Schaumburg’s Larson lands spot at final shuttle launch

Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson will be a witness to history early next month when he travels to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the final space shuttle launch.

His village credentials, of course, have nothing to do with his invitation. Instead it’s his daughter, Catherine Koerner, deputy manager of NASA’s International Space Station Vehicle Office, who landed him a spot at the shuttle launch.

Larson has seen a shuttle launch before, back in the mid-’90s, and considers it one of the most memorable events of his life.

As far away as the viewing area is, the sound of takeoff creates a palpable vibration in one’s chest, he said, accompanied by the breathtaking tail of fire against the early morning sky and the sight of the solid rocket boosters dropping away from the main orbiter vehicle.

But while the sensations accompanied with any launch are memorable, the last liftoff of Atlantis in July is sure to be something to savor.

And Larson believes he may be even closer to the action this time, watching the launch from a VIP viewing area, something he didn’t do before.