Sts-118

[aphexafx]

Everyone please send good thoughts towards the crew of STS-118 on-board Space Shuttle Endeavour. These people are real-world heroes, I don't care what anyone says.

STS-118 Launch Video - pushing 4.5 millions pounds off of the earth.

The Space Shuttle vehicles are probably the most complex machines, and carry the most powerful reusable engines, ever built by mankind.

Here's some cool facts about the Rocketdyne Turbopump Rocket Engines.

Right now they are in orbit traveling at roughly 17,000 MPH. Note that this is 24,933 feet-per-second (FPS). That's about 6 times faster than a hot .223 cal. bullet at the muzzle port. And the Space Shuttle weighs ~254,694 pounds. Calculate the energy there and appreciate the amount of power put into the shuttle's orbit by the solid boosters and the large tank of liquid fuel burned off by the main engines in about 8 minutes.

Awesome, awesome stuff.

[DanTheEldest]

Whatever happened to public interest and excitement we used to have in the space program? I missed Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo (born in '76), but my parents have told me about how everybody piled into the living room and turned on the old tv to watch the launches and such. It's a testament to the engineers and techs who keep the shuttles flying that something still so intrinsically dangerous has become routine enough that not many people seem to notice or care anymore.

Godspeed, Endeavour, and may your flight be enjoyably free from anything not on a checklist.

[Bree]

I will never forget the day I was out on the lawn watching the shuttle Challenger (STS-25) lift off. As it rose, there was a huge explosion and the two SRBs emerged from the ball of smoke but no shuttle. 7 astronauts were dead.

I had purchased an STS-25 patch over at a store in the Florida Mall a couple of days before the flight. Little did I know that I would be wearing that patch on my bike vest today to honor the 7 heros who perished that day. The patch has the following names: McNair, Onizuka, Resnik, Scobee, Smith, McAuliffe, Jarvis.

Next to it is another patch for the STS-107 mission which bears the names: Husband, Brown, Clark, Chawla, Anderson, Ramon, McCool. These are the heros who manned the shuttle Columbia which burned up on re-entry.

And lets not forget AS-204 or Apollo One which burned up in training killing its three heros. Those names are: Grissom, White and Chaffee.

Their plaque at the launch pad bears these words which say it all:

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
(A rough road leads to the stars)

We must never ever take for granted the risks that our astronauts face nor the precious lives that were lost that we might be where we are today. These are extremely brave men and women who risk death for us.

Godspeed Endeavour!

[AZXD]

Yep, I remember the streets being empty, everyone watching the launch, what happened in the middle, and the landing. Talk about duty, when the first moon landing occurred it was the talk of the world.
Now a shuttle launch is as insignificant as Wheel of Fortune.

God speed to those who pass through the upper atmosphere.

Side note:
The Mercury program was over. Four years later, astronaut Gus Grissom was killed, along with astronauts White and Chaffee, when fire swept through their Apollo capsule. But on that glorious day in May 1963, Gordo Cooper went higher, farther, and faster than any other American - 22 complete orbits around the world; he was the last American ever to go into space alone. And for a brief moment, Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen.
If you haven't seen a movie called The Right Stuff, rent it!

[DanTheEldest]

Originally Posted by AZXD

The Mercury program was over. Four years later, astronaut Gus Grissom was killed, along with astronauts White and Chaffee, when fire swept through their Apollo capsule. But on that glorious day in May 1963, Gordo Cooper went higher, farther, and faster than any other American - 22 complete orbits around the world; he was the last American ever to go into space alone. And for a brief moment, Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen.
If you haven't seen a movie called The Right Stuff, rent it!

"Who's the greatest pilot you ever saw?"

One of my all-time favorite movies.

[AZXD]

Originally Posted by DanTheEldest

"Who's the greatest pilot you ever saw?"

One of my all-time favorite movies.

"I'll tell you what else. Anybody who goes up in that damned thing is going to be Spam in a can."

[aphexafx]

Well, I for one watch and follow every single manned launch. I can't understand how people can pass this kind of thing off, personally. Nothing excites me more than hearing those turbo pumps whine up and ignite and then seeing the thing push off. After watching that, and then turning my attention to the TV to see reports about Paris Hilton's underwear - well it's just unbelievable...

BTW, if you're really a geek, you can watch what they are doing and listen to the open band communication between and Endeavour 24/7 by streaming NASATV:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

[Bree]

I love when the sparklers go off to light the engines.

[aphexafx]

Originally Posted by Bree

I love when the sparklers go off to light the engines.

+1 good fun that is!