Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Live Thread (11:59 EDT 8/28/09)

08/27/09 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

This is the live thread of the Space Shuttle Discovery Launch... I figure I do it now..

[KevinDavis]

FOLKS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LAUNCH!!!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

IIRC, the Northeast wasn’t going to get too long of a view anyway. We’re at partly cloudy, heading outside soon. The hippie beach is projected to be clear, curse them all.

[Ladysmith]

Sent the live feed link to three brothers - these are SO fun to watch!

[Political Junkie Too]

What’s that fire on the launchpad?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Forgot to add that some neighbors will come outside to see the launch and turn on all their outside lights, complain that they didn’t see much, and get mad at me for walking up the street to get clear of their lights.

[KevinDavis]

Now 20 minutes from Discovery’s launch on an eight-and-a-half minute trek to space. At main engine cutoff, Discovery will be flying on a suborbital trajectory with a high point of 136 statute miles and low point of 36 statute miles, inclined 51.6 degrees to the equator. A half-hour later, the twin orbital maneuvering engines will be fired to place the shuttle into a 142 by 121 statute mile orbit.

[Political Junkie Too]

Is that an illusion? Are they flaring something in the background?

[KevinDavis]

The poll by NASA test director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson confirms there are no technical issues or constraints standing in the way of launch at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The Range also reports “go” on the local weather. And Mission Control says that weather at abort landing sites is acceptable, too.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I was also wondering about the fire, then the camera angle changed.

[KevinDavis]

NASA launch director Pete Nickolenko has conducted his poll and given approval to resume the countdown for liftoff at 11:59 p.m. EDT!

LET'S BURN THIS CANDLE!!

[txroadkill]

it’s actually behind the launch pad and it is burning off excess fumes.

[smokingfrog]

Ready to resume count. No constraints to launch.

[MaxMax]

GO DISCOVERY! God Speed and you are in our prayers.

/Salute

[KevinDavis]

The countdown will resume from the T-minus 9 minute mark at 11:49:37 p.m. EDT.

[KevinDavis]

Now 10 minutes from blastoff.

[mrsalty]

T minus 8:30 and counting

[KevinDavis]

Final Ping!!!! WE HAVE A GO!!!

[KevinDavis]

T-minus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The Ground Launch Sequencer has started pulling the orbiter access arm away from the crew hatch on the port side of the vehicle. The arm was the passage way for the astronauts to board Discovery a few hours ago. The arm can be re-extended very quickly should the need arise later in the countdown.

[KevinDavis]

God speed Discovery...

[Jet Jaguar]

Get up. My guys have been working too hard and too long this week.