As the nine massive engines of the Hercules Super Booster finally start to give out from lack of fuel the series of explosive bolts which hold the payload to the booster fire to separate the payload and allow its inertia to carry it onward into Earth orbit. Waiting in orbit to capture the payload are NASA’s Orbital Shuttles Atlantis and Discovery. Once locked into the robotic arms of Atlantis astronauts in thruster suits will leave the shuttle, disengage the payloads nosecone and with a gentle push send it on its way toward a fiery decent in the Earth’s atmosphere far below.