Last Space Shuttle Discovery Landing Wednesday; Sun Becoming Active

accuweather ^ | Mar 8, 2011; 9:53 PM ET

[BenLurkin]

The Space Shuttle Discovery is (sadly) scheduled to land for the last time on Wednesday. The weather is not expected to interfere with Discovery's landing. Dry conditions will prevail at the Kennedy Space Center underneath partly sunny skies. The space shuttle has been in space since Feb. 24th. It unhooked from the International Space Station on Monday.

Following this mission, Discovery will be retired from service after 39 trips into space, including 13 visits to the International Space Station.

Harry Frisby Jr, another amateur astronomer, stated, "HIGH SOLAR ACTIVITY: Solar Cycle 24 is heating up. No fewer than three sunspots (1164, 1165 and 1166) are crackling with M-class solar flares, and each of them has a delta-class magnetic field capable of producing even more powerful X-flares."

Daniel Vogler, amateur astronomer, added, "The CME was not squarely directed at Earth. Nevertheless, the cloud will probably deliver a glancing blow to our planet's magnetic field on March 9th or 10th, possibly sparking polar geomagnetic storms. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras."

This just in....South Africa has issued a solar flare warning

[He Rides A White Horse]

I pray for these people every time a shuttle is launched. It makes me feel uneasy.

[WayneS]

Has the sun been ill recently?

[UCANSEE2]

Has the sun been ill recently?

Yes, it had a cold.

[Ransomed]

The last two days direct TV has had interruptions in programming and a message about sunspots. Could be I just missed interruptions and sunspot messages in years past I reckon, but it was new to me.

Freegards

[txroadkill]

It makes me feel uneasy.

Why? Is it because 7 people attach themselves to 3 hydrogen bombs, intentionally ignite them and use the force of the explosions to propel themselves into orbit outside of the Earths atmosphere for 2 weeks and then free fall back to the surface? Don't be, it's perfectly safe.

[MrB]

Especially when, due to “environmental concerns”, they have been forced to use inferior materials in their safety devices.

[He Rides A White Horse]

I suppose that my feelings are rooted in the previous destruction of two other shuttles. It seems that even a small mishap can spell doom.

Just to be clear, I'm not one of those anti-technology types. I simply just don't want to see it again.

[Young Werther]

The Sun delivers 99.999999999999999% of global warming!

We should refurbish the Shuttle fleet since the shuttle was designed to fly 100 missions and the 4 shuttles haven't flown 1/3rd of their designed airframe life.

Ad Astra!

[hoagy62]

I’d prefer that some private corporation out there step it up and develop an SSTO (Single-Stage-To-Orbit) craft capable of carrying cargo and/or passengers.

[Young Werther]

The Venturestar was one such candidate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VentureStar

It was cancelled and the next generation Aerospke engine, though proven is sitting on the shelf unused!

[hoagy62]

I know...I was thinking of the VentureStar when I posted that.

What was the reason it was cancelled? If the government won’t do it, can some enterprising company try it?

We shouldn’t rely on the Russkies.

[Young Werther]

I'm a member of the National Space Society. I have given speeches to industrialist asserting that money invested in space has a great return on investment. A week before the spaceX prize was won I spoke to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce and recommeded that a commercial space flight program be established in the Dallas area. I provided a copy of my budget and income statement and the DFW area would benefit to the tune of 230 Million + per year.

They were not impressed and on the day of the final SpaceX flight Richard Branson bought the whole plan and Spaceport Arizona was born.

I wrote a paper for Ad Astra where I suggested that the true Space University, not the one in Strassbourg, be built.

read more at http://www.nss.org/adastra/volume13/v13n4/contents/contentsv13n4.html

My name is Louis Mazza