Space shuttle Discovery was wheeled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on one of the massive crawler-transporters toward launch complex 39A – and its final mission – STS-133.
This marks the second trip out to the launch pad for Discovery; the orbiter had to be taken back to the VAB for scans and repairs.
“We fully expect that this will be the last time that Discovery will make this trip horizontally,” said Allard Beutel, NASA’s news chief at Kennedy Space Center. “The next time she travels – it will be vertically – to the International Space Station.”
Discovery began its slow, methodical trek out to the launch pad at 8 p.m. EDT. The trip lasted some six hours, as the pondering crawler-transporter that hauls the spacecraft out to the launch pad moves at a blistering one mile an hour.
Discovery’s final mission is a resupply flight to the International Space Station. The orbiter will ferry a modified cargo carrier, the Leonardo Permanent Multi-purpose Module along with much-needed supplies and the first human-like robot to fly into space – Robonaut-2. The crew consists of commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew, Nicole Stott and Steve Bowen.
Curiosity Cam takes you inside the clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., so you can watch the next Mars rover being built.
Technicians assembling and testing the Mars Science Laboratory, aka Curiosity, are covered head-to-toe in “bunny suits.” These white smocks, booties and facemasks help protect against Earthly contaminants hitching a ride to Mars.
The camera may be turned off periodically for maintenance. The rover may occasionally be out of view as it is moved around the clean room. When Curiosity Cam is off air, you will see a slideshow of Mars and rover images.
FAST FACTS Mission name: Mars Science Laboratory Rover name: Curiosity rover Size: About the size of a car — 10 feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall! Weight: 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds) Features: Geology lab, rocker-bogie suspension, rock-vaporizing laser and lots of cameras Mission: To search areas of Mars for past or present conditions favorable for life, and conditions capable of preserving a record of life Launch: Between Nov. 25–Dec. 18, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida Arrival: August 2012 at Mars Length of mission on Mars: The prime mission will last one Mars year or about 23 Earth months. Mission Fact sheet: Download the PDF
The ABC Television series, “Last Man Standing” is about Mike Baxter (played by Tim Allen), a marketing executive for “Outdoor Man,” a fictitious sporting goods store in Colorado. Mike, is a “man’s man” and involved in all kinds of outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating. Likewise, Mike (and Tim) has a love for all the electronics that go with these activities. Among Mike’s interests is Amateur Radio (Ham Radio).
Tim's character (Mike Baxter), is KA0XTT. This is a call sign the show cleared for use on air. "XTT" is a bit of a private joke as Tim's character name on "Home Improvement" was Tim Taylor. So, ex T. T.
In the show’s radio inventory is currently an ICOM IC-9100 HF radio, an IC-92AD dual band, hand-held, a Heil PR-781microphone, a Daiwa CN-801HP SWR/Power meter a Comet CAA-500 antenna analyzer and a Iambic CW Paddle.
The South Yorkshire Repeater Group monthly meeting will be held at the Three Horse Shoes in Brierley on Thursday the 8th of December 2011 at 8pm.
Paid up members nominations for the forthcoming SYRG elections in 2012 are due within the next 21 days.
Oh and we may even sneak in a pre Chris...
Icom is organising a weekend long D-STAR QSO Party that is to be held between 0:00 on the 11th of November to 24:00 on the 13th of November (UTC) 2011.
This event differs from previous D-STAR contests that have taken place over the last few years.
Instead of competing for numbers of contact...
The Great Northern Hamfest in Barnsley has now been running for 20 years.
On the 18th September 2011, it will be somewhat special - as it is the 21st Birthday of the Great Northern Hamfest.
To celebrate our 21st Birthday, we want you to design our limited edition pin button badge.
Thi...
