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Space Shuttle - Latest News NASA Updates

#2536 User is offline   DONTEATUS 


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Posted 07 November 2009 - 06:36 PM

You for sure cant be affraid of heights being an Astronaut ! Great Pics Waspie! :tu:
This is a Work in Progress!

#2537 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 10 November 2009 - 03:08 AM

One Week to Launch!
Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:51:20 PM GMT

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the work week begins with the installation of new equipment at Launch Pad 39A.

Technicians will install instruments in both the mobile launcher platform's tail service mast and in space shuttle Atlantis' aft section. The equipment will record the sound pressure and vibration at liftoff -- which recently were determined to be stronger than originally thought.

The testing of the "main engine acoustic environment" using microphones and sensors will continue with launch.

Yesterday, workers completed final ordnance installation and connections in the shuttle.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the six STS-129 mission astronauts will enter quarantine tonight after a day of administrative duties. They'll be housed in a germ-free environment until they fly to Kennedy on Thursday for Atlantis' launch to the International Space Station.

Liftoff is set for 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16 and the countdown to launch begins 1 p.m. EST Friday.


Space Shuttle Mission: STS-129

Posted Image
Image above: STS-129 crew members participate in a food tasting session
in the Habitability and Environmental Factors Office at NASA's Johnson
Space Center. Pictured from the left are Pilot Barry E. Wilmore, Mission
Specialist Mike Foreman, Commander Charles O. Hobaugh, Mission Specialists
Leland Melvin, Robert L. Satcher Jr. and Randy Bresnik.
Photo credit: NASA/JSC

› High-res image

Atlantis and Crew Prepare for Flight
The STS-129 mission will be commanded by Charles O. Hobaugh and piloted by Barry E. Wilmore. Mission Specialists are Robert L. Satcher Jr., Mike Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik will be making their first trips to space.

Atlantis and its crew will deliver two control moment gyroscopes, equipment and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2 to the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

Atlantis also will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight.

Atlantis will launch on the STS-129 mission at 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2538 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 10 November 2009 - 03:18 AM

Launch and Landing

Mission: STS-129
Orbiter: Atlantis
Primary Payload: Two Control Moment Gyroscopes, EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2
Launch Date: Nov. 16
Launch Time: 2:28 p.m. EST
Launch Pad: 39A
Landing: Nov. 27 - 9:47 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Mission Duration: 11 days
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles



Posted Image
Image: In the Payload Changeout Room on Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A,
members of the STS-129 crew, dressed in clean-room attire known as
"bunny suits," take a break from their payload familiarization training for a
photo. From left are Mission Specialists Leland Melvin and Robert L. Satcher Jr.,
Commander Charles O. Hobaugh and Mission Specialist Mike Foreman.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

› View High-Res

STS-129 Crew Prepare for Kennedy Return and Launch
The Atlantis crew members are going into quarantine at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for the few days remaining before their flight to Kennedy on Thursday morning.

Launch pad preps also are in the final stages for space shuttle Atlantis' liftoff on Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST.

Shuttle Atlantis and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 1 and 2, holding about 28,000 pounds of supplies and spare parts to the space station, including two control moment gyroscopes. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

The STS-129 mission will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight to or from the space station.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle - Launch and Landing
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2539 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 10 November 2009 - 11:46 PM

Atlantis and Crew Move Closer to Launch Day
Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:14:36 PM GMT

Technicians on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida continue final checks of systems in the aft section on space shuttle Atlantis.

Installation work also continues for the shuttle's engine acoustic environment testing equipment. The equipment will record the sound pressure and vibration at liftoff -- which recently were determined to be stronger than originally thought.

Testing of the main engine acoustic environment equipment using microphones and sensors is scheduled to wrap up tomorrow.

The STS-129 mission's six astronauts are now in quarantine at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston until they fly to Kennedy on Thursday morning. They will practice final integrated ascent techniques in the motion base simulator and review camera equipment in crew quarters today.

Liftoff of Atlantis' flight to the International Space Station is set for 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16. The countdown to launch begins 1 p.m. Friday.


