KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.–The shuttle Atlantis blasted off on its 32nd and final planned mission Friday, closing out 25 years of service with a 12-day flight to deliver a Russian docking module and critical spare parts to the International Space Station.

With its three hydrogen-fueled main engines roaring at full thrust, the shuttle’s twin solid-fuel boosters ignited on time at 2:20 p.m. EDT, instantly pushing the fully fueled 4.5-million-pound spacecraft away from pad 39A.

Accelerating through 100 mph–straight up–in just eight seconds, Atlantis wheeled about its long axis and lined up on a trajectory paralleling the East Coast. Liftoff was timed for roughly the moment Earth’s rotation carried the launch pad into the plane of the space station’s orbit, the first step in a two-day rendezvous procedure.

Atlantis quickly arced away to the northeast, putting on a spectacular afternoon sky show for area residents and tourists who gathered along Florida’s “Space Coast” to witness the shuttle’s final planned flight.

Commander Kenneth Ham, pilot Dominic Antonelli, and flight engineer Michael Good monitored the shuttle’s computer-controlled ascent, joined by Stephen Bowen, a former submariner, Piers Sellers, and Garrett Reisman, who spent three months aboard the space station in 2008.

“We’re going to take her on her 32nd flight and if you don’t mind, we’ll take her out of the barn and make a few more laps around the planet,” Ham radioed launch director Mike Leinbach a few minutes before takeoff.

The shuttle’s ascent appeared normal with no obvious impacts from external tank foam insulation. Video from a camera mounted on the side of the tank showed a few bits of insulation separating and falling away, but by that point the shuttle was out of the dense lower atmosphere where debris impacts pose a more significant threat.

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Source: http://news.cnet.com

SYDNEY – Andrew and Debbie Jackman of Britain spent more than two years saving up for their family vacation to Australia. They probably wish they’d saved a little longer.

On Friday, they found out their Qantas flight from Sydney to Britain had been canceled thanks to a volcano erupting in Iceland. So the Cambridge couple and their two teenage sons squeezed into a 150 Australian dollar ($138) hotel room to wait out the night. On Saturday, the hotel raised the price of the same room to AU$350 — simply because it could, Andrew said ruefully. After endless negotiations, the hotel brought the price back down to AU$160, but the family, broke and frustrated, opted to move Sunday to a hostel.

“We’re at the end of the holiday so we’ve spent all our money,” a weary-eyed Andrew said, as he sat with his family next to the Qantas customer service counter at Sydney Airport. “Because that’s what you do on holiday.”

A dangerous cloud of ash from the volcano has grounded flights in and out of Europe for four days, leaving thousands of people stranded — and increasingly strapped for cash. Stuck passengers have had to shell out for hotels, restaurant meals, clothing and transport to and from the airport as they seek information on when their travel nightmare might end.

In Japan, Francois Broche was down to his last 3,000 yen ($30). The 33-year-old literature and philosophy professor from Nimes, France, said he would have to call his bank at home to see if he can get his money transferred — but doesn’t know how.

“I stayed in my hotel last night, but that was all my money,” he said at the Narita International Airport, near Tokyo. “I think I’m going to stay here and sleep at the airport. Help me God.”

Nicolas Ribard, 29, from Avignon, France, was among about a dozen stranded tourists squatting on sleeping bags that Narita airport officials had lent them. He and three other friends had about 3,000 yen between them, and were surviving on airport-issued crackers, bottled water and coupons for one free shower a day.

Their earliest possible flight would be Taiwan’s EVA Airways on May 12 — but only if they are willing to pay an extra 150 euros ($200). Otherwise, they have to wait until June, Ribard said.

Airport officials came by Monday and offered a tour of the airport to kill time.

“This is not what we need,” Ribard said. “We want a bowl of rice.”

Many stranded travelers are also fretting over lost paychecks. Tom Napier — an American stuck in Oslo, where he had been visiting a friend — said his prolonged absence from his job as a high school history teacher in Bernards, New Jersey, will “more than likely” affect his salary.

“I am a little afraid that my pay will be docked,” said Napier, 35. “I also have tutoring jobs during the week that usually supplement my salary. That will be gone. And even if I don’t get my pay docked, all my days off will have to be charged as sick days.”

