STS-122: Columbus Goes to the Space Station

Greg · 12-05-2007, 02:24 PM

STS-122

We are L minus 1 day 6 hours 7 minutes and counting!

Current Space Shuttle Mission web site.

shorty943 · 12-06-2007, 09:29 AM

Getting close now.

I don't know about others, but, some things just make me go, ooooh!

God speed.

Greg · 12-07-2007, 05:01 PM

'nother scrub today, but maybe tomorrow!

shorty943 · 12-07-2007, 08:46 PM

Damn, now I'm going to have to erase my fingers, and start counting all over again.

Greg · 12-08-2007, 03:41 PM

Rats. It looks like they'll try again on Sunday.

Miros1 · 12-08-2007, 03:55 PM

Shorty's gonna have his fingers wore off from all the erasing!

shorty943 · 12-09-2007, 10:01 AM

I've got clever, I've got the NASA web site and the launch count down on another browser tab.

Greg · 12-09-2007, 09:30 PM

Unfortunately, after the scrub today, there won't be a launch before January 2008.

Miros1 · 12-09-2007, 10:26 PM

Oh poo!

shorty943 · 12-10-2007, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miros1

Oh poo!

Motion seconded.

Greg · 12-21-2007, 11:40 AM

They're showing a launch date of no earlier than January 10, 2008 but even that date is uncertain. They want to make sure they fully understand the anomaly with the Engine Cutoff sensors before they launch.

It's pretty frustrating that one tiny little part could halt the launch of such a grand ship, but it's a reminder of the gazillions of other tiny little parts that are working. That we apes could get together and build such a thing and have it work most of the time is truly amazing!

shorty943 · 12-22-2007, 12:38 AM

Merely amazing?

Speak for your self please mate.

I have trouble with pocket calculators.

Just as long as it all works right on the day.

Greg · 12-22-2007, 01:58 AM

Would you settle for mind-boggling?

I just realized that I don't know beans about that thing in the payload bay. It's the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, but I have absolutely no idea what's inside it. I studied up on the Japanese Experiment Module that will go up late next year because I was helping the Japanese guys very early on in their program--it's as cool as you would expect a high-tech machine from Japan to be--but Columbus is a total mystery to me.

shorty943 · 12-22-2007, 03:53 AM

Well, apart from a publicity release about removing Columbus from its transport container and powering it up for testing and connecting to the ISS.
The main NASA site has nothing about what sort of experiments Columbus will do.
But, I dare say there is a tiny bit more to the NASA web site, than the public side.

FredsG · 12-22-2007, 04:58 AM

Ditto that Shorty...

Greg · 12-22-2007, 09:19 PM

Aha! All it took was a web search to find http://www.esa.int/esaHS/ESAAYI0VMOC_iss_0.html

Columbus module attached to the International Space Station

It looks like it will have standard racks just like the US lab and a coupleof little brackets outside that have attachment points for four exposed payloads. The description of what they can do is very general, and there's no discussion of experiments that are actually planned for Columbus. Someone in Europe might still be sorting out applicants who want to use the lab, or maybe they have stuff planned but it's a secret.

There's a really cool toy on http://www.esa.int/esaHS/ESAI2X0VMOC_iss_0.html that shows where the space station is at this very moment, but it's just a small window on http://www.n2yo.com/ which lets you play with lots of satellites.

Greg · 12-22-2007, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shorty943

But, I dare say there is a tiny bit more to the NASA web site, than the public side.

Yeah, I'm sure if I went snooping I could find more information about the module, but it's one of those things where if the European Space Agency wanted to release it to the public, they would have.

Astronauts about the space station have a really pretty view of Lake Superior at the moment.

Greg · 01-19-2008, 02:53 AM

I saw today that the new planning date for the launch of STS-122 and the Columbus module is February 4, 2008.

There will be two astronauts from the European Space Agency aboard, both veterans of previous Space Shuttle flights. One of them will remain aboard the space station until STS-123 comes to bring him home.

shorty943 · 01-21-2008, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg

I saw today that the new planning date for the launch of STS-122 and the Columbus module is February 4, 2008.

There will be two astronauts from the European Space Agency aboard, both veterans of previous Space Shuttle flights. One of them will remain aboard the space station until STS-123 comes to bring him home.

Yes, I saw that in the ESA site.
They still didn't release much about just what the module contains, other than a broad definition of the experiments it will be capable of running.

