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#200 by bkellysky on 20 Jul, 2011 11:05
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This morning, the moon is up behind my house and I can see the sun setting over the Sea of Tranquility, a place we first visited 42 years ago today - another beginning that ended all too soon.
Thanks to Chris and all the folks here who give us the details we crave and made us part of the adventure. Boy, if something like this had been around during Gemini and Apollo, I would have stayed home 'sick' from school a lot!
Most of all, reading your posts gives me an admiration for the professionalism of the people who care for the shuttles and the equipment that kept them flying. I was lucky to get to see a launch (STS-125-see my posts), which supported a space telescope that was the subject of my first Bill in my state Model Congress in the 70's. (During a mock debate, the bill was passed overwhelmingly when someone pointed out it cost less than one B-1 bomber.)
Not goodbye - there much more great stuff here - but what's next that will give us the invigorating rush of excitement that this magnificent machine provides - and when?? -
#201 by steveS on 20 Jul, 2011 11:06
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If Atlantis lands on the first opportunity, then MET will be approximately, 12 days 17 hours or so.
But the NASA landing ground track says "200 orbits" for the the first landing opportunity. My question is:
Since one orbit is ~90 minutes, this accounts to about 202/203 orbits, how it can become 200?. Or may be for this mission, orbital period was slightly higher ~ 91/92 minutes? -
#202 by psloss on 20 Jul, 2011 11:08
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Fox News guy sounds overly excited, but in a good way.
Referenced this Tweet from Mike Fossum:
http://mobile.twitter.com/astro_aggie/status/93549543186104320
(Ditto to the Tweet: Nice pic.)
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#203 by psloss on 20 Jul, 2011 11:10
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If Atlantis on the first opportunity MET will be 12 days 17 hours or so.
That's the deorbit burn; landing on the 1st rev would be approx. 12 days, 18 hours, 27 minutes.
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#204 by arkaska on 20 Jul, 2011 11:12
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HD downlink of fly-around
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#205 by vanoord on 20 Jul, 2011 11:13
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If Atlantis lands on the first opportunity, then MET will be approximately, 12 days 17 hours or so.
But the NASA landing ground track says "200 orbits" for the the first landing opportunity. My question is:
Since one orbit is ~90 minutes, this accounts to about 202/203 orbits, how it can become 200?. Or may be for this mission, orbital period was slightly higher ~ 91/92 minutes?
The ISS is now higher than than it has been - might that account for a slightly longer orbit? -
#206 by gwiz on 20 Jul, 2011 11:15
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Yes, the current ISS orbital period is about 92 min.If Atlantis lands on the first opportunity, then MET will be approximately, 12 days 17 hours or so.
But the NASA landing ground track says "200 orbits" for the the first landing opportunity. My question is:
Since one orbit is ~90 minutes, this accounts to about 202/203 orbits, how it can become 200?. Or may be for this mission, orbital period was slightly higher ~ 91/92 minutes?
The ISS is now higher than than it has been - might that account for a slightly longer orbit? -
#207 by Moonbase_Alphan on 20 Jul, 2011 11:17
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The picosat poem.... :-)
this poem continues/concludes the tradition of the crew reading a short poem during each of the generic Free Flight A simulations after the satellite deploy had been accomplished. The FF-A generic L-1 day orbit sim timeline had been used probably once a month or so for at least the last several years, and the highlight of the runs for many of the flight controllers became the inventive and clever poems rattled off by the crew after the deploy was completed.
the real deal from space was quite a treat -
#208 by Mapperuo on 20 Jul, 2011 11:18
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Some nice HD shots of the ISS coming down.
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#209 by cd-slam on 20 Jul, 2011 11:28
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First of all I would like to express my appreciation of Chris Bergin for his unrivalled website and news coverage of the space shuttle program, then also to Chris G, rkoenn, SpacePete, and many many more contributors giving us the inside story and just the facts.
Secondly thanks should also go to those on this site who have contributed and continue to contribute to the unfinished story of the space program, and to express the hope that those who are leaving after the end of the space shuttle program will move on to something bigger and better.
I had the pleasure of visiting JSC in Houston during the STS-132 mission and appreciate very much the insights given by Ed van Cise at MCC and by astronauts Jeff, Steve and Clay at the training facility. Wish all three the best and more flights in the future!
With apologies to MadameConcorde, "This is not adieu but au revoir!"
