... is tomorrow, 16:50 EST.
Just sayin'.
Wish I could be there--but I'll be watching on the NASA channel.
Just sayin'.
Wish I could be there--but I'll be watching on the NASA channel.
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The last flight of the Discovery
- Thread starter Pthom
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She was a fine ship and exceptional for her days. I can't wait to see the launch of the replacement.... oh wait, they killed that. I guess we can always watch the Russians and Chinese.
Watching a Soyuz launch is spectacular. The R7 vehicle dates from the late 1970s and is one of the most reliable heavy launch rockets in existence. It's just . . . well, the Baikonur Cosmodrome is just so far out in the middle of nowhere!
Aren't the Europeans launching stuff from South America these days?
I nice boat trip down through the Caribean could be fun this time of year.
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I know very little of astrophysics or aeronautics, but was there any consideration of leaving it docked as an emergency escape vehicle or maybe to fly around (obviously not onto) the moon. Sure some other vehicle would need to bring the astronauts home.
I'm pretty sure there is already a spot at the Smithsonian (or some other place of honor) for Discovery. Endeavor launches April 19. There's a rumor that Atlantis will also fly.
Then the Space Shuttle program ends.
I'm sure someone considered leaving a shuttle there (at the ISS) as you suggest, but I'm pretty sure it's not something they'll actually do.
Then the Space Shuttle program ends.
I'm sure someone considered leaving a shuttle there (at the ISS) as you suggest, but I'm pretty sure it's not something they'll actually do.
Sarpedon
Banned
the ISS has several Soyuz capsules to use as emergency escape pods, if necessary. and if I were an astronaut on the ISS, and there was a problem, I'd run (ok, float quickly) to the Soyuz before I'd run to Space Shuttle.
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Indeed. Though I thought it was only one Soyuz?
Soyuz is designed to be capable of sitting idle for several months and then being used for re-entry. The shuttle is not; it's vastly more complex, requires liquid hydrogen and oxygen supplies for power, requires working hydraulic systems, and leaks air because it was only intended to be able to operate for a few weeks at a time.
So if you leave one up there you'll need to send up increased amounts of air to handle the increased loss rate, and if you try to use it to return to Earth after a few months you'll probably find that it doesn't work. Worse than that, if you do get through re-entry and try to land, you'll probably find the tires have gone flat so you all die anyway.
Yeah, a while back I heard you could get a shuttle for permanent display if you had enough money and could, in NASA's opinion, display it appropriately.
The Atlantis flight is slightly more than a rumor, Obama penciled it in rather strongly, but Congress hasn't approved the funds (yet). I haven't heard which way the wind might be blowing for funding it, but the way Congress is going lately there's no telling what will happen.