STS-134 Shuttle Mission to the International Space Station Launches Monday 16th @ 13:56 BST

Man of Honour
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Ok, the last blasts from the past. STS-88 in the VAB:


531069mainsts88liftmate.jpg

531197mainendeavourhori.jpg

and launch on the first shuttle mission to the ISS in December 1988:

530918mainsts88inlaunch.jpg
531081mainsts88launch70.jpg


Back to the present.

Very little to add this morning apart from the news that the Mission Management Team has given a unanimous "Go" for launch on Friday. There are no significant issues and the forecast remains at 80% favourable conditions for launch.
 
Soldato
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SM - do you know when the shuttles are moving to their new homes? Im going to LA end of June, Endevour is going to the science centre there, im going to go anyway as they have the Apollo-Soyuz command module and Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon's Gemini capsule (11 i think), but it would be fantastic for the shuttle to be there (albeit i think it will come too soon :( )
 
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Any idea why this launch is the other way round? I wonder if they're going to launch into a higher orbit and let the ISS catch up with Endeavour, or if they'll stay low and just take that bit longer to close in.

I did wonder about that today. It may be that the previous ISS pass which would be in daylight is the one the Shuttle is 'catching up to'. Orbital mechanics make my head hurt, but in the past, if there is an ISS pass around about launch time, it usually means Shuttle would also be visible.

All that said, it will probably be cloudy anyway.
 
Man of Honour
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SM - do you know when the shuttles are moving to their new homes? Im going to LA end of June, Endevour is going to the science centre there, im going to go anyway as they have the Apollo-Soyuz command module and Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon's Gemini capsule (11 i think), but it would be fantastic for the shuttle to be there (albeit i think it will come too soon :( )

There are no firm dates but I have seen reports that the shuttles will be ready for shipment to their display sites by mid-2012. So you are going to be out of luck. :(
 
Man of Honour
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Endeavour on the pad last night as a storm passed by:

541038main201104280001h.jpg


Tanking is now underway and the forecast is at 70% favourable conditions for launch today.
 
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Hopefully a Tornado doesnt strike the launch zone, would be catastrophic.

900 Tornadoes since beginning of April apparantly, looks like the same storm.

Will watch this stream on my netbook tonight :)

Cheers
 
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