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#210 by MS6 on 20 Jul, 2011 11:42
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About 30 minutes ago CDR Ferguson reported they flew over KSC and the ceiling was 250 miles or so (I don't remember the exact #).
Here's another possible "final" item - would he be the last astronaut of F-14 heritage?
The ISS wouldn't have been possible without the shuttle, so as long as it keeps flying overhead at night the shuttle Dream is Alive! -
#211 by Space Pete on 20 Jul, 2011 11:59
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My Shuttle story/tribute:
I've only been following the Shuttle program since STS-124 in May 2008, after getting into spaceflight by stumbling across the fantastic Orbiter spaceflight simulator. By STS-126, I was hooked - there's just something about spaceflight that grabs hold of your soul and won't let go.
Shuttle inspired me to study electronic engineering, and set me on the long, winding road which will hopefully one day culminate in me seeing the Earth from space. I don't know the when, where & how of it, but I know that's what I want to do, and Shuttle gave that dream to me.
Although I've only been writing articles for this fantastic site since October last year, I've had the privilege of writing about all three orbiters for their STS-133, 134 and 135 missions. Believe me when I say, the honour has been mine, and I am humbled to have served this program in my very small way.
For me, when Atlantis touches down tomorrow, it will mark the transition into a period of massive uncertainty. We are either on the cusp of the golden age of HSF, with commercial making space open to all and NASA going boldly forward once more, or we are at the beginning of the end of HSF due to petty political bickering and short-sighted budget hawks. I hope beyond hope for the former, but I honestly and truthfully don't know which way it's going to go. That's why I'll weep when I hear the call "Houston, Atlantis, wheels stop".
The only way I can truly express my feelings for the Shuttle is in the form of a poem. I wrote this one last night - I hope you enjoy it.
Ode to Atlantis
By Pete Harding
Farewell Atlantis, you’ve done us all proud,
Your wings were so graceful, your engines so loud.
You accomplished so much, you showed us the way,
The debt we all owe you, we can never repay.
You inspired and awed us with your elegance and your style,
There’ll be nothing quite like you for a very long while.
So bring ‘em back home, safely once more,
As you glide down to Earth, you’ll leave us in awe.
When you roll to a stop, we’ll weep and we’ll cry,
For we know never again, will you take to the sky.
But you’ll always live on, in both the heart and the mind,
We will never forget you – you were one of a kind.
So as you end your career, you do so with pride,
To you we say Hail Atlantis – thanks for the ride! -
#212 by racshot65 on 20 Jul, 2011 12:01
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I've got
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#213 by seawolfe on 20 Jul, 2011 12:03
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I was born the year Sputnik 1 launched. At 5 years old, my father sat me in front of our small black and white TV in a darkened room so we could see John Glenn's flight. I don't remember too much but my dad told more about it later. He was a history teacher and wanted me to witness history in the making.
During my elementary school years, I did reports on the Gemini project and the upcoming mission to the moon. At 12 years old, I was glued to our family's TV for the launch and then landing on the moon by Neil and Buzz (I didn't forget about Mike either).
I followed intently the rest of the moon missions even when the networks no longer wanted to broadcast their EVA's. Then came Skylab during my years in high school. I even earned a merit badge in Space Exploration and Astronomy in Boy Scouts during that time. (I still have that merit badge book with Ed White on the cover)
The summer of '75 I joined the U.S. Marine Corps, the same time as the ASTP was flying over head.
I followed the building of Enterprise and gathered all of my fellow Marines around a small TV to watch the landings at Edwards AFB. We all thought that was the most super thing in the world!
I was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico when STS-3 landed at White Sands.... I got a special edition of the Albuquerque Times for that but couldn't make it down to White Sands as I couldn't get time off from work.
I remember going to a job interview when Challenger "died". The office had a large projection TV up and everyone had gathered to watch the launch. After the horrific explosion, my chance at the interview went up in smoke too as everyone was too numb to continue. Never got a chance to re-do that interview either.
Following the early shuttle missions was difficult because there weren't too many avenues of which to follow, CNN being the best before the Internet took off. Since discovering NSF, NASA.gov, John-44's site, and a couple of others (I think I have over 30 bookmarks for all things space related, not just manned spaceflight), I don't think that I have yet satisfied my life long addiction to this great adventure.
