STS-130 Endeavour 6/2/2010

Beeker

Just look at what we as a Species are capable of building!!!!!...........:)



.......and what we are about to give up!:(

Trotter

I've a Concorde like feeling about the shuttle.. It feels like we're taking a big step backwards letting it go.

Hauk

Trotter wrote: »

I've a Concorde like feeling about the shuttle.. It feels like we're taking a big step backwards letting it go.

Nah, the shuttle is 70's technology with some upgrades. It will be saddening to see it retire, but the technology behind the shuttle, such as the APCP solid rocket boosters, and the liquid hydrogen and oxegen fuel tank is all older technology.

New investment and R&D will slow the program for a while, but in the long run, newer materials manufacturing and propulsion systems will give us some fantastic space planes and heavy lift vehicles.

Have a look at the SpaceX rockets and XCOR aerospace. SpaceX is in the process of providing Nasa with the crew to station support for the next 10 or so years, and XCOR is working on their own low earth orbit spaceplane(called the Lynx), that will allow for deployment of satellites and the like.

And originally, Nasa envisioned flying the shuttle once a month, but overhead costs and re-processing of the shuttle ended up eating most of the budget, and restricted missions to 6 or 7 a year.

And Challenger and Columbia were two accidents, to me, prove that the Shuttle needs to finish it's work for ISS, and allow for newer, safer, developments to occur. I remember after Columbia, NASA saying "We do not know if or when the shuttle will fly again." I was delighted to see the Return to Flight mission take place and the ISS construction to continue.

The R&D will pay off in the end.

lord lucan

Trotter wrote: »

I've a Concorde like feeling about the shuttle.. It feels like we're taking a big step backwards letting it go.

Yep,unfortunately it's being let go with no successor,no means of getting Astronauts to space(without using Russian hardware),no heavy lift capability.

If Constellation had come to fruition and was ready to pick up where the Shuttle left off it wouldn't be such an issue but with manned Spaceflight being left to the mercy of private enterprise i think we may be at the end of a golden age in human spaceflight.:(

With a new limited vision of human spaceflight,no vision beyond lower earth orbit i'm not particularly optimistic of the future. The ISS showed what we can do,why leave it at that?

ynotdu

Cupids arrows have kept people busy,but we cant desert it yet!:)

http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5690:sts-130-eva-2-highlights--only-flash-&catid=1:latest

requires flash player which is free to download and use.

fryup

will we be able to see the space shuttle this week??

lord lucan

fryup wrote: »

will we be able to see the space shuttle this week??

All the passes are still early in the morning. Here's the times for the coming week based on my location in west Dublin.

Date Mag Starts Max. altitude Ends
Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az.
15 Feb -2.4 05:29:46 45 ESE 05:29:46 45 ESE 05:32:00

15 Feb -2.7 07:01:15 10 W 07:04:00 45 SSW 07:06:52

16 Feb -3.2 05:51:34 56 SW 05:51:49 60 S 05:54:42

17 Feb 0.0 04:41:59 13 E 04:41:59 13 E 04:42:23

17 Feb -2.8 06:13:20 28 WSW 06:14:27 45 SSW 06:17:15

18 Feb -1.0 05:03:44 23 ESE 05:03:44 23 ESE 05:05:00

18 Feb -2.0 06:35:06 15 WSW 06:36:57 28 SSW 06:39:31

19 Feb -2.0 05:25:29 34 SSE 05:25:29 34 SSE 05:27:28

19 Feb -1.2 06:57:26 10 WSW 06:59:17 16 SSW 07:01:09

20 Feb -2.1 05:47:15 28 SSW 05:47:15 28 SSW 05:49:39

21 Feb -1.3 06:09:03 16 SW 06:09:20 16 SSW 06:11:14

22 Feb -0.3 04:59:32 11 SE 04:59:32 11 SE 04:59:37

Beeker

Trotter wrote: »

I've a Concorde like feeling about the shuttle.. It feels like we're taking a big step backwards letting it go.

