STS-129

[MAKO69 186]

STS-129 Space Shuttle Atlantis has made an uneventfull launch into orbit. Carrying supplies and spare parts for the Intl' Space station, and give Astronaut Nicole Stott a ride home. Good luck, man thats gotta be a fun ride.

[+Typhoid 231]

I am always filled with a sense of wonder when that launches. I never call that "uneventful".

 

 

it is quite a capability that we will loose shortly. Hopefully the replacement will actually make it into service before too long.

[MAKO69 186]

I am always filled with a sense of wonder when that launches. I never call that "uneventful".

 

 

it is quite a capability that we will loose shortly. Hopefully the replacement will actually make it into service before too long.

 

 

I tack on the uneventfull meaning no problems and as safe as you can make riding 4.5 millon pounds of highly explosive stuff into orbit. I'm sure the crew like an uneventfull ride to orbit, no red lights is good for the whole trip idea.

 

There are only 5 missions left. NASA states that the next 5 missions the shuttles will be bringing spare parts and supplies. The replacement does not have the payload ability.

Edited November 17, 2009 by MAKO69

[+Typhoid 231]

oh, I know. We are of like minds on "uneventful".

 

The replacement for delivering high volume supplies is somewhat vague. The replacement right now is merely the crew capsule, on track to provide initial services to the station a few years after it is de-orbited.......

 

(how's that for government planning?!!)

[MAKO69 186]

oh, I know. We are of like minds on "uneventful".

 

The replacement for delivering high volume supplies is somewhat vague. The replacement right now is merely the crew capsule, on track to provide initial services to the station a few years after it is de-orbited.......

 

(how's that for government planning?!!)

 

 

Sounds about right from my end.

[+Dave 2,319]

Saw it online, and as always, it is one hell of a show.

[Silverbolt 104]

just sad we will lost the shuttle launches....

you know....when i was a kid, USA was my dream and that dream whole dream is represented by the space shuttle , so sad NASA is in current situation, and that we're not getting in Mars soon... that Pathfinder mission and the comets coliding in Jupiter during the 90's was really exiting...i remember when i was the nerd in front of the TV that time, just dreaming with the ETA of 2010~2014 to the conquer of the red planet, eh, just another dream screwd by the budget lack, now what we see? a huge F word to humanity cientific evolution.

 

some times i just wish that USSR wasn't ended, at least we would be evolving much more.

[JediMaster 451]

It was a little disappointing here, too, with some dense cloud cover blocking our view until it was almost a minute after launch. After that we could see it fine, though. Just sad I was here and not at the Cape for some reason yesterday.

[+Dave 2,319]

I will miss them. When I was in Space Command in the 90's we did some support missions and it was incredible to see. It will be a sad day when they retire. I might try to make the last launch.

 

 

[DWCAce 19]

When is it scheduled?

[+Typhoid 231]

"The first crewed flight of Orion is planned for no later than 2015, with crew transportation to the space station following within the same decade..."

 

from

 

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/366590main_Ares_I_FS.pdf

 

but that schedule is slipping rapidly. The recent commision on human spaceflight noted that the earliest realistic operational flights won't happen until almost 2020.

 

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/hsf/home/index.html

 

The ISS is presently scheduled to be de-orbited in 2016

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/12/AR2009071201977.html?hpid=topnews

 

 

the committee recommends keeping the ISS until at least 2020 but that will require a plus up of funding.

[JediMaster 451]

The last shuttle launch is too far away to know when it will happen.