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Preparing to rescue Hubble
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch next month (October 8th), carrying new instruments, batteries and gyroscopes to the Hubble Space Telescope. This will be the final servicing mission to Hubble, the 30th flight of the 23-year old Atlantis, and one of the final 10 flights of the Space Shuttle program, which will be retired in 2010. Even though Shuttle launches may seem to have become commonplace, their preparation and execution is still a months-long process, requiring the work and diligence of thousands to make sure the aging, complex systems are all in perfect condition for launch. Here are some photos of the ongoing preparations for the launch of this mission, STS-125, some of the people involved in making it work, and the crew, who will assume the risks to help keep Hubble alive. (23 photos total)
One of the three main engines for space shuttle Atlantis is transported to bay number 1 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility for installation on June 10, 2008. Atlantis is the designated vehicle for the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. (NASA/Kim Shiflett)
The Pegasus barge carrying Atlantis' external fuel tank is towed into the turn basin in the Launch Complex 39 Area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on July 15, 2008. The tank will be offloaded and moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building, once inside the building, it will be raised to vertical, lifted and moved into a checkout cell. (NASA/Jack Pfaller) #
In the Launch Complex 39 Area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the external tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope sits ready for offloading from the Pegasus barge on July 15, 2008. Next stop is the Vehicle Assembly Building, where the tank will be raised to a vertical position, lifted and moved into a checkout cell in the cavernous building. (NASA/Amanda Diller) #
In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the external tank for space shuttle Atlantis is lifted out of the checkout cell. The tank will be moved to high bay 3 and lowered toward the solid rocket boosters for mating. The tank and boosters will be secured on the mobile launcher platform below. (NASA/Jack Pfaller) #
This view shows storm clouds gathering over Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on July 29th, 2008, a common occurrence at this time of the year in Florida. The 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building towers above the complex, in the center, with the Launch Control Center nestled at its base to the right. The turn basin is behind the trees, at right. (NASA/Chris Chamberland) #
On August 23, 2008, Atlantis is moved across the I-beam toward the waiting external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters in high bay 3 of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building, where they will be attached. Note the technician standing at bottom right for a sense of scale. (NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis) #
Astronaut Mike Massimino practices EVA procedures for repairing the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Shown above, Mike is using the new Mini-Power Tool to remove tiny screws from the STIS electronics bay cover plate. The Fastener Cover Plate retains the 111 screws, which would otherwise float free in orbit during the EVA. #
In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Mission Specialist Andrew Feustel practices using one of the cameras for the mission. The crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment on the mission. Photo taken July 11, 2008 (NASA/Kim Shiflett) #
Servicing Mission 4 astronaut Drew Feustel trains with fellow astronauts and Hubble engineers in the clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Feustel is using a computer-controlled power tool, called the Pistol Grip Tool, to install the Wide Field Camera 3 into a high-fidelity Hubble model. (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) #
On August 6, 2008, a technician performs black light inspection on Hubble's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, one of three main instruments being taken to Hubble aboard Atlantis. Black light inspection uses UVA fluorescence to detect possible particulate microcontamination, minute cracks or fluid leaks. (NASA/Kim Shiflett) #
In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Pilot Gregory C. Johnson examines the cockpit window on space shuttle Atlantis, checking for sharp edges on July 11th, 2008. The inspection is part of the crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment for the mission. (NASA/Kim Shiflett) #
Under escort, the first major flight hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on July 17, 2008. The payload carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the servicing mission. (NASA/Jack Pfaller) #
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is moved toward the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos, and will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle Atlantis. (NASA/Amanda Diller) #
