LIVE: STS-135 LAUNCH DAY AND FLIGHT DAY 1 UPDATES

• #440 by Chris Bergin on 08 Jul, 2011 15:41
• Quote from: AstroAcks6 on 08 Jul, 2011 15:39

  Thanks to the amazing NSF team for all the support over the years! I've been a quiet observer here for quite a while. Sad to see the engines fall silent for the last time.
  
  
  One piece of business...can someone explain the reason for that final hold.
  

  
  Thanks Astro. GOX Vent Hood retraction wasn't registering as fully retracted, but they confirmed it was out of the way and proceeded.
• #441 by racshot65 on 08 Jul, 2011 15:41
• Incredible.
• #442 by juleshow on 08 Jul, 2011 15:41
• We'll never see that again. G-d willing, we'll see other things blast off, but never that beautiful bird.
• #443 by DwightM on 08 Jul, 2011 15:42
• Quote from: Chris Bergin on 08 Jul, 2011 15:39

  And that, ladies and gents, is how the frakking do that!
  

  Thanks to all involved, words can't express.
  Thank you NSF team for another great launch coverage.  Gonna take a while for the fingernails to grow back.
• #444 by NavySpaceFan on 08 Jul, 2011 15:42
• Thanks all for the amazing launch coverage!!!  Atlantis beats the weather odds and that glitch, what an amazing ship!
• #445 by brihath on 08 Jul, 2011 15:42
• Well done....on time launch on the final mission.  Congratulations to all!
• #446 by forrestc on 08 Jul, 2011 15:42
• Thank you Chris and everyone else here at NSF for some awesome coverage, I'll be watching and keeping up to date as it goes on...
  
  And for everyone at NASA:   Thank you too.
  
  
• #447 by Chris Bergin on 08 Jul, 2011 15:42
• Quote from: LendMeYourYears on 08 Jul, 2011 15:41

  
  Is the ET-138 destruction camera beaming pictures down live? Are they going to be showing that to us? I'm assuming interesting stuff doesn't happen any time soon if the SRB videos are anything to go by..
  

  
  Recorded for playback after editing, not live:
  http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/06/sts-135-atlantis-tcdt-external-tank-death-camera-ready/
• #448 by Rocket Science on 08 Jul, 2011 15:42
• Now I can exhale!!
• #449 by arkaska on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43

• ---

  

  
• #450 by Joffan on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43
• Did that External Tank re-entry camera get on board in the end?
  
  -- strike that, answered above
• #451 by rjholling on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43
• Beautiful.  Stunning.  Amazing.  On to the ISS... one last time!
• #452 by psloss on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43
• Wallops has already lost signal from the ET camera and it didn't stay solid for very much longer than was seen on the NTV broadcast.
  
• #453 by Chris Bergin on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43
• Thread changing call signs to Flight Day 1!
• #454 by speez on 08 Jul, 2011 15:44
• So with the EXTRA time spent (or rather lost) due to the 2:30 minute hold at T-31 sec, what does this do to the "planned performance" of an on-time launch, regarding consumables of cryo ?   Will additional needs to steer Atlantis "back into the ISS orbital plane" reduce chances of adding +1 day to the mission?
• #455 by mtakala24 on 08 Jul, 2011 15:44
• Quote from: Joffan on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43

  Did that External Tank re-entry camera get on board in the end?
  

  
  yes, its the same camera used during ascent, just the cut-off timer has been removed so that it will remain on untill the end.
• #456 by kneecaps on 08 Jul, 2011 15:44
• Quote from: psloss on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43

  Wallops has already lost signal from the ET camera and it didn't stay solid for very much longer than was seen on the NTV broadcast.
  
  

  
  Presumably that deck of cloud caused a problem.
• #457 by Liss on 08 Jul, 2011 15:44
• Congratulations from Moscow!
• #458 by robertross on 08 Jul, 2011 15:44
• Quote from: Chris Bergin on 08 Jul, 2011 15:43

  Thread changing call signs to Flight Day 1!
  

  
  I'm cool with that! 
  
  (nail biter there at the last minute, but it's all good now)
• #459 by Hog on 08 Jul, 2011 15:44
• That was a bum tightener right to the end, way to go Atlantis.  Thanks to all.