STS-119

[ripley1]

Great job NASA.

 

[zerofay32]

What does, "No go for the pitch" mean? That it's a night launch, so they don't have to turn around the shuttle and take pictures of the ET?

Correct

 

[SiberianTiger]

Cool, go Discovery!

 

[2552]

Amazing. The sky was so clear yesterday that I could make out booster sep as 3 small dots of light (and from almost 100 miles from KSC according to Google Earth!). I've never seen that while watching a launch before. Wow.

 

[Messierhunter]

Probably the best launch I've seen. The seeing was remarkably clear, and the timing was perfect so that the boosters were in daylight after sep as it was getting dark on the ground. Here's one of my shots from across the river:

 

[RisingFury]

Here's one from NASA:

 

[Messierhunter]

I wish I could get that close. Roughly 12 miles is as good as it gets for me.

 

[2552]

Here's one from NASA:

Wallpapered :speakcool:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

For some hi-res STS-119 launch imagery, see here: http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=88

 

[ripley1]

Real data and tracker of the STS and ISS.
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/index.html

 

[tblaxland]

Nice shooting Messierhunter. What was the equipment?

 

[GEScott71]

Great photos!

Nice shooting Messierhunter. What was the equipment?

I'll second that - great photos! Thanks for sharing your work. Can you provide details? (distance, equipment, settings, etc.)?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Messierhunter]

Thanks! I used a Canon XTi at 1/500th sec ISO 400 at the prime focus of my 8" LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain. I was positioned about 12 miles away from the pad, across the Indian river in Titusville.

 

[agentgonzo]

Rendezvous operations to begin at 15:38 GMT (11:38 CET).
RPM at 20:06 GMT (16:06 CET)
Docking at 21:13 GMT (17:13 CET)
Source: NSF

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

The High Definition (HD) video of the STS-119 launch is now available to download!
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/hd/index.html

I can fully recommend it - download it, set it to full screen mode & crank up your speakers.....IT'S AWESOME

---------- Post added at 11:20 ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 16:28 ----------

Here are the updated times for the main events of the STS-119 mission (IN GMT/UTC). NASA TV will boradcast the events at the same times as listed below:

WED 18
3.18pm - SSRMS unberth of S6

THU 19
5.13pm - EVA-1 begins
6.03pm - Installation of S6
10.43pm - S6 radiator deploy
11.43pm - EVA-1 ends

SAT 21
3.33pm - UPA* replacement
4.43pm - EVA-2 begins

SUN 22
7.33am to 2.18pm - S6 solar array deploy

MON 23
3.43pm - EVA-3 begins

TUE 24
9.08pm - Discovery/ISS hatch closure

WED 25
1.47pm - Discovery/ISS undocking

THU 26
11.00am - Soyuz TMA-14 launch

SAT 28
1.59pm - Discovery PLBD** closing
5.42pm - Discovery KSC landing

* = Urine Processor Assembily
** = Payload Bay Door


The full STS-119 NASA TV schedule (also shows other time zones) can be downloaded from here (PDF):
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html

----------
ALSO:

Full STS-119 image gallery:
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-119/ndxpage1.html

 

[ElPelado]

Hi, have you seen this RPM picture:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-119/hires/iss018e040832.jpg
On the left wing you can see a white spot... it also appears on other RPM photos, so its not an artiffact from this picture....
what do you think it is?

 

[T.Neo]

I dunno what that spot is, but it looks suspiciously like a nick in the ISS window glass.

 

[DaveS]

Hi, have you seen this RPM picture:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-119/hires/iss018e040832.jpg
On the left wing you can see a white spot... it also appears on other RPM photos, so its not an artiffact from this picture....
what do you think it is?

It's tile substrate. The tile is damaged, no concern whatsoever. It's located on the left inboard elevon.

 

[ElPelado]

It's tile substrate. The tile is damaged, no concern whatsoever. It's located on the left inboard elevon.

Are you sure its on an elevon? aren't the elevons on the back of the shuttle?

 

[zerofay32]

The Spot on one of the RCC panels?

Zerofay32