The final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour lunched on 16th May 2011. Our short launch video combines a number of camera views from the launch pad and the press site covering the launch from the activation of the sparklers for the main engines through to Endeavour piercing the cloud bank as it races to catch the International Space Station.
STS-135 Atlantis the last Space Shuttle
The launch of the final Space Shuttle STS-135 Atlantis has been set for July 8th 2011. Registration is now open to buy tickets to watch the launch at Kennedy Space Center.
This flight will bring to an end the historic missions of the Space Shuttle building both the International Space Station and also deploying and servicing satellites orbiting the Earth. Atlantis will launch with a crew of four Astronauts on a mission to supply the ISS with spare parts and supplies and to return the failed ammonia filter for analysis by NASA scientists back on Earth. Originally slated as a possible rescue craft, with the designation STS-335, Atlantis was on standby in case of need to return the astronauts from STS-134 Endeavour. The mission was reclassified as active mission STS-135 with a smaller crew that could be rescued using the Russian escape capsule should the need arise.
This is very likely to be the launch with the biggest on-site public visitors travelling from around the world. The best place to view the launch from is the NASA Causeway. This has a limited number of places and they are allocated on a lottery basis. To gain eligibility for a ticket you need to register on the Kennedy Space Center website. Registration is open from now until June 5th at 5pm Eastern time. When registration closes registrants will be drawn at random to purchase tickets.
If you are not successful in obtaining tickets they you will have to watch from a public location outside the Kennedy Space Center grounds. We have a list of possible viewing sites on our “Best places to watch a shuttle launch” page, alternately for iPhone/iPad users there is our KSC Launch Pad app that contains all the information you need to watch a rocket launch in Florida.
STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour lift off...
Last week saw the Space Shuttle Endeavour launch from the Kennedy Space Center for the last time as STS-134 headed to the International Space Station. Originally slated to be the last ever Space Shuttle launch this has become the penultimate launch with STS-135 Atlantis taking the honours as the last Space Shuttle.
Endeavour is carrying the AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer) project which is designed to search deep space for searching out dark matter. The AMS is a particle physics experiment costing over $1.5B which measures cosmic rays to detect unusual matter. The results of these experiments will assist researchers determine the origins and formation of the universe.
The STS-134 launch was originally scheduled for April 29th but was aborted a few hours before launch when a fault was discovered in the electronics controlling the fuel heaters. The new launch date was set for 16th May at 8:56am Eastern right at the beginning of the window. With just 10 minutes in which to launch there was not a lot of leeway should a problem occur.
Full report and picture gallery follow: READ MORE »
Whilst we are watching the countdown of the STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour launch. Currently about 45 minutes from the launch we are just a little concerned about the clouds, but the controllers are expecting a good green board for the launch.
About 2 hours ago the crew left the isolation quarters where they have been quarantined for the last few days. This is the video of the walkout and the leaving of the Astrovan for the VAB where some personal are dropped off prior to carrying on to the launch pad.
STS-134 Endeavour RSS Retraction orbiter fully exposed
Yesterday at 11:44 the protective Rotating Service Structure (RSS) was rolled back away from the Space Shuttle orbiter allowing Endeavour to be shown in her full glory ready to reach for the skies.
The RSS Retraction takes approximately 30 minutes and starts out really slowly. We have to be told that movement has started and even then it takes a long time until actual movement can be detected. As the RSS moved away from the Shuttle it appeared to move a lot faster.
Our video is the entire RSS Retraction compressed in a time lapse down to about 2 minutes. Even at this speed it still takes almost 1 minute before the protective cover can really be seen to move.
Our RSS pictures follow: READ MORE »
STS-134 Endeavour getting ready for the launch
Today is launch day for Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134. Yesterday we had an interesting day. Starting at 3AM I left my house and stopped off halfway to Kennedy Space Center to pick up another press guy. We arrived at KSC at 5:30 with plenty of time to get our gear together to head out to the Launch Pad to put our cameras out 24 hours before the projected launch time.
We have 8 different still and video cameras out there attempting to capture some terrific images of the launch. The nearest camera is placed about 500 yards from the launch pad positioned to try and grab shots of the first few seconds of the launch as the shuttle clears the gantry and starts the roll.
Other cameras are spread about the site with different lenses. We were fortunate that there was no rain last night so the cameras should be completely dry waiting to be woken up with the roar of the Space Shuttle’s Engines.
Remote camera set-up and launch pad images follow: READ MORE »
STS-134 T-19:00 Getting ready for Endeavour launch
We have just arrived at the KSC Press Center for the start of the activities for the next launch attempt of STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour. There was an orientation tour of the complex at 12pm, but due to issues with security I was unable to join Jeff on the coach.
The tour of the Kennedy Space Center lasted an hour and took in the normal OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility), VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building), LC-39A Observation Platform, the Launch Pad itself. It also covered the SLF (Shuttle Landing Facility), and the Mate/Demate Device neither of which I have seen close up yet.
We have just had the weather forecast up to the launch and it all looks favourable for the actual launch, but there are some storms crossing the area that may be a concern for overnight. So far there have not been any issues with lightning damage or lightning strikes so fingers crossed.
KSC storm pictures follow READ MORE »
STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour Mission Badge
With the launch of STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour rapidly approaching we are expecting about 500,000 visitors to watch the launch. This somewhat deflated figure has been put down to the fact that the launch is happening early on a Monday morning rather than late Friday evening.