The Multi-Use Logistics Equipment (MULE) Shuttle carrier is readied for flight on STS 125 by technicians in a large cleanroom at the Goddard Spaceflight Center. The MULE, which will be located in the back of Atlantis' cargo bay, will carry the Relative Navigation System, Hubble's New Outer Blanket Layers, or NOBLs, and a variety of contingency tools and crew aids. (NASA/Goddard Spaceflight Center) #
In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, three of four carriers supporting the space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission have been unwrapped for final launch processing. The Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier can be seen through the distinctive soft capture mechanism, or SCM, of the Flight Support System. The SCM will be permanently attached to Hubble's aft shroud by spacewalking astronauts and will provide a rendezvous and docking target that can be easily seen and recognized by a docking vehicle. (NASA/Jack Pfaller) #
Preparation and inspections need to be meticulous. Here is a close up view of a valve removed from Atlantis' external tank inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Technicians removed the valve after small dings (center, near tip of tool) were found on the sealing surface of the quick disconnect system that handles liquid-hydrogen fuel for the shuttle's three main engines. (NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis) #
On June 4th, 2008, the STS-125 crewmembers take a moment to pose for a crew photo prior to a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. From the left are astronauts Michael J. Massimino, Michael T. Good, both mission specialists; Gregory C. Johnson, pilot; Scott D. Altman, commander; K. Megan McArthur, John M. Grunsfeld and Andrew J. Feustel, all mission specialists. (NASA/Johnson Space Center) #
More links and information
STS-125: The Final Visit - NASA
STS-125 Media Gallery - Kennedy Space Center
Mission STS-125 - Wikipedia Entry
Space Shuttle Atlantis - Wikipedia Entry
Hubblesite - Hubble Space Telescope
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Was excellent and very attractive .
There is NASA unique .
Tanks a million !
To those wondering what's in the on-deck circle for NASA:
Lunar Recon Mission:
http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html
What's happened in the past:
http://www.thewonderofitallfilm.com/main.html
Don't forget Phoenix is on Mars working away as we type:
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/
http://www.intheshadowofthemoon.com/
Eric, and others wondering about lack of diversity - according to NASA, 13% of America's 136 astronauts are African-American, Asian-American or Latino. There have been at least 10 NASA astronaunts of African American ancestry, including one who died in the Challenger disaster. See more here. Also, see the diversity in this mission from 2006.
Just because there are no faces like that in these 23 photos, do not infer an institutional bias.
Now, please, can we drop the discussion of race or diversity in this context? Thanks.
Not quite yet alan. I want to add that from the STS-107 (Columbia's fatal mission) flight, Kalpana Chawla was an immigrant from India, Ilan Ramon was an Israeli citizen, and Michael Anderson was, I believe, African American.
Whoa! these pics r awesome!!! this is super niftastically kool!!! =D
*(hi dad!)*
#51, 61, 62: You might want to add that the current female record holder for number of days in space is a local girl, Suni Williams, recently returned last year from the Int'l Space Station. One of her parents (father) is Indian according to web info, and her mother is described as being of Slovenian descent, with Suni being described as Indian-Slovenian. See how this ethnic counting breaks down so fast and loses relevance? But for some reason, in my experience, when someone protests like Eric about not enough color, being of Indian descent (as in Asian-Indian) doesn't seem to quite count as "color." I hope the ethnic milestones cited above in previous posts and put to rest any preoccupation with the "first ethnic this" or the "first gender that", and the science and engineering achievements can be celebrated and appreciated for themselves.
No height discrimination going on... look at the 3rd guy from the left in the group photo. He looks like an oomp-loompa or circus peanut. U-S-A! U-S-A!
Mr Uppity Eric,
African Americans represent 13.8% of the US Population and represent 13% of the astronauts.
Noting these facts, you really sound like you are grasping at straws with your commentary on "institutional racism", since they have EXACTLY proportional representation. I seriously HOPE that *only* qualifications and skills are taken into account in the selection of shuttle crews. A number much HIGHER than this would indicate that maybe the case, wouldn't it?
Given 13% of the population, any given group of 7 people has a 38% chance of NOT containing someone in your magical "pick me" color box.
The mission in 2006 with three black astronauts... well, by random statistics, that would be highly unlikely, seeing that they comprise just 13% of the population (only about a 5% probability of finding 3 on a crew). On the whole, "people of color" are actually represented MORE than their constituent 13% should dictate over the last several years. Maybe I should write the anti-defamation league. That's not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or maybe you're just full of hot air?