With the ending of the longest U.S. manned space program, this transition is really just like all of the others before it, a stepping stone to the next great adventure. I feel sad that the Shuttle program is ending just like everyone else, but then I felt the same when Apollo was cancelled. We were just getting the hang of it there on the moon. By Apollo 17, we were there for several days, more EVA's than ever and we just stopped.
We moved on to our first space station. The interior was and is still the largest empty volume in space where man could fly, run on a circular running track, not a treadmill, fly a jet pack in.... try THAT in the ISS!
NASA conducted sun observations that kept scientist hip deep in data for years. We got many of the fundamentals of living in space in place before the Russians built their big MIR. Then we let it crash into the Ocean and Australia. The Shuttle wasn't ready yet and the Sun's Solar Maximum didn't help either.
Then like I said, came ASTP, a first effort at joint operations with our competitors in space. A one shot mission, never to be repeated and the last Apollo mission before the big waiting gap for Shuttle.
So now we're in another big waiting gap. I wanted to see us (Earthlings) go to Mars. I may live to see it, but it's going to be a long wait. For now, let's get behind the COTS and new NASA plan for ISS and beyond. Shuttle is ending, the dawn is rising for a new mission, just like Gemini and then Apollo. The next program is just over the hill. It just takes will power and treasure from the American people to do it. We could do it now if we stopped spilling blood and wasting treasure overseas and look to the stars. We only need to look up and go. -
#214 by racshot65 on 20 Jul, 2011 12:20
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Tony Ceccacci
Very busy and successful day
Woke up at 8:30
CDR and Pilot practice landing on the laptop
Did FCS checkouts – all checked out well
Did RCS jet checkout – all operated nominally
Comms checks were fine
Deployed the pico sat
It has a camera that we'll take pictures of the orbiter with
Have a Dyrden comms checkout to do
And KU antenna stow
Deorbit prep – 11:50
PLBD closing – 1:10
Orbit 200 KSC TIG- 3:49
Weathers looking promising
Latest forecast – TS Bret has moved, it wont pose a problem
May be some showers at KSC when we come on console, weather guys say they will clear quickly
EOM+1 same forecast
KSC is always 50/50 no matter what the forecast
Consumables to go to EOM+2
KSC only tomorrow
EOM +1 pick em day
Good obbs this morning at KSC
Questions
Q: If the commander wanted a day landing would you wave off the first attempt ?
A: No
Q: Your closing remarks tomorrow?
A: I've written them down, its an historic moment
Q: Forecast for other sites? (Philip!)
A: EDW – sky clear for next two days EOM+1 theres monsoonal weather coming in possible showers with 20 – 30 miles
Q: Crews work capacity on this flight? (Philip)
A: There very motivated they want to make sure this last mission is a complete successful. They went to bed and woke up ½ an hour early. They used there post sleep time to press on today.
Q: Did you feel sentiment with the poems coming down ?
A: You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t. [Says some words, didn’t get them all] All good things must come to an end for me its been an unbelievable journey. I'm blessed to have supported STS 1 and be the entry flight director for STS 135, My thanks go to all the dedicated team members. Its because of there blood sweat and tears we can say mission complete. We have a motto that FC's don’t cry.
Q: How do you decide landing time?
A: Main influence is sep 3 burn. Were determining right DV and lowering the orbit changes the TIG
Q: Why cant you land on second attempt tomorrow?
A: You never want to give up an opportunity, KSC weather can get worse even with a good forecast. When your sitting at the console and you have an opportunity to come home you take it.
Q: Thoughts on the team leaving tomorrow?
A: Our hope is its not the end. We know theres going to be a rough spot for a while, but once we get a plan and a direction we can come back. Its tough to think all these years of experience leaving.
Q: Updates on TPS survey?
A: Nothing stood out on initial look. Team are talking to MMT and were waiting for the final report
Q: Did landing times change?
A: No its 5:56:58 still we rounded up.
Q: Any plans to pass out things to team?
A: I want to get the entire team up in the FC room and sit there and soak it in
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#215 by Satt on 20 Jul, 2011 12:33
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It's a shame the Shuttle Program has to end.It really has been a great example of top-notch science and engineering.However all things come to pass.Nothing lasts forever.
There has been great loses and sadness,but also great achievements and joy aiding in a greater understanding of engineering,science,the universe,and ultimately ourselves.
