OMG it's the SpaceX Party Thread!

[Chris Bergin]

Chris, just wanted to thank you for the Party thread.
The laughs, mixed with the anticipation of launch, late on a Friday night was a wonderful mix.

Sure thing, although I wish I had thought of it before! Kinda fun to have a cheerleading style thread, but "cheerleading" was always a problem as some people thought it sounded like "blind support". A fun party thread, with a title that sounds like someone on twitter would write seemed more apt, given so many people were staying up late on a Friday night.

And while I'm here, I'll be AWOL from 10am GMT to 9pm GMT on Sunday. Off to London for York City's Promotion Final against Luton Town at Wembley Stadium. L2 and the forum are "self-generating" content and the article on site is a good lead in to the updates, so we're covered with just me missing. And it's a Sunday (always slower than other days).

#ChrisNeedsSmartPhoneForOutsideInternet

[MP99]

Chris, just wanted to thank you for the Party thread.
The laughs, mixed with the anticipation of launch, late on a Friday night was a wonderful mix.

Sure thing, although I wish I had thought of it before! Kinda fun to have a cheerleading style thread, but "cheerleading" was always a problem as some people thought it sounded like "blind support". A fun party thread, with a title that sounds like someone on twitter would write seemed more apt, given so many people were staying up late on a Friday night.

Agreed - a great idea, and the different vibe was a great success. Also good for drawing off the more frivolous comments from the more serious threads.

Best of luck tomorrow.

cheers, Martin

[Beemer]

NasaTV HD on laptop
NSF on main computer

I have NASA channel on the TV with NSF & SpaceX webcast on the laptop.

I'm ready for anything!!!!

Were you ready for a power cut, like I had?

NTV (Ustream) on TV via desktop. SpaceX stream / countdown on laptop, checking NSF via tablet. Only the tablet stayed up when the power went, and even that lost internet because the router was off.

Thankfully it was off for less than 30 secs, but I was praying it wouldn't happen again near T-0.

Time to put battery back in the laptop, and add some cash to the PAYG mobile internet dongle.

cheers, Martin

PS neat tip - was able to pause the SpaceX stream via the "PVR" function, then watch that back from the start with sound after the NTV broadcast was complete.

I have a generator in case the power goes off but given the time it takes to hook it up I would have missed it...if I had lost power this AM you would have been able to hear the cursing all the way from here to your place 

[oiorionsbelt]

Sorry, but I can't resist posting someone's reaction to the scrub: a clear cut case of launchis interruptus. 

I'm cutting and pasting this over here because if you didn't see it, it sums up last night better than any words ever could.

[Beemer]

Sorry, but I can't resist posting someone's reaction to the scrub: a clear cut case of launchis interruptus. 

I'm cutting and pasting this over here because if you didn't see it, it sums up last night better than any words ever could.

Yup that sums up my reaction exactly 

[rickl]

All right, who snuck a videocam onto my computer monitor?   

[kevin-rf]

I will say this much, even though it was a scrub, I was out on the deck with the laptop and got to enjoy a wonderful sunrise. It was a good start in the yard to a very long day. The early start provided extra time zipping around the yard in the lawn tractor with attachments and bobcat moving things to and fro (and the many obvious blatant OSHA violations). To me this mornings launch was worth every penny.

[spectre9]

The publicity since their last launch has been huge I reckon.

It's good to see so many new users attracted to the site for the SpaceX coverage.

Welcome to all the noobs and hope people in the USA didn't lose too much sleep over this launch attempt.

It was mid afternoon here and I was out and about.

I watched a few minutes of the webcast and thought to myself "They'll probably abort anyway".

That instantaneous window didn't give me much confidence.

Will not be missing attempt #2 which I have a much better feeling about.

[cro-magnon gramps]

And while I'm here, I'll be AWOL from 10am GMT to 9pm GMT on Sunday. Off to London for York City's Promotion Final against Luton Town at Wembley Stadium. L2 and the forum are "self-generating" content and the article on site is a good lead in to the updates, so we're covered with just me missing. And it's a Sunday (always slower than other days).

