The Official Space Exploration Thread

[Tracy]

The crew of mission STS-114 gathered in front of Discovery following landing at Edwards Air Force Base. From left to right: Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson, Commander Eileen Collins, Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Soichi Noguchi and Charles Camarda, and Pilot James Kelly. (Image Credit: Jim Ross/NASA)

I still can't believe they let a chick fly that thing!

 

I can't believe they let Robin Williams on the crew

[name]

I can't believe they let Robin Williams on the crew

Actually, there seems to be lots of celebs on board.

My crappy photomanip in a rush. . .merely to make a point.



From left to right:

Mark Harmon
Jennifer Grey (pre nose job)
some nondescript white astronaught
Ellen Degeneres
some nondescript asian astronaught
Robin Williams
Larry Drake

[Darth Slothus]

If anyone's interested in attending Edwards' 2 day air show this year here's the link

http://edwards.af.mil/openhouse/

NASA typically has large displays and lots of information here at my bases' air show

[Rob]

Is this the thread where I post pictures of stuff I've found while exploring my office building?

[Tracy]

Is this the thread where I post pictures of stuff I've found while exploring my office building?

LOL!

[Darth_Anton]

Comment deleted due to lack or comprehention skills.

[Scott]

Just wanted to pay tribute to the Challenger crew who died 20 years ago today.  For the youngsters, this moment probably is the 2nd most defining moment of my generation (behind 9/11).  The Space Shuttle/NASA etc were HUGE back in the 80's  Gigantically big, I can't even really describe what it was like.  We would watch shuttle launches almost every time one went up.  A few years after Star Wars and with the Star Trek movies going strong and thing like E.T. and The Last Starfighter etc, every kid was enthralled by space and exploration and everything that went along with it.

I was the sickest I have ever been in my entire life the day it happened.  Running a fever of around 104 and I was sick that whole week and got stay home and watch everything over and over again.  There's probably some serious mental problems I have because of that week but it touched me and the whole nation at the time.

Columbia's disaster 3 years ago opened a lot of old wounds and while it wasn't the same totally, there was definitely a lot of sadness etc.  Hopefully we continue to go where no man has gone before, I've said it many times before through the years.  I really hope I'm alive for the day we make Contact, and all of these years of NASA are finally proven a great investment

[DSJ™]

Thanks for bumping this up Scott, it's a day I remember very well. 

20 years ago today I was in Las Vegas with friends. We rented a car and were on our way to tour Hover Dam that morning, on the radio I heard there was an accident with Challenger. We checked out the Dam then headed back to Vegas, once in the hotel there was a strange feeling, very quiet.

I went to my room and my roommate who stayed back was watching TV, he said "I think you better watch this". It was a replay of the launch, I watched then my heart just sunk. I just stared at the TV, they kept playing it over and over. There was a bottle of tequila next to the set and I poured a glass and shot it down, then I went out on the the balcony and broke down. After awhile I went to the lobby, TV's were on and Regan was addressing the nation.

The next day, my friend and I drove to to Edwards Air Force Base for a tour but sadly the base was close. This was I trip I planned long before and I was very happy to return that year in September. 



"We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

24 names of those who died in the space programs of the United States are remembered at the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

[Matt_Fury]

I also remember this day.  I was coming home from a half-day of mid term exams in 9th grade.  I walked in the door and my brother told me the shuttle had blown up.  I didn't believe him at first, but then they showed the first replay.  I sat in front of the television completely stunned for the rest of the evening.

[Darth Slothus]

I remember too, I was a sophmore getting home from school and saw it on TV, talk about a sinking feeling

[exjedi]

Man, I must be getting old when 20 years doesn't seem like that long ago.

We watched that launch for science class that day.  We had been working on jet propulsion for a few weeks, building those little balsa and paper rockets that shoot way the hell up in the sky.  My rocket was a mini version of the shuttle & I still have the thing somewhere stashed away.  I felt the need to hang onto it as a reminder of that day...

[DSJ™]

Does anyone have the National Geographic Channel? They aired Challenger: The Untold Story last night and it reaires again this Monday & Tuesday. I do not get this up in Canada. If anyone can record me a copy of it, I would be most grateful. 

Saturday, January 28, 2006, at 11P

Challenger: The Untold Story
Challenger: The Untold Story []
The January 28, 1986, launch of the space shuttle Challenger was expected to be a historic first-schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe was to be the first private ordinary U.S. citizen flown into space. Instead, the Challenger flight marked one of the greatesttragedies in American space exploration when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members on board. With the shuttleÂ’s explosion came serious questions such as could the tragedy have been averted?


Also airs:
Monday, January 30, 12P
Tuesday, January 31, 4:00A

[Darth_Anton]

People talk about remebering where they were when they heard the news of the Kennedy Assassination, I will always remember where I was when the Challenger Tragedy was announced. 10th grade English class.

[stormie]

For me, it was 11th grade chemistry with Mr. Hilstrom. It's just amazing the things one can remember when a traumatic event burns it into your mind. I think my initial reaction was that it was a joke, especially since the guy relaying the news to our bench was usually more interested in toking than talking.

[CorranHorn]

This is indeed one of those events where I will always remember where I was at when it happened. I was in the 3rd grade and we were on one of those bathroom breaks where the teacher had to escort all the students into the hallway by the bathrooms so we could go potty. While we were out there, the 4th grade class taught by Ms. King watched the Challenger's launch. After the accident Ms. King rushed out of her classroom crying hysterically about the explosion and the death of the 7 astronauts. I would later come to find out that Ms. King had been a friend of Christa McAuliffe at some point in their lives. Every year at this time I recall that memory and I more and more realize how it shook me. The profound sadness in the face of a teacher while confronting a group of 7-8 year olds on what at that time would be the biggest disaster in their lives.