The space shuttle came by today ....

[Paul McGaha]

The space shuttle came by today on the back of a 747. Really cool to see. My work is located about 5 miles north of the Dulles Airport. It flew by our place twice. Once about 10 AM and again about 11 AM. Flying really low so everyone could get a good look at it I suppose.

Sorry for no pictures. I can barely take a picture of something still right in front of me so I hope you understand :).

PHM

[Jim Matthews]

I would have driven off the road, watching that.

I was driving I-95 North next to Canaveral on a daytime launch of Atlantis in November of 1994.
I thought the rumble was from the launch until I realized it was the curb.

I'm trying to arrange a stop this Summer when the shuttle Enterprise is delivered by barge up the Hudson.
They'll have a similar flyover, next week. Getting to the final berth will be an entirely different means.

[ray hampton]

I wonder how hard it would be to control the plane with a load that size on the plane back

[Van Huskey]

I hope we get back into the space business soon...

[Greg Peterson]

Today, an astronaut who flew on Discovery, when asked what kids should do today to prepare to be an astronaut told the reporter "Learn Russian".

“A half a penny... The most powerful agency of the dreams of a nation is currently underfunded to do what it needs to be doing. And that’s making dreams come true. How much would you pay for the universe (http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/04/neil-degrasse-tyson-on-the-nasa-budget)?” Neil deGrasse Tyson

[Paul McGaha]

Jim,

Where is the Enterprise going to be stored?

The Discovery is going to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Facility near the Dulles Airport, A very cool place to visit if you guys ever get up this way.

PHM


I would have driven off the road, watching that.

I was driving I-95 North next to Canaveral on a daytime launch of Atlantis in November of 1994.
I thought the rumble was from the launch until I realized it was the curb.

I'm trying to arrange a stop this Summer when the shuttle Enterprise is delivered by barge up the Hudson.
They'll have a similar flyover, next week. Getting to the final berth will be an entirely different means.

[Ron Natalie]

Enterprise is bound for the Intrepid museum in New York (schedule is for it to depart Dulles Monday). Both shuttles should be nose-to-nose tomorrow out on the ramp behind the Udvar-Hazy center.
The Intrepid guys were originally going to build a building next to the ship for it, but they have some problems acquiring rights to the land. The current strategy is to place it on the deck (and put a temporary structure over it). They didn't like my suggestion that it would be easier to tug the Intrepid over to JFK rather than barging the shuttle over to the Hudson.

Atlantis is staying at Kennedy for display in their visitor center (should be cool, the plans call for it to be mounted sideways with the bay doors open).
Endeavor is going to Los Angeles to be placed into temporary storage until the LA Science Center is set up to move it to their downtown facility.

[Greg Peterson]

I may be showing my age, but....which one is more awe inspiring?

The Saturn V rocket or Space Shuttle?

[Jim Matthews]

You're not showing your age, you're showing your enthusiasm.

The Saturn V on display at Kennedy is on its side, that doesn't clearly illustrate the scale.
Were it upright, people would fall over backwards trying to see the top.

As a kid, I ran the length of it in about 18 seconds. I suppose Usain Bolt could do better, but still...

The impressive part about the shuttle is the profile, from of the front nose. Being that close to an extra-terrestrial object is awesome.

[Ron Natalie]

I'd have loved to see the Saturn V launch. I saw the next to last Discovery launch (STS-131) which was just before dawn, beautiful.
I saw a Discovery landing at Edwards back in 1984 (STS-41D). I was there when Enterprise did it's flyby on the way to Dulles a year later.
I think that's the last time the mobile mate/demate was used. Both Edwards and Kennedy have the MDD fixed mate/demate.

[Chuck Wintle]

I wonder how hard it would be to control the plane with a load that size on the plane back

i read somewhere that all the controls were modified somehow to account for this heavy load. The c of g must be quite high as well so I wonder if the 747 is counter weighted to accommodate this?

[Rod Sheridan]

I hope we get back into the space business soon...

I hope you do as well.

Unfortunately I don't think that American citizens have the will to do it.

I remember watching Neil Armstrong on a black and white TV that July day, the image is stuck in my neurons. What an incredible achievement, what a collective will to spend the money and acomplish the impossible..........I would love to see a joint approach to further space exploration............Rod.

[Ron Natalie]

They had to put outboard stabilizers on the elevator because that big lump pretty much makes the regular vertical stab useless.

It doesn't much climb very well. The bulk of the main cabin is stripped down. There are only seats from the spiral staircase going to the upper deck forward.

[Scott Shepherd]

I hope you do as well.

Unfortunately I don't think that American citizens have the will to do it.



The American Citizens certainly have the will to do it. Unfortunately, we don't make those decisions. But don't confuse the will of the American people with what you hear or see on the news about it all. Two completely different things.

[Chuck Wintle]

there is supposed to be a launch by space x this april 30 to the ISS. not the space shuttle for sure but a return to space by an american company.

[Van Huskey]

I remember watching Neil Armstrong on a black and white TV that July day, the image is stuck in my neurons. What an incredible achievement, what a collective will to spend the money and acomplish the impossible..........I would love to see a joint approach to further space exploration............Rod.

I think possibly mans greatest achievement but like most of mans great deeds it came from competition and a group of people that didn't know it was impossible. We (humans) will venture farther into space someday, I just wish we wouldn't lose the script and hopefully it will stay about the good of humankind not some nefarious intent. We need all of friends: the CSA, ESA and ROSCOSMOS as well.

[Joe Angrisani]

I'm pro-space and pro-NASA, but I really think the next stage doesn't come until it's economically profitable to go to orbit/Moon/Mars/_______.

[Matt Meiser]

I remember watching Neil Armstrong on a black and white TV that July day,

Was he singing "What a Wonderful World"

(actual note home from school attached)

230007

[Chris Tsutsui]

I thought the shuttle was a bit obsolete, they arn't going to launch that thing right?

One of my uncles used to work for Nasa and is an engineer behind the ceramic heat shield. He has a used heat shield piece in a jar somewhere in his bedroom, I should ask if he'll give it to me so I can gloat about it. haha