So, next time you choose to gripe, perhaps you should do it with a tad more deference to reality rather than some fairy tale rainbow-circus world.
I've loved the space program since I watched John Glenn launch in the early sixties. These photos are awesome and so are the multitudes of people working on the program. Gotta love them engineers and astronauts!!
I thought #20 looked like a 'Stargate' too. And what about #12: looks like Data to me!
And for Eric Stoller: sweetheart, just take a nap. you'll feel better. really.
As for the crew of STS 125: Godspeed! And thank you NASA!
Your article might have mentioned that, in the photos we see, The Hubble Space Telescope and its original instruments, the Shuttle Main Engines, the External Tank, and the Solid Rocket Boosters were all developed out of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Marshall also had the original underwater neutral buoyancy facility for developing Hubble's crew interfaces and procedures and for training the astronauts.
AllI can say is"FAR OUT, MAN"!!! Spectacular!!!!!!!
Matt. Please be careful using the word "uppity". It has a long well known history of being followed with the "n" word.
Um, welcome to 1977 ??!?!
Seriously, how am I supposed to be impressed that we're still flying the ancient space shuttle up there? And for what purpose? Really?
#71- Why are we still flying the ancient space shuttle you ask? For what purpose? If you must ask, then maybe to answer yourself you should ask (to recall a famous speech from '62): Why climb the highest mountain? Why, 81 years ago, fly the Atlantic? WHY DOES RICE PLAY TEXAS ?!!!............
#71- flying the shuttle all this time has not simply been doing the same 'ol same 'ol on every mission. There has been a tone of research in materials science, biology, chemistry, etc. performed on all these missions that are making the next big steps possible, including the construction of the Int'l Space Station. And the shuttle has just been one component of the NASA and Int'l space program; think of all the robotic and space probe missions launched during this period, from Viking to Phoenix.
The space program was a bit of a victim of its own success by making it harder to top itself, so when the political well evaporated to terminate further luner exploration after Apollo 17, anything after that seem anticlimatic.
Check out the ordinary private efforts underway right now, though:
Google LunarX Prize:
http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/lunar/about-the-prize
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/technology-space/digs-spacerace.html
I'd hate to an Apollo site desecrated by a roving robot with a Google logo emblazoned on it, but is that the price of making space more accessible? Did Columbus or Magellen ever envision the QE2 cruising back and forth across the Atlantic and Pacific with such ease (I suppose they did and knew it was just a matter of time).
Why, you have asked? Watch and listen to the man:
http://webcast.rice.edu/speeches/19620912kennedy.html
Patrick Henry: You mean to tell me you really have no clue as to the advances in medical research provided by various test conducted on the shuttle during space flight. Not too mention other technology advances applied to civilian applications which was originally developed through the NASA space program. If you think this program has not been worth it, you are a fool. The HST has been a gold mine of information also. They plan to add some new technology to the Hubble and I believe, if I remember correctly from when I retired from HST Project support, they are going to replace some gyros with a new state of the art type. With luck, this should keep it going to 2015 and maybe even 2020.
These are just normal processing images from places like NASA.gov and NASASpaceflight.com. They are great, but they are seen on every shuttle flow.
Other than the Hubble telescope, manned space "exploration" has been a HUGE waste of money. Space medicine is bogus- nothing important has been learned other than that zero gravity results in bone loss. Would somebody tell me what new medicine, what insight into cancer or heart disease, has come from "space medicine". I do believe in exploring space but this could be done with robots at a tiny fraction of the cost. What a waste!
Who designed a camera that needs 111 screws to be removed before you can open it ? Presumably the engineer is now designing flat-pack furniture...
As for complaints about expense; with that sort of attitude we'd never have come down from the trees.
I´ve heard of "Rescue the Rainwoods" or "Rescue the whales" but "Rescue Hubble"? NASA seems to have some serious problems ;)
Cheers
Oklama from TheJunction
Amazing photos! I hope all goes well with the mission! Aligning optics is a lot of fun :)
www.disp.duke.edu/~aaw14
I work very closely with this crew, and I'm still in awe when I see these types of pictures of them and the vehicle. Thanks so much for sharing them in a public forum.
