STS-134 Endeavour

thecommander

CO19 wrote: »

Why's it coming over to Europe and no just going straight up ?

Its going into orbit which is a circular path, rather than straight out.

It takes that route so it can catch up with ISS.

Beeker

CO19 wrote: »

Why's it coming over to Europe and no just going straight up ?

It dosen't keep going straight up, it launches Vertically but then arcs out over the Atlantic to enter orbit around the Earth. As such it will pass over Europe first.

I should be in the doctors office But I had to cancel. Im sure she'll understand...
Has everyone got their tissues at the ready ?

clln

Jake1 wrote: »

I should be in the doctors office But I had to cancel. Im sure she'll understand...
Has everyone got their tissues at the ready ?

Hi Jake1 have been listening to the link you gave us,it has been great!
unique way to follow since about 4AM this morning.
Thanks again!:)

Beeker

Closeout crew ready to leave the pad

thecommander

clln wrote: »

Hi Jake1 have been listening to the link you gave us,it has been great!
unique way to follow since about 4AM this morning.
Thanks again!:)

Link?

clln

clln wrote: »

Hi Jake1 have been listening to the link you gave us,it has been great!
unique way to follow since about 4AM this morning.
Thanks again!:)

4am? LOL you are hard core My poor other half was sick all night, couldnt log in, till just a while ago. Migraine.

Im listening to Kennedy Communications too, and Nasa.
Just found the headphones (note to self, strangle teenage daughter later )

Strapped in now

Godspeed Endeavour.

clln

thecommander wrote: »

Link?

Certainly back just a few pages ago and credited to Jake1. don't you ever read other peoples posts?:pac:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=72243591&postcount=598

thecommander

clln wrote: »

Certainly back just a few pages ago and credited to Jake1. don't you ever read other peoples posts?:pac:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=72243591&postcount=598

I have crappy hotel internet. Pages are taking forever to load. Didn;t I just reply to you and others?

thecommander

thecommander wrote: »

Link?

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=705

this link is brilliant , last time clin and myself heard about the scrub before it was officially announced.

clln

thecommander wrote: »

I have crappy hotel internet. Pages are taking forever to load. Didn;t I just reply to you and others?

its the West coast backwardness!:D

eilejh

Off to work I am but I willl be watching and will make all my co-workers watch too! Sine Die Endeavour....LOVE YOU!

Beeker

T-20 and holding

thecommander

clln wrote: »

its the West coast backwardness!:D

Im on the wifi from the hotel across the road, faster than the 15 dollar a day access here.

clln

eilejh wrote: »

Off to work I am but I willl be watching and will make all my co-workers watch too! Sine Die Endeavour....LOVE YOU!

Cheers eilejh,hope you get to see launch!

backboiler

CO19 wrote: »

Why's it coming over to Europe and no just going straight up ?

This is one of the very common misconceptions about "rocket science" and orbital mechanics. Rockets don't go straight up and then park. There's no magic place where the earth's gravity suddenly ends, it just tapers off (proportional to the square of the distance from its centre).

Just as if you throw a stone straight up in the air, it loses speed and eventually falls back on top of you, the same would happen if a rocket was launched straight up; it'd just crash back where it was launched from. It's much more like throwing a stone sideways when you're skimming it across water. It you could throw it hard enough it would also orbit (ignoring atmospheric drag). A few seconds into the launch the shuttle rolls over on its back and that's how it stays until it reaches orbit. Beeker will know the exact elapsed time, no doubt ;P

Orbit is when you're moving sideways (90 degrees to the surface of the earth) at sufficient speed that you effectively "outrun" the curved ground that's pulling you towards it). The faster you go, the higher the orbit.

I've a question though. The camera that tracks the craft at the time of SRB separation. Where is it located? Must be a fair bit north of the launch site to get that angle on it.

thecommander

backboiler wrote: »

Must be a fair bit north of the launch site to get that angle on it.

From what I know its on site at KSC. Manually tracked too.

eilejh

clln wrote: »

Cheers eilejh,hope you get to see launch!

Yes I can watch it at work! I don't care if they catch me either lol...I can't get on these boards at work though (which is probably a relief for some of you ha ha)
Happy watching everyone! How exciting for those there.....

thecommander

eilejh wrote: »

Yes I can watch it at work! I don't care if they catch me either lol...I can't get on these boards at work though (which is probably a relief for some of you ha ha)
Happy watching everyone! How exciting for those there.....

