Soyuz launch of Expedition 16

[thereiwas]

NASA TV schedule:<br /><br /><font color="yellow">October 10, Wednesday<br />7:30 a.m. - ISS Expedition 16 Spaceflight Participant Launch Day Preparations & Crew Suit-Up B-Roll Feed from Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC (Public and Media Channels)<br />8:30 a.m. - ISS Expedition 16/Spaceflight Participant Live Launch Coverage from Baikonur, Kazakhstan (launch scheduled at 9:22 a.m. ET) - JSC (Public and Media Channels)<br />12 p.m. - ISS Expedition 16 Spaceflight Participant Post-Launch Video File - JSC (Public and Media Channels)<br /></font><br /><br />From NASA:<br /><br /><font color="yellow">The Soyuz rocket that will launch Expedition 16 to the International Space Station was placed at its launch pad over the weekend. Commander Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Wednesday at 9:22 a.m. EDT. Two days later the Soyuz TMA-11 vehicle carrying the new crew will dock to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Zarya module. </font><br /><br />I like to watch the Russian launches and landings; they are so unpretentious and uncomplicated.

 

[ozspace]

"I like to watch the Russian launches and landings; they are so unpretentious and uncomplicated."<br /><br />Yes, and punctual too! Let's hope for a safe and successful Expedition 16, unfortunately that probably means little media coverage.

 

[cbased]

They are in the elevator now. It is now just 1 hour away...

 

[MeteorWayne]

T-16 min <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[cbased]

T-16 min. Nice clear evening in Baikonur.

 

[MeteorWayne]

T - 5:00 <br /><br />BTW, it is live on NASA TV <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[cbased]

Look at the rocket - she looks beautiful!

 

[thereiwas]

Malenchenko never smiles.<br />

 

[thereiwas]

T-1, first umbilical away.

 

[cbased]

he is focused <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />btw, you can also watch live launch TV here: mms://193.233.61.171/live<br />

 

[MeteorWayne]

T - 1:00<br />switch to internal power, autosequence <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Off she goes!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Second stage running nominally <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Spectacular shot of the 4 boosters and escape tower spinning in the sunlight astride the wide plume of the second stage. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Third stage cutoff visible as jolt in the capsule. It's on the way to ISS for docking 10:52 AM EDT Friday (1452 UT) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[cbased]

and they've got zero gravity now

 

[cbased]

all Soyuz construction elements are ready.<br />MCC gives them permission to reduce tension in shoulder belts

 

[MeteorWayne]

They didn't wait for the OK. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> I saw one (Center seat) loosening straps within 10 seconds of the third stage engine cutoff. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Launch replay on NASA TV now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[cbased]

<i>I saw one (Center seat) loosening straps within 10 seconds of the third stage engine cutoff. </i><br />I guess this is called experience <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />

 

[MeteorWayne]

That's what I was thinking...<br />"IT's my third trip. I know when to loosen the straps" <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[shhaz]

Whats wrong with this photo caption:<br /><br />Thats not Peggy Whitson in the center, is it?<br /><br />http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=071009-exp16-pose-02.jpg&cap=Expedition+16+commander+Peggy+Whitson+%28center%29%2C+flight+engineer+Yuri+Malenchenko+and+Malaysia%27s+first+astronaut+Sheikh+Muszaphar+Shukor+pose+during+training+for+flight+aboard+a+Soyuz+spacecraft.+Credit%3A+RSC+Energia.<br /><br /><br />

 

[SpaceKiwi]

I got up and watched the launch last night, you've got to hand it to the Russians. No muss, no fuss. The NASA commentator was a little quick on the trigger with the "lift-off" call. If the restraints had held the rocket down another half a second, I was about to become officially nervous.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[thereiwas]

They do not seem to have the health concerns that NASA does. While the technicians doing the suit leak test wore masks, as well as some obvious medical people in the same area, nobody else did, particularly in the walk out to the bus and at the pad, where a huge crowd of military people, press, and others with obviously no job to do there at all were walking right around the cosmonauts.<br /><br />I've seen the same thing at landings, where as many people as possible crowd <i>inside</i> the roped off area around the capsule, doing nothing but getting in the way. Must be a prestige thing.

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Thanks for the explanation, SG. It's easy to see the supports are counterweighted, though I did initially think they were locked down in place by some system which required a command to release.<br /><br />Nonetheless the call by the NASA TV commentator that they had lift-off, when the vehicle was quite clearly still on the ground, made me a little nervous. I half expected the engines to be shutdown and some kind of malfunction to be called.<br /><br />(Please bear in mind if was 2:22AM local time, and I was fairly tired. Perhaps that pause before the supports rotated back seemed longer than it was as a result.)<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>