Lift off for the Endeavour
“Canadians are really proud of Dave Williams,” said the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency. “Our participation in Mission STS-118 highlights our expertise in advanced science. The International Space Station is a clear example of the power and potential of international cooperation, and serves as a model for future missions,” he added.
Dave Williams, astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency, will have a Canadian record of three spacewalks out of four when the Endeavour returns home from the ISS. Scheduled to dock tomorrow, on Thursday, August 9, 2007, at 9:48 p.m., his first spacewalk will be on Friday, August 10. The spaceship’s tanks were filled with 500,000 gallons of “supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel” this morning, which will be quickly used up during its 8.5 minute climb to orbit, majestically rising above the gravity of Earth.
With the successful launching of the Endeavour, only two launchings remain for the year to finish construction of the $100 billion dollar International Space Station. After that, the three remaining shuttles will be retired before 2010. The Atlantis was originally planned for retirement in 2008, after the Hubble mission. But changes in NASA have made Atlantis available for two more mission previously allocated to the Endeavour or the Discover.
As I watched the launching this evening, I wondered how many times people have glanced at the television to see one of the spacecraft launch to the Moon, ISS, or Mars, only to go on with their usual activities without a second thought to such a magnificent event going in the history of Earth. I know for a fact that today when the Endeavour launched as scheduled, it meant a whole lot more to me than ever before, especially now that I am doing this blog. Nothing seems to be the same as my world has changed to expand to limitless infinity.
The highlight of the day was not mowing the lawn or seeing if I had enough coke in the refrigerator, folks. I was wondering how much change would be occurring on Earth and in space when my great-granddaughter is being born in August. Talk about becoming philosophical! If my mom were alive, she would tell me I was not only growing but learning—I pray for the same thing for the little one coming. Change seems to be coming, with every day bringing a new development with the universe coming more alive with each new finding. Let us venture forth…
This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2007 at 7:06 pm and is filed under Public Relations, Space Agency News, Technical Concerns, The Gear to Get There. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
