NASA: Final mission for Atlantis begins today

[phlatwound]

Liftoff scheduled for 1:20 PM CDT today:

NASA - Space Shuttle

NASA - Atlantis' Final Mission

 

[Dishman Dan]

I think that just Discovery and Endeavour will be left after Atlantis retires.

Any word on when the last missions for these two??

Endeavour was the replacement for Challenger but I do not think that a replacement was ever built for Columbia.

 

[phlatwound]

Any word on when the last missions for these two??

Here's the current schedule:

Date: Sept. 16 +
Mission: STS-133
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center - Launch Pad 39A
Launch Time: 11:57 a.m. EDT
STS-133 Description: Space shuttle Discovery will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4), a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MLPM) and critical spare components to the International Space Station.

Date: Mid-Nov. *
Mission: STS-134
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center - Launch Pad 39A
Launch Time: To Be Determined
STS-134 Description: Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver an EXPRESS Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) and an Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the International Space Station.

 

[Tron]

Yes, they pushed back the dates for the final two missions, so after STS-132, there will be a long break.

The launch was successful, and there are no Ku-Band dish problems this time! Good luck and Godspeed, Atlantis!

 

[JerryVT]

I wonder if they will go back to the Heavy Lifters now. They say the Saturn 5 was the most complicated piece of machinery every built by humans. The darn fuel pump was like 10,000 HP. Perfect safety record as well......

 

[TRG]

For you star gazers out there the ISS/Shuttle makes for an easy satellite viewing experience. I just enjoyed a very nice 2 minute 47 second fly over. To see if the ISS/Shuttle will be flying over your location you can use sighting predictor below.
Human Space Flight (HSF) - Orbital Tracking

 

[Tron]

Haven't watched a flyover in a couple of months now. Maybe I'll get the chance while Atlantis is docked. Here is a thread I posted last year about ISS watching...

 

[Tron]

During EVA (Extravehicular Activity, or spacewalk) #1 on Monday, Astronauts Garrett Reisman and Steve Bowen will become high altitude Satellite Guys as they unpack a 6-foot spare space to ground Ku-Band antenna and install it onto the ISS. Hey, it looks nice, but PortaBUD works well for me ... Coverage will be on NASA-TV, and flight day highlights will play on the hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. Central time.

 

[TRG]

Haven't watched a flyover in a couple of months now. Maybe I'll get the chance while Atlantis is docked. Here is a thread I posted last year about ISS watching...

Now that you mention it I remember that thread. I've watching flyovers for a long time. I used to use a DOS program written by the late David Ransom called STS Plus.

STSPLUS Home Page

After installing the software and selecting your location you would download the latest NORAD telemetry.

CelesTrak: Current NORAD Two-Line Element Sets

Then you could track the shuttle and predict sighting opportunities. It was old school but it worked flawlessly. I was able to run the software on a Pentium 100 laptop that I would bring out to the backyard.

 

[TRG]

During EVA (Extravehicular Activity, or spacewalk) #1 on Monday, Astronauts Garrett Reisman and Steve Bowen will become high altitude Satellite Guys as they unpack a 6-foot spare space to ground Ku-Band antenna and install it onto the ISS. Hey, it looks nice, but PortaBUD works well for me ... Coverage will be on NASA-TV, and flight day highlights will play on the hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. Central time.

I have NASA TV on right now but they don't have any Ku video.

 

[Lak7]

I got to watch it fly-by 3 nights in a row