The Official Space Exploration Thread

[DSJ™]

Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooo!

Go baby go!

[DSJ™]

Solid rocket booster separation complete, looking good.

[DSJ™]

Main engine cut off, external tank separation complete. Holy ****, that was awesome! What a view. 

[DSJ™]

Discovery is on it's way to the International Space Station, 3rd time the charm. Everything looks great, congtrats to NASA & the crew of Discovery.



Image above: Discovery liftoffs from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA

Happy 4th of July! 

[Ryan]

Discovery is on it's way to the International Space Station, 3rd time the charm. Everything looks great, congtrats to NASA & the crew of Discovery.

That's great news! I'm glad everything went well for them this go around. I'm sure that engine was quite the fourth of July fireworks show for everyone down around the Cape.

[DSJ™]

Independence Day liftoff for Discovery

  

Like a roman candle shooting through the blue sky, the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 kicks off the fireworks for the U.S. holiday.

Commanded by Steven Lindsey, Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts roared from Launch Pad 39B to begin a 15,000-mph chase to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA



The Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on mission STS-121 Tuesday, July 4, 2006. It was the third attempt at a launch since Saturday. Credit: AP Photo



These views taking by a video camera mounted to the external tank of space shuttle Discovery shows the orbiter both attached and pulling free from the 15-story vessel. Credit: NASA/KSC

[Darth_Anton]

My wife and I watched the launch. Couldn't ask for a more perfect day.

[Darth_Anton]

Don't have cable or satellite, so while I'm visiting family on the East coast, I'm getting to take in some of the cooler programming that i'm missing. Was surprised to see there was a Nasa channel and tuned in a few times just to watch footage of the shuttle sitting in space.

[Matt_Fury]

I kind of chuckled that the scientists of NASA are now studying some bird **** that was on the shuttle during take-off and made it to orbit.

[DSJ™]

Bird **** is important, at a very high speed, that **** will stick forever & will never burn off!   

[DSJ™]

Discovery docks with space station



The space shuttle Discovery performs an orbital back flip to allow ISS astronauts to photograph its tile-lined underbelly during the July 6, 2006 docking of NASA's STS-121 mission astronauts. Credit: NASA TV. Click to enlarge. (space.com)



Image analysts have pinned down the area of a foam loss site on Discovery's external tank during its STS-121 launch on July 4, 2006. It is 12.3 by 14.2 inches in area, and about 0.5-to one inch thick. The foam sheet came off in several pieces well after the time it could have damaged Discovery, NASA said. Credit: NASA.



The highlighted area indicates the former location of a protective foam ramp on Discovery's External Tank-119. With the ramp removed, a series of ice frost ramps were exposed, but appear to have performed as expected. Credit: NASA.



Analysts have identified a second gap filler protruding from the heat tiles along Discovery's belly after its STS-121 launch on July 4, 2006. The gap filler is located in the aft, near the body flap. Credit: NASA

[DSJ™]

Discovery's STS-121 astronauts delivered the Leonardo cargo module to the ISS on July 7, 2006. Credit: NASA TV.



Though very close to the International Space Station, the majority of Discovery's underside is visible in this frame. The image was captured by one of the Expedition 13 crewmembers onboard the International Space Station during the RPM survey prior to docking of the two spacecraft on July 6, 2006. Credit: NASA/JSC.



Areas of interest under study by the image analysis and thermal protection system team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center during STS-121 on July 6, 2006. Credit: NASA.



A cross section of the Discovery wing leading edge images studied after a July 7, 2006 inspection. Credit: NASA.



The two gap fillers studied during a July 7, 2006 inspection by the STS-121 crew. Credit: NASA.

From nasa.gov

7 p.m. CDT, Friday, July 7, 2006. Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas.

STATUS REPORT: STS-121-07:

 The STS-121 Mission Management Team Friday decided to extend Discovery’s flight by an additional day to 13 days after reviewing the rate at which the orbiter’s consumables are being used. The extra day will allow a third spacewalk to test thermal protection system repair techniques and evaluate a thermal imaging camera.

With the mission extension, landing is now planned at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, July 17 at 8:12 a.m. CDT.

[CorranHorn]

Great job on the updates Dale. Glad to see everything is going well and hopefully this will bring renewed vigor for the space program.

[DSJ™]

Thanks Jason, yeah NASA needs this boost. Just a few short years left in the shuttle program then the moon or Mars or other. 

Great stuff coming from the station, a busy day they had.



STS-121 mission specialist Piers Sellers exits the International Space Station (ISS) during the first of three spacewalks planned for his mission aboard Discovery. Credit: NASA TV.



STS-121 spacewalker Piers Sellers (right) attaches tethers to the shuttle Discovery's robotic arm during the first EVA of the mission. Spacewalking partner Michael Fossum secures tools for the orbital work at left. Credit: NASA TV.



STS-121 spacewalkers Michael Fossum (left) is perched at the end of Discovery's inspection boom with Piers Sellers tethered to a nearby tool carrier. Credit: NASA TV.



NASA astronauts Piers Sellers (in striped spacesuit on right) and Michael Fossum head back to the ISS after completing their goals for their STS-121 mission's first spacewalk on July 8, 2006. Credit: NASA TV.



This still image is taken from video recorded by one of four new cameras mounted to the solid rocket boosters for NASA's space shuttle Discovery during its July 4, 2006 launch of the STS-121 mission. Credit: NASA.



STS-121 spacewalkers Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum test Discovery's orbital boom for stability as a repair work platform during their mission's first spacewalk on July 8, 2006. Credit: NASA.



In this image taken by an airborne WB-57 jet, clouds of rocket exhaust can be seen billowing ahead of Discovery as its solid rocket boosters separate from the external tank on July 4, 2006. Credit: NASA.



A up-close look at the one gap filler that analysts continue to study before clearing Discovery's heat shield for reentry on July 8, 2006. Credit: NASA/JSC.

[DSJ™]

Great news. 

NASA clears space shuttle for return to Earth



The space shuttle Discovery approaches the International Space Station for docking but before the link-up occurred, the orbiter "posed" for a thorough series of inspection photos. Discovery docked at the station's Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 at 10:52 a.m. EDT, July 6, 2006. Credit: NASA.



An up-close look at a gap filler that analysts studied before clearing Discovery's heat shield for reentry on July 9, 2006. Credit: NASA/JSC