STS-134 Shuttle Mission to the International Space Station Launches Monday 16th @ 13:56 BST

[Merlin5]

I wonder if they always fall asleep like clockwork and get perfect zz's, or if any of the astronauts find it difficult to sleep sometimes. That would be a nightmare considering how difficult the work is. You'd need to be so sharp every day,.

 

[VaderDSL]

I wonder if they always fall asleep like clockwork and get perfect zz's, or if any of the astronauts find it difficult to sleep sometimes. That would be a nightmare considering how difficult the work is. You'd need to be so sharp every day,.

I imagine it to be fairly relaxing, you've got weightlessness, being snug in a sleeping bag type thing and the background noise from the fans and such providing a kinda white noise to allow you to switch off.

 

[Baz]

Not sure if anyone has seen this, epic photograph

http://twitpic.com/4yg4ur

 

[Sumanji]

Hey,

Is anyone planning to fly over to watch the STS-135 launch? I know the flights will be cost a bomb in July and there's a fairly good chance they will delay/cancel, but it's a part of history-to-be I really don't want to miss.

Probably won't check this thread again (stupid work stealing my time ) so drop me a mail if you have plans/advice/etc.!

Cheers

Su

 

[mctiny]

Not sure if anyone has seen this, epic photograph

http://twitpic.com/4yg4ur

I saw this last night, how lucky is that guy...

 

[VaderDSL]

What a photo! Absolutely amazing.

 

[Creature]

Hey,

Is anyone planning to fly over to watch the STS-135 launch? I know the flights will be cost a bomb in July and there's a fairly good chance they will delay/cancel, but it's a part of history-to-be I really don't want to miss.

Probably won't check this thread again (stupid work stealing my time ) so drop me a mail if you have plans/advice/etc.!

Cheers

Su

If I had the money i'd be there in an instant. I saw Atlantis launch years ago, but due to being a kid, it launched and I went and got a burger straight away (there's photographic proof of it launching and me walking away). It's a massive regret that i've never been back since to see another launch and really take it the whole experience of it.

If you can afford it, then there's no reason not to go see it, because I guarantee you'll regret it.

 

[PermaBanned]

I imagine it to be fairly relaxing, you've got weightlessness, being snug in a sleeping bag type thing and the background noise from the fans and such providing a kinda white noise to allow you to switch off.

Then again you've just ripped away from Earth at stupidly high speeds, joining only a handful of humans not currently on the planet where any number of things can go wrong at a moments notice and any one of them could result in your death, when your lives are in the hands of some computers based on technology that's decades old and people that are thousands of miles away... i'd say you'd be pretty full of adrenaline

 

[PermaBanned]

Hey,

Is anyone planning to fly over to watch the STS-135 launch? I know the flights will be cost a bomb in July and there's a fairly good chance they will delay/cancel, but it's a part of history-to-be I really don't want to miss.

Probably won't check this thread again (stupid work stealing my time ) so drop me a mail if you have plans/advice/etc.!

Cheers

Su

If it were physically possible for me to get the money... i might be able to raise £200-£300 max for it but that's nowhere near enough for it anyway.

 

[VaderDSL]

Then again you've just ripped away from Earth at stupidly high speeds, joining only a handful of humans not currently on the planet where any number of things can go wrong at a moments notice and any one of them could result in your death, when your lives are in the hands of some computers based on technology that's decades old and people that are thousands of miles away... i'd say you'd be pretty full of adrenaline

Hehe quite! I imagine it must be so disorientating if you get jolted out of your sleep, I struggle in the mornings sometimes if my phone goes off and I try answering it half asleep Imagine being jolted out of your sleep with sirens and klaxons going off!

 

[Biohazard]

Not sure if anyone has seen this, epic photograph

http://twitpic.com/4yg4ur

 

["andy"]

What a photo! Absolutely amazing.

i like this one by her too http://twitpic.com/4yg6hs

lucky lucky

 

[Berserker]

If I won the lottery, I would. It cost me ~£4k to see STS-131 (though that does include nearly four weeks in Florida - multiple visits to Disney, Universal, KSC and all the rest included). There was a slip in that launch too and I had to pay extra hotel and flight costs as a result. Luckily it launched on my last full day out there. Talk about cutting it close!

Big word of advice - don't go just to see the Shuttle. If it doesn't fly just for the President, it won't fly just for you. If you see it, wonderful. If not, have something else lined up so you've not made an expensive wasted trip.

I see one of the astronauts was wearing 'the worm'. Wonder if Administrator Goldin was watching. BANZ0RED!

 

[VaderDSL]

is the worm the old style nasa logo? the one i think looks the best

 

[Berserker]

Nope - the current one is the old-style logo. The worm happened in the middle (1975-1992).

 

[Cosimo]

Flight Day 2 highlights:

​

The wakeup call for today (03:56 BST) was Drops of Jupiter by Train and the plan is:

Flight Day 3

• Rendezvous with the International Space Station
• Rendezvous pitch maneuver photography of Endeavour’s thermal protection system by Expedition 27 crew members Nespoli and Coleman
• Docking to Harmony/pressurized mating adapter 2
• Hatch opening and welcoming
• Shuttle robotic arm grapple of Express Logistics Carrier-3, unberthing from Endeavour’s payload bay, handoff to Canadarm2 and installation on the Port 3 truss segment​

The pitch manoeuvre will start at 09:46 (BST) and docking will occur at 11:15 (BST). Watch it live on NASA TV.

 

[PeterNem]

Is anyone planning to fly over to watch the STS-135 launch? I know the flights will be cost a bomb in July and there's a fairly good chance they will delay/cancel, but it's a part of history-to-be I really don't want to miss.

Unless you can plan to be there for a protracted period of time I'm not sure I'd plan to be there for a launch - it's quite likely to end in disappointment.

I had a lot of holidays in Florida as a kid and was lucky to see a shuttle launch. I was also in Florida when discovery was meant to launch but the countdown aborted at T-3 seconds. A few years ago I was lucky enough to see a second launch.

I've just got back from the USA (was there from 29th until 14th May). I had hoped perhaps to see STS-134 launch but the timings just didn't quite work for me in the end. Had this happen quite a few times! I'd always go with the frame of mind that if you're lucky you might get to see it, rather than making it the sole reason for being there.

 

[Cosimo]

Following on from that photograph:

​

 

[Cosimo]

Endeavour closes in on the ISS at a height of 214 miles and a range of 2000ft:

 

[Cosimo]

Endeavour five feet away from the ISS:

Now mated and completing the docking sequence:

and docked: