The Official Space Flight Thread - The Space Station and Beyond

Cosimo · 11 Sep 2011 at 08:34

GRAIL went up rather quickly. Here is a great picture capturing lift-off:

Don’t forget to visit the GRAIL mission site.

PermaBanned · 11 Sep 2011 at 17:54

Beautiful image that, like a phoenix rising from the ashes

Cosimo · 13 Sep 2011 at 11:59

So you've arrived in space and need to use your camera. Time to look in the NASA Astronaut’s Photography Manual.

Metalface Mark · 13 Sep 2011 at 12:14

The good old Hasselblad, is that the same one they used in Apollo or was that upgraded?

Cosimo · 13 Sep 2011 at 12:18

Metalface Mark said:
The good old Hasselblad, is that the same one they used in Apollo or was that upgraded?

They've changed over the years:

http://www.hasselblad.com/about-hasselblad/hasselblad-in-space/space-cameras.aspx

Glaucus · 13 Sep 2011 at 20:43

First weld on new Orion capsule. That's some ****** awesome kit they have there. Seems hard to think it's not due to fly till 2013, you can already see it's shape.

Kristoph · 13 Sep 2011 at 20:51

Love the photo of the untethered space walk in that Hasselblad book.

PermaBanned · 14 Sep 2011 at 00:27

"Don't leave me Ron!"

You've gotta love Ron Garan though, he's released more, and more high quality stuff than anybody else i've followed. Almost a shame to see him come home, but he's assured his twitter followers that he's got plenty of pictures he hasn't published yet (hopefully from film *hint hint nudge nudge sim.*

).

Marine Iguana · 14 Sep 2011 at 08:15

Soyuz launch dates set.

Yay! \

/

http://www.universetoday.com/88917/...s-dates-for-resuming-progress-soyuz-launches/

Cosimo · 14 Sep 2011 at 08:27

Marine Iguana said:
Soyuz launch dates set. Yay! \/

http://www.universetoday.com/88917/...s-dates-for-resuming-progress-soyuz-launches/

Excellent news! We'll all be watching on the 30th of October with fingers crossed.

Cosimo · 14 Sep 2011 at 11:14

Life goes on aboard the ISS and three members of Expedition 28 will be returning home after five and a half months in space. Their Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft will undock from the station on Friday at 01:38 BST (Thursday 20:38 EDT) and is scheduled to land in Kazakhstan on Friday at 05:00 BST (10:00 local time).

Cosimo · 14 Sep 2011 at 16:34

Now this is hot news:

NASA Announces Design for New Deep Space Exploration System 09.14.11

NASA is ready to move forward with the development of the Space Launch System -- an advanced heavy-lift launch vehicle that will provide an entirely new national capability for human exploration beyond Earth's orbit. The Space Launch System will give the nation a safe, affordable and sustainable means of reaching beyond our current limits and opening up new discoveries from the unique vantage point of space.

The Space Launch System, or SLS, will be designed to carry the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, as well as important cargo, equipment and science experiments to Earth's orbit and destinations beyond. Additionally, the SLS will serve as a back up for commercial and international partner transportation services to the International Space Station.

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls1.html

The first launch of the SLS is targeted to be in 2017.

Marine Iguana · 14 Sep 2011 at 16:43

simulatorman said:
The first launch of the SLS is targeted to be in 2017.

Wow that soon I like

Metalface Mark · 14 Sep 2011 at 17:04

simulatorman said:
Now this is hot news:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls1.html

The first launch of the SLS is targeted to be in 2017.

I like the black and white panels, very Saturn V'ish.

PermaBanned · 14 Sep 2011 at 17:09

Just looks out of proportion to me. Not like the Saturn 1B or V. They were gorgeous in their own right

If it does launch by 2017 i'm not complaining though*

*although i do have my doubts

Metalface Mark · 14 Sep 2011 at 17:57

PermaBanned said:
Just looks out of proportion to me. Not like the Saturn 1B or V. They were gorgeous in their own right

If it does launch by 2017 i'm not complaining though*

*although i do have my doubts

Yeah we have been here a few times before, remember the Bush era announcements which looked brilliant and we were headed back to the moon?

Obama gets kicked out then this will probably get kicked into touch.

PermaBanned · 15 Sep 2011 at 00:20

ISS change of command. Three man crew soon. Brings back memories

gettothechopper · 15 Sep 2011 at 00:30

simulatorman said:
Now this is hot news:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls1.html

The first launch of the SLS is targeted to be in 2017.

wait ... what

orion > thought all this funding was cancelled?
and that nasa was funding private companies capsules instead?

PermaBanned · 15 Sep 2011 at 00:40

Nope, was just the Ares launch vehicle that was cancelled - the Orion capsule is still in development.

As somebody on another forum pointed out though, the longer the development time for a system like this, the MORE likely that the schedule will slip and ultimately the higher the likelyhood of it being cancelled altogether. So i'll believe it when i see it.

Thankfully that's just an artists concept, which just looks like a Saturn V first and second stage with some Shuttle SRBs strapped to it and a tiny payload compartment. Disproportional - don't like

PermaBanned · 15 Sep 2011 at 21:43

http://savethistelescope.blogspot.com/2011/09/jwst-news-update-senate-appropriations.html

Cautiously optimistic? Not happy about the cut to NASA's overall budget though.

While we're on the topic - does a post about a space telescope go in the space thread or the telescope thread?

** The Official Space Flight Thread - The Space Station and Beyond **

The Official Space Flight Thread - The Space Station and Beyond