Space Shuttle Countdown

[skymama 35]

Launch is a "go"! T minus 9 minutes.

Watch it here. I'll go walk outside and watch.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[ntrprnr 0]

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/live_tv.html

_______________
"Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?"
"Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

[micduran 0]

I just watched on CNN. Working from home is good.
Not as good as being able to see it live by just walking outside, though. Lucky you!!

Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Just caught it. Cool!!

[skymama 35]

Oh, it was beautiful!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[skymama 35]

Quote

Not as good as being able to see it live by just walking outside, though. Lucky you!!

We have it down pat now...watch the tv...see in lift off...wait a few seconds...wait, wait...RUN outside for the big finish!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[normiss 622]

same as I used to watch the Apollo launches sitting on granny's lap as a kid!


it was a pretty launch today! lost sight of it very quickly today though...

[skymama 35]

The sky was so blue! I had a big cloud blocking my "spot" where I usually see it and I didn't think I was going to be able to. Then, it came shooting up from behind the cloud. It was very cool.

Funny how it's still thrilling after all these years, huh?

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[johndh1 0]

I have such anxiety watching every time. I'll never forget, I was in like second grade, and either school was out that day or I was home sick when I watched the Challenger explode, and those big tanks spinning away out of control. It was so shocking. Then, decades later, watching the Columbia slowly coming apart returning, was just as shocking.

Roll Tide Roll

[SARLDO 0]

Quote

Quote

Not as good as being able to see it live by just walking outside, though. Lucky you!!

We have it down pat now...watch the tv...see in lift off...wait a few seconds...wait, wait...RUN outside for the big finish!

One of the reasons I can't wait to move to the Orlando area.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest" ~Samuel Clemens

MB#4300
Dudeist Skydiver #68

[skydiver30960 0]

Better move quick: I hear they're shutting the Shuttle program down in 2010.

If they do, what happens then?

Elvisio "it's a long walk" Rodriguez

[simplyputsi 0]

The space elevator will be up and running by then

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[calledisrael 0]

the constellation project is next after the shuttle program, and the launches will be just as magnificent. :-) they are going back to large rockets like before, with a capsule, rather than the reusable vehicle with boosters.

i saw my first launch live this past summer, and it was like seeing it for the first time ever. tv doesn't compare at all...
i start working at NASA next week, in houston... and i am so excited!

life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
(helen keller)

[SARLDO 0]

Quote

Better move quick...

Six months and counting. I should be able to see a launch or two before the shuttle program goes away.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest" ~Samuel Clemens

MB#4300
Dudeist Skydiver #68

[johndh1 0]

I watched the launch from the ground at Z-hills a few years ago - it just looked like a pinpoint with a big smoke trail, of course, but the way the wind currents at different altitude moved the trail was awesome to see. I can only imagine what it must be like from 2 miles away. My friend Sandy and others were on the "shuttle jump," and they just made a round and rotated it so that everyone could see from altitude. The video is awesome.

Roll Tide Roll

[normiss 622]

I'm looking forward to seeing the replay tonight on tv...today was the first high definition coverage!

[BillyVance 34]

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the constellation project is next after the shuttle program, and the launches will be just as magnificent. :-) they are going back to large rockets like before, with a capsule, rather than the reusable vehicle with boosters.

i saw my first launch live this past summer, and it was like seeing it for the first time ever. tv doesn't compare at all...
i start working at NASA next week, in houston... and i am so excited!

I read in the newspaper that the new rockets or something will be called "Orion". They were talking about the new parts for the space station that will be the docking port for the next generation of launch vehicles. Correct me if I'm wrong.

And John, damn I'm old. I was a senior in high school when Challenger blew up. School let out 30 minutes later and all I did was watch news coverage the rest of the day.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[psipike02 0]

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Better move quick: I hear they're shutting the Shuttle program down in 2010.

If they do, what happens then?

Elvisio "it's a long walk" Rodriguez

It's a new project called Orion and the vehicle is called the "CEV" or "Crew Exploration Vehicle." It is very similar to the old apollo module, but bigger and also with half the controls of the space shuttle but can do twice as more.

It will launch on top of one of the staged rockets.

Here is the article about Orion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_%28spacecraft%29

And on The CEV:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/cev_faq.html

I really want the chance to fly on the CEV.....or even go back to the moon or space station

Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

[kkeenan 13]

We watched it from here at the Cape. This was a really loud one. We are at the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), a few miles away, and the rumble from the SRBs set off a lot of car alarms.

Here's a photo of the Node 2 module when it was leaving the SSPF and another in the cargo bay of Discovery.

Kevin K.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[psipike02 0]

Quote

We watched it from here at the Cape. This was a really loud one. We are at the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), a few miles away, and the rumble from the SRBs set off a lot of car alarms.

Here's a photo of the Node 2 module when it was leaving the SSPF and another in the cargo bay of Discovery.

Kevin K.

That is so awesome....I envy the fact that you are at the SSPF watching it and seeing the node 2 module along with the cargo bay....

Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

[calledisrael 0]

no, you're right. the capsule/vehicle is called orion. the rocket is called ares. the whole program is called constellation.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/main/index.html

life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
(helen keller)

[kkeenan 13]

This is actually going to be a very cool mission, considering all that is planned to be done. Node 2 will be docked to Node 1 as a temporary location, then the P6 Truss, which is about 90 ft. long and 30,000 lbs. will be moved by the Space Station robot arm to its final location at the end of the port truss. then the solar arrays will be re-deployed.

With each addition of reflective material, the ISS gets brighter when viewed from earth. The new Node will make it a little brighter, but the solar arrays have many more times the area, and are very bright. The P6 arrays will be the third set of four that are planned. When all four are deployed, it is said that the ISS will be visible sometimes during daylight. That's pretty damn bright. When you see it at night, it looks like a very bright, fast-moving star.

To find ISS sighting times in your area, check here:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/sightings/index.html

Other good ISS info is here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Kevin

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

This is actually going to be a very cool mission, considering all that is planned to be done. Node 2 will be docked to Node 1 as a temporary location, then the P6 Truss, which is about 90 ft. long and 30,000 lbs. will be moved by the Space Station robot arm to its final location at the end of the port truss. then the solar arrays will be re-deployed.

With each addition of reflective material, the ISS gets brighter when viewed from earth. The new Node will make it a little brighter, but the solar arrays have many more times the area, and are very bright. The P6 arrays will be the third set of four that are planned. When all four are deployed, it is said that the ISS will be visible sometimes during daylight. That's pretty damn bright. When you see it at night, it looks like a very bright, fast-moving star.

To find ISS sighting times in your area, check here:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/sightings/index.html

Other good ISS info is here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Kevin

Two shuttle missions ago I think, I watched the shuttle/ISS pass directly over my house at sunset. That was way cool. Thanks for the link. I'd love to see it again.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[normiss 622]

Didn't node 2 come over on an Airbus Beluga???

very cool program going on there!
I miss working for Honeywell sometimes...I used to support the payload test systems when they ran on Data General mini's.... back in the day when I actually carried an o-scope around in my car!
ok...I'm an old fart.

[mamajumps 0]

Here is a beautiful pic for those who missed it or are too far away to see it.



picture credit to The Lakeland Ledger