Space Shuttle's "Return to Flight"

[DisneyDaniel]

Complete coverage of NASA's Return to Flight mission (STS-114) with the Space Shuttle Discovery is available at www.nasa.gov or at the Return to Flight page at: http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html. Or, you can watch NASA-TV on certain cable/satellite systems (like I'm watching with DIRECTV) and NASA-TV can also be streamed live from NASA's Web site.

NASA's Space Shuttle Flies Again!
10:39 a.m. Eastern Time (7:39 a.m. Pacific Time)
The thunderous sound of applause and rocket engines erupted across Kennedy Space Center, Fla., as Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Launch Pad 39B for NASA's Return to Flight mission. Commanded by Eileen Collins and carrying an international crew of seven astronauts, the Space Shuttle soared over the Atlantic Ocean as it left Florida's eastern shores and climbed into the sky. Discovery is on a 12-day flight to deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. The STS-114 mission comes after a two and a half year initiative to reinforce the orbiters and improve the safety of the Space Shuttle fleet.

With the clearing of the launch pad tower and Discovery in orbit, the vehicle and its crew now begins the two-day chase to rendezvous with the International Space Station.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I was just about to post this. I got in the car and turned on the radio at T-10 to launch. I wish I had remembered so I could have stayed inside the apartment and watched it live, but listening to the whole thing was kinda fun.

I'm waiting for full video of the launch to hit the internet. I found a short video of the 30 seconds or so leading up to the separation of the solid fuel boosters, but aparantly, with the addition of scores of cameras to keep an eye out for debris damage, for the first time they broadcast the separation of the main engines from space. I'd love to see that.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Damn. They've got a longer video here (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8515881/) that starts from blast off, but it still stops just after the solid boosters separate.

[scaeagles]

for the first time they broadcast the separation of the main engines from space. I'd love to see that.

That was exceptionally cool.

I suppose I am like a lot of Americans - the Shuttle program had become old news and not interesting enough to watch the launch. I watched with tremendous interest this morning, sadly because of concern for the safety of the astronauts. My heart skipped a beat as the two externals broke away.

I hope that serious effort and budgets are put forth to replace the shuttle soon. While it certainly was a great program, the tech is a quarter century old (granted, many systems have been upgraded over time).

I have watched a few specials lately on the History Channel regarding the history of jet aviation and the test pilots that had "the right stuff". I am all for safety, don't get me wrong, but there is an inherant risk in testing new things, and it doesn't seem as if America as a whole has the guts for risk any longer. I am certain there are still pilots who would love to test new tech, and probably do all the time under secrecy for military applications. I guess I just find it sad that after true tragedies such as the Columbia it has taken 2.5 years to make another effort. How long after the Apollo 1 accident (where the astronauts burned to death during a drill) did it take for another try? I'm not sure, but I'm certain it wasn't anywhere near 2.5 years.

I hope that soon we have something new, and that if we experience another tragedy in our efforts in space that it does not limit or kill the spirit to continue trying.

Hats off to the crew of the Discovery. God speed.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Sweeet, MSNBC finally has the full video up. Watching the shuttle perform its final roll maneuver, and then watching as the main engines/fuel tank fall away was spectacular! At least some good has come out of the tragic deaths of the Columbia crew, these new cameras are already bringing some new, fascinating views.

As for the time after an accident, it's a cumulative thing that probably can't be reversed. With each accident comes new safety measures and more complexity. And with more complexity comes more need for investigation and careful planning to implement even newer safety measures. At this point, the shuttles are right at the envelope. Every tiny bit of extra weight, extra expense, or change in shape needs to be scrutinized for its effect on the whole package. You can't just slap a quick fix on. Not so much because the quick fix won't solve the problem, but because the quick fix won't fit into the exacting specifications. Extra equipment means extra fuel. How much extra fuel, and can the tank hold it? And when does it become cost prohibitive? And does it require reconfiguring the launch tower? Etc., etc., etc. It's the unfortunate side effect of the complexity of the machine, not so much fear.

[Not Afraid]

As a child of the 60's and the dream to "live" in space, this sentence really made my heart skip a beat:

Discovery is on a 12-day flight to deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station.


Future is now.

[scaeagles]

As for the time after an accident, it's a cumulative thing that probably can't be reversed. With each accident comes new safety measures and more complexity. And with more complexity comes more need for investigation and careful planning to implement even newer safety measures. At this point, the shuttles are right at the envelope. Every tiny bit of extra weight, extra expense, or change in shape needs to be scrutinized for its effect on the whole package. You can't just slap a quick fix on. Not so much because the quick fix won't solve the problem, but because the quick fix won't fit into the exacting specifications. Extra equipment means extra fuel. How much extra fuel, and can the tank hold it? And when does it become cost prohibitive? And does it require reconfiguring the launch tower? Etc., etc., etc. It's the unfortunate side effect of the complexity of the machine, not so much fear.

To an extent you're right. But the shuttle accident 2.5 years ago DID lead to fears about the safety of the entire shuttle and space program, leading to an entire overhaul of the safety and systems of checks within NASA. It didn't take 2.5 years to solve the problem of insulation falling off the booster and hitting the heat shield tiles

I think the entire shuttle program has been cost prohibitive for quite a while. It's time for something new. And I think the attitude of the country as a whole is such that new things can be too risky, and no one wants to take the heat for an accident. I just find that attitude to be sad and counterproductive. Discovery and exploration are risky and it is impossible to take the risks out. There comes a point at which the attempted elimination of risk becomes counter productive. If the attitude that exists today existed during the Apollo missions, we would not have landed on the moon.

[Matterhorn Fan]

I walked outside at 10:30-whatever and looked up and east. Giant fireball in the sky moving suprisingly fast. Now that was cool.

[Not Afraid]

WOW! That's REALLY cool!

[Ghoulish Delight]

I've been to Cape Canaveral and visited the Space Center, but there was nothing going on. No shuttle in sight, just the huge land crawler they use to transport it to the gantry. I've never even had the opportunity to get up to Edwards to see one land, let alone witness a launch first hand. It's on my long list of spectacles I really hope to see.

[Ghoulish Delight]

http://msnbc.com/modules/spaceshuttle/discoverylaunch/

This allows you to select up to three camera angles at a time (there are 11 to choose from) to watch the launch simultaneously. It's a lot of fun.

The current drama is, they are examining the footage from the 100 or so cameras to figure out what one pice of debris that was seen is. It may be a part of a tile. Also seen in the footage was what appeared to be a piece of insulating foam from the fuel tank (which is what hit Columbia causing the fateful damage), but it didn't hit the shuttle. And apparantly the cone took a bird out on the way up. :birdy:

Part of the problem with determining if that bit of debris is something to worry about is that they've never seen the shuttle from those angles during that part of its flight. So they have no concept of "normal" debris to draw a reference from.

