Space Shuttle Endeavour on its way

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Trevor

Has NASA hidden the maple leaf again? #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 11:40 GMT

...cos that's what they did on the last arm install mission, wasn't it?

Francis Boyle

If they give me one for my shed #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 13:01 GMT

I'll happily display the maple leaf.

Del Merritt

Kibo In Space! #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 14:29 GMT

"UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE ALL-WISE LEADER KIBO, THE NEW NETWORK SHALL BE ORGANIZED THUSLY: Three hierarchies encompassing ALL HUMAN DISCOURSE: nonbozo.* bozo.* megabozo.*

All hail Eris^H^H^H^HKibo!

Christof Semple

Why the nighttime launch? #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 14:29 GMT

The shuttle was only supposed to launch during daytime hours, to accomodate the safety photography that would ensure the ground crew would catch any damage to the shuttle during liftoff.

So why, after only two launches since the return-to-flight after the 2003 Columbia disaster, are they launching this at night again?

Robert Moore

@Christof Semple #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 20:37 GMT

Because night launches look really cool, of course.

ian

Other Kibo features... #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 20:37 GMT

... include the "Hello Kitty Whale Tracking System & Harpoon Director" and the "Tropical Rainforest Remnant Detector". Why is there no mention of the "Chinese Effluent Plume Imager"?

Anonymous John

Re Why the nighttime launch? #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 20:37 GMT

This is actually the eighth flight since the Columbia disaster. And the second night launch since then. The cameras can photograph falling foam even at night. And the Shuttle is checked three times in orbit for tile damage.

There's also the growing evidence that the foam shedding problem has been largely sorted. The Shuttle is now a safer vehicle than it's ever been.

A daylight launch yesterday couldn't have been put into a suitable orbit to dock with the ISS.

Radim Horak

@ Christof Semple #

Posted Tuesday 11th March 2008 20:37 GMT

WOW.. guess that you do not follow the shuttle launches. There were many more than two launches since Columbia. And I do believe that at least one night launch already happened since.

I do believe that the night time launch restrictions were in place only for the RTF (return to flight) missions STS-114 in 2005 and one more...

Alien icon cause the truth is out there... where is my tinfoil hat?

Fred