NASA wants to reward US with Independence Day shuttle launch (AFP)

[Anchor Man]

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rs...ahoo.com/s/afp/20060703/sc_afp/usspaceshuttleAFP - NASA hopes the skies finally clear up for a glorious US Independence Day liftoff of the Discovery shuttle that will fly seven astronauts on a key mission for US space ambitions.


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[YSSMAN]

Yes, that will be sweet. But they found another crack in the fuel container, so they have to be certain that they won't have the foam problem that destoyed Columbia.

 

[Omnis]

They really need to come up with brand new shuttle design. EVERYTHING'S got some kind of crack or something wrong with it lately.

 

[Solid Lifters]

The Space Shuttle is still a good space vehicle; a good design for being 45 years old. It's too bad they're built and maintained like crap.

Remember, they're built and maintained by the lowest bidder.

 

[Omnis]

That's what I mean. They might as well build brand new shuttles correctly. Hell, even their websites were wide open to hackers before Bryce Case (ytcracker) defaced them. We're gonna need to get bigass lasers and **** on the space station to prepare for extra-terrestrial objects. You can't even haul a mailbox if you're driving a turd on marbles.

I don't know what's up with the decision to launch, though. If I'm not mistaken, they're launching REGARDLESS of the crack? What goes on in that control center of theirs, anyway?

"Crack in the fuel tank? **** that!"

I just hope nothing goes wrong. Go Nasa.

 

[dbartucci]

The Space Shuttle is still a good space vehicle; a good design for being 45 years old. It's too bad they're built and maintained like crap.

Remember, they're built and maintained by the lowest bidder.

The lowest bidder who satisfies the requirements sent out by NASA. If NASA requires X, Y and Z to be done and you can do it for $10 but I can do it for $9 why shouldn't they hire me?

 

[TheCracker]

Yes, that will be sweet. But they found another crack in the fuel container, so they have to be certain that they won't have the foam problem that destoyed Columbia.

They'll probably send someone down to Home Depot to pic up a can of that expanding foam insulation 👍

 

[ledhed]

Big Firecracker Go Boom !

 

[DuckRacer]

Remember, they're built and maintained by the lowest bidder.

So I can just say I'll maintain it for $1, and I get to take care of the Space Shuttle? Sweet.

 

[Solid Lifters]

The countdown just started. From nine minutes it'll launch from right now.

7 minutes.

I'm watching the launch on the NASA Channel in HD! Awesome stuff!

EDIT: WOW! That was so cool. It's sooooooo much better in HD! Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Holy crap, was that fun.

Those live shots of the external tank seperating from the Shuttle were something new and was pretty damn cool.

 

[Famine]

They weren't new. They did it last time out - though it's no less impressive the second time round.

 

[Solid Lifters]

They weren't new. They did it last time out - though it's no less impressive the second time round.

Cool. I didn't see the last launch, so it's new to me. We always had stills, but not live footage. It was pretty damn cool. 👍

D'oh! Germany vs. Italy is on!

 

[daan]

Is it just me who thinks "Solid Lifters" should be attached to the side of the fuel tank?

 

[Omnis]

Lol. We would have SLRB seperation. (I should've counted the number of times "SRB" was mentioned on NBC.)

 

[Famine]

I still find it stunning that the LOX tank is just discarded into the Indian Ocean.

I sure as hell wouldn't like to be fishing that day...

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

It's cool that they were able to launch the shuttle today on Independence Day.

 

[Danoff]

Watched the launch, very cool. I do wish they would discontinue the shuttle, but I'm glad everything seems to have gone smoothly on launch. Always impressive.

 

[FoolKiller]

I still find it stunning that the LOX tank is just discarded into the Indian Ocean.

I sure as hell wouldn't like to be fishing that day...

It isn't as if the whole thing hits in one piece. It rains down thousands of fiery bits. Much less worrisome, see?



I watched the launch. I was eating lunch and quit to go sit directly in front of the TV (damn projection screen) for a clear view. My wife asked why I was watching and I asked her how she couldn't find it exciting. She started in on how it was a waste of time and money and we don't need to be in space when people are still struggling here, blah, blah, blah. So I set into her with how the space program was responsible for tons of technologies that she takes for granted including the medical technology that allows me to be alive with my heart condition and her grandfather to have survived decades with a deadly lung disease. She just gave me the whatever line and walked out mumbling something about astronauts being idiots to risk their lives so stupidly. I yelled out that it was because they believed in something bigger than themselves, which she should try sometime....then a door slammed.

So I watched the launch by myself, sitting in awe of the technology and abilities of man, wondering what will come next as we prepare to retire the shuttle program and build something better that can take us to Mars.

 

[Danoff]

I watched the launch. I was eating lunch and quit to go sit directly in front of the TV (damn projection screen) for a clear view. My wife asked why I was watching and I asked her how she couldn't find it exciting. She started in on how it was a waste of time and money and we don't need to be in space when people are still struggling here, blah, blah, blah.

