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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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 Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:00 am Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off |
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| Quote: | Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- The space shuttle Discovery roared into the skies over Florida Tuesday morning as NASA returned to manned space flight for the first time since the 2003 Columbia disaster.
The spacecraft blasted off as scheduled at 10:39 a.m. ET, following days of troubleshooting to fix a faulty fuel sensor in its external tank.
A fuel sensor problem that scrubbed the shuttle's liftoff nearly two weeks ago did not recur Tuesday, NASA said.
Discovery crew members, who awoke after midnight, appeared at a traditional photo opportunity wearing matching Hawaiian shirts in the crew dining room as astronaut Steve Robinson strummed a guitar. Later the crew donned space suits for their journey and, by 8:22 a.m. ET, all seven were aboard and strapped in.
Commander Eileen Collins was the first to board, giving a confident wave to NASA cameras before entering the cockpit.
Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi held up signs saying: "Get out of quarantine free" and "OUT TO LAUNCH."
At 9 a.m. ET, the hatch was closed.
About 10 miles from launch pad 39B, scores of shuttle-watchers who had camped out overnight along the Banana River were waking up excited about the liftoff.
"We were here when they tried to launch the first time," said Kai Novak, 41, of Hamburg, Germany. "When it didn't go, we were all really depressed. We're looking forward to seeing this today."
Also among the crowd was Thor Hurlen, 46, of Aalesund, Norway. "I think it's going to happen today," he said.
On July 13, NASA scrubbed Discovery's launch just 2 1/2 hours before liftoff when a test showed one of Discovery's four sensors in its hydrogen fuel tank was not working.
On Monday, after 12 days of troubleshooting, officials said they were again ready for liftoff but still weren't sure what caused the problem.
"We don't completely [know] because it looks like a grounding issue," said Discovery vehicle manager Scott Thurston.
An array of cameras was positioned to videotape the launch.
The cameras are among many new safety measures implemented after the Columbia disaster. They include cameras aboard two WB-57 aircraft that took off from nearby Patrick Air Force Base, according to a base spokesman. The planes are equipped with a video recording system that can capture visible and infrared images to look for any damage to Discovery during liftoff.
Columbia disintegrated on re-entry when super-heated gases entered the spacecraft through a hole created during liftoff by a falling piece of insulation foam, according to an investigative panel. All seven crew members died.
Discovery's crew is scheduled to test a battery of tools and techniques that NASA engineers developed after the loss of Columbia to inspect the spacecraft's heat-resistant exterior tiles for any damage that might occur during liftoff.
Discovery's mission also takes it to the international space station to deliver supplies and conduct repairs.
First lady Laura Bush and several members of Congress watched Tuesday's launch from a VIP observation area.
The mission is scheduled to last 12 days.
CNN's Miles O'Brien, Marsha Walton and Geneen Pipher contributed to this report. |
YAY!!! We finaly return the flight 
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Starbuck
faster...
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 8715
Location: between chaos and melody
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| Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:40 am |
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I watched that this morning. It was amazing.
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Hitchhiker
Rear Admiral
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: Ontario, Canada
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| Tue Jul 26, 2005 3:06 pm |
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This is good. More than a step forward, it is a symbol of our hopes for spaceflight.
I missed the actual launch because I didn't bother to get up that early, but I've been watching the webcast of post-launch stuff.
Longer, better Canadarm to inspect for damage.
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LightningBoy
Commodore
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 1446
Location: Minnesota, U.S.A.
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| Tue Jul 26, 2005 3:29 pm Re: Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off |
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| CJ Cregg wrote: | | Quote: |
CNN's Miles O'Brien... |
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I had no idea the Chief worked for CNN... 
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Lord Borg
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 27 May 2003
Posts: 11214
Location: Vulcan Capital City, Vulcan
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| Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:03 pm |
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I always seem to miss when these Luanches are gonna happen. also, theres some debreise thats beeing investigated by NASA
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Curtis
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 29 Sep 2001
Posts: 14903
Location: Wisconsin
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| Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:51 pm |
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Indeed today was a glorious day and looked to be a picture perfect launch. Let us now hope that DiscoverY and its crew make it safely back to Earth...as the Columbia 7 I'm sure would like  .
