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Discovery's Final Launch Successful

Posted by Soulskill on from the make-it-count dept.

Phoghat writes "Overcoming a down-to-the-last-second problem, space shuttle Discovery made history yesterday, launching on its final mission to orbit. The most-traveled orbiter is carrying a crew of six astronauts and one human-like Robonaut, along with a new permanent storeroom and supplies for the International Space Station." The launch itself went as planned; a few pieces of foam insulation broke free of the external fuel tank on the way up, but it's not expected to be a safety concern, and they're planning an inspection to make sure. NASA has videos of yesterday's launch and a Discovery retrospective, and the Atlantic has a great collection of pictures involving the shuttle. Mike Coats, pilot of Discovery's first mission in 1984, spoke in an interview about his connection to the orbiter. Discovery comes back to Earth on March 7th.

5 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah, they successfully wasted $700 million by elrous0 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yet another in a 30-year line of NASA PR flights. "Hey, look, we've got a ROBOT on this one!!"

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Yeah, they successfully wasted $700 million by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Compared to what, spending it on wellfare for worthless excuses for human beings? It would be more productive just to make a big money pile and light it on fire.....

      .....you know what? That is kind of like launching a rocket into space....and they got a ROBOT ON THIS ONE too!!

      Turns out they were even more productive than I thought. Good job NASA!

      Go take a bath elrous0, you smell of dirty hippy.

    2. Re:Yeah, they successfully wasted $700 million by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Insightful

      you might have noticed that 500 years ago some nations in europe spent a lot of money sending boats in the wrong direction, towards the ends of the earth

      complete waste of money, right?

      it should be a crime to display such ignorant levels of a lack of an imagination, like you do

      nothing worth going into space for, right?

      nothing worth sending perfectly good boats over the ends of the earth for, right?

      what a pinhead

      --
      intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    3. Re:Yeah, they successfully wasted $700 million by geekoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because it is used to build things and support the Space Station. It is used to learn and advance. We aren't going anywhere until some very specific problems are solved, and to solve them we need a place in space to research and test them.

      The shuttle was an extremely valuable asset in making it happen.

      And of course, the Shuttle itself has lead to many advancements in technology. I mean the things is about 15% lighter now then when it was built due to the replacement of parts with newer material developed for the Shuttle, and then used in the private sector.

      We got far more out of the shuttle, and the space agency as a whole, then we put into it.

      Money very well spent.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  2. Re:Taking Off vs. Landing by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Both.
    Actually if you look at total deaths it is probably re-entry. There are multiple abort modes for the shuttle and conventional rockets that are survivable. Plus if you have an issue you do not have to launch.
    As the old saying goes. Take off is optional landing is not.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.