Space Shuttle Atlantis Set To Launch, Friday 8th July 2011

[F1Yorkshire]

I can't see space travel ever becoming the norm if you have to check in 24 hours before departure, board the craft 8 hours before take off and then the flight is cancelled because it's raining...

They better not plan any commercial space flights from Manchester!

 

[Fenderman]

Definitely a sad day for the US and Space Travel enthusiasts.

Yup. Got that same feeling in th gut when the last Routemaster Bus rolled off the assembly line.

 

[RevMaxPower]

................. or when I returned to the UK after 20 years in Canada... (Dumb move or what!)

End of an era. I wonder if I'll ever see anything as amazing as the shuttle programme again in my lifetime? Funny how we all took it for granted - considering the technology involved.

 

[Speshal]

Father and son recreate picture.

 

[Brogan]

It's all over.

The final space shuttle mission has just ended after Atlantis touched down in Florida.

 

[MCLS]

How come they landed in Florida, don't they normally land in California?

 

[canis]

How come they landed in Florida, don't they normally land in California?

They land in California if the weather in Florida is not good enough. To do that costs them millions to then transport the shuttle back to the processing buildings. If the shuttle lands in Florida then all they have to do is wheel it half a mile to be reprocessed.

 

[MCLS]

Thanks for that canis, it makes sense really

 

[RevMaxPower]

Did anybody else see that great documentary on BBC TV last night describing the NASA Shuttle programme and the final flight in detail? Very interesting and enjoyable viewing.
Couldn't believe the training for landing the thing. 28000 feet to Zero in about a minute with no power and a descent angle of 20 degrees! Dropped like a brick! The Commander achieved 1400 practice landings ( in a real aircraft set up to mimic the shuttle by putting it's twin jet engines IN REVERSE THRUST!!!) before going for the real thing. Amazing.

 

[Grizzly]

Did anybody else see that great documentary on BBC TV last night describing the NASA Shuttle programme and the final flight in detail? Very interesting and enjoyable viewing.
Couldn't believe the training for landing the thing. 28000 feet to Zero in about a minute with no power and a descent angle of 20 degrees! Dropped like a brick! The Commander achieved 1400 practice landings ( in a real aircraft set up to mimic the shuttle by putting it's twin jet engines IN REVERSE THRUST!!!) before going for the real thing. Amazing.

I saw that. Quite liked it. One other thing on the practice landings i picked up... they said any budding shuttle commander had to complete a minimum of 1000 practice landings like that before being considered acceptable! Amazing level of training.

 

[Brogan]

Amazing level of training.

Colossal waste of money.

I can't see any benefit in doing 1,000 practice landings over say 100.

 

[Grizzly]

well, i could have said that too, but its not my taxes they're throwing to the wind

 

[RevMaxPower]

Colossal waste of money.

I can't see any benefit in doing 1,000 practice landings over say 100.

Most of Africa could be fed with that kind of money but one doesn't dwell on that for too long.

I guess one could say that about F1 too Mr B if we were TOTALLY honest. We attempt to justify it but it's really Entertainment and nothing more... Modern Day Gladiators!

 

[Stevi555]

You lot are bloody nutz, but I like it. So we expecting rocket boosters in F1 any time soon 
Sounds good to me. I mean they've got the suits may as well go the whole shebang. Bang being the key word by the way.
Christ I've missed logging in 

 

[Speshal]

So many BUTTONS!

And a Dell laptop for some reason - FSpacebook probably