Shuttle Discovery (STS-133) launch

[Gary]

NASA just held the STS-133 Flight Readiness Review. Discovery’s launch date has official set for 24th Feb at 21.50GMT (16:50 EST) under a week to go finally

[RichC]

Endeavor lies close to me as i witnessed the very first launch of this shuttle/orbiter 2 weeks after Hurricane Andrew devestated the region.
We got up so close (as you do in the bus rides) to Endeavor that i never wanted to leave. As an engineer myself, i find it astonishing that an engineer could think up the engine systems of this and the rockets (Saturn V) before it.
We were the last bus up VERY close to the shuttle the day before it took off. I was in awe.
The next morning although on cocoa beach, the whole area was shaking madly as it launched. I, forever will be glad i witnessed such an event and the last ever shuttle to be built, seeing its first ever launch.
I will miss the shuttles, miss the comms 15mins after launch and miss seeing them on TV.

When i came away from the shuttle, and visited the park where the rockets lay, i just cannot think how someone can think up and build the engines needed to get someone out of this atmosphere and beyond (the moon) and those little craft that had to rely on the sun for gravitational push out of our solar system (Voyager).

Looking into and around the engines of the shuttle and Saturn V i cannot imagine how long it took to design and build and test successfully, the engines. Like i said, as a mechanical engineer, it is awe inspiring. Not only that, the engineers and scientists that can think of all this and get human beings to the moon and back and even put satellites in orbit without doing it before (they didn't even test it).

Think how hard it must have been to get the first man in space and to get home, not knowing what our atmopshere will do on re-entry and so on.

Amazing, and i cannot believe although the technology was amazing that we are going back in time from using Rockets to the Shuttle and now back to Rockets again.

Its similar to the Concorde.
We have gone past the technology level versus cost.
Concorde was and still is the only supersonic airliner. Since the 60s and its now 2011 we have still not had anything close. Now, since Concorde has been mothballed, we have gone "back" to subsonic airliners and sticking with it (for now, purely down to cost).

Same thing really with the shuttle.

Amazing.

[Gary]

Discovery's six astronauts are due to arrive at Kennedy Space Centre today. They are expected around 20.45GMT (15.45EST)

Coverage via NASA TV Only mention it because there should be some nice shots of the crew arriving in four.. T-38's

[Gary]

Bump!

Arriving now

[Gary]

Discovery due to launch today at 21.50GMT only 3 and half months late Currently in the T-11 hours hold

NASA Mission Management Team yesterday (Wednesday) confirmed a "go" for an attempted launch Thursday. Currently 80% chance of favourable conditions.

The external tank fuelling to start at 12.25PM GMT

Bit of info about the mission here NASA STS-133

[davedubya]

Both Spacevidcast and Spaceflightnow tend to stream from the HD feed compared to NASAtv.

(The latter also has launch coverage from Miles O'Brien and Leroy Chiao, who used to do the CNN coverage before they killed off their Scitech reporting.)

[Gary]

Hopefully Spaceflightnow will be able to cope this time, the last few launches its started to slow down

[davedubya]

The ISS makes a pass over here at about 19:20....so there may be a chance to see the Shuttle fly over after launch, as it starts chasing after it.

[Gary]

90 percent chance of acceptable weather for launch Getting excited now

[zacwatson]

Hi all,

I live in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. and will I be able to hear the shuttle on these two frequencies on pg. 1 "259.7 primary
296.8 secondary"? If yes should I just stick on 259.7?

regards Zac

[Gary]

You might get a few secs of comms or i'm hoping we will . Most likely be on 259.7 primary, every time i've heard the shuttle its been on primary.

Over the years i've had the most success getting comms with Discovery so fingers crossed

[craig51]

is this AM or FM?

Cheers.

[zacwatson]

You might get a few secs of comms or i'm hoping we will . Most likely be on 259.7 primary, every time i've heard the shuttle its been on primary.

Over the years i've had the most success getting comms with Discovery so fingers crossed

Thanks

[thommg]

is this AM or FM?

Cheers.

AM Craig.

I've caught it once before.

Passed T Minus 3 Hours now. Top stuff!

[Pune]

Hi Guys,
If the ISS and shuttle do 'come this way', which compass points will they come from to, if you get my drift..
Cheers
Pune

[craig51]

is this AM or FM?

Cheers.

AM Craig.

I've caught it once before.

Passed T Minus 3 Hours now. Top stuff!

thanking you. i caught it once two years ago, about 30 secs. It was quite amazing!

[zacwatson]

how much long after the launch would we imagine to hear it?

[Gary]

how much long after the launch would we imagine to hear it?

15 to 20 mins after the launch. Probably closer to the 20 min mark

Check the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqWfidPK4uA&" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; its what a member of FC got during the STS-131 shuttle launch from April last year. Again was Discovery. Original launch thread can be found here viewtopic.php?f=90&t=9361" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[WAP]

Hi Guys,
If the ISS and shuttle do 'come this way', which compass points will they come from to, if you get my drift..
Cheers
Pune

It comes up across south Wales and then heads off over Devon area then down into france so look west and almost straight up (30-40 degress at a guess from the horizon)

[zacwatson]

thanks WAP and Gary