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Space and Astronomy Thread |
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#1576 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,288
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Tracking Discovery by balloon:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/chasin...medium=7239224
Launch is due at 20:30, but could be as early as 20:20 |
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#1577 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
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Quote:
You actually think America is going to give up its space exploration leadership and business in any significant way to a foreign entity?
EADS is already having a tough enough job trying to sell air tankers to their Air Force, which they never should been allowed to bid on anyway. The only practical replacement launchers for the USA are the three that l have mentioned unless they want to totally humiliate themselves by buying in Soyuz launchers and launching them from Cape Kennedy. |
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#1578 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Posts: 607
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Quote:
Wow, enjoy!
Weather forecast is 80% go at the moment, so hope it holds for you ![]() The weather was perfect. Squeaky bum time when Range Safety said 'No-Go' and the extra hold at T-5:00 but it launched and I watched it. ![]() I was trying to take photos and watch the launch 'naked eye' as well but got some good pictures. The wierd part was the delay between seeing ignition & the launch and then hearing it because the sound travels slower and I was about 7 miles away on the causeway. There are only two more left so if you get the chance you must go, it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen and will recommend it to everyone. |
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#1579 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
Just got back to the hotel and I'm still buzzing. Wow, that was an absolutely great show!
The weather was perfect. Squeaky bum time when Range Safety said 'No-Go' and the extra hold at T-5:00 but it launched and I watched it. ![]() I was trying to take photos and watch the launch 'naked eye' as well but got some good pictures. The wierd part was the delay between seeing ignition & the launch and then hearing it because the sound travels slower and I was about 7 miles away on the causeway. There are only two more left so if you get the chance you must go, it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen and will recommend it to everyone. I was on the phone to someone at a launch in July 2009. I guess that is as close as I get to a shuttle launch. It makes you wonder what a Saturn V launch was like. But I guess they were all faked!
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#1580 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Posts: 607
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Quote:
Oh congratulations that it all went well. Yes you must have been sweating a bit when the doubt arouse.
I was on the phone to someone at a launch in July 2009. I guess that is as close as I get to a shuttle launch. It makes you wonder what a Saturn V launch was like. But I guess they were all faked! ![]() I'm even missing a Wales rugby game being out here and that's a bit like denying religion for a Welshman ![]() I thought the Saturn V was real, there was just no-one on them. ![]()
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#1581 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
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Programme Alert - The Age of the Universe...
...and it's on tonight at 9.30pm on BBC Radio 4 and there's more details here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yz3gy. It's one of Melvin Bragg's In Our Time discussions and they can be very good on science issues.
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#1582 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Stoke-On-Trent
Posts: 7,158
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What a Disaster for NASA Nasa Glory mission ends in failure Quote:
The US space agency's (Nasa) attempt to launch its latest Earth observation mission has ended in failure. The Glory satellite lifted off from California on a quest to gather new data on factors that influence the climate. But about five minutes into the flight, officials became aware of a problem. It appears the fairing - the part of the rocket which covers the satellite on top of the launcher - did not separate properly. This would have made the rocket too heavy and therefore too slow to achieve its intended 700km orbit. It would probably have fallen into the Ocean near the Antarctic, but this still has to be confirmed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12551861 |
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#1583 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Quote:
There are two left Henry, you still have time to see one. You need to do what I did, which was decide to go last minute you don't have time to change your mind as you're already travelling! Florida is hot anytime of year, so you get a nice holiday too, which is a bonus.
I'm even missing a Wales rugby game being out here and that's a bit like denying religion for a Welshman ![]() I thought the Saturn V was real, there was just no-one on them. ![]() ![]() |
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#1584 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: location location
Posts: 28,248
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Quote:
I thought the Saturn V was real, there was just no-one on them.
![]() ![]() ![]() Any number of test pilots would have fought to be aboard. After that, it's a no-brainer to land someone on the Moon. Good try though. Impressed. |
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#1585 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: location location
Posts: 28,248
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Quote:
...and it's on tonight at 9.30pm on BBC Radio 4 and there's more details here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yz3gy. It's one of Melvin Bragg's In Our Time discussions and they can be very good on science issues.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/iot |
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#1586 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Posts: 607
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Quote:
Out of interest, Squack, what were your travel arrangements? Who did you fly with, where did you stay, did you hire a car etc...? This si something I would love to do and for obvious reasons time is running out so I would seriously consider it if money permitted. I am seriously jeleous.
My local travel agent sorted the flight, hotel, visa, and airport transfers for just over £900. The only thing I had to do was get on a trip to Kennedy on the Thursday, I booked on a Florida Dolphin tour through the Viator website, but you can book directly with Florida Dolphin on their website here. The tour cost $169 (£106) and gets you into Kennedy on the launch day (blue ticket) and out to the causeway (green ticket) for the launch. The blue ticket is good for a second visit: as most of the space centre is not accessible on launch days so you will need a return trip to see everything there. Florida Dolphin also do a 'transport only' for $55 which takes you to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Kennedy Visitors Centre where you can do the full tour on a non-launch day. There were reports that there were about 250,000 people watching the launch that day and the next two will only get worse so if you want to see the launch you may need to decide soon. I was very, very lucky in that the launch actually took place, you need to remember that STS-133 was originally scheduled to launch in September which slipped to November and was scrubbed 5 times before it actually launched. I left everything till last minute as it gave me a better chance of seeing the launch rather than planning months ahead only to find out the date had slipped. You may not have that luxury with the launch day tickets as they will be getting huge demand for these last launches. I hope you do decide to go as it is really a 'once in a lifetime' experience and timing and luck had a lot to do with giving me the chance which I took with both hands and am really glad that I did. |
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#1587 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Quote:
I flew with Virgin Atlantic, stayed in Orlando at the southern end of International Drive which is close to all of the theme parks (which I wasn't bothered to visit!). I didn't hire a car but sort of wish I did as I could have visited more attractions on the days that I wasn't in the space centre.
