NASA Astronauts Arrive Early For Launch


Recommended Posts

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- The seven astronauts who will make the first space shuttle flight since the Columbia disaster arrived early at the launch site Saturday, beating Hurricane Dennis by a day.

Commander Eileen Collins and her crew flew in by NASA corporate jet in the evening, and were greeted by Kennedy Space Center's director and nearly 100 journalists.

Less than five miles away stood space shuttle Discovery, prepped for a Wednesday liftoff.

The crew's exuberance was apparent.

"It's been 2 1/2 years since a crew stood here before you, and that's way too long," astronaut Andrew Thomas told the crowd gathered at the runway. "It is definitely time that we went back to flight and back to space."

source:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/07/09/s...n.ap/index.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so why did they arrive early, something good for lunch? :p

586189503[/snapback]

They had to wash the shuttle windows. :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so why did they arrive early, something good for lunch? :p

586189503[/snapback]

They only have a certain window to launch in. If Hurricane Dennis gets too close, it'll ruin everything, because they won't be able to launch again until September.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They only have a certain window to launch in. If Hurricane Dennis gets too close, it'll ruin everything, because they won't be able to launch again until September.

586192551[/snapback]

Wouldn't it make more sense, if the hurricane did come, to just launch from a different state where the hurricane wasn't affecting

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wouldn't it make more sense, if the hurricane did come, to just launch from a different state where the hurricane wasn't affecting

586192561[/snapback]

You're forgetting that even though the shuttle can be moved, all the facilaties for launching it can't be...at least not in any sort of reasonable timeframe (you'd be launching a few years from now rather than in September). Also, there are specific reasons why NASA chose the current launch location - one of which is that if there were to be a mishap during launch and the shuttle fell back to earth, the debris would fall into the ocean rather than on Atlanta, or Houston. Think of what damage would have been caused if pieces of Challenger had fallen onto a populated area. Instead, debris from Challenger fell into the Atlantic ocean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.