STS-133/Discovery

clln

Showing on Sky news now!!!!

Wheelstop point will be marked forever on runway.

thecommander

clln wrote: »

Wheelstop point will be marked forever on runway.

They should have done that for every mission.

clln

She has wheelstopped for her final time................ anybody else feeling empty inside

Thank god for safe return of crew............ I had feared for this mission.

Phew...

Beeker

Ghost Train

Nice to see her land, sad its the final time

tricky D

Yup, speechless in a kinda sad way.

Beeker

clln wrote: »

She has wheelstopped for her final time................ anybody else feeling empty inside

Thank god for safe return of crew............ I had feared for this mission.

Phew...

My heart is broken! Discovery has flown for the last time, the first orbiter I ever saw. I was there for her first launch in 1984 and always had a soft spot for her. Next time i see her she will be in a museum and not where she should be in space.:(

Ghost Train

clln

Astro1996

Farewell Space Shuttle Discovery

MoonDancer

Oh I could cry, how did I miss the landing??!!

Beeker

MoonDancer wrote: »

Oh I could cry, how did I miss the landing??!!

Here you go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L8MV7PfFoQ

clln

Ghost Train

clln

Well as the crew of STS-133 had worked out she had spent exactly 365 days in flight................. What a Dame!

broken hearts all over the Globe.............. She was the Orbiter that brought STS back to life after both the loss of Challenger and Columbia!

MoonDancer

Beeker wrote: »

Here you go

Thank you Beeker

MoonDancer

How are ye getting all those pictures? Is the live coverage still going on? Ustream isn't loading anything for me & Nasa have a replay on.

thecommander

http://twitpic.com/47urtz

Beeker

MoonDancer wrote: »

How are ye getting all those pictures? Is the live coverage still going on? Ustream isn't loading anything for me & Nasa have a replay on.

NASA tv back live.

lord lucan

No need for the jacks,saw landing on sky news on a 48" TV on pier e. Heartbreaking stuff.:(

clln

Infra-red picture of the nose.......... all of the TPS can be taken into a bare hand from a furnace...............look at the heat of re-entry it had to endure......... Congrats to Commander Lindsy and his co-pilot and all the crew............ the skill of landing the beast never ceases to awe-inspire me.

MoonDancer

Is there any videos from Discovery burning though the atmosphere?

clln

lord lucan wrote: »

No need for the jacks,saw landing on sky news on a 48" TV on pier e. Heartbreaking stuff.:(

Twas a bit heartbreaking that you were not able to post LL also!

well two more to go, i have no doubt you will pull a sickie for Atlantis though!;)

MoonDancer

I'd love to be there right now, and have a nosey inside

Beeker

MoonDancer wrote: »

Is there any videos from Discovery burning though the atmosphere?

Not yet but they will have recorded that on board and we should get to see that in the next few days or weeks when the astronauts get the chance to download it.

This give you some idea what it is like, take from a previous flight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK1RxQKCmCE

clln

or this one from inside the cockpit of STS-115 Atlantis which i think was the first one were they dared to broadcast it live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECpXS_vi15E&playnext=1&list=PLB9D537718929D91C

Beeker

Crew out and about around Discovery

clln

There she is getting the attention she loves so much





and the crew after a quick medical check back on Terra Firma.







Dont the so called VIPs realise who the real VIPs are????;)

Beeker

Would love the chance to stroll around there with my camera:)

Beeker

clln

Beeker wrote: »

Would love the chance to stroll around there with my camera:)

How the hell could Charlie Bolden dare show his face at a Shuttle landing and actualy speak before Commander Lyndsy!:mad:



Nice shot of the crew with the landing team;

Beeker

clln wrote: »

How the hell could Charlie Bolden dare show his face at a Shuttle landing and actualy speak before Commander Lyndsy!:mad:

We might not like him but he is still the boss:mad:

clln

Beeker wrote: »

We might not like him but he is still the boss:mad:

All too hard to take in is'nt it Beeker, nothing left now other than the haul back to the OPF.

BTW i have been wondering is Atlantis in the OPF or the VAB do you know?

MoonDancer

Wow you can see the sparks from the window!! I would love to go into space!!!