Space Shuttle Mission: STS-129

Posted Image
Image above: Mission Specialist Mike Foreman participates in an Extra-
vehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit fit check in the Space Station Airlock Test
Article in the Crew Systems Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Mission Specialist Randy Bresnik, assisted Foreman.
Photo credit: NASA/JSC

› High-res image

Atlantis and Crew Prepare for Flight
The STS-129 mission will be commanded by Charles O. Hobaugh and piloted by Barry E. Wilmore. Mission Specialists are Robert L. Satcher Jr., Mike Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik will be making their first trips to space.

Atlantis and its crew will deliver two control moment gyroscopes, equipment and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2 to the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

Atlantis also will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight.

Atlantis will launch on the STS-129 mission at 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2540 User is offline   DONTEATUS 


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Posted 11 November 2009 - 03:00 PM

"The STS 129 mission will return station crew member Nicole Scott to earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight from the space station"
Is this really the last shuttle crew trip? How many trips will the Rusian`s be makeing to supply the station?
And Orion is still years away! We must keep our Shuttle up and running for a little longer right?
This is a Work in Progress!

#2541 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 11 November 2009 - 07:53 PM

View PostDONTEATUS, on 11 November 2009 - 03:00 PM, said:

And Orion is still years away! We must keep our Shuttle up and running for a little longer right?

Why?

As a crew vehicle it is hopeless. It is a truck not a taxi. It can not remain in orbit for long enough to act as a life boat. It almost never launches on time. The Russian Soyuz is far better suited as a crew vehicle.

The shuttle is a very expensive vehicle. If the Obama administration decides to go ahead with the Orion and the return to the moon then the money freed up by grounding the shuttle can be far better spent on that programme. Once the ISS is completed then the shuttle is a vehicle with no real mission left. It has no reason to visit the ISS and is considered to risky not too (special dispensation was given for the Hubble mission).

So what motivation does that leave to keep flying it? Two crews have been lost to these vehicles already. I am among the first to argue that some of it's dangers are exaggerated, however it is still flying with the fatal flaw that cost the Columbia crew their lives. It may not have been allowed to fly again if it had not been decided to retire them in 2010. The Soyuz is 42 years old, however it has had a huge number of upgrades. The shuttle is essentially the same machine that started flying 28 years ago. They are ageing, they can not fly for ever.

Over and over again you have repeated your mantra to keep the shuttle flying, but not once have you put forward a single coherent argument as to why it should keep flying. I'm sorry but, "because DONTEATUS likes it," is not sufficient justification to risk killing another crew.
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2542 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 12 November 2009 - 12:16 AM

Five Days to Launch
Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:26:05 PM GMT

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians at Launch Pad 39A begin work today to get space shuttle Atlantis' propulsion systems ready for flight to the International Space Station.

The shuttle's three main engines, as well as the orbital maneuvering system and reaction control system, which will be used to steer Atlantis in space, will start being pressurized for flight.

Techs also will complete installation of sensors and microphones in Atlantis' aft section today for the acoustic environment testing. Final systems checks in the shuttle's aft section are complete.

The STS-129 astronauts will fly to Kennedy tomorrow in NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft. Landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility is expected around 12 p.m. EST. NASA TV will air the crew's arrival live on the Web at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

The countdown to launch begins 1 p.m. Friday.

Liftoff of Atlantis' 11-day cargo mission to the space station is set for 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.


Space Shuttle Mission: STS-129

Posted Image
Image above: Mission Specialist Robert L. Satcher Jr. (left), Pilot Barry E.
Wilmore and Mission Specialist Leland Melvin, attired in training versions
of their shuttle launch and entry suits, await the start of a Full Fuselage
Trainer mock-up training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at
NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Photo credit: NASA/JSC

› High-res image

Atlantis and Crew Prepare for Flight
The STS-129 mission will be commanded by Charles O. Hobaugh and piloted by Barry E. Wilmore. Mission Specialists are Robert L. Satcher Jr., Mike Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik will be making their first trips to space.

Atlantis and its crew will deliver two control moment gyroscopes, equipment and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2 to the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

Atlantis also will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight.

Atlantis will launch on the STS-129 mission at 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2543 User is offline   MID 


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Posted 12 November 2009 - 01:02 AM

Time to go flying again, folks!

:tu:


Weather...please let us get off the ground on time!