Because I work in the shuttle program, and strongly believe what I do is important, it makes me extremely proud to read the supportive posts - especially since they greatly outnumber the negative comments. We do incredible things on every mission, unfortunately that's not always "news" that gets front page attention.
Hmm... just because a fella doesn't know all the advances evolving from space flight work doesn't make him a fool. Just makes him uninformed. So educate him politely.
As for why a camera might need 111 screws to take it apart, what do you think would happen if a single part comes loose and flies about? If it touches or bounces with another part, something might break or fail or short out. Now, this isn't like your car misfiring or having a flat tire. If one of the systems fails, everybody probably dies.
"Failure is not an option" is not just a marketing slogan. It's a fact in space flight.
I'm impressed with the meticulous maintenance and the skill needed by the crew and everyone associated NASA and with all the shuttle adventures.
God's Speed!
Have a great flight, and thanks for getting the HST up and running again. I'd give anything to be there at the launch.
Amazing photos! And another amazing project in a wonderful attempt to understand our world.
Is that Scotty, 2nd from the right?
It would be nice to keep our race issues on this planet and out of space and the exploration of new world's, that would be wonderful. Peace to all.
RE: #76, Peetie
That panel was not designed to be removed in space. It was a sealed panel. It needs to be removed to replace a "non-replaceable" circuit board that has failed.
I'm sure now that future satellites will be more carefully designed for the possibility of in-space repairs. The Hubble was designed for in-space repair for most of the obvious replaceable components. But some components were deemed non reparable, so they have 111 screws, instead of 4 or 5 clips.
RE: #75, Michael
The fact that there is the ingenuity at NASA Human Space Flight to do what was thought impossible, is the main reason we need humans in space, not just robots. Robots have a special place in space where it is too dangerous or tedious or time consuming to send a human. Do you think even today a robot could save it's butt in an Apollo 13 type disaster?
#76 Peetle "Who designed a camera that needs 111 screws to be removed before you can open it ?"
It wasn't designed to be servicable. They asked themselves, "This is the last chance we'll get. What can we do?"
I'm sure there was a collective groan when lat out when the screw count was added up, but this is a can do crowd. 1 screw down, 110 screws in the panel, 1 screw down, 109 screws in the panel... 1 screw down 9 screws in the panel.
A couple of corrections:
Photo #14 - This is the PGT, but it's cycling the Soft Capture Mechanism, not installing the WFC3. There are several distinctive features on the SCM that make this obvious to anyone who knows the hardware.
Photo #20 - I had to laugh at this one - the "distinctive" SCM is not even in the picture! You're looking through the Flight Servicing System (FSS), which will hold the SCM until it's installed, but the SCM and mounting brackets are not installed in this picture.
They are all astronauts of color: Orange.
aw inspiring..but will Hubble see this????
http://www.headstonecity.com/lifeonmars.html
The space shuttle launch was a human miracle, I am so admire those who involve in the launching, everytime I saw the space shuttle launching on the TV, I was so proud of the human power. I like picture 2.
I'm an old lady now and ever since I was a kid, (with the exception of the three Awful Events: Apollo, Challenger, and Columbia) I've loved EVERYTHING about space.
I remember sitting and barely managing to hold onto a newspaper - puzzling out the words about the launch of Vanguard in 1957. Explorer and Vanguard primed the pump and seeing Echo with my starry eyes fired my imagination. My soul was fired by the more hard-science science-fiction authors like Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. My mind was fired by the original Mercury 7.
I can still remember sitting in front of a television with a very grainy black and white picture a month after my wedding and watching a human being step onto the surface of the moon. Ecstasy!
I've gone on Carl Sagan's journey through the Cosmos.
I've journeyed to Mission Control and stood at the lecturn where John F. Kennedy made his historic announcement. I've touched Saturn V rockets. I've stood at the pad where the Apollo Crew sacrificed it all and remembered Grissom, White, and Chaffee. I've stood in the enormous Vehicle Assembly Building at the Cape and I've seen clouds form INSIDE the building.
