Potremmo iniziare a parlarne all’Astronauticon1… 
Hello!, scusate l’ignoranzità…ma a che fine è ideata questa missione? :?:
Un’ottima risposta alla tua domanda la puoi trovare qui http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-116 .Tutte le missioni Shuttle da ora al pensionamento sono dedicate alla costruzione della ISS,al cambio dell’equipaggio della stessa (portano giù Reiter) e attraverso gli mplm portano equipaggiamenti e riportano a terra esperimenti ma anche rifiuti nn smaltibili dalla stazione.Nello specifico la stazione sarà ricablata per rendere funzionanti i pannelli solari portati durante la missione 115 (P3 P4),sarà aggiunto il P5 truss etc.Per capirti meglio ecco un disegno con i relativi nomi.
hei per il viaggio in Florida ci sono pure io!! però come Albyz pure io non potrò prima del 2008/9…accidenti devo prima laurearmi (2° livello) e poi come viaggio premio un lancio dello shuttle non me lo leva nessuno
Ah proposito oggi c’era l’Astronauticon…spero che sia andato tutto bene, mi spiace un mondo non essere stato presente…certo da qua ad un anno di cose ne possono succedere ma farò il possibile per essere presente alla seconda edizione…ciao a tutti
Ah capisco, quindi sono lanci effettuati per compiti inerenti la stazione internazionale…ok grazie per la delucidazione! 
11.22.06
Jessica Rye
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
STATUS REPORT: S-112206
NASA’S SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT
Note: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center issues Space Shuttle Processing
Status Reports periodically and is the source for information
regarding processing activities associated with the vehicles and
payloads. If you are a member of the media and would like further
information, visit:
Mission: STS-116 - 20th International Space Station Flight (12A.1) -
P5 Truss Segment
Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)
Location: Launch Pad 39B
Launch Date: No earlier than Dec. 7, 2006
Launch Pad: 39B
Crew: Polansky, Oefelein, Curbeam, Higginbotham, Patrick, Fuglesang
and Williams
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
This week at Launch Pad 39B, technicians completed prelaunch
propellant servicing in preparation for Space Shuttle Discovery’s
launch to the International Space Station, set for no earlier than
Dec. 7. This servicing includes loading the fuel (monomethyl
hydrazine) and oxidizer (nitrogen tetroxide) into the orbital
maneuvering system and the forward reaction control system. It also
includes loading hydrazine in the solid rocket boosters and the
auxiliary power units on the orbiter.
Space shuttle main engine ball seal leak checks were completed today.
Crew cabin and SPACEHAB leak checks are planned for Sunday.
On Nov. 28 and 29, NASA managers will hold the traditional Flight
Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center. The review is a two-day
assessment of preparations for Discovery’s mission and is designed to
produce a number of key decisions about the assembly flight,
including selection of an official launch date.
If the decision is made to proceed for the opening of the launch
window, the seven-member crew will arrive for launch at the Shuttle
Landing Facility the afternoon of Dec. 3.
-end-
Praticamente conclusa la fase di integrazione (verticale!) del payload…
Durante la missione, esattamente il decimo giorno verranno rilasciati due minisatelliti dallo Shuttle, serviranno per lo studio dell’alta atmosfera:
Qui ci sono tutte le info sul progetto:
http://exploration.nasa.gov/programs/station/STP-H2-ANDE.html
http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/satellite_missions/select.cgi?order=&sat_code=ANDE&sat_name=ANDE&tab_id=general
Ufficiale, dopo la FRR la data di lancio è fissata per il 7 Dicembre, inizio di una finestra che si estende fino al 17.
Nessuna obiezione per il lancio notturno.
Go Discovery!
Ed ecco il relativo comunicato ufficiale…
Nov. 29, 2006Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749Jessica Rye
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468RELEASE: 06-359
NASA GIVES ‘GO’ FOR SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA senior managers today unanimously
recommended launching the Space Shuttle Discovery on December 7.
Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift
off at 9:35 p.m. EST on the STS-116 mission, one of the most
challenging flights to continue building the International Space
Station.During the 12-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work
closely with flight controllers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center,
Houston, to install a new segment of the station’s girder-like truss
and activate the station’s permanent, complex power and cooling
systems.The launch date was announced after a traditional meeting, known as
the Flight Readiness Review. During the two-day meeting, top NASA
managers and engineers assess any risks associated with the mission
and determine whether the shuttle’s equipment, support systems and
procedures are ready for flight.“What struck me during this meeting was how complex this mission is
and how it fits into the next series of assembly missions,” said
Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who
chaired the Flight Readiness Review. “We had a very good discussion
on a lot of topics and our teams worked hard to make sure we had all
the information we need to set our launch date for next Thursday.”Joining Commander Polansky aboard Discovery will be Pilot Bill
Oefelein, mission specialists Bob Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham,
Nicholas Patrick, European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang
and Sunita Williams. Williams will remain aboard the station for six
months. ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, who has lived on the station
since July, will return to Earth on Discovery.For more information about the STS-116 mission, including images and
interviews with the crew, visit:-end-
Questa volta seguiro’ la missione con un interesse piu’ testosteronico… Mi sono innamorato della mission specialist nera… 
Via al Countdown il 4/12
Nov. 30, 2006Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749Bruce Buckingham
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468MEDIA ADVISORY: M06-185
LAUNCH COUNTDOWN BEGINS DEC. 4 FOR SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will begin the countdown for Space Shuttle
Discovery’s STS-116 mission at 11 p.m. EST Monday, Dec. 4, at the
T-43 hour point. During this mission, Discovery’s crew will rewire
the International Space Station, bringing electrical power on line
from solar arrays launched earlier this year.The Kennedy Space Center, Florida, launch team will conduct the
countdown from Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center. The
countdown includes 27 hours, 36 minutes of built-in hold time leading
to a preferred launch time at 9:35 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. The
launch window extends an additional five minutes.A detailed list of launch countdown milestones and times is available
at:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/index.html
This mission is the 117th space shuttle flight, the 33rd flight for
Discovery and the 20th U.S. flight to the International Space
Station. STS-116 is scheduled to last 12 days with landing at about
4:35 p.m. EST on Dec. 19 at Kennedy.Discovery rolled into Kennedy’s Orbiter Processing Facility on July 17
after returning from its last mission, STS-121. The shuttle rolled
out of the facility’s bay 3 and into the Vehicle Assembly Building on
Oct. 31. While in the building’s high bay 3, Discovery was mated to
its modified external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. The entire
space shuttle stack was transferred to Launch Pad 39B on Nov. 9.The STS-116 crew consists of Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill
Oefelein and mission specialists Bob Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham,
Nicholas Patrick, Christer Fuglesang of the European Space Agency and
Sunita Williams. Williams will remain aboard the station to begin a
six-month stay. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, aboard
the station since July, will return to Earth on Discovery.During STS-116, Discovery’s astronauts will completely rewire and
activate the station’s electrical and thermal control systems. The
crew will deliver and install the P5 truss segment between the
station’s existing P3/P4 and P6 truss segments during two of three
planned spacewalks. Installation of the P5 truss will allow the solar
arrays on the P3/P4 and P6 truss segments to operate and rotate
without interfering with each other. The P5 truss will act as a
conduit that will transmit power and data from the P6 segment to the
other segments on the station.For information about the STS-116 crew and the mission, visit:
STS-116 LAUNCH COUNTDOWN MILESTONES
(All times Eastern)Launch-3 Days (Monday, Dec. 4)
Prepare for the start of the STS-116 launch countdown
Perform the call to stations (10:30 p.m.)
Countdown begins at the T-43 hour mark (11 p.m.)
Begin final vehicle and facility closeouts for launch
Check out backup flight systemsLaunch-2 Days (Tuesday, Dec. 5)
Review flight software stored in mass memory units and display systems
Load backup flight system software into Discovery’s general purpose
computers
Remove flight-deck platforms (7:30 a.m.)
Begin preparations to load power reactant storage and distribution
system (9 a.m.)
Activate and test navigational systems (noon)
Flight deck preliminary inspections complete (3 p.m.)Enter first built-in hold at T-27 hours for duration of 4 hours (3
p.m.)Clear launch pad of all non-essential personnel
Perform test of the vehicle’s pyrotechnic initiator controllersResume countdown at T-27 hours (7 p.m.)
Launch-1 Day (Wednesday, Dec. 6)
Begin operations to load cryogenic reactants into Discovery’s fuel
cell storage tanks (3 a.m.)Enter 4-hour built-in hold at T-19 hours (3 a.m.)
Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit (3:30 a.m.)
Resume orbiter and ground support equipment closeoutsResume countdown at T-19 hours (7 a.m.)
Final preparations of the shuttle’s three main engines for main
propellant tanking (7 a.m.)
Begin filling pad sound suppression system water tank (9 a.m.)
Pad sound suppression system water tank filling complete (noon)
Close out the tail service masts on the mobile launcher platform
Begin star tracker functional checks (2:50 p.m.)Enter planned hold at T-11 hours for 13 hours, 40 minutes (3 p.m.)
Activate orbiter’s inertial measurement units
Activate the orbiter’s communications systems
Install film in numerous cameras on the launch pad (4:25 p.m.)
Flight crew equipment late stow (8:40 p.m.)Launch Day (Thursday, Dec. 7)
Move Rotating Service Structure to the park position (12:27 a.m.)