Also, it may be some time before they start their mission and come home since NASA has to check over all those photos and the ones from the Space Station, but I know I'll be watching in 13 days (I think that is what the news anchor said) when DiscoverY makes the voyage home .
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Jeff Miller
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 22 Nov 2001
Posts: 23947
Location: Mental Ward for the Mentaly Unstable 6th floor, Saint John's 1615 Delaware Longview Washington 98632
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| Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:42 pm |
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Congrats to the space crew.
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Paris10
Commander
Joined: 26 Aug 2001
Posts: 458
Location: estados unidos
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| Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:26 pm Re: Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off |
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| LightningBoy wrote: | | CJ Cregg wrote: | | Quote: |
CNN's Miles O'Brien... |
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I had no idea the Chief worked for CNN... |
The chief works for CNN?...cool
I think space flight is always interesting. It's good to finally get back up there.
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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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| Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:38 pm |
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| Quote: | Astronauts examine shuttle tiles
Discovery's astronauts have been using a 15m-long robotic arm with sensor and camera attachments to examine the shuttle's heat-resistant tiles.
Video footage of Tuesday's spectacular launch from Kennedy Space Center revealed debris objects falling around the orbiter during its ascent.
Nasa managers had noted an apparent 4cm-wide mark on the nose section of the shuttle.
But the crew's efforts have yet to find any evidence of obvious damage.
And speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the US space agency was keen that everyone should stay calm.
"The engineering community doesn't think that this is going to be a significant issue," shuttle flight director Paul Hill said.
"I expected that we would shed some small tolerable amount of debris," he added, underscoring that in his view "everything is going extremely well."
Up and down
Nasa is looking into two debris events. There are video frames apparently showing a piece of heatshield tile breaking off from the underside of the shuttle.
It was this that left the 4cm-wide white spot near the nose landing-gear doors.
There is also video footage of a dark object falling from the external tank - although this did not appear to hit the shuttle, experts said.
The astronauts' arm inspection will take several hours to complete - and it will be Thursday before it gets a good look at the nose section.
Controlled by computer from inside the crew's cockpit area, the arm can be made to move up and down the shuttle's surfaces.
A laser attachment can detect minute cracks in the tiles; the camera will pick up more obvious damage. Additional information on the structural integrity of the spacecraft can also be gleaned from 176 damage-detecting sensors installed in the wings.
"We're seeking to understand any instance of tile loss no matter how small," said John Shannon, STS-114 mission operations representative.
"The engineers hope the examination today, and another tomorrow, may resolve these concerns."
Return mission
The shuttle is moving ever closer towards its rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS). Before it docks, it will do a flip manoeuvre to allow the space station crew the opportunity to take pictures of the underside of the orbiter.
"We are going to know without a doubt the status of the thermal protection systems before the Discovery crew comes home," said deputy shuttle programme manager, Wayne Hale.
Discovery is taking parts and supplies to the ISS.
It is the first orbiter mission by the US space agency since the loss of the Columbia shuttle and its crew in February 2003.
Columbia disintegrated on its re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere because debris-fall on launch had punched a hole in its left wing, allowing super-heated gases to enter the airframe and pull it apart.
Discovery is due to touch down at Kennedy Space Center on 7 August at 0546 EDT (0946 GMT; 1046 BST).
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Hitchhiker
Rear Admiral
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: Ontario, Canada
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| Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:45 pm |
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We need better hull technology anyway. We'll never make a manned mission to Mars if all the atmosphere leaks out through a hole made by a tiny grain of sand.
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PrankishSmart
Rear Admiral
Joined: 29 Apr 2002
Posts: 4779
Location: Hobart, Australia.
