The initial inspiration for "Endeavour" was sparked through an invitation from Mike Leinbach, NASA's Shuttle Launch Director. Mike extended the opportunity to attend my favorite orbiter's final launch, an invitation that included a description so good that my husband and I could not pass up. "The best possible viewing experience...", is the way he worded it. What an honor! And how quickly that comment aided in my regression to ten year old status. Yes, I jumped up and down, my voice rose an octave, I childly begged, "Can we go, PLEEEZE?"

I became instantly creative.

Originally scheduled for April 19, 2011, it was to be a night launch and reason behind the night scene rendered in my painting. The invitation came on March 11th, carrying with it a whirlwind of excitement. What does an artist do with such anticipation and exhilaration? Create, of course! And I knew right away that whatever art generated from the electricity I was feeling would eventually be sent to Mike as a 'thank you'. How could he know the many times I've wished to experience a launch at close proximity? That it was an invitation to fulfill one of my dreams? I had to find a way to show my gratitude. A narrow window of time to complete a piece of artwork ignited a faster than normal working pace. I thought that if the painting could be completed before the launch takes place, I could run limited edition prints and have them shipped to KSC prior to the routine quarantine that the astronauts go through a week before launch. Yes, by this point the astronauts have become part of the inspiration as well and it was important to me that they know. But could I make this happen in time? It was a race, my very own space race. Launch delays and an unfortunate scrubbed launch attempt (which my husband and I were present for) allowed for the timing to work out and all fell into place. The astronauts and launch director received their prints before the final scheduled quarantine. I included an extra print in the shipment hopeful that it could be signed by the crew at some point in the future. True to Mike's generous nature, he took time from his busy schedule and made it happen. I learned of the signatures after the crew were safe on the ISS. From a casual email Mike let me know that he presented the prints to the crew during their time at KSC prior to launch, they had signed mine, it was on its way back to me. A casual email letting me know that one of my dreams was in the mail.

I could have never anticipated receiving the print while the crew were off the planet. Nor did I anticipate the intense emotion that registered when opening the package. But then, I had an epiphany; Endeavour has held a special place in my life for over 19 years. I've been following her career from her very first launch, on May 7th, 1992 (see story). And the people who have flown her are the ones that allow people like me to vicariously encounter space through their experience. The thrills and optimism associated with "shuttle missions" are almost over. A great era is about to end. The signatures on my print represent all these insights to me, and so much more. Today, 19 years and 21 days later, I reflect on the many special experiences I've enjoyed because of Endeavour and her crews. I mention just one as an example; she was part and parcel to the first servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993 during STS-61. I use this particular example because much of my work is inspired by the jaw-dropping images that Hubble sends back to the eager eyes of this world. Often, so very often, I have silently thanked the teams that have maintained Hubble's success. And now, I cannot imagine a world without those spectacular images.

I await the safe return of the crew members of STS-134. That is also when I complete my story, because as our brave space travelers re-enter Earth's atmosphere, the mighty career of space shuttle Endeavour comes to a close. But she does not cease in her greatness or relevance to this country, nor does the importance of what she has contributed to the advancement of mankind lessen. She will take her rightful place in history. And I will continue to admire the daring men and woman she carried into space who succeeded milestones in space exploration. And I will always remember the image of a great, complex machine soaring toward the stars.

To Michael Leinbach, Mark Kelly, Greg "Box" Johnson, Michael "Spanky" Finke, Roberto "Ricky Bobby" Vittori, Andrew "Drew" Feustel, Greg "Taz" Chamitoff ...

         Thank you for a once in a lifetime experience. - Lucy, May, 28, 2011