STS-134 Endeavour

djhaxman

Here's another good photo, would have liked to have seen this for myself

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/16/6653856-awesome-photo-of-shuttle-from-airplane?

Turtwig

Awww...bliss.

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

Anyhow's this video seriously needs the middle of this track to be overlaid onto it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiwI5k-gFwc

thecommander

Like this?

http://t.co/hM1U8cU

Turtwig

thecommander wrote: »

Like this?

http://t.co/hM1U8cU

Perfect.

Tenger

thecommander wrote: »

Like this?

http://t.co/hM1U8cU

Wonderful....



...I never knew you could do this with youtube.

JustAddWater

Tenger wrote: »

Wonderful....

...I never knew you could do this with youtube.

As I always say, "if you can get a rocket into space, the rest is easy"

Beeker

Malty_T wrote: »

TV? Beeks seriously please tell me you watched it fly overhead us at night, those rare times we had the opportunity. Gorgeous so it was.

Here's a vid someone took of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_YKM3si7Xs

.

That video is great, from 2009 I think! I saw that pass and it was fantastic. The fact is most of our memories in Ireland are from the TV. A few of us have been lucky enough to have seen a launch in person and of course we have all seen the Shuttle fly over, but to have grown up in Florida must have been great if you had the interest!:)

Malty_T wrote: »

Beeks and I go way back .

We sure do:)

JustAddWater

Nice pic of atlantis rollout to the VAB

http://flyingjenny.posterous.com/atlantis-rolling

clln

Still have to catch up with the video's posted,but in the meantime a couple of awkward questions.
Now that Endeavour is safely launched what will Mike Moses, Space Shuttle Launch intergration manager be intergrating.

This one more serious and touching wood as i type it;
if damage beyond repair had/did happen and was discovered by the RPM and the limited inspection carried out while docked to the station what is the plan,leave it docked to the station or could it be remote controlled to undock and burn up in athmosphere?

lord lucan

clln wrote: »

This one more serious and touching wood as i type it;
if damage beyond repair had/did happen and was discovered by the RPM and the limited inspection carried out while docked to the station what is the plan,leave it docked to the station or could it be remote controlled to undock and burn up in athmosphere?

There was a plan,i assume still active,that an Orbiter would be commanded to undock from the ISS and sent on a path that would see it disintegrate upon entering earths atmosphere. The crew would seek safe haven on the ISS until they could be rescued.

There's a finite amount of time that an Orbiter can stay docked to the ISS before it's bulk starts to impact the ISS and its various systems(electrical/gaseous etc.) deteriorate.

thecommander

lord lucan wrote: »

There was a plan,i assume still active,that an Orbiter would be commanded to undock from the ISS and sent on a path that would see it disintegrate upon entering earths atmosphere.

Interesting note from Wikipedia.

Prior to STS-121 the plan was for the damaged shuttle to be abandoned and allowed to burn up on reentry. The prime landing site for an RCO orbiter would be Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.[10] Edwards Air Force Base, a site already used to support shuttle landings, was the prime RCO landing site for the first missions carrying the equipment; however Vandenberg was later selected as the prime site as it is nearer the coast, and the shuttle can be ditched in the Pacific should a problem develop that would make landing dangerous. White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico is a likely alternate site.[11] A major consideration in determining the landing site would be the desire to perform a high-risk re-entry far away from populated areas. The flight resource book, and flight rules in force during STS-121 suggest that the damaged shuttle would reenter on a trajectory such that if it should break up, it would do so with debris landing in the South Pacific Ocean.[2]

clln

The beautiful music of the blue Danube,set to the beautiful images of our pale blue dot! Fantastic!
the joke about Mike Moses was the humor of the gallows as i think most people are putting on a much braver face in public than they feel in private:(

The voice in the video is that of Mike Massimino,he was Capcom for that shift,i had wondered if he was still with NASA,glad to see he is!
His last flight was on STS-125 to repair the hubble space telescope.
Not only is he such a funny bloke,but also was the 'brute force' needed when things did not go exactly to plan on 125.

125 will always be My favourite Shuttle mission as it was the first one i had full time access to a computer for.
Hubbles future had looked very poor post Columbia,but NASA took a hughly brave decision IMO to send one more mission that extended its lifetime, the crew could not have docked to the ISS even if they knew they were doomed,therefore NASA did not assign a crew but asked for Astronauts willing to take the risk to put forward their names,and found no shortage of takers.

It went unreported on A&S (for obvious reasons) that Easter Sunday last was when Hubble got the 'Key of the door',it was 21 years since it was launched on that date(Specsavers had to fly a mission to Hubble too!:))

The launch date for Hubbles replacement, the James Webb Space Telescope keeps slipping,latest estimate is 2018:(,but one of the new private companies hopes it can carry a crew and replacement parts to Hubble before it 'Dies'. Fingers crossed!.

