STS 135 is GO!!

lord lucan

Really like this crew. Looks like it could be the most entertaining crew since STS-125. I particularly love Rex Walheim and his enthusiasm for the Shuttle. I was watching this video earlier of the launch of STS-122 with Walheim onboard and the smiles and infectious enthusiasm are clear to see. Walheim is in the middle of the picture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRMO88Xv_7A

Beeker

Countdown starts at 18:00 Irish time today.

12april1981

To all the fine folks from boards-Shuttle section I really wish we were travelling together.Heading off in the morning and looking forward to sharing many stories with you when I get back.A fine bad forecast waiting for me when I get to Florida,but I have till Monday.All the best to all of you I will raise my glass a few times to you all !

clln

12april1981 wrote: »

To all the fine folks from boards-Shuttle section I really wish we were travelling together.Heading off in the morning and looking forward to sharing many stories with you when I get back.A fine bad forecast waiting for me when I get to Florida,but I have till Monday.All the best to all of you I will raise my glass a few times to you all !

Please do! 12th,i am on such a limited download allowance at the moment i cannot watch video's, but would love them all to be posted for posterity!
Yeah Weather is not looking good for Friday but improves by Sunday so hope things will work out for Boardsies on launchday or as long as You/they can stay!:)

lord lucan

Pure selfish for me but i'm hoping for a weather scrub to Sunday. I'll struggle to see her go on Friday,absolutely gutted if i miss it.:(

Atm it's looking bleak on the weather front,a number of storm fronts due in the KSC area on Thursday and Friday.

lord lucan

Some great Atlantis tribute articles been written up.

SpaceflightNow:http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts135/110705atlantis/

And a typically thorough 3 part piece by NasaSpaceFlight:

P1)http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/07/ov-104atlantis-international-vehicle-changing-world/

P2)http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/07/shuttle-atlantis-mir-realization-program-goal/

P3)http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/07/reaching-end-atlantis-fight-against-retirement/

KazDub

lord lucan wrote: »

Pure selfish for me but i'm hoping for a weather scrub to Sunday.

Shush now you!! I'm due to fly home on Sunday but have warned work that I'm not coming home till that baby flies. Much as I'm not looking forward to the end of the shuttle era, I just can't wait to see Atlantis take off.

You can just watch the replay on NASA TV!!

Beeker

Countdown started on time and is running smoothly. Weather is the only concern at the moment with a 60% chance of weather violation at launch time:(
I have someone covering the start of my shift in work so a delay to the weekend would suit me, but whenever it launches fingers crossed for one last beautiful ride to orbit:)

Beeker

Intresting piece from Australians ABC radio "Starstuff" looking at the Shuttle and interviews with australian astronauts Andy Thomas and Paul Scully Power.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/audio/2011/07/06/3262675.htm

CiDeRmAn

When is the launch, Irish time?
I saw the first shuttle launch back in 81, when I was 9.
My own son is just after turning 8 and I want him to see the only launch he'll ever have a chance of seeing.

Beeker

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

When is the launch, Irish time?
I saw the first shuttle launch back in 81, when I was 9.
My own son is just after turning 8 and I want him to see the only launch he'll ever have a chance of seeing.

16:24 this Friday evening Irish Time July 8th. However the weather is not looking great at the moment so it may get delayed to Sat or Sun, if so the times will be 16:01 on Sat and 15:38 on Sun. after that the next attempt would be Sat 16 July at 13:16.

Make sure you get your son to watch, this is history and he will thank you for it in years to come.

thecommander

Beeker wrote: »

after that the next attempt would be Sat 16 July at 13:16.

Didn't realise there was a week long cutoff if it didn't go this weekend.

What's the reason? I know I could look it up but it's been a long day!

lord lucan

thecommander wrote: »

Didn't realise there was a week long cutoff if it didn't go this weekend.

What's the reason? I know I could look it up but it's been a long day!

ULA have the range for a Delta 4 launch that week.

lord lucan

Possibly the most important NASA employee over the next few days.

eilejh

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/


HOWEVER, US National Weather Service Melbourne Florida The National Weather Service does not do the forecast for launches. You can find the official launch forecast on the Patrick AFB site: http://www.patrick.af.mil/weather/index.asp

http://www.patrick.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070517-025.pdf

Beeker

Eve of launch. Everything moving smoothly along towards launch. Weather is the only unknown at this time . still giving a 70% chance of a no go due to weather at launch time.
RSS due to be retracted at 17:00 this evening Irish time.

Fingers and toes crossed for good weather. good luck to all the irish who got tickets and the chance to go. Im so envious :0 I just got a call from my friend in Florida, teasing me about not being there

lord lucan

Looking like RSS retract will be delayed,phase 2 lightning warning in effect at KSC.

Beeker

lord lucan wrote: »

Looking like RSS retract will be delayed,phase 2 lightning warning in effect at KSC.

Looks like Ireland with all the rain:)

lord lucan

Beeker wrote: »

Looks like Ireland with all the rain:)

Good job we don't have an Irish spaceport,we'd never get anything off the ground!:pac:

Beeker

Rain has now cleared so waiting for RSS roll back

lord lucan

NASA investigating lightning strikes at Pad A & B. Seems like a whopper hit A and a few others in the vicinity.

