Shuttle Launch - Docking with Space Station - Stream

[Monster Dave]

For anyone interested, CNN has a live feed of the shuttle launch scheduled for 2:28pm today.

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream2

[r_ciao]

that's cool.  thanks for the heads up.  made it in time b/c of the delay.

[Monster Dave]

  Sure!

They are just now at 9min with a 45 min hold to activate flight recorders, run a few last min checks.

They are expecting a good launch to deliver critical parts to the ISS. I always forget that it only takes 8 minutes to get into orbit! That's nuts!

STS 129, 31st mission for Atlantis  It's really sad that the shuttle will be retired. What an amazing piece of engineering!

[Monster Dave]

T-Minus 5 minutes

[erkishhorde]

They're showing re-runs now that it's over.

So, when the shuttle first takes off from the pad, are the pilots doing any steering? I see the shuttle tilts a little and twists. Is that because the pilot is doing something or is it just the way the balance of everything and the boosters are causing it go?

[duccarlos]

No, the pilots actual fly it.

[Monster Dave]

They're showing re-runs now that it's over.

So, when the shuttle first takes off from the pad, are the pilots doing any steering? I see the shuttle tilts a little and twists. Is that because the pilot is doing something or is it just the way the balance of everything and the boosters are causing it go?

The roll maneuver is a controlled part of an orbital entry positioning maneuver and is done on purpose. This maneuver reduces structural loading as the shuttle's speed increases and is required to increase downrange velocity to achieve main engine cut off.

[Triple J]

The roll maneuver is a controlled part of an orbital entry positioning maneuver and is done on purpose. This maneuver reduces structural loading as the shuttle's speed increases and is required to increase downrange velocity to achieve main engine cut off.

...and is done by the computers. The astronauts just "enjoy" the ride. [to further answer his question]

[Monster Dave]

...and is done by the computers. The astronauts just "enjoy" the ride. [to further answer his question]

...done by the shuttle computers to be (a little) more clear. 

[cyrus buelton]

my wife witnessed Challenger many years ago.

She remembers her Mom saying "I don't think that was supposed to happen...."

[bluemoco]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Shuttle launch!  I saw it live on CNN.   

I'd love to see a Shuttle launch in person - there are 5 remaining flights scheduled for next year, right?  Might have to make a family pilgrimage to FL to see one of 'em. 

[Monster Dave]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Shuttle launch!  I saw it live on CNN.   

I'd love to see a Shuttle launch in person - there are 5 remaining flights scheduled for next year, right?  Might have to make a family pilgrimage to FL to see one of 'em. 

That's what we were just saying. It's almost a "must do" thing for 2010. The hard part though is getting to see one that's not scrubbed for one reason or another.

I remember seeing the Challenger on TV right after it happened. Terrible. But I think that we all must assume that when vessels first became sea worthy, when cars first were driven, when airplane first flew, when man ventured into space, that  in order to have been successful, mankind took ownership of the risks involved in the name of progress and advancement.

While death is most always tragic, their lives will always carry meaning as long as we continue to move forward and into the future with hope and vision.

 

[Monsterlover]

Well said.

[derby]

While death is most always tragic, their lives will always carry meaning as long as we continue to move forward and into the future with hope and vision.
 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4330356.html

First, there is no such thing as safety on this side of the grave. NASA has spent untold billions in an attempt to make things "safe" over the decades—and seventeen astronauts have died in the process. So it is not at all clear that an institutional obsession with safety necessarily leads to a safer program. Maybe they could have spent a lot less money, and perhaps (but not necessarily) lost a few more astronauts—and made a lot more progress. Aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan said a few years ago that if we’re not killing people, we’re not pushing hard enough. That might sound harsh to people outside the aerospace community but, as Rutan knows, test pilots and astronauts are a breed of people that willingly accepts certain risk in order to be part of great endeavors. They're volunteers and they know what they're getting into.

[Monster Dave]

For anyone interested there is an awesome feed of the shuttle in orbit here:

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream2

Should be docking with the ISS soon!