Ouch. The old, "we can't move on until everything is perfect" obstruction to progress. You should tell her that the proper role of government is to provide for defense partly through new research. Tell her that an active space program helps us develop rocket technology that leads to things like ICBMs and ICBM interceptors. Then tell her that government has no business wasting tax payer dollars on people who refuse to help themselves.

That'll get another door slammed on you.

 

[FoolKiller]

Ouch. The old, "we can't move on until everything is perfect" obstruction to progress. You should tell her that the proper role of government is to provide for defense partly through new research. Tell her that an active space program helps us develop rocket technology that leads to things like ICBMs and ICBM interceptors. Then tell her that government has no business wasting tax payer dollars on people who refuse to help themselves.

That'll get another door slammed on you.

Is it obvious that our politics never agree? You should have seen her when I tried to make her read Atlas Shrugged. She was attempting to get through the first chapter when a friend told her what it was about and she handed it back saying she didn't want any of my propaganda.

I tried explaining to her once that the space program is responsible for the things we take for granted like mocrowaves and WD-40, but she still shrugs it off.

I'll just let her watch Lifetime and I will watch mankind make progress.




EDIT: Shuttle update:

While examining the shuttle while in orbit NASA reported:

The only unusual thing found, at least for now, was a whitish splotch on Discovery's right wing that looked like a bird dropping. And there was one on the wing a few weeks ago at the launch pad, said flight director Tony Ceccacci.

Ceccacci said the imagery experts would study the splotch and make sure it was nothing more than a bird's shuttle signature.

 

[magburner]

Awesome launch! 👍 I watched the extended coverage on the BBC News website, and I was in awe; Just as I was when I watched Columbia first take-off back in 1981!

The only thing that kind of took away the factor from me was all the 'Heath-Robinson' safety checks that have had to be performed with this launch. Hundreds of cameras, robotic arms scanning the heatshield, 180 degree rolls - It was never like that in the old days. It just shows how long-in-the-tooth the space shuttle is.

Still, there is no greater sight on earth than a shuttle blasting into space! Awesome! 👍

 

[Omnis]

I still find it stunning that the LOX tank is just discarded into the Indian Ocean.

I sure as hell wouldn't like to be fishing that day...

Really? I thought they blasted east over the atlantic.

 

[DQuaN]

It isn't as if the whole thing hits in one piece. It rains down thousands of fiery bits. Much less worrisome, see?

Nope, it drops in one big lump.

Really? I thought they blasted east over the atlantic.

Yeah, according to the announcer during the launch, the Shuttle was about 800miles down range when the tank seperated. Nowhere near the Indian Ocean.

 

[FoolKiller]

Nope, it drops in one big lump.

The SRBs remain intact but the fuel tank cannot fall from that height at that speed and remain intact.

From Wiki
The ET is jettisoned 18 seconds after the SSMEs are shut down, and re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. It breaks up before impact in the Indian Ocean (or Pacific Ocean in the case of direct-insertion launch trajectories, which are currently utilized) away from known shipping lanes. It is not reusable, unlike the Solid Rocket Boosters.

Yeah, according to the announcer during the launch, the Shuttle was about 800miles down range when the tank seperated. Nowhere near the Indian Ocean.

But moving a few thousand miles an hour east. I'm sure it also has some vertical momentum remaining as well and doesn't begin to fall immediately after being jettisoned, it just doesn't keep accelerating.

 

[Roo09511]

Wow... bird **** goes to space. He'll be a more famous bird than the one from the Windex commecials... lmao

 

[FoolKiller]

Wow... bird **** goes to space. He'll be a more famous bird than the one from the Windex commecials... lmao

I wonder if they can fit a squeegee attachment on the shuttle arm.

Maybe a bum comes out when they are stopped at the space station and washes it off for a $1.

 

[DQuaN]

The SRBs remain intact but the fuel tank cannot fall from that height at that speed and remain intact.

From Wiki
The ET is jettisoned 18 seconds after the SSMEs are shut down, and re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. It breaks up before impact in the Indian Ocean (or Pacific Ocean in the case of direct-insertion launch trajectories, which are currently utilized) away from known shipping lanes. It is not reusable, unlike the Solid Rocket Boosters.



But moving a few thousand miles an hour east. I'm sure it also has some vertical momentum remaining as well and doesn't begin to fall immediately after being jettisoned, it just doesn't keep accelerating.

Ah gotcha, i was watching a video of the tank falling from this mission, and it falls for a very long time without breaking up. It does get a bit charred at the tip though.

I see what you mean about the tank travelling further downrange as well.


http://mfile.akamai.com/18565/wmv/e....nasa-global/sts-121/ksc_070506_sts121_et.asx