From the Shuttle Section at NASA: Space Shuttle Discovery is Ready.

     The countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-120 mission is proceeding smoothly at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Test Director Steve Payne announced at this morning's countdown status briefing.

     "At this point in the count, we're on schedule, our systems are all good and we're in great shape," Payne said, adding that the launch team is not tracking any technical issues.

Image above: Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, the STS-120 crew members await the start of a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. From the left are astronauts Pamela A. Melroy, STS-120 commander; Daniel M. Tani, Expedition 16 flight engineer; George D. Zamka, STS-120 pilot; Douglas H. Wheelock, Scott E. Parazynski, Stephanie D. Wilson and European Space Agency's (ESA) Paolo Nespoli, all mission specialists. Image credit: NASA

     Shuttle Launch tomorrow at 11:38am EDT, 10:38 CDT, 9:38 MDT, 8:30PDT and some god awful hour in Hawaii.  I as usual will watch live on NASA TV or over the internet, you should too.  The mission is STS-120, which will deliver the Harmony node to the ISS. Full info about the mission plan here: Mission Overview.  and about the payload here: Payload Information.

Discovery Ready on the launch pad for STS-120.

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 11:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Earth rising over the Moon, photographed by Astronaut Bill Anders of Apollo 8, December 24, 1967.  NASA Photo.

     I have never really said this out loud, but one of my deepest wishes is to be an Astronaut.  I would give just about anything to be able to float in the void of space or to stand upon the hauntingly beautiful surface of the moon and look back at the planet that we all call home.  While the number of men and women who have ventured into space is small, and only twelve men, Americans all have had the chance to set foot on a heavenly body that is not Earth.  My envy of them beggars description, yet I also know that perhaps I too, may have a chance to do the same.  Many years of my life lay yet before me, and the nature of space travel is constantly evolving.  I do not know what it is about spaceflight, or even flight in general that entrnaces me so, perhaps it is the beauty of seeing the eath from above, or the feeling of freedom that soaring through the skies briings with it.  Whatever it is it has held me fascinated for as long I can possibly remember.

     But even if I never have the chance to look down upon our graceful and magnificent blue orb I can still look up into the heavens above and allow my self to be lost in the simple beauty of the stars, planets and other celstial wonders, and all of their vast and unexplored secrets.  What makes humanity so unique among all of God's creatures is that we, and we alone strive for knowledge simply for the sake of having that knowledge.  We are propelled to explore space for the same reason Edmund Hillary climbed Mt. Everest, because it is there.  Even when it is beyond our capability to explore first hand our celestial meighbors we find a way to go and visit them none the less.  The may be machines, but in their own way the are an extension of human life, and proof our exsistence.  For they will remain wher they are long after all of us are gone onto whatever awaits in the next life.  They shall remain, proving that we where here, and that we did all we could to find life beyond our own world and to learn all we could about everything we could.  Sometimes even robots get homesick I guess, at leat that was what I thought when I first saw this picture.

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