I've watched as many shuttle missions as I could, cheered every launch, admired the crews and technicians for their bravery and their competence, signed up for newsletters from NASA, JPL, and virtually walk with Spirit and Opportunity as they explore Mars. Incredible!
It won't happen, but my dearest wish before I die is to say hello to Burt Rhutan and get into the space plane that will finally take ME to the edge of space. My heart has been in space all my life; it's only right that my body should follow. *smile*
So you KNOW I enjoyed this website! Thank you so much for putting it in virtual space. *smile*
I enthusiastically echo the comments on #92. I, too, am an old lady who has made that journey.
I LOVED seeing this series of pictures and thinking of all the dreams and aspirations of we who were a part of the audience that JFK was speaking to when he encouraged and championed the space quest.
I absolutely deplore the fact that our national talent, our national efforts, and our national budget has turned to global invasions and continuous occupations of the other citizens of the world instead of furthering our advancement in "the final frontier....space".
Thanks to whoever put this on the 'net!
God Bless America's Astronauts wish I was going with you.
John Williams
The space shuttle atlantis just rolled out of the VAB today , and I was part of that process. I am amazed at the things we do everyday. I am also very proud to be here. The shuttle will be retired soon , and I may be out of a job. But I can tell mt children and grandchildren that I was a part of it. America does not make many products anymore, but there is one thing we do way better then anyone else!! HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT. So now we are ready to give this up too? I sure hope not!!
John
I am often struck by the amazment and suprise still expressed by people in a program which has spanned 4 decades. Each launch really is an astonishing feat.
Eric Stoller:
Obsession with people's race is precisely the OPPOSITE of Martin Luther King's dream. I am sorry to inform you that you are a Politically Correct Neo-Racist. That being said... Go Astronauts!
What an amazing set of pictures,and what brave people to crew such a venture.
As for those who make racial comments, "Wake up to the world", Crew members must be selected on technical ability and not on some politically correct basis
I think it is criminal that the reusable shuttle is being retired and replaced by an Apollo type small cramped capsule atop a big old rocket. Instead of moving forward, NASA is regressing, going backwards in time to technology that was displaced 30 odd years ago!
As always, the photo's here are great.
Why the Scottish flags on the side of the shuttle?
Alba go brath
We have come exceedingly far since I worked on the Lunar Module Radars at Grumman Bethpage, NY. How proud it makes me to have been a contributor at such an early stage of our space venture.
I love how people get so fired up from a random dumbasses comments. This is a great collection of pics!
Awesome, inspiring photos! Makes me want to be there! Thanks so much for sharing!
My brother is an engineer for the Applied Physics Lab at JHU (Columbia, MD) where they completed vibration & shock tests on the tools the astronauts will be using on this mission. I am so proud that someone I love has had just a small part in this launch, it brings tears to my eyes! Not to mention the strength, intelligence and courage of the 7 astronauts that will use those tools in space.
Space flight is so unbelievably cool, so amazing and incredible. When I look out my window into my back yard and up at the sky, it's just astounding to think that we actually GO THERE.
God Speed and peace.
somebody knows where to bay a DVD HQ abuot this??
I am looking for NASA documentary DVD "space shuttle Building & Assembly" and I could not find enithing
thanks
Martin Luther King's dream
and what about his nightmare...
what are RAP culture & RAP music all about...??
crimes
that is roght marketing to themselves
that is not a truth??
GUANCHE FREE !!!!!!!
My son Alan has created this wonderful series of photo essays. He has discovered a venue that allows him to interact with the world that fascinates him. As many have noted, it is not just the rich and substantive photos that he selects, it is the opportunity to thoughtfully explore topics that we might otherwise have missed. Most of his followers share his wonderment of this place we all share. Some out there could do some work on forgiveness and understanding. For example, this piece is about the space program. Why hijack it for race relations? You can be sure that if a current event highlights race relation issues, Alan will find a thoughtful and sensitive way to depict where we seem to be. His work stands on its own merit.
Needless to say, his friends and family are delightfully pleased and proud. Look forward to each piece and hope he shares his perspectives so long as it makes him happy. Love you son.