MoonDancer

Does the temp rise inside the shuttle during re-entry?

thecommander

clln wrote: »

BTW i have been wondering is Atlantis in the OPF or the VAB do you know?

Endeavor is still in the VAB, so I'd presume that Atlantis is there since 132

clln

Commander Lindseys words;

Great to be back, so thankful for landing here at KSC, the home of Discovery. 39 flights. If we did our math right, this is 365 days on orbit for Discovery, an entire year in space. Discovery launched and came back on this flight with absolutely no leins against her. No systems with any problems. Vehicle is 26, 27 years old and came back perfect. No airplane has done that. That's a testament to the engineers here. Came back as perfect on her last flight as her first flight. Accomplished every objective and a whole lot more than we set out for. It's these folks behind me that did it. Bittersweet moment for all of us. As the moments pass, I'm actually getting more and more sad. To end this, thanks to Bob Cabana and KSC for giving us a fantastic vehicle to fly, a privilege to fly Discovery. Sad to give her back, but couldn't be more happy to give her back to the crews here.

The Crew heading towards the Astrovan and i guess the end of their careers as Astronauts, doubt any of them would like six months on the ISS after their flight on Discovery.
only 10 more Astronauts will fly a shuttle






Moondancer i am not sure but i dont think it should.
bet the Astronauts temps go up though if they were to be truthful!:)

Beeker

clln wrote: »

All too hard to take in is'nt it Beeker, nothing left now other than the haul back to the OPF.

BTW i have been wondering is Atlantis in the OPF or the VAB do you know?

Atlantis is still in the OPF and will rollover to the VAB sometime in April.:)

Beeker

MoonDancer wrote: »

Does the temp rise inside the shuttle during re-entry?

No that is the beauty of the shuttle system. Room temp all the way:)

clln

Heading back to the OPF for her final time;



NASA TV not giving much coverage to this.
Crew press conference is set at 11.30 PM GMT but could be sooner or later than that.
they had to do some massive shifts in their body clocks during this mission.

eilejh

You know we are all crying here in Texas. Thanks for honoring her greatly here on the IE Boards.

clln

last shot of her before she turns off the runway;



and her turn towards the OPF;



her wheelstop point preserved for posterity;

clln

eilejh wrote: »

You know we are all crying here in Texas. Thanks for honoring her greatly here on the IE Boards.

Hi eilejh!:)

A welcoming ceremony will be held tomorrow at 10PM CST at Elingting fields, NASA hanger 276 Houston.

gates open to the public at 9.30 PM CST.

may'be you could get there and let us know how it went?

Beeker

Discovery back outside the Orbiter Processing Facility {Hanger:)}

clln

So close now to the OPF,in this case her funeral parlour:(





Right at its door now;



crazy as it sounds Discovery got a round of applause at point above

clln

Beeker wrote: »

Discovery back outside the Orbiter Processing Facility {Hanger:)}

So what bets Beeker she stays parked there until Endeavour gets out?
they did not rule out a 01.00 roll-out GMT Thursday.

more likely to slip to Friday.
this was at the post landing press conference.
surprise surprise weather was the constraint against roll-out!:)

eilejh

SON OF A %^@%$! I have been to Ellington.........Dear God how long will she be there........... I am 3 and one half hours away from my beloved.....

lord lucan

Rather strange way to watch a landing. Ended up watching it on a tv on Pier E in T2 at Dublin airport. Sadly none of the passengers waiting for EI 176 seemed interested in the unfolding history on the tv screen.:(

What an amazing vehicle. Delighted she's home safe and sound. All that remains is for her to go somewhere nice where she can be well cared for and people can marvel at her and appreciate her achievements.:)

clln

eilejh wrote: »

SON OF A %^@%$! I have been to Ellington.........Dear God how long will she be there........... I am 3 and one half hours away from my beloved.....

The info i gave is all i know eilejh, but it was a NASA press release,
get yar ass down there!:D

Beeker

clln wrote: »

So what bets Beeker she stays parked there until Endeavour gets out?
they did not rule out a 01.00 roll-out GMT Thursday.

more likely to slip to Friday.
this was at the post landing press conference.
surprise surprise weather was the constraint against roll-out!:)

Maybe, but I think they will want to get her in the hanger and safely tucked up as soon as they can. Good Night Discovery!!:)