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| Thu Jul 28, 2005 8:52 am |
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Yeah I doubt we would use the current space shuttles to go to mars
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webtaz99
Commodore
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1229
Location: The Other Side
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| Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:23 am |
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| Hitchhiker wrote: | | We need better hull technology anyway. We'll never make a manned mission to Mars if all the atmosphere leaks out through a hole made by a tiny grain of sand. |
Anyone who thinks NASA should do better, please remember that it has become another over-but-badly managed, bureaucratic, government-under-funded organization.
Imagine what NASA could do with half the money currently going to welfare and no BS from Congress.
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"History is made at night! Character is who you are in the dark." (Lord John Whorfin)
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:27 am |
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Imagine what could be done in the world if half the money used for weapons and space were used to improve mankinds living standards, 
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webtaz99
Commodore
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1229
Location: The Other Side
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| Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:38 am |
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| Jeremy wrote: | | Imagine what could be done in the world if half the money used for weapons and space were used to improve mankinds living standards, |
Look closer. The money spent on "weapons and space" HAVE improved mankinds living standards, and continue to do so.
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"History is made at night! Character is who you are in the dark." (Lord John Whorfin)
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:45 am |
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Such as?
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webtaz99
Commodore
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1229
Location: The Other Side
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| Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:48 am |
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Look it up yourself. I'm too tired to list it all.
Just for starters, how about weather and communications satellites, 80% of current medical technology, and the USA as a free country, just off the top of my head.
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"History is made at night! Character is who you are in the dark." (Lord John Whorfin)
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:53 am |
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That is true, to a certain extent. But it would have been a far more cost effective way of not developing multi-million pound (dollar) projects but designing the civil uses straight. I can understand some stuff wouldn't have happened without the way it was done, but I don't think that we should put more into it at the moment, with more serious issues at hand.
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Natira
The Cute One
Joined: 15 Jul 2001
Posts: 5407
Location: Wrapped around Bella's little finger!
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| Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:25 am |
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I have to totally disagree with you. First, to explore and learn is what makes us as humans grow. Second, it doesn't matter what you do with the money. Money can't make terrorist lose their hate, it can't get rid of prejudice, or descrimination. It also can't buy love or concern for fellow man. I believe that we are doing well. It's not so much how much money we spend on what, it's what each person does. There will always be the ones who don't want to work, and those who live a life of hatred. Besides, giving more money to people in the long run would only result in people not having to work as hard Anyway, back on topic, I totally support Nasa's (and other countries) space exploration. Besides exploring the vastness of space shows how small we really are. Kind of makes your problems seem a little smaller.
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Theresa
Lux Mihi Deus
Joined: 17 Jun 2001
Posts: 27256
Location: United States of America
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| Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:32 am |
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| Natira wrote: | | I have to totally disagree with you. First, to explore and learn is what makes us as humans grow. Second, it doesn't matter what you do with the money. Money can't make terrorist lose their hate, it can't get rid of prejudice, or descrimination. It also can't buy love or concern for fellow man. I believe that we are doing well. It's not so much how much money we spend on what, it's what each person does. There will always be the ones who don't want to work, and those who live a life of hatred. Besides, giving more money to people in the long run would only result in people not having to work as hard Anyway, back on topic, I totally support Nasa's (and other countries) space exploration. Besides exploring the vastness of space shows how small we really are. Kind of makes your problems seem a little smaller. |
AMEN SISTA!
Through out time, people have thought you could solve the worlds problems by throwing money at them. Hasn't worked yet, but hey, we know how to do it better than they did before, so it'll work for us, Not.
People need something to unify them. Space exploration is certainly doing that. This launch was watched world over, and what nationalities are currently in the ISS? What country has to rescue the crew if it's said they shouldn't try to return in the current orbiter? Huh, several different nations in those last two answers. 20 years ago, could you imagine an American saying "Yay Russia"? Hardly the common, but it would be today. And why? Because of a common interest in space exploration.
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:00 am |
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Actually, space exploration had nothing to do with uniting Russia and America. So it's not a good reason. Sure, it's helping at the moment but it didn't in the past. And don't you think that there is a common interest growing these days to make the world a fairer and more equal place?
