Mundane To You, Monumental To Me

Discovery is in the process of rolling out to its launch pad as we type, can't express how fuzzy the feeling is that we're getting ready to fly again soon. These moments are gonna be fewer and fewer, as there's only 17-19 more flights and then on to the new CEV.

About six weeks of tests on the pad, shooting for 1 July but conservatism will prevail, so expect delays. This will be the second flight since Columbia, and the final of the two classified as test flights. Bunch of stuff going to the ISS is packed away in the trunk, and several spacewalks are also on the manifest.

All the pre-rollout hooha went surprisingly well and smooth, hopefully that's a very good omen.

 

Man, what a beautiful shot.

Congratulations to you and the team my friend.

Steve

 

Not mundane to me. I heard on the radio this morning it was being moved, and I hoped you would post a picture.
Is a beautiful sight.

 

I am sorry to quote the pic and all, but I never knew you were a part of that team....are you?
Gee..um well... I can build a mean house.
If you are real.....
I will be watching from below with a big BIG smile and telling my daughter that dreams do come true

Serious?

 

One of the things I'v promised myself before I die is to watch a NASA launch I'm green with envy

after seeing one of those bad boys go ,me launching clusters of D's and E's in field will seem at the lack of a better Adjective,small

 

jazagod

 

There is nothing mundane about any shuttle launch, period. Only the VERY rare disasters remind us that this is a life/death endeavor, with very little room for errors, either on the ground or in the air.

It's a wonder that the old girls are still flying. Proxmired in the 70s, built by lowest-bid contractors in the 80s, the original plans didn't include stringing them along all the way into THIS century. You guys have done an awesome job keeping them flying.

 

It could have been worse; we could have been Modaled.

The six-hour trip is complete; Disco is locked down on Pad 39B. Since I didn't get any screaming red-alerts from work, I'm assuming nothing fell off on the way there.

For those of you that keep up with this sort of minutiae, we've lost what equals to 4 flights when you factor in what have been taken from NASA's budget as a result of pork-barrelling the past 8 years...4 flights. That's pretty sad.

 

More than sad, and more than that. You guys have been treated like a red-headed step-child for years. The ONLY true frontier left and the politicians who control the purse-strings have been happy to just wet their toes in LEO for a quarter century. Not YOUR fault. You can only do what they'll pay for. You can do a lot with probes and remote vehicles, but WE should be out there.

 

Well you know science people like me of the 'Space Race' generation, can't help being excited about anything to do with space, the pinnacle excitement and interest being a launch.

Good to hear that the rollout went smoothly. Like you said, hopefully a good omen. I always said, the only real news I get interested in, is when something like a new mission happens. I get real tired of politics, crime, disasters and sport.

One can only hope that more impetus will occur with space endeavours as the 21st century rolls on. A lot of people have been distracted from what remains the major enduring legacy of mankind - that of what's beyond our planet.

Yep, sad that funding cuts to NASA is seen as "saving money". One can only wonder how projects that ultimately make money and enrich mankind are seen as targets for cost cutting exercises.

 

True...maybe we ought to restart the Jake Garn program again.

 

Awesome Pic Star!!!!!

Provided you don't mine...I was trying to put it on as my desktop!?!?

Roger

 

I have no problem with that, but if you see black helicopters landing in your front yard, that means NASA's wanting royalties.

 

Guess they gotta figure out some way to pay off the CC bill for the gas in that thing!!!!

Besides that...I seen on ebay where you can buy a force field...same model as used on the SS Enterprise...and it seemed to work pretty good for them!!!

Roger

 

Star....

Just curious if that is the whole picture or is it cropped to be narrow like that?? If it is cropped...is there a chance I could get it a little wider, so it isn't quite so stretched to fit my desktop!?!?

Pretty please and thank you with sugar on top!!!!

I can't believ I just said that!!!!

Roger

 

As well as i love to see space missions, manned or not, I love to see what is below in our deepest oceans, like what was said below, I sure hope the powers will spend some coin on the vast above and below.. Both are beautifull, and apperently just as hard..
Dreams are good!
I could have put a pic that no one has seen before, but the deep is bizzar and mostly unknown. this is pretty...Um, almost spacey.
If most of us had it our way we would enjoy slide shows from adventurers above and below.
Rather than what we see in the middle.
I sure hope the in between figures it out on day!
Here is to exporation!

 

Ditto, I agree.

Steve

 

Star... I am going to the STS-121 launch. Where would you suggest I try to watch it from? KSC, Titusville, etc.? Thanks for the great pics!

