Spaceshuttle Discovery: So far, so good

[DEFYANT]

Discovery launched today without a problem. They had a neat camera on the underside of the ship on the fuel tank. What a view! I cant get enough of this stuff! :D

FYI, this thing travels as 16K MPH at about 98 miles above the Earth!

[oldekid]

We could look out of our windows where I work and watch it. It was a little cloudy, but was a beautiful shot between the clouds.

[mcb26]

Launch looked good, :banana: watched it on the nasa tv web site. Did see some stuff go flying by from the camera on the external tank. Didn't look like it hit the shuttle though.

[DEFYANT]

At around 12pm, they will deploy this new laser maping camera to photograph the shuttles wings and underside tiles. And for good measure, they will do a fly-by of the International Space Station where the astonauts (sp?) will take videos of the shuttle to be analized by NASA.

[Mike Poore]

At around 12pm, they will deploy this new laser maping camera to photograph the shuttles wings and underside tiles. And for good measure, they will do a fly-by of the International Space Station where the astonauts (sp?) will take videos of the shuttle to be analized by NASA.
If they learn there's something broken/missing, can they fix it? :confused:

[mcb26]

If they learn there's something broken/missing, can they fix it? :confused:
Depends on what is damaged and how much. Damage like they had before they can't fix yet. :(

[Fourth Horseman]

If they learn there's something broken/missing, can they fix it? :confused:

They brought an extra roll of duct tape. :) I read that they've been training to use new repair kits to fix up the heat shielding and such if it should become damaged.

[DEFYANT]

The news says this is the most photographed mission. I wonder if they will put together a DVD?

[merc]

Amazing Space Shuttle Facts

Rocketdyne's Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSMEs) operates at greater temperature extremes than any mechanical system in common use today. The liquid hydrogen fuel is -423 degrees Fahrenheit, the second coldest liquid on Earth. When the hydrogen is burned with liquid oxygen, the temperature in the engine's combustion chamber reaches + 6000 degrees Fahrenheit - that's higher than the boiling point of Iron.

The maximum equivalent horsepower developed by the three SSMEs is just over 37 million horsepower.

The energy released by three of Rocketdyne's Space Shuttle Main Engines is equivalent to the output of 37 Hoover Dams.

Although not much larger than an automobile engine, the SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump generates 100 horsepower for each pound of its weight, while an automobile engine generates about one-half horsepower for each pound of its weight.

Even though Rocketdyne's SSME weighs one-seventh as much as a locomotive engine, its high-pressure fuel pump alone delivers as much horsepower as 28 locomotives, while its high-pressure oxidizer pump delivers the equivalent horsepower for 11 more.

If water, instead of fuel, were pumped by the three Space Shuttle Main Engines, an average family-sized swimming pool could be drained in 25 seconds.

The SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump main shaft rotates at 37,000 rpm compared to about 3,000 rpm for an automobile operating at 60 mph.
The discharge pressure of an SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump could send a column of liquid hydrogen 36 miles in the air.

The Space Shuttle flies about 200 miles (330 km) above the Earth's surface (equivalent to roughly half the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco). In contrast, geostationary (stationary with respect to the Earth's surface) communications satellites have to be lofted approximately 21,500 miles (35,800 km) above the Earth's surface, and the Apollo spacecraft were approximately 227,000 miles (378,000 km) above the Earth's surface when they reached the Moon.

http://www.spacepix.net/images/large_pics/SpacePixNet_97ec0963.jpg

[Haggis]

Go here to watch the Launch Video (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8515881/)

[Petrograde]

...FYI, this thing travels as 16K MPH at about 98 miles above the Earth!...

That's about Mach 20! :eek:

[cyclone03]

I'm hoping for a safe return.

[duhtroll]

Anyone else get to watch it in large screen HD like I did?

Wow.

HD Net ran the whole thing, and without all of the "what if there's another disaster" commentary like on the other networks.

I wish they had not muted the roar of the rockets.

