STS-121, Just maybe a Shuttle launch |
STS-121, Just maybe a Shuttle launch |
Jun 24 2006, 11:50 AM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 809 Joined: 11-March 04 Member No.: 56 |
STS-121, the 115th mission of an American Space Shuttle and the 32nd of the 22-year-old orbiter Discovery, is due to launch one week from today, on July 1, 2006 at some time after 1400 GMT. The launch is proceeding despite publicized concerns over the continued vulnerability of the orbiter to strikes from shed external tank foam. The orbiter's destination is the International Space Station.
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Jun 25 2006, 03:24 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1636 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Lima, Peru Member No.: 385 |
Now the ISS is becoming a crowded space port!
April 23: Arrival Progress 21 --> Station's Zvezda June 19: Left Progress 20 --> from the station Pirs June 26: Arrival Progress 22 -- Station Pirs Other port: Soyuz spacecraft --> Station's Zarya July 3? : Arrival Discovery --> See the following recent news! The Russian built Progress 22 supply shipcargo ship is scheduled to dock at the space station’s Russian-built Pirs docking compartment at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) on June 26. ... ... Two other Russian spacecraft are already docked at the ISS. Progress 21 arrived on April 23 at the aft end of the station’s Zvezda service module, while the Soyuz spacecraft that brought Vinogradov and Williams to the ISS remains parked at a port on the Russian-built Zarya control module. A previous cargo ship – Progress 20 – left the ISS on June 19. Rodolfo |
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Jun 27 2006, 11:40 AM
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#3
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Hey! Isn't NASA in a need of an M113 driver?!...
I used to drive this babies when I was in the Army... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Jun 27 2006, 12:23 PM
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#4
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Member Group: Members Posts: 809 Joined: 11-March 04 Member No.: 56 |
In a related bit of news, Johnson Space Center Director of Engineering (and former astronaut) Charles Camarda has resigned for reasons alluded to in this letter but which -- not knowing anything about the internal politics of NASA -- are rather obscure to me.
This article from the Houston Chronicle attempts to contextualize the event, but leaves me almost as confused as before. In both the letter and the article, however, Camarda's resignation appears to be related to the decision to allow the Shuttle launch to go forward. |
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Jun 27 2006, 10:34 PM
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#5
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1636 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Lima, Peru Member No.: 385 |
Hey! Isn't NASA in a need of an M113 driver?!... I used to drive this babies when I was in the Army... If you zoom in on the NASA the shield picture. It says: Fire Rescue!!! This is the only vehicle capable to go through any fire! Anyway, to drive this car is very funny since it can go anywhere as you want!!! Good luck US Rodolfo |
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Jun 28 2006, 09:14 AM
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#6
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
If you zoom in on the NASA the shield picture. It says: Fire Rescue!!! This is the only vehicle capable to go through any fire! Anyway, to drive this car is very funny since it can go anywhere as you want!!! Good luck USATRAX! Rodolfo Yes I saw that... I didn't imagine those good old M113 could be used for fire rescuing but makes sense...An armoured car with that mobility can go through anything I can assure you that... I still have the manual at home... After specialization I began driving the M48 Chaparral but the part I most enjoyed was being far and watching it doing this I miss the good old camp... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Guest_MarkG_* |
Jun 28 2006, 06:59 PM
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#7
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Guests |
QUOTE I didn't imagine those good old M113 could be used for fire rescuing but makes sense... Back in the 'old days' before Challenger was destroyed the fire rescue people got to sit about a mile from the pad during the launch, so they could drive in fast to rescue the crew if something bad happened: I've seen a photo of them out there while the shuttle took off. I think they're now much further away but the crew have their own M113 at the pad. That said, I hope they had air-plugs, because I've seen a few shuttle launches from 3 miles away and it was fairly loud there... at 1 mile it must have been about ten times as loud. |
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Jun 28 2006, 07:14 PM
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#8
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Back in the 'old days' before Challenger was destroyed the fire rescue people got to sit about a mile from the pad during the launch, so they could drive in fast to rescue the crew if something bad happened: I've seen a photo of them out there while the shuttle took off. I think they're now much further away but the crew have their own M113 at the pad. That said, I hope they had air-plugs, because I've seen a few shuttle launches from 3 miles away and it was fairly loud there... at 1 mile it must have been about ten times as loud. Just 'google NASA M113'... I had no idea... But I remember, when driving them, being submitted to a test, crossing flames...And didn't felt a single degree increasement... I believe there is no other vehicule so versatile as this one... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Jun 29 2006, 05:26 AM
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#9
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Member Group: Members Posts: 599 Joined: 26-August 05 Member No.: 476 |
It would be really fun to drive an M113...on Mars. Would have to modify the engine to run with bottled air or something.
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Jun 29 2006, 10:46 AM
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#10
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Member Group: Members Posts: 593 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 279 |
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Jun 29 2006, 11:40 AM
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#11
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2488 Joined: 17-April 05 From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Member No.: 239 |
Captain Black drove the MEV on Mars in 2068, and it looks a bit M113-ish... ...If you squint a bit. Andy G Andy: It also survived the attentions of the fire-breathing Martian Rock Snakes on the first MEV Mars landing (the second Zero-X mission) - so the MEV design is pretty fireproof! Bob Shaw -------------------- Remember: Time Flies like the wind - but Fruit Flies like bananas!
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Jun 29 2006, 01:40 PM
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#12
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Member Group: Members Posts: 593 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 279 |
It also survived the attentions of the fire-breathing Martian Rock Snakes on the first MEV Mars landing... I longed to see one (or several) in the background of the early Viking pictures. But what real threat is a creature going to be when it appears to have a mere tomato for an eye? Andy |
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Jun 29 2006, 02:10 PM
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#13
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Member Group: Members Posts: 809 Joined: 11-March 04 Member No.: 56 |
The countdown for the launch of STS-121 began yesterday at T -43h, and is currently on a scheduled hold at T -27h.
Update: The countdown has advanced eight hours, and is now on a scheduled hold at T -19h. Update: The countdown is on a scheduled hold at T -11h, with about 19 and a half real-time hours to go. |
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Jul 1 2006, 07:15 PM
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#14
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
If possible, can someone post some updates here? I'm at work, and the anal-retentive, um, front-office folks set these little computers up to disallow any installations. So I can't install the Java plug-in to get into the chat room... *sigh*...
-the other Doug -------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
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Jul 1 2006, 07:24 PM
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#15
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14431 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
1926 GMT (3:26 p.m. EDT)
"I don't hold a lot of hope," ascent flight director Steve Stich says about the weather. (from www.spaceflightnow.com ) Doug |
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