Will land at 8:39 EDT!
In case you wanted to watch

Info: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Will this be somthing that Texans can see?

Touch down :thumbsup:

Am I the only one that stills holds their breath every time this beast goes up and comes down?

Am I the only one that stills holds their breath every time this beast goes up and comes down?

Just you and the Astronauts flying in that dinosaur....and their families.
I was a young'un when the Columbia first flew, finished in 1979, flew it's first mission in 1981....27 years ago. Imagine how things have changed since it was first designed in the early 70's, obviously there have been upgrades, but it's more like a "resto mod" version of the original basically.

Just you and the Astronauts flying in that dinosaur....and their families.
I was a young'un when the Columbia first flew, finished in 1979, flew it's first mission in 1981....27 years ago. Imagine how things have changed since it was first designed in the early 70's, obviously there have been upgrades, but it's more like a "resto mod" version of the original basically.

Creeping up on 42 I do have some history with the Shuttle program.

STS-1 and STS-51 are my "Kennedy". They just hit home every time they go up and come down.

A "resto mod" that is scheduled to be mothballed in 2010. (snif). Let's hope Orion gets the funding and off the ground.

Funk Im with you. EVERY time that goes up or lands Im all goosebumps watching it. The landing is my finest moment for some reason, they seem to land that huge brick with no power just like silk on a rose petal. Amazing folks fly those :thumbsup:

it was pretty cool to watch on the NASA channel on direct tv. inside the control room, radio conversations and all. :)

I was stationed at Edwards AFB(87-91) and got to see a few landings in person. Neat to see that. But tv coverage allows for a better visual. In person you hear the double sonic boom and a couple minutes later its over. It is just a white speck in the sky and the dust cloud from the lake bed landing obscured the shuttle from my vantage point where I worked.

I think it takes a very special person to "fly" a non-powered craft dropping at 1000 feet every 10 seconds and land it on point in the dark. As for me, I have yet to see a Depends adult diaper big enough that I would attempt that feat.

alan

I think it takes a very special person to "fly" a non-powered craft dropping at 1000 feet every 10 seconds and land it on point in the dark. As for me, I have yet to see a Depends adult diaper big enough that I would attempt that feat.

alan

Dont get me wrong as Astronauts have always been heros to me since i was a kid. And i still watch the shuttle takeoffs and landing with great anticipation and awe. But im pretty sure, correct me if im wrong, that a computer pretty much lands that puppy on its own. Correct?

Yeah, I would feel 100% comfortable knowing that this flying brick is being controlled by a computer which will always do the right thing, never crash or need to re-boot..........

;)

alan

Ever seen the movie "Space Cowboys" with Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland? They landed the shuttle without the computer. Great flick.

Yeah, I would feel 100% comfortable knowing that this flying brick is being controlled by a computer which will always do the right thing, never crash or need to re-boot..........

;)

alan

Im not saying they cant go manual should something happen..but its done as routine by computer.

I watching the explosion for 30 miles away, I will never forget it! I am still speachless about it.

Im not saying they cant go manual should something happen..but its done as routine by computer.

That may be true, however, you have to have nads of steel to let a computer land a very heavy glider.

Space Cowboys was a fun movie.

That may be true, however, you have to have nads of steel to let a computer land a very heavy glider.

Space Cowboys was a fun movie.

I completely agree. And you have to have really bid nads of steel to be strapped in that baby when it ignites and launches off the pad and into space with a giant fireball and a gazillion gallons of explosive material strapped to your ***.

And you have to have really bid nads of steel to be strapped in that baby when it ignites and launches off the pad and into space with a giant fireball and a gazillion gallons of explosive material strapped to your ***.

That would be steel nads the size of a basketball.

I have seen the shuttle land at Edwards. Never have been able to see it take off. I worked on the air brake (used at landing) that comes out of the vertical stabilizer. Testing that actuator was intense....bolted the actuator between two I beams that were buried 30+ feet in the ground....and they would bend!!