Endeavour to the ISS (STS 127)

lord lucan

ynotdu wrote: »

P.S does anybody know what happened to the shuttle that never got into space?(Enterprise)in a meuseam?stripped down for parts? regards

Enterprise is part of the Smithsonians collection,it's in a hanger near dulles airport.http://www.nasm.si.edu/UdvarHazy/

Figures of $42m have been mentioned by NASA for any institution that wants to purchase one of the 3 orbiters from them when the shuttle programme ends next year. The british science museum have expressed an interest i believe.

Kevster

Here's hoping that this shuttle will finally get off the ground tonight. 23:03, remember guys (and gals ... ).

Thargor

Oh yeah, totally forgot, thanks.

skywalker_208

Whats the latest news? Is it still on course for launch?
Anyone know what the latest weather reports are for over there?

MayoForSam

According to the NASA site, the launch is still set for go, 40% chance the weather may call a halt though: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

A colleague of mine arranged his holidays in Florida for the previous launch that got canceled last month, he was not a bit impressed.

Kevster

Do they just keep going until it gets a chance to launch? What was the record for delays before - 7?

jumpguy

Kevster wrote: »

Do they just keep going until it gets a chance to launch? What was the record for delays before - 7?

Yes, 7. And I suppose they will keep going, it can't be bad forever. The launch must go ahead some time, I'd imagine the cost of completely cancelling a launch at this stage would be in the millions.

Loobz

Hi,

11.21 pm tonight look to the south skys. Whats the weather to be like tonight, clear skys?

lord lucan

Tanking was successful so that's a potential hurdle out of the way,lets hope the weather plays ball now!

Nightwish

Everything looks good for tonight! 3 minutes left in the hold at T minus 9 minutes.

lord lucan

Spaceflight now are reporting a number of foam pieces have ripped off the fuel tank after launch,nothing from NASA yet. Hope it's nothing too serious and they didn't hit the orbiter!

Kevster

lord lucan wrote: »

Spaceflight now are reporting a number of foam pieces have ripped off the fuel tank after launch,nothing from NASA yet. Hope it's nothing too serious and they didn't hit the orbiter!

The thing about it is that this always happens. However, since Columbria broke-up on re-entry years ago, as all current shuttles approach the ISS, they'll use the 'Canadarm' (a protractable camera device) to scan the underside of the shuttle for any serious damage to the carbon tiles.

...I think that's how it works! Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

lord lucan

Beeker

Kevster wrote: »

The thing about it is that this always happens. However, since Columbria broke-up on re-entry years ago, as all current shuttles approach the ISS, they'll use the 'Canadarm' (a protractable camera device) to scan the underside of the shuttle for any serious damage to the carbon tiles.

...I think that's how it works! Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thats correct, they use the canadaarm to attach to a boom with cameras and laser scanners to go over every inch oif the underside. They also perform a 360 degree flip next to the station so the station crew can film in detail and send down to the ground.

Beeker

lord lucan wrote: »

Nice screen shot! They always lose some foam from the tanks, but hopefully no damage done this time.

Kevster

Any guesses as to why the whole country seems to have been paying close attention to this one?

Moon-landing anniversary?; Gerry Ryan show spending all morning talking about it? ...:p

lostexpectation

cos we could see it last both the shuttle and iss last night, there was plenty of warning with the postponed missions

lord lucan

Wonder if STS-128 i august will generate this much interest?:p

Kevster

I doubt it, but you can see the ISS flying overhead regularely so I don't know why there's so much hype about this one! There was one shuttle last year whereby you could see actually see the shuttle approaching close to the ISS with each orbit over a number of days.

jumpguy

Kevster wrote: »

I doubt it, but you can see the ISS flying overhead regularely so I don't know why there's so much hype about this one! There was one shuttle last year whereby you could see actually see the shuttle approaching close to the ISS with each orbit over a number of days.

I think because of last night, lots of new people have come onto the astronomy boards and found out about it. Also, the shuttle is catching up the ISS now, so it's interesting, go out to see the shuttle, may as well have a look at the ISS.

Kevster

Yeh, the shuttle should be visible overhead at 10:58PM

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=Ireland&region=None&city=Galway
*Galway

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=Ireland
*Others

lord lucan

Kevster wrote: »

I doubt it, but you can see the ISS flying overhead regularely so I don't know why there's so much hype about this one! There was one shuttle last year whereby you could see actually see the shuttle approaching close to the ISS with each orbit over a number of days.