[scaeagles]

I walked outside at 10:30-whatever and looked up and east. Giant fireball in the sky moving suprisingly fast. Now that was cool.

When I was in elementary school I lived in central Florida, close enough to Cape Canaveral to see the Saturn V rocket carrying either Voyager or Voyager II take off. It is a great sight.

[€uroMeinke]

I saw them putting Apollo 13 together when I liven in Florida - that thing was big. Very sorry it never made it to the moon.

[CoasterMatt]

All this time down, and it's still the same shuttle!! Where are all the amazing effects?!? :p

[TigerLily]

All this time down, and it's still the same shuttle!! Where are all the amazing effects?!? :p

LOL....hopefullt it is safer, but debris is still falling off onto the tiles...hope it makes it back safely..:)

[€uroMeinke]

All this time down, and it's still the same shuttle!! Where are all the amazing effects?!? :p


C'mon, the thing hit a bird? Do you know how hard it is to target a bird in flight with a Space Shuttle - let alone capture it on camera.

[wendybeth]

No doubt, Tigerlily. The last shuttle had an astronaut from Spokane- his parents still live here, and it was heartbreaking to see their last pictures of their son. (They had them developed in Eric's old lab shortly after the memorial). Most of the pics were from the pre-flight festivities and such, and their son was so incredibly excited to be going.

[Ghoulish Delight]

All this time down, and it's still the same shuttle!! Where are all the amazing effects?!? :pYou gotta have the right pair of glasses...

[scaeagles]

Sopme interesting new info about the debris -

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050727/D8BJECR80.html

"In uneasy reminders of the Columbia accident, a thermal tile apparently got chipped..."

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yeah, but they've seen litereally thousands of damanged thermal tiles on past shuttles with no problem. The difficulty will be determining if this is the right (wrong?) kind of damage to worry about.

[scaeagles]

Exactly - and the point of the story, really.

There's going to be such great gnashing of teeth regarding what is damage to worry about and what is damage that makes no difference whatsoever.

[Not Afraid]

This things falling apart at the seams! I wish my old Toyota Celica with 220k miles was still around. It never fell apart. I'd offer it to NASA - cheap!

[TigerLily]

at times I ponder why with all the advances in technology are we still using that type of shuttle to go into space with......we've been using the same shuttles since at least the 80's ....right? you would think they can design something better by now.... :confused:

[€uroMeinke]

at times I ponder why with all the advances in technology are we still using that type of shuttle to go into space with......we've been using the same shuttles since at least the 80's ....right? you would think they can design something better by now.... :confused:

I'm still waiting for my personal jet pack

[Ghoulish Delight]

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/02/06/solotrek.jetpack/

http://www.futurehorizons.net/jetpacks.htm

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oooh, better yet, the "Azeem" jet pack. If that's not tailor made for you, I don't know what is!

http://www.azeem2000.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5

[Not Afraid]

Oooh, better yet, the "Azeem" jet pack. If that's not tailor made for you, I don't know what is!

http://www.azeem2000.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5

Related links: More about Boba and Jango Fett (http://www.azeem2000.com/modules.php?name=Search&topic=4)

Am I the only one who finds this funny?

[€uroMeinke]

I do like the hover-platform. I think it would be way more fun than a Segway

[DisneyDaniel]

As I listened to the following signoff message on NASA-TV, I felt inspired, optimistic yet saddened, but full of hope about the future of science and space exploration. Well said, Commander Collins. I hope more media outlets had reported or broadcasted the following:

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/CollinsLaunchDay.jpg
Pictured above: STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins waves while suiting up on launch day.

Commander Collins' Flight Day 1 Signoff - July 26, 2005
At the end of Flight Day 1, STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins delivered a message before signing off for the night.

On the evening of our first day in space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, the STS-114 crew would like to send our thanks to the teams who've worked so hard over the past two and a half years to return the fleet to orbit. Our thanks go out to all the managers, the engineers, the technicians and everyone. Give yourselves a pat on the back. This is work well done.

As our crew looks back at our beautiful planet and then outwards toward the unknown of space, we feel the importance, today more than any time, of space exploration to all those who are living on Earth. Our flight is the next flight of many in the human exploration of the universe.

And finally, we reflect on the last shuttle mission, the great ship Columbia and her crew--Rick, Willie, Mike, K.C., Dave, Laurel and Elan. We miss them, and we are continuing their mission. God bless them tonight, and God bless their families. Good night.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/STS107CrewPic.jpg
Pictured above: On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers of mission STS-107 were lost over North Texas. Top row: David M. Brown, William C. McCool, and Michael P. Anderson. Bottom row: Kalpana Chawla, Rick D. Husband, Laurel B. Clark, and Ilan Ramon.

[Moonliner]

at times I ponder why with all the advances in technology are we still using that type of shuttle to go into space with......we've been using the same shuttles since at least the 80's ....right? you would think they can design something better by now.... :confused:

I was visiting the Air-and-Space annex (http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/) a couple of months ago. The shuttle Enterprise is sitting inside. During the tour our guide proudly told us that in twenty-five years we went from Sputnik to the Space Shuttle. She seemed none too happy with me when I replied "Wow! and in the 25 Years since the shuttle we have gone from the shuttle to err well the shuttle."

[Ghoulish Delight]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8720825/

So far so good. They've done a couple preliminary damage assessments and aren't too concerned yet. The consensus from visual inspection of the chipped tile is that it's no big deal, but they have the option of using the new boom-mounted laser to inspect it in detail later. Also, as they approach the space station, the shuttle is going to do a backflip to allow the astronauts on the station to get a good look at the underside as yet another visual inspection. And later they'll be doing a space walk to test out new repair techniques on the thermal tiles.

Sounds like they're doing a good job of taking sensible (and down right cool) steps to get realistic damage assessments.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Ugh, here we go again.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8720825/

All missions have been put on indefinite hold. Not because of the chipped tile, but because of the chunk of foam.

This does not bode well. They spent 2 1/2 years, primarily trying to resolve this exact problem...and here we have a near instant replay. Fortunately this time it seems the variables worked to prevent the kind of damage that doomed the Columbia, but the fact is this really has to be viewed as an abject failure for NASA.

Stupidly, they still seem comitted to these ancient beasts. It would probably take longer to develop a new generation craft, but it would seem to me a better investment of money and time to develop something new that will last another 25 years than duct tape an old design that's showing its age and flaws.

