Piggy Back Ride! The Space Shuttle gets a lift.

A few weeks ago I posted "Sonic Boom" where I wrote about the Endeavours' landing at the alternate landing site, Edwards Air Force Base, in California.

Guess how the space shuttle Endeavour got back to Florida?

The space shuttle Endeavour takes off from Edwards Air Force Base

That's right. You aviation buffs know that it rides on the back of a 747. More specifically, a modified Boeing 747 that NASA uses to transport the vehicles. NASA actually has two of these aircraft. One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR. These aircraft are called Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or (SCA's).

Once when I was traveling, I saw one of these planes in flight with a Shuttle attached. I just happend to look out the window and see it. This was pre-digital cameras and camera phones so I didn't have anything available to capture the moment. I believe it was the Space Shuttle Columbia that I saw but I can't remember for sure. I meant to go home and research the process and event but I never got around to it. Here's what it looked like in the air.

(compliments of Wikipedia.com)

I remember thinking to myself. That must be a really cool job. Short of being an actual shuttle pilot, wouldn't it be cool to fly the shuttle around?

Here are some short videos of the the SCA taking off and landing:

Sonic Boom!

Yesterday I was enjoying a casual afternoon at home when I was startled by what seemed to be three big booms. Boom! Boom! Boom!

The first one louder and stronger than the second two. My first thought was - Oh no, it's an earthquake. I quickly erased that thought when the house didn't shake too much afterwards.

My second thought - The Space shuttle must have landed at the alternate landing field at Edwards Air Force Base, roughly 65 miles from here.


I turned on the television and sure enough, the Space Shuttle Endeavour ( pictured above) has returned from a 16-day space station assembly mission. It was diverted from a planned Florida landing by low clouds and high winds at the Kennedy Space Center.

For many people today, it must seem like just yesterday when space flight was merely a fantasy. Today's children are born into an environment where space travel must seem to be an inevitability and not the illusion or fairytale dream of children of the past.

I'm curious.......

Will the bloggers of the future post about their travels throughout the Galaxy? Just something to ponder!

Here's a short video of the landing: