Starship Asterisk*

Indigo_Sunrise wrote:
And it's a little sad, knowing it's the penultimate launch for any of the shuttles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle wrote:
<<Roger A. Pielke, Jr. has estimated that the Space Shuttle program has cost about US $170,000 million through early 2008.

This works out to an average cost per flight of about US $1,500 million.>>

Redbone wrote:
We've gotten so used to having the shuttle that pictures of the Russian capsule parachuting to earth seem primitive.
It's very sad to see the end of the shuttle program, especially with no replacement in sight.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=9262.0 wrote:
<<Even the most expensive estimates for Soyuz are around US $65 million per flight.>>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Telescope_Array wrote:
<<The Allen Telescope Array was a joint effort by the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley to construct a radio interferometer that is dedicated to astronomical observations and a simultaneous search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

First conceived by SETI pioneer Frank Drake, the idea has been a dream of the SETI Institute for years. However, it was not until early 2001 that research and development commenced after a donation of $11.5 million by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. In March 2004, following successful completion of a three-year research and development phase, the SETI Institute unveiled a three-tier construction plan for the telescope. Construction began right after, due to the pledge of $13.5 million by Paul Allen to support the construction of the first and second phases. The SETI Institute named the telescope in his honor. Overall Paul Allen has contributed more than $30 million to the project.

The ATA is under construction at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, California. When completed, the array is expected to consist of 350 antennas. The first phase with 42 antennas (ATA-42) is complete and became operational on 11 October 2007.

However, in April 2011, the ATA was placed in operational hibernation due to funding shortfalls.>>

Redbone wrote:The full resolution image clearly shows a bit of fire coming from the shuttle's left engine. I wonder if this is normal?

http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2011/05/photos_hoboken_womans_pictures.html wrote:
PHOTOS: Hoboken woman's pictures of Endeavour space shuttle liftoff go viral
The Jersey Journal: Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 8:46 AM

This citizen journalism photo taken with a cell phone by Stefanie Gordon aboard a passenger flight from New York to Palm Beach, Fla. shows the space shuttle Endeavor as it streaks toward orbit shortly after liftoff Monday May 16, 2011. Gordon says she had just awakened from a nap on the flight when the pilot announced the shuttle might come into view. (AP Photo/Stefanie Gordon) Hoboken woman takes viral photo of Endeavour space shuttle liftoff gallery

---

<<Groggy from a late night watching the Yankees, frigid from a chilled airplane cabin, Stefanie Gordon stirred to action after the pilot's announcement.

Lifting her iPhone to the plane's window, the Hoboken woman captured an otherworldly image that rocketed around the globe as fast as her subject: Space shuttle Endeavour soaring from a bank of clouds, its towering plume of white smoke lighting the azure sky.

She had never imagined the response her airborne image - capturing the last launch of Endeavour and the penultimate space shuttle flight - would ignite.

The images and video have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on Twitter alone, landed on network newscasts and been published in newspapers worldwide. In turn, they've made a photographic celebrity of sorts of the unemployed 33-year-old.

"It just blew up," she said of the attention.

Gordon caught an early Delta flight from New York to West Palm Beach on Monday and had a whole row to herself, never imagining the history she would record. She stretched out and took a nap. Then she awoke shortly before the pilot announced the descent had begun and that a sighting of the shuttle was possible. She had forgotten Endeavour was even taking off at 8:56 a.m. EDT, but readied her iPhone just in case.

Then, the pilot came on again, alerting passengers the shuttle was in sight. "Everybody ran over to the east side of the plane," Gordon said today, "and all of a sudden there it was in the clouds."

All told, she shot 12 seconds of footage of the shuttle arcing on its simple stream of smoke into space. She also shot three still photographs.

The plane landed minutes later in West Palm Beach and while she was waiting at the luggage carousel, at 9:31 a.m., she began uploading to Twitter. As she waited for her father to pick her up, she realized her work was making a splash.>>

Boris825 wrote:I also spy a seagull above the shuttle that looks to be in danger of getting roasted.

Boris825 wrote:... I also spy a seagull above the shuttle that looks to be in danger of getting roasted.

JohnD wrote:Rob,
What does seagull taste of?

Boris825 wrote:The full res image reveals an interesting array of cameras and instruments in the foreground. I also spy a seagull above the shuttle that looks to be in danger of getting roasted.

W5WAR wrote:

Boris825 wrote:
I also spy a seagull above the shuttle that looks to be in danger of getting roasted.

That seagull is, in fact, a bald eagle who lives near there.

orin stepanek wrote:The shuttle launches are great and they make great wallpaper!

disappointedinu wrote:last trip ??? expecting more INFO!!!! I click, only to "LAst TRAIN to clarksville" 0_o

amfrushour wrote:I was at the STS-134 liftoff, the final launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour, on the NASA Causeway. The launch was amazing, got some good photos from angles different than the ones on the NASA Kennedy Space Center Media Gallery webpage http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/index.cfm. But, Endeavour went into a low cloud deck so I only got to see the first 20 seconds after liftoff.

Star*Hopper wrote: I & family went down to view what was supposed to have been the final Atlantis launch [STS-132] on 14 May of last year. ...