[Matterhorn Fan]

I've never even had the opportunity to get up to Edwards to see one land, let alone witness a launch first hand. It's on my long list of spectacles I really hope to see.Me too. If only I'd had the day off, I would have tried to convince someone to go out there with me. I don't know where the public can watch from, but I want to see it actually leave the ground. With the rumbling and the fire and all that. (Except not the exploding Challenger-like stuff. That was bad enough on TV. I'm not sure how I'd hold up witnessing something like that live.)

No one here seems interested, though. It's an attitude of "oh, they're doing that again."

Silly native Floridians. I wouldn't think something like a shuttle launch would really ever get "old." It's not that commonplace.

[scaeagles]

It is most certainly time for something new. The shuttle program served the country well, but there are certainly better ideas on the drawing board....there have to be. I have seen concept drawings of potential replacements for the shuttle, but i wonder if the military is using them and they are therefore classified.

[TigerLily]

Not to long ago they were test flying a small plane type craft that made it to the no gravity stage and made it back twice. They could improve on this design and get something better. :) I was hoping they would get away from the old school shuttle and desgn something better. We have the engineering and know how, but maybe they don't want to commit the funds...

[Ghoulish Delight]

Not to long ago they were test flying a small plane type craft that made it to the no gravity stage and made it back twice.That was private and had nowhere near the capacity for either crew or cargo/experiment equipment necessary for NASA's purposes, unfortunately. It barely had enough room for the pilot.

[scaeagles]

Interestingly, though, the guy who designed it - the legendary Burt Rutan, who has a picture in side the queue of Soarin over CA, has just partnered with the Billionaire founder of Virgin Atlantic Airlines - Branson, I think? - in a business venture to make space vehicles. I will be curious to see where this goes. Definitely the brains and the financing to make something cool.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I will be curious to see where this goes. Definitely the brains and the financing to make something cool.Cool yes, but I believe they are focusing on a tourist vehicle, something that can carry a handful of passengers. While that would be inredible and a big step forward, it's still a far cry from the thousands of tons of cargo carrying ability that the shuttles have, or the physical space necessary to perform experiments.

[Prudence]

I think we need the "tourist vehicles" to magnify public interest. Shuttle launches have become rather blase, no? Successful launches had become mere footnotes on the evening news. Average citizens do not marvel that we have an actual, honest-to-goodness SPACE STATION where people can LIVE for months at a time.

The shuttle was so cool at first -- partly because it looked more "plane-like." It came in for landings like an over-powered glider. Even given its age it's still astounding technology, but we're ho-hum about it.

Not only are we ho-hum about successful flights, but when the flight ends in tragedy we're shocked. Stunned. We watch the footage repeat all day as if it were as surprising as a commercial jetliner crash on American soil. We no longer think about the enormity of risk involved in space flight as we've grown accustomed to it just being something that people do. Some people go to work in an office building, some people go to work in space.

We don't have the drive to race to the moon or build a recoverable, reuseable space vehicle any more. There isn't a clear goal in sight. "Build a better shuttle." Whoopie. Who cares? Most people don't. We went to space, it was fun, let's move on. The public doesn't see the impact of space flight (and the opportunity to conduct experiments in a weightless environment) on collective scientific knowledge. I imagine many people see NASA as an expensive, and possibly obsolete, toy.

The X Prize was kind of exciting and brought the space geeks out of the closet. But if there's going to be public pressure to continue innovating, the public has to buy into the dream. And if we have to take a time out and grow the space tourism industry for that to happen, fine by me.

[sleepyjeff]

Frankly, I am happy that we will be grounded for awhile...........if we draw too much attention to ourselves the aliens may see us as a threat(in a cancerous sort of way, not military) and opt for our removal ;)

[scaeagles]

Cool yes, but I believe they are focusing on a tourist vehicle, something that can carry a handful of passengers. While that would be inredible and a big step forward, it's still a far cry from the thousands of tons of cargo carrying ability that the shuttles have, or the physical space necessary to perform experiments.

Certainly - I'm sure it whatever they develop will be based on the vehicle Rutan developed in the X Prize competition. But it's a start.

Anyone else read Popular Science? They had an issue not long ago on efforts being made to reduce the cost of getting payloads into orbit. A couple of the really cool ones were mag-lev launching (similar to the launch of CA Screamin') and a "space elevator", where currently existing ultra-ultra strong micro fibers (constructed at the microscopic level) are lifted into a geosynchronous orbit as a tether to a platform on which shuttle like vehicles can land to get the payload or change crews. I really like that elevator idea, and while I am certainly no mechanical or structural engineer, it seems feasible.

[DisneyDaniel]

I'm in complete awe and WOW by watching the ULTIMATE Reality TV program--the live broadcasts on NASA-TV. I'm not a fan of so-called reality TV programs, but this is real, it's live and it's broadcasting from cameras simultaneously between Mission Control, Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station. WOW! Live from outerspace! (Luckily, NASA-TV is available on DIRECTV or stream it live on the Web: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html)

This morning, I woke up at 4 a.m. Pacifc Time, turned on NASA-TV and saw Space Shuttle Discovery approach the Station. There was a camera inside the Discovery showing Commander Eileen Collins slowly, carefully and methodically fly Discovery toward the International Space Station. You could even see her hands adjusting the switches/steering mechanism! Then, she paused Discovery at 600 feet below the Station and performed a Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver. This motion flipped the Shuttle end over end at three-quarters of a degree per second. The flip allowed the two Station crewmembers, Sergei Krikalev and John Phillips, about 93 seconds to photograph the underside of Discovery and its heat-resistant tiles in detail. (See photo below)
http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/123660main_flip.jpg

This was not a movie, CGI simulation or video game, but rather a spectacular testament to the science and engineering of NASA--to see the Discovery slowly flip more than 90 degrees (seemingly in the same spot, so to speak) and keeping the same distance next to the International Space Station--while seeing the Earth rotating down below! What a magnificent sight!

Then, you got the rare opportunity to see the Discovery dock with the International Space Station, and hear live communication between Mission Control, Discovery and the Station for about an hour in making safety checks, securing the locking mechanisms, and pressurizing the Docking Compartment (See its diagram below) before opening the hatches to see the Discovery crew enter the International Space Station. How cool is that?!
http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/116561main_pirs_diagram.jpg
The Docking Compartment has two primary functions. It serves as a docking port for the docking of transport and cargo vehicles (such as a Space Shuttle) to the Space Station, and as an airlock for the performance of spacewalks by Station crewmembers using spacesuits.

