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Old 06-03-2008, 06:53
Ricardodaforce
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5 days to launch........
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Old 06-03-2008, 07:37
ElMarko
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Don't forget the ATV launch on Sunday...
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Old 06-03-2008, 13:46
Ricardodaforce
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Don't forget the ATV launch on Sunday...
Of course, that'll be interesting. Let's hope it gets off ok!
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Old 06-03-2008, 19:11
Ricardodaforce
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Don't forget the ATV launch on Sunday...
Does anyone know if any of the news channels will be showing the launch?
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Old 06-03-2008, 19:40
Dave5158
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The NASA TV channel will be carrying the launch. It's available omline as well,

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

They quote American times for launch so it's on the Saturday coverage schedule.
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Old 06-03-2008, 20:35
Ricardodaforce
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The NASA TV channel will be carrying the launch. It's available omline as well,

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

They quote American times for launch so it's on the Saturday coverage schedule.
Thanks for that Dave.
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Old 07-03-2008, 15:10
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Apparantly images from this will have 10x the resolution of Hubble images.
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Old 07-03-2008, 15:14
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Hi just seen an advert for some collectors magazine about the solar system. As is usual with these things there is a model to build. When looking at the model in the advert there appears to be Pluto. What is the up to date thinking on this? Do we still call it pluto? Are we still teaching the nine planets in school?
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Old 07-03-2008, 15:17
Ricardodaforce
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Hi just seen an advert for some collectors magazine about the solar system. As is usual with these things there is a model to build. When looking at the model in the advert there appears to be Pluto. What is the up to date thinking on this? Do we still call it pluto? Are we still teaching the nine planets in school?
It is still called Pluto (officially 134340 Pluto) , but it's no longer classed as a planet, it's a dwarf planet. Eris is the largest dwarf planet in the Solar System, Pluto the 2nd largest.
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Old 07-03-2008, 16:33
Mandark
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Apparantly images from this will have 10x the resolution of Hubble images.
Looks excellent but I guess what we could do with is something like this on the far side of the moon!
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Old 07-03-2008, 17:03
Mandark
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Good story from the Washington Post via MSNBC about America's embarrassment on having to rely on the Russians for manned space flight. US senators are questioning how NASA got in this mess and NASA is blaming the high cost of the shuttle and cuts in funding.
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Old 07-03-2008, 21:37
Ricardodaforce
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Good story from the Washington Post via MSNBC about America's embarrassment on having to rely on the Russians for manned space flight. US senators are questioning how NASA got in this mess and NASA is blaming the high cost of the shuttle and cuts in funding.
It is staggering how the US got themselves into such a ridiculous situation isn't it.
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Old 07-03-2008, 21:55
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It is staggering how the US got themselves into such a ridiculous situation isn't it.
There are many reasons.The main one being the political apathy of the late 90's, that allowed politicians into the Whitehouse that were anti-science. It's a systemic problem probably due to a runaway capitalist society, hell bent on wealth,power and increasingly lacking the democratic values it claims to uphold for the rest of the world.I think America's problems will get much worse before they get better, socially,politically and scientifically. Which is no more than having such an attitude deserves.
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Old 07-03-2008, 22:09
d'@ve
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The NASA TV channel will be carrying the launch. It's available omline as well,

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

They quote American times for launch so it's on the Saturday coverage schedule.
I've seen Ariane launches live on Sky News and BBC News 24 in recent years, my guess is that they will show the ATV launch on Sunday morning (main channel and/or interactive).

Also, ESA should have good coverage online http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEM35OK26DF_0.html launch at 04:03 GMT sunday with coverage starting an hour earlier lasting for 86 minutes, English or French language.

http://www.esa.int/images/_SCO0476_L.jpg

http://www.esa.int/images/_SCO0436_L.jpg
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Old 07-03-2008, 22:43
Mandark
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There are many reasons.The main one being the political apathy of the late 90's, that allowed politicians into the Whitehouse that were anti-science. It's a systemic problem probably due to a runaway capitalist society, hell bent on wealth,power and increasingly lacking the democratic values it claims to uphold for the rest of the world.I think America's problems will get much worse before they get better, socially,politically and scientifically. Which is no more than having such an attitude deserves.
Yes American scientists have been saying for a while that if the politicians keep listening to the religious right then the US will become a second rate scientific nation.

