NASA launching "Themis" mission in 5 minutes

[karlrschneider]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/themis/main/index.html

Channel 213 on Dish

For those interested. :D

[magellan]

1. Cool mission, thanks for the heads up

We'll watch from our backyard.

[karlrschneider]

2. Cool, that's one of the things I miss from when I lived in FL

:-)

[karlrschneider]

4. Didya see it? Seems to be going okay

:-)

[magellan]

6. Yep, we saw it

Sorry, had a turkey in the oven and the rest of dinner to make right after Themis took off! The launch was great, it made a zig-zag tail into the sky before it disappeared from view. A few neighbors came out to watch too; kids down the road were standing on the roof of their house clapping and hooting.

[karlrschneider]

8. Great. I lived in Tampa so wasn't that close but I saw the Challenger

blow up. I couldn't figure out what happened until I went back in the house and saw the TV reports.
:-(

[magellan]

9. Oh god, that was a heartbreaking day, wasn't it?

I was living in NJ at the time. We were all listening to the live radio report of the launch at work, doubly interested because of the teacher on board. Then it was simply gone and we were left in tearful shock. I wasn't old enough to remember the assassination of JFK, but I remember thinking how strange that most of America was feeling the same thing at the same time.

When I lived in CA I was very lucky to see one of the shuttle landings at Edwards AFB. Then we were about to move to FL, and looking forward to watching shuttle launches from our yard, when Columbia broke up on reentry.

I know the shuttle fleet is old and perhaps hasn't lived up to its original potential, but I'll be very sad to see the missions end.

[karlrschneider]

10. I think they achieved a lot given the really old technology.

I know some DUers aren't fond of the space program, and I appreciate the monetary concern but the
net results have been IMO positive. But my perspective as an aero engineer and professional pilot
comes from a fairly non-standard direction the probably gives me some bias.

And yes that was a horrifying day, as was the Columbia crash.

[magellan]

12. Yes, and they still are

Mind you I'm not too fond of NASA's military side; saw a real eye-opening report on one of the independent channels the other day detailing the origins of the agency and how it's being increasingly used to weaponize space. Bad, bad, bad. But its scientific side -- the pure stuff like Themis and Hubble and so on -- I find endlessly fascinating. (I'm one of those "Everything I know I learned from Star Trek" girls.) We love to break out the telescope, or just sit and stargaze.

[karlrschneider]

3. Kick for those who are interested

That's one big-ass rocket. :D

[Hosnon]

5. Themis was the god of Order right?

How is NASA tying in the mythology to the mission?

[magellan]

7. She was one of the Titans

"A stern Goddess of Order and Justice." Maybe they've got a feedback loop going with the Bush** WH? :shrug:

[Gold Metal Flake]

11. I worked on the drawings for the solar panels.

Cool that it's finally gonna fly.