As the Discovery crew is entering and being welcomed by the International Space Station's two Expedition 11 crew, the Station crew are also photographing all of this. OMG! I wish I could be a photographer in space! ...or to live and work in space, as these incredible people are doing!

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/123667main_Grabbed-Frame-57.jpg http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/123673main_greeting.jpg

Expedition 11 Welcomes Shuttle Crew Aboard Station - July 28, 2005
For the first time since December 2002, a Space Shuttle is docked with the International Space Station. The two spacecraft linked up at 7:18 a.m. EDT today as they flew over the southern Pacific Ocean west of Chile.

Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer John Phillips welcomed the visiting Shuttle astronauts onto the Station just after the hatches opened at 8:50 a.m. EDT. The two crews are slated to begin eight days of joint operations after the initial greetings and a safety briefing. Their work today will include preparations for possible additional inspections of the Shuttle’s heat shield and the three STS-114 spacewalks.

The two crews will also begin transferring cargo from the Shuttle to the Station. Discovery is delivering supplies and equipment to the Station, most of which is located in the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Raffaello, a reusable cargo container, is scheduled to be lifted out of the Shuttle's payload bay and attached to the Station’s Unity Module on Friday.

[TigerLily]

Interestingly, though, the guy who designed it - the legendary Burt Rutan, who has a picture in side the queue of Soarin over CA, has just partnered with the Billionaire founder of Virgin Atlantic Airlines - Branson, I think? - in a business venture to make space vehicles. I will be curious to see where this goes. Definitely the brains and the financing to make something cool.
it was a contest, for lack of a better word, and they received a nice check for making it into space and back twice. Although the first trip was a bit rocky....I hope somthing comes of this....as for experiments in space...whats the point?

[scaeagles]

as for experiments in space...whats the point?

Various elements act and react differently in the "weightlessness" of space (you aren't really weightless, but falling around the curvature of the earth), so there are opportunities for development of medicines, etc, that can't be done on earth.

[DisneyDaniel]

You can see a video clip of the "back flip" (or Pitch Maneuver) performed by Space Shuttle Discovery on July 28 at this link:
http://wm.nasa-global.speedera.net/wm.nasa-global/RTF/backflip.wmv

This video clip (you need Windows Media Player on your computer) is sped-up 5X, but it's still incredible to see this maneuver!

[TigerLily]

Various elements act and react differently in the "weightlessness" of space (you aren't really weightless, but falling around the curvature of the earth), so there are opportunities for development of medicines, etc, that can't be done on earth.

and have they actually developed any or is this all theory and guessing??

[DisneyFan25863]

and have they actually developed any or is this all theory and guessing??

Ever use velcro? Own a GPS device? Drank Tang? Do you have smoke detectors in your home or office? Do you own a cell phone?

Do you watch the weather? Can't have accurate weather predictions without space...nor would the ability to watch the weather in the first place exist, since all networks use space to transmit their programming.

How about flown in a plane or bought a car in the past 20 years? The composites used in those wouldn't exist without space exploration.

All of these developments would not be with us today without the space program, and some would not be here without the space shuttle. Not to mention the countless experiments done on life (spiders, ants, birds, humans...their bodies all react differently in space). And only more inventions can come from this.


The shuttle is the most complex machine ever built on this planet. We should use it, and we should strive to make it better. And, when the time comes, we should replace it. But we should never give up.

[scaeagles]

Innumerable daily use technology has come from both the military and space programs. The research should never end, nor should the effort.

Well said, Disneyfan.

[TigerLily]

as for my response it had to do with what I quoted. the developement of medicines. I realize other stuff has been done...and tang is gross by the way....but all the above could have been done without a space shuttle program. We can launch sattelites into space without a shuttle. Most of the experiments they carry out are just silly....great it works in space, we live with gravity. However, i do think they should continue with the space station and create a new type of shuttle. As you have mentioned in the last 28 years we ave made advances in car designs and aircraft, but we still use the same aging shuttle....we need to move forward.

[scaeagles]

You know, all of the above could have been done without the shuttle program or the space program, but necessity is the mother of invention. Usually, new technology comes out of trying to meet a particular need rather than a brilliant idea off the top of an inventors head.

So many things that are a part of daily life have come from the things created to meet specific needs of the space program that it would be a shame to stop that process.

[DisneyFan25863]

We can launch sattelites into space without a shuttle. Most of the experiments they carry out are just silly....great it works in space, we live with gravity. However, i do think they should continue with the space station and create a new type of shuttle. As you have mentioned in the last 28 years we ave made advances in car designs and aircraft, but we still use the same aging shuttle....we need to move forward.

We can launch unmanned rockets, but can we repair them? The Hubble had to be repaired awhile ago...without the shuttle, we would have had to bring it out of orbit and launch up a new one.

And, the shuttle is a completly different beast than it was 28 years ago. Numerous upgrades have been made to its systems and components, so it's pretty unfair to call it 28 years old.

[Kevy Baby]

Beautiful post by DisneyFanwithabunchofnumbersdtaggedontheendofhisna me!!! But there was one error:
Ever use velcro?
Velco was a gift that T'Pol (the Vulcan on the Enterprise in "Star Trek: Enterprise") gave someone on earth when a couple of the crew of the Enterprise visited earth (I don't remember all of the details) in the mid 20th century.

[DisneyFan25863]

Beautiful post by DisneyFanwithabunchofnumbersdtaggedontheendofhisna me!!! But there was one error:

Velco was a gift that T'Pol (the Vulcan on the Enterprise in "Star Trek: Enterprise") gave someone on earth when a couple of the crew of the Enterprise visited earth (I don't remember all of the details) in the mid 20th century.


She gave it to the MIB, remember?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Beautiful post by DisneyFanwithabunchofnumbersdtaggedontheendofhisna me!!! But there was one error:

Velco was a gift that T'Pol (the Vulcan on the Enterprise in "Star Trek: Enterprise") gave someone on earth when a couple of the crew of the Enterprise visited earth (I don't remember all of the details) in the mid 20th century.

She gave it to the MIB, remember?You boys sure know how to flutter this geeky girl's heart. :cool:

[scaeagles]

I had thought about postng that T'Pol thing, but I didn't think anyone would get it. I guess I'm not as much of a geek as I thought.

[Ghoulish Delight]

The first ever space "walk" underneath the shuttle is complete (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8806241/).

I put "walk" in quotes because what they actually did was attach the astronaut to the space station's robitic arm while those aboard the station maneuvered him into position.

