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07/21/11, 12:18 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Florida and South Carolina
Posts: 2,167
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Heard the space shuttle land this morning
Here on FL's west coast, we can sometimes here the sonic boom of the space shuttle as it breaks the sound barrier on it's way back home. This morning was a doozy! You could see it, way off to the south. What's amazing is that the sonic boom doesn't reach us until about the time it touches down.
Anyone find it ironic that we will now have to hitch a ride to the ISS with Russia?
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"What one generation tolerates, the next generation embraces." -John Wesley
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07/21/11, 01:42 PM
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone 9b, Lake Harney, Central FL
Posts: 4,898
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LOL, I live but a few miles west of it...it not only woke us up (we could feel it in our chests and eardrums), but DD16 was sure something had hit the house. She drug me outside and kept looking for damage! I told her it was the last entry of the astronauts to earth, so remember the historical moment...she was certain there must be astronaut bodies in the yard somewhere. I was doubled over laughing at her and she was so serious.
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07/21/11, 02:37 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: A woods in Wisconsin
Posts: 9,283
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Sounds pretty cool that you were able to experience that!
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07/21/11, 04:21 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: W Mo
Posts: 9,276
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It is sad to see the shuttle program end. It is one of America's great achievements, IMHO. We had passes for a launch once when we vacationed in Florida, but it was re-scheduled for after we had to leave. Always will regret that! But at least we toured the space center and saw the shuttle out on the launch pad.
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It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with the simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
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07/21/11, 04:31 PM
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In Remembrance
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 6,844
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When I was at Wright-Patterson AFB a shuttle piggy backing on a 747 landed to refuel. Made several passes over Dayton, OH and the base before landing.
Saddened to see the Air Force Museum at W-P didn't get one of those being retired. If you are ever in the Dayton, OH area, the museum is a must-see place.
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07/21/11, 04:36 PM
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Big Front Porch advocate
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 44,425
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MushCreek
Here on FL's west coast, we can sometimes here the sonic boom of the space shuttle as it breaks the sound barrier on it's way back home. This morning was a doozy! You could see it, way off to the south. What's amazing is that the sonic boom doesn't reach us until about the time it touches down.
Anyone find it ironic that we will now have to hitch a ride to the ISS with Russia?
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I don't know if ironic is the word, but it's as close as I can figure out right now. I think it's a shame we are going to be riding on the Russian rockets, and sending those jobs and technology over there.
Seems all the good jobs and technology are leaving/have left the US.
On a neater note - great that you heard the sonic boom as it went by.
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"Live your life, and forget your age." Norman Vincent Peale
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07/21/11, 06:16 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Indiana, USA
Posts: 12,681
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MushCreek
Anyone find it ironic that we will now have to hitch a ride to the ISS with Russia?
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Not really.
It is the International Space Station, after all, and the Russians rockets have been suppling the space station for some time.
When we built the Empire State Building, there was nothing like it the world and it was a great acheivment, for America. Now days, If a rich oil country, want to build the tallest building in the world, who cares?
America defined what space exploration was all about and we can no longer justify a billion dollars for each shuttle mission.
Glad you got to hear the sonic boom.
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07/21/11, 07:47 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,888
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My friend's Grandfather went up in the shuttle, well, some of him 
Some of his ashes were scattered in space.
ETA Sorry, I was mistaken, his remains did not go up in a shuttle, they were deposited on the moon by Lunar Prospector which went up on a rocket.
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I saw something nasty in the woodshed
Last edited by Tiempo; 07/21/11 at 07:58 PM.
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07/21/11, 10:17 PM
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In Remembrance
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 6,844
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I can't find it, but NASA is suspose to have a site telling you when the Space Station will overfly you. As I recall you punch in your Zip Code and it gives you a schedule. The only time you can see it is just before dawn and just before dark when the sun is still on the SS, but your part of the Earth is dark.
Saw it once when one of the Shuttles was attached. Just by accident I looked up at the right place at the right time. Like a constant light and that thing really moves along.
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07/21/11, 10:42 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: A woods in Wisconsin
Posts: 9,283
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07/22/11, 12:21 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Florida and South Carolina
Posts: 2,167
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Am I the only one that thought the last shuttle crew should have done a smoky burn-out after landing, ala NASCAR?
The irony isn't that it's the ISS, the irony is that we supposedly 'beat' the Russians in the cold war, and now have to rely on them for space travel.
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"What one generation tolerates, the next generation embraces." -John Wesley
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07/22/11, 01:26 PM
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone 9b, Lake Harney, Central FL
Posts: 4,898
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I was proud of our space program....and am naive enough to hope that we may someday again be #1 in space, depending on politics and funds. My DD16 wanted to somemday be part of NASA research and development program.
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07/25/11, 07:53 PM
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In Remembrance
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 6,844
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Using this site you can tell when to look for the ISS for a city near you. Saw it a couple of years ago by accident. Like a bright light moving through the stars and that bogger moves fast.
Only visualible just before dawn and just after dusk.
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/
I wonder what people in a really remote area think it is.
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