Just under 2 hours to Main Engine Start (STS 117) Atlantis launches at 7:38 PM ET tonight.

[A HERETIC I AM]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Just thought a little science shoved in with all the Paris might be a good thing.


Astronauts getting strapped in.

Just remember, while everything else is going on in the world, folks on the Cape are just doing their job.

[Johonny]

1. yes

Pointlessly launching a very expensive, out of date launch vehicle into low Earth orbit where it will do nothing of interest. At least those solid rocket motors will shave a little of the ozone layer off.

[RL3AO]

2. We've spent billions..maybe a trillion dollars building the ISS...maybe we should finish it?

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. Hmmm...interesting.

Nothing of interest? Really?

OOOOhhhhh! I get it. You think expanding knowledge is a BAD thing. I see.

Well then, this thread is not for you!

[Johonny]

10. What knowledge?

The shuttle was designed in the late 60s early 70s. What science is done in near Earth orbit by the shuttle? Very little. The shuttle is a large drag on the space science budget. As an extra benifit it's solid rocket motors destroy the ozone layer. The shuttle can not be justified based on the science it produces, because it produces so little and at a huge cost. The shuttles man job is PR. The real space science is done by America's unmanned program.

[RL3AO]

11. I didnt know the Hubble and ISS were nothing.

[Johonny]

14. The

Hubble is an unmanned spacecraft? It does notin theory need either a shuttle or manned fight to work. For the cost of ISS and Shuttle we could have launched many more and better Hubbles. Either way the shuttle isn't even allow to goto the hubble anymore. So sorry another swing and a miss.

[RL3AO]

16. We need the shuttle to finish the ISS.

[originalpckelly]

22. Oh quit being a party pooper.

Just chill out and get over it.

The only fuel that's harmful to the environment comes out of the SRBs, the other engines just make really really hot steam.

[Posteritatis]

32. Yeah, Hubble didn't need no stinkin' STS-61 at all. (nt)

[A HERETIC I AM]

51. Oh I see. You're looking for an argument. This is abuse.

"Stupid git"

[karlrschneider]

59. I have an extra Luddite Association application that I can send to you...

:eyes:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

77. hmmm. da whirled be flat, and only 7,018 yrs old.

oh, everythink else is eksplaned in our Syence Manooal, called da byble.

[Ian David]

3. We're gonna be there on June 14th to watch them launch an Atlas 5 unmanned rocket.

It's got a satellite to spy on the Chinese.

So we can see how they're spending all our money.

[Blue_Tires]

18. they launched one of those from the eastern shore

a couple of months ago....sadly i didn't see it, as i think it was the first nasa launch in state history

[wakeme2008]

4. kick and nom for Main Eng. Start nt

[Forkboy]

5. No shuttle launch goes by without me thinking of Crewleader.

And this one is no different! :hi:

[Blue_Tires]

6. kick

[Deb]

8. Thank you!

I love to watch launches on NASA's live web tv.

[Swamp Rat]

9. Thanks for the heads-up.

I am watching in multiple windows. :)

[Blue_Tires]

13. is there more than one feed?

[Swamp Rat]

15. I found that the QuickTime link is slightly ahead of the others

:shrug:

[Blue_Tires]

12. fun

i haven't watched a live launch since they wheeled the TV into my 5th grade class (1988?):bounce: :patriot: :popcorn: :web:

[Kajsa]

17. Thank you for the info!

What channel is televising the launch?

I want to see it.

;-)

:hi:

Edit: I understand it's only available on the website.

[RL3AO]

19. Um..

FNC, CNN, MSNBC, and most likely CBS, ABC, FOX and NBC.

[Kajsa]

29. Thank you!

:hi:

[3waygeek]

35. Also HDNet....

they're halfway through their 2-hour coverage as I type.

[Blue_Tires]

21. click on the link in the OP

on the right hand side of the page, click "launch video player"

i don't know if it is on any regular tv channel with all the paris news on

[Kajsa]

33. Thanks! I haven't given up hope-

Space exploration trumps P.Hilton anyday!

:hi:

[Deb]

24. Can you watch online?

Follow the link in the OP above, on the right side of the page (under Watch NASA TV Now) click "launch video player".

[Kajsa]

30. Thanks!

:hi:

[uppityperson]

61. Here with NASA, listening, very cool

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

[originalpckelly]

20. WOOHOO!!!!!

:woohoo:

It's about the only patriotic thing not completely stolen from us by Bush. GO NASA!

[Speck Tater]

23. I haven't been able to watch a live launch since Challenger.

And the most recent launches have left me even more nervous. The hardware is getting pretty old. I hope my fears and premonitions are groundless and that the flight goes off without a hitch.

[originalpckelly]

31. I always worry. I've watched a ton of them...

but that's always in the back of my mind.

[Blue_Tires]

25. T-minus 00:09:00 and holding

[RL3AO]

26. If this is true,..WTF?

http://www.space.com/news/ft_070604_aging_orbiters.html

<snip>
Here's the situation:

Shuttle orbiters are equipped with 24 helium and nitrogen gas tanks that pressurize the shuttle's main propulsion system, orbital maneuvering engines and nose-and-tail steering thrusters.

The spherical tanks provide pressure needed to push rocket propellants into shuttle engines and thrusters at very specific rates required to keep the spaceship on its proper course. Some of the propellants are highly volatile and ignite on contact.

