The Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to roar into space today, Monday November 16, at 19:28 GMT (14:28 Eastern time). Unlike the last time, weather looks pretty good for an on-time launch.
Unfortunately, I’ll be sitting on an airplane during the launch so I’ll miss it, but lots of people are covering it on Twitter. Just search on the hashtag #nasatweetup to get all the info you need.
Image courtesy NASA.
My friend Bug Girl (an entomologist and Skepchick) sent me a note about a cool opportunity for U.S. east coast teachers: you can participate in a Shuttle experiment involving Monarch butterflies in space!
When Atlantis launches next week, it will be carrying some Monarch caterpillars to be taken aboard the Space Station, where they will hatch and be observed. Lots of questions will be investigated: What happens when pupae burst open in space? How will the butterflies cope? Will their migrating instinct be satisfied by moving 7 km/sec across the face of the Earth?
OK, I made up that last one, but Monarch Watch is looking to get teachers and students involved in the real science of butterflies in microgravity. But HURRY! They need your email by tomorrow, Friday, November 6! So if you’re an east coast teacher, go to Bug Girl’s blog and see how you can join in on the insecty fun.
STS 129, the 31st mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, is scheduled to launch at 14:28 Eastern time on November 16, 2009. Like all remaining flights, this will be to the space station. The primary goal is to install a couple of platforms on ISS on which they can store spare hardware for use after the shuttles retire.
The launch date depends on an Atlas V launch from a nearby air force base on the 14th, so stay tuned to NASA to see if there are any last-minute changes.
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
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