T-38 training jets, and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft overfly OV-101 Enterprise, at Edwards Air Force base.
Posts tagged space shuttle
Posted 9 months ago
Nose to nose
Endeavour and Discovery, swapping places in the decommissioning process, passed each other by this week at the Kennedy Space Centre.
It’s a shame that these multi-billion dollar pieces of technology will never fly again, except on the back of NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Looking forward to getting to see one in a museum, though.
More images here.
Posted 10 months ago
Energía-Burán.
On the topic of Buran, good photos of it are hard to come by. Love this one of it being mated with the Energia booster that would take it to orbit.
Unlike the US, rockets launched from Baikonur are assembled and transported sideways, before being pulled upright onto the pad.
Posted 10 months ago
Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at Kennedy Space Center July 21, 2011 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Atlantis was the shuttle final mission for NASA, ending the 30 years of the shuttle program. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Revolutionary. Complicated. Adaptable. Flawed. Indispensable. Just plain cool.
Those are a few ways I would describe the space shuttle. Very sad to see its time pass.
Posted 10 months ago
Courtesy of Google Maps, you can catch a look at one of the mock-ups of soviet shuttle copy Buran, on display in Gorky Park, Moscow. I don’t think this one flew at all, it was for ground tests.
To read a bit more about Buran, see this earlier post.
Posted 12 months ago
Endeavour: A round 25
Endeavour is being rolled back to an orbiter processing facility after completing her 25th and final mission.
The US sections of the ISS are now complete, and the alpha magnetic spectrometer (AMS), the main reason this mission was approved, is working great. Other mission highlights included a chat with the Pope, the installation of another Express Logistics Carrier, and a couple of chats with American schools.
The process of removing Endeavour’s critical systems and engines has begun, but instead of testing and reinstalling them, Endeavour will be sent to California for museum display.
Endeavour is the newest of the space shuttle fleet, constructed to replace the lost Challenger. Structural spares from Discovery and Atlantis’ construction were used to reduce costs. Her first launch was in 1992.
Posted 1 year ago
Discovery has flown her last
39 missions, including three return-to-flight missions, the deployment of Hubble, Ulysses, and three vital TDRS satellites vital for keeping in constant communication with orbiting spacecraft : that’s just a tiny part of the legacy of Discovery, NASA’s oldest remaining orbiter.
And today, at 1557GMT, her wheels made contact with the runway at Kennedy Space Center for the last time. The spot where her nose wheels came to rest has been recorded in preparation for the placement of a marker alongside the runway showing where she came to rest for the last time.
The process of decommissioning now begins, where her main engines will be removed, and the orbiter herself will eventually be displayed at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
This is the beginning of the end of the shuttle program, with only two more missions left, one each for Endeavour and Atlantis. I’ve already covered a brief history of Atlantis during her first “final” mission last year (STS-135 has since been added to the manifest as a full mission). I’ll post one for Discovery in the coming days. Until then, keep an eye on NASA TV for the rollout of Endeavour tomorrow.
Posted 1 year ago
Discovery Fuel Tank Repairs Complete
Today, Discovery’s fuel tank repairs are scheduled to be completed. The much-delayed final launch of NASA’s oldest surviving shuttle is expected to occur no sooner than 24th February 2011. Discovery begins her rollout to the pad on 31st January.
Posted 1 year ago
Today’s Shuttle Launch Has Been Scrubbed
NASA have detected a leak in the shuttle’s hydrogen tank.
UPDATE Next launch attempt will be Monday at the earliest, but that’s not been decided yet.
Posted 1 year ago
Shuttle Discovery is getting fuelled up, see live launch prep
At 1904 GMT, she’ll be launching from Kennedy Space Center. Coverage of “tanking” (taking on fuel) is live now on NASA TV as usual, but I warn you, it’s not very interesting. Just live shots of the shuttle on the pad, with no visible activity.
Briefings and press conferences about the mission are coming up throughout the next few hours, though.
Nicole Stott, one of the STS-133 astronauts, is on Twitter, and NASA’s own Twitter feed is here. They have updates on launch preparations, which should help keep you informed during the gulfs of silence on NASA TV.
Weather is currently 60% go, and there are no technical issues with the shuttle today. Minor issues and then yesterday’s weather held back the launch from Monday 1st November.
Here’s hoping for clear skies in a few hours.