-A

[Wagonmaster]

Those are some interesting statistics indeed, however check out these stats that hit a little closer to planet earth than the 1 trillion dollar Space Shuttle

*Currently there are over 600,000 homeless men, women and children in the U.S. Over 300,000 of which are our Vietnam Veterans.

*544,000 High School students will drop out this year

*900,000 teenage girls as young as 14 will become pregnant, tragically 90,000 will never make it to birth.

*Beginning salary for a teacher in the U.S. is $27,989.

Instead of looking for life on other planets perhaps we should ground that glorified bucket o' bolts and invest some of that trillion dollars back into educating the American people right here on this planet.

Although watching the alleged moon landing while under the influence of :rasta: does enhance ones viewing pleasure, it does not solidify we actually landed there.

This is not directed at anyone in particular, just written to stimulate thinking.

GT


Amazing Space Shuttle Facts

Rocketdyne's Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSMEs) operates at greater temperature extremes than any mechanical system in common use today. The liquid hydrogen fuel is -423 degrees Fahrenheit, the second coldest liquid on Earth. When the hydrogen is burned with liquid oxygen, the temperature in the engine's combustion chamber reaches + 6000 degrees Fahrenheit - that's higher than the boiling point of Iron.

The maximum equivalent horsepower developed by the three SSMEs is just over 37 million horsepower.

The energy released by three of Rocketdyne's Space Shuttle Main Engines is equivalent to the output of 37 Hoover Dams.

Although not much larger than an automobile engine, the SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump generates 100 horsepower for each pound of its weight, while an automobile engine generates about one-half horsepower for each pound of its weight.

Even though Rocketdyne's SSME weighs one-seventh as much as a locomotive engine, its high-pressure fuel pump alone delivers as much horsepower as 28 locomotives, while its high-pressure oxidizer pump delivers the equivalent horsepower for 11 more.

If water, instead of fuel, were pumped by the three Space Shuttle Main Engines, an average family-sized swimming pool could be drained in 25 seconds.

The SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump main shaft rotates at 37,000 rpm compared to about 3,000 rpm for an automobile operating at 60 mph.
The discharge pressure of an SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump could send a column of liquid hydrogen 36 miles in the air.

The Space Shuttle flies about 200 miles (330 km) above the Earth's surface (equivalent to roughly half the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco). In contrast, geostationary (stationary with respect to the Earth's surface) communications satellites have to be lofted approximately 21,500 miles (35,800 km) above the Earth's surface, and the Apollo spacecraft were approximately 227,000 miles (378,000 km) above the Earth's surface when they reached the Moon.

http://www.spacepix.net/images/large_pics/SpacePixNet_97ec0963.jpg

[Smokie]

Well in the interest of stimulating thinking, even if the space program did not exist, even if the US did not have a military (this is for the sake of discussion since without a military the US of A would not exist) but for the sake of simply an exchange of ideas let's just say we have the United States of America, the wealthiest most powerful country on the face of this EARTH.

No space program, no military.

You would still have the homeless.
You would still have poverty.
You would still have high school dropouts.
You would still have unwed mothers and abortion.
$28,000 a year to start, for 9 1/2 months of work (where is the problem here???)

If you believe that giving away the money earned by those that work; to those that don't, will create some kind of Utopia...you must be :rasta: some real good stuff on some very far away planet.

This is just an opinion, not directed at anyone in particular.;)

[duhtroll]

Let's just stop you right there, compadre.

Anyone who thinks that teachers work only 9.5 months a year is seriously mistaken and speaking from ignorance.

Sure, the *crappy* teachers do as little as possible, but even they need schooling to keep their license, and this is primarily done during the summer.

We work LESS in the summer. We just don't get paid for it.

I'll put my schedule for a year, hour for hour, against anyone on this board.

Then we can compare salaries and see just how "easy" I have it. :rolleyes:

-A

[duhtroll]

I should also add that I am strongly in support of NASA, as their experiments and my salary have literally nothing to do with one another.

-A

[Smokie]

Let's just stop you right there, compadre.

Anyone who thinks that teachers work only 9.5 months a year is seriously mistaken and speaking from ignorance.

