Our family trip to see the launch of STS-125, the final shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Dad has been involved with the mission's safety for the last couple years.

The day before the launch, we toured the buildings that prepare all space station components for launch (ISSPF) and that mate the space shuttle (and fourth largest building in the world, VAB), and then visited the launchpad of STS-125. On the second day, the launch! And we watched it from just three miles away. After the shuttle launched on schedule, we used our launch buffer days to see Universal Studios, tour the Catalina sailboat factory, and spend a short while at Disney World.

More shuttle coverage: NASA, Wikipedia, and The Big Picture.

Date: 2009:05:09 - 2009:05:14