I tihnk there's going to be big opportunities in science and engineering in the near future and Britain needs to up its game. Our problem is that we think science is dull and too expensive.
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Old 09-03-2008, 06:54
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Good launch - the ATV is on the way. It's a bust few days in space travel.
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Old 09-03-2008, 08:50
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We have some interesting events coming up, the Shuttle launch on the 11th and Cassini's VERY close flyby of Saturn's Moon Enceladus on the 12th at a distance of only 30 miles!!

http://ciclops.org/view.php?id=4806
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/even...0312/index.cfm
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Old 09-03-2008, 09:59
ChristineCagney
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I'm currently reading Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane (after reading a recommendation in this thread) and I must say it's a really good read! Great insight, and he's an interesting personality too.

Saw the ATV launch. Looking forward to the Shuttle launch now.
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Old 09-03-2008, 12:21
Ricardodaforce
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I'm currently reading Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane (after reading a recommendation in this thread) and I must say it's a really good read! Great insight, and he's an interesting personality too.

Saw the ATV launch. Looking forward to the Shuttle launch now.

He certainly is a character. See what I mean about his lust for Resnik?!
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Old 09-03-2008, 12:57
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What's the latest on the Chinese manned space program. It's been a while since they sent someone up there hasn't it.
I'd be interested in an answer to that question.
Yes I've got more info now that I've read the Feb issue of Spaceflight mag which had a feature.

Shenzhou 5 saw the first manned mission with Yang Liwei being sent up. Shenzhou 6 saw Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng go up. The ACC has up to 28 astronauts in training - 14 originals who have been on the programme for 10 years and a newer batch. Yang Liwei now has a senior role in chagre of them.

The next manned flight will be Shenzhou 7 - a three crew orbital mission including a space walk. This has been delayed because the water tank training facility for space walks has not been built. Could be later this year or 2009.

After this unmanned Shenzhou 8 space lab will be sent up probably in 2010. An unmanned Shenzhou 9 will be sent up to dock with it about a month later. 8 & 9 will form the new space lab for three. Then the manned Shenzhou 10 will be sent shortly afterwards to provide the crew.

China's more distant plan is for a space station. It's working on a next gen launcher that will have a 25,000 kg lift capably - similar to the shuttle I think - to put space station modules in orbit. The CNASA has said that these rockets might not be based at the proposed Huinan facility but at an as yet undecided one.

Obviously it requires enormous funding to build a space station so the some Chinese are pushing for partnership with private enterprise and other space agencies, apart from NASA, as the Americans have said so far they won't work with the Chinese in space. Odd considering they're financing Chinese growth to super power status! As for landing on the moon, there is no official timetable. I guess they need to sort out the orbital stuff first. The progress has probably been going slower than they would like but then it's being done independently at the moment. It's just a shame the world can't all work together on this. But it will only probably happen if the communist government is removed.

So that's where they are up to!

Key terms: CNSA - Chinese National Space Administration, ACC - Astronaut Centre of China, CAST - Chinese Academy of Space Technology.
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Old 09-03-2008, 13:51
ChristineCagney
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He certainly is a character. See what I mean about his lust for Resnik?!
Heh yeah he doesn't hold back in admitting how much he fancied the pants off the woman. Barely a page seems to go by without him making a comment about how beautiful she was!

She was obviously a big loss mind, with the Challenger disaster. Very sad.
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Old 09-03-2008, 19:17
Ricardodaforce
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Seems to be a problem with the ATV.
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Old 09-03-2008, 19:54
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Doesn't sound so dramatic on the ESA site.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html
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Old 10-03-2008, 08:08
Ricardodaforce
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Less than 24 hours to go before Endeavour launches. I'll be getting up early to see it. How about you?
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Old 10-03-2008, 09:41
paulyoung666
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just had a look on the nasa hsf page , there is a lot to see at the moment , if you work nights that is
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