Sure, the *crappy* teachers do as little as possible, but even they need schooling to keep their license, and this is primarily done during the summer.

We work LESS in the summer. We just don't get paid for it.

I'll put my schedule for a year, hour for hour, against anyone on this board.

Then we can compare salaries and see just how "easy" I have it. :rolleyes:

-AEasy cowboy, you took this line:
$28,000 a year to start, for 9 1/2 months of work (where is the problem here???) and read way too much into it, it is not an insult. Read it again....slowly. It is not an insult.

I have teachers in my family and they DO NOT work 52 weeks a year..it is their choice, not mandatory. I was not putting down teachers...have too much respect for the potential in that honorable profession.

My statement is to be taken literally. What is wrong with starting out at $28K? That is not an insult.

[Bluerauder]

Let's just stop you right there, compadre.

Anyone who thinks that teachers work only 9.5 months a year is seriously mistaken and speaking from ignorance.

-A
I'll second that thought .....

My daughter teaches 3rd grade and I'd estimate (conservatively) that she puts in an average of 68 hours per week. About 1/3 of this time is at home grading papers, reviewing work, posting grades, and preparing lesson plans. This does not count after school activities, PTA, and professional development classes. Over the course of the school year, that works out to approximately 2,584 hours (about 25% more than the typical 40 hour week or 2080 hour year). :rolleyes:

Starting teacher's pay in our county is $35,455 and considerably above the average; but so is the cost of living here. :D

Anyway, I think we expect a heck of alot out of our teachers for what we are willing to pay them. A similar case can be made for our police and firemen. :(

:soapbox:

[duhtroll]

My apologies for snapping at you, though I still don't see what you mean.

With the training teachers need to be certified, (more often now 5 years college/university training thanks to NCLB plus mandatory schooling later to recertify every 5 years) $28K would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic. Example: My brother-in-law with a high school education works for a mortgage/finance company and his salary is nearly twice my own. I have a masters degree and 13 years' experience. No other profession that I know of has that discrepancy in training versus starting salary.

Wait, my wife works at a university with a MA and 8 years exp. and my salary dwarfs hers. (When public schools get hit, state unis get it even harder).

In Iowa it's only $25,000/yr minimum, and the argument folks like to use is that "the cost of living is so much cheaper here." Um, kinda. We still pay retail prices like everyone else. Except on Marauders. :)

I suppose if there were steady raises that even approached keeping up with inflation after the starting salary it wouldnt' be so bad, but there in most cases aren't.

The other thing is, how many other professionals must work 52 weeks a year? Anyone here never have any vacation time -- ever?

Before I'm reminded, I knew exactly what I was getting into re: salary when I began studying for this profession. I just want to clear up any misconceptions that may be out there.

Once again, sorry for the misunderstanding.

-A


Easy cowboy, you took this line:
$28,000 a year to start, for 9 1/2 months of work (where is the problem here???) and read way too much into it, it is not an insult. Read it again....slowly. It is not an insult.

I have teachers in my family and they DO NOT work 52 weeks a year..it is their choice, not mandatory. I was not putting down teachers...have too much respect for the potential in that honorable profession.

My statement is to be taken literally. What is wrong with starting out at $28K? That is not an insult.

[DEFYANT]

I can't believe I get paid for what I do :D

Thank you Mr & Mrs. Taxpayer

umm, what were we talkin about?

[MENINBLK]

$28,000 a year to start, for 9 1/2 months of work (where is the problem here???)

The problem here is where we are today.

Teachers are the sole responsible parties for educating our children.
They DESERVE to be able to live a comfortable life, don't you agree ?
After all they look after our rug rats while we are working,
they wipe the snot from their noses when they get sick in class,
and they take care of them until you can return to school and pick them up.

They are responsible for educating the next generation.

Looking at the current generation, I would say that the Teachers didn't get paid enough.
If they got paid what they were worth, they would have stood up to more snot nosed brats,
and shook the living ***** out of them when they deserved it.

