Space Shuttle Atlantis Final Launch Live Thread (07/08/11 11:26 EDT)

07/07/11 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

Well it was good ride.. But like all good things it must come to the end... To me the biggest accomplishment was for the first time in human history we built something in space (unless the Lanteans already did it)..

God Speed Atlantis!!!!!

[KevinDavis]

Final Live Launch Thread Ping!!

[Biggirl]

God Bless and Godspeed for the takeoff tomorrow late morning of Space Shuttle Atlantis.

[DoughtyOne]

This is not directed at you personally. I know it's going to look like it. It's an observation that I would make if you hadn't made your comment. I'm using your comment to address the absurdity of the situation we find ourselves in now, but I don't have animus toward you.

Yes we built something in space. Now, after tomorrow we won't have a way to get back to it in the foreseeable future.

Color me a complainer extraordinaire if you like folks, but wouldn't it seem like planning for this ahead of time, might have been a good idea?

[He Rides A White Horse]

After Challenger and Columbia, I always feel uneasy, and pray for the best.

[A. Morgan]

Bump!

[M-cubed]

Kinda like planting corn in April when you know your leaving in May.......

[Liberty Valance]

bump - thanks for the launch thread.

[Gator113]

I’m disappointed that it’s over.

[KevinDavis]

Same here..

[Bean Counter]

yah....I always get a hitch when I hear that “Go at Throttle-up” call....

[He Rides A White Horse]

Yeah. Those two accidents were terrible. Just awful.

[getarope]

The Final Countdown.

[Florida native]

Weather forecast - not looking good for a Shuttle launch...70-80% chance of rain/thunderstorms tomorrow...

ZCZC MIATWOAT ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 800 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2011

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

1. AN ELONGATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TAMPA FLORIDA HAS BECOME A LITTLE BETTER DEFINED DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS.

IN ADDITION...SURFACE PRESSURES HAVE DECREASED OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO DURING THE LAST 24 HOURS. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MARGINALLY CONDUCIVE FOR SOME ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS DISTURBANCE.

THERE IS A MEDIUM CHANCE...40 PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES SLOWLY NORTHWARD OR NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD.

REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT...THIS WEATHER SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MOST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA AND THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

[musicman]

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[Bean Counter]

yep...Columbia was lost on my 50th birthday...I got up early that morning, made coffee, and turned on the tube just in time to hear Leroy Cain say the worst three words I ever heard come out of a NASA Flight Director’s mouth:

“Lock the doors.”

Horrible day.....it’s difficult to remember either tragedy without tearing up.....

[Liberty Valance]

Please send that storm outlook here to central Texas.
Hope it clears there for Atlantis launch.

[mojo114]

“I m disappointed that it’s over.”

Me too Gator. This is such a darn shame. All the people out of work, What the heck are all these extremely talented people suppose to do? Work in U.S.A. ?
I blame Obama. Since he was President during this extreme cancellation.

[Liberty Valance]

As engineers prepared to move the Rotating Service Structure away from Atlantis, a severe thunderstorm passed overhead, delivering rain and lightning that produced two strikes near the launch pad.

Data review showed the two strikes occurred at 12:31 p.m. and 12:40 p.m. EDT. The first struck the water tower 515 feet (157 meters) from the pad and the second struck the beach area northeast of the pad.

So far, the data review indicates no issues with any systems, including shuttle Atlantis, External Tank, Solid Rocket Boosters, Space Shuttle Main Engines or Ground Support Equipment."

[newzjunkey]

Neither was a true accident.

They were catastrophes caused by engineering and managerial incompetence.