STS-125: The Last Hubble Servicing Mission

[Barbossa]

Shuttle Atlantis is ready to go on the last repair mission to the Hubble space telescope. Follow, the mission and the countdown clock here:
NASA - Space Shuttle

This will be an interesting (and dangerous) mission to follow as they won't have the luxury of being near the ISS. Shuttle Endeavour is out on the pad too in case something happens. Godspeed astronauts.

Hopefully the astronauts won't encounter a maniac with a big space drill and a guy with pointy ears up there.

[Barbossa]

Uh-oh, some damage found on Atlantis.
CTV.ca | Atlantis crew finds damage on shuttle after launch

The article says they found a 21 inch stretch of nicks on the thermal tiles. I hope it ends up being nothing too serious.

[Barbossa]

There's a good "home video" on Nasa's website:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasat...5_fd02_100.jpg

I guess this was shot either Wednesday or Thursday. And it sounds like they got an Imax camera with them.

[Barbossa]

Atlantis is still up there, having successfully refurbished Hubble. However, the weather at the cape isn't co-operating and the shuttle is staying up one more day.
CTV.ca | NASA cancels shuttle landing for second straight day

Hope they come back safely.

[whitealexander]

thanks for the updates... i really enjoyed the pics and reads...

[Boingonut]

Just heard the sonic booms as the shuttle landed in Edwards about an hour ago.

[mycroft16]

^Was just going to post that they're down now. I got to involved in watching it and forgot to post it. Lucky sod getting to hear the sonic boom.

NASA - NASA TV will have replays throughout the day of it most likely. Right now it's a post mission de-briefing.

[caesarboxfan]

It's funny that they landed at Edwards this morning.

Last night on my local news, they were all doom and gloom because NASA's been trying to land the shuttle the last two days but have failed due to bad weather that will last through the week. They then went on to say that the shuttle's supplies and oxygen levels were running low and that they might not last.

I thought to myself "Why don't they land them at Edwards then?"

Sure enough.

[Barbossa]

Originally Posted by caesarboxfan

I thought to myself "Why don't they land them at Edwards then?"

Sure enough.

Probably because of the added cost to land at Edwards and shipping the shutle back to Atlantis, so they were trying to hold out in hopes the weather at the cape cleared up.

Good to hear that they are home safely. Now I want to see some new photos from Hubble!
CTV.ca | Space shuttle Atlantis lands in California

[Boingonut]

Originally Posted by mycroft16

^Was just going to post that they're down now. I got to involved in watching it and forgot to post it. Lucky sod getting to hear the sonic boom.

NASA - NASA TV will have replays throughout the day of it most likely. Right now it's a post mission de-briefing.

I usually sleep in on Sunday, but when I found out that the Shuttle was coming into Edwards I decided to wake up early just so I could hear the sonic boom. I live in Santa Clarita which is about 70 miles from Edwards and I heard the sonic boom last time the Shuttle came to Edwards, but at the time I had no idea what it was until later in the day. It was really cool when I heard a boom boom this morning that rattled the windows and made the dogs bark and know what it was.

Originally Posted by Barbossa

Now I want to see some new photos from Hubble!

I know me too! But I don't think we are going to see anything until September since they need to calibrate the new equipment which will take all summer.

[Barbossa]

Originally Posted by Boingonut

I know me too! But I don't think we are going to see anything until September since they need to calibrate the new equipment which will take all summer.

I just watched a video clip on CTV News. An astronomer that they were interviewing said we can expect the first images in early or mid August.

I think this mission proved two important things:
1) better to send people up rather than a robot on such repair missions
2) the shuttle will be needed and missed in the future
I still can't figure out why NASA can't run two programs at once, the shuttle, to continue to serve the space station and repair missions such as Hubble, and the Constellation program (Orion/Ares). Yes I know: $. I think NASA should look into also producing a 2nd generation shuttle again, like the Ventue Star that got canceled.

[mycroft16]

Originally Posted by caesarboxfan

Last night on my local news, they were all doom and gloom because NASA's been trying to land the shuttle the last two days but have failed due to bad weather that will last through the week. They then went on to say that the shuttle's supplies and oxygen levels were running low and that they might not last.

Why do the news insist on being so negative in the name of creating a little drama? What happened to fair, honest and objective reporting? Oh, wait... that doesn't = ratings.

Originally Posted by Barbossa

Probably because of the added cost to land at Edwards and shipping the shutle back to Atlantis, so they were trying to hold out in hopes the weather at the cape cleared up.

Good to hear that they are home safely. Now I want to see some new photos from Hubble!
CTV.ca | Space shuttle Atlantis lands in California

Yeah, NASA definitely prefers landing at KSC... but they won't and never do hesitate to land at Edwards if they have to. The shuttle always carries plenty of extra food and oxygen so that they can wait a few days if they need to. But NASA would never "let things run low." That is just a laughable media stunt.

[caesarboxfan]

Originally Posted by mycroft16

Why do the news insist on being so negative in the name of creating a little drama? What happened to fair, honest and objective reporting? Oh, wait... that doesn't = ratings.



Yeah, NASA definitely prefers landing at KSC... but they won't and never do hesitate to land at Edwards if they have to. The shuttle always carries plenty of extra food and oxygen so that they can wait a few days if they need to. But NASA would never "let things run low." That is just a laughable media stunt.

Yeah, this is coming from the same local station that mistook the sun for the moon.

[mycroft16]

Originally Posted by caesarboxfan

Yeah, this is coming from the same local station that mistook the sun for the moon.

Oh that's just sad and inexcusable. If you've sunk that low in your journalistic integrity and excellence, it's time to close the doors and send everyone home.

[flynnibus]

Originally Posted by caesarboxfan

It's funny that they landed at Edwards this morning.

Last night on my local news, they were all doom and gloom because NASA's been trying to land the shuttle the last two days but have failed due to bad weather that will last through the week. They then went on to say that the shuttle's supplies and oxygen levels were running low and that they might not last.

I thought to myself "Why don't they land them at Edwards then?"

Sure enough.

Costs. It costs NASA about an extra $2million to deal with getting the Shuttle back to KSC after landing it in Cali.

Plus, the extra time (they do some work in Cali before they send it back) put the next mission's timeline in jeopardy... so they were very much trying to land at KSC.

They had supplies to stay in orbit until Monday without changing standard procedures. They could of course stretch that by doing other things.