3 posts tagged “space shuttle”

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random shuttle facts (for STS-125)

stuff i didn't know before spending the day @ kennedy space center:

if shuttle didn't roll over backwards (right after launch, always does this), Comms would drop out (blocked by fuel tanks), they'd have no line of sight in case nav dropped out, and fuel use would not be as efficient.

polar orbits are launched from california, equatorial from florida. 

space station orbit is from 117-245 miles up (relatively low)
hubble is around 350 mi up (relatively high)

every 45 minutes goes from light/dark... so they orbit earth every 1.5 hrs. 

the shuttle must cool down & 'rest' for 40 hrs before they open up the bay or go outside

at 30 seconds, they throttle down, or else the orange fuel tank would crush by an atmospheric pressure change at that height. they throttle it back up at 51 seconds.

@ 10 seconds, shuttle is going 1000 mph (well ok 927 mph)
@ 1 min, 2000 mph
@ 2 min 1s, the booster seperation happens
@ 6 min, 17729 mph (!) - large tank drops
@ 10 min, officially in space (above 99 mi high)

pretty amazing. 

oh, and tons of debris is still left from recent satellite collisions, so there was a whole extra shuttle ready to go, crew on standby, in case they get hit w/ debris & can't land the shuttle. yep. rescue mission on standby. high stakes. all for a telescope. so cool. 'most dangerous mission yet'

Post a comment Tags: space shuttle, launch, physics, nasa, rocketry

STS-125 12 hrs to liftoff

so made it to florida to see the last hubble mission ! 


flew into orlando & drove around kennedy space center to get a feel for the layout... leaving 6am tomorrow to make sure we get there in time.... 
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332103main_liteglow_full

Post a comment Tags: woot, space shuttle, nasa

10 more chances to see space shuttle before it's decomissioned.

I've decided i really want to go see a space shuttle launch - at least once.

it's a pretty large part of childhood symbolism (challenger's demise was our generations' jfk assassination) yet 30 years later it's still a huge massive symbol of science & progress, and is one of the few national symbols that doesn't make me nauseous while we're at war, even if it is an albatross; has triple redundancy of every (1970's built) system, and is as aerodynamic as a brick.

think i'll try this october....

meanwhile... here are all remaining chances:

Remaining missions in 2008

8 October - Atlantis: A mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

10 November - Endeavour: ISS re-supply, and servicing of rotary joints that allow the big solar arrays to track the Sun.

Missions in 2009

12 February - Discovery: Final pair of solar arrays to be installed on the starboard end of the station's backbone.

15 May - Endeavour: Delivery of third and final component of the Japanese Kibo Laboratory.

30 July - Atlantis: Largely a logistics mission but it will include spacewalks to install equipment on Europe's Columbus lab.

15 October - Discovery: The flight will take up two spare gyroscopes that are needed to maintain station stability.

10 December - Endeavour: Delivery of the final connecting node, Node 3, together with the European-built Cupola window.

Missions in 2010

11 February - Atlantis: Another logistics mission to make sure the station is fully stocked with supplies.

8 April - Discovery: The flight will see the installation of a Russian Mini Research Module to be attached at the rear of the ISS.

31 May - Endeavour: The last flight. The 15-day mission will be the 35th orbiter flight to the station.

Post a comment Tags: space shuttle, launch, rocket, space exploration, nasa