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NASA Space

Space Shuttle Endeavour Heads To Space Station 79

Posted by CmdrTaco from the still-no-light-speed-engine dept.
RobGoldsmith writes "The STS-127 crew began its journey to the International Space Station at 6:03 p.m. EDT Wednesday when space shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The shuttle crew will complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and deliver a new crew member, astronaut Tim Kopra, to the orbital outpost."
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Space Shuttle Endeavour Heads To Space Station More

Space Shuttle Endeavour Heads To Space Station

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  • Space news (Score:5, Interesting)

    by blackjackshellac ( 849713 ) on Thursday July 16, 2009 @07:57AM (#28715375)

    In other news, 40 years ago, in 30 minutes Apollo 11 lifted off for the first moon walk. I remember it like it was yesterday ... okay, maybe a month ago.

    • Re:Space news (Score:4, Funny)

      by dkleinsc ( 563838 ) on Thursday July 16, 2009 @08:20AM (#28715583) Homepage

      No. In other news, 40 years ago, NASA staged the Apollo 11 liftoff as part of a big effort to fool the Ruskies, and then secreted Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong to a sound stage to film the moon landing. Get it right!

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by JustOK ( 667959 )

        The moon landings were REAL. It's the moon that is fake. They went to change the batteries.

      • Re:Space news (Score:4, Informative)

        by ls671 ( 1122017 ) * on Thursday July 16, 2009 @09:39AM (#28716621) Homepage

        The other day, I saw some scientist on TV saying that during mission Apollo 11, they installed mirrors on the moon and that he is still using them today by shooting LASER beams at them from the Earth in order to gather data from the reflection (moon distance etc. )

        Now some Slashdot reader must have a powerful enough LASER beam around in order to shoot at the moon. Could this good Samaritan please test if those mirrors are really there and report back to us so we can close this case ?

        Thanks in advance ;-))

        The scientist said that none of the conspiracy theorists ever went to see him so he could show them the beam reflecting on those mirrors. I am wondering how many people are aware of those mirrors on the moon...

        • The other day, I saw some scientist on TV saying that during mission Apollo 11, they installed mirrors on the moon and that he is still using them today by shooting LASER beams at them from the Earth in order to gather data from the reflection (moon distance etc. )

          Now some Slashdot reader must have a powerful enough LASER beam around in order to shoot at the moon. Could this good Samaritan please test if those mirrors are really there and report back to us so we can close this case ?

          Thanks in advance ;-))

          The scientist said that none of the conspiracy theorists ever went to see him so he could show them the beam reflecting on those mirrors. I am wondering how many people are aware of those mirrors on the moon...

          Every child who grew up watching Mr Wizard.

        • Re: (Score:1, Informative)

          by Anonymous Coward

          Mythbusters found a laser big enough to do this. Video clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orvMZn8L1f0

        • Don't count on debunking the conspiracy theories quite so easily. All you would prove is that there is something there which reflects the light back at the Earth. Now, that is almost definitely an artificial, human made something (though conspiracy theorists might even argue that) but it certainly doesn't prove that we landed people there.

          The best proof is, arguably, the fact that the Russians never disputed it. They had the tracking necissary to see the ship heading out, the recievers necissary to recie

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by MrKaos ( 858439 )

          Now some Slashdot reader must have a powerful enough LASER beam around in order to shoot at the moon. Could this good Samaritan please test if those mirrors are really there and report back to us so we can close this case ?

          Even though I know it won't be enough, Mythbusters shined a laser at the moon [youtube.com]. Of course any committed moon hoaxer will say 'hey you just faked the computer output' to that I would say

          aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by jc42 ( 318812 )

            Even though I know it won't be enough, Mythbusters shined a laser at the moon. Of course any committed moon hoaxer will say 'hey you just faked the computer output' to that I would say

            aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Well, I wouldn't. I'd prefer to point out that, as with most scientific and/or engineering data, you don't have to depend on some remote authority to verify this. Lasers are for sale lots of places, and it's quite within the capabilities of a "backyard

        • The problem is, the crackpots believe the "bounce back" from the moon to be faked via whatever instrument is indicating a signal is being received.

          Crackpots are crackpots. You can't rationalize with the irrational. You can't fix stupid.

          • The problem is, the crackpots believe the "bounce back" from the moon to be faked via whatever instrument is indicating a signal is being received.

            Ah, see, and I thought the crackpot rebuttle would be that obviously we could send unmanned probes to the moon, and one could have easily dropped a mirror there which then The Man claims was put there by a human.