The current generation needs to learn RESPECT, and they need to learn to be humble.
If we are going to change this world, we need to stop thinking about the good old USA
and start thinking about how we can make this planet comfortable
for our brothers and sisters who aren't as fortunate as we are.
We need to teach our kids to share their wealth with others in need,
so that we can been seen in an unselfish light.

They need to learn to OBEY LAWS, no matter how trivial they seem.
Someone took the time to think them through and write them for a reason.
For that same reason, they need to be obeyed, not only when Law Enforcement is present,
but when the general population is present.

All of this starts - in home and in school.
We all do your our part at home because we are responsible for our children's actions,
until they become of age where they can accept the responsiblities and consequences themselves.

So that's what I see is wrong with paying teachers $28,000 to start.
We weren't angels when we went to school and neither are our kids.
They think they can get over on everyone just like we did when we were that age,
or have you grown so old that you can't remember back that far ???
Teachers have to put up with a lot from kids.
They also have to work very hard to educate them.
They go to school, earn a degree, some earn a PhD to teach.
And after all of that, you think offering them a measly $28,000 is enough ?

So Teachers have to rent/buy a living space, commute to work, pay a student loan,
dress appropriately to set an example, buy supplies for the curriculum they are teaching,
sit at PTA meetings ALL NIGHT, sit at Faculty Meetings ALL NIGHT, earn continuing education credits,
and they eat too, or did you forget that ?
I don't think $28.000 covers all of the above...
It wouldn't cover my living expenses, AND MY MARAUDER for sure.

And as much as you think it is, it is NOT 9 1/2 months of work.
Teachers have projects to do over the summer, that do not require students to be present,
and they have the same privilege to a vacation just as you do.

sheese... :loco:

[Cobra25]

Let's just all pray they come home safe.

[mcb26]

As a side note the shuttle is doing fine. :rolleyes:

[rocknrod]

The problem here is where we are today.

Teachers are the sole responsible parties for educating our children.
......Unfortunately in some places of our country "Indocrination" not Education is
the task of the day for some teachers.

[Smokie]

Once again, sorry for the misunderstanding.We're ok.:) This thread is about the brave man and women we have in space, and the fervent hope they return home safely.

A comment was made that suggested that the space program is a waste and the money used for that purpose would be better spent if we gave that money to ..... well I guess to anybody but me, since I don't want the government to give me anything but the freedom to take care of myself and family.

I find it unfortunate that one sentence of my total written comments was focused upon, and I regret that those that educate found that one sentence offensive, I meant to say something important, that has nothing to do with teachers or their salaries....perhaps I need a teacher, so that I can be taught to express myself clearly.;)...:)

[Fourth Horseman]

EDIT: uh... nevermind. :)

Hope that tile problem doesn't prove to be anything serious and the ship and crew return home safely.

[Pat]

NASA reported this afternoon that the shuttles are grounded (again). Big chunk of insulation fell off the fuel tank but didn't strike the orbiter. Same size of chunk that hit Columbia's wing but this event was later in the flight, 2 min vs 87 sec, different dynamics. The problem still exists. Shuttle was scheduled to go out of service in 2010, maybe earlier now.

[DEFYANT]

NASA reported this afternoon that the shuttles are grounded (again). Big chunk of insulation fell off the fuel tank but didn't strike the orbiter. Same size of chunk that hit Columbia's wing but this event was later in the flight, 2 min vs 87 sec, different dynamics. The problem still exists. Shuttle was scheduled to go out of service in 2010, maybe earlier now.
Give me a break! I thought they fixed the dam thing!!

[STLR FN]

http://www.comcast.net/news/science/index.jsp?cat=SCIENCE&fn=/2005/07/28/188923.html

SPACE CENTER, Houston - NASA grounded future shuttle flights Wednesday because a big chunk of insulating foam flew off Discovery's fuel tank during liftoff - as it did with Columbia - but this time apparently missed the spacecraft.

"Until we're ready, we won't go fly again. I don't know when that might be," shuttle program manager Bill Parsons told reporters in a briefing Wednesday evening.

He and other managers do not believe the flying debris that snapped off the external fuel tank harmed Discovery.

