Shuttle Endeavour launches tonight.

[trekkiedane]

Sun., July 12, 7:13 p.m. EDT.

Watch it on-line here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

The STS-127 Crew
In the front, from left to right: Doug Hurley, Pilot and Mark Polansky, Commander. In the back, from left to right: Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Julie Payette, Tom Marshburn, and Tim Kopra. Kopra will become a station flight engineer replacing Koichi Wakata, who will return home with the STS-127 crew.​

 

[Aurian]

Exciting. Just spent a little time watching as one of them got ready with his gear on the Nasa tv channel

 

[Squiggy]

Pfft. NASA TV. What a bunch of losers.

Anywho, it will be nice to finally get Kibo up there. Unless God doesn't want Kibo to go up there, and all current evidence does point to that. The problem with these final STS missions is that when one slips, they all slip since they all have to go in order.

In any case, I'm not down there this launch so I don't give a damn. Too hot anyway.

 

[trekkiedane]

About 30 min to launch.

Exciting. Just spent a little time watching as one of them got ready with his gear on the Nasa tv channel

True, the white room stuff is the most exiting part of the webcast until the the actual blast-off

So, with a 10 minute launch window and this weather situation... are they launching tonight or not - that's exiting

 

[Dart]

Thunder storms coming from the west. Mission scrubbed for 24 hours.
I have to say I found the potential for a live web cast of the launch exciting. You can bet I'll be there tomorrow.

 

[trekkiedane]

Thunder storms coming from the west. Mission scrubbed for 24 hours.
I have to say I found the potential for a live web cast of the launch exciting. You can bet I'll be there tomorrow.

A live launch is a spectacle, but this last minute exitement with the weather was also cool to watch!

See ya tomorrow

 

[Squiggy]

I swear...

Whoever thought that Florida was a good place to launch from needs to be dug up and beaten.

 

[T'Bonz]

Especially in the summer. Odds are very high that at some point in the day, particularly from noon on, that a thunderstorm will arrive.

This is what, the fourth scrub? Poor astronauts.

I wonder if my tickets are still good for this. But after FOUR scrubs, I'm beginning to think this mission is jinxed.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Well I think the whole thing sort of epitomizes the program in general.

It took less than ten years to get to the moon and since then it's hardly progressed at all--ISS be damned.

 

[RobertVA]

I swear...

Whoever thought that Florida was a good place to launch from needs to be dug up and beaten.

Would you prefer launching from the midwest (where there are blizzards and tornadoes) so that all the lower rocket stages can fall onto the east coast? How about farther up the east coast where there would be more delays for commercial shipping to clear the launch area, higher costs aquiring the land and years of delay developing rockets powerful enough to orbit satellites without the velocity boost of a low latitude launch site? Higher latitude launch sites would also have more problems with ice forming on rockets full of cryogenic propellants (not to mention leaks from cold stiffened O-rings). Texas would also have thunderstorm issues and delays waiting for commercial shipping.

 

[Squiggy]

West coast.

Done.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Well, I'd suggest here in New Mexico--the Aliens seem to like us and all, but someone tried it recently and things didn't go so well.

 

[Squiggy]

There ya go. New Mexico. Even better. No weather EVER.

 

[MANT!]

Vandyland has had many successful launches over the years..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base

They were slated to be a launch point for the Shuttle..but the pad design was flawed and after the Challenger explosion the polar Shuttle launch complex was never used for manned launches..Weather has NEVER been much of an issue (hence the fact that all our land based ICBMs are tested there)..but it really isn't proper for equatorial orbits..however for polar orbits it can't be beat.

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm

 

[RobertVA]

West coast.

Done.

For polar orbits. Would substatialy reduce the weight that could be carried into orbit though. If an equatorial orbit is acceptable the eastward velocity the vehicle already has when it's sitting on the pad is a substantial head start towards reaching orbital velocity.

Well, I'd suggest here in New Mexico--the Aliens seem to like us and all, but someone tried it recently and things didn't go so well.

Substantial payloads with single stage to orbit is a tall order. I'm not sure Texas, Mexico and commercial shipping exiting and approaching the Panama Canal would appreciate rocket boosters falling on their heads.

 

[trekkiedane]

T minus 3 hours and holding.

T-3 hours and holding
This built-in hold typically lasts two hours.

• Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
• Align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas
• Final Inspection Team proceeds to the launch pad to conduct a detailed analysis of the vehicle as the team walks up and down the entire launch tower
• Closeout Crew proceeds to the launch pad to configure the crew module for countdown and launch and assist the astronauts with entry into the orbiter

Weather permitting, launch is scheduled for 6:51 p.m. The forecast is 40 percent “go” for liftoff.

Today's live countdown coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m. on NASA Television and NASA's Launch Blog.

 

[CorporalClegg]

West coast.

Done.

For polar orbits. Would substatialy reduce the weight that could be carried into orbit though. If an equatorial orbit is acceptable the eastward velocity the vehicle already has when it's sitting on the pad is a substantial head start towards reaching orbital velocity.

Well, I'd suggest here in New Mexico--the Aliens seem to like us and all, but someone tried it recently and things didn't go so well.

Substantial payloads with single stage to orbit is a tall order. I'm not sure Texas, Mexico and commercial shipping exiting and approaching the Panama Canal would appreciate rocket boosters falling on their heads.

Yes, but we already have a SpacePort!

 

[trekkiedane]

West coast.

Done.

For polar orbits. Would substatialy reduce the weight that could be carried into orbit though. If an equatorial orbit is acceptable the eastward velocity the vehicle already has when it's sitting on the pad is a substantial head start towards reaching orbital velocity.

Well, I'd suggest here in New Mexico--the Aliens seem to like us and all, but someone tried it recently and things didn't go so well.

Substantial payloads with single stage to orbit is a tall order. I'm not sure Texas, Mexico and commercial shipping exiting and approaching the Panama Canal would appreciate rocket boosters falling on their heads.

Yes, but we already have a SpacePort!

Sure but does that 'spaceport' also cater for vertical take-off?

 

[Lindley]

I've never been entirely clear on why vertical take-off is so much better. I mean, sure you need a big rocket for the push to orbit, but we have the ability to make lightweight planes that can get very high on standard engines....wouldn't that cut the costs of launching a fair bit? (After the R&D, of course.)

 

[trekkiedane]

I've never been entirely clear on why vertical take-off is so much better. I mean, sure you need a big rocket for the push to orbit, but we have the ability to make lightweight planes that can get very high on standard engines....wouldn't that cut the costs of launching a fair bit? (After the R&D, of course.)

Me too.

But there must be some good reason behind...