My local travel agent sorted the flight, hotel, visa, and airport transfers for just over £900. The only thing I had to do was get on a trip to Kennedy on the Thursday, I booked on a Florida Dolphin tour through the Viator website, but you can book directly with Florida Dolphin on their website here. The tour cost $169 (£106) and gets you into Kennedy on the launch day (blue ticket) and out to the causeway (green ticket) for the launch. The blue ticket is good for a second visit: as most of the space centre is not accessible on launch days so you will need a return trip to see everything there. Florida Dolphin also do a 'transport only' for $55 which takes you to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Kennedy Visitors Centre where you can do the full tour on a non-launch day. There were reports that there were about 250,000 people watching the launch that day and the next two will only get worse so if you want to see the launch you may need to decide soon. I was very, very lucky in that the launch actually took place, you need to remember that STS-133 was originally scheduled to launch in September which slipped to November and was scrubbed 5 times before it actually launched. I left everything till last minute as it gave me a better chance of seeing the launch rather than planning months ahead only to find out the date had slipped. You may not have that luxury with the launch day tickets as they will be getting huge demand for these last launches. I hope you do decide to go as it is really a 'once in a lifetime' experience and timing and luck had a lot to do with giving me the chance which I took with both hands and am really glad that I did. |
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#1588 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Posts: 607
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Quote:
You scamp.
![]() Any number of test pilots would have fought to be aboard. After that, it's a no-brainer to land someone on the Moon. Good try though. Impressed. ![]() ![]() That was Henry's fault. His prevous post and his other thread and poll asking if there really was moon landings had put me in a 'conspiracy nut' baiting mood. |
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#1589 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Posts: 607
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Quote:
Thanks for all the info. I really wish I could go. Sadly any chance of that may have flown out the window this morning with the arrival of a letter from HMRC telling me I owe them over £500!! Bstrds.
![]() I'm just playing with my piccies and here's my best one of the launch - clicky. |
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#1590 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Quote:
I'm so sorry to hear that. Yes, Bstrds
![]() I'm just playing with my piccies and here's my best one of the launch - clicky. I wonder what the feeling is like now with just 2 flights to go? It's a massive shame the budget has dried up with no immediate successor in the pipeline. Like the period 1975 - 81 between Apollo and Space Shuttle. It must be horrible to be involved in the manned space program but not have the capability to actually fly people. I wonder how much media attention the last flight in June will get? |
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#1591 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Stoke-On-Trent
Posts: 7,158
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Wonders Of The Universe
I know he's not everyone's cup of tea but Brian Cox's new 4 part series Wonders of the Universe starts on BBC2 tonight @9pm.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zf9dh |
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#1592 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Discovery has just fired it engine to de-orbit.
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#1593 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Quote:
I know he's not everyone's cup of tea but Brian Cox's new 4 part series Wonders of the Universe starts on BBC2 tonight @9pm.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zf9dh I just wish Prof Cox would stop with all the silly 'Laurence Of Arabia' posturing in the middle distance - he clearly has a hankering to be a catalogue model. |
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#1594 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Taedet animam meam vitae
Posts: 40,368
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Discovery has just fired it engine to de-orbit.
![]() http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12688254 An astonishing and incredible achievement and the end to a career lasting 27 years.
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#1595 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Have a load of posts gone missing from this thread? I'm sure someone posted about the BBC4 prog. 'Around thr world in 60 Minutes'?
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#1596 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Posts: 607
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Quote:
Have a load of posts gone missing from this thread? I'm sure someone posted about the BBC4 prog. 'Around thr world in 60 Minutes'?
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#1597 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Quote:
They are in the ISS sightings thread. Methinks you are getting your space threads mixed up, there are all of two
![]() ![]() I shall nip there now to leave my comments! |
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#1598 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
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Wonders of the Universe Ep 2 - again I was very impressed. Much more information and less pretty pictures but his globe-trotting in order to illustrate his subject matter is getting a bit tenuous - an abondoned building being demolished in Rio to explain the death sequence of a star?!
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#1599 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Stoke-On-Trent
Posts: 7,158
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The Messenger probe will go into orbit around Mercury tonight (00:45 GMT), the first spacecraft to visit the planet for over 30 years, the the first to go into orbit around the planet.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12761025 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/me...ain/index.html |
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#1600 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
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Quote:
The Messenger probe will go into orbit around Mercury tonight (00:45 GMT), the first spacecraft to visit the planet for over 30 years, the the first to go into orbit around the planet.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12761025 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/me...ain/index.html
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