#2544 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 12 November 2009 - 01:26 AM

Launch and Landing

Mission: STS-129
Orbiter: Atlantis
Primary Payload: Two Control Moment Gyroscopes, EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2
Launch Date: Nov. 16
Launch Time: 2:28 p.m. EST
Launch Pad: 39A
Landing: Nov. 27 - 9:47 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Mission Duration: 11 days
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles



Posted Image
Image above: On launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in
Florida, flags wave briskly as space shuttle Atlantis awaits liftoff on the
STS-129 mission.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

› View High-Res

Atlantis, Crew Prepare for Nov. 16 Launch
Space shuttle Atlantis' crew members are scheduled to fly to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and land at the Shuttle Landing Facility Thursday around noon EST for the upcoming cargo supply flight to the International Space Station.

Launch pad preps and testing are in the final stages for the shuttle's liftoff on Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m.

Shuttle Atlantis and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 1 and 2, holding about 28,000 pounds of supplies and spare parts to the space station, including two control moment gyroscopes. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

The STS-129 mission will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight to or from the space station.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle - Launch and Landing
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2545 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 13 November 2009 - 07:15 AM

STS-129 Crew Due in to Kennedy Today
Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:08:13 PM GMT

Space shuttle Atlantis' six astronauts are expected to arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today for their prelaunch activities. They left Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at about 10:40 a.m. EST on a NASA modified Gulfstream II jet Shuttle Training Aircraft.

Arrival is scheduled for about 12:30 p.m. EST and will be carried live on NASA TV -- also online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

The crew is scheduled to make a brief statement to the media, who are gathered at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility covering the arrival, before departing to their quarters in the Operations and Checkout Building.

Technicians on Launch Pad 39A completed pressurizing tanks inside Atlantis' engine and steering jet systems, which are the main propulsion system and orbital maneuvering system, and the reaction control system early this morning.

Countdown officially begins tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. for Monday's 2:28 p.m. launch.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2546 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 13 November 2009 - 07:21 AM

STS-129 Astronauts Arrive at Kennedy
Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:00:24 PM GMT

The six astronauts for space shuttle Atlantis's STS-129 mission to the International Space Station are now at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew arrived at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility in a Shuttle Training Aircraft Gulfstream II jet at 12:35 p.m. EST.

After arriving, STS-129 Commander Charles O. Hobaugh and his crew made brief statements to the media who were gathered at the shuttle runway.

"It's a real honor and pleasure to be here," said Hobaugh. "This has been the culmination of at least nine months of us being together as a crew … we've been deeply entrenched in our training, getting to develop all of our individual requirements for accomplishing our objectives for this mission."

The astronauts departed the landing strip and headed for the crew quarters of Kennedy's Operations and Checkout Building to begin final preparations for liftoff.

The official countdown clock begins counting backwards at 1 p.m. EST tomorrow towards Monday's 2:28 p.m. launch.

Tune in to the STS-129 countdown status briefing being aired on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv, scheduled for 10 a.m. EST Friday.


Space Shuttle Mission: STS-129

Posted Image
Image above: The STS-129 crew members arrive at NASA Kennedy Space
Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in preparation for launch on space shuttle
Atlantis to the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA/JSC


Atlantis and Crew Prepare for Flight
The STS-129 mission will be commanded by Charles O. Hobaugh and piloted by Barry E. Wilmore. Mission Specialists are Robert L. Satcher Jr., Mike Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik will be making their first trips to space.

Atlantis and its crew will deliver two control moment gyroscopes, equipment and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2 to the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

Atlantis also will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight.

Atlantis will launch on the STS-129 mission at 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2547 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 13 November 2009 - 07:27 AM

Launch and Landing

Mission: STS-129
Orbiter: Atlantis
Primary Payload: Two Control Moment Gyroscopes, EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2
Launch Date: Nov. 16
Launch Time: 2:28 p.m. EST
Launch Pad: 39A
Landing: Nov. 27 - 9:47 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Mission Duration: 11 days
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles



Posted Image
Image above: The Shuttle Training Aircraft arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida with the STS-129 crew aboard.
Photo credit: NASA TV


Crew at Kennedy for Nov. 16 Launch
Space shuttle Atlantis' crew members landed at 12:35 p.m. EST at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility for the upcoming cargo supply flight to the International Space Station.

