THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

Billy Mays (the Oxiclean man) found dead at Florida home, June 28, 2009

TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at Florida home
TAMPA, Fla. -- Billy Mays, the burly, bearded television pitchman whose boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean made him a pop-culture icon, has died. He was 50.

Tampa police said Mays' wife found him unresponsive Sunday morning. A fire rescue crew pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m. It was not immediately clear how he died. He said he was hit on the head when an airplane he was on made a rough landing Saturday, and his wife, Deborah Mays, told investigators he didn't feel well before he went to bed about 10 p.m. that night.

There were no signs of a break-in at the home, and investigators do not suspect foul play, said Lt. Brian Dugan of the Tampa Police Department, who wouldn't answer questions about how Mays' body was found because of the ongoing investigation. The coroner's office expects to have an autopsy done by Monday afternoon.
"Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days," Deborah Mays said in a statement Sunday. "Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times."

U.S. Airways confirmed that Mays was among the passengers on a flight that made a rough landing on Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport, leaving debris on the runway after apparently blowing its front tires.

Tampa Bay's Fox television affiliate interviewed Mays afterward.
"All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping," MyFox Tampa Bay quoted him as saying. "It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."

Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said linking Mays' death to the landing would "purely be speculation." She said Mays' family members didn't report any health issues with the pitchman, but said he was due to have hip replacement surgery in the coming weeks.
Laura Brown, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said she did not know if Mays was wearing his seat belt on the flight because the FAA is not investigating his death.

U.S. Airways spokesman Jim Olson said there were no reports of serious injury due to the landing.

"If local authorities have any questions for us about yesterday's flight, we'll cooperate fully with them," he said.

Born William Mays in McKees Rocks, Pa., on July 20, 1958, Mays developed his style demonstrating knives, mops and other "As Seen on TV" gadgets on Atlantic City's boardwalk. For years he worked as a hired gun on the state fair and home show circuits, attracting crowds with his booming voice and genial manner.

AJ Khubani, founder and CEO of "As Seen on TV," said he first met Mays in the early 1990s when Mays was still pitching one of his early products, the Shammy absorbent cloth, at a trade fair. He said he most recently worked with Mays on the reality TV show "Pitchmen" on the Discovery Channel, which follows Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their marketing jobs.

"His innovative role and impact on the growth and wide acceptance of direct response television cannot be overestimated or easily replaced; he was truly one of a kind," Khubani said of Mays in a statement.

After meeting Orange Glo International founder Max Appel at a home show in Pittsburgh in the mid-1990s, Mays was recruited to demonstrate the environmentally friendly line of cleaning products on the St. Petersburg-based Home Shopping Network.

Commercials and informercials followed, anchored by the high-energy Mays showing how it's done while tossing out kitschy phrases like, "Long live your laundry!"

Sarah Ellerstein worked closely with Mays when she was a buyer for the Home Shopping Network in the 1990s and he was pitching Orange Glo products.

"Billy was such a sweet guy, very lovable, very nice, always smiling, just a great, great guy," she said, adding that Mays met his future wife at the network. "Everybody thinks because he's loud and boisterous on the air that that's the way he is, but I always found him to be a quiet, down-to-earth person."

His ubiquitousness and thumbs-up, in-your-face pitches won Mays plenty of fans for his commercials on a wide variety of products. People lined up at his personal appearances for autographed color glossies, and strangers stopped him in airports to chat about the products.

"I enjoy what I do," Mays told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. "I think it shows."

Mays liked to tell the story of giving bottles of OxiClean to the 300 guests at his wedding, and doing his ad spiel ("powered by the air we breathe!") on the dance floor at the reception. Visitors to his house typically got bottles of cleaner and housekeeping tips.
As part of "Pitchmen," Mays and Sullivan showed viewers new gadgets such as the Impact Gel shoe insert; the Tool Band-it, a magnetized armband that holds tools; and the Soft Buns portable seat cushion.
"One of the things that we hope to do with 'Pitchmen' is to give people an appreciation of what we do," Mays told The Tampa Tribune in an April interview. "I don't take on a product unless I believe in it. I use everything that I sell."

His former wife, Dolores "Dee Dee" Mays, of McKees Rocks, Pa., recalled that the first product he sold was the Wash-matik, a device for pumping water from a bucket to wash cars.

