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

ChroniC said:
If they decommissioned the shuttles, are they just using re-entry modules to bring back astronauts from the space station. How are they doing repair work too? I just assumed they were making new shuttles.
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No there will be no futher fully reuseable space craft (as the shuttle was) for the foreseeable future.

The ISS crews are currently ferried to and from the station using Russian Soyuz craft.

The ISS is supplied using Russian Progress craft, European ATV craft and soon SpaceX Dragon craft (commercial company).

The intention is that the commercial space flight industry will develop resupply craft and eventually transport craft for astronauts in the short-mid term (next 5-10 years) until NASA has developed its next generation craft.

I'd love to know Simulatorman's opinions on the cancelled Constellation program which was stopped for budgetary reasons. From what I've seen of the current development of the next generation craft they may as well have carried on with Constellation
 
I've heard stories about how mismanaged Constellation was but seen nothing concrete. Although i agree, there doesn't really seem to be a solid plan. Because there are no solid goals. If you try to design a craft that can do everything you do risk doing the opposite.
 
That's a stunning photo, would love that in an oil painting.

I didnt think NASA had any intention of ever resupplying or sending people on it's own craft to the ISS again and it will be all private.

The Dragon will be capable of manned launches.
 
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Another cracker from the Expedition 30 crew aboard the space station:

​

The sequences are as follows:

:01 -- Stars over southern United States
:08 -- US west coast to Canada
:21 -- Central Europe to the Middle East
:36 -- Aurora Australis over the Indian Ocean
:54 -- Storms over Africa
1:08 -- Central United States
1:20 -- Midwest United States
1:33 -- United Kingdom to Baltic Sea
1:46 -- Moonset
1:55 -- Northern United States to Eastern Canada
2:12 -- Aurora Australis over the Indian Ocean
2:32 -- Comet Lovejoy
2:53 -- Aurora Borealis over Hudson Bay
3:06 -- United Kingdom to Central Europe​
 
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simulatorman said:
Another cracker from the Expedition 30 crew aboard the space station:

​

The sequences are as follows:

:01 -- Stars over southern United States
:08 -- US west coast to Canada
:21 -- Central Europe to the Middle East
:36 -- Aurora Australis over the Indian Ocean
:54 -- Storms over Africa
1:08 -- Central United States
1:20 -- Midwest United States
1:33 -- United Kingdom to Baltic Sea
1:46 -- Moonset
1:55 -- Northern United States to Eastern Canada
2:12 -- Aurora Australis over the Indian Ocean
2:32 -- Comet Lovejoy
2:53 -- Aurora Borealis over Hudson Bay
3:06 -- United Kingdom to Central Europe​
Click to expand...

That is amazing!! Is it real?
 
One arrives and another moves. Space shuttle Enterprise being mated on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) at Washington Dulles International Airport, Friday April 20:

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shuttleferry11.jpg
 
shuttleferry12.jpg


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It was due to fly to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport today but that has been postponed due to bad weather. A new date will be set today. Enterprise will go on permanent display at the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum in New York in June.
 
Weather permitting the Enterprise ferry flight to New York is now scheduled to occur between (14:30-16:30 BST (09:30-11:30 EDT) tomorrow.
 
Curiosity

Looking forward to see what data the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover brings back once it lands on mars.

Launch: Nov. 26, 2011, 7:02 a.m. PST
(10:02 a.m. EST)

Landing: August 2012

Mission: To search areas of Mars for past or present conditions favorable for life, and conditions capable of preserving a record of life:)

Length of mission on Mars: The prime mission will last one Mars year or about 23 Earth months.

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9c1b38d62f0280455dfcc3d6c4233ab9.jpg

100330-MSL-overview-02.jpg

MSLRoverConfiguration.jpg

msl_today2-1.jpg
 
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