Honoring Space Shuttle Endeavour and its crew…

I hope that by now you get it that I am fascinated with our space program.  Before I forget, let me express my appreciation to NASA TV.  I took these photographs this morning while watching on my computer the countdown for the lift-off of Endeavour.

I always in my life have been a very curious person.  I am interested in anything and everything.  I find it at this stage in my life, I am even more curious than ever.  And most of the things I witness leave an unforgettable impression in my collection of memories.

Endeavour was constructed as a replacement for the Challenger.  First flew May 1992.  Today’s launch was its final.  It was named after the British HMS Endeavour, the ship which took Captain Cook on his first voyage of discovery, 1768-1771.   Construction costs were $2.2 billion.  After this mission, STS-134, Endeavour will be decommissioned.  It will be on display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

It was so mesmerizing watching the lift off step by step.  You cannot help it but be in total awe.  It reminded me so much of the movie “Contact.”  It made ponder on a lot of questions I sometimes contemplate about the space out there.  How magnificent our beloved Planet Earth must look from where the crew is.  It makes me realize how significant and insignificant at the same time we all are.

And there it happily went to Infinity and Beyond…Endeavour has travelled 103,149,636 miles for 25 missions.  I would like to wish its crew a happy return back home.

Hope you have enjoyed this as much as I did this morning.  If you would like to see a replay of its launch Monday morning, go to NASA TV, and be in total awe.

So it was today…16th May, 2011…a day to continue in our quest to conquer our outer spaces.

Your Happy Contessa

“Ah, but in such matters, it is only the first step that is difficult.”  Madame Du Deffand, French hostess and patron of the arts.  1697-1780.