 

What a cool sight. Never get tired of looking at pictures like that one...

 

All the 5000 pre-launch passes available to the public for viewing at the Visitors Center and Public Viewing Stand near the VAB sold out in about 45 minutes a couple of weeks ago when the launch date was originally announced. I might suggest you try Jetty Park or anywhere on US Highway 1 in Titusville, or any beach on Merrit Island or Cocoa Beach. Since these launches are fewer and farther between lately, the crowds have been much larger and prime viewing sports are hard to come by. And 7-10 miles away is about as close as you are going to get.

Also, don't hold the launch date to heart; these are complex machines and don't always cooperate on the first try. If a first launch attempt is scrubbed, we try to recycle and go within 72 hours, depending on the gremlin.

If you manage to make it down, hope you enjoy your stay, and don't feed the alligators.

 

Theres all kinds of room at the launch pad!!!!!

 

We planned for holds & scrubs. We will be staying until the 5th. If they delay past that, I'll be out of luck. This a pilgrimage for me. I am a big Mercury through Apollo fan. I wasn't alive for all of that but my parents took me to the Cape when I was very little. One of my first memories of my childhood is touring the VAB and just after mating the white external fuel tank to Columbia. If they do put a hold, it won't be for not. I can spend a lot of time at KSC! When does the Countdown officially start? Do you suggest Jetty Park over Route 1?
Thanks for your help...

 

Countdown begins at 1700 hrs on 29 June; I'd definetly go Jetty Park over US1, but it's one of the most popular spots so it's likely to be packed. All along the "big curve" on US1 there are many hotels as you know, and the deal is camping out in one of their parking lots if they still let you do that. It's kind of like tailgating, only the kickoff is a helluva lot louder.

I don't get by that area much as it's not on my route to and from work, but there was a large lot on the Banana River next to the Wendy's that was a prime viewing area for folks to try and nail a spot in. It's about 8 miles from 39B as the crow flies. I would guess folks would start securing these spots a good week or so before launch, and stay until the flame trench is fried.

 

I hope 1600x1200 Resolution enough?!?

This is actually my desktop with KDE and I was going to ask Rocket Dude when this photo was taken.

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/148888main_sts121atpad_lg.jpg

Thanks for another view, Star!

 

Star17, you are an exceptionally lucky person to be part of one of humankinds greatest achievements in the 21 century. There are many who have criticized U.S.A. for some of the things the country has done, some justified and some not, but in all my travels I have never heard an INTELLIGENT person say anything, except praise for the U.S.A. space program. If anything they say that more American Resources should be spent on your program. The spin-offs from the Space Program itself are a tremendous benefit to all humankind; the “Transistor” comes to mind, for without it we would not even be communicating on this medium.

So as a proud Canuck, I say go Star17 and your NASA crew, may you have a successful launch, were ALL proud of the work you do, and our prayers and good wish’s are with you now as always.



PS:- My budding NASA astronaut (all of eleven) thinks your photo’s are NEAT/COOL, and has taken them to his school.

 

I am in full agreement with you. Canada has also been a great help to the NASA space program. Your engineers have contributed to the shuttle, specifically the robotic arm, and the International Space Station. We are all then this together.

Star, looks like I'll be watching the launch from Cocoa Beach. I'll sip on a nice umbrella drink and hopefully I'm still close enought to be rattled out of my chair.

 

@ Boomm: you're welcome.

@ BCGray: thanks, and as MisterBanks said, don't underestimate the contribution the Canadians have given the program. Also, your son might get a kick out this program: http://www.satscape.co.uk/

@ MisterBanks: Cocoa Beach is fine for viewing, try to get a spot north of RonJon's Surf Shop for the best view.

 

Thanks for the link Star17, oh and bye the way you had better be looking over your shoulder in about ten years, my little guy will be there around then with a big grin on his face.

 

Do you know WHEN that photo was taken?!?

It really is my desktop here, and I thought I would ask you about Disco when I found it.

 

martinch. That is a sweet black and white pic. I have always loved black and white....
Just for kicks I tried changing the Space Shuttle pics to B& W but seems they still look cooler with color.
I am still so impressed!

 

The evening oif Discovery's rollout to the pad.

 

The one I posted?

Or yours? I know yours was rollout.....

 

They're the same photo, boomm.

 

Is Alberto going to postpone anything or simply make the commute fun with all the weirdos panicking along the East Corridor?!?

 

Just steady rain for the next 36 hours or so; more than enough to put out all the brush fires and give everything else a bath.