Kennedy Space Center for the launch of STS-129 Atlantis Space Shuttle.

Image above: On the front row are Commander Charlie Hobaugh (left) and Pilot Barry Wilmore. On the back row (from left) are astronauts Leland Melvin, Mike Foreman, Robert Satcher and Randy Bresnik, all mission specialists. Image credit: NASA

Commander Charlie Hobaugh will lead the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Atlantis. Barry Wilmore will serve as the pilot. Mission Specialists are Robert Satcher, Michael Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik will be making their first trips to space.

The mission will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth. STS-129 is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight to or from the space station.

Atlantis will deliver parts to the space station, including a spare gyroscope. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

STS-129 is the 31st shuttle mission to the station.

 

We arrived at the Kennedy Space Center at about 9:30 AM for a 2:21 PM launch. During the day they had presentations by two astronauts of past launches and a large outdoor screen for viewing the action.

Launch was on time. The ground shock, we could hear the roar of the rockets and Teri could feel the heat.

In just seconds this is all we could see.