Space Forum / Shuttle / July 2006

Ok, probably a stupid question, but why can't some of the heavy
and sturdy Space Station components, like struts, be boosted to
the vicinity of the station, then grappled and installed by the
shuttle crew, leaving the shuttle either lighter, or with other SS

You can track the current position of the space shuttle and the ISS by
visiting this webpage: http://satellite.ehabich.info/index_5.html.
The position is updated every 60 seconds. Note that there is a simple
javascript which means that you dont have to reload the page manually.

I think some of the questions  given to the astronauts are outrageous..
I mean, asking loaded questions like the chief safety officer  advised no
launch, and they said there was a one in 100 chance of failure, what do you
think etc..

Just heard Lisa ask if they could turn a light on and off as required and
she was told  that if you turned it off, you had to wait ten mins before you
can turn it on again.
Anyone know why this should be?

I was watching ground crew unload the astronauts on one of the aborted
launches last week.  When the guys arrived to open the shuttle, the
first thing they did (before they opened the shuttle) was remove strange
back packs they were wearing, then begin to open the door. The packs

My favorite new camera is the ET cam, amazing watching the plasma coming
off the Tank and Orbiter before and after MECO. The RCS jet firings and +x
manuver post MECO too. The roll after liftoff with overshoot is pretty
dramatic, with the Cape below. SRB Sep, and the roll to heads up

How about using carbon fibers in a panty hose type of covering that
goes over the complete tank.  After the foam is laid down, cover it
with the stocking material and then spray it with a coat of titanium
oxide laden heat resistant paint.

Does anybody have any handy references
to the duration of the shuttle launch windows
for rendezvous with the Hubble?
Readon being -- it's in a 28 deg orbit,

Last year at this time, for STS-114, NASA-TV could be found FTA on
EchoStar7 (119 West, TP 11, 12370 vertical (or was it 12369?), aka Dish
Network 213).
The channel still shows up on the FTA list at LyngSat.com, but I've been

Unique views today as the Discovery went through a roll maneuaver late
in the ascent.
With the angle of lighting, lots of plume activity was visible as the
SSME's shut down.

I notice that sci.space.news has had no shuttle  news at all as far as I can
see, is this deliberate?
Brian

I am lurker here, because you guys know this stuff way too much more
than I.  Guess that is why I am not a rocket scientist.  So I wanted
to ask this question as I must have missed it somewhere.
With the annoucement of the Ares vehicles and such,  what are  is Nasa

Well...as much as I want to see a space shuttle launch, this baffles
me.

Oh well, I guess its time for bed if the audio is intermittent as it seems
to be at the moment. Its even bad on mission control.
Brian

This showed up on CNN just after 11:30 am EDT:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/07/03/shuttle.remote.control.reut/index.html
By the sounds of it, the physical actions required to return a shuttle
from the ISS (including release of docking latches, deployment of the