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Shuttle Discovery Launch

MacSA

MacSA

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jun 4, 2003
1,803
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UK
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts121/status.html

1853 GMT (2:53 p.m. EDT)

The Orbiter Closeout Crew is departing the pad.

1850 GMT (2:50 p.m. EDT)

The Main Propulsion System helium system is being reconfigured by pilot Mark Kelly. Soon the gaseous nitrogen purge to the aft skirts of the solid rocket boosters will be started.
 
Unfortunately, I just heard thunder and it's really, really cloudy here. It was originally supposed to launch 48 minutes from now.

The launch was just scrubbed.
 
It's been postponed for today, but you can watch the launch tomorrow (or whenever) live on QuickTime from the following http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html.

Click on the QuickTime link and double click the downloaded qtl file (or if you're using Firefox, open with Quicktime.app to bypass the download)
 
dmw007 said:
Darn, and here I was hoping that today would another day that the US returned to space (the second time since that accident, correct?). :eek:
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Yes, the second launch. The last one had more falling foam. That's why there is some fear still.

The weather has cleared since then. I suspect that it'll be able to be launched tomorrow. The Pepsi 400 took off.

I'm a bit disappointed. I had my camera ready, though, it was so cloudy, I'd probably not even seen the very bright flames.
 
I hope I can see it on Sunday. I have never seen the shuttle launch. I bet the station needs supplies. Too bad there isn't a "Shuttle Pro" that can handle liftoff from a runway instead of requiring booter rockets.
 
bousozoku said:
Yes, the second launch. The last one had more falling foam. That's why there is some fear still.
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Thanks for the clarification. :)

bousozoku said:
The weather has cleared since then. I suspect that it'll be able to be launched tomorrow.
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Hopefully. :)

bousozoku said:
I'm a bit disappointed. I had my camera ready, though, it was so cloudy, I'd probably not even seen the very bright flames.
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That would be quite disappointing if you were standing there, camera in hand, waiting for the launch to take place. :eek:
 
yea i dont think it will go off tomorrow....i live 15 min from where they launch it from, and weve been having afternoon tstorms all week :mad: i hope it does though, we havent had a launch in a while and a lotta people are here for the daytona race/launch
 
dmw007 said:
...
That would be quite disappointing if you were standing there, camera in hand, waiting for the launch to take place. :eek:
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I had NASA t.v. on my t.v. so I could hear exactly what was happening with plenty of warning, so it wasn't quite so bad as that. Still...
 
I've had the great fortune to be able to watch a shuttle liftoff at KSC (and showing a portion of my age) and the incredible fortune to be able to watch the launch of Apollo 11 from across the Banana River.

Now that the current launch is delayed until at least Tuesday, here's hoping not to have some "rockets red glare" ala Challenger this 4th, the first manned launch scheduled for the 4th of July.
 
i think it would be pretty cool to have it go off on tuesday, everyone in town can just spend the day at the beach then, in the afternoon watch the shuttle go off, and that evening watch the ron jons fireworks show...what could be better than that?
 
It's great that we're catching up on our rain finally but it's a shame that the shuttle launch time seems to coincide with the general time of the afternoon rains.
 
bousozoku said:
It's great that we're catching up on our rain finally but it's a shame that the shuttle launch time seems to coincide with the general time of the afternoon rains.
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Yeah I agree there is supposed to be a 40% rain chance on tuesday to! I really hope this doesn't get pushed to far back.
 
NASA confirms workers have found a 4 to 5 inch long crack in the foam insulation covering a bracket on Discovery's external fuel tank. Mission managers are discussing the issue and will decide if the launch will be delayed.
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Uh oh.
 

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My neighbor got to teach the astronauts on the flight how to use thermal imaging cameras so if/when they get it into space they will do a space walk with one of them and examine the shuttle.
 
The orginal shuttle program was a three phased concept.

The current version being used was Phase 1.

We were supposed to be at Phase 3 by this time. The orginal shuttles were never meant to last (be used) this long.

Budget cuts and the like have affected NASA. It's unfortunate that the shuttle program has not proceeded through Phase 2 and 3.
 
Supposedly, the cracked foam is not a serious problem and there is another launch scheduled for earlier in the afternoon on 4th July, so they might get off the ground.
 
bousozoku said:
Supposedly, the cracked foam is not a serious problem and there is another launch scheduled for earlier in the afternoon on 4th July, so they might get off the ground.
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Keeping our fingers crossed! :)
 
what a beautiful launch, i wend down to the beach and watched it, it was amazing! you could see the shuttle...and flames, and you could hear the rumble....man its been a while shince i went outside and watched it. the best part was everyone cheering on the beach! what a great forth of july!
 
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