...nasa, as in all human endevours is just as fallable - we learn from
our mistakes and hard as it may be we must move on - as always, it
does not matter who goes on the missions themselves - it only matters
that they return safely to do it again another day...i had hoped that we
would have had bases on mars by now - before i pass on - i'm 52 -
but it is unfortunate that many people send too much time on personal
greed, resulting in war, thus hindering space progress
Sweet photos, there are some amazing photos on this site. I love them all!
http://webmojo.ca
Fabulous pictures!
May God Bless and keep safe all the people working on the space program and the brave astronauts who have devoted their lives to making discoveries that will benefit mankind.
Excellent!! Heck of an engine hoist!!!
Rock and Roll kids!
After touring KSC this spring, it's really especially nice to see it up close. At least we understand what a pay load is and Vehicly Assembly Building, as well as
Hubble telescope. It's hard to believe there are so few missions left. We have a whole new respect for all of you. We are forever amazed with your work . God bless each and everyone of you.
Is ther anyone who has some space things like photographes etc
My small cousin is collecting and I try to help him .
Amazing photos. I find these prints about our aeronautics very informative.
It never ceases to amaze me the intelligence of the individuals that make these shuttles and the bravery of the astronauts that are willing to give their lives for the benefit of mankind. God Bless & keep each and everyone safe as they travel through space.
those are awesome pictures!
It's compltely amazing and I am longing to see a shuttle launch or a landing there, before I die. So I can say I have lived...and it is worth all...
I just have to comment on how great it was seeing Eric "I Am A Racist Myself" Stoller getting absolutely floored by his totally unwarranted and 100% ridiculous comments regarding racism in NASA. Anyone who follows the space program knows that NASA has an outstanding record when it comes to fair representation in regards to race. I am so sick of seeing the race card pulled out especially in places like this. The ignorance that it requires to accuse NASA of such unfair prcatices is absolutely staggering. It shows that not only are such people utterly clueless about the space program but also completely incapable of doing any sort of research on such topics before making such outlandish claims.
The only racist I see in here is you Eric and again it was absolutely beatiful seeing you get your you know what handed to you in brilliant fashion. It brings a new meaning to the term owned. I guess thats probably why you quickly disappeared and havent come back since. Good riddance as this quality website doesnt need people like that.
To the people that destroyed Eric's comments, Very nice job indeed!!
As for the pictures, absolutely fantastic stuff. Being a photographer myself and one who has dreamed of having photographic access to such facilities, well these shots make me want to go there and shoot just that much more. As good as these pictures are I would really love to see someone shoot large format in places like these. The additional detail would make them absolutely stunnning.
Eric.....just a little clue.......You're an Idiot.
A super accomplishment by AMERICA and you throw a race card in the mix.
Now, go get you Food Stamp card and your WIC card and go get some free groceries from Star Market for all the little liberal kids you and your many concubines have fostered.
Please don't forget to buy condoms this time.
WOW!
The space program has brought us so many things that we take for granted in daily life. We all realize the expenses, but where would we be without this program. Firemen would not have the protection they do without this program, to name just one item among thousands.
If we can dream it, we can do it. This program shows that sentiment.
Reply to #16......Comments like yours usually come from stupid people !
You don't have to do a ton of research, to figure out why there aren't an abundance of people of color in NASA or many other high tech positions......Just check out Bill Cosby's comments on Oprah recently.......... He said, "The high school DROP OUT RATE ( For people of color ) IS ASTRONOMICAL" !!!! So tell me Eric, should we put them right into the space program, as soon as they drop out, and hope that they catch on ???? Get a life !.....Get a job !.......Get educated before you mouth off !
Posted by Les
http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/09/09/space-race-matters/
Wow. I had no idea that my initial comment or my follow-up comment would generate such a flurry of racist rhetoric. I responded on my blog (since Alan doesn't want race + NASA to be discussed on this post).
http://ericstoller.com/blog/
be safe & GOD bless!
I could never realize how much work and training people have put into this!!!!