Good that you can get to see.

backboiler

thecommander wrote: »

From what I know its on site at KSC. Manually tracked too.

Manual! Impressive. Nearly as good as the cameramen at the hurling matches.

If I were Harry Crosby for a day, I would have giant screens down by the Grand Canal showing the launch.

clln

eilejh wrote: »

Yes I can watch it at work! I don't care if they catch me either lol...I can't get on these boards at work though (which is probably a relief for some of you ha ha)
Happy watching everyone! How exciting for those there.....

Always the more the merrier on launch day eilejh,they were always precious and are even more so now!:)

Beeker

backboiler wrote: »

This is one of the very common misconceptions about "rocket science" and orbital mechanics. Rockets don't go straight up and then park. There's no magic place where the earth's gravity suddenly ends, it just tapers off (proportional to the square of the distance from its centre).

Just as if you throw a stone straight up in the air, it loses speed and eventually falls back on top of you, the same would happen if a rocket was launched straight up; it'd just crash back where it was launched from. It's much more like throwing a stone sideways when you're skimming it across water. It you could throw it hard enough it would also orbit (ignoring atmospheric drag).
Orbit is when you're moving sideways (90 degrees to the surface of the earth) at sufficient speed that you effectively "outrun" the curved ground that's pulling you towards it).
.

Very well explained.

backboiler wrote: »

A few seconds into the launch the shuttle rolls over on its back and that's how it stays until it reaches orbit. Beeker will know the exact elapsed time, no doubt ;P.

11 seconds after launch it begins the turn known as the roll maneuver. The maneuver takes about 7 seconds.:)

backboiler wrote: »

I've a question though. The camera that tracks the craft at the time of SRB separation. Where is it located? Must be a fair bit north of the launch site to get that angle on it.

They use huge telescopic cameras situated 3 miles north and south of the pads.:)

clln

Just the crew sitting on a 'controlled explosion' now, closeout crew heading away from the pad.

Beeker

9 minute hold not for 40 minutes so 49 minutes to launch:)

clln

Weather plane pilot, it's just looking better and better!:)

b318isp

What was the water being discharged from the elevated spherical tank for? I think someone mentioned it was for sound suppression???

thecommander

Wow, Lockheed guy on Spacevidcast just confirmed they could make a new ET from spares.

CO19

Jake1 wrote: »

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=705

this link is brilliant , last time clin and myself heard about the scrub before it was officially announced.

Do you have to sign up to listen in ?

CO19

CO19 wrote: »

Do you have to sign up to listen in ?

not at all. you just go to the link and listen

Beeker

b318isp wrote: »

What was the water being discharged from the elevated spherical tank for? I think someone mentioned it was for sound suppression???

Yeah thats the water storage for the sound suppression system. Just before launch the pad is flooded with water to absorbe the acoustics from the engines. The water you see is simply from the overflow on the tank.

clln

Lord Lucan if you are getting these msgs Sky News just promised to show the launch,hope you catch it!
Nothing unites us boardsies like Launch day!
Love it!:)

Beeker

Half hour now, looking good:)

Excellent, copy that, go Endeavour hee hee

useeme

anyone have a god HD link for this?

useeme

anyone have a good HD link for this?

Beeker

General Motors wrote: »

anyone have a god HD link for this?

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html

Turtwig

Not strictly HD but very good quality.

useeme

many thanks

Beeker

Beeker

We just got a go for launch:)
Yeah!!!!:D

All them GO's

What a beautiful sound.

Kersh

Wooooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooo

BULLER

"Final flight of Endeavour is a go!" woooooooo

Turtwig

Wicked
*gets jittery*

jesus, what a speech Lump, tears .. its a go here in Lucan

clln

Well as well as us the crew Gaby Gifford,Mike Leinbach deserves a break as well,
great guy to give the final "GO"
i would literally trust him with My life!:)

BULLER

http://edition.cnn.com/

This is nice and loud (and dramatic)

EDIT - its not the first video you see, there's a live feed in there!!

EDIT 2 - http://edition.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1&hpt=T2

'See you back in a couple of weeks' ' Endeavour copy.'

Oh God. Good luck lads.

Turtwig

Quickly guys which stream is best?
Nasa, Spaceflightnow, or CNN XD
(I normally go with SFN but it's lagging a bit at the mo for some reason..)