Technicians on Launch Pad 39A completed pressurizing tanks inside Atlantis' engine and steering jet systems, which are the main propulsion system and orbital maneuvering system, and the reaction control system early Thursday morning.

Countdown to the start of the STS-129 mission officially begins Friday at 1 p.m. for Monday's 2:28 p.m. launch.

Shuttle Atlantis and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 1 and 2, holding about 28,000 pounds of supplies and spare parts to the space station, including two control moment gyroscopes. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

The STS-129 mission will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight to or from the space station.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle - Launch and Landing
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2548 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 13 November 2009 - 07:24 PM

STS 129 Crew Arrival




12 November 2009

The STS-129 crew members arrive at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in preparation for launch on space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. The STS-129 mission will be commanded by Charles O. Hobaugh and piloted by Barry E. Wilmore. Mission Specialists are Robert L. Satcher Jr., Mike Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik will be making their first trips to space.

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2549 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 13 November 2009 - 08:55 PM

Preps for Launch Continue, Status Briefing This Morning
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:16:50 PM GMT

NASA officials will hold the STS-129 mission launch countdown status briefing this morning a 10 a.m. EST. It will be broadcast on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Final launch preparations continue at Launch Pad 39A with technicians closing space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors this morning.

Meanwhile, the STS-129 astronauts continue their prelaunch activities at Kennedy today. Commander Charles O. Hobaugh and Pilot Barry E. Wilmore practiced landings at the Shuttle Landing Facility this morning in NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft -- a Gulfstream II jet modified to simulate the shuttle controls and handling.

Techs also performed a final fit-check as Hobaugh and Wilmore donned their orange launch-and-landing gear.

NASA's official launch countdown clock begins counting backward at 1 p.m. EST today toward Monday's 2:28 p.m. liftoff

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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#2550 User is offline   Waspie_Dwarf 


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Posted 13 November 2009 - 08:59 PM

STS-129 Launch Countdown Begins Today
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:48:48 PM GMT

At today's launch countdown status briefing held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managers reported space shuttle Atlantis, its payload and crew are ready for launch at 2:28 p.m. EST on Monday.

NASA Test Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson reported everything is progressing on schedule for Atlantis' 31st flight to deliver the crew, two Express Logistic Carriers and other necessary parts to the International Space Station.

"Our teams here at Kennedy Space Center, as well as all the NASA centers around the country, have worked very hard preparing this hardware for flight," said Blackwell-Thompson. "We're all looking forward to the mission that lies ahead."

Scott Higginbotham, the STS-129 payload manager, said the processing of the payload for this mission has been a difficult and challenging race for his team. "But we're smiling today," Higginbotham said. "Because we crossed the finish line and we survived." Final inspections were completed and the payload bay doors were closed for flight this morning.

Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters reported weather is looking very good for launch day and for the loading of propellants into Atlantis' external fuel tank. At this time there's only a 10 percent chance of weather hindering a successful launch on Monday.

At 1 p.m. today, NASA's official launch countdown clock begins counting backward toward Monday's liftoff.

Tune into the STS-129 mission's pre-launch news conference that will be aired tomorrow at no earlier than 11 a.m. EST on NASA TV and on the web at www.nasa.gov/ntv.


Space Shuttle Mission: STS-129

Posted Image
Image above: The STS-129 crew pauses for a group portrait at the Shuttle
Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are
Mission Specialist Leland Melvin; Pilot Barry E. Wilmore; Commander
Charles O. Hobaugh; and Mission Specialists Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman
and Robert L. Satcher Jr.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

› High-res image

Atlantis and Crew Prepare for Flight
The STS-129 mission will be commanded by Charles O. Hobaugh and piloted by Barry E. Wilmore. Mission Specialists are Robert L. Satcher Jr., Mike Foreman, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin. Wilmore, Satcher and Bresnik will be making their first trips to space.

Atlantis and its crew will deliver two control moment gyroscopes, equipment and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2 to the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

Atlantis also will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight.

Atlantis will launch on the STS-129 mission at 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.

Source: NASA - Space Shuttle
"The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever" - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T. S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-boggingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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