Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 02:27:42 AM

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 02:27:42 AM

Discovery is set to Return today
STS-121 (http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/sts-121_front/index.html)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: FUNKED1 on July 17, 2006, 03:12:18 AM

*puts on helmet*

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 03:29:58 AM

(http://axt.4t.com/space/shuttle/image/sts121_crew.jpg)
The STS-121 Crew

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Pooh21 on July 17, 2006, 03:37:13 AM

the chicks are cute

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 04:28:29 AM

They even call themselves the "chicks" on the crew.  That's double cool, but then again if they were twitchy about that sort of thing they probably wouldn't have gotten as far as they have.

It's cool working with women who don't mind being called "chicks" any more than the guys mind being called "dudes" or whatever.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: rpm on July 17, 2006, 04:41:20 AM

I wonder how long till the first orbital docking maneuver?

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 05:07:39 AM

I think there on there way to florida already watch NASA Tv

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: deSelys on July 17, 2006, 05:13:44 AM

Quote

Originally posted by rpm
I wonder how long till the first orbital docking maneuver?

My bet that it has already happened...

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 06:57:46 AM

"go for deorbit burn"

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Eagler on July 17, 2006, 07:16:25 AM

I'll be outside in about 45 minutes, listening for the boom

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 07:22:56 AM

NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/sts-121_front/index.html)

watch NASA TV for live coverage of the shuttle landing operations

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:28:59 AM

From the map on NASA tv, it's only going to cross southern FL...  No cross-US flight this time.

When the Columbia came apart, it showed up on TX weather radar for about half an hour :(

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 07:32:43 AM

I was outside watching columbia that morning thought it might have been chase planes at first but then I figured it out I bet some redneck still has a piece of that shuttle

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Mini D on July 17, 2006, 07:38:26 AM

Eagl... I think that was the launch that was mapped. It should be coming in on the same aproach it did previously.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:41:33 AM

NASA tv still shows an approach from the southwest of Florida...

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts121/mission_docs/landing.html

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Mini D on July 17, 2006, 07:45:06 AM

Thanks, I didn't see those charts on NASA TV.

I wonder how they could change the aproach that much. I thought the aproach windows were quite small.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:45:20 AM

The big board in the nasa control room shows the shuttle track along it's planned trajectory, but they won't zoom in on it...  I guess nobody wants us to see how well they're shooting the approach :)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 07:47:08 AM

they don't want anyone to have videos of a possible accident is the reason why its not coming in over the U.S.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:48:14 AM

The approach angle totally depends on where they are in the orbit.  The orbit has to pass reasonably close to Florida either heading north or south, and in this case the orbit they chose was heading north.  On the standard orbit track map, the orbit would have passed almost directly over Florida if they hadn't done the de-orbit burn and they had a one-orbit-later option as well, so my guess is that as long as their orbit would have passed near the landing site without the de-orbit burn, then they can land from it.

Over the landing site it looks like they have a figure-8 pattern so they arrive high and keep burning off speed and altitude as they go for the perfect approach angle.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 07:50:34 AM

isn't 1 of the alternative landing striips in Spain???

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:50:45 AM

Regarding trying to hide an approach mishap...  Doubtful raider...  If they were even considering that sort of thing, they'd want it to be over land to assist in post-mishap debris recovery.  As it is now, any approach mishap would put most of the debris into the water.

I can't believe that they're that corrupt that they'd deliberately choose an approach that ensures a de-orbit mishap couldn't be investigated.

If you want to be that cynical go ahead but you're gonna get ulcers eventually from being pissed off at everthing... :(

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:52:24 AM

Regarding spain, they have emergency runways all over the world but the only primary alternate they have is (IIRC) in Calif.  (at Edwards I think.)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 07:55:15 AM

2'000 miles to go

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:56:47 AM

Poss runway change...  Looking at the radar, the last time I flew into that same picture I busted my butt and got nailed by a huge T-Storm halfway through the landing rollout.  I hope they don't have the same prob.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 07:58:03 AM

They would have scrubbed the landing if the weather was like that just 40 min ago...  Now they're stuck.

Doing S-turns at high mach now... kewl.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:00:02 AM

1'000 miles to go

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:01:01 AM

Runway change

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:06:22 AM

214 miles to go

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: AquaShrimp on July 17, 2006, 08:08:35 AM

Air Sensor Probe wont come down.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:09:39 AM

I think they fixed it

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Chairboy on July 17, 2006, 08:10:40 AM

Holy cow, I think this is going to be the worst weather yet for a shuttle landing.  Hope the pilot is current on his instrument approaches...

