Godspeed...
Posted on 02/23/2011 2:32:10 PM PST by Pyro7480
NASA Managers: It's a "Go" for Launch
At today's pre-launch news conference NASA's mission management team have given their unanimous approval for space shuttle Discovery's launch tomorrow at 4:50 p.m. EST.
"Everything is on track and going beautifully with the countdown," said Mike Moses, mission management team chair. "We're really looking forward to a very action-packed, successful mission and everything is on track."
Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, agreed that everything is going extremely well with the launch countdown. He also acknowledged the processing teams who worked on Discovery, its flight systems and ground elements. "As we're powering up (the systems) we're seeing no problems at all."
The rotating service structure will be rolled away from Discovery at around 8 p.m. revealing it for the last time on the launch pad. Loading of the external fuel tank will begin at around 7:25 a.m. tomorrow morning. "We're not tracking any issues and it looks like Discovery will fly this time," said Leinbach.
Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer, reported that the weather remains exceptional with only a 20 percent chance that weather will be prohibitive at launch time. The only slight issue may be a localized off-shore shower in the late afternoon. The forecast during tanking also is looking very good.
At 7:15 a.m. EST NASA TV will begin coverage of the fueling of the external tank. Launch coverage for Discovery's final mission to the International Space Station will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Godspeed...
You're kidding, aren't you?
NASA probably had less to do with the creation of the Internet than Al Gore did.
ML/NJ
‘How are these people, who will be in orbit for something like a week, going to protect us from a future orbital attack? ‘
The same way that the flight of the Wright brothers eventually made it possible to drop bombs on Japan. As part of a multiple decades long research and development project.
Then I guess you think the Air Force is unconstitutional..
It’s A_Friggen American Crew. What’s your problem
No I don't, Schmuck. What a stupid thing to say. The Air Force has a clear military function. There is an Air Force guy who is part of the Joint Chiefs. No one from NASA is part of this group. Do you have any idea why they were excluded?
ML/NJ
Gotta love that confidence. Let's hope they get there and back in once piece and the incompetent engineers don't murder another crew.
Don’t be a jerk. Why don’t you try to launch a rocket into space..
Plan to be there to see the launch.
I don’t try to persuade folks about the benefits of NASA anymore. I provided a link to a NASA website that lists technolgy transfers for anyone that wants to do their own homework and come to their own conclusions on whether it was money well spent or not.
I personally believe that understanding and exploring space is a valuable and rewarding prospect for nations that have the will and the means to do it.
I don’t always agree with the direction that this agency is told to go. NASA has been used for political purposes for decades. As an engineer, it bothers me greatly when the data doesn’t drive the answer...that’s why politics is so frustrating to me.
I think that the end of this world will probably come from out there somewhere.....I mean we are just hurtling through a vast universe with relatively little knowledge of our little area of it. Any knowledge that we can gain in this area, helps mankind in the long run, in my opinion. Of course, there’s not much we can do right now about dangers we may discover....an asteroid heading our way, or the sun getting overly or less active.
Right now, we are just scratching the surface on how humans can live in space. Need to start somewhere....every little advance we make, in my opinion, is moving us forward.
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/nasacity/index2.htm
Remember the future?
I didn't say NASA was completely useless. I said their activities are unconstitutional. I really did like the moon exploration, but I recognize it for what it was.
If you want to argue for space exploration as a function of the Federal government, then you need to pursue an amendment to the Constitution if you want to be honest about it. And it might even pass.
ML/NJ
Does TSA get to pat the pilots and passengers down prior to launch?
Take one long last look.....from now on, since there's no more American Space Shuttles, American astronauts will be hitching rides with the Russians.
.
Developing and advancing technology needed to thwart anticipable future threats is defense-related. Arguably other functions (climate science, astronomy, etc) may not strictly tie out, but they provide side benefits and lower the effective cost of the defense-related missions - and every mission regardless of its payload helps to maintain long-term cargo and orbital capablility. I think we’re operating with one eye closed until we get our next generation space vehicle(s) online and operational. And I don’t think BO gives a flying damn - he’d rather take the cash and divert it to some Soros-related union.
Will be there at the Cape! I’m gonna ask if I can test drive the shuttle before they go up!
would you like to back up your statement
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