Space Shuttle Watch Friday 29th

ScumLord

Would that mean it'll be a bit to bright outside to see it?

joeKel73

Yeap, launch date might change yet though.

Sponge Bob

If the launch date is later than tomorrow we will see nothing, the space station will not be visible overhead after that. Could be the launch is delayed for ages and that we are lucky but we will see nothing if launch date is the 8th of May or the 10th which has also been mooted.

There is to be a final launch around June, mission sts-135 , I might start a new thread, depending

squonk

Looking like the launch will be pushed into next week now. Ah well!

Aiel

As Sponge Bob said if the ISS is'nt passing over Ireland on the date the shuttle launches then we wont see anything as it will be on a flight path to match the space station.Ideally you'd need the launch to be around 9.30pm to see anything properly.A few years ago during one launch it was nicely visible over the West of Ireland then over the South.Useless piece of information for ye is that Shannon Airport is an emergency/alternative landing Runway for the Space Shuttle but its never had to be used.

Sponge Bob

Aiel wrote: »

.Useless piece of information for ye is that Shannon Airport is an emergency/alternative landing Runway for the Space Shuttle but its never had to be used.

Not any more, 3 sites in Spain and France are the current abort sites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_abort_modes#Transoceanic_Abort_Landing_.28TAL.29

KetchupKid

It sounds like we won't get to see the Space Shuttle, since it appears the launch might be pushed off at least until 16-May and possibly not until July. As a minimum I hoped to see the Space station, but I haven't been able to spot it. It passes over Ireland tonight at about 9:33PM, but I suspect it won't be visible in Galway since it will be too low in sky. I was looking up it's next possible visible pass over the Galway area and it might not be until 1-June, and that will be at 3:08AM. Since this will be pretty close to the the summer solstice, hopefully there will be enough sunlight to reflect on the ISS so we can see it.

I'm new to this so hopefully Sponge Bob or someone else can correct me if any of my facts are wrong.

Sponge Bob

KetchupKid wrote: »

I was looking up it's next possible visible pass over the Galway area and it might not be until 1-June, and that will be at 3:08AM. Since this will be pretty close to the the summer solstice, hopefully there will be enough sunlight to reflect on the ISS so we can see it.

I'm new to this so hopefully Sponge Bob or someone else can correct me if any of my facts are wrong.

The shuttle will not launch before the 10th. The launch window goes back 1 hour every 3 days so it would take until well into June to get the launch window back where we could see the shuttle just after takeoff and that would be a 2-4am launch or something like that. Even by the end of May we would be looking at a 2pm launch ( our time)

The time I saw the shuttle and tank fly past in Galway was late July 2009 around 11pm ( IIRC) . Nothing wrong with July launches

ScumLord

The last time I saw it I spent five minutes looking at stars wondering is that it, is that blinking light there it.. But once it came along there was no doubting it was the space shuttle, absolutely awesome piece of kit. Couldn't get over the speed of it.

Wompa1

Anybody know if this will be visible in the daylight today?

Sponge Bob

Nope!

Wompa1

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Nope!

Oh well...I'll just enjoy the low flying planes for Galway airport while they last I guess.

Aiel

Not visible sadly.To find what Satelites and when the Space Station is passing over Galway use this website:
http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/
Click on the Global Flybys link and follow the instructions

apoeiguq3094y

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

t-5 minutes to launch