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: expat on July 17, 2006, 08:11:43 AM

mach 1 range 68 miles :)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:11:43 AM

its lookin that way bet they wish they aborted

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:12:40 AM

pilot view:eek:

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: expat on July 17, 2006, 08:12:50 AM

two sonic booms ,either that or someone has a shotgun in the control room :)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:13:44 AM

Quote

Originally posted by expat
two sonic booms ,either that or someone has a shotgun in the control room :)

its Dick Cheiney again run!!!!!!:O

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:14:36 AM

field in sight

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Chairboy on July 17, 2006, 08:15:42 AM

Safe touchdown, wtg Discovery.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 08:15:44 AM

Sweet hud video!!! very cool!

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 08:17:57 AM

Interesting... Chair reports safe landing but my nasa tv feed was still about 3 min from touchdown.

Nice touch, they overlayed audio feed from each camera being used so you could hear the "pop" from the cover over the chute, you could hear the anti-skid brakes go pfffft pfffft pfffft, etc.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: AquaShrimp on July 17, 2006, 08:19:45 AM

I found it a little nerve-wracking looking through the HUD, imagining myself on the shuttle thinking "Hmmm, I have only one shot at this".  I'm glad these guys are the best of the best though.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Eagler on July 17, 2006, 08:21:21 AM

wtg!

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 08:22:32 AM

It always cracks me up how the shuttle just sits there for a while as everyone is afraid to come within a half mile until they can prove the thing won't blow up just sitting there on the runway :)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: deSelys on July 17, 2006, 08:23:08 AM

W00t! Nice job!:aok

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:24:57 AM

what is that siren/puffing sound???:huh

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 08:27:06 AM

You're right Shrimp...  They get right around 3 minutes from field in sight until touchdown...  Not much time to make or correct any errors.  I imagine they do a little bit of training so it doesn't seem so fast ;)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Chairboy on July 17, 2006, 08:28:11 AM

The pfft pfft pfft sound comes from the APUs.  When operating, they use an evaporative cooling system.  Water is sprayed onto the radiator plates to take the heat away, and the end result sounds like a steam engine.  Watch a night landing in infrared some day and you'll see the puffing from the base of the tail.

The reason people hang back in the beginning has to do with the hydrazine that fuels the APUs.  Toxic stuff, they check to make sure there isn't a leak first.  watch closely, and you'll usually see a couple trucks with big fans that pull up.  They are there to keep the poisonous cloud (if it exists) away from the astronauts/groundcrew.

Dunno why my NasaTV feed was so far ahead of yours, Eagl, I used the one linked to in the beginning of this thread.

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 08:28:26 AM

raider they showed an IR image earlier that clearly showed a puffing exhaust over the left OMS rocket housing.  My guess is that they have an APU running.

And some guy just honked his horn too...

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Masherbrum on July 17, 2006, 08:28:57 AM

wtg!

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 08:29:22 AM

Chair,

It's probably because I was having connection probs last week and told windows media player to buffer 99 seconds of video :)

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:32:44 AM

Quote

Originally posted by eagl
raider they showed an IR image earlier that clearly showed a puffing exhaust over the left OMS rocket housing.  My guess is that they have an APU running.

And some guy just honked his horn too...

they gave the shuttle a horn???:lol  shuttle looks big even though its the size of a DC-9

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: RAIDER14 on July 17, 2006, 08:34:28 AM

APU shutdown

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: eagl on July 17, 2006, 08:38:37 AM

They're stripping down!  I KNEW that was the party bus!

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: AquaShrimp on July 17, 2006, 08:42:35 AM

I dont want to get corny here, but when Nasa switches to capsules again, it just wont be quite as exciting.  Example:

"Yeah, I rode the capsule down, chutes deployed at 80,000 feet.  Quite an uneventful landing."  OR

"We re-entered Earths atmosphere doing Mach 25.  We were doing S-turns to slow this unpowered behemoth down.  Busting through the clouds at 10,000, and I had less than 180 seconds to make a perfect approach, because theres no go-arounds flying a dc-9 sized glider with a 10,000 fpm sink rate."

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: Chairboy on July 17, 2006, 08:58:14 AM

While it may not be sexy, having a capsule means that the low clouds are a non-issue.

Shuttles take off (and try to land) on clear days only.  Capsules can take off in almost anything.  Blizzards, rain showers, fog, the works.  Same with landing.

A Ford Trimotor scud running through valleys, finding the airfield using roads, then making a nail-biting approach through low vis might be exciting, but I'll take a 737 casually flying the ILS any day).

Title: Discovery Returns To Earth
Post by: AquaShrimp on July 17, 2006, 09:06:00 AM

I was just talking about the excitement factor.

But neither capsules nor shuttles take off in bad weather.  Because the exhaust trail is capable of grounding the rocket, causing a lightning strike.

But I'm all in favor of getting rid of the shuttle.  Its payload is so limited because it in itself is an orbiting space station.