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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — On the final mission after 30 years, Atlantis delivered a spectacular show at takeoff Friday and delivered four astronauts to orbit.
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One of those, the last woman who will ever fly on the shuttle, has a very special relationship with a Utah school. Sandy Magnus suited up for her fourth shuttle mission as a true veteran with well over four months in space.
Some teachers and students from the Tooele School District came to Florida to see her final flight Friday. Magnus is almost like family at Wendover High School. On a previous mission, Mangus spoke to students at the school through a NASA downlink.
"We got to talk to her from space and ask her questions and she replied to us," recalled Martha Dominguez, a junior at Wendover High School who witnessed the Florida launch.
But that's not all. Magnus visited Wendover twice, once as graduation speaker. When students made a school flag, she flew it into space.
"She took it as part of her 1.5 pounds of personal belongings and flew it while she talked to us in a downlink," recalled Wendover High School teacher Carolyn Bushman.
Magnus evidently took it as a personal mission to inspire Wendover students, even newer ones.
They realize that even though they're in a small school, they matter ... and that we can dream big and reach and accomplish any dream we want to.
–Carolyn Bushman, Wendover High teacher
“Even though I’ve never met her, what I’ve heard about her is cool," eight-grader William Torres said before watching the historic event.
When they came to witness Magnus' last launch, the Utah group was treated almost like family. They went to a prelaunch party hosted by the astronaut's mother, and they had the extraordinary opportunity to go to the launch pad for final goodbyes with crew members' families. Magnus gave them a personal greeting standing across a road near the shuttle.
Now that Magnus has blasted off for the final shuttle mission, students will communicate with her by email.
“They realize that even though they’re in a small school, they matter and that impossible things can happen and that we can dream big and reach and accomplish any dream we want to,” Bushman said.
Mangus will be up there in space for the next 12 days. When she returns to Earth, Bushman hopes to be there for the landing.
When Atlantis returns, it will be displayed at the visitor complex at the Kennedy Space Center for tourists to get an up-close look.
Email:hollenhorst@ksl.com