STS-127

[Admin]

Guys, I prefer a mission to be scrubbed than worry until wheels stopped...

/Admin

[Admin]

Next window is July 11 - a weekend! No excuses for not participating in a "Synch Launch Event"!

/Admin

[Steven]

Oh come on. Darn it I was looking forward to a launch tonight when I got home in a couple of hours

I think we all were, but they say it best.  Fly when they are ready and things are safe, not before.

[Greggy_D]

We may want to have one more practice session before then.

[Moonwalker]

As much as I love the Shuttle, since I grew up with it, I think that it is time for NASA to get a new, more reliable launch vehicle. The ET and MPS is the most annoying systems NASA has ever operated.

[Nephi]

The ET and MPS is the most annoying systems NASA has ever operated.

Agreed, but the shuttle itself is such a beauty. So sad they couldn't come up with anything more interesting than a pseudo apollo enhancement 

[uri_ba]

The ET and MPS is the most annoying systems NASA has ever operated.

Agreed, but the shuttle itself is such a beauty. So sad they couldn't come up with anything more interesting than a pseudo apollo enhancement 

Hermes was just that..
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/hermes.html

[bradleyjs]

The ET and MPS is the most annoying systems NASA has ever operated.

Agreed, but the shuttle itself is such a beauty. So sad they couldn't come up with anything more interesting than a pseudo apollo enhancement 

+1 -- it really, really bothers me that we won't have the type of capability the Shuttle provides.... just politics, I guess.

[Moonwalker]

The ET and MPS is the most annoying systems NASA has ever operated.

Agreed, but the shuttle itself is such a beauty.

Yes. The Shuttle itself works just perfectly. We should keep in mind that the threat of thermal protection system damage also is caused by the external tank. If the ET would just be a different technology from the beginning, we would not have seen the STS-107 accident and there would probably no 2010 retirement and all the delays and time consuming changes. Even the solid rocket boosters are an almost perfectly working masterpiece of engineering, if handled properly (STS-51L). They are not only the biggest solids, but unlike Wernher von Braun once was concerned about, those boosters have proved to be very reliable for manned space flight. And they are going to be used for the next NASA launch vehicles, probably even beyond Ares if it works...

[Moonwalker]

So sad they couldn't come up with anything more interesting than a pseudo apollo enhancement 

+1 -- it really, really bothers me that we won't have the type of capability the Shuttle provides.... just politics, I guess.

On the other hand, we should start thinking about going further into space finally than just to orbit the earth for another decades. The Shuttle and ISS have contributed a lot to technological progress, but like a lot of astronauts and a lot of scientists say: now it is time to go further. For manned missions to the Moon, and to Mars later on, I can dispense with the Shuttle. But we have to start if we want to go there. And we have to come to a compromise for that, and that means no Shuttle, as it is an earth orbit system only.

[Admin]

I merged the original and the new "STS-127-second attempt" threads. There should be only ONE THREAD PER MISSION. We've made this perfectly clear in the past 

/Admin

[HMSEndeavorreborn]

Oh come on. Darn it I was looking forward to a launch tonight when I got home in a couple of hours

I think we all were, but they say it best.  Fly when they are ready and things are safe, not before.

I completely agree Steven. Though my post may not sound like it.

Ah well July 11th, looking forward to it. Hopefully NASA can get this problem sorted out.

[bradleyjs]

I firmly agree with Moonwalker's previous two comments..

And, yes the SRB's have proven to be extremely reliable (plus they plan to use it for the Constellation-series spacecraft as well) and it was a serious concern when being used for manned flight in the beginning.

[Steven]

After the second GUCP leak, NASA decided to hold a tanking test, on July 1st, 2009.  Well, that tanking test is over, and the GUCP did NOT leak... GREAT news.  We are scheduled for a 7:39 PM EDT launch on July 11th, 2009.  That is next Saturday.

[spaceboy7441]

Just to add a note to Steven's info. The tanking test was held today from 7am EST to 10am EST.

Great News!! Lets get that practice Sync in!