Beeker

Rollback has started:)

Beeker

lord lucan

She's a beauty.:)

Beeker

Beeker

Beeker

Beeker

Magnificant! What a fantastic machine, one more time ready to leave the planet!:)

Beeker

lord lucan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPetrsUNh0U

Beeker

Getting close now. Weather still the biggest problem and to be honest I don't hold out much hope for a launch tomorrow. I plan to get up early and take my daily walk and be back ready for the coverage. Painting the outside of the house at the moment so will take the laptop outside and listen to the NASA coverage while I paint away in the morning. Settle in then around 1 in front of the TV and surround sound. Due to start work at 14:30 but got a work mate to cover the start of my shift but will have to run shortly after MECO if it launches tomorrow. Don't plan to post a lot during the final countdown and climb to orbit as I want to sit back and just take it all in one last time.:(
Can't believe this is the final launch:(

God Speed Atlantis!

lord lucan

Just realised that if it gets pushed back to Saturday i'll be in the air,on final approach to DUB if it's on time,so i'll miss it. Sunday launch would suit me perfect,just have to give the Boys in Blue at Croker a miss.:)

Beeker

lord lucan wrote: »

Just realised that if it gets pushed back to Saturday i'll be in the air,on final approach to DUB if it's on time,so i'll miss it. Sunday launch would suit me perfect,just have to give the Boys in Blue at Croker a miss.:)

You heading away or are you away?

bucks73

Hi lads, In Orlando at the moment and due to leave on the coach later at 4.00am. Just back in the hotel after a heavy thunder storm. News is on the TV now for the rest of the evening and they are reporting a 70% chance of a no go.

They are also reporting times of 11.04am on Saturday and 10.38am on Sunday for delayed launches. Fingers crossed its tomorrow or saturday as Im heading home on Sunday morning.

Beeker

bucks73 wrote: »

Hi lads, In Orlando at the moment and due to leave on the coach later at 4.00am. Just back in the hotel after a heavy thunder storm. News is on the TV now for the rest of the evening and they are reporting a 70% chance of a no go.

They are also reporting times of 11.04am on Saturday and 10.38am on Sunday for delayed launches. Fingers crossed its tomorrow or saturday as Im heading home on Sunday morning.

Fingers crossed for you here and for all the boards members who are over there. A launch is a fantastic thing to witness. Enjoy:)

clln

Beeker wrote: »

Painting the outside of the house at the moment so will take the laptop outside and listen to the NASA coverage while I paint away in the morning.

What a house!!!!!



The title on this photo by Erik Wilson reads “If This House is a Rocket, Don’t Bother to Knock It” but we like to think that the owner of this Waterford house has a bumper sticker on the rocket facade that reads, “My other apartment is the Endeavour.” Google Street View searches for this on 3rd and Geary found no evidence of landings in Ireland.

eilejh

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/watl/flash-vis.html
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/gmex/flash-rb.html
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/gmex/flash-vis.html
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/flt/t1/flash-vis.html
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/flt/t1/flash-rb.html

KazDub

Well all I can say is that the weather here in Florida is typically Irish. It will take a miracle for that launch to go ahead tomorrow. I think I'll be skipping my Sunday flight home until further notice if this doen't clear. just arrived a couple of hours ago, off to get food and a few short hours of sleep.

lord lucan

Beeker wrote: »

lord lucan wrote: »

Just realised that if it gets pushed back to Saturday i'll be in the air,on final approach to DUB if it's on time,so i'll miss it. Sunday launch would suit me perfect,just have to give the Boys in Blue at Croker a miss.:)

You heading away or are you away?

Just heading across the water this morning for a gig later on.

Next critical juncture will be the management meeting ahead of fueling. We should get a clearer picture then. Not looking good for Friday or Saturday. I wonder if they'd call a 48 hour scrub due to saturdays poor forecast and go again on Sunday?

lord lucan

Fueling underway.

cyrusdvirus

1/2 day booked off work to watch this launch.

I suppose the only good thing (from a selfish point of view) is that if she doesn't go this weekend i don't need to book more time off next week.

Hopefully for the boardies out there she goes before they are scheduled to come home



God speed Atlantis

-Trek-

Go Atlantis!!!

Wont see it today if it goes, but I don't mind as the highlights are equally spectacular.

thecommander

Talk of them using this tanking as a tanking test, thats why they're going ahead with it.

Turtwig

Anyone got an E.T.A on launch time so I can, er, find a private place to shed a tear or two?:(

Beeker

Malty_T wrote: »

Anyone got an E.T.A on launch time so I can, er, find a private place to shed a tear or two?:(

16:26 Irish time

Beeker

Itssoeasy

Are we still go for todays launch or how is it looking ?

Turtwig

Itssoeasy wrote: »

Are we still go for todays launch or how is it looking ?

70:30 no go because of unfavourable weather.

Itssoeasy

Malty_T wrote: »

70:30 no go because of unfavourable weather.

so how close to launch will they make the call to scrub the launch ?