Mirror Images

It's really taking a lot of self control right now not to bust out singing a popular Foreigner song from 1978. What you are seeing here is not the result of some fancy photoshopping. It really is two Space Shuttles ready on the pads at the Kennedy Space Center. This is the last time you will ever see this occurrence and the first time it's happened since 2001. The Space Shuttle Atlantis is in the foreground on launch pad 39A in preparation for its launch on STS-125 while Endeavour stands ready on launch pad 39B in case it is needed as a rescue vessel for Atlantis during its risky Hubble servicing mission set to launch October 10. STS-125 will be the first Space Shuttle mission not to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station since the Columbia disaster in 2003. As the Hubble and ISS are in vastly different orbits, a docking with the ISS in case of an emergency heat shield situation will be impossible. This is why NASA managers have Endeavour ready to go, should it be needed. Once it gets the all clear from it's rescue standby, Endeavour will be rolled over to 39A for STS-126 to the ISS targeted around November 26. After it rolls off 39B over to 39A NASA will begin it's transformation of 39B into a future launch pad for Constellation missions.

CLICK HERE to see an ultra high-res version of the picture above.

[NASA]
Image Credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

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Space Shuttle Launch Seen From Air Canada Flight

This is not the angle you typically see the Space Shuttle launching from. Video was taken by a passenger on an Air Canada flight. It was uploaded last month so there's a good chance this was the launch of STS-124. Two things for certain; the photographer was highly impressed and this was a very unique and interesting perspective to see a launch.

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"Traffic is a Space Shuttle on short final"

I sure thought this photo looked fake, but it comes straight from the boys at NASA and the Kennedy Space Center. The image shows the Space Shuttle Discovery as it makes its final approach to Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the KSC. The mission wrapped up on June 14 as STS-124 with the landing that took place mere seconds after this photo was taken with the orbiter over the approach lights. Pretty crazy shot. I've seen a lot of aircraft head-on during final, but this one takes the cake. Image cropped a bit to better squeeze within the already limiting confines of the blogosphere.

click on the image for a larger version

Photo credit: NASA/Kevin O'Connell, Scott Haun

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Discovery to launch today with station module, toilet fix

The external tank attached to the Space Shuttle Discovery is being fueled with liquid hydrogen and oxygen as I blog this to you in preparation for its launch this evening around 5:02 EDT. Discovery's mission, STS-124, is all set to deliver the main Japanese experiment module, Kibo, to the ISS. Kibo will be the largest payload delivered to the station by the shuttle fleet to date. More important to crew of Expedition 17 on the ISS, however, is the repair kit that was hastily loaded on to the mid deck of Discovery this week after the toilet on the space station broke down. In the mean time, astronauts on the ISS have been using the cramped facilities on the attached Soyuz spacecraft to do their "duty". That toilet only has a 3 day capacity, so getting the repairs on Discovery up to the ISS can't come soon enough. Especially if you've been pinching it off for the last 5 days.

Godspeed, Discovery!

Watch the launch of Discovery live here.

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Space Shuttle fleet to get moving maps, catch up to GA

NASA is set to roll out it's final software update for the Space Shuttle fleet before their pending retirement and no it isn't Vista SP1. The 33rd Operational Increment, or OI33, as it is called will give the shuttle pilot and commander a top-down view of the orbiter and locations for abort sites during ascent and orbital insertion. Endeavour, just freshly back from it's jaunt on STS-123 last week, will be the first shuttle to receive the upgrade in time for it's October launch on STS-126. The new capability will vastly improve situational awareness and the ability to handle the potential for a Main Engine shutdown during ascent, even though that has never happened, ever. I'm glad to see our nation's most expensive pride and joy when it comes to aerospace engineering finally getting the same moving map capability that you can find in a Cessna 172.

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Endeavour wraps up impressive mission

Some nice video of Endeavour's landing last night at the Kennedy Space Center following the completion of STS-123. Their mission was far from ordinary as they delivered Dextre, a crazy space construction robot; and the first component of Kibo, Japan's contribution to the ISS. The mission was also the first to use the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System where Endeavour was able to be powered by the ISS while docked, allowing for a longer mission. Too bad this feature is online late in the shuttle fleet's life as this would have been beneficial earlier on in the building phases of the ISS. The next shuttle mission should have Discovery bringing the other portion of the Kibo lab by the end of May. Up next for the ISS is the automated docking of ESA's Jules Verne ATV which will provide the station crew supplies and be capable of boosting the ISS to a higher orbit.

Endeavour Lifts Off on STS-123

In Tuesday's pre-dawn hours at Kennedy Space Center, more specifically at 2:28AM EDT (0628 GMT), space shuttle Endeavour lifted off launch pad 39A with an international payload incluiding two of the newest components of the space station: a two-armed Canadian robot and the first piece of Japan's three-part Kibo laboratory.

This was only the second dark or nighttime launch of a space shuttle by NASA since the Columbia disaster (2/2003). The first was in 2006. Daytime shuttle launches have been preferred, and were initially required because any debris falling from the shuttle and possibly impacting it would be more visible. Nighttime launches are now allowed, and somewhat preferred due to radar clearness. One piece of debris was noted falling from the external tank 83 seconds into the launch. NASA officials believe it missed the right wing of Endeavour.

This was NASA's second of six planned missions for 2008. STS-123 will also be NASA's longest space station mission at a planned 16 days, which includes 5 planned spacewalks (also a record). Click on the picture, it is very HQ (credit: NASA).