STS-114 Mission Update Thread (Part 6)

[grooble]

How long until the press conference in minutes?

 

[tmccort]

<br />Isn't that the pilots job? What does a Shuttle "pilot" actually do anyway?

 

[llivinglarge]

SG, are the days of side-mounted lifting bodies nearing an end?

 

[frodo1008]

It was a very wonderful moment, dispite the Troll under the bridge!<br /><br />Ignore all Trolls!

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

Looks like sun up is coming soon, hopefully we'll get a quick look at what shape the orbiters in. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[giofx]

when is discovery supposed to came back to KSC?<br /><br />and where's the SCA right now? its the only one existing, right?

 

[tmccort]

<br />Well that seems a little silly.

 

[starfhury]

Awesome! Discovery made it home. Even got to see some inflight cockpit views on the way in. There's now way CEV is gonna be as impressive as having an orbiter landing. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[captsolo]

Thanks and congratulations to Discovery crew, SG and everybody invloved at KSC and everywhere else!!! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />This must be a very special moment over there.<br />(Wish NASA TV were showing the control room now)

 

[nacnud]

RTF just got a name check on Sky News re the foam 'repair', nice one <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <br /><br />Nice to see the shuttle back on the ground safely aswell <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[frodo1008]

That might be happening for NASA for awile (capsules), but I think we can count on the likes of Burt Rutan to bring aircraft like flights and landings back to the people of the Earth! Tourists are NOT going to want to use capsules! <br /><br />Besides, we still have at least the next five years!

 

[Testing]

Been a while sinse I heard that sound. Welcome home to California Discovery. To all hands, WELL DONE. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[tmccort]

<br /><font color="yellow">RTF just got a name check on Sky News re the foam 'repair', nice one</font><br /><br />Sorry, but I can't seem to correctly parse this sentence. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[nacnud]

I don't know why you think Burt is planning an orbital lifting body. Wings make sense for sub orbital hops. The only orbital craft related to Burt is t/Spaces capsule.<br /><br />Maybe after the CXV but not for a while, and way to far away for me to speculate about.

 

[giofx]

CAPCOM Ken Ham in Mission Control has passed along to commander Collins the congratulations and well wishes from the two space station residents -- Sergei Krikalev and John Phillips. <br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[tmccort]

<br />Well, lifting bodies usually weigh less the a winged craft would.

 

[nacnud]

There has been an on going issue with the foam coming off the PAL ramp. A poster here, Shuttle_RTF, has found evidence that this foam could have been in the area of a previouse repair.<br /><br />I've not see any of the main stream news media mention this yet, but sky news just did and mentioned RTFs name in relation to it.<br /><br />If found that this is a repair there might not be any need for a redesign of the PAL ramp. A great scoop for the journalistic hopes of RTF <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[tap_sa]

SRTF is the man! Fighting world's injustice with both pen and sword (SA80!) <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[tmccort]

Ok, thanks.<br /><br />I've actually heard about that before and they said that the repair was heavly documented so a determination of the replair was a factor should come swiftly.

 

[giofx]

Commander Eileen Collins has finished all of her post-landing chores in the cockpit, allowing her to turn the controls to astronaut support personnel who have boarded the shuttle. Collins will be exiting the vehicle to join her crewmates in the Crew Transport Vehicle.

 

[ozspace]

The crew may do a walk around, I hope there is a TV camera with them. It would be interesting to see how that blanket faired.

 

[teije]

<font color="yellow">"I was checking out the landing ground tracks on the nasa site. <br />Why does discovery always make a 180+ degree turn before landing? Is this just to land into the wind " <br /><br />Yes, standard airplane approaches. downwind,.Base, and final. </font><br /><br />ok thanks. <br />Does it make a big difference for a craft like the shuttle to approach into the wind? I would guess with her rate of descent it wouldn't...

 

[viper101]

Glad to see Discovery home. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />On another note - reporters questions at this press conference are a little annoying: 'are you going to fly with the exisiting ET - to SEE WHAT HAPPENS'<br /><br />'Have you had a chance to check out the shuttle and is it the cleanest shuttle down yet?'<br /><br />I can just see the next question: 'On what date exactly, will we put man back on the moon?'<br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[giofx]

thanks sg!

 

[llivinglarge]

What will become of the all the garbage in Discovery's payload bay?