When NASAs space shuttle Atlantis lifts off on Friday, June 8, it will be carrying a 400-year-old metal cargo tag inscribed Yames Towne. The tag was once attached to a British shipment that is believed to have arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, around 1611.

Also along for the ride will be gold and silver coins commemorating the Jamestown settlement. After their round trip to the International Space Station, the coins and shipping tag will become museum pieces. If all goes well, they wont look any different than when they left the ground.

NASA says the four-million-mile exercise continues the legacy of exploration and discovery begun 400 years ago by Americas earliest explorers. I say it continues the modern NASA legacy of going round and round without actually getting anywhere.

If were going to spend $10,000 per pound on shipping, lets send items that actually advance our understanding and exploration of space. —Dawn Stover

(Left) RocketCam gave viewers 2 minutes of stunning footage before propellant smudged the view. No word when the camera will next be deployed. Ignition: Engines fire, 4.5-million- pound shuttle lifts off. 10 seconds: Already traveling at 120 mph, the shuttle clears the tower. 48 seconds: At 750 mph, 2 miles downrange, shuttle breaks sound barrier. 126 seconds: Just before SRB separation, 26 miles downrange, 2,800 mph.



The camera, mounted in pricey unit on cable tray near top of external tank (bottom left), is encased in foam-covered aerodynamic housing.