Shuttle Discovery docked with International Space Station

[dizzyfish]

Update

Red Team Checks out MLP Pressure Valve
Sun, 15 Mar 2009 03:25:23 PM EDT


A "red team" has been dispatched to the launch pad to adjust a pressurization valve on the mobile launcher platform, or MLP. The team of technicians and safety personnel are accessing a panel inside the MLP to increase the pressure of helium that feeds to a "gap" area between the external tank and shuttle. This area where liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen lines run from the tank to the shuttle, is purged with helium to prevent the formation of ice and the accumulation of gaseous hydrogen and oxygen. Helium does not freeze in the presence of super-cold hydrogen.

The helium level was on the lower side of acceptable limits, and the red team will adjust the pressure to create the proper margin.

This issue will not interfere with today's launch attempt.

[cycloneye]

The astronauts haved arrived at the launch pad,getting inside the shuttle.You can follow all the prelaunch activity and the launch itself at the NASA TV feed.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

[JonathanBelles]

Closeout Crew Leaves Launch Pad 39A
Sun, 15 Mar 2009 06:51:29 PM EDT

The STS-119 flight crew is safely strapped in aboard space shuttle Discovery, the orbiter's side hatch is closed and sealed, and it's time for the closeout crew to depart Launch Pad 39A. They'll watch tonight's launch from a roadblock a safe distance away from the pad. At this point, the only people remaining at Launch Pad 39A are the seven astronauts scheduled to lift off tonight.

[JonathanBelles]

All Mechanical, Weather, NASA, and Discovery flags are GREEN!!! Discovery is ready for launch in T-10 minutes!! I am going out with my camera, and will get anything I see, be back in 15-20 mins or so.

[JonathanBelles]

I SAW IT!!! And i have pictures and video of some what good quality...I will upload a bit later. Not as bright as it was last time, but still cool!

[dizzyfish]

We saw it! We saw it!

[JonathanBelles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq9nFTjpllU

View from here. Sorry about the bad stability, was trying to work two cameras at once, not a good idea!

[O Town]

Wow I can't believe you can see the shuttle so good from all the way over on the west coast, amazing. It didn't look as dark as I remember it tho, was it your camera settings?
Heres what it looked like in OTown, in the 4th and 5th picture you can see separation of the rocket boosters. I have seen them separate before but with the way the sun was hitting them we watched them drop for like a full minute or two, which was really cool.








Separation....you have to strain to see in this smaller pic. but they just separated.


Close up of separation after they had been falling a while.


Lingering trail....

[JonathanBelles]

No, the pictures are right, it was not very dark. It didnt get "dark" for another 10-15 mins afterwords.