            I guess you're right, my attempt to imagine what a rational moon conspiracy theorist would think was doomed to failure in the first place.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by CecilPL ( 1258010 )
      I'm watching the live replay at http://wechoosethemoon.org/ [wechoosethemoon.org]

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by fprintf ( 82740 )

      I learned a tremendous amount by watching "In the shadow of the moon" as posted on YouTube. Despite walking on the moon, for real, these astronauts are really down to earth about it, many times really funny too. Perhaps it is due to 40 years of dealing with publicity and telling their stories. In any event, I highly recommend this documentary. It is 90 or 100 minutes in 10 minute segments and well worth it. (I'd post the link, but cannot get to YouTube from work. Google search only brings up the trailer, bu

    • That's not very important. If it mattered NASA wouldn't have forgotten how to do moon missions.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by roundisfunny ( 958531 )
      In case you care, the JFK Library is sponsoring a real-time online reenactment of the Apollo 11 mission - complete with actual radio transmissions. http://wechoosethemoon.org/ [wechoosethemoon.org] The URL is based on Kennedy's speech about how we choose the moon, not because it's easy, but because it's hard - or something like that.

  • Canadian footprint (Score:5, Interesting)

    by AikonMGB ( 1013995 ) on Thursday July 16, 2009 @08:09AM (#28715503) Homepage

    Incidentally, this is the first time in history that there will be two Canadian astronauts working aboard the ISS simultaneously.

    Aikon-

    p.s. Better work quick if they've only got 'til 2016 =P

  • Foam fell off and struck the shuttle (Score:5, Informative)

    by Mondrames ( 242558 ) on Thursday July 16, 2009 @08:16AM (#28715549)

    This article [msn.com] says about 9 pieces fell off of the fuel tank and struck the shuttle.

    • Yes, that is one of the reasons they are decommissioning the shuttle fleet and designing new launch vehicles where the crew module is above the tanks.
      • In the article linked to above [msn.com] it says:

        In case of irreparable damage, the astronauts could move into the space station for two to three months and await rescue by another shuttle

        If they're decommissioning the shuttle fleet, why not leave it up there and use it to extend the space station?

    • Each one is dedicated to finishing the space station -- now 81 percent complete -- and hauling up supplies and big spare parts that are too big to fly on any other rocketship.

      Apparently the author of your linked MSN article has been reading a bit too much 1950's Sci Fi lately.

    • This article [msn.com] says about 9 pieces fell off of the fuel tank and struck the shuttle.

      It's not a bug. It's an undocumented feature.

    • Here's an idea I don't know if anyone's thought of yet:

      Put the foam on the INSIDE of the ET.
      • I just picture foam falling off inside the tank and clogging up the engine in mid flight. I can just see the shuttle taking off and 30 seconds into flight the primary booster sputtering and shutting down. Of course the foam would probably disintegrate when it came into contact with the fuel, but the mixture of foam and fuel could add that extra chemical boost to get a few extra horse power out of the engines. Did I mention that I am not a rocket scientist? I know its hard to believe... these things just
    • When are they going to abandon this new Eco friendly foam and go back to the stuff that did not blow holes into the ship?!?!?!

      NASA was granted a waiver by the EPA on the old foam but continued its implementation of this new foam.

      It has now been found to be a mistake.....STOP ALREADY.... Go back to the old stuff.
    • I always wondered why they didn't skin or wrap something over the foam. I would think a thin wrap of Mylar or some other lightweight yet strong film could be used, of course I am not a rocket scientist. Heck, just wrap the sucker in Saran wrap or duct tape. Even better, just have Trojan make a booster sized condom.

  • Seriously..., "Kibo"? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Jawn98685 ( 687784 ) on Thursday July 16, 2009 @08:18AM (#28715567)
    So I am to understand that a large part of this mission is to put "Kibo" in orbit...
    James Parry must be doubled over with laughter right about now.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by elrod ( 21611 )

      Does it have "K++++++" on its outside?

    • I had the exact same thought, when the first part of Kibo went up a while back.

  • ... DO NOT POST a "God Speed" message.

    This is one colloquialism that deserves to die.
  • I think the shuttle is awsome but where else is it going to go?

  • Pretty cool to see. (Score:4, Informative)

    by popoutman ( 189497 ) * on Thursday July 16, 2009 @10:47AM (#28717729) Journal
    At about 11.22 local time here in Ireland, I got to see the Shuttle pass overhead just after the EFT seperation. Seeing both objects at 1700mph and a nice low altitude of 60 miles meant that the speed across the sky was really fast, and that the brightness of the shuttle was on the high side of magitude -5 or so. The orange of the EFT was clearly seen also.
    The icing on the cake was seeing the ISS as well about 20 minutes later at about the same real speed but much slower across the sky given its distance.
    I'm looking forwards to seeing the Shuttle play catch-up over the next few nights!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by caluml ( 551744 )
      n2y0.com [n2yo.com] will help you work out when you can see it, both with the naked eye, and with a radio receiver. 143.625MHz is the ISS downlink. issfanclub.com [issfanclub.com] has more of the frequencies used. Break out that scanner, and listen to them talking.
  • Does James "Kibo" Perry [wikipedia.org] know about this? Has he not commented? I think that maybe Kibo [kibo.com] is just getting slack in his old age.

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