Seven 9s and 10s

High-res The Space Shuttle Discovery on its Mobile Launcher Platform slowly moves through the high bay doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building en route to Launch Pad 39A, where Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the STS-82 mission on Feb. 11. A seven-member crew will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 10-day STS-82 mission. Holy cow this is a truly gorgeous photo. Every time I see a new photo of the space shuttle I’m reminded that there was basically no angle from which it wasn’t beautiful.

The Space Shuttle Discovery on its Mobile Launcher Platform slowly moves through the high bay doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building en route to Launch Pad 39A, where Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the STS-82 mission on Feb. 11. A seven-member crew will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 10-day STS-82 mission.

Holy cow this is a truly gorgeous photo. Every time I see a new photo of the space shuttle I’m reminded that there was basically no angle from which it wasn’t beautiful.

(via itsfullofstars)

theatlantic:

In Focus: Decommissioning the Space Shuttles

Starting next month, NASA will begin delivering its four Space Shuttle orbiters to their final destinations. After an extensive decommissioning process, the fleet — which includes three former working spacecraft and one test orbiter — is nearly ready for public display. On April 17, the shuttle Discovery will be attached to a modified 747 Jumbo Jet for transport to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. Endeavour will go to Los Angeles in mid-September, and in early 2013, Atlantis will take its place on permanent display at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Test orbiter Enterprise will fly to New York City next month. Gathered here are images of NASA’s final days spent processing the Space Shuttle fleet.

See more. [Images: NASA]

The images in this set are both beautiful and heartbreaking. It’s difficult to watch such a great chapter of human history coming to a close.

You should definitely click-through to view all of them.

(via itsfullofstars)

High-res inothernews: LOOM WITH A VIEW  This natural color view of Saturn, taken with the red, blue and green spectral filters of the orbiting NASA spacecraft Cassini in May, 2011, shows the rings of Saturn behind Titan, the planet’s largest moon, and Dione.  (Photo via NASA APOD) “People” often complain that NASA hasn’t done anything productive since sending man to the moon. “People” are stupid.

inothernews:

LOOM WITH A VIEW  This natural color view of Saturn, taken with the red, blue and green spectral filters of the orbiting NASA spacecraft Cassini in May, 2011, shows the rings of Saturn behind Titan, the planet’s largest moon, and Dione.  (Photo via NASA APOD)

“People” often complain that NASA hasn’t done anything productive since sending man to the moon. “People” are stupid.

(via itsfullofstars)

High-res What’s something FMGreen hasn’t done yet but wants to? Scott: I want to do recording experiments in a hyperbaric chamber. Just because, if there’s no sound in space, then I imagine a less-dense airspace as being a place where you can play instruments really loud but not stress the microphones out. It’s something that came out of wanting to be the first band to play in space. So you’re waiting for a call from NASA? Steve: Oh, we would go in an instant.

What’s something FMGreen hasn’t done yet but wants to?

Scott: I want to do recording experiments in a hyperbaric chamber. Just because, if there’s no sound in space, then I imagine a less-dense airspace as being a place where you can play instruments really loud but not stress the microphones out. It’s something that came out of wanting to be the first band to play in space.

So you’re waiting for a call from NASA?

Steve: Oh, we would go in an instant.