These days we can keep track of missions with the aid of HD Nasa TV streaming the entire missions on our computers or TV's.We have tracking aids that we hold in our hands that let us know when the shuttle will be passing overhead and run outside to look up and watch as she glides overhead.Beats the heck out of the black and white scratchy images of Apollo!
NASASpaceFlight has provided a huge database of knowledge and insight into the Shuttle Prog.that was at times overwhelming.But missions wouldn't be the same without it,so to Chris and the gang,thank you all very much.
Time marches on regardless.New programs that we will never know of, will come to be and they too will pass.But the lessons and experience gained in the Shuttle Program by the people involved will be the backbone of those missions.
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#216 by SimonShuttle on 20 Jul, 2011 12:42
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I'm going to miss the Space Shuttle, but I'm never going to forget them. I'm not buying this bright future, as much as it is, as these girls are still flightworhty. A country as great as the USA should not be penny pinching over either its shuttles or space program.
I get off work later this afternoon and I'm leaving NTV on and will keep reading the great posts on here. Going to lap up as much as this as possible.
And yes, well done to Chris for this great site. As one of the first people on here, to see it grow has been amazing. And as I know Chris personally, I can say he's a top bloke who looks like he should be playing rugby not reporting on the space program
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#217 by psloss on 20 Jul, 2011 12:46
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FYI, keep an eye out for an additional "execute" package -- there's a FD14 Entry Package hard-copy here...
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#218 by Jeff Lerner on 20 Jul, 2011 12:51
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I want to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of people who have worked on the STS Program over the last 30 years. While the general public gets to see just a little of the effort involved with getting a Shuttle to the launch pad, into orbit and landing safe on Earth, it's clear that the complexity of this program involved so many people, from so many companies.
I can only imagine the hours of overtime, missed family meals, school plays, vacations, etc, that were impacted by the efforts required of the countless workers over the years to keep the Shuttle program on track.
I also want to mention what the Shuttle program meant to me as a Canadian. The way I see it, the Space Shuttle provided Canada with our first real opportunity to get into Human Space Flight. Our Canadian astronauts flew a variety of missions aboard the Shuttles and even when not aboard a particular flight, Canada was well represented on most Shuttle flights through the use of the iconic RMS or Canadarm. The clear "CANADA" emblazoned on the arm was regularly in full view of the world to see and was a powerful representation of Canada's successful space related technology. Canada is very proud of her astronauts, and the Space Shuttle provided our country with a platform to show the world what we can do.
My only chance to see a Shuttle launch live was for STS-127 as a guest of the Canadian Space Agency. That didn't work out but I did have a chance to meet various astronauts at a reception the night before the scheduled launch. A fantastic experience. We also had a day tour that brought us to very close to LC-39A and Endeavour. Every tour bus had a NASA representative. These people were all volunteers giving up their time to sit with us on the buses and would gladly answer the multitude of questions we had. Our bus had a NASA employee who was involved with Software Configuration Management. Being in IT myself, it was exciting for me to hear her stories on the challenges they faced integrating the Russion and U.S. software aboard the ISS.
I'd be remissed if I didn't add a special Thank You to Chris for NSF and to all the people who post on this site...the amount of information I have picked up on the Space Shuttle and other Programs is incredible...thank you to everyone for sharing.
I've said in a previous post, that history is the best judge for many things. I am confident that when the Space Shuttle program is reviewed in the light of past accomplishments, the Space Shuttle Era will be seen as a significant period of the Space Age….another "….Giant leap for Mankind…".
Safe landing to the crew of STS-135...
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#219 by psloss on 20 Jul, 2011 12:51
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Mr. Ceccacci also mentioned that when Robert brought it up before the briefing started. "Jack-in-the-box" is a good description of that deploy.The picosat poem.... :-)
this poem continues/concludes the tradition of the crew reading a short poem during each of the generic Free Flight A simulations after the satellite deploy had been accomplished. The FF-A generic L-1 day orbit sim timeline had been used probably once a month or so for at least the last several years, and the highlight of the runs for many of the flight controllers became the inventive and clever poems rattled off by the crew after the deploy was completed.
the real deal from space was quite a treat
NASA conducted sun observations that kept scientist hip deep in data for years. We got many of the fundamentals of living in space in place before the Russians built their big MIR. Then we let it crash into the Ocean and Australia. The Shuttle wasn't ready yet and the Sun's Solar Maximum didn't help either.