"I knew him since he was 15, and I always knew he had it in him," she said of Mays' success. "He'll live on forever because he always had the biggest heart in the world. He loved his friends and family and would do anything for them. He was a generous soul and a great father."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBIT_BILLY_MAYS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

The Launching of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-O, June 27, 2009

At 6:51 PM today, June 27, 2009, Nasa launched the New Satellite GOES-O today after a scrub yesterday and a slight delay today due to the weather. It finally cleared up enought to go for launch. Read below about the newest technology for this new weather satellite. Pretty impressive.
Artist's concept of GOES-O in orbit











GOES Mission Overview
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-O represents a continuation of the newest generation of environmental satellites built by Boeing for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the technical guidance and project management of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. GOES satellites provide the familiar weather pictures seen on United States television newscasts every day. The GOES imaging and sounding instruments (built by ITT) feature flexible scans for small-scale area viewing in regions of the visible and infrared spectrum allowing meteorologists to improve short-term forecasts. GOES provides nearly continuous imaging and sounding, which allow forecasters to better measure changes in atmospheric temperature and moisture distributions and hence increase the accuracy of their forecasts. GOES environmental information is used for a host of applications, including weather monitoring and prediction models, ocean temperatures and moisture locations, climate studies, cryosphere (ice, snow, glaciers) detection and extent, land temperatures and crop conditions, and hazards detection. The GOES-O&P Imagers have improved resolution in the 13 micrometer channel from 8 km to 4 km. The finer spatial resolution allows an improved cloud-top product, height of atmospheric motion vectors and volcanic ash detection. GOES-O continues the improved image navigation and registration, additional power and fuel lifetime capability, space weather, solar x-ray imaging, search and rescue, and communication services as provided on GOES-13.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:01:05 PM EDT
At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the countdown clock is holding at the T-5 minute mark.Although no technical issues are being reported, weather has gone "red" through the beginning of the launch window as reported by NASA's Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo. The storms are skirting the southern-most portion of the 10-mile limit but are expected to clear out within the GOES-O launch window in time for liftoff.Launch time has been reset to 6:36 p.m. EDT to wait for the storm to move out of the area. Tonight's launch window extends to 7:14 p.m.




















Spacecraft: GOES-O
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta IV
Launch Location: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Pad: Launch Complex 37
Launch Date: June 27
Launch Window: 6:14 p.m. - 7:14 p.m. EDT

Countdown Hold at T-5 Minutes


Today's GOES-O launch window opens at 6:14 p.m. and extends one hour, to 7:14 p.m. EDT. Forecasters are calling for a 30 percent chance of favorable weather at time of liftoff.

Mission Overview
GOES-O is the latest weather satellite developed by NASA to aid the nation's meteorologists and climate scientists. The acronym stands for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. The spacecraft in the series provide the familiar weather pictures seen on United States television newscasts every day. The satellites are equipped with a formidable array of sensors and instruments.

GOES provides nearly continuous imaging and sounding, which allows forecasters to better measure changes in atmospheric temperature and moisture distributions, hence increasing the accuracy of their forecasts. GOES environmental information is used for a host of applications, including weather monitoring and prediction models.

Although no technical issues are being reported, weather has gone "red" through the beginning of the launch window as reported by NASA's Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo. The storms are skirting the southern-most portion of the 10-mile limit but are expected to clear out within the GOES-O launch window in time for liftoff.

Launch time has been reset to 6:51 p.m. EDT to wait for the storm to move out of the area.


Tonight's launch window extends to 7:14 p.m.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:01:05 GMT
No technical issues are being reported at this time.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:45:54 GMT
The countdown is proceeding smoothly toward today's launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV carrying the GOES-O spacecraft.

Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo and his team are watching gathering storms to the west of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Although no technical issues are being reported, weather remains a concern for tonight's liftoff.

Launch remains on schedule for 6:14 p.m. EDT -- the beginning of the one-hour launch window.

NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy is supporting the launch in an advisory role.

After launch, and once Boeing and NASA have completed an on-orbit checkout of the spacecraft to ensure it is operational, GOES-O will be turned over to NOAA.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:05:18 GMT
The launch window opens at 6:14 p.m. and extends to 7:14 p.m. EDT.

Forecasters are looking at a 70 percent chance that weather will violate launch constraints for today's lift off, similar to Friday's weather. If that happens the next launch attempt will be scheduled for Monday.

Live coverage is broadcast on NASA TV.