I remember last november watching Endeavour flying just below the ISS on a chilly night in my back garden,she'd just undocked,fabulous sight!

ynotdu

lord lucan wrote: »

Enterprise is part of the Smithsonians collection,it's in a hanger near dulles airport.http://www.nasm.si.edu/UdvarHazy/

Figures of $42m have been mentioned by NASA for any institution that wants to purchase one of the 3 orbiters from them when the shuttle programme ends next year. The british science museum have expressed an interest i believe.

Thanks for that Lord Lucan(i,m sure ya know it got its name because the trekkies bombarded NASA with requests, nay DEMANDS:) to name it after star treks Enterprise!)
What a visionary Gene Roddenbury was when You look at the permanent crew on the iss now and the crew of Endeavour!

So at the moment a total of 13 in Space!
Anybody know what was the all time record of Astronauts&Cosmonauts in space at the same time was?

PS hope the August launch works out for you!
make sure ta take pics and post them here!:)


PPS, I did not like the look of how much foam hit Endevour last night.
I know it always happens and it may be that the cam was just in the right place to catch it clearly this time?

NASA did not seem overly concerned though,well not for the moment anyway.might be a diffrient story when they do the robotic arm check and the 360 flip though:eek:
Ah well at least they will have the iss until Russia extorts as much as it can for the extra Soyuz,s to get them home:D:D:D

lord lucan

ynotdu wrote: »

Thanks for that Lord Lucan(i,m sure ya know it got its name because the trekkies bombarded NASA with requests, nay DEMANDS:) to name it after star treks Enterprise!)
What a visionary Gene Roddenbury was when You look at the permanent crew on the iss now and the crew of Endeavour!

So at the moment a total of 13 in Space!
Anybody know what was the all time record of Astronauts&Cosmonauts in space at the same time was?

PS hope the August launch works out for you!
make sure ta take pics and post them here!:)


PPS, I did not like the look of how much foam hit Endevour last night.
I know it always happens and it may be that the cam was just in the right place to catch it clearly this time?

NASA did not seem overly concerned though,well not for the moment anyway.might be a diffrient story when they do the robotic arm check and the 360 flip though:eek:
Ah well at least they will have the iss until Russia extorts as much as it can for the extra Soyuz,s to get them home:D:D:D

As far as i can remember the ENTERPRISE was to be called CONSTITUTION but it got changed for the reasons you stated. Funny though how it never made it into space after all that,it was a glorified glider!:p

STS-128 is off for august for me,they pushed it back to august 18th cause STS-127 never got away at the end of june. I'll be gone from florida 2 days before Discovery goes:(.

I'm looking at STS-129 ATLANTIS in november,booking nothing until the last minute,i'm feckin' determined to get a launch in before they retire next year!;)

ynotdu

lord lucan,if only they had got Scotty to have a look at it for five minuates............he would have sorted it and it would have toured all the planets by now:cool::cool::cool::D

lord lucan

ynotdu wrote: »

lord lucan,if only they had got Scotty to have a look at it for five minuates............he would have sorted it and it would have toured all the planets by now:cool::cool::cool::D

True!! Enterprise was looked at briefly after the challenger disaster as another orbiter but the cost of converting it and equipping it for flight was too prohibitive.

ynotdu

lord lucan wrote: »

True!! Enterprise was looked at briefly after the challenger disaster as another orbiter but the cost of converting it and equipping it for flight was too prohibitive.

It was cheaper to build a new orbiter than consult Scotty:eek: (Feckin Scotsmen,i thought it a myth that they were THAT mean:P)

lord lucan

ynotdu wrote: »

It was cheaper to build a new orbiter than consult Scotty:eek: (Feckin Scotsmen,i thought it a myth that they were THAT mean:P)

Think the yanks just couldn't understand him!!:p

ynotdu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3SjTz8mwbs

Beeker

lord lucan wrote: »

As far as i can remember the ENTERPRISE was to be called CONSTITUTION but it got changed for the reasons you stated. Funny though how it never made it into space after all that,it was a glorified glider!:p

STS-128 is off for august for me,they pushed it back to august 18th cause STS-127 never got away at the end of june. I'll be gone from florida 2 days before Discovery goes:(.

I'm looking at STS-129 ATLANTIS in november,booking nothing until the last minute,i'm feckin' determined to get a launch in before they retire next year!;)

Best of luck to you, I hope it works out. I would love to go again. What an experience! Kennedy Space Center is also great, make sure you take the "Then and Nowe" tour which will take you out to the Mercury launch site including the pad and block house, Pad 34 wher they had the Apollo 1 fire in 1967 and ten up close at the Shuttle pads and back to the Saturn V center and the ISS assembly building. I done it twice, but then I am a geek:D

STS-126 Endeavour Nov 14 2008 from KSC