THIS WHOLE THING IS THE BIGGEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!
What a great bunch of pictures and DROP THE COLOR THING
My Dream job..........
I must have been the youngest kid to read a space book... oh well.
Awesome pictures. Drew Feustel is a friend of mine and my son's. They graduated from high school together.
You go Drew! So proud of you and I will be there to see you go. Thanks!
Congratulations to the whole crew.
Pat Parkin
Me encantan sus fotografias son de lo mejor ¡¡¡¡
May I suggest that the flaming over race is unseemly and the remarks in comments 119, 120 and 122, among others, are truly obnoxious? Are you people so ill-bred you can't disagree civilly? We're all entitled to sensitivity about certain subjects without being beaten about the head and shoulders about it.
Some have suggested the crews are chosen as those most qualified. I think all the astronauts are incredibly qualified for almost everything, and cross-train, but they do specialize in particular areas and there is a degree of rotation among the number of qualified for a particular mission, not to have only one or two experienced in actual spaceflight. That practice tends to remove race and gender bias all by itself. I don't think a woman or person of color would be passed over for a job for those reasons when he/she might indeed be the most qualified.
Now. This is supposed to be a discussion about the space mission, isn't it? Can we leave the discussion about race for a more appropriate topicc?
I want to see this thing fly before I die! My dream job, working for NASA!!
Amazing pictures.
How come we can accomplish all that, but can not balance our budget?
Have a nice flight, guys From the Netherlands!
be safe & GOD bless!
Am I the only one who, upon seeing photo number 2, pictured Slim Pickens astraddle a bomb?
It's inspiring that the outcome of the cold war was this immense investment in technology which is now used for peaceful, scientific purposes. Godspeed, STS-125!
WOW! Great pictures of some amazing PEOPLE and equipment.
God Bless each and every one of you!
On a sad note: I made a real mistake reading the comments! what started out as great started to sound like FARK.com.
God Bless America
God Bless Our Troops
Looks like that thing is twin-turboed!@!
A wonderful friend of mine made sure that I would be able to see these spellbounding pictures. I was breathless watching the marvellous photography. Thank you ever sooooooo! much.
As for the photos, outstanding. As for the color and race comments, get over it.
#30. The right thing for the wrong reasons. When will we ever learn?
God bless America"s Astronauts,God bless NASA people,and..........
THAT IS AMERICA......!!!
my best wishes from SUDAN
Just imagine what could have been accomplished if this money had been spent on developing alternate fuel systems. Instead of studying a little closer the same thing we have known for years,we could have been thumbing our noses at the Arabs and their oil.You can bet that this program has been making billionaires out of Bush's buddies.The closest next habital solar system is over 4 light year miles away and is impossible to reach. Alpha Centrai is 23.6 Trillion miles away.
new world can also form
God bless America"s Astronauts,God bless NASA people,and..........
THAT IS AMERICA......!!!
my best wishes from SUDAN
God Bless America's Astronauts & wish my next life i will be a part of them .
Debasis Biswas, New Delhi , India
I was part of "Apollo" - Saturn" program in New Orleans / Mississippi and have fond memories of my time with the space program. Thankfull for the opportunity..
I have to agree, the accomplishments achieved by the space program have been impressive. but, we must adhere to the belief that success is not a plateau. It is time to refocus the exhibited engineering brilliance in another direction...fuel alternatives and efficiencies. It is a matter of Patriotism. Sure, many will bash this position, but we all know that if all of this imtelligence were focused singularly on ending our relaice on our enemies's natural resources...it will make both america and the world a better and safer and cleaner place. Spending billions to sniff mars dust just is not cutting it anymore.
From a practical standpoint, we have gone as far as we can (or should) with manned space flight. Kudos to the brave pioneers. But times and goals change. The Hubble project was the crowning glory to a fascinating epic, IMHO. Why they didn't base more equipment sooner beyond the contamination of the atmosphere still puzzes me. Our future "space exploration" should lie in the installation of more giant "sensing scopes" tuned to non-visible spectrums, and in the depth of our future mathematical and astrophysical analytical abilities. We must not stop seeking knowledge of the universe, but it is time to reallign our method. We also need to adapt to the reality that we are, and will remain, physically trapped in our Solar System.