So about 2 weeks till launch.

Greg · 01-21-2008, 12:20 PM

My first guess would be that the folks at ESA aren't putting a high priority on providing updated information on their web site, especially since they're no doubt all very busy getting ready for the launch of Columbus.

It also could be that the actual payloads they're flying are proprietary. It must be nerve-wracking to do industrial research with the whole world watching!

12-05-2007, 02:24 PM	#1
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	STS-122: Columbus Goes to the Space Station STS-122 We are L minus 1 day 6 hours 7 minutes and counting! Current Space Shuttle Mission web site. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

12-07-2007, 05:01 PM	#3
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	'nother scrub today, but maybe tomorrow! __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

12-08-2007, 03:41 PM	#5
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Rats. It looks like they'll try again on Sunday. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

12-09-2007, 09:30 PM	#8
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Unfortunately, after the scrub today, there won't be a launch before January 2008. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

12-21-2007, 11:40 AM	#11
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	They're showing a launch date of no earlier than January 10, 2008 but even that date is uncertain. They want to make sure they fully understand the anomaly with the Engine Cutoff sensors before they launch. It's pretty frustrating that one tiny little part could halt the launch of such a grand ship, but it's a reminder of the gazillions of other tiny little parts that are working. That we apes could get together and build such a thing and have it work most of the time is truly amazing! __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

12-06-2007, 09:29 AM	#2
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Getting close now. I don't know about others, but, some things just make me go, ooooh! God speed.

12-07-2007, 08:46 PM	#4
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Damn, now I'm going to have to erase my fingers, and start counting all over again.

12-08-2007, 03:55 PM	#6
Miros1 Goddess for Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NY State Posts: 3,303	Shorty's gonna have his fingers wore off from all the erasing!

12-09-2007, 10:01 AM	#7
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	I've got clever, I've got the NASA web site and the launch count down on another browser tab.

12-09-2007, 10:26 PM	#9
Miros1 Goddess for Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NY State Posts: 3,303	Oh poo!

12-22-2007, 12:38 AM	#12
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Merely amazing? Speak for your self please mate. I have trouble with pocket calculators. Just as long as it all works right on the day.

12-22-2007, 01:58 AM	#13
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Would you settle for mind-boggling? I just realized that I don't know beans about that thing in the payload bay. It's the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, but I have absolutely no idea what's inside it. I studied up on the Japanese Experiment Module that will go up late next year because I was helping the Japanese guys very early on in their program--it's as cool as you would expect a high-tech machine from Japan to be--but Columbus is a total mystery to me. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

12-22-2007, 03:53 AM	#14
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Well, apart from a publicity release about removing Columbus from its transport container and powering it up for testing and connecting to the ISS. The main NASA site has nothing about what sort of experiments Columbus will do. But, I dare say there is a tiny bit more to the NASA web site, than the public side.

12-22-2007, 04:58 AM	#15
FredsG Banned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 64	Ditto that Shorty...

12-22-2007, 09:19 PM	#16
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Aha! All it took was a web search to find http://www.esa.int/esaHS/ESAAYI0VMOC_iss_0.html Columbus module attached to the International Space Station It looks like it will have standard racks just like the US lab and a coupleof little brackets outside that have attachment points for four exposed payloads. The description of what they can do is very general, and there's no discussion of experiments that are actually planned for Columbus. Someone in Europe might still be sorting out applicants who want to use the lab, or maybe they have stuff planned but it's a secret. There's a really cool toy on http://www.esa.int/esaHS/ESAI2X0VMOC_iss_0.html that shows where the space station is at this very moment, but it's just a small window on http://www.n2yo.com/ which lets you play with lots of satellites. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

01-19-2008, 02:53 AM	#18
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	I saw today that the new planning date for the launch of STS-122 and the Columbus module is February 4, 2008. There will be two astronauts from the European Space Agency aboard, both veterans of previous Space Shuttle flights. One of them will remain aboard the space station until STS-123 comes to bring him home. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

01-21-2008, 12:20 PM	#20
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	My first guess would be that the folks at ESA aren't putting a high priority on providing updated information on their web site, especially since they're no doubt all very busy getting ready for the launch of Columbus. It also could be that the actual payloads they're flying are proprietary. It must be nerve-wracking to do industrial research with the whole world watching! __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?