FYI Space Shuttle Atlantis is Cleared for Launch

Heads up for the members who might not know it is about to happen....

No need for response this is just a friendly shout out to ATS.

[edit on 2/7/2008 by JacKatMtn]

I wonder if they'll do something about that broken spy satelite that's supposed to crash to Earth and kill us all.

news.yahoo.com...

Maybe they have some special lasers or a bomb thrown in the cargo bay to take care of the problem?

That's if some of the other space junk gone wild up there doesn't get them first.

Watch the launch. Just before and just after the camera wobble. They say 3 "good" SME's. I hope so. I can't be sure but it looked like it dropped a motor maybe. Take a look. Normally you can see the three pure-burn spikes of the SME's all the way up (a triad of 3 light sources). The announcer said all three were good. It is funny though. Likely a trick of optics. I don't think an SME has ever failed, but they have some "new-ish" software for SME control. Also notice that the photography of the ET by the crew was not televised this time.

Clean launch. PLNC up in a while on NASA-TV.

Vic

Does anyone have a live link to NASA tv?

Originally posted by V Kaminski
Watch the launch. Just before and just after the camera wobble. They say 3 "good" SME's. I hope so. I can't be sure but it looked like it dropped a motor maybe. Take a look. Normally you can see the three pure-burn spikes of the SME's all the way up (a triad of 3 light sources). The announcer said all three were good. It is funny though. Likely a trick of optics. I don't think an SME has ever failed, but they have some "new-ish" software for SME control. Also notice that the photography of the ET by the crew was not televised this time.

Clean launch.

PLNC up in a while on NASA-TV.

Vic

Any chance that was the normal throttle-back sequence you saw?

No, I don't think so. Maybe. I don't know. It doesn't matter even if it did fail or rather "not fail". Beautiful engines. Hydrogen and Oxygen... very clean burn. They're in orbit - no problem. I watch NASA-TV or the Media channel, this should open in WMP: NASA Media Channel

Cheers,

Vic

I watched the launch a bunch of times. I re-watched 114, 115, 118 all looked like this pic from 118:



This is 122 just before the camera went "wonky":



Then after the camera regains tracking:


After SRB separation:


And a little later:


Later still:


I don't know... if an SME did shut down according to program when something "out of spec" occurs that is a good thing. The machine would have done what it was supposed to... if it shut it down in error. That might constitute a real concern... can't switch back to the old system. Maybe it's not "just now" media-wise.

It is a non-issue they are in orbit safely and on-orbit operations have begun. Three foam incidents.. none are of concern.

Vic

[edit on 7-2-2008 by V Kaminski]

Originally posted by AWingAndASigh
I wonder if they'll do something about that broken spy satelite that's supposed to crash to Earth and kill us all.

That Satellite would be on a completely different orbital path than the ISS which is what the Shuttle will be on. The STS-122 mission has been planned way in advance (which is to bring the Columbus laboratory to the ISS) and won't be deviating from the planned mission.

Wow there was some video just played of the ET venting that was far more spectaucular than any I've seen... space junk too. At least they did air it. I captured it.

Here's STS-122 launch:

Watch 1:50 - 2:45 after which on no ground view camera... they put out a motor maybe.

Here's STS-118 launch:

Please compare from about 1:50-on they do show the ground view after 2:45 unlike STS-122. If 122 lost fire on one motor would they want it publicized? The main thing is they are in orbit safely.

The ET photography is just spectacular.

Vic

EDIT: To add two "venting" pics:



and...



[edit on 7-2-2008 by V Kaminski]