Great pics. Having worked in the space program in years past, I feel I need to throw in my 2-cents. To #92 and #93, although not quite 'old' yet (I won't admit it anyway), I also took that journey and was inspired enough to become an engineer and work for the company that makes those incredible shuttle main engines shown in the first few photos -- I still treasure the years spent working there.
For those who say it's all a waste of money, you're both right and wrong. The advancements in materials science, electronics, optics, safety systems, sensors, computation, communication, etc. are brought to you by the scientists and engineers working to solve the problems that must be overcome to just put a human (or machine) into space and/or on the surface of another world. The spin-offs from those advancements have touched every aspect of all of our lives in positive ways most don't even recognize. That's the role of government science programs -- discover solutions to problems too big for private industry. Also remember that the money you say is "wasted" supports the lives thousands and thousands of people just like you -- it puts food on their tables and clothes on their backs. Very little of that money is simply "thrown into space". Think about it, even the raw materials that we "throw" into space has a postive effect on people here on earth -- titanium is refined in a plant that employees people; a miner somewhere in the world is paid a salary for running the equipment that digs titanium ore out of the ground with machines that were designed and built by another company that employees even more people. All those people can buy groceries and clothing from a local market that is owned and operated by more people because NASA needed some titanium to build a space station... get it?
Ok, that being said, at some point NASA needs to realize that their charter is to push into the unknown and develop solutions for problems we don't even know about yet. Running a "space business" is the job of private enterprise. Yes, it'll be odd when "Google" stickers adorn the side of a robot on Mars but that has to happen for the worlds outside of this one to be truely opened up to the masses. However, NASA shouldn't stop doing it, and we shouldn't stop funding it, until that happens.
Ok, I'm off my soap-box now... thanks for reading.
Good evening. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.
I am from African and learning to read in English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Sake of it and come back fast belive me this will make you feel doing your regular regime."
Thanks :p. Kirsi.
IS WONDERFUL CAN FLY THE ALL SPACE
CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE STS 125
THE NASA HAS PROYECT VERY INTERETING FOR THE PEOPLE
BYE HAVE NICE DAY
Simply AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is cool you did a good job nasa those pictures are cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did it go okay in space what were you thinking when you were in space??????
when i grow up i want to do what you did and done and will do
I visited this site to see the pictures, which are awesome. NASA is something that you Americans should be very proud of and one of the reasons why I always argue that the widely and popularly predicted demise of the USA is just so much wishful thinking on the part of the non-performing nations of the world. My country, South Africa, sadly chooses to be a member of this club.
Having viewed the pictures, I was highly amused to read the heated debate regarding the composition of the crew. I thought we were the only people still obsessed with racial bean counting. Thanks guys! I feel better now.
Those are Great photos. Growing up with the NASA space program and always wanting more, up close visuals, these help in that endeavor for better material on the matter. The shuttle has been great; Rockwell did a great job of building her. It’s sad to see the retirement of her airframe. Especially since when we left the Saturn rocket program Arian rockets continued threw the Russian and French to be successful in business. Those rockets seem to have done very well by all outward appearance. With the cost to do business in space Hopefully NASA can keep the edge to endeavor toward worthy projects that will continue to inspire mankind in there flight to explore the unknown and taking advantage of the many opportunities out there. America has been giving so much of its self away. The bottom line that makes these programs work is funding. Hopefully Thiokol can continue to find business for there solid booster program. There are a lot of new things to discover. Blowing up satellites and drawing property lines in space like the arctic hopefully won’t be the front page news of the future. When a program ends we should consider other uses of using that technology. It would be like maintaining orbiting moons of obsolete space junk. After all it the weight that helps to maintain the satellites orbit. We should probably send a retired shuttle to the French to place next to the Wright Flyer. (I like the idea of the French liking us for a moment.)
My cousin sent this email to me and it is very interesting. His son, "skip" works at the cape . Keep up the good work at the cape-we depend on you all.
very good idia