#ChrisNeedsSmartPhoneForOutsideInternet

1 hr 50 min to game play;) think I may have a site to watch the game, fingers crossed IF this works, thank you for prompting me to search for news updates if anyone wants to find out what Chris is excited about, check out the link;

http://www.tvonline-live.com/video-sport/match-en-live-2/luton-town-vs-york-city-fc-live-stream-may-20-2012/

[tigerade]

Here's some good journalism for ya:

http://news.yahoo.com/video-failed-space-shuttle-launch-really-awkward-165629432--finance.html

Things I learned from this article:
-Falcon 9/Dragon is a "space shuttle" 
-This was a "failed" misison
-NASA is spelled out as "N.A.S.A."

[rickl]

That was funny.  The headline "Failed space shuttle launch is really awkward" sounds like it was written by someone whose first language is not English. 

It's really awkward, in other words.

[renclod]

...
-Falcon 9/Dragon is a "space shuttle" 

SpaceX Dragon is capable of
"a. Regular travel back and forth over an established, often short route by a vehicle"

So we should accept the continuing terminology. Why not ? STS is gone but other LEO shuttles are coming on line, cargo and/or crew.

[majormajor42]

Technically correct and as QuantumG recently said, that is the best form of "correct". The Dragon, after it proves it's reusability may one day be referred to as a Dragon shuttle. That has not happened yet. In fact, NASA wants a new capsule on every flight, for now. So no "shuttle" analogy till that happens.

Chris will probably have things to say about this. When he starts calling another vehicle a shuttle, you know it's been accepted.

Still, I don't think the reporter of that article/headline (cause sometimes editors pick headlines, not the author of the article) was thinking at that level.

[Lar]

Technically correct and as QuantumG recently said, that is the best form of "correct". The Dragon, after it proves it's reusability may one day be referred to as a Dragon shuttle. That has not happened yet. In fact, NASA wants a new capsule on every flight, for now. at level.

So how much are used ones going to go for on eBay?  

"For sale, one Dragon, only used once, to ferry a little old lady from Pasadena"

More seriously, surely SpaceX will find other uses for them.

[jimvela]

The Dragon, after it proves it's reusability may one day be referred to as a Dragon shuttle.

I sure hope not.  Reusable capsule.  A dragon is a reusable capsule.

Buran is a space shuttle.  STS is a space shuttle. X-37B is a space shuttle.  Dream chaser will be a space shuttle if it ever flies.

Dragon is a reusable capsule.

Journalists are a dying breed, sadly.


Edit/Lar: fix incorrect quote attribution

[cro-magnon gramps]

OMG, Chris will be walking on air!!! YORK WON!!! 1-2 over LUTON!!!
   They are back in the Premier League after 8 years!!!! Pandemonium at Wembley!!!

[mr. mark]

Seems to be a lot more traffic on this website. Can't wait for a successful launch and things to get back to normal. I look forward to the expert commentary from informed sources. I can hear the booing and hissing starting now......

[Space OurSoul]

The Dragon, after it proves it's reusability may one day be referred to as a Dragon shuttle.

I sure hope not.  Reusable capsule.  A dragon is a reusable capsule.

Buran is a space shuttle.  STS is a space shuttle. X-37B is a space shuttle.  Dream chaser will be a space shuttle if it ever flies.

Dragon is a reusable capsule.

Journalists are a dying breed, sadly.

I agree with your definition of the word, cuz I have a soft spot for STS too, but it's really just an example of the language evolving, not a hallowed definition of the word.

"Shuttle" meant something simple and dreary before STS: a workaday ship that goes back and forth on the same route on a frequent schedule. But now, "shuttle," at least when applied to things that fly to space, is firmly ensconced in the popular language to mean a (white, delta-) winged ship that returns from space to land horizontally.

For example, if you look on the Space Expedition Curacao site, you'll see the phrase "XCOR Lynx shuttle."

I bet Chris (the Chris) is grinding his teeth at that :-)

Hey, look, I'm doing the nitpicky 'net argue-about-trivia thing! Is this still a party thread, or what? That's what I'm talking about (drunken high five slap).

(p.s., Chris, I think this party thread idea was one of your best. De-clutters the update thread wonderfully.)

[rickl]

I agree that the party thread was a great idea.  I've been reading the update and discussion threads as well, but mostly commenting here since I don't have any special knowledge or expertise to add.

[kevin-rf]

Why don't we have party threads for ULA and Obital launches?