Go to www.nasa.gov/ntv or follow along with NASA's Launch Blog coming to you directly from Kennedy Space Center.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:17:57 GMT

There's a 30% chance of good weather for the 6:14 p.m. - 7:14 p.m. EDT launch window. There are no engineering issues being worked that would prevent liftoff.
If the launch is postponed again, the current plan is to skip tomorrow's opportunity and try Monday at 6:15 p.m.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:15:02 GMT
Forecasters are calling for a 40 percent chance of favorable weather on launch day. Tomorrow's launch window opens at 6:14 p.m. and extends to 7:14 p.m. EDT.
Live launch coverage will begin at 4:30 p.m. on NASA TV, and NASA's Launch Blog will provide the GOES-O launch countdown milestones.

Countdown Hold at T-5 Minutes
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:01:05 PM EDT

At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the countdown clock is holding at the T-5 minute mark.

Although no technical issues are being reported, weather has gone "red" through the beginning of the launch window as reported by NASA's Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo. The storms are skirting the southern-most portion of the 10-mile limit but are expected to clear out within the GOES-O launch window in time for liftoff.

Launch time has been reset to 6:24 p.m. EDT to wait for the storm to move out of the area. Tonight's launch window extends to 7:14 p.m.

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:38:38 GMT
The Delta IV medium-plus on the pad today will call on one RS-68 engine and two GEM-60 solid-fueled boosters. The boosters are 60 inches in diameter and burn a graphite-epoxy fuel and oxidizer mixture.

The boosters will fire for a minute and 34 seconds before falling away. The first-stage engine will continue to burn until the four-minute, 26-second mark. Then it, too, will drop back to Earth. The Delta IV second stage will ignite soon after to continue pushing the GOES-O satellite higher and faster. Like the RS-68, the second stage burns a combination of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for power.

Launch Blog Ends with GOES-O on its Way
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:37:15 PM EDT

The GOES-O spacecraft is on its way to a point 22,300 miles above Earth following a flawless liftoff and flight into space despite a postponement to let a storm pass by the launch area. Although the NASA Launch Blog is ending, you can continue to follow the status of the GOES-O spacecraft on the NASA Website. Thanks for joining us!

GOES-O's First Task: Orbital Spare
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:30:51 PM EDT

Once it reaches its regular orbit and passes testing, the GOES-O satellite will not be put into immediate use.

The spacecraft will go into storage mode until it is needed. It is built with enough propellant to spend at least two years in storage up in space, then operate for eight years. The GOES-N satellite launched in 2006 is still in storage mode. Both satellites can be called on once in space in case one of the other operational satellites stops working. The GOES-N is expected to move into service at the end of this year.

So, why launch today? Well, it’s simply cheaper to put a satellite into orbit and not use it then it is to keep it inside a pristine storage area on Earth.

Second Stage Cutoff 2
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:18:18 PM EDT

The second stage has turned itself off on schedule. The GOES-O satellite remains bolted to the stage, also as planned. The spacecraft and its second stage will coast for another three hours and 43 minutes before its last ignition to put the GOES-O into its proper transfer orbit.

Second Stage Ignition
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:14:44 PM EDT

The second stage has re-ignited as scheduled. The burn will last about four minutes.

Second Stage Shutdown 1
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:03:44 PM EDT

The second stage has shut off its engine as planned. It will restart in 11 minutes for a burn lasting about four minutes. The engine firings are highly choreographed events designed to progressively increase the GOES-O altitude.

Second Stage Propelling GOES-O
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:00:24 PM EDT

The second stage of the Delta IV will burn for another three minutes before its first shut down. It will be restarted twice in steps to move the GOES-O spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit almost 19,000 miles from the planet at its height, but only 3,500 miles high at its low point. The GOES-O will use its own engine to progressively raise its orbit until it is a circle 22,300 miles above Earth. At that height, the satellite’s speed will match the Earth’s own rotation and the satellite will appear to hover over the same place on Earth.

Payload Fairing Separates
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:57:05 PM EDT

The payload fairing, or nose cone, protecting the GOES-O satellite has split in two and fallen away from the rocket on schedule.

Staging
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:55:50 PM EDT

The RS-68 engine on the first stage has done its job and the first stage is falling away as the second stage takes over to propel the GOES-O satellite into orbit.

Booster Sep
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:53:21 PM EDT

The two solid-fueled boosters have burned out and separated from the Delta IV. All systems working as planned.

Mach 1
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:52:25 PM EDT

The Delta IV has roared through the sound barrier and is picking up speed.

Liftoff!
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:51:11 PM EDT

The Delta IV and its GOES-O satellite payload are lifting off the launch pad and into space! The umbilical arms are moving away from the rocket as it climbs.