Its sad ok. I guess it is old technology and needs to be replaced. The problem is we are getting rid of it with no replacement! this is madness.
What should happen is the Shuttle should continue to fly even if it is only one or two flights a year until a replacement is ready. Keep the manned experience with NASA and have a smooth change over.
The way they are going will lead to perhaps 6 to 10 years with no US manned spacecraft available.:mad:

I get a little emotional about this subject as I have followed the Shuttle since it started and it feels like a death to me to see it go:(

lord lucan

Talking of sad,i found this video that's only just surfaced of the ill-fated Challenger launch in '86. It was taken by an elderly man and is apparently very rare as most footage was filmed around KSC whereas this guy looks like he's somewhere west of Orlando or maybe Tampa.

Beeker

lord lucan wrote: »

Talking of sad,i found this video that's only just surfaced of the ill-fated Challenger launch in '86. It was taken by an elderly man and is apparently very rare as most footage was filmed around KSC whereas this guy looks like he's somewhere west of Orlando or maybe Tampa.

Good stuff, I'm always looking for rare stuff about the space programme.
I have a huge collection of photos, videos etc from every US manned flight from Al Shepard's Mercury 3 flight in 61 right up to STS-130, and love adding to the collection.
Mrs beeker practices tolerance:D

Beeker

The cupola was moved overnight into its operational position. The windows will be uncovered Tuesday/Wednesday. I can't wait to see the view from inside:)

Beeker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbUzrqI14FI

Beeker

New station configuration

Hauk

This station gets better and better.

Beeker

Hauk wrote: »

This station gets better and better.

What a machine. 200 miles up, 17500mph. 16 times around the Earth every day.

Beeker

A shot inside the cupola. Covers should be taken off later tonight.

Beeker

Docking port moved to outboard port on the new Tranquility habitation module overnight.

Beeker

Spacewalk {EVA} number 3 due to begin at about 02:10 Wed morning. During the EVA the spacewalkers will remove the covers over the Cupola allowing the astronauts inside the station spectacular views of the Earth.

ynotdu

Beeker wrote: »

What a machine. 200 miles up, 17500mph. 16 times around the Earth every day.

Beeker just so long as the SUN keeps circuling the Earth
erm Earth keeps circuling the Sun every 24 hours i will be pretty happy!:)

You do know that NASA held an open vote as to what call node3/Tranquility.???
For fun some TV comedian actually asked his fans to vote for him and he won the vote to have node 3 named after him!:D NOW that really stumpfed NASA and after 'delicate negotiations' He instead allowed the new threadmill brought up on 128 to be named after him!:).

For casual readers of the S/A forum this really is true!In fact node 3's name is named tranquility after the 'Sea of tranquility' were Apollo 11 touched down. It got the second highest vote when the ballot was taken in 2009 the year of Apollo 11's 4oth anniversary.

One more Spacewalk for STS-130 and the international Space Station will be 98% complete,I wonder what the remaining 2% will be? a smoking room,and ya know may'be a pool table,poker table????

Begob and begorrah with that and Cupola who would ever want to come back to Earth

lord lucan

The Colbert Treadmill. It wasn't named after the comedian Stephen Colbert though.;);)

A smoking room would be cool,i could go up to the ISS then.:D

ynotdu

lord lucan wrote: »

The Colbert Treadmill. It wasn't named after the comedian Stephen Colbert though.;);)

A smoking room would be cool,i could go up to the ISS then.:D

Oh Yes{Colbert Treadmill}was named after him!:D

lord lucan

ynotdu wrote: »

Oh Yes{Colbert Treadmill}was named after him!:D

Oh no,it was named after someone else well known in NASA circles.:D:D

ynotdu

lord lucan wrote: »

Oh no,it was named after someone else well known in NASA circles.:D:D

I will find indisputable proof or have to go off to Conspiracy theorys!:eek::eek::eek::)

lord lucan

ynotdu wrote: »

I will find indisputable proof or have to go off to Conspiracy theorys!:eek::eek::eek::)

Oh god no,have you seen the Apollo 11 thread over there?:eek:

ynotdu

lord lucan wrote: »

Oh god no,have you seen the Apollo 11 thread over there?:eek:

Yeah they are all LUNAtics!:)

lord lucan

ynotdu wrote: »

Yeah they are all LUNAtics!:)

Ha Ha,i like it.:D

Beeker

lord lucan wrote: »

Oh no,it was named after someone else well known in NASA circles.:D:D

:DIt was only right to name something after him. After all he is a distinguished space nerd!!:D

Beeker

Cupola windows uncovered at last:)

Beeker

lord lucan

What i wouldn't pay for a one night stay in the cupola!:)