STS-117 Atlantis

THX 3417

With countless delays and disappointments over since February and the hailstorm damage to the EXT, the Space Shuttle Atlantis is back into the countdown. With less than a day to go STS-117 Atlantis is scheduled for a Friday 8th launch 7:38pm EDT.



God speed the crew of STS-117 Atlantis.:)

To view the live converge of the launch click on the below link and select anyone of the media players and happy viewing.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

I’ll be watching the launch via Windows Media.

Launch Target:
June 8, 2007
Orbiter:
Atlantis
Mission Number:
STS-117
(118th shuttle flight)
Launch Window:
10 minutes
Launch Pad:
39A
Mission Duration:
11 days
Landing Site:
KSC
Inclination/Altitude:
51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload:
21st station flight (13A), S3/S4 Truss

engtaz

Thanks for the info.

THX 3417

Arr, you live in Florida, Tampa bay, I was there on holiday in February 1981 few months shy of the first Space Shuttle launch Columbia. I saw the live coverage of her main engine test sometime around or after my 14th birthday at the Sheraton hotel which was located on the beach front facing the Golf of Mexico.:)

Polk65

I've always wanted to see one of these bottle rockets and hopefully will before I wear my wooden suit. Pretty soon these will be like the last of the Concorde flights.

Fireman32

Thanks for the info. Always love watching the launches.

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Polk65 wrote: »

I've always wanted to see one of these bottle rockets and hopefully will before I wear my wooden suit. Pretty soon these will be like the last of the Concorde flights.

Yeah last of the Concords yeah so true only 3 years left now before she’s decommissioned from service but its been a great legacy she’s the only type that’s lasted this long, that well surpassed the Apollo era.

And getting to space is not easy as one might think its still a very dangerous and hazardous journey those first 8 minutes of the flight is nail biting. As we cross our fingers and “go with throttle up” Challenger 1986, I’ll never forget that tragic moment or the last communication with the crew of Columbia in 2002.

Still tomorrow’s launch is going to be a smooth ride for the crew and trilling to watch as well. I hope they have some good camera positions on the Shuttle like the last one where the camera was placed between the Shuttle and the EXT during assent, it was like one of those Lonny Tune cartoons where the lift keeps on going up and up and up.

Best shot I like is the cabin and the crew shaking due to the high tension of vibrations from the main and solid rocket boosters. It’s about 130db inside the cabin that’s loud, but is nothing compared to the outside of the vehicle.

neomagus00

current world spl record: 179.6 dB
space shuttle at launch, spl on launchpad: 215 dB

and i remember being home from school when the columbia went down... that was a bad day...

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Whoa, Cor blimey, that will rip your ears off that would 215db!:eek:

I read somewhere that the ole Saturn V where thee loudest ever record?

Yes a 179.6db, at what range? I bet the Space Shuttle would fry that db record, if measured within a few yards from the pad!

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The crew is expected to be at pad 39A before 4pm and strapping in at around after 4pm yeah NASA is clear for launch.:cool:

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Prediction’s of weather is around 20% that could scrub the launch. Blast these Florida thunderstorms this is suppose to be the sunny state not the frigging rainy season.

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Looks like a few lights have been turn ON pad 39A a little while longer and they’ll light up the xenon lights.:)

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This marks the118th launch of the Space Shuttle and we’re now live with NASA on the NASA TV channel. This is mission control.

All is go for launch, slight cloud coverage around the cape this late afternoon.

THX 3417

20% change with possible showers and will pass inland before launch at T-3hours built in hold.

There should be a December STS-122 launch to deliver the Columbus module to the ISS. Training is still underway for that mission hope all goes well for that launch without any snags to delay the mission.

THX 3417

Kathy Winters approves of the weather conditions with a GREEN light sounds good.:)



3000 hits that was damaged that was done to the EXT, god forbid if they where had launched back in February. They did the right thing by bring her back in for a major repair effort.

THX 3417

At 26 years now I still find this as exciting, more in fact when you can watch live uninterrupted converge on NASA TV, though the use of the Internet, remarkable.:)

THX 3417

Here’s a live picture captured of the crew and they look to be in good spirits and excited to go.



3G of pressure pushing you back into the seat on launch WOW all that power is felt in your chest.:p

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T-3 hours and counting…:cool:

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Inter ground com check complete, I do like the sound of the ole (roger bleep). Wow that is a clear sky at the Cape today.

wingnut4772

Dang it. I'ts cloudy here. I probably won't be able to see it. I had a clear view last time. It was awesome seeing that fireball shoot across the sky.

THX 3417

Those guys in the (white room) really care about the program and making sure the crew is in safely and ready for launch.

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Hatch is closed.

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Checking for cabin pressurization leaks on the Shuttle.

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I’ve been up for hours now and the crew has been only less and boy I’m starting to get a little tired. Its going to be around 12:38am UK when this beast starts moving. And I’ll be getting some kip about an hour after the crew is in an elliptical orbit around the earth.

THX 3417

I’m really pleased your country managed to get the Shuttle up there today right on schedule as promised. I bet that crew is over the moon right now in zero G.:)





That is pure SRB power pushing her up, power!





That’s right folks there’s nothing more to see she’s high above your heads.

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Even the team on the ISS is pleased the Shuttle Atlantis STS-117 is on her way. Yeah get up there.:)

Systems

Is that pic of the ISS?

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Yeah it’s going to be a full house on the ISS on Sunday, get cleaning you’ve got guests arriving!:D

Systems

How long have those 3 been in the ISS?and are they hitching a ride home?

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There was some good questions being pointed towards the team at NASA and looks like there 15 missions away from completing the ISS and a Hubble mission before the Space Shuttle is (due for retirement:( ).

fatchowmein

One of these days...

Would love to see a live launch but fear to take a vacation and have the launch scrubbed. We've been to Mission Control Center in Houston several times and loved it. Father-in-law (never met; he passed) worked on the heat shielding on the Apollo program. Pretty cool stuff.

Glad everything went well.

THX 3417

GV#27 wrote: »

How long have those 3 been in the ISS?and are they hitching a ride home?

(Astronaut Clayton Anderson), will spend 4 months onboard the ISS (Astronaut Sunita L. Williams), she’ll be returning back home with the STS-117 Atlantis crew after breaking the longest record for a woman in space on the ISS she surpasses (Astronaut Shannon Lucid).


Astronaut Sunita L. Williams


Astronaut Clayton Anderson

Canada plays an important role in the NASA space program, with the development of the Canada Arm that will survey the Shuttle today with a special camera fitted to it, to see if her heat shield is intact.

ISS Facts
Length: 290 ft (88m)
Width: 356 ft (109 m)
Height: 143 ft (44 m)
Volume: 46,000 ft3 (1300 m3); living space will be about the cabin size of two 747 jets
Mass: 1,000,000 lb (454 metric tons)
Orbit: 217 to 285 miles (362 to 476 km), inclined 51.6 degrees relative to the equator