Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch Live Thread (02/07/08 14:45 est)

02/06/08 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

This is the official thread of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

[KevinDavis]

[RDTF]

bookmark

[NormsRevenge]

weather looks iffy at this point..

Weather threat to shuttle launch grows

ap

Thanks for the thread.

[KevinDavis]

No problem..

[Army Air Corps]

Good luck and godspeed Atlantis. I’ll watch the launch at work tomorrow.

[dglang]

I have a very simular photo to the one you posted. It was taken on Dec 24, 1968 from Apollo 8 by James Lovell who also flew on Apollo 13.

After he retired from NASA, he worked at CENTEL (Central Telephone) in Chicago as a member of the board. I was working there as a ‘systems Specialist’ (Technical Systems Analyst) while he was there.

He personally addressed it to me and signed it. It is nicely framed and hangs on my office wall.

Mr Lovell is very restrictive in how many copies of that picture he gives out, he doesn’t want to diminish it’s value.

[KevinDavis]

I’ll try to listen to the launch myself at work also..

[KevinDavis]

I don’t blame him.. Seems like he really is a classy guy in real life.

[AntiKev]

Here is the NASASpaceFlight.com live thread.

Here is their thread on the previous launch attempt and troubleshooting.

Precip associated with the front moving through now. Should be no constraint to launch as of now.

Launch is 2:45PM EST tomorrow (7 Feb). Atlantis will be in her phasing orbit and the crew sleep period begins at 8:45PM EST (7 Feb).

NASA TV is available here.

[AliVeritas]

Hey Kev, how are ya?

Thanks for the ping.

[Names Ash Housewares]

The shuttle “surge” begins.

[La Enchiladita]

Thanks for the ping, Kevin. Astronaut Dan Tani will be more than glad to come home, I think.

[Kakaze]

Bump!

[AntiKev]

You’re probably right.

According to NASASpaceFlight.com the LH2 tank is in stable replenish, and LOX is still filling.

[AntiKev]

Per NASASpaceFlight, crew is being strapped in.

I won’t be around for launch, but I’ll be able to give commentary for the next hour or so.

[RightWhale]

An hour and a half to go.

[La Enchiladita]

Are we on for launch?

[AntiKev]

Right now it’s looking like the only constraint to launch is the cloud cover, which is cycling between go and no-go.

[SE Mom]

HEaring possible go...not sure though- still working...multitasking..LOL

[La Enchiladita]

Just a long shot of the launch pad, no audio, right?
The clouds look kind of low and gathering....

[AntiKev]

Heard just now that weather is go. T-9 and holding.

[AntiKev]

Regular commentary with PAO will probably start around 230 or 235.

[La Enchiladita]

Thanks.

[mikrofon]

Going to watch the Shuttle shoot off the pad in a few minutes, then switch over to CPAC coverage to see some old dodderer shoot off his mouth at the conference...

[La Enchiladita]

Watching... still no audio.

[brityank]

T -30 secnds

Its a go!

[SE Mom]

going outside to watch.....

GODSPEED...

[djf]

Some of us are unplugged... keep us up to date!

Thanks!

[La Enchiladita]

Watching on local ABC affiliate.
Lift off.... 11:45 pst
Beautiful.
2-month delay, wow.
Don’t know what happened to NASA-TV audio.

[yorkie]

FNC has audio....

[FredHead47]

Thank you for starting this thread.

Watching on Fox News.

[La Enchiladita]

I don’t have cable TV.
And my computer is acting like it’s dying.
LOL.

[RightWhale]

Little late getting here. Shuttle seems to be in flight now.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[brityank]

Looking good; all engines & fuel cells OK. Doing roll to heads up.

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com
1951 GMT (2:51 p.m. EST)

T+plus 6 minutes, 25 seconds. “Press to MECO” Atlantis can now achieve a safe orbit on two engines. All three remain in good shape.

---

MECO is main engine cutoff (as scheduled)

[brityank]

MECO OK.

[djf]

Thanks.

Being a geezer, I remember watching all the early launches. They used to actually think this was important enough to cut into live tv for 30 seconds or so, but these days Paris Hilton is way more important...

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

lots of particles shooting backwards off the tank

[brityank]

Ext tank dropped.

Clean run so far, no anomalies noted.

[djf]

Normal. Insulation and ice.

[mikrofon]

Beautiful launch & sep!

Loved the sun in the background from the fuel tank cam...

[RightWhale]

Preliminary orbit, which they call sub-orbit is good. A second burn will take place in about 45 minutes to circularize the orbit, that is, to raise perigee to match apogee. Perigee is lowest point of orbit, apogee is highest point of orbit. If they do not raise perigee the Shuttle would reenter the atmosphere at the end of the first orbit.

[brityank]

I still try to watch when I can. The difference in the TV shots they get now as compared to just ten years ago is phenomenal for the clarity.

About a minute left to OMS cutoff.

[yorkie]

It is exciting, every time I see it. (And very scarey.)

Sorry about your computer. Mine does the same thing - there is a hole where the “n” and “,” are supposed to be on the keyboard - and the durned mouse keeps jumping all over the place, and sometimes deletes whole paragraphs!

Sorry I got off track. Shuttle is still going as planned.

[brityank]

Well, now they’re into replays.

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com
2020 GMT (3:20 p.m. EST)

T+plus 35 minutes. Atlantis is in the correct configuration for the upcoming OMS 2 burn.

---

about half an hour to the circularization burn

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com
2025 GMT (3:25 p.m. EST)

T+plus 39 minutes, 45 seconds. The twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines on the tail of Atlantis have been fired successfully to propel the shuttle the rest of the way to orbit. The burn occurred over the Indian Ocean.

2023 GMT (3:23 p.m. EST)

T+plus 37 minutes, 58 seconds. The maneuvering engines have ignited for the orbit raising burn.

---

A little sooner than I thought. Looks good.

[brityank]

FR seems slow today, takes 15-20 seconds before the 'Post' button flips.

I've got NASA TV running in Windows Media Player; gives me a PIP window to follow while running around here.

And my F@H is still running! Hi TB !!