Space Shuttle STS-119 - LANDING NOW

[Pcenginefx]

STS-119 (ISS assembly flight 15A) is the next planned space shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled to be flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. It will deliver and assemble the fourth starboard Integrated Truss Segment (S6), and the fourth set of solar arrays and batteries to the station.

Only 8 more launches until the Shuttle program is shut down in 2010 - watch it online if you've not seen one in a while!

Live launch updates blog + live streaming commentary show (starting Sunday afternoon):
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts119/status.html

Live NASA Coverage (will be on all day Sunday - Windows Media Stream)
300kbps: http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=1369081
500kbps: http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=1368570 (may not stream smooth during launch)
1200kbps: http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=1368163 (may not stream smooth during launch)

On cable on HDNet at 4PM PST live.



3/11 UPDATE: Launch has been scrubbed for at least 24hrs due to a hydrogen leak.  Thread will be updated when new launch date becomes available.
3/13 UPDATE: 80% chance of launch this Sunday@4:43PM PST/7:43PM EDT.

[esteban]

Forgive me for thinking that this was about PCE Shuttle. I honestly thought it was.

[Joe Redifer]

PCE Shuttle?  Ug.

The Space Shuttle has been cool, but it's time we went out of orbit again.  Lockheed Martin has been developing a very cool craft that will go to the moon and Mars.  Maybe there will be some used game shops there!

[TR0N]

I wounder if the space shuttle can even get eight more misson.I'm waiting to see some body get out and push it to get it going  All kidding aside it is time to replace it with a new craft.

[Joe Redifer]

On the final mission, they should try to get the shuttle to the moon's orbit and back.  Throw in some monkeys and some cameras and you'd have the world's funniest reality show.

[Keranu]

The Space Shuttle has been cool, but it's time we went out of orbit again.  Lockheed Martin has been developing a very cool craft that will go to the moon and Mars.  Maybe there will be some used game shops there!

Agreed, we haven't done shit in space for years. I bet everyone in the 60's would've thought we visited Mars by now. NASA's welcome to visit Myanus.

[Pcenginefx]

The problem is that the Shuttle (no matter how modified) could ever go outside Earth's orbit...just wasn't made for that.  Luckily, NASA's Constellation program which is replacing the Shuttle (starting up in 2015) is scalable to meet the needs for Moon missions (in 2020) as well as setting up missions to Mars (2030-2040).

China is also pushing their space program VERY aggressively, which will give the US a kick in the pants again to compete (and give our president a kick in the pants to give NASA the money they desperately need).  There is even a chance that China will land men on the moon before we do in 2020.

Anyway, latest Shuttle update - External tank is now being fueled with a 95% chance of launch tonight at 9:20EDT/6:20PST.

[Necromancer]

I'm excited to see another shuttle launch, so thanks for the heads up.

[wetblanket mode]
Manned missions to the moon/Mars/etc. is only good for proverbial penis measuring contests with China and Russia.  The same knowledge can be gained with robotic craft at a greatly reduced cost, so I'd rather see them save the money and spend it on additional missions and R&D.
[/wetblanket mode]

[ceti alpha]

Isn't NASA going back to the 3 stage rocket design?

[Pcenginefx]

Instead of writting it all out, here is the wiki article on the Constellation program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Constellation

Shuttle update: Loading of liquid hydrogen into the external tank has been stopped due to a possible leak....launch team is looking into it.

[Pcenginefx]

Due to the hydrogen leak, the launch has been scrubbed at least for 24hrs...more info to come.

[Pcenginefx]

Launch has been re-scheduled for 8:54PM EDT/5:54PM PST.

[Joe Redifer]

Leaks in the tank?  Who is in charge here, GM??  Chrysler?

[Keranu]

I wonder if aliens have decided to shoot this shuttle down when it launches?

[Pcenginefx]

UPDATE: 80% chance of launch this Sunday@4:43PM PST/7:43PM EDT.