[X] My Assistant

[kspace]

Looks like we are ready to rock and roll

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The seven STS-123 astronauts have arrived at Pad 39A where shuttle Endeavour awaits a 2:28:12 a.m. EDT (0628:12 GMT) liftoff.

The astronauts will enter Endeavour one by one, beginning with veteran shuttle commander Dominic 'Dom' Gorie, to prepare for this evening’s launch.

The launch team is not working any technical issues and the countdown so far has been smooth and uneventful.

[dvandorn]

The exhaust from the APUs is essentially invisible in normal light, that's why you never notice it on images of daytime landings. But it's a very hot exhaust, so it shows up like a whale's plume on the IR cameras they use for night landings.

I have to remind myself that this is the first night Shuttle landing in more than five years...

-the other Doug

[BPCooper]

I have to remind myself that this is the first night Shuttle landing in more than five years...

STS-115 was the last night landing in Sept 06; STS-114 the Return to Flight also landed at night.

Although it was normal, most longtime observers are saying they haven't seen it this pronounced in a long time. One said that STS-51 was about the same.

[dvandorn]

STS-115 was the last night landing in Sept 06; STS-114 the Return to Flight also landed at night.

Although it was normal, most longtime observers are saying they haven't seen it this pronounced in a long time. One said that STS-51 was about the same.

Really...? Honestly, I've seen so many launches and landings, they tend to blur together. I simply recalled that STS-123 was the first night launch since Columbia, based on the CAIB's strong reccommendation that all launches allow full telescopic coverage and observation so that any foam loss events could be observed (and, therefore, all launches were to occur in daylight). I also recalled that Shuttle flights have tended to a given scheduling -- night launched missions tend to land at night, day launched missions tend to land during the day.

Now that you mention it, though, I also recall that STS-115 was given an OK to land just after dark as a means of extending the flight and giving it greater operational flexibility. I didn't recall the RTF mission landing at night, though...

-the other Doug

[BPCooper]

I simply recalled that STS-123 was the first night launch since Columbia, based on the CAIB's strong reccommendation that all launches allow full telescopic coverage and observation so that any foam loss events could be observed (and, therefore, all launches were to occur in daylight). I also recalled that Shuttle flights have tended to a given scheduling -- night launched missions tend to land at night, day launched missions tend to land during the day.

Now that you mention it, though, I also recall that STS-115 was given an OK to land just after dark as a means of extending the flight and giving it greater operational flexibility. I didn't recall the RTF mission landing at night, though...

-the other Doug

Well, the first night launch after Columbia was STS-116 on Dec. 9 2006. And it was a beauty. 123 was the second.

The Return to Flight 114 landed at night early in the morning; 115 also landed early in the morning at about 6am.

The times are dictated by the orbit of the ISS (or Hubble). It so happens that landing from station flights tends to wind up being 4-6 or so hours before the launch time most of the time (and most of the time has been on the ascending node heading north over the equator). STS-120 in October was an exception, as they came in on the descending node. 11am launch, 1pm landing. Looking at the others though, 114 was 10am launch and 5am landing; 121 3pm and 9am; 115 11am and 6am; 116 9pm and 5pm; 117 7pm and 1pm; 118 6pm and noon; 122 245pm and 9am, etc.

The day launch rule went into effect after Columbia for a while but as they got around to resuming flights they decided that after two foam-loss-free flights they would allow them again. Well you may recall that 114 shed foam; so, two more had to happen. But on the third post-Columbia mission, 115, they decided to lift it when 115 was facing a hurricane delay and would have had to wait a month for another day opportunity.