I wasn't meaning that we have to throw money at poor countries. I was meaning things like making the trading systems that are in place fair. At the moment they are completely one sided to us, because we have all the benefits. It's slowly getting better, but is still way unfair. And that's where a lot of this money that we use to fund projects like this comes from.
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Theresa
Lux Mihi Deus
Joined: 17 Jun 2001
Posts: 27256
Location: United States of America
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| Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:07 am |
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I didn't say that space exploration united the countries, I said PEOPLE. You are so good at interpreting what you think people wanted to say, with me, you can just read the post and find out what I wanted to say.
Governments do things for their own agendas. Everyone knows this. The common man doesn't. Look at 9/11. Even countries that don't like the US stood with us. I guess you are missing what I'm saying. Common theme, eh?
And why be so worried about poor countries economies when the main reasons some countries won't trade with them is because of their human rights problems. Should we overlook that and just say, hey, it's your country, even though you abuse your women, we'll trade with you and make you richer? Nah. Not gonna happen.
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Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with our scars
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Natira
The Cute One
Joined: 15 Jul 2001
Posts: 5407
Location: Wrapped around Bella's little finger!
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| Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:08 am |
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It's definitely not fair to the US. We helped free so many people in the middle east from leaders like Saddam and Osama, and we are hated by people because of it. And at the same time, it's costing us an arm and a leg for oil... As I said before, there will always be bad feelings... we are all out for self preservation. Some people take it to the extreme. I don't think that using the money for space exploratin would have any impact at all.
And before anyone says it, no, I wasn't saying that the US has done all the work in the middle east. More that it was our president who took action.
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Theresa
Lux Mihi Deus
Joined: 17 Jun 2001
Posts: 27256
Location: United States of America
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| Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:11 am |
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| webtaz99 wrote: | Look it up yourself. I'm too tired to list it all.
Just for starters, how about weather and communications satellites, 80% of current medical technology, and the USA as a free country, just off the top of my head. |
And I'd have to agree with this. More than "to a certain extent". It's all factual.
Like J said, the need to explore is bred into us. How much land did the UK hold at one time? How far have we gotten in the world?
Anyway, yay NASA. Yay all of them.
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Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with our scars
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:28 am |
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| Natira wrote: | It's definitely not fair to the US. We helped free so many people in the middle east from leaders like Saddam and Osama, and we are hated by people because of it. And at the same time, it's costing us an arm and a leg for oil... As I said before, there will always be bad feelings... we are all out for self preservation. Some people take it to the extreme. I don't think that using the money for space exploratin would have any impact at all.
And before anyone says it, no, I wasn't saying that the US has done all the work in the middle east. More that it was our president who took action. |
I would probably say then just leave the world to sort its own problems out itself. I don't agree with this in some ways, as I think that we should help others who need it, but if America is disliked because of it then I would say leave it, like George Bush was going to do in the first place, before 9/11. It's probably to late now though.
Also how about America (and the West in general) starts getting itself off oil. America accounts for 1/4 of the worlds pollution. A coincidence when you use up lots of oil?
| Theresa wrote: | | And why be so worried about poor countries economies when the main reasons some countries won't trade with them is because of their human rights problems. Should we overlook that and just say, hey, it's your country, even though you abuse your women, we'll trade with you and make you richer? Nah. Not gonna happen. |
As you said, some. Not all. The ones that are shouldn't be in certain repects, as it's not good to support leaders. But you have to remember it's the people that will suffer if they don't get food, not the dictators in power.
| Quote: | | And I'd have to agree with this. More than "to a certain extent". It's all factual. |
It may be factual, but how many other things do you think could have been made if we hadn't spent it on projects that then evolved into civilian use?
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Dirt
Exercise Boy
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 2086
Location: a tree
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| Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:58 am |
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I think it's cool and real interesting but at the same time it costs sooooooo much money, wish they would give me some.
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