Up Up Away – Back In The Game
 

Discovery is off! :line:

Watching that moment of lift off on a tiny TV screen still gives me chills. :)

I find it hard to deal with many of mans actions when I know what we are capable of. :dizzy:

Shit, I meant to watch it, but I got caught up in pervin'...

It’s still happening. Haven’t even done first stage separation yet. Turn on your stupid tube.

Look up all of you sexy British Pixies!

I ran out onto my deck with the kids and we watched it go up in the sky. A very clear day so we had a great view of it. I prayed the whole time that it would go off without a hitch and will be nervous on re-entry.

OK! It's a lift off! Time to change your location, old man!!! :lickme:

Your location is the one I’m working on changing. :wiggles:

Oh fab...I was away from comp/tv/radio all day...was curious to know how the launch went. Good luck guys, come home safe!!!

Great...just what I needed was something else to keep me glued to my computer screen!


Thanks PF! 2346 points so far!

For those of you who missed it you can see a short video of it HERE

I too was pleased to watch the lift off. Still, NASA should admit that this is less a triumphant flight of a phoenix and more a swan-song.

Despite all the efforts of the past 30 months and who knows how many millions of dollars spent to increase mission safety, in at most five years the shuttle will retire. It is expensive (the shuttle absorbs almost a third of NASA’s annual budget), doesn’t go anywhere other than low Earth orbit and must be recertified in 2010.

And yet the shuttle MUST fly. It is required to complete the international space station (ISS). Many of the station’s components were designed to be launched by the shuttle, and NASA has to take these to the station. For example, Japan’s experimental module is to be launched by the shuttle in return for Japanese construction of a centrifuge for the ISS.

One big question is how many more shuttle flights there will be. NASA once hoped for 27 more missions after this one. I’ve read recently as many as 20 flights. I, for one, hope these will include a mission to service the HST.

It sure was satisfying to watch.

I am jealous as hell! I had to wait until I got home from work but was able to catch it on the NASA channel on satellite. Good to see after all the trouble they've had.

Even watching the video gives me goosebumps. It's so cool...the concept that if we throw something really fast, and keep throwing it...it'll stay up. Of course, I also have a big goofy grin on my face whenever I take off in a plane. :sun:

I really hope they find that whatever fell off is minor. :yikes:

Bad news.
 

NASA just announced that it is grounding the rest of the space shuttle fleet while engineers assess the videos of the debris which fell from Discovery during its launch.

Not good. So I assume that if the damage is bad, they're stuck up there? At least until something can get figured out. Has the crew has started using the camera to check for the damage?

What I've heard is that there is no apparent threat to the shuttle being able to successfully return to earth, but that they are suspending future flights until they can solve the problem of materials flaking off and possibly damaging the shuttle.

It is sad that such a marvelous machine has so many problems.

I wonder what will become the next generation of space vehicle?

PF, you're right. So few people have ever been able to go into space ... it's really a wonder that interest has waned ... especially by the media. I noticed when I clicked on looking at the video clip (Thanks, Cheyanne) ... it was prefaced with a WalMart ad. :rolleyes2

fredchabotnick,

The announcement to ground the fleet was made after the visual. Keep in mind that NASA has not said that Discovery is unable to return safely. That being said, should a puncture be found in the shuttle’s thermal protection system after launch, there are only two alternatives. One is to wait for rescue in the space station; the other is to use an experimental kit of ablative filler, which is designed only for smaller punctures.

One difficulty with holing up in the ISS is that the rescue vehicle, Atlantis, is the same design as Discovery. Let us hope that there is no significant damage to Discovery, and that she’s cleared to make her scheduled return.

Keep in mind the reason why they were able to see the potential damage was that this time NASA had more cameras in place than a Speilberg production...after the Columbia disaster, they are much more safety conscious & less willing to let "go fever" mentality drive the program...
BTW, did everyone see the shuttle backflip as they approached the space station? I know it was done so they could scope out the underside of the craft for damage, but it was still very cool to see this first-ever acrobatic move being made by a vehicle the size of a building...

scotzoidman,

I couldn't agree with you more about Discovery's 360. Those vehicles are BIG!

Astronaut Stephen Robinson is making a monumental journey in repairing the belly of the shuttle today. In describing the details of what he's doing, it is truly remarkable that he'll be doing it in space...while in a space suit...attached to a robotic arm.

In true astronaut fashion, not unlike Neil Armstrong and his "One small step" words, Robinson had his own quote.


"The most important thing to keep your eye on is the top of my helmet."


:confused:


He did NOT just say that! :D

I just saw a pic of it and it seems sooooooooo amazing.

Home!
 

:D TOUCH DOWN!! :D
:line::line:

I continue to be exalted seeing a feat of un-comprehendible complexity and precision take place. When discussion of value happens, it can only occur with considerations of it’s positives against wanting to rectify negatives, usually of our own creation. The gain of knowledge and ability will perhaps someday become equal to our primal instincts and a new specie will go forward.

:jump: CONGRATULATIONS TO :jump:

Discovery
:line:
NASA
:line:
Human Race
:line:

Well said and well done, PF. You definitely said what's in my heart. Those are very brave people who have done a very brave deed and did it extremely well. God bless them all those willing to take risks for a better humanity!!

:line::line::line:

Yes indeed! Good to see the successful completion. :) Now all that remains is to get the falling debris issue resolved.

even with all the assurances, i still let out a huge breath after touch down.

welcome home discovery crew.

I just saw they made it! I'm sooo relieved.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
 

NASA’s next Mars probe, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), is scheduled for launch on Wednesday morning. An Atlas V rocket carrying the spacecraft should take off from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday just before 8:00 Eastern Time. It will arrive at Mars this coming March.

Once in orbit, the MRO will photograph the planet for suitable landing sites on future missions, and will investigate the history of water with its cameras, spectrometer, radar, and an instrument called the Mars Climate Sounder that will observe the temperature, humidity, and dust content of the Martian atmosphere.

One interesting mission feature that could never have happened in the “bad old days” is that the Atlas first stage uses a engine supplied by Russia. Whoda ever thunk it? My, my, my - how times have changed!

Yep. Gotta give them credit though, the Russians do space rockets well. Here's hoping that we can continue shooting them together.

OMG...I was shittin me fuckin trouser's while waiting for re-entry and landing! WHEW! They made it!

I get freaked out when the shuttle[s] go up...and especially when they come back down!!!

*goose bumps alllllllllllll over my body*

Gentlefolk,

After two delays, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launched this morning at 8:43 EST. :)