Shuttle Go for Launch Monday

Channel Hopper

If the weather holds out


Hubble rescue bid

_http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Analoguesat

Discovery will be taking the launch live from 6.30 pm Monday.

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

2cvbloke

What happened with the last Hubble rescue? Didn't they replace a lens or something back in the 90's???

Analoguesat

The big repair was to add in a lens correction - the primary mirror had been polished to the wrong shape

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope#Flawed_mirror

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

2cvbloke

Ah, I see, I remember that now...

As for monday's expedition, reading through the article, they're repairing a failed thingumybob as it's running on backup systems, something not good to leave running cos if they fail too, it'll be left in the lurch...

I'll have to stay awake long enough (squibbled sleeping pattern at the moment) to watch it, if I can get control of the telly!!!

Channel Hopper

This launch will not only be the last potential Hubble 'fix', but will be a live experiment on the shrapnel released by the collision of two satellites a few months ago.

_http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090509/ap_on_re_us/us_shuttle_hubble_rescue

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

dig deep

Hubble is getting old.

Done a great work up there and soon it will be the deep dive for it.

Channel Hopper

And they're off, faultless launch.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

2cvbloke

I enjoyed watching the takeoff, the nattering infront of a blue curtain (did they forget the Chroma Key???) wasn't that interesting, but hey, I just watched for the shuttle...

Though, it would be nice of they retrofitted the Unused Space Shuttle (or, U.S.S.) Enterprise, seeing how they're a couple of shuttles down now, just to please us trekkies...

Analoguesat

Enterprise was considered for flight when NASA lost Challenger, but shes not space worthy.

The Thermal Protection System (the tiles) are fibreglass on Enterprise!

It tuerned out to be far easier and cheaper to build Endeavour out of the bits left over from the other space worthy birds

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

Channel Hopper

Still life in the old bird yet, much like Concorde (and the last remaining Lightnings).

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

2cvbloke

I remember being told about Enterprise being built for sub-orbital atmospheric testing, rather than actually going into space, it's a shame it never did go, cos the "Enterprise" lineage in Star Trek is very prominent in the future history of mankind's space endeavours...

But that's coming from a trekkie of course...

Channel Hopper

And......... they have reached Hubble and are now playing about with the robotic arm to get a foothold on the telescope.

Fingers crossed.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

2cvbloke

Let's hope they don't get abducted or something...

Channel Hopper

A short clip on the capture of Hubble

_http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/on_demand_video.html?param=http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/anon.nasa-global/ccvideos/hubblegrapple_320.asx&_id=194212&_title=STS-125:%20Atlantis%20Captures%20Hubble&_tnimage=34657 6main_hubblegrapple_100.jpg

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

dig deep

Steady and slow. Well done !

Channel Hopper

All looking good, just a bit of 'hammering' on the third battery, and some further checks on the deep field telescope and then home. (after they trowel some grout over the damaged tiles) .

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Channel Hopper

From elsewhere on the net


With the Hubble Space Telescope safely on its way after a successful overhaul, the Atlantis astronauts enjoy a day off Wednesday, relaxing after five back-to-back spacewalks.

LeRoy Cain, chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team, is scheduled to brief reporters at 4 p.m. on the results of a detailed heat shield inspection carried out by the astronauts Tuesday, after Hubble's release. As of early Wednesday, the assessment was about 70 percent complete.

Because the Atlantis astronauts cannot seek "safe haven" aboard the International Space Station if major problems develop that might prevent a safe re-entry, the shuttle Endeavour has been poised atop pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, ready since Monday for the start of a three-day countdown to launch if needed.

In a change of plans, mission managers have decided not to release Endeavour from rescue stand-by duty until Atlantis completes its deorbit rocket firing Friday. Touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center is targeted for 10:01 a.m.

Atlantis is now late in its mission, and on-board supplies will be in relatively short supply by the time the shuttle heads home Friday. If a major problem develops in the final stages of the flight, NASA would need to get Endeavour off the ground as fast as possible. As a result, engineers started a countdown at 6 a.m. Wednesday to make sure the ship can be launched in time if needed.

If the MMT clears Atlantis' heat shield for entry, the countdown will go into an extended "hold" before the start of fuel cell loading early Thursday and again early Friday if no problems develop. After Atlantis drops out of orbit, Endeavour will be released from rescue stand by and engineers will begin processing the shuttle for launch June 13 on a space station assembly mission.

NASA originally planned to release Endeavour from stand-by duty after Atlantis' late inspection. In any case, no major problems have been found so far with Atlantis and mission managers are gearing up for a normal landing Friday.

The biggest concern at this point is the weather, with forecasters predicting a chance of showers within 30 nautical miles of the runway. To give the crew an additional morning opportunity, and a better chance of beating afternoon clouds and showers, the astronauts Tuesday lowered one side of the shuttle's 350-mile-high circular orbit to 184 miles. Along with reducing the odds of a space debris impact by about 15 percent, the orbit adjustment brought in an earlier landing opportunity Friday.'

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Channel Hopper

Two days rest and some bad weather in the US means the shuttle may not get back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.

11 days in space so far, and not a peep on UK tv on probably the most important (and final ) mission of the shuttle.

_http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8062773.stm

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Topper

I agree it is absolutely unbelievable the lack of interest shown by the media

c'est incroyable

War does not determine who is right, it determines who is left!

Formerly toppervte33h
whose six pack has turned into a keg

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Freddie Flintoff is back

Channel Hopper

Now looking increasing like the return will be Sunday, the first window today has been rejected and the weather at Kennedy is not getting better.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

PaulR

They've go enough on their their hands at the moment with trying to
glean every last drop of information on the Katie/Peter split up - or not.

PaulR As I get older I find myself thinking about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Channel Hopper

Damn, they took the handbrake off at 3pm and landed just before 5, and I was out working.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Analoguesat

It was a beautiful textbook landing (apart from the fact they rolled to a halt 3000 miles from home!)

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Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

Channel Hopper

NASA claims the cost of some $2.3M bill to fly them back.

As it's late in the day, why not try a takeoff with a few gallons of fuel - maybe with a tow - or find a haulier willing to cut the wings off and stick it on a lowloader.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"