Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Live Thread 8:47 est

12/09/06 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

Will the Shuttle go or not... It all depends on the weather...

[doug from upland]

Looking from the shore across the water. The sound and vibration was awazing. I can't remember the date, but think it was Nov. 2003 or 2004.

[KevinDavis]

The Main Propulsion System helium system has been reconfigured by pilot Bill Oefelein. Soon the gaseous nitrogen purge to the aft skirts of the solid rocket boosters will be started.

[Unmarked Package]

"The Space Shuttle could launch a city bus, fully loaded."

That's an interesting way to visualize the payload capacity of the Shuttle.

I'm not sure the design maximum, but I think the heaviest payload ever carried by the Space Shuttle was the P3/P4 truss segment that went up in the last Shuttle flight (Atlantis STS-115). That monster payload filled the payload bay, weighed 35,000 pounds, and cleared the payload bay structure by only four inches when it was lifted out on orbit.

[JerseyJohn61]

Hello All, just checkin' in from the ping list.

Let's hope that we can light this Roamin' candle
tonight....JJ61

[KevinDavis]

That is an awesome view.....

[KevinDavis]

Mission Control in Houston has loaded Discovery's onboard computers with the proper guidance parameters based on the projected launch time.

[Florida native]

Don't know what the max distance for viewing is, but most of us on the main peninsula in Florida can see it if we have fairly clear skies in the direction of the Cape.

I'll be viewing it from the end of my street overlooking a wide-open pasture to the east. Right now our skies are clear with only wispy clouds towards the east. And I am in Belleview, just south of Ocala in North Central Florida, approximately 110 miles NW of KSC.

[RightWhale]

The city buses we have weigh 14 tons. There are bigger ones, but these are typical.

[KevinDavis]

I have a feeling that the pilots are saying the Sheppards prayer....

[dandelion]

BUMP for da BEAN DIP!!

[paulat]

Kev..public thanks for hosting this thread. Awesome job!

[KevinDavis]

T - Minus 9:00 .. FINAL HOLD!!!!

[COEXERJ145]

"Please God/Lord, don't let me **** this up" or something to that effect.

[KevinDavis]

T-minus 9 minutes and holding. Countdown clocks have gone into the planned 45-minute, 35-second built-in hold. Today's launch remains set for 8:47:35 p.m. EST. Weather is still "go" at this time.

[RightWhale]

What do we have, 50 minutes to scheduled liftoff?

[Hazcat]

Watching online!

[Egon]

Godspeed, Discovery!

[KevinDavis]

Yep... Final hold...

[doug from upland]

No, maybe it was 2002. When the heck was I in Florida last?

[Central Scrutiniser]

Commander Mark Polansky's nickname is....Roman.

LOL