Ranging in diameter from 19 to 40 inches, the tanks have lightweight titanium or steel shells wrapped with the same type of fabric used to make bulletproof vests -- Kevlar -- or carbon graphite. They hold helium and nitrogen gas at extremely high pressures (up to 4,600 pounds per square inch) and are extraordinarily dangerous.

"You certainly wouldn't want a 4-foot-diameter helium bottle that's pressurized to about 4,000 psia to burst on you," Hale said. "That would be a bad thing."

A tank rupture on the ground could lead to a fire or explosion that could injure or kill workers in the launch pad area. A failure in flight could lead to the loss of a shuttle and the astronauts inside.

NASA nonetheless is poised to proceed with the launch of Atlantis and seven astronauts on an International Space Station assembly mission.
</snip>

[A HERETIC I AM]

69. There is a quote from one of the astronauts early in the space program...

where he said something to the effect of "Here we sit, on top of what is essentially a several million pound bomb and the next nearest people are 2 miles away!

[Blue_Tires]

27. weather hold....

the primary and secondary abort zones in spain and france

Houston is weighing their options

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

28. Science?

Where?

[Blue_Tires]

34. closeout crew has returned

to area just outside launchpad...i.e., there will be no launch with personnel in the blast area (if i'm understanding correctly)

[Swamp Rat]

36. All systems go... re-set countdown clock for next launch window n/t

[RL3AO]

37. Looks like the European weather may nix it.

[Swamp Rat]

38. 26 minute hold. Zaragosa is no longer an option.

[Warren DeMontague]

39. Cool! I wholeheartedly support NASA... and peaceful manned (and unmanned) space exploration.

If there's not enough money to go around, maybe we can stop spending $40 Billion a year to arrest pot smoking cancer grannies. Maybe we can shave off a little from the half-trillion Military/Industrial Complex.

Man's destiny is among the stars. Fuck the neo-luddites.

[originalpckelly]

43. I know, people don't realize what space can do for us...

If we fuck this rock up too much, which it looks like we are nearing, then we'll need to leave it and/or create mass produced life support system for everyone on Earth. Space exploration will definitely help us in either case.

[Blue_Tires]

40. france is clear, everything should be go after the hold

give or take 25 mins

[edbermac]

41. More people would watch if the crazy diaper astro was the pilot.

I'd buy that for a dollar.

[originalpckelly]

42. ...

:spank:

[originalpckelly]

44. We are go for launch!

[paparush]

45. Wake me up at MECO

[malaise]

46. Live coverage on CSpan1 now n/t

[Swamp Rat]

47. Thanks!

[malaise]

49. Anytime bro

:D

[Deb]

50. Thanks, just phoned my Dad so he could watch too n/t

[Blue_Tires]

48. hold over

under 8 min and counting

[originalpckelly]

52. 90 seconds!

[MindPilot]

53. Go at throttle up[!!

[MindPilot]

55. SRBs off

[Blue_Tires]

54. LOOK AT THAT FAT BIRD GO!!!!!!

[MindPilot]

56. Six thousand MPH!

make that 8000 mph!!!

[RL3AO]

57. 15000 pounds of propelant burned every second.

[dethl]

58. That launch was awesome

It's amazing to see these take flight.

[karlrschneider]

60. I lived in Fla 16 years and only saw one up close.

Yeah, amazing. :D

[dethl]

62. Wow, I want to see one live....

But the power of TV makes these just as awesome.

[karlrschneider]

78. Sort of but the TV set doesn't shake the ground like the real thing.

(I watched the Challenger launch from my back yard in Tampa and snapped a couple pictures of it exploding before I realized something bad had happened...which I discovered when I went back inside and looked at the television.)
:-(
edit-fixed minor typo

[Kajsa]

63. Beautiful Launch!

Did they say half the propellant was used in the first three minutes?

[MindPilot]

66. I think it was the first 90 seconds.

[RL3AO]

67. Yep. About 700,000 lbs.

[Forkboy]

64. Always give me the chills..in a good way.

That is one ride I would love to be going on!

[MindPilot]

65. Main fuel tank separation...

[Breeze54]

68. Are they taking the monkey with them??

:P Wishful thinking...



I hope it is a great success!!

[MindPilot]

72. Oh good lord, NO!!

Shuttle crew members are smart, brave and dedicated. The monkey is of course none of those things.

[MindPilot]

70. Roll complete -- in orbit

The speed and power is just incredible.

Thank you John Kennedy and everyone at NASA. For a few moments I get to forget how fucked up things are.

[Blue_Tires]

71. not just the speed and power

i never fail to be amazed at all the engineering that puts what was once a concept on paper into (very fast and loud) motion

[MindPilot]

75. I did the tour of KSC last year.

There are no words to describe the level of awe looking at that machinery and trying to wrap my head around the idea that people LEAVE THE FUCKING PLANET in those machines.

I watched workers building modules for the space station and again try to get my head around the idea that these guys come to work every day and build SPACECRAFT!!

[Posteritatis]

73. Nice. Thanks for reminding me of the feed! (nt)

[A HERETIC I AM]

74. For those of you interested, pretty cool video of the SRB sep and descent

taken from a cam mounted on the rocket booster;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFk8KCHaP3Q

(Not of the flight just now, but pretty cool)

[Mojorabbit]

76. Sat out on my dock

and watched it from there. Beautiful launch.