CoolPix - NASA: STS-130 Endeavour Night Landing At KSC On 2-21-10

(click pic for hi-res)

 Another new CoolPix category… this time it’s NASA, and the pic isn’t even 48 hours old!  It’s the beautiful landing of the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-130) on runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility - Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  It has a bit of a ’computer generated’ look to it given that it was a low light image, but it’s the real thing to be sure… and an awesome sight!  (lots more STS-130 NASA pix) 

 It’s also a fitting image given that there are only 4 launches left before the Space Shuttle program is scheduled to retire.  The image here speaks to that with the dark sky and overwhelming stillness in the air.  Yet, this image also shows the Shuttle looking proud, strong, and very American.  It was an excellent landing that once again demonstrated the rather amazing accomplishment of ’re-usable’ spacecraft.

 The Shuttle Program has certainly had it’s difficulties, setbacks and tragedies.  But ALL endeavors of mankind that stretch us to the limit carry great risk… and without question, the risk of death.  That IS the human experience. 

 The ’explorer’ in all of us is the most alive when these risks are faced head on.

 FYI: the small puffs of fire seen on the left side of the leading edge of the vertical fin are from one of the auxiliary power units as it does a controlled burn-off of the highly toxic and dangerously unstable hydrazine fuel that powers them.  It's completely normal, just not usually noticeable on daytime landings.  If you look close at the CoolPix image, you'll see a small puff is visible there as well.