"Call it luck or whatever, it didn't harm the orbiter," said shuttle program manager Bill Parsons. If the foam had broken away earlier in flight - when the atmosphere is thicker, increasing the acceleration and likelihood of impact - it could have caused catastrophic damage to Discovery.

"We think that would have been really bad, so it's not acceptable," said Parsons' deputy, Wayne Hale. He said every indication so far is that Discovery is safe for its return home.

The chunk of foam flew off Discovery's redesigned tank just two minutes after what initially looked like a perfect liftoff Tuesday morning. But in less than an hour NASA had spotted images of a mysterious object whirling away from the tank.

Mission managers did not realize what the object was - or how much havoc it would cause to the shuttle program - until Wednesday after reviewing video and images taken by just a few of the 100-plus cameras in place to watch for such dangers.

Officials do not believe the foam hit the shuttle, but they plan a closer inspection of the spacecraft in the next few days to be sure.

Discovery's astronauts were told of the foam loss before going to sleep Wednesday.

"You have to admit when you're wrong. We were wrong," Parsons said. "We need to do some work here, and so we're telling you right now that the ... foam should not have come off. It came off. We've got to go do something about that."

The loss of a chunk of debris, a vexing problem NASA thought had been fixed, represents a tremendous setback to a space program that has spent 2 1/2 years and over $1 billion trying to make the 20-year-old shuttles safe to fly.

"Until we're ready, we won't go fly again. I don't know when that might be," Parsons told reporters in a briefing Wednesday evening.

Engineers believe the irregularly sized piece of foam was 24 to 33 inches long, 10 to 14 inches wide, and between 2 and 8 inches thick - only somewhat smaller than the 1.67-pound chunk that smashed into Columbia's left wing during liftoff in 2003. The plate-sized hole let in superheated gases that caused the shuttle to break up on its return to Earth.

On Discovery, the foam broke away from a different part of the tank than the piece that mortally wounded Columbia. The tank was redesigned for Discovery to reduce the risk of foam insulation falling off, especially big pieces like the one that ended up being shed.

Parsons stressed that the current 12-day mission was a test flight designed to check the safety of future missions. He refused to give up on the spacecraft that was designed in the 1970s.

"We think we can make this vehicle safe for the next flight," he said, declining to judge the long-term impact on the manned space program. "We will determine if it's safe to fly."

Atlantis was supposed to lift off in September, but that mission is now on indefinite hold. Parsons refused to speculate when a shuttle might fly again, but did not rule out the possibility that Discovery's current mission may be the only one for 2005.

He said it was unlikely that Atlantis would be needed for a rescue mission, in the event Discovery could not return safely to Earth and its astronauts had to move into the international space station. Discovery, fortunately, appears to be in good shape for re-entry, he said.

In addition to the big chunk of foam, several smaller pieces broke off, including at least one from an area of the fuel tank that had been modified after Columbia. Thermal tile was also damaged on Discovery's belly; one tile lost a 1 1/2-inch piece right next to the set of doors for the nose landing gear, a particularly vulnerable spot.

Hale said none of the tile damage looked particularly serious, and likely would not require repairs in orbit.

Imagery experts and engineers expect to know by Thursday afternoon whether the gouge left by the missing piece of tile needs a second look. The astronauts have a 100-foot, laser-tipped crane on board that could determine precisely how deep the gouge is.

The tile fragment broke off less than two minutes after liftoff Tuesday and was spotted by a camera mounted on the external fuel tank.

If NASA decides to use its new inspection tool to get a 3-D view of the tile damage - which most likely will happen - the astronauts will examine the spot on Friday, a day after docking with the international space station. The inspection of Discovery's wings and nose by the inspection boom on Wednesday turned up nothing alarming, but analysis is ongoing, Hale said.

[Petrograde]

aren't they supposed to building new shuttles anyway?

[MENINBLK]

aren't they supposed to building new shuttles anyway?

That was the whole purpose of the contest last year for the private sector.
$10mil for the first company who could design and fly a reusable orbiter,
and launch it, return to earth succesfully, and re-launch it within 6 weeks, IIRC.