This was an unscheduled walk to remove a couple bits of filler material from between some of the heat shield tiles that was dangling. In the past, NASA has observed increased temperatures of a couple hundred degrees on the shuttle during reentry, and when they inspected it afterwards found similar bits of hanging material. So since no one could rule out the possibility that these bits could cause overheating, especially since one of the bits was towards the front which ist he hottest part, they played it safe.

It was a delicate walk, they went super slow to be sure that the astronaut (Stephen Robinson) didn't bump the shuttle at all and risk damaging a tile. He left behind all the tools they'd normally carry on a space walk to reduce the risk. All he had with him was a makeshift hack saw in case the material didn't come out easily

NASA figured it might take up to a couple of hours to actually remove the material. As it turned out, it just slid right out, took him a few seconds. I got a chuckle because MSNBC.com has a big splash banner headline on their front page, "Mission Accomplished!" and then you watch the video and it's a guy pulling what looks like a piece of paper out of a crack. Oh those brave, brave astronauts. Of course, I'm fully impressed with the whole operation and know that a lot of real effort went into it. The whole walk actually took 6 hours. But it's still pretty funny to see "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" in front of a video of a guy grabbing a piece of paper. :D

[DisneyDaniel]

It's simply amazing anytime astronauts perform an EVA (Extravehicular Activity) because they're only protected by inches of material in a pressure-suit. So far, Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-114 crew have performed three spacewalks.

In space, the suit has to protect them from various conditions, such as:
--Temperature
--Radiation Exposure (UV Light, Solar Flares, etc.)
--Micrometeoroids and Debris (including sand and dust)
--Chemical Contamination
--Potential Hazards (that could cause entrapment, snagging, tearing, or puncturing the suit)
--Radiation (being emitted from high-power electromagnetic transmitters--microwave, radar, laser, radio, UV/IR visible lamps--on the space module with exterior antennas)
--Electrical Voltage (from inadvertent grounding of electric circuits and from electrical discharge resulting from static charge buildup)
--Positive Pressure (Rupture by overpressurization of the crewmember's suit)

The design of the space suit is also intricate and true "rocket science," as these simplified diagrams show:

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/Glove.jpg

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/Helmet.jpg

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/Movement.jpg

[TigerLily]

ok, but why is stuff falling off a shuttle after they ahd over two years to ensure it's back to flight status? There's also "fabric" of some sort near the **** pit window. Either they are being very over cautious or it's some kind of publicity stunt to prove they can pull paper off the shuttle in space....??

[DisneyFan25863]

ok, but why is stuff falling off a shuttle after they ahd over two years to ensure it's back to flight status? There's also "fabric" of some sort near the **** pit window. Either they are being very over cautious or it's some kind of publicity stunt to prove they can pull paper off the shuttle in space....??


You try attatching millions of pieces to a bomb and seeing how much falls off. The shuttle encounters huge g-forces and speeds. Something is bound to fall off. I heard that in past shuttle missions, it was common for hundreds of pieces to fall off. In this launch, only a few have, and none actually hit the shuttle. It's quite a miracle, actually. They are just taking every possible move to prevent an accident from happening. As said earlier, it has been noted that this fabric can cause higher temps on the hull when exposed, so they removed it to be on the safe side. Its happened before, and the shuttle was fine without it being removed. They are just making sure everything is as good as possible before re-entry.

[DisneyDaniel]

Get ready to be inspired, humbled and proud. To boldly go... --Daniel

Crews of Discovery and Space Station pay tribute to fallen astronauts - Aug. 4, 2005

The crews of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-114 and International Space Station Expedition 11 took time out of their schedule Aug. 4, 2005 to pay tribute to all of the astronauts and cosmonauts who have given their lives for space exploration.

Wearing red shirts with the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 patch, each crewmember provided words of tribute and remembrance in their native languages – English, Russian and Japanese.

STS-114 is the first Space Shuttle mission to fly since the loss of Columbia and the STS-107 crew. The STS-107 crewmembers – Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Dave Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon – were lost when Columbia broke up over northern Texas during re-entry.

Here is a LINK (http://wm.nasa-global.speedera.net/wm.nasa-global/RTF/columbiatribute.wmv) to a video of the tribute (Windows Media Player required) or you can read the transcript below:

Exploration: The Fire of the Human Spirit
A Tribute: To Fallen Astronauts and Cosmonauts

STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins:
Those who dare to venture into an unexplored land
will have revealed to them things which were never known.
Those who venture out upon the sea
will have revealed to them things never heard.
But those who venture into the sky upon wings of silence...
Yes, the ethereal adventurers...
Theirs is the revelation of things never dreamed!
Such are the ways of explorers
And the surpassing way of the sky.

STS-114 Pilot Jim Kelly:
As we orbit the Earth today, we are able to watch the beauty of the Earth and heavens unfurl before us as we undertake this journey. And we are reminded that it is upon the completion of the journey and the arrival back at the place from whence we came that we can say we truly know ourselves. Sadly, there are those who have been challenged by the adventure of human space exploration but who have not been able to experience that special feeling that comes with returning home. These are the men and women who have come before us, in courage, but who did not complete their journey of exploration. It is to these explorers that we now take a moment to reflect upon, and to whom we now pay tribute.

STS-114 Mission Specialist Steve Robinson:
The spirit of exploration is truly part of what it is to be human. Human history has been a continual struggle from darkness toward light, a search for knowledge and deeper understanding, a search for truth. Ever since our distant ancestors ventured forth into the world, there has been an insatiable curiosity to see what lies beyond the next hill, what lies beyond the horizon. That is the fire of the human spirit that we all carry.

Through that spirit and through realizing its ambitions, the human race has come to find its present place in the world. Previous generations went first on foot, then on horseback. Later came the wooden sailing vessels that opened new continents and new lands. Today we have aircraft and space craft. We have shrunk the world in a way that early generations of explorers could never have imagined.

STS-114 Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence:
Likewise, even if the future is equally unimaginable to us, we can be sure that future generations will look upon our endeavors in space as we look upon those early expeditions across the seas. To those generations, the need to explore space will be as self evident as the need previous generations felt to explore the Earth and the Seas.

As President Kennedy said of space exploration:
"Space is there and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and planets are there and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."

"We choose to do these things ... not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

And, certainly, space exploration is not easy, and there has been a human price that has been paid. As we step out into this new frontier we find that it is very unforgiving of our mistakes. The lives lost over thirty years ago with the early steps taken by the crews of Apollo 1, Soyuz 1 and Soyuz 11 vehicles showed us that. The loss of the crew of Challenger reaffirmed the need to be ever vigilant of the risks.

