Space Shuttle Discovery Last Launch EVER friday

[whicker]

DETAILS of Atlantis in bottom post.
Go there now...

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So yeah.

The swan song of the US manned space program. If this goes well, then there's exactly one more shuttle, and money for exactly one more launch, and then that's it.

Some neat panoramas here (you must fullscreen to get the full effect):

www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2010-11-03-space-shuttle_N.htm


Not going to cry about it, but just some extremely disappointing things going on with the electioneering and Wall Street greed and the utter failure to fund NASA to develop a replacement program while simultaneously still doing the shuttle stuff... The ninnys and the twits have won. Trumped by the need to buy another set of twin Italian yachts, or something.

Things should be getting better and better, not all of this decay and apathy. And it is apathy, look at the under 30 voter turnout results... it's just not about us at all.

Weather permitting, the launch will take place tomorrow at 2:30 PM our time. (3:29 ET). If it doesn't go Friday, it'll be Saturday or Sunday.

[whicker]

also, if you've never done panoramas before, zoom in or out with your mouse wheel. by default it's distractingly zoomed out.

[whicker]

Meh. No launch today.

A leaking hydrogen hose or fitting (on a 17" diameter fueling pipe) somewhere.
Oh well. try again later. Get out the duct tape.

[AltruisticCrono]

Thanks for keeping us in the loop for this event.

I was pretty saddened and reminded of the last manned space flight by a jet flying overhead in the sunset while driving home tonight. As you say, the space program should have continued to grow and achieve new successes with the advancement of technology since its birth 52 years ago.

I know it will return someday - its has to. Advancements in propulsion systems and materials will continue - if not in this country, it will be others. I'll be damned to live in a world where children don't dream of being astronauts! To the moons!

[ZaCloud]

They WILL bring it back. It's just that I hope it won't be too terribly long before it does return.

There will still be unmanned flights. My dad's ashes are going into space sometime this fall or winter with a satellite launch, if all goes well. Space has always been his dream. It should always be at least a dream, at most a reality.

[ArchangelZero]

By now, most of you probably know my thoughts on manned spaceflight. What an incredible waste this is, to let go of a program with so much potential. Especially when the technology exists to do so much more than politicians will allow.

Anyway, Discovery's final voyage brought the last stanza of "Old Ironsides" to mind. A shame to see such a venerable vessel fall into disuse.

"Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!"

(Oliver Wendell Holmes)

[whicker]

I dropped everything at work to watch the launch live on streaming nasa TV today (thursday afternoon). Even turned up my volume to a 'reasonable level'.

It was pretty intense on down from the 9 minute mark. They had a "nogo" due to either a monitor or computer problem with the eastern "Safety Range Officer" (whatever that means). But there was no panicking or yelling. It was literally down to the last 4 seconds of the launch window before the go was given to continue. The go confirmation brought it down to literally 2 seconds before scrub.

And then regardless of it being a live feed, fricken awesome studio quality camera angles. The removal of the cap on the main fuel tank, the swiveling test of the 3 main engines, main engine start, the SRB spark ignition, the liftoff, seeing the boosters separate, switching to onboard camera when it got too high to see clearly from earth, some strange random foam chunks, the 180 degree roll, just up until fuel tank separation when the video cut out. just wow. incredible.

Not going to politicize right now. Just again in awe of the whole process and what the US/smart people/humanity can and has accomplished.

[whicker]

more than 29 minutes of space shuttle launch pr0n:



Watch out, some clips actually have sound. And by sound I mean, the godawful coffee-tin full of nuts 'shiny happy people' level of banging and rattling noises.

It's fun "being" the solid rocket booster, freefalling, seeing the parachute deploy, and then sizzling in the ocean.

[whicker]

Now it's Space Shuttle Endeavour's last spin around earth.
Launch is scheduled for Friday, April 29th.
It's the last of the 5 shuttles assembled, completed in 1991.

Stats ripped from nasafacts:
------------------------------------
Total miles traveled: 103,149,636
Total time in space: 280 days, 9 hours, 39 minutes, 44 seconds
Total orbits: 4,429
Total fights: 24
Total crew members: 148
Mir dockings: 1
International Space Station dockings: 10


Clearly not enough imho.

oh, and Canada called.
said they wanted their robotic Canadarm back, eh.

[whicker]

And then there's Atlantis set to launch in like 9 hours on Friday July 8, 2011, if weather allows, at around 10:20 am tomorrow morning our time (Central Time),

and then there's...
uh.
...
okay. this is it.
The final finale finally: STS-135

There are only 3 surviving shuttles of 5 built, and this is 3 of 3.

Totally the end. No spare external fuel tanks on the shelf. All other SRB's burnt out like spent fireworks.

The smaller than normal 4 person crew will have to let Atlantis idle out into space-pasture if it can't return. This was originally a backup rescue mission for the previous mission with Endeavour, there is only the ISS for shelter.

Why do it? Because it could be done.

There was enough funds and grit and determination and parts and seat-of-pants engineering (to fix up the main fuel tank and pressure tanks) left to fly this Taurus one last time. We're totally doing this man (unless it's raining, then we might get a short circuit and have to pull a fuse to get it to stop, and wait for sunshine). But Mr. Hurley, pierce the heavens one last time with this Taurus!

[ArchangelZero]

Found myself away from the computer this morning, but followed the launch via a live NASA blog on my phone. Looks like the Space-Taurus made it up! Excited to watch the news footage after work.