Mission Space, the real thing.

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Magic069

Magic069

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Space Shuttle Discovery launches today at 3:41pm EST.

I just wanted to let everyone know, even if you can't watch it at that time, watch the news tonight to see clips of the launch.

I don't think I will be able to se much in person anymore since I moved from Orlando to Tampa. Being on the other side of the state makes a difference. I am going to be online to see if I can watch it live as it goes up.

If the storms hold off, NASA says its a go. Just checked the radar, and everything looks clear at the cape now, but in Central Florida, that can change in a heartbeat.

I will come back around launch time, and let everyone know if it went or not. 👍

Just a side note fact. Space Shuttle Discovery was the same Shuttle used in the first launch after the Challenger Diaster. It is filling the same closey watched mission pressure today.
 
That must be pretty cool, i would like to see the shuttle lift off even if it was from a great distance...must be nice. Once one of the space shuttles had flown over my city to land at a near by base. :)
 
Oh yeah – I'll have to watch that. :) Well, I can't, offhand, think of any news stations that are on at noon… shoot.
 
Space Shuttle Discovery launches today at 3:41pm EST
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Yes and its only mission will be to perform an act we were capable of performing a lot cheaper almost 50 years ago. It is a waste of money.
 
Err, what is its mission this time 'round? None of the news reports ever cover that, since they keep talking about improvements to the wing's leading edge and what not.
 
saw some of this on the local news, its like 8:30pm our time or something when it goes up.
 
Err, what is its mission this time 'round? None of the news reports ever cover that, since they keep talking about improvements to the wing's leading edge and what not.
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Its mission is to enter low earth orbit, float around for a little while, and successfully come home without having to launch another one up there to go get it.

More specifically, they'll probably just be checking things out and making sure that everything is "safe" again.
 
GT_Fan2005
saw some of this on the local news, its like 8:30pm our time or something when it goes up.
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Except that it's not. (Look above your post.)

danoff
Its mission is to enter low earth orbit, float around for a little while, and successfully come home without having to launch another one up there to go get it.

More specifically, they'll probably just be checking things out and making sure that everything is "safe" again.
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Oh, so a test drive?

I think it's really time for a new space shuttle. I'm really holding out for the privateers, so that it may give some incentive for NASA to be more efficient and what not.
 
I was under the impression they're going to dock with the ISS - as I suspect all Shuttle missions until the programme is terminated in 15 years time will be capable of doing (Columbia wasn't equipped with a docking module - NASA considered this solution, but without the module it'd have meant an EVA to save their airmen, so they preferred to go with "Ahhh, it'll be fine.").
 
Yeah a basicly a test drive. They have a camera on the Canada boom arm that is going to swing out while in orbit and give discovery a once over. They are also droping off much needed supplies to the International Space Station.

Current Weather over the Cape. Its the island thing east of Titusville. Most of the weather is west of Orlando. (Tampa, I can see it out my work window)

 
Famine
I was under the impression they're going to dock with the ISS -
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They are also droping off much needed supplies to the International Space Station.
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It's basically just a test drive. I guess if they're dropping off supplies then it has at least some purpose (though it could have been done much cheaper).
 
PS
It's not launching. The fuel sensor has screwed up.
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The "check engine light" light went on again, and the manual says to bring it to the dealer.
 
pupik
The "check engine light" light went on again, and the manual says to bring it to the dealer.
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Damn OBDII! You know the tech is just going to reset the thing with his handheld and write "Intermittent, can't reproduce" on the service slip...
 
Duke
Damn OBDII! You know the tech is just going to reset the thing with his handheld and write "Intermittent, can't reproduce" on the service slip...
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:lol: Every time! Never fails!!
 
Duke
Damn OBDII! You know the tech is just going to reset the thing with his handheld and write "Intermittent, can't reproduce" on the service slip...
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"...unable to reproduce customer's concern at this time..."

"...does not exhibit the concern at this time..."

"...has no abnormalities compared to silimar make, model, and year..."

Or the one that really makes me fear dealing with the driver:

"...customer should return when concern is present..."
 
pupik
"...customer should return when concern is present..."
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This one would really work well for the shuttle during lift off.


Oh and for those that didn't want to look it up, but wanted to know:

The mission agenda:
Collins and her crew have been training for this flight for more than two years.

The shuttle is to bring 28,000 pounds (12,700 kilograms) of payload to the space station, including food and supplies, a replacement guidance gyroscope and a space storage platform. Three spacewalks have been scheduled:

Spacewalkers will test tools that have been developed since the Columbia tragedy to fix cracks in the shuttle's protective skin, using sample materials. Those tools include a daub-on applicator, a special type of caulking gun and a series of patches equipped with expansion bolts. Griffin acknowledged that the tools on this mission didn't have "any substantial repair capability" but said the lessons learned would lead to improvements.
A second spacewalk is aimed at removing a balky gyroscope from the space station and putting in the replacement. Backup gyroscopes have still been keeping the station in the proper position, but NASA wants to have the full complement working.
The storage platform, which can hold supplies for future spacewalks, will be installed on the station's exterior during the final scheduled outing.

The new launch date is said to be on Saturday, but no offical time has been set. Engineers have been looking at the problem that scrubed the launch on Wednesday, and are unable to pin point exactly what caused the malfunction.

If it goes Saturday, my butt will be on the beach watching it! 👍

This is Magic reporting for GTPlanet news, now back to your Rumble strip browsing.
 
Alright guys, the reminder is back. I haven't been watching the news, but I did hear about this on the morning drive. The shuttle is set launch today at 10:39am EST. The crew is already on board, and everything looks good weather wise. We are about an hour and a half out.


CNN's Front Page Story on the Launch

Lets hope Discovery goes this time! 👍
 
External camera between tank and orbiter... 9 minutes downrange and the two separate...


I've mopped up now.
 
Some stats from the live commentary...

2.25 million pounds of fuel were consumed in the first 90 seconds...

After 9 minutes, the shuttle was already at a height of 63 miles, and was travelling at over 16,000 mph...

:eek:

The video footage was great, especially the external tank separation... 👍 👍
 
Touring Mars
After 9 minutes, the shuttle was already at a height of 63 miles, and was travelling at over 16,000 mph...
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And was 200 miles downrange of the pad..!

I loved the stats about the disposables.

The solid booster rockets separated after ~2 minutes, will take 7 minutes to fall back to Earth (which means they were kicking out about 3.5g of acceleration) and will be retrieved from the Atlantic.

The tank, which separated after ~9 minutes, will not be recovered and will splashdown...

In the Indian Ocean!
 
I have mixed emotions about this launch.

On the one hand I wanted the shuttle to go up successfully. It had such a great run that I didn't want it to end on a bad note.

But I also want the shuttle program to die - and as soon as possible. It's a waste of time and money that we should be spending on something better.

The tank, which separated after ~9 minutes, will not be recovered and will splashdown...

In the Indian Ocean!
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Spaceflight and rocketry is pretty sweet stuff!
 

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