Discovery to fly Tuesday?

[beaky]

That's the plan... countdown to resume Saturday, with a launch scheduled for 10:39 EDT Tuesday. Got my fingers crossed already.
Go Discovery!!

[beefhole]

Here I was thinking we'd have to wait till September...

Good luck fellas!

[TacitBlue]

If it doesn't fly, NASA will officially crawl under a rock.

[DJ_Zephyr]

Damn Shuttle... been around since the 70s, hasn't it?  And it's glitches are starting to bare their ugly teeth.  Isn't it about time to design something new?

Anyway, godspeed to the Discovery!

[beaky]

Ditto that (although you shouldn't assume that this latest glitch couldn't have occurred when Discovery was brand new)... I feel it's time has come and go, but it's still the only existing spacecraft that will do what's needed to complete the ISS. Once that's done, an all-in-one shuttle/laboratory/satellite service vehicle won't be needed, and smaller, simpler designs, built specifically for one of those purposes, should become the norm. Maybe a non-government group will get a shuttle service going in the near future, and NASA can save a ton of money booking seats for their station crews  the way they'd book airliner flights today. I'd also really like to see orbit-only vehicles stationed at the ISS someday; that might be an efficient way to service or retrieve satellites... or maybe even aid in the assembly of a starship, in orbit. Lots of possibilities, once we establish a solid platform in orbit.
But yes, for now... I can't wait to see her launch and come home again. With all their faults,these orbiters are remarkable ships.

[Hagar]

I think the weather might have the final word.

[beaky]

I think the weather might have the final word.

As it should... they're a lot more conservative about that since they lost Challenger. Heard there's a chance of storms (typical there this time of year), but those summer boomers also typically blow through quickly down there. Gotta think positive!!

[gn85]

[quote]Damn Shuttle... been around since the 70s, hasn't it?

[Jimbo]

So it decides to!

I was at cocoa beach the other wednesday waiting for it to go off. Travelled from Orlando down to Titusville to watch it... , back in the uk now though...

P.s if you look on the PHOTO section a little later tomorow, i have a lot of posts coming up with the full length of my trip, including kennedy space centre.

Thanks

Jimbo

[Jared]

I agree it is time to come up with a newer space vehicle.

The space shuttle has been around for quite awhile and has served a purpose but I think it is time to start thinking about a smallerf more effecient launch vehicle.

Thinking about it the shuttle is a rather large vehicle that has largely been used to transport people and supplies back and forth from the space station.

A smaller vehicle could therefore be used to serve this purpose, while still using the shuttle for missions havig large payloads?

Just my two cents..

[beaky]

I agree it is time to come up with a newer space vehicle.

The space shuttle has been around for quite awhile and has served a purpose but I think it is time to start thinking about a smallerf more effecient launch vehicle.

Thinking about it the shuttle is a rather large vehicle that has largely been used to transport people and supplies back and forth from the space station.

A smaller vehicle could therefore be used to serve this purpose, while still using the shuttle for missions havig large payloads?

Just my two cents..

Well, the Russians have been providing just that for basic crew and supply transfers (despite the large boosters, the spacecraft themselves are pretty small and simple compared to US shuttles).
But the Shuttles are also being used to haul large station components into orbit (while also moving crews and supplies), something no other ship can do right now. And they're more reusable than the Soyuz systems ( I don't think even the Russian crew capsules are reused).
  Sure, you could use spent upper stages of large rockets, etc. as station modules, but then you're talking about a really big launch vehicle. For now, it just makes sense to continue using the Orbiters for this kind of task. When it's time for just moving people and supplies back and forth, they really won't be needed anymore.
I'm sure there is plenty of planning at NASA now for a smaller, simpler next-gen shuttle, but they're having enough trouble maintaining funding for the existing fleet, and are also pretty busy with some very ambitious and productive deep-space probes.

[gn85]

<>

We have lift-off!!  Looked awesome.  That was a spectacular view from the camera on the ET.  Fantastic!