SPACE

[axel000]

Time for some homo-erotic zero g volleyball boyz

[axel000]

Atlantis Countdown Proceeding Smoothly
11 May 2009 1:05 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The countdown is proceeding smoothly for this afternoon's launch attempt of shuttle Atlantis on a servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Launch is scheduled for 2:01:56 p.m. EDT (1801:56 GMT) – about 20 minutes into the 62-minute launch window that closes at 2:43:47 p.m. EDT (1843:47).

The so-called 'Ice Team' or final inspection team has been dispatched to the launch pad to inspect and photograph a build-up of ice near the liquid hydrogen umbilical – they will soon return and brief the launch team on their findings. The initial reports from the pad suggest that the ice will not be an issue for launch.

Weather conditions at the Trans-Oceanic Abort Landing (TAL) site in Moron, Spain have improved and are now both observed and forecast 'Green' or 'Go' to support a launch attempt this afternoon. As Atlantis is being launched due east to rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telescope, Moron is the only TAL site available for this launch and weather conditions have been closely monitored.

Weather conditions along Florida's Space Coast are near-perfect and the launch team is not currently working any technical issues as the countdown enters its final hour. Some smoke from a wildfire northwest of the space center is being monitored in the event that it reduces visibility at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

Atlantis's hatch has been closed and latched for flight, the seven STS-125 astronauts are strapped into their seats and final preparations are progressing for this afternoon's launch attempt from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39-A. The countdown clock has just restarted following the planned T-minus 20-minute hold and will tick down to T-minus 9-minute hold - a planned, built-in hold to allow the launch team to catch up on any final preparations.

Dignitaries are in attendance at the space center's VIP viewing sites for this afternoon's launch attempt, include U.S. Senator (and former space shuttle flier) Bill Nelson, several members of Congress, Mrs. Martha Chaffee (widow of Apollo 1 astronaut Roger Chaffee), legendary Apollo mission director Gene Kranz, former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe and NASCAR driver Brian Vickers.

[Orava]

About 10 minutes to go...

[axel000]

Countdown clock has re-started, T-minus 8 mins or so.

[Orava]

Liftoff!

[axel000]

Nice video summary of the servicing mission and new Hubble capabilities :

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp ... 3#30628643

[axel000]

Interesting factoid :

During this servicing mission a docking ring is being attached to the rear of Hubble. This is ostensibly being placed there so a de-orbit rocket engine can be attached by a future mission to bring down Hubble over the Pacific.

HOWEVER, this little docking ring happens to be exact spec compatible with Aries.

Hmmm... someone's thinking just in case....

[F-ZeroOne]

Its NASA. They probably have an office with "Just In Case Dept." written on the door.

[axel000]

Live coverage of Hubble intercept.

http://www.space.com/php/popup/mediapla ... &mode=play

Hubble should be latched on to by the robot arm in about two and a half hours.

Pretty view

[F-ZeroOne]

"Carter... I can see my house."

[Cloudane]

That'll be the day!

I'm glad we're still doing "some" spacey stuff out there. We really need another race though, it's a shame it takes international conflicts (or threats of them) to motivate the powers that be, but there we go.

Stunning place - less of this "we might send a man to Mars in about 40 years' time" - get on with it

[Wumpus4x4]

I'm glad we're still doing "some" spacey stuff out there. We really need another race though, it's a shame it takes international conflicts (or threats of them) to motivate the powers that be, but there we go.

What about a bit of "mine's bigger than yours"? Herschel and Planck due for launch tomorrow. Herschel will be the largest space telescope so far. I hope they've not messed its optics up like NASA did with speccy-four-eyes Hubble, because it's not going to be in a "handy for visits by the optician" low orbit. http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission ... 09/592.asp

[F-ZeroOne]

IIRC, they're being launched together on the same rocket.

Better hope they got the numbers right, then.

[Orava]

I'm glad we're still doing "some" spacey stuff out there. We really need another race though, it's a shame it takes international conflicts (or threats of them) to motivate the powers that be, but there we go.

What about a bit of "mine's bigger than yours"? Herschel and Planck due for launch tomorrow. Herschel will be the largest space telescope so far. I hope they've not messed its optics up like NASA did with speccy-four-eyes Hubble, because it's not going to be in a "handy for visits by the optician" low orbit. http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission ... 09/592.asp

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission ... 09/592.asp

This clears the way for final pre-launch preparations and the countdown to a rare morning liftoff tomorrow at 10:12 a.m. (local time in French Guiana).

What?! No cheese and biscuits before launch? How uncouth.

[axel000]

On the subject of telescopes, Kepler officially commenced its multi-year planet survey today :

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-084