Now this should be the stuff streamed live on the telly not bleeding royal weddings or soul destroying programs like Britains got retards.I mean what is more important, interesting and exciting then traversing the heavens?
STS-134 Shuttle Mission to the International Space Station Launches Monday 16th @ 13:56 BST
- Thread starter Cosimo
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Soldato
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Thanks for the heads up sim I will be defiantly watching the launch.
Soldato
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Don't quote me on this, but i think that was the last Discovery launch. They are defiantly wrapping up the programme though, not sure when... i did think that was the last one too, but it seems not.
Soldato
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Ha, just read the wiki article. Apparently NASA said STS-135 would be launching regardless of the funding situation.
Now that's the sort of attitude we need in space exploration
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Shamelessly stolen from somebody on stargazer's lounge, a brilliant animated gif of the Progress cargo ship followed by the ISS, which it separated from 10 hours earlier.
We could do with an astronomy thread...
We could do with an astronomy thread...
Back to the present (March) and Endeavour is lowered into place where it is being attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building):
An overview of STS-134's payload, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and the mission:
Today will see the closure of the payload doors. The crew will arrive at Kennedy tomorrow and the launch countdown clock will start at 19:00 BST (14:00 EDT).
(Note: the mission press kit has been added to post #1)
An overview of STS-134's payload, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and the mission:
Today will see the closure of the payload doors. The crew will arrive at Kennedy tomorrow and the launch countdown clock will start at 19:00 BST (14:00 EDT).
(Note: the mission press kit has been added to post #1)
Another one of Endeavour in the VAB being readied for attachment to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters:
Endeavour’s final ride to Launch Pad 39A:
Endeavour, its payload and crew are now ready for launch. The first weather outlook has been given and there is an 80% probability of good weather for Friday’s launch. There is a chance that windy weather (crosswinds) may interfere with the launch. The launch countdown clock started at 19:00 BST.
Endeavour’s final ride to Launch Pad 39A:
Endeavour, its payload and crew are now ready for launch. The first weather outlook has been given and there is an 80% probability of good weather for Friday’s launch. There is a chance that windy weather (crosswinds) may interfere with the launch. The launch countdown clock started at 19:00 BST.
Soldato
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Ok, perhaps I'm being stupid, but I thought we'd had the last ever Shuttle launch, didn't they cease the programme due to the new programme, the name of which I cannot remember?
Obama scrapped funding for the Constellation project and with it the return to the moon by a new policy. There a few threads about it. The following are worth looking at:
National Space Policy of the United States of America
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
The last shuttle mission, STS-135 (Atlantis) is due in June. The life of the ISS has been extended to 2020 or beyond.
NASA was trying to scrape together funding for the mission until last week when the federal budget got approved. NASA now has a budget through to the end of September and that includes funding for STS-135.
I haven't seen it mentioned here, but there is a really good chance of seeing Endeavour and the E.T. from the UK for this launch. Heavens-Above shows an ISS pass at 21:31, 46 minutes after launch (that's based on my home location in Leicester). This means the Shuttle should be visible before that pass because it will be in the same orbital plane, but ahead of the station.
I have only managed it twice, but it's an amazing sight to see the two dots travelling in formation, the white Shuttle just above the orange external tank. I thoroughly recommend making the effort about 20 minutes after launch looking at the South West horizon for the the Shuttle, and then around 21:31 for the ISS.
Go to http://www.heavens-above.com to get the exact times for the ISS for your location; the Shuttle pass should occur around 15 minutes before. What we have done before is watch the live feed on the net from NASA until just after E.T. seperation at 8:50 after launch, then go outside and watch for at least 20 minutes to try and spot them.
Depending on docking times, it will be worth watching on the 30th at 21:58 for another, much lower pass, where the Shuttle may have manouvered in close to the ISS and they should be flying together.
I have only managed it twice, but it's an amazing sight to see the two dots travelling in formation, the white Shuttle just above the orange external tank. I thoroughly recommend making the effort about 20 minutes after launch looking at the South West horizon for the the Shuttle, and then around 21:31 for the ISS.
Go to http://www.heavens-above.com to get the exact times for the ISS for your location; the Shuttle pass should occur around 15 minutes before. What we have done before is watch the live feed on the net from NASA until just after E.T. seperation at 8:50 after launch, then go outside and watch for at least 20 minutes to try and spot them.
Depending on docking times, it will be worth watching on the 30th at 21:58 for another, much lower pass, where the Shuttle may have manouvered in close to the ISS and they should be flying together.
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Another one of Endeavour in the VAB being readied for attachment to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters:
When you see that picture it puts it into perspective just how huge the Saturn V was in comparison.
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I've only seen the ET once. The Shuttle and ISS loads of times though. However don't the Shuttles normally launch 'behind' the ISS and then catch up? Looking at Human Space Flight, the ISS will pass over South England at 9:32pm and the Shuttle at roughly 9:07pm. Normally, iirc, the ISS passes first and then the Shuttle around 20 minutes later.
Any idea why this launch is the other way round? I wonder if they're going to launch into a higher orbit and let the ISS catch up with Endeavour, or if they'll stay low and just take that bit longer to close in.
*edit* Note that on Human Space Flight the Friday Shuttle pass isn't mentioned, not sure why. 9:07 is a rough estimate.