STS 124 DISCOVERY LAUNCH DAY UPDATES

[GregBurch]

So I didn't imagine it then!

Couldn't tell if it hit -- looked like two sizable pieces, but may have gone minus-y of the orbiter.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

ET sep, maneuvering to get pics of fuel tank.
Yea, looked like it was going camera relative Y+ then "hit" the orbiter and went suddenly Y- camera relative. We won't even know this time till they get up there and do the RPM and re-grab the OBSS.

 

[NukeET]

Is it me, or is that the clearest image we've ever had from the ET Cam?

Beautiful!

Nope, not just you.

I was just remarking the same point to my wife.

 

[GregBurch]

Great launch. Other than that one debris incident, everything went without a hitch.

 

[silent_protagonist]

Good MECO

bit worrying about the debris strike tho.

 

[fresh squid]

CNN had the most irritating coverage of a space shuttle launch ever. The noise of the helicopter ruined it but why didnt they just stop talking and let me hear the callouts at least?

 

[NukeET]

Good MECO

bit worrying about the debris strike tho.

We'll find out officially soon enough.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

Great launch. Other than that one debris incident, everything went without a hitch.

Agreed big time! Great launch Discovery, looking forward for you to park that lab up there.

 

[pete.dakota]

I saw the debris, too. Fortunately, the stack was so high up in the atmosphere that the rel speed between the orbiter and the foam would not have been high enough to cause any notable TPS damage.

I've just stepped outside to watch the ISS pass over. It's a bit hazy, but hopefully clear enough to see the Discovery and it's tank over head in about 5 minutes.

 

[thomasantony]

Bravo!! I is go sleep now .. grammar co-proccessor of my head seems to be down.

~
Thomas

 

[Andy44]

So here I roll in the door and miss the whole thing by 5 minutes. Hope all is well with the debris BS.

 

[silent_protagonist]

Did anybody else notice the "other info" section of the site that cljohnston provided showing screens from Orbiter?

 

[Whatu]

So I didn't imagine it then!

I also saw that debris falling but guess it was nothing important.

By the way, towards the end flames could be seen in the upper left corner, can anyone explain that?

 

[Zatnikitelman]

I also saw that debris falling but guess it was nothing important.

By the way, towards the end flames could be seen in the upper right corner, can anyone explain that?

Probably the exhaust plume or RCS. I assume you're talking about right before MECO and ET sep?

 

[Urwumpe]

The debris should not be a large problem, as the atmosphere is pretty thin after 3:30 and the acceleration of the Shuttle not too high.

 

[Whatu]

Probably the exhaust plume or RCS. I assume you're talking about right before MECO and ET sep?

Yeah right before MECO, but to me it didnt seem to be coming from the RCS, and definitely not part of the exhaust, it was coming off somewhere close to the camera..
it looked like plasma from re-entry but that doesnt make any sense at that altitude... im a little puzzled

 

[GregBurch]

The debris should not be a large problem, as the atmosphere is pretty thin after 3:30 and the acceleration of the Shuttle not too high.

Agreed. After 123 flights, they may finally have gotten the whole "hang the orbiter off the side of a big fat cryo tank" thing down. Too bad it's right before the end of the show.

 

[pete.dakota]

Eyes on! I just saw the Discovery and the ET pass over head as two very distinctive, separate objects.

 

[computerex]

Secondary left gimbling system failure.

 

[DaveS]

I also saw that debris falling but guess it was nothing important.

By the way, towards the end flames could be seen in the upper left corner, can anyone explain that?

Debris: It was big, about the same size as the PAL ramp foam that got the fleet grounded for a year!

So it is a serious event. Way bigger than allowed by flight debris release rules.

Flame: It was plasma. Nearly orbital velocity at time of MECO at just at about 105 km in altitude.