Perform ascent switch list
Fuel cell flow-through purge completeResume countdown at T-11 hours (4:40 a.m.)
Activate the orbiter’s fuel cells (5:50 a.m.)
Clear the blast danger area of all non-essential personnel
Switch Discovery’s purge air to gaseous nitrogen (6:40 a.m.)Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (9:40 a.m.)
Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior to
cryogenic loading of the external tank
Clear pad of all personnel
Chilldown of propellant transfer lines (11:40 a.m.)Resume countdown at T-6 hours (11:40 a.m.)
Begin loading the external tank with about 500,000 gallons of
cryogenic propellants (about 11:50 a.m.)
Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid
hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants (about 2:40 p.m.)
Final Inspection Team proceeds to launch padEnter planned 3-hour built-in hold at T-3 hours (2:40 p.m.)
Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
Align Merritt Island Launch Area tracking antennas
Perform open loop test with Eastern RangeResume countdown at T-3 hours (5:40 p.m.)
Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (5:45 p.m.)
Complete closeout preparations in the White Room
Check cockpit switch configurations
Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (about 6:15 p.m.)
Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch and Mission
Control
Begin to close Discovery’s crew hatch (7:30 p.m.)
Begin Eastern Range final network open loop command checks
Perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks
Complete White Room closeout
Closeout crew moves to fallback area
Primary ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight
systemEnter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes (8:20 p.m.)
NASA test director conducts final launch team briefings
Complete inertial measurement unit preflight alignmentsResume countdown at T-20 minutes (8:30 p.m.)
Transition the orbiter’s onboard computers to launch configuration
Start fuel cell thermal conditioning
Close orbiter cabin vent valves
Transition backup flight system to launch configurationEnter estimated 46-minute hold at T-9 minutes (8:41 p.m.)
Launch director, Mission Management Team and NASA test director
conduct final polls for “go/no go” to launchResume countdown at T-9 minutes (about 9:27 p.m.)
Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9 minutes)
Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
Start mission recorders (T-6:15)
Start auxiliary power units (T-5)
Arm solid rocket booster and external tank range safety safe and arm
devices (T-5)
Start liquid oxygen drainback (T-4:55)
Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55)
Start main engine gimbal profile test (T-3:30)
Pressurize liquid oxygen tank (T-2:55)
Begin retraction of the gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:55)
Fuel cells to internal reactants (T-2:35)
Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank (T-1:57)
Deactivate bi-pod heaters (T-1:52)
Deactivate solid rocket booster joint heaters (T-1)
Orbiter transfers from ground to internal power (T-0:50 seconds)
Ground launch sequencer go for auto sequence start (T-0:31 seconds)
Booster gimbal profile (T-0:21 seconds)
Ignition of three space shuttle main engines (T-6.6 seconds)
Booster ignition and liftoff (T-0)CREW FOR MISSION STS-116
Commander: Mark Polansky
Pilot: Bill Oefelein
Mission Specialist (MS1): Nicholas Patrick
Mission Specialist (MS2): Bob Curbeam
Mission Specialist (MS3): Christer Fuglesang
Mission Specialist (MS4): Joan Higginbotham
Mission Specialist (MS5up): Sunita Williams
Mission Specialist (MS5down): Thomas Reiter-end-
E’ giunto oggi in volo con i T-38 della NASA l’equipaggio della missione STS-116 Discovery previsto per giovedì prossimo. GO DISCOVERY!
Qualche altra fotina:
Il countdown è iniziato e procede tutto come previsto per il lancio di giovedì.
Fino ad ora il meteo è al 70% GO.
Qui live il conto alla rovescia:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/status.html
Parabola motorizzata… GO! 
Parabola motorizzata.... GO! :wink:
Mi raccomando, visto il ritorno dei lanci notturni ci devi regalare delle immagini mozzafiato!
Countdown che procede regolarmente, ci sono due piccoli problemini che non dovrebbero tenere a terra la navetta (un problema elettrico e una ad un “adesivo” utilizzato nella zona di unione degli SRB).
Molto più problematiche sembrano le condizioni meteo che sono crollate ad un 40% Go per giovedì e un 30% Go per venerdì e 40% Go per sabato…
Parabola motorizzata.... GO! :wink:
Molto molto molto bene … 
Mi pare che non sia prevista neve a Erve …
Parabola motorizzata.... GO! :wink:Mi raccomando, visto il ritorno dei lanci notturni ci devi regalare delle immagini mozzafiato!
Farò del mio meglio.
Ricordo a tutti che l’ESA compra delle finestre “fisse”: anche se il lancio venisse shiftato, la finestra di ritrasmissione resta così com’è.
Percio, se permettete, Testicula Tacta ad libitum.