The final rollover for Discovery - SpacePod 2010.09.13

[cubicfeet3]

:'(

[akumat1]

Why their stop the space shuttle descovery

[Zhqrxt]

I watched the nightsky above europe yesterday to get a glimpse of shuttle/iss. What we saw was to small stars, like two airplanes, flying in perfect tandem with maybe a inch or two between them. I guess the discovery was dedocked from iss at that point? (around 18-19 gmt)

[spacevidcast]

@Zhqrxt Correct. They had undocked by that point.

[ion5061]

What will replace Discovery??

[spacevidcast]

@ion5061 Nothing for at least 5 years.

[habahabahabahabahaba]

@spacevidcast scaled composite, seems to be the most likely to make it to orbit in spacehipthree or the US x-37b perhaps.

[ti994apc]

@ion5061 If you are asking what will replace the space shuttle its Falcon9 / Dragon. Falson9 was created by SpaceX. Falcon9 carries the same amount of people to orbit and will be the safest manned rocket ever made and cost around 50 million. Shuttle, the most dangerous rocket ever created for manned space flight cost around 1.6 Billion.

[ion5061]

@ti994apc Thanks for the response.

[maurilucca]

I listened OR4ISS International Space Station whit my radio station.

[hankush10]

Constellation is the future!

[spacevidcast]

@hankush10 Constellation is cancelled....

[hankush10]

@spacevidcast thats my point.

[ti994apc]

I pray we not have another major malfunction. As cool looking as Shuttle is, its also an incredible dangerous vehicle in so many ways. Retirement cannot be fast enough.

[Shrewmy]

@ti994apc

Anything that launches into space is pretty dangerous.

Space itself will always be dangerous. I think people are too obsessed with keeping people too safe, that's what has stifled spaceflight in my opinion.

[spacevidcast]

@Shrewmy "people are too obsessed with keeping people too safe, that's what has stifled spaceflight in my opinion."

You're not the only one with that opinion. Many of us feel the same way.

[ti994apc]

@Shrewmy Shuttle is by fare the MOST dangerous man rated ever created. 1) NO escape system. 2) It uses dangerous solid rocket fuel which cannot be turned off. 3) A winged shaped craft is the worst possible design for entering the a Mesosphere 4) passenger compartment parallel with fuel tank. 5) Requires heavy lift system because of the extra weight for landing system. 6) One shot landing with no parachute. ........

[robdotcom71]

Shouldn't it be a final rollout? A rollover is a crash.....

[spacevidcast]

@robdotcom71 NASA and the folks that follow this stuff address the rollover as the transport of the orbiter from the OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility) to the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building). A rollout is when the shuttle stack rolls from the VAB to the launch pad on the MLP (Mobile Launch Platform),

[a090006]

Why do they not build ny newer types like these ones,what is going to replace them?I always thought the space shuttle were so practical?!

[spacevidcast]

@a090006 The space shuttle is very inefficient. It costs 1.3 billion per launch. It was designed to be able to bring satellites to and from space. They've only brought 3 or 4 satellites back. After Columbia was lost, it was suggested to retire the fleet once the ISS was finished being built, because the shuttlewouldn''t REALLY have any more use. (That's what the suits say, anyway...)

[Rubashow]

@spacevidcast Well your numbers are accurate but I think you're a bit unjust towards the program because the concept was really promising, the production sparked a lot of innovation and the shuttles capabilities as a carrier were splendid. Of course it was fucking expensive and probably shouldn't have been built but the mentality of the 70's was geared towards progress. I think it was courageous to start that project and I would really like the nations today engage in ambitious projects.

[LucianoSilvaBoy]

Unlike rockets covencionais, the U.S. space shuttle is a reusable vehicle. Launched in 1981, opened a new era in space exploration. It is used for various purposes, from carrying satellites into space and put them in orbit until such astronomical laboratories. The current fleet consists of three shuttles: Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. Two others were destroyed: the Challenger exploded in 1986 and Columbia in 2003.

[Trex1094]

Roger Roll Discovery!

[thedanfree99]

this is sad i love space and the space shuttles and discovery is my favorite shuttle and this is its last flight :(

[Diecasthoop]

what its the song?

[roguemale57]

NASA remains the most positive USA contribution to humanity. The shuttles were such a pioneer for space travel and will be sadly missed. Still, the next generation - orion spacecraft- i hope will almost as fruitful if not better.

[robpaulg]

@roguemale57 Orion program was canceled by the Obama administration.

Quote:

President Obama's 2011 budget request for NASA cut the agency's Constellation program completely, effectively canceling a five-year, $9 billion effort to build new Orion spacecraft and Ares rockets.

[roguemale57]

@robpaulg Yes, i'm aware of that policy but, i've heard some members of congress are circumventing it by pushing ahead with parts of the orion program eg. ares rockets.

[spacevidcast]

@roguemale57 Orion is not the same as Ares. Ares is a launch vehicle. Orion is the capsule, similar to Apollo and the Mighty Saturn V rocket.

[aerodancer]

It's so sad the shuttles are being retired... they had such a good run!

[geomodelrailroader]

you did a good job Discovery your my favorite ship

[seth381]

I love the music it goes great with it but this is sad though :[

[pilotwave]

Hooray for Discovery!!!

[graphattic]

This is one Big private Jet!

[Pferdekopfnebel]

great pictures at the end

[Bigmaninsky]

It would be soooooo cool if Spacevidcast would make a short series or small updates about the last flight, so that one can follow discovery all the way. From hangar to space, to runway.

[Steaphany]

@Bigmaninsky - Not just to the runway landing, but I'd like to see what is done with the craft once their use has been completely terminated.

[Nebula1701]

@Steaphany If I recall they will be sent to museums around the country.

[spacevidcast]

@Bigmaninsky Stop by spacevidcast's website for live true HD coverage of the launch. We also have a live chat room, and there's a NASA Tweetup happening for the launch too! We're down there actually covering the launch ourselves, instead of just relying on NASA for the coverage.

[MrAbsurde]

An era has ended... I hope they star making a new type of shuttle...

[librano]

Godspeed Discovery!