T-30 seconds
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:50:47 PM EDT

All conditions are go for launch.

Busy Minutes
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:48:35 PM EDT

As the last moments of the countdown tick away, the Delta IV rocket and GOES-O spacecraft begin to move to internal power and the controls become progressively more automated. T-2 minutes, 30 seconds.

Countdown Resumes at T-5 minutes
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:46:11 PM EDT

The final phase of the countdown is under way. Liftoff remains on schedule to 6:51 p.m.

Readiness Polls Under Way
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:43:07 PM EDT

The launch team reports the Delta IV, the GOES-O spacecraft and the weather are "go" for launch at 6:51 p.m.

Weather Clears, Readiness Polls Begin
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:40:49 PM EDT

Weather conditions are now "go" for launch this evening. The storm that forecasters have been watching has moved farther than 10 miles away from the launch pad. Launch time is 6:51 p.m.

Weather Expected to Clear
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:32:40 PM EDT

Forecasters expect storm-associated conditions to pass by 6:45 p.m. The team needs six minutes to pick up the countdown and then go through the final steps until launch. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:51 p.m.

New Launch Time - 6:51 p.m.
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:04:51 PM EDT

The Delta IV is now scheduled to launch at 6:24 p.m., 10 minutes into the hour-long window available today. Weather concerns forced the change.

Launch Time Reset - 6:36 p.m.
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:20:19 PM EDT

The launch team is rescheduling the launch of the Delta IV for 6:36 p.m. to give more time for the weather to clear. That time can also be moved anytime until 7:14 p.m.

GOES-O’s Tools
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:13:37 PM EDT

To survey the weather and conditions on Earth, GOES-O will employ a suite of cutting-edge instruments. It will take some of the most precise readings in the GOES family by using an imaging radiometer. A sounder is expected to give researchers vast amounts of data about temperatures on the ground and at many levels in the air. The satellite also is equipped with an X-ray telescope to look at the sun and pick up any disturbances that could play a role in Earth’s weather.

Launch is set today for 6:51 p.m., while concerns remain for weather conditions.
Weather Expected to Clear
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:32:40 PM EDT

Forecasters expect storm-associated conditions to pass by 6:45 p.m. The team needs six minutes to pick up the countdown and then go through the final steps until launch. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:51 p.m.

New Launch Time - 6:51 p.m.
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:27:18 PM EDT

The launch team has moved the launch time back to 6:51 p.m. to give unacceptable conditions longer to pass.

Launch Time Reset - 6:36 p.m.
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:20:19 PM EDT

The launch team is rescheduling the launch of the Delta IV for 6:36 p.m. to give more time for the weather to clear. That time can also be moved anytime until 7:14 p.m.

GOES-O’s Tools
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:13:37 PM EDT

To survey the weather and conditions on Earth, GOES-O will employ a suite of cutting-edge instruments. It will take some of the most precise readings in the GOES family by using an imaging radiometer. A sounder is expected to give researchers vast amounts of data about temperatures on the ground and at many levels in the air. The satellite also is equipped with an X-ray telescope to look at the sun and pick up any disturbances that could play a role in Earth’s weather.

Launch is set today for 6:24 p.m., while concerns remain for weather conditions

New Launch Time - 6:24 p.m.
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:04:51 PM EDT

The Delta IV is now scheduled to launch at 6:24 p.m., 10 minutes into the hour-long window available today. Weather concerns forced the change.

Weather Conditions "No-Go"
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:59:18 PM EDT

The weather now violates the acceptable limits, so a launch would not be allowed right now. The red condition was expected and forecasters also think the storm will move quickly out of the way and allow a launch today. The current hold in the countdown can be extended to give the weather more time to clear. The launch team has until 7:14 p.m. to begin the mission.

Countdown Enters Built-in Hold
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:54:09 PM EDT

Clocks have paused as planned at T-5 minutes in the last planned hold of the countdown. Launch remains on schedule for 6:14 p.m. and weather remains the sole concern.

Weather Update
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:38:38 PM EDT

A storm cell that blossomed southwest of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is getting careful consideration from meteorologists since they think it might skirt inside the 10-mile limit, which means a launch would not be allowed until the storm left the area. However, Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo said the storm should be out of the way around 6:30 p.m., which is well inside the launch window for the GOES-O.

