As I write this, the launch of Shuttle mission STS-118 is in 32 minutes. I am covering it in near-real-time on my Twitter account. I will update this blog page when launch occurs, or for any major event like a cancellation.
LAUNCH! Right on time, and everything looks great. Looks like a perfect launch, and right on time.
If you went to BadAstronomy.com and found yourself here, never fear: the BA Blog has moved to its new home at Discover Blogs. The original BA site (with the Moon Hoax debunking and all that) is still online, too.
Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
Contact me: The Bad Astronomer "at" gmail "dot" com
|
| Bad Astronomy is a Wikio Top Blog! Clearly, Wikio has excellent taste. | |
 | ||
 | Bad Astronomy was chosen as one of Time.com's Best Blogs of 2009. |
 |
"Reading this book is like getting punched in the face by Carl Sagan. Frightening, but oddly exhilarating."
-- Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising
DISCOVERmagazine.com: Latest Articles on Space DISCOVER Blogs: The Loom
August 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
[...] Minutes Launch Time: 2236 UTC, 1836 EDT, 1536 PDT, August 8 15 Minutes BA Blog Twittering __________________ 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 [...]
August 8th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Thanks for the heads-up Phil. Caught it live on NASA TV with about 3 minutes to go. Saw the launch then lost signal for a while just after SRB separation but it is back on now.
August 8th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Wooo!! GO SHUTTLE!!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
I wish they’d broadcast the ET burning up!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Just Beautiful!!!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Damn and it’s cloudy here, so i won’t see the shuttle in orbit
August 8th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
In-effing-CREDIBLE!!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Superv! A really nice launching!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Hey Phil, just to let you know I really appreciate the twits about the shuttle launch. And if I wasn’t into them I’d just stop following you on twitter. But I am. So I won’t. Just so you know!
cheers!
Seb
Brighton UK
August 8th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
It just never stops being cool, does it?
August 8th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I like it!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Just watched the launch on HDNet. Watching in 1080 is very cool! Nice job on the Twitter. I have a question for anyone that night know. Just after main tank sep, there was a trail of something behind the shuttle that reminded me of an Aurora. What is it? What causes it?
Thanks in advance.
August 8th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Thanks for the twitter updates! I had forgotten to tune in the launch and your updates reminded me.
It was good watching the feed while you twittered the event.
Thanks!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Saw the launch live on Sunrise, an Australian morning TV show.
Good stuff.
August 8th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Love it, Phil!
August 8th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Love the shuttle twitter updates, Phil. Keep it up.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Phil: Enjoyed the twittering, even if it did look a bit familiar: http://twitter.com/jimthompson
Next time I’ll just kick back and let YOU take it.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Godspeed Endeavour.
This launch was really cool for me personally, but I can’t tell you about it. It’s a secret.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Think I may have seen it! About 6 minutes after launch, moving South to Northeast about 30 degrees above the horizon, it disappeared behind a cloud just a few seconds before MECO.
I’m in Lexington Mass, so it should have been moving generally NE paralleling the the east coast at that time, so it was in the right general area and moving in the right direction.
I saw one previous shuttle launch, at about 1AM in a high-inclination orbit, from the same place. I don’t remember which flight, it was probably 15-20 years ago. On that launch it was obvious I was looking at the right thing.
I tried to get its ground-track from but it locked up Safari.
This time, it is a similar object moving through the sky at a similar rate, place, and direction. Or maybe it was just a plane. Or a bird. Definitely not a frog.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Cool! Glad ya’ll liked it.
I wonder if I’ll get to see another Shuttle launch before they retire it. I saw one in ‘96, when they launched “my” camera. It was incredible.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I really enjoyed the Twitter updates. I was coming into town (Melbourne) by train at the time of the launch, so your updates we really cool. Thanks!
August 8th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Man, I’ve never paid attention to the velocity graphic during a launch before (it’s possible I’ve never seen it, this was the first time I’ve watched it on CNN). I got all disappointed when it hit about 2900 mph because I was waiting for Mach 5 (sea level, because I can’t remember standard temperature @ that altitude), until I realized it was just the delay until the next burn
August 8th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Thanks for the updates on Twitter Phil! Don’t stop!
)
August 8th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
I really appreciate the Twitter updates. Even though I missed this launch because I was picking up my daughter from after school, it’s fun to feel like you’re watching it “with” someone, and when I do miss it, I can pretend like I was there by reading them off the web page.
August 8th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Saw it with my own eyes from just across the Indian River. Didn’t realise the flame was so Orange.
August 8th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
“Saw it with my own eyes from just across the Indian River. Didn’t realise the flame was so Orange.” Thanks for sharing that real-time-natural vision Terry. Phil wants not only to see another Launch, he want’s to be on one. Can you blame anyone for having cosmic wishes?
August 8th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I watched the launch on the local news here in Denver and it brought tears to my eyes. Why does it always do that when I see a perfect launch? I feel like such a wuss. In any case, it was a beautiful sight for sure. I really love the STS system and will be sorry to see it retired. I feel like we are going backward in technology with what I call, “Apollo 2, The Next Generation”. I figured by now we would be using PanAM space planes ala 2001 ASO.
Oh, I know all the arguments for going back to a cheaper tried and true design with updated avionics, computers and such but I want the Enterprise, I want to see us go boldly where noone has gone before….
I wanna be able to carry a damn phaser!
Sigh
August 8th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
I am an airline pilot and subscribe to your twitter feed. While in line for takeoff today, and with no access to the news, I was able to keep up to the second with your twitter coverage. It was a very stimulating way to stay informed! My first officer didn’t know who was texting me so much or how I knew so much about the shuttle launch.
Thanks!
August 8th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Thanks for the Twitter updates! I wasn’t able to watch the launch (nowhere near a TV and work summoned me away from my office), but I was able to visualize it in my mind. Now I just gotta get myself over there to watch a launch in person before the shuttles are retired.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:35 am
So nice, I sow the shuttle launch here in my office in french polynesia at 12:36 loc (=Hawaii time) on Nasa-Tv, in real time ! Incredible, always very exciting !
They build our future
Fred
Excuse for my english
August 9th, 2007 at 9:36 am
But was it right on time?
August 9th, 2007 at 9:37 am
I saw the launch live and in person last night. My wife and I were about 8 miles from the launch pad with a straight line of sight. Spectacular as always.
What you don’t get on TV or a video is the roar of the rocket engines. It just isn’t possible to reproduce that bass such as it is experienced standing right there. It is like a long, continuous thunder. And the glow of the rocket exhaust is somewhat lost in pictures too. It is an exeptionally bright fire.
I encourage everyone here to make the trip out to experience it for yourself at least once.
August 9th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I love the t minus twitter! Keep it up.
August 10th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Well done. “Godspeed”, and a landing y’all walk away from.