joke, and told the astronauts how proud he was of them and the shuttle workforce. ![]() Instead, they were all still rushing around trying to finish their tasks.Īt the last minute, the final person slipped into place-by now they were pros at this floating press conference formation-and the call went through. The shuttle astronauts and the six members of the station crew should have been milling in front of the camera, tucking in their shirts and straightening their hair. It was the eighth day of the 135th and final space shuttle mission, and President Obama was scheduled for a televised call in just five minutes. “Everybody get in here! We’ve gotta be ready!” he yelled. Space shuttle commander Chris Ferguson kept eyeing his watch. ![]() ![]() lab module, the four Atlantis astronauts should have been starting to gather, but they weren’t. ![]()
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