Posted on 11/06/2007 7:17:01 PM PST by KevinDavis
I wish them a safe and textbook reentry and landing.
No thanks on the ping list, but thanks for starting the thread.
A view from the space shuttle Discovery shortly after it departed the International Space Station on Nov. 5, 2007. On its STS-120 mission, Discovery left behind a bus-sized room for the orbital laboratory and a replacement for one of the Expedition 16 crew. Credit: NASA
I was on the ping list.
Thanks, Kevin. I completely missed the launch as it happened during the worst of the wildfires here, and haven’t kept up with the mission.
What was noteworthy about it?
I have a question. How might I find the info about the path the shuttle will take on landing? I heard today on the radio that it was going to fly over GA. Does that mean that we will be able to see it or hear it? If so, what time will this happen? If you have a link that I can use to get the answers, my sons and I would appreciate it!
Fully story here: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts120/071106fd15/index3.html
ping yes
I saw STS-120 and the ISS pass this morning @ 0448....just beautiful! They passed right by Venus with the crescent moon
just beneath it...really incredible and exciting! Please add me to your ping list. Thanks!
The NASASpaceFlight.com live thread is here. Note that NASASpaceFlight's forums will be closed to guests during deorbit and landing, so if you want to keep up to the minute with their coverage then you'll have to register. This is not a plug for their site, just a friendly reminder.
First landing opportunity puts wheels stop at 1:01 PM ET and the second landing opportunity put wheels stop at 2:36 PM ET. Only Kennedy Space Centre is available for today's attempts. If neither of the opportunities are taken today then all three landing sites will be open for tomorrow's attempts and the shuttle WILL land tomorrow somewhere in the US.
This daylight landing will feature a pass over the continental US. Check the ground paths on the NASA website or the NASASpaceFlight forums to see if they'll cross over your state. Listen for the twin sonic booms and look for the plasma trail (not in that order).
Thanks very much. I usually follow the launch and landing and some of the mission in between but too much happening on this part of the earth at the same time...:)
Okay, I don’t understand most of what folks are saying on the forum, but the screen shots of the astronaut (Scott?) on the end of that arm repairing the solar array panels take my breath away... and, from the posts, it was solar array 4B that was repaired and deployed?
All the best to Flight Engineer Daniel Tani during his time at the ISS. I’ll be back in the morning!!
No problem. I’ve found NASASpaceFlight to be the best resource around.
As far as the major events, they deployed the P4 array, and it had a tear (this was the first array that they had the most trouble with stowing way back late last year). They don’t know if the tear happened during the deploy or stow. But they had an “Apollo 13” moment where the ground team was working around the clock to figure out a fix and send procedures up to them. They ended up putting what they called “cufflinks” into the array to relieve the tension on the hinge. It seems to have worked because the arrays are holding and are properly tensioned.
Anyway, the payload bay doors are closed and the crew has manoeuvred into the communications attitude awaiting the deorbit burn. I’d love to provide live coverage but I’ll be out for most of entry, I’ll be back in time for wheels down if they take the first attempt, which it looks like they will.
Put me back on both the Space Ping and the SciFi ping lists.
Thanks again. I’m back; where is everyone?
I’ve got NASA-TV on; they went into de-orbit burn on schedule.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
The link for NASA-TV live coverage is halfway down the sidebar at above-linked page.
STS-120 over Australian.... 59 MINUTES TO TOUCHDOWN.
THANKS:)
5.56mm
I am just north of wichita right now. What time and how high in the sky should I look?
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