Very short video of Mike Massimino speaking after the repair mission,really funny:D

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

eilejh

A profound and humble thanks to all of you who post on this thread.

Beeker

Endeavour is closing in on the station. Docking is due at 11:15 this morning.

clln

Great shot from the ISS of Endeavour firing its engines to bring it closer to the station,or the fancy name for it the 'Terminal initiation burn.

Beeker

clln wrote: »

Great shot from the ISS of Endeavour firing its engines to bring it closer to the station,or the fancy name for it the 'Terminal initiation burn.

Good morning clln. I am going to miss the docking as I have to be on the road just after 11 this morning but trusting your good self will hold the fort:)

Beeker

Beeker

clln

Beeker wrote: »

Good morning clln. I am going to miss the docking as I have to be on the road just after 11 this morning but trusting your good self will hold the fort:)

Good Morning Beeker,it will be a labour of love!:D
Mark Kelly has taken Manual control of Endeavour the RPM is due very shortly,10'18 according to NASA TV schedule,could be bit sooner or later but great views at the moment!
they are not sure if there will be good COMM for the docking though.

Beeker

clln wrote: »

Good Morning Beeker,it will be a labour of love!:D
Mark Kelly has taken Manual control of Endeavour the RPM is due very shortly,10'18 according to NASA TV schedule,could be bit sooner or later but great views at the moment!
they are not sure if there will be good COMM for the docking though.

So I believe but some beautiful shots at the moment:)

Beeker

Beeker

Crossing Eastern Europe at the moment.

Beeker

700 ft away looking beautiful:)

Beeker

Just about to start the "flipover":)

Beeker

Beeker

RPM started beautiful!!!:)

Beeker

And they just lost the video feed:mad:

clln

Loss of signal now!:(

Strange that but i suppose it is being recorded!

Beeker

clln wrote: »

Loss of signal now!:(

Strange that but i suppose it is being recorded!

Yeah they should have it all recorded on board and hopefull download it later so we can see it:)

clln

Beeker wrote: »

Yeah they should have it all recorded on board and hopefull download it later so we can see it:)

Am i dreaming or don't they normally make sure they will be in coverage of the T&DRS at least for the RPM,wonder why diffrient this time

Beeker

Signal back:)

Beeker

About 40 minutes to docking

Beeker

Beeker

310 feet to go, moving into position for final approach.

Beeker

clln wrote: »

Am i dreaming or don't they normally make sure they will be in coverage of the T&DRS at least for the RPM,wonder why diffrient this time

Normally they do but I suppose the downloaded HD video is really all they need to check the TPS so live coverage is not critical. Pity

Beeker

OK just got the GO for docking!

Beeker

300ft and heading into sunset so we might not get many more views as it get darker:(

Beeker

Passing over Australia not with 235ft to go.

clln

Beeker wrote: »

Normally they do but I suppose the downloaded HD video is really all they need to check the TPS so live coverage is not critical. Pity

They are so thoughtless to us,humph:rolleyes:
range 235 feet

Beeker

clln wrote: »

They are so thoughtless to us,humph:rolleyes:
range 235 feet

Yes I may e-mail them. Signed Disgrunteled Ireland:D

Beeker

150 ft. Going to have to leave in a few minutes but will catch up later. In your capable hands now clln:)

clln

back in view now Endeavours payload bay lit up by lights!

clln

Beeker wrote: »

150 ft. Going to have to leave in a few minutes but will catch up later. In your capable hands now clln:)

Thanks for the faith in me Beeker but i think i will leave the docking to mark kelly!:pac::)

Beeker

clln wrote: »

Thanks for the faith in me Beeker but i think i will leave the docking to mark kelly!:pac::)

Good move:D:D:D

clln

Docking probe now in view about 30 feet away now.

clln

The ISS docking port ready to capture Endeavour now only 10 feet between them!

clln

Capture at 11.14,nice work!:) they were over the west coast of Chile,just waiting for confirmation of hard dock.

clln

Endeavour and ISS now hard mated,leak checks and pressure equalisation going on with hatch opening expected at about 13.30.



Station Crew doing their bit on the other side of the Docking adapter.



for those who know the station they are working in Node 2 there.

clln

Some call it the RPM,others the backflip.the official reason for this 360% turn of Endeavour is for ISS crew members to take pics to check for damage to its tiles etc.
but the real reason i can reveal is that Endeavour knows She looks so beautiful She wanted to 'give us a twirl!

Turtwig

clln wrote: »

Some call it the RPM,others the backflip.the official reason for this 360% turn of Endeavour is for ISS crew members to take pics to check for damage to its tiles etc.
but the real reason i can reveal is that Endeavour knows She looks so beautiful She wanted to 'give us a twirl!

<vid>

NASA Official vid. HD as always.
Gorgeous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCn-IjmAoHs