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STS-135 Launch : July 8, 2011

Atlantis' final flight - The Grand Finale of the Space Shuttle Program

At the KSC Visitor Center


Lines at the visitor center entrance (216k)
Lines in the gift shop (264k)
Lines to get on the Causeway buses (160k)
cIMG_1407.JPG (160k)

cIMG_1410.JPG (172k)
cIMG_1415.JPG (224k)
Rows of buses awaiting... (160k)
cIMG_1428.JPG (152k)

Visitor Center spectators (212k)
cIMG_1441.JPG (172k)
Mural at VC exit, July 9, 2011 (140k)
pIMG_1514.JPG (428k)

NASA Causeway, 6.7 mi to pad


Looking east (168k)
Looking west (164k)
pIMG_9762.JPG (88k)
pIMG_9764.JPG (76k)

Delta IV on LC-37 (120k)
cIMG_9774.JPG (148k)
cIMG_9776.JPG (144k)
pIMG_9790.JPG (72k)

pIMG_9797.JPG (76k)
STA performing a practice approach (40k)
cIMG_9823.JPG (60k)
cIMG_9825.JPG (104k)

Combat air patrol (40k)
cIMG_0694.JPG (144k)
cIMG_0695.JPG (208k)
cIMG_0696.JPG (188k)

Launch Sequence 1

400mm with Canon T2i (handheld); some images cropped in 1.5x to 3x.
Times are EDT (GMT -4). Absolute times are approximate, but relative times should be accurate.

11:18:50 (T-07:56)
Uncropped 400mm (88k)
11:20:04 (T-06:42)
Orbiter Access Arm retracting (88k)
11:20:50 (T-05:56) (88k)
11:24:13 (T-02:33) (84k)

11:24:25 (T-02:21)
GOX Vent Arm retracting (84k)
11:24:57 (T-01:49) (80k)
11:25:45 (T-01:01) (84k)
11:28:32.2 (T-00:31.0 hold) (88k)

11:28:54.6 (T-00:09.5) (80k)
11:28:56.5 (T-00:07.5) (84k)
11:28:58.1 (T-00:05.9) (84k)
11:28:59.0 (T-00:05.0) (84k)

11:29:00.0 (T-00:04.0) (80k)
11:29:00.9 (T-00:03.1) (80k)
11:29:01.7 (T-00:02.3) (80k)
11:29:02.6 (T-00:01.4) (80k)

11:29:03.6 (T-00:00.4) (80k)
11:29:04.6 (T+00:00.6) (80k)
11:29:07.3 (T+00:03.3) (80k)
11:29:08.2 (T+00:04.2) (80k)

11:29:09.2 (T+00:05.2) (88k)
11:29:09.5 (T+00:05.5) (88k)
11:29:10.8 (T+00:06.8) (84k)
11:29:12.1 (T+00:08.1) (76k)

11:29:13.3 (T+00:09.3) (64k)
11:29:14.8 (T+00:10.8) (60k)
11:29:16.1 (T+00:12.1) (60k)
11:29:17.4 (T+00:13.4) (64k)

11:29:18.8 (T+00:14.8) (60k)
11:29:20.4 (T+00:16.4) (52k)
11:29:21.5 (T+00:17.5) (52k)
11:29:23.7 (T+00:19.7) (52k)

11:29:25.3 (T+00:21.3) (52k)
11:29:26.1 (T+00:22.1) (60k)
11:29:28.7 (T+00:24.7) (52k)
11:29:29.1 (T+00:25.1) (64k)

11:29:29.6 (T+00:25.6) (52k)
11:29:33.2 (T+00:29.2) (60k)
11:29:34.3 (T+00:30.3) (48k)
11:29:35.5 (T+00:31.5) (52k)

11:29:36.7 (T+00:32.7) (64k)
11:29:37.2 (T+00:33.2) (60k)
11:29:38.1 (T+00:34.1) (64k)
11:29:39.6 (T+00:35.6) (60k)

11:29:51.6 (T+00:47.6) (52k)
11:29:55.8 (T+00:51.8) (68k)
11:30:19 (T+01:15) (52k)
11:30:43 (T+01:39) (60k)

11:31:05 (T+02:01) (64k)
11:31:08 (T+02:04) (80k)
11:31:40 (T+02:36) (68k)
11:31:48 (T+02:44) (52k)

11:32:16 (T+03:13) (76k)

Launch Sequence 2

All images are uncropped, 135mm with Canon Rebel XT on tripod.

11:19:01 (T-07:45) (72k)
11:24:58 (T-01:48) (64k)
11:28:40 (T-00:24) (60k)
11:28:54 (T-00:10) (60k)

11:28:56 (T-00:08) (60k)
11:28:57 (T-00:07) (60k)
11:29:04 (T-00:00) (60k)
11:29:05 (T+00:01) (60k)

11:29:06 (T+00:02) (60k)
11:29:12 (T+00:08) (64k)
11:29:13 (T+00:09) (64k)
11:29:14 (T+00:10) (64k)

11:29:15 (T+00:11) (64k)
11:29:17 (T+00:13) (68k)
11:29:19 (T+00:15) (68k)
11:29:20 (T+00:16) (68k)

11:29:23 (T+00:19) (72k)
11:29:23 (T+00:19) (72k)
11:29:25 (T+00:21) (72k)
11:29:29 (T+00:25) (72k)

11:29:59 (T+00:55) (68k)
11:31:30 (T+02:26) (68k)
11:34:18 (T+05:14) (48k)
11:34:26 (T+05:22) (88k)

11:39:53 (T+10:49) (76k)
11:39:57 (T+10:53) (80k)