MetaFilter posts tagged with ISS and shuttle

What humans are doing in space these days

Brandon Blatcher — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:00:37 -0800

Hey, remember the ISS, that space station the Space Shuttle helped build before the shuttle was retired? Turns out humans might have to vacate that nifty space station for a bit. What happened? The Soyuz rocket used to launch crew and supplies to the station is having a bit of problem. Specifically, two rockets have exploded recently. Since that rocket is currently the only way to get to the ISS, if the problem isn't fixed by November, then the current crews might have to come back to Earth. The Soyuz spacecraft is fine though, but you should look at this neat interactive graphic of it. As to US manned spaceflight, NASA is at work on the Space Launch System, a heavy lift rocket designed to send humans to somewhere else by besides low earth orbit. Currently the plan is to visit an nnamed asteroid by 2025, then onward to Mars. A manned mission to the Moon is not currently on NASA's to do list, since they've "been there, done that". At the moment, NASA is working out the design, costs and capabilities of the rocket, much to the impatience of members of Congress, particularly in light of the Soyuz failures. Supposedly the Space Launch System is more of boondoggle, earning it the nickname Senate Launch System (Seriously, you gotta watch this, the politics are insane). It's enough to make past NASA administrators wonder if the Obama administration is serious about human spaceflight. Meanwhile, private company Space X is busy working on the second launch of their Dragon capsule, which is supposed to dock with the ISS as test. If that works out, they'll be launching supplies and eventually crews to the ISS under a contract from NASA. What's China, the third and latest nation to send humans into space, been up to? They're prepping a space station of their own, Tiangong I, set to launch by the end of 2011. Manned expedition to the station will begin in 2012 with Shenzhou 9. Mind you, several other countries are interested in launching humans into space. Asian countries really have a thing for it, there's even an Asian Space race. India plans to send a humans into space by 2016, Iran by 2021 and Japan by 2025. What about the Shuttle you ask? After being stripped of those dangerous engine parts, they'll be sent to various locations around the United States. Not to fear though, the process of choosing those locations was not political, according to NASA. Houston, Texas, home of the Johnson Space Center and who won't be getting a shuttle, ain't buying it. And the ISS, that big old station in the sky? The Russians have spoken of deorbiting it in 2020, which prompted a "SAY WHAT" from the USA and quick correction from Moscow. Evidently they were just talking about plans to deorbit that station, just to be on the safe side.

Blink and you'll miss it

disillusioned — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:01:13 -0800

As the shuttle program winds down, astrophotographers like Thierry Legault are taking advantage of these last opportunities to capture absolutely incredible shots like this one, showing Atlantis' transit in front of the sun as it performs its inspection backflip before docking with the ISS. His other photography includes this magnificent series of the launch of STS-125.

For this transit of a maximum duration of 0.54s, the visibility band crossed Spain, southern France, Northern Italy, Austria etc. This band was 4.8 km wide but being placed at its edge implies that the transit duration becomes zero, so in practice I had to be placed less than 1 km from the center of the band. The choice of central Spain has been deduced from the study of weather forecast and detailed maps on Google-Earth. ISS distance to observer: 391 km. Speed in orbit: 7.4km/s (26500 km/h or 16500 mph).

Godspeed Atlantis

cloax — Fri, 14 May 2010 08:59:30 -0800

Barring the need for STS-335 and any potential extension to the program, today's 2:30 EST scheduled launch of OV-104 Atlantis on STS-132 (pdf) will be her 32nd and final trip to space. She's had a good run (gratuitous launch vid).

I sweep the skies with fire and steel

blue_beetle — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:38:55 -0800

Journeys to the Internal Space Station (SLBP) Breathe deep, mine eyes, the frosty saga of eternal suns From unseen depths and dreams undreamt, I sing the gleaming cantos of unvanquished space By thought I embrace the universal With wings of mind I sail the infinitude Glory! 'tis the stars which beckon man's spirit and set our souls adrift! — Hart Crane, 1930