The Delta IV Powerhouse
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:20:50 PM EDT

The Delta IV’s single engine is an RS-68 that was designed in part based on the successful space shuttle main engines. It is the largest hydrogen-fueled engine in the world and generates 17 million horsepower, equivalent roughly to the thrust of 10 747 airliners at takeoff. The RS-68 uses the same mixture of cryogenic propellants as the three engines on an orbiter. A single engine produces about 650,000 pounds of thrust compared to a single shuttle main engine’s top power of 470,000 pounds.

The Delta IV medium-plus on the pad today will call on one RS-68 engine and two GEM-60 solid-fueled boosters. The boosters are 60 inches in diameter and burn a graphite-epoxy fuel and oxidizer mixture.

The boosters will fire for a minute and 34 seconds before falling away. The first-stage engine will continue to burn until the four-minute, 26-second mark. Then it, too, will drop back to Earth. The Delta IV second stage will ignite soon after to continue pushing the GOES-O satellite higher and faster. Like the RS-68, the second stage burns a combination of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for power.

Engine Steering Tests Under Way
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:16:45 PM EDT

Launch controllers are remotely moving the nozzles on the first and second stages of the Delta IV to make sure they are ready to steer the GOES-O spacecraft into its proper orbit during launch. Everything is working as it should.

Launch Conditions "Go" Now
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:14:10 PM EDT

Weather conditions are acceptable for the launch of the GOES-O spacecraft, although there is still an hour to go before the launch window opens at 6:14 p.m. Forecasters are evaluating a storm to the west near Tampa to determine whether it is likely to threaten today's launch attempt.

Mission: Weather
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:06:32 PM EDT

The GOES-O satellite is destined for an orbital perch 22,300 miles above Earth. From that vantage point, it will keep an unblinking eye on the eastern United States and the Atlantic Ocean. It will survey developing storms and offer weather forecasters the latest data to help them prepare warnings. It also carries instruments to relay distress calls from sailors, pilots and others in need.

Fueling Complete
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:49:05 PM EDT

The two stages of the Delta IV rocket are loaded with cryogenic propellants for flight. The first stage carries 110,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 40,000 gallons of liquid oxygen. To remain as liquids, the propellants are kept supercold: minus 423 degrees for the liquid hydrogen and minus 297 degrees for the liquid oxygen. The engines have complex processes to heat the propellants into gases and mix them together to create the thrust for liftoff and flight. The second stage also uses the same chemicals, but in much smaller quantities. The second stage holds 4,500 gallons of liquid oxygen and 10,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen. The rocket stages can hold more propellants when they are liquid than when they are gases. That means the engines can burn longer. Pumps at the launch complex will slowly replace the amount of propellants that boil away during the countdown.

On Watch for Weather
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:40:23 PM EDT

Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo is again in the spotlight today since it is his job to appraise conditions during the countdown and, if they are not acceptable, to forecast whether they will be at some point during the launch window. He and his team are watching storms to the west of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. They have numerous instruments to help them out, including a lightning early warning system of "field mills." They also have satellite images and radar returns to evaluate before launch. Liftoff remains on schedule for 6:14 p.m.

Good Afternoon from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station!
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:30:24 PM EDT

Thanks for joining NASA's Launch Blog today for the second attempt to launch the GOES-O satellite aboard a Delta IV rocket. Yesterday's try was postponed because of poor weather and today's forecast is pretty much a copy of that. The forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of acceptable conditions. The launch team is moving ahead methodically toward a liftoff at 6:14 p.m. and engineers are not working any technical problems with the rocket or its advanced weather satellite payload. The window extends until 7:14 p.m. today. We're in place at the Mission Director's Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and we'll take you through the final phases of the countdown and share the milestones as they develop.

Blog to Begin at 4:30 p.m. Today
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:59:04 PM EDT

NASA's Launch Blog returns today at 4:30 p.m. for the second attempt to launch the GOES-O weather satellite. The forecast is the same as Friday, with meteorologists calling for a 30 percent chance of acceptable conditions. The window is 6:14 p.m. to 7:14 p.m.

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

Michael Jackson has died~R.I.P Michael~you were loved ! God Bless you !

"THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER IN THE WORLD AND OF ALL TIME...MICHAEL JACKSON HAS DIED."















TMZ was the first to post on its site the following via the DRUDGE REPORT.
Michael Jackson Dies per the Drudge Report that has a link to TMZ

Michael Jackson Dies
Posted Jun 25th 2009 5:20PM by TMZ Staff

We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50.

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.

A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived.

Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive.

We're told one of the staff members at Jackson's home called 911.

La Toya ran in the hospital sobbing after Jackson was pronounced dead