With a targeted launch time of 8:56 you really need to be there and in place by 5am, or 6am at the latest. For many leaving from the Orlando/Kissimmee area this will mean leaving at around 3am, and even then you will find lots of traffic on the freeways.
Want to find the best spots to view the last launch of Endeavour? You can check out our launch viewpoint information. This gives you information about where to go and what you can see. Be prepared to have alternate viewing sites planned as some of the more popular will fill us very quickly.
Our recommendations for the launch follow, but dont forget you can use our Launch Pad iPhone app to plan your trip. READ MORE »
STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour on LC39A ready for launch
The NASA Mission Management Team met on Monday and after a very detailed explanation of the issues surrounding the scrub of the April 29 launch attempt of Space Shuttle Endeavour reset a new launch date of 16th May at 8:56.
NASA believe that the blown fuse was not caused by any circuits on the orbiter, but rather by a spike of electricity during an earlier test. This spike may have been caused by the nozzle of a heat gun creating a short on a bare wire or possibly the metal tape surrounding the thermostat may have come into contact with the bare wire. Either way the offending wiring and thermostat have been replaced and the systems have been extensively tested and passed ready for flight.
The astronauts arrive at Kennedy Space Center today ready to go into isolation at the crew quarters. The astronauts need to be kept away from anyone with an infectious illness prior to the flight as any illnesses are considerably more serious when in space than on Earth.
Assuming all goes well then the countdown will pick up again at 7am on Friday, the RSS will be retracted at noon on Sunday with fuelling starting just before midnight. The Astronauts will leave from their quarters just after 5am Monday morning and board Endeavour at 5:41. Two hours before launch the crew hatch will be closed and latched and the launch pad will be cleared for an on time departure of 8:56.
The launch window for Monday extends from 8:56:08 to 9:04:39 just over 8 minutes which gives little or no chance to recycle if a halt is called to the terminal countdown. Other launch opportunities exist up until May 28th with the exception of May 21 due to a conflict with Soyuz undocking from the ISS.
The full launch countdown events for STS-134 Endeavour are as follows: READ MORE »
Atlas V SBIRS Final umbilical drop off and launch...
On Saturday the Atlas V carrying the SBIRS spy satellite was launched successfully from Launch Complex 41 (LC-41) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This was the second launch attempt being delayed from the 6th May at the last second. Our launch pad cameras caught the explosive excitement of the launch.
The first launch attempt was pretty much doomed to failure as the countdown proceeded the weather was downgraded from 20% favourable to 10% favourable conditions. The weather officer predicted that there would be an opening in the cumulous clouds enabling the launch criteria to be met. In the end the terminal countdown went ahead in expectation of the weather clearing, however this did not happen and at T-60 seconds the launch was scrubbed for the day.
The launch committee opted for a 24 hour turn-round and reset the clocks for a launch window opening at 2:10pm Eastern. This time the weather was perfect, albeit a little hazy from the KSC Press Center, and the countdown went smoothly with no issues at all. Main engine ignition and Lift off took place right at the start of the window at 2:10. The rocket launched into the clear Floridian skies on its way to a perfect deployment of the latest in the USA’s arsenal of surveillance satellites. The space craft is currently in a parked position waiting for several engine burns to position it precisely in its final location. This will happen over the next week or so.
Atlas V launch photo gallery follows: READ MORE »
Atlas V with SBIRS satellite on launch pad after rollout.
Today sees the launch of an Altas V rocket carrying a military payload from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The payload is the SBIRS (Space Based InfraRed System), a satellite about the size of a medium sized van which will be lofted into Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) some 26,000 miles above the Earth. The full acronym of the mission is SBIRS GEO-1.
The launch has a window of 40 minutes extending from 2:14pm to 2:54pm EDT (19:14 to 19:54BST).
The satellite has four main strategic functions: Missile Warning, Missile Defence, Technical intelligence, and Battlespace Awareness. The information beamed back to the analysis stations enable the US Military to evaluate and react to threats around the world. For more information on the SBIRS click here.
The Atlas V rocket used for todays launch is a two stage rocket with no solid rocket boosters. The first stage is a kerosene and liquid oxygen burning core using the Russian RD-180 engine. The second stage is a Centaur which burns liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The payload fits under a 4 meter fairing protecting the satellite during its journey through the atmosphere.
Freedom-7 Alan Shepard ready to blast into space
50 years ago today saw the first USA spaceman. Alan Shepard was boosted out of this world atop a Redstone Rocket in the Mercury capsule. The mission code named Freedom 7 was also know as MR3 (Mercury-Redstone 3) despite the fact that it was actually the 5th Mercury-Redstone launch from the Cape, and the second ‘manned’ flight. The first being MR2 carrying the chimpanzee Ham.
Preparations had been underway at launch pad 5 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for the launch of America’s first man in space. The Redstone booster was built at the Marshal Space Flight facility and transported to site where it was erected prior to being enshrouded with the launch gantry.
Some time later the capsule built by the McDonnell corporation was delivered to the pad and winched into place on top of the Redstone Booster. The rocket went through countless test and inspections before finally being declared fit for flight.
iPhone App: KSC Launch Pad now available!
NOW ONLY $0.99 / £0.59
Are you visiting Kennedy Space Center? Do you want to see a rocket launch?
If so then KSC Launch Pad is the only app you will need. Using local knowledge it shows you the best places to watch from and identifies all the major points of interest in and arround Kennedy Space Center.
Available now from the Apple AppStore. Click here for more details...
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