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com

Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 at exactly 1:30PM with Flight Number: 5J 428 CEBU-TACLOBAN, was my very first flight in my 21 years of existence. I did had my “first-time sickness” attack again. I tried to keep myself calm and just went on like its one of the most normal days of my life. But its not. So, here is another story to tell…

I was quite early when I came to the Mactan Airport, carrying two backpacks and one laptop bag. When I checked-in my baggages, I kept on observing other passengers upon how they check in their bags. The two elder people before me, dropped all their bags into the weighing scale for check-in and they left empty-handed. Assuming that I should be doing the same, I placed all my bags in not thinking that my laptop bag was not supposed to be included with the baggages since it’s only a hand-carry item. The lady (was nice) told me repeatedly to put only those I want to check-in. I just gave her the blank stare. She probably noticed that I was not aware of what I was doing so she just personally stood up and handed my bags back. Uh, okay, so no check-in bags for me then. O_o. By then, I thought it was all done. But I still needed to weigh myself. I hopped on to the weighing scale leaving my bags behind thinking that they only needed to know how much weight do I need to lose. Okay, but am i really going to need that? O_o. The lady (was really nice) told me patiently to carry my bags along upon weighing. So, I did. Then, she said “You’ll be charged with an additional 300 pesos for your extra baggage”. Whaaaaatt? Extra baggage? Three hundred? This lady is not that nice after all! That was I talking to myself. In spite of my bitter thoughts, I still managed to smile and said my magic word, “Okay”. So then, I paid my extra charges. I was (quite) ready to get inside the lounging area only to find out that I still need to pay for a terminal fee of 200 pesos. Whaaaatt? Another two hundred?. That was I talking to myself again. Well, I needed to get on that plane so I paid.

Finally, I was on my way inside the terminal’s waiting area. What else can go wrong now? I thought. I had to take off my brand new chuck taylors for the security scan. *lol*. Well, nothing was wrong with that. Nature’s in time to call me, so I needed to go to the washroom. Now, will I have to carry all my bags along with me to the CR? Of course, not. So I needed to use my charm to get someone to look after them while I’m brooding. *lol*. I sat next to a lady reading a book and asked her the favor to look after my bags. She did not hesitate to agree. That was very nice of her. And so I went.

When I came back, I thought all was fine and that I just needed to wait for the last call of my flight. All of a sudden, a pretty girl with a boyfriend approached me and asked, “Do you know where is the waiting area for the flight going to Tacloban?”. Wait, I do not actually know that. Am I in the right room? I went on a slight verge of panic, which makes my mind work faster most of the time. So I looked around quickly and saw the sign. “There”, I said. I pointed my hand towards the door to my right about 6-feet away. And so they went. OMG, what was I doing here? I need to go with them. No, they would know that the person they asked for directions with does not actually know the directions! Of course, I know. It was easy. Just read the damn signboards. Darn it. Who cares? And so I went.

Finally (as in finally), I was at the right room. I saw them there, of course. The girl stared at me and was quite confused I guess. I ignored her. Remember, who cares? Okay, so I waited about one and a half hour before the boarding for my first flight was announced. As usual, I was observing the others while I was pretending to be minding my own. I followed as everyone else were standing up in line. We rode a shuttle bus on our way to the airplane. My seat number was 4A. I was so excited because it was a window seat! I managed to buckle up on my seat without problems. I’m glad that the seat belt was easy. I placed my laptop on my lap, obviously. I didn’t need to put it in the overhead baggage compartment, do I? Anyways, I was unexpectedly calm and comfy during the take off. I thought I’d be scared as hell. Instead, I never felt as fearless as I was with such an out of my norm situation. I just found out that I am not afraid of heights. I love it! So, then for the entire trip, I just kept looking out the window to see the most wonderful sights I’ve ever seen my whole life — the aerial view of the houses, mountains and trees that were slowly fading as we go farther above surrounded by the wide blue oceans. I wished I could reach out my hands and touch the clouds. They’re like big cotton candies. If I was still a little kid, as imaginative as I am, I would probably question myself if it was possible to mix some flavors with the clouds and be eaten like cotton candies or mallows perhaps. *yummy*

The plane arrived in Tacloban about 2:15PM. My mother was already waiting for me at the airport. I just so love my mom. So that was the end of My First Flight. =)