Haven't seen anything here about the latest shuttle mission.

I've been watching it on NASA's own broadcasting channel, and have seen some interesting videos of the astronauts in the cockpit during launch. I imagined them lying back, crushed in their seats, faces distorted - in actual fact they all seemed to be spending their time checking manuals - not even looking out of the window!

Alternately boring and fascinating, the site can be found here:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Actually, they're all playing SL with these.

I was quite relieved that the launch went successfully. The day I woke up in the hospital after my car wreck 3-1/2 years ago, the news came on and the top story was the loss of the Columbia.

The thing is, they are acting like everything's fine because they had a successful launch. It's like they're looking back to Challenger and conveniently forgetting that Columbia was destroyed on re-entry.

And yes, I know that the ISS crew is going to scrutinize the shuttle visually for damage, and I know that they have said that if any is found, that the Discovery crew can hole up in the ISS until Atlantis can be launched to bring them back. But haven't they considered that launching Atlantis runs the identical risks?

Can't wait for these creaky old rattletraps to be consigned to museums. Bring on the CEV.

P2

No, they haven't forgotten. That's why they spent virtually the whole of the first day of the mission running a camera over the areas of the wings and nose cone, checking for damage to the tiles.

All they seem to have found so far is some bird droppings.

Well, I know they haven't forgotten forgotten... but my point was, if they find a problem and send up the second bird to rescue them, and it has damage as well, then they are up the proverbial Poopy River sans* propulsive mechanism.

P2

*No, not referring to you, Sansarya. <3

Yeah yeah, they had the same "problem" every single time during previous launches but nothing happened. I know it isn't showing great odds by NASA's standards, but hell, do you really believe that strapping yourself into a flying bomb and getting flung into orbit is "safe"?

So what ever happened to that Bush space program plan? You know, the moon, mars thing. Everyone forget about it already?

And where the hell are our new re-useable launch vehicles? How's the shuttle fleet going to be retired without them? Or are we waiting for Atlantis' wings to fall off first?

Yes, indeed, that thought had occurred to me, as, I believe, it did to a couple of people at NASA.

I understood they were going to wait for two or three years before retiring the shuttles.

Ever since I moved to Florida, I've been planning to go see a shuttle launch. The news stations down here always cut to live coverage of the launch and my heart is in my throat watching it go up.

I love when it comes back to Earth and we hear the twin sonic booms announcing it's safe return.

I don't think my daughter will ever get over standing on the front lawn, waiting and waiting to hear the booms and see the vapor trail of Columbia and it never came. What a sad day that was.

If I recall correctly, the shuttle fleet will be retired in 2010. The shuttle replacement vehicles are supposed to be ready in 2014. During the downtime, the ISS will be serviced by Soyuz spacecraft from Russia.

It is suppose to be the Crew Exploration Vehicle that replaces it.

Soyuz can go get them as well.

And the risks are and have always been great, just as was sailing off into uncharted seas hundreds of years ago. Or taking a wagon into the Western US in the 1800s.

I think the fact that we (the human race) have had as few space accidents as we have is remarkable, speaks to the commitment to and time invested the systems, and more than a bit of good fortune.

I do agree that it's well past time we move to the next set of vehicles. The problem is that so many people are fickle when it comes to funding.

Thanks for the link Selador, I have been and will be watching.

Well, I suppose that's true. It's not like they'd have to be rescued within 12 hours or face certain death, or whatever. NASA had just mentioned that they were prepared to launch Atlantis on a rescue mission if need be, so that's what was at the forefront of my mind.

However, if I am not mistaken, Soyuz is only a three-seat vehicle. I don't know if the Russians have the capability to launch with only a single cosmonaut on board, but even if they can, that only leaves two available seats for the seven astronauts of Atlantis. Might get a mite crowded. They'd have to draw straws, like in "Armageddon," but this time to see who has to stay on ISS for a while and who gets to go home.

By the way, along these lines, those of you who are interested in this thread would probably be interested in the following event:

The Space Shuttle, Its Life and Future

Date: Sunday, July 9, 2006
Time: 11:00AM - 12:00PM (60 minutes)
Location: Spaceport Alpha (48,7
Host: Troy McLuhan
Event description: The International Spaceflight Museum presents "The Space Shuttle, Its Life and Future" at the central stage. A slideshow, presentation, and discussion to be led by Troy McLuhan. All are welcome. No technical knowledge is required, just an interest in spaceflight.


P2

The CEV seems to be based on updated Apollo era technology. The Soviets/Russians have flown Soyuz capsules since 1966. Kinda interesting that the future of manned spaceflight seems to depend on doing things the "old fashioned way".

Yeah, to me the CEV is sort of "Apollo 2.0." Except it'll be here before SL 2.0.

P2

I hope you enjoyed the horizontal ponytails as much as I did.

Harry Broderick went to the goddamned moon and back without tile inspections.

Fred Sanford coulda done it too if he ever got off his ass.

he was too deep in the champipple.

Mayberry, the Vulture has landed!

One small step for Aunt Bea, one giant leap for Opie.

My dad, my brother, and I watched that TV show religiously. I actually had hopes of building my own rocket out of junk. What a loon.

Why not? NASA does it, it seems.

P2