STS-129: Atlantis Lifts Off

STS-129: Atlantis Lifts Off

11.16.09 › View Now

George Diller/STS-129 Launch Commentator: T-10... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one... zero... and liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis, on a mission to build, re-supply and to do research on the International Space Station.


Rob Navias/Ascent Commentator: Houston now controlling. Atlantis begins its penultimate journey to shore up the International Space Station. Atlantis now in the proper alignment for its 8 1/2-minute ride to orbit. Four-and-a-half million pounds of hardware and humans taking aim on the international outpost. Thirty seconds into the flight. Atlantis almost 2 miles in altitude, almost 6 miles downrange from the Kennedy Space Center, already traveling 500 miles an hour. The three liquid fuel main engines now throttling back to 72 percent of rated performance, going into the bucket, reducing the stress on the shuttle as it breaks through the sound barrier. Fifty-five seconds into the flight, all systems operating normally. Nine-hundred miles an hour, the speed of Atlantis right now, 6 miles in altitude, 9 miles downrange.

Chris Ferguson/CAPCOM: Atlantis, go at throttle up.

Charlie Hobaugh/STS-129 Commander: Copy. Go at throttle up.

Rob Navias/Ascent Commentator: The throttle-up call acknowledged by Commander Charlie Hobaugh, joined on the flight deck by Pilot Butch Wilmore, Flight Engineer Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Seated down on the middeck are Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher, kicking off their workweek with a Monday commute to orbit. One minute, 30 seconds into the flight, Atlantis 13 miles in altitude, 15 miles downrange, traveling almost 2,000 miles an hour. Three good auxiliary power units, three good fuel cells, three good main engines. One minute, 50 seconds into the flight, 10 seconds away from solid rocket booster separation. Booster officer confirms staging, a good solid rocket booster separation. Guidance now converging, Atlantis steering into the center lane of highway 129, en route to the International Space Station.

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