STS-114 Mission Specialist Charlie Camarda:
Tragically, two years ago, we came once more to realize that we had let our guard down. We became lost in our own hubris and learned once more the terrible price that must be paid for our failures. In that accident we not only lost seven colleagues, we lost seven friends. Their families never shared in their homecoming. Those seven were driven by the fire of the human spirit within. They believed in space exploration. They knew the risks, but they believed in what they were doing. They showed us that the fire of the human spirit is insatiable. They knew that in order for a great people to do great things, they must not be bridled by timidity.

Expedition 11 Flight Engineer John Phillips:
To the crew of Columbia, as well as the crews of Challenger, Apollo 1 and Soyuz 1 and 11, and to those who have courageously given so much, we now offer our enduring thanks. From you we will carry the human spirit out into space, and we will continue the explorations you have begun. We will find those new harbors that lie out in the stars and of which you dreamed. We do this not just because we owe it to you, but we do it because we also share your dream of a better world. We share your dream of coming to understand ourselves and our place in this universe. And as we journey into space you will be in our thoughts and will be deeply missed.

STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi:
Previous paragraph repeated in Japanese.

Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev:
Previous paragraph repeated in Russian.

STS-114 Mission Specialist Andy Thomas:
Not twice may any stand by the same stream,
Not twice possess the years that hasten on;
Something there was we looked on, loved, ‘tis gone
Or stays but as the shadow of a dream.

Hands that we touched clasp ours no more, and eyes
That shone for us as stars withdrew their light;
Voices beloved pass out into the night;
The gift of yesterday, today denies.

Yet we must hold it for a deeper truth,
Nothing that is, but only that which seems
Shall find its dwelling in the place of dreams;
The soul’s possession is eternal youth.

Swift flows the stream, but in it as it flows
The same unchanging stars are mirrored bright.
Swift fly the years, but heedless of their flight
The touch of time, nor love nor friendship knows.

STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins:
And, in closing, for all our lost colleagues, we leave you with this prayer,
often spoken for those who have sacrificed themselves for all of us:

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

[Ghoulish Delight]

The other important Space News of the day is that after wind tunnel tests, it's been decided that the last questionable area on the shuttle (a bit of torn insulation foam around the cockpit window) should pose no danger. So they've cleared the shuttle to return and land on Monday, as scheduled. Of course, there's no such thing as a guarantee, but they're as confident as they've ever been about the shuttle being in a condition to handle the extreme environment that is reentry.

[TigerLily]

good ....and then they are grounded again. Hopefully the design something better than this type of shuttle system for the next trip...

[Kevy Baby]

Get ready to be inspired, humbled and proud. To boldly go... --DanielI hereby nominate DD as the Space Shuttle geek of the week!

Thanks for the continued updates Daniel. As someone who cannot keep up on the news, I appreciate your posts and links.

Wearing red shirts with the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 patch, each crew member provided words of tribute...The red long-john tribute idea is really taking off!

[DisneyFan25863]

good ....and then they are grounded again. Hopefully the design something better than this type of shuttle system for the next trip...


The groundings arn't permenant, it's only until they can secure those last pieces of foam that fell off this launch.

[scaeagles]

From my understanding of what I've read, after the last accident it was decided that the shuttle fleet would be retired in 2010 regardless. The tech and design is too old.

Personally, I believe that if this is the case, the military must have some secret craft that is perhaps already in use. There are frequent launches undercover of darkness at some missile range in NM, and here in Phoenix at sunrise we are often able to see the exhaust from the launches, and a news story is broadcast that it was some sort of "test".

With the Chinese expansion into the space business, I find it hard to believe that we will be without the ability to get there when we need to.

[TigerLily]

The groundings arn't permenant, it's only until they can secure those last pieces of foam that fell off this launch.

thats to bad. With an aging fleet only more accidents are likely to occue not less....I found out soemthing I hadn't kown before. the shuttle was originally designed with the intention of it to reach space on it's own ....and the big fuel tank, but when it was found out it could not preform the way they had intended instead of redesignign one that would work they did the quick fix and added solid rocket boosters to it. There was more to it than that...somthing about solid rocket boosters shouldn't be used on manned space crafts...however and engineer was telling this to me. one who used to work at edwards....and I'm not an engineer so i will butcher it in the retelling....I still think they need to come up with something better. the current fleet served it's purpose. make them staric somewhere as an exhibit and move on.

[DisneyFan25863]

From my understanding of what I've read, after the last accident it was decided that the shuttle fleet would be retired in 2010 regardless. The tech and design is too old.

Personally, I believe that if this is the case, the military must have some secret craft that is perhaps already in use. There are frequent launches undercover of darkness at some missile range in NM, and here in Phoenix at sunrise we are often able to see the exhaust from the launches, and a news story is broadcast that it was some sort of "test".

With the Chinese expansion into the space business, I find it hard to believe that we will be without the ability to get there when we need to.

I agree. The U2 and the Stealth Bomber were made under similar circumstances, and wern't revealed for years. I remember hearing about some top secret project (Avalon maybe?) that showed up on a military budget that was presented to congress, then deleted. It was something that had billions of dollars alloted to it. Perhaps, for once, the conspiricy theroy's are right?

[DisneyDaniel]

Discovery's Voyage Nears an End - Aug. 7, 2005

Space Shuttle Discovery flies alone. On Sunday, Aug. 7, the Discovery crew completed its last full day of spaceflight before landing, which is scheduled for 4:46 a.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 8.

This was a relatively quiet day aboard Discovery for the crew, who spent nearly nine days in joint operations with the International Space Station's Expedition 11 crew before undocking early Saturday, Aug. 6. Together, they transferred tons of supplies and equipment to and from the Station, conducted three spacewalks and experimented with techniques for repairing the Shuttle's heat shields.

STS-114, dubbed the most photographed spaceflight, set a new precedent for future test flights. Never-before-seen imagery aided engineers in assessing the Shuttle's external tank performance and ensuring a safe heat shield for return to Earth.

A mission of firsts, STS-114 carried the Orbiter's Boom Sensor System on its maiden flight, performed the first back-flip in spaceflight and successfully completed a first-of-its-kind repair to the Shuttle, making spacewalk history. Discovery was the first Space Shuttle to visit the Station since late 2002.

The two crews also paid tribute to the astronauts and cosmonauts who have given their lives for space exploration.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/s114e7245.jpg
Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon, this full view of the International Space Station was photographed by a crewmember onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery following the undocking of the two spacecraft. Discovery pulled away from the complex at 2:24 a.m. (CDT) on August 6, 2005.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/s114e7145.jpg
Astronaut Eileen M. Collins (right), STS-114 commander, and cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev, Expedition 11 commander representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, pose for a photo Aug. 5 in the Unity node after the STS-114 crew patch was added to the growing collection of insignias representing crews who have worked on the International Space Station.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/s114e6646.jpg
Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson, STS-114 mission specialist, anchored to a foot restraint on the International Space Station's Canadarm2, participates in the mission's third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) on Aug. 3. The blackness of space and Earth's horizon form the backdrop for the image.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/s114e6452.jpg
The Space Shuttle Discovery, docked to the Destiny laboratory of International Space Station, is featured in this image photographed by astronaut Stephen K. Robinson (out of frame), STS-114 mission specialist, during the Aug. 3, 2005 spacewalk. Astronaut Soichi Noguchi, mission specialist representing Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is partially visible between Discovery's payload bay and Destiny. The blackness of space and Earth's horizon formed the backdrop for the image.

[DisneyDaniel]

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/124734main_s114e7170.jpg
Podcaster and Mission Specialist Steve Robinson aboard the International Space Station prior to Space Shuttle Discovery undocking.

Steve Robinson: First Podcaster From Space - Aug. 7, 2005

How would you like to hear from the first person to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA) underneath a Space Shuttle in orbit? The same astronaut also performed another "first" in space: One day before the planned landing of Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-114 Mission Specialist Steve Robinson transmitted the first podcast from space on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005.

You can listen to or download the podcast (3 minutes and 42 seconds, mp3 file) at: http://www.nasa.gov/mp3/124708main_sts114_robinson_podcast.mp3

Podcast Transcript:

Hello, this is Mission Specialist Number 2 Steve Robinson from the Space Shuttle Discovery. We're high in orbit on our last day of orbit. Tomorrow we come home. I'm currently talking to you just off the southeast tip of Indonesia in the daylight and moving on towards night. It's been a fantastic mission up here, absolutely amazing. Some of the hardest work that any of us have ever done. We haven't had a whole lot of sleep, and we've been extremely busy and really happy.

The mission has been a test flight. We've tried lots of new things on this mission, from inspecting the Space Shuttle in space using all kinds of robot arms and sensors, to doing experimental spacewalks, which have also gone very, very well, and it's been very gratifying to learn so much about our orbiter.

We've had some surprises. We sure didn't expect that big piece of foam to come off of the tank. Fortunately it missed us. We didn't expect to go outside and get to remove gap fillers from the belly of the orbiter. That was, I would have to say, the most fantastic experience of my life. Just incredible to be way out there on the end of that arm all by myself and see no evidence of humans anywhere. Just me and the Space Station and the Space Shuttle from a view that neither I nor anybody else has ever seen, and watch the sun come up over the bottom of the Space Shuttle, and get to sort of drink in that big view. I'll never forget it, and I'll never be able to describe it adequately, I'm sure. But I feel very fortunate to have been able to get a chance to do that. And also very glad that it worked!

We were able to do, we were ready to do more than just pull on the gap fillers. We were ready to actually cut it out if we had to. We were going to get those gap fillers out no matter what! Turns out to be, have been a very easy job.

The rest of the crewmembers, the rest of the crewmembers -- Eileen and Jim and Soichi and Andy and Wendy and Charlie -- we've had a really good time together. You know, we've trained together for a long time, several years. And we really enjoy each other's company. And it's a really rare thing to be with this, a group of people who are as diverse as we are. Everybody with different and complementary talents and all with a really great sense of humor. So we've laughed a lot, we've worked really hard, and we've learned a lot from each other. It's been really a fantastic experience.

Now it's time to go home. I think some people are ready to go home -- I know I'm not. I would rather stay on the Space Station with Sergei and John and experience this strange, incredible life floating in Earth, above the Earth.

At any rate, I will close ... At any rate I will close this very brief first podcast from space with a greeting to all Earthings and a thank you for your interest and support. Whether you support the space program or not, you're learning from it. You're learning from it the very moment you hear this and think about what we're doing. And I think that learning is what looking over the horizon is all about, and don't forget that learning can be exciting and fun, too, because that's certainly what this mission has been all about.

So signing off from the Space Shuttle Discovery, this is Steve Robinson, and hope to talk to you soon.

[wendybeth]

Thanks, Daniel. I hope they make it back safely- it's getting so that I am reluctant to pay any attention to these endeavors, as it is devastating when something goes wrong.

[Drince88]

Waved off due to weather in Florida this morning. 24 delay on the return.

Glad I didn't get up to see if I could see it!

[Betty]

Yay! It landed just fine! I was already up and watched the whole thing live. What a marvel of technology! (And yes, it really does deserve 3 or 4 exclamation points!) :)

[TigerLily]

I saw it come in. It went right over my house. I saw the turn to the east (north east) as well. It looked like a moving star. There were no streaks at all. The sonic booms were so loud. My daughter jumped. I had warned her ahead of time, but she has never heard one come in before. When I was growing up the sonic booms were common place.

I took some pictures. They are a bit misleading. The shuttle looked like a moving star, but in the pictures it's more of a streak, because it was moving..:)

shuttle (http://pixiepics.net/dl/shuttle1.jpg) & shuttle (http://pixiepics.net/dl/shuttle2.jpg)

[DisneyDaniel]

Wow! TigerLily, you're so lucky to have been able to see and hear it! I've been up all night waiting and watching Space Shuttle Discovery's landing, too--but only on TV. ;)

[DisneyDaniel]

NASA's Return To Flight returns safely to Earth,
Discovery lands at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.- Aug. 9, 2005

Discovery glided to a pre-dawn landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Tuesday, Aug. 9, concluding a journey of 5.8 million miles, touching down at 5:11 a.m. (Pacific Time).

The landing marked the sixth night landing at Edwards Air Force Base, and the 50th time overall that a Shuttle concluded its mission in the California desert.

Commander Eileen Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly, assisted by Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, began Discovery's return to earth by firing the spacecraft's orbital maneuvering system engines to slow its speed and begin its descent. Discovery's ground track took it from the firing of the 2 minute, 42-second deorbit burn at 4:06 a.m. (Pacific Time) over the western Indian Ocean, traveling in a loop around Australia, then northeast across the Pacific, across the California coast north of Los Angeles and then to Edwards.

Persistent thunderstorms at the primary landing site in Florida resulted in a wave-off of two opportunities to return to the launch site today.

The STS-114 flight of Discovery with Collins, Kelly, Robinson and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Charlie Camarda provided unprecedented information on the condition of an orbiter in space. Noguchi and Robinson did three successful spacewalks at the International Space Station and Discovery transported tons of equipment and supplies to and from the Station.

From the Station, Commander Sergei Krikalev and NASA Science Officer John Phillips sent their congratulations to Discovery’s crew and the flight control team in Houston.

Discovery's crew will have a welcome home ceremony at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 10 at Houston's Ellington Field.


Return to Flight crew exits Discovery - Aug. 9, 2005

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/124872main_collins.jpg
Commander Eileen Collins (center) smiles easily while inspecting Space Shuttle Discovery after landing.

The seven-member crew of STS-114 has exited Space Shuttle Discovery. The first steps the astronauts took out of the orbiter were into the Crew Hatch Access Vehicle, where they were given a brief medical exam to ensure they're healthy. After receiving an OK by doctors, Mission Commander Eileen Collins was the first astronaut onto the runway, followed by the rest of her team. The group then took a walk around Discovery to see how their ship faired through the 14-day mission.

Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks.

In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes.

Inside the International Space Station, the Discovery's STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Station's Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay.

Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.

[scaeagles]

The sonic booms were so loud.

I am no scientist, but I thought there was only one boom - at the specific point where the sound barrier is breached (either surpassing it or sliding below it).

Could someone clear that up?

[Ghoulish Delight]

2 booms, one from the nose of the shuttle, one from the tail.

[scaeagles]

That's right - two shock waves. Got it. Thanks.

[Matterhorn Fan]

Too bad the video of it landing (I watched it live on tv) wasn't better. What I did see was incredible, but the stations here with good quality pictures also had annoying graphics, bottom scrawl, and endless pointless chatter from the newspeople.

Thank goodness the astronauts made it home safely.

[DisneyDaniel]

Too bad the video of it landing (I watched it live on tv) wasn't better. What I did see was incredible, but the stations here with good quality pictures also had annoying graphics, bottom scrawl, and endless pointless chatter from the newspeople.

Thank goodness the astronauts made it home safely.

That's exactly why I have avoided all so-called "traditional" TV news coverage of this particular mission for the past 14 days. NASA-TV has the best 24/7 coverage--it's live, simple, comprehensive and WITHOUT the talking-head newscasters who really do not know anything. Yes, amen for a safe and successful mission. :)

Here are some video links direct from NASA (RealPlayer needed on your computer). Note: These videos might be slow in streaming/playing since they're in high-demand right now.

LINK (http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/videos/metafiles/ksc_080905_landing.ram) for: Touchdown! Discovery makes a picture-perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

LINK (http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/videos/metafiles/ksc_080905_walkaround.ram) for: Mission Completed. The crew of Discovery makes their way onto the tarmac after a 5.8 million mile mission around the Earth.

LINK (http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/videos/metafiles/ksc_080905_crewleaves.ram) for: Discovery Crews Gives Thanks. The STS-114 crew gathers with Commander Eileen Collins as she describes the success of the mission.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/124879main_shuttle_landing-s.jpg
http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/124922main_image_feature_383_ys_4.jpg
Space Shuttle Discovery makes a picture-perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11 a.m. Pacific Time.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/124918main_mission-managers-s.jpg
Mission managers applaud the successful landing of Space Shuttle Discovery.

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/124872main_crew.jpg
After exiting Discovery and inspecting the vehicle, Return to Flight mission Commander Eileen Collins (center, standing in front of the STS-114 crew) took a moment to address the media waiting on the runway: "We have had a fantastic mission. We are so glad to be able to come back and say it was successful." According to Collins, her team of astronauts couldn't wait to look-over their ship. "The crew was really anxious to walk around and see what the outside looked like. We brought Discovery back in great shape," Collins said. "This is a wonderful moment for all of us."

http://files.photojerk.com/bulleckert/118270main1_114_crew_port_330.jpg
STS-114 astronauts in a pre-flight photo (from left): Steve Robinson, Jim Kelly, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda, Eileen Collins and Soichi Noguchi.

[Not Afraid]

"And Discovery is home". Great words to hear.

[Matterhorn Fan]

That's exactly why I have avoided all so-called "traditional" TV news coverage of this particular mission for the past 14 days. NASA-TV has the best 24/7 coverage--it's live, simple, comprehensive and WITHOUT the talking-head newscasters who really do not know anything.That's why I dislike most TV news. NASA-TV, unfortunately, is something I do not have access to (I assume it's cable, which I do not have, and/or online, which my old computer and dial-up connection cannot handle).

[DisneyFan25863]

Ok, well, I'm lucky enough to be able to live in the area where the shuttle passes, literally, directly over my house, and, also, transitions to subsonic speeds. Of course, when I went to bed last night, I had read it was landing at KSC, so the booms last night were an unexpected surprise that served as the perfect alarm clock (they went off 5 min before my clock does). The booms literally made my house shake, and all the car alarms around us went off, and so on. My dad thought it was a terrorist attack, luckily I realized it was the shuttle. Ran downstairs and turned on NASA-TV just in time to watch the final approach.


What an awesome start to my day!

PS: Kind of a geeky thing, but when it woke me up and I realized what they were...I said "Welcome home, Discovery" out loud :D

[TigerLily]

Wow! TigerLily, you're so lucky to have been able to see and hear it! I've been up all night waiting and watching Space Shuttle Discovery's landing, too--but only on TV. ;)

I'm hoping they piggyback it to florida on a weekend so I can go take some pictures. ;)

[Ghoulish Delight]

The shuttle began the last leg (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9006422/) of its journey, riding on a modified 747 across the country to Florida. It will take 2 days with 2 stops. There was about a 90 minute delay as the pre-flight inspection took longer than anticipated.

Right now, NASA is saying no earlier than March for the next mission. If so, while a few months later than the original plan, it wouldn't be bad all things considered.

[Drince88]

I'm just kind of bummed they stopped at an Air Force Base for the refueling/overnight stop. If it had been at a public airport (where you could see it from the public areas), I would have considered driving over to see it. (Well, and there is that almost $2.50/gallon issue, too)

[scaeagles]

I would doubt most airports could handle such a landing. The length of the runways for something that heavy to stop would have to be much longer than a typical metro airport. I am not any sort of engineer, but I figure the shuttle probably close to doubles the weight of that 747 it piggy backs on. So I figure a military base is the only option, with their longer runways.

[Drince88]

I would doubt most airports could handle such a landing. The length of the runways for something that heavy to stop would have to be much longer than a typical metro airport. I am not any sort of engineer, but I figure the shuttle probably close to doubles the weight of that 747 it piggy backs on. So I figure a military base is the only option, with their longer runways.
I know you're right, it's just that I was kind of hoping they'd be somewhere the public could see it (though THAT may be part of the plan, too). Wouldn't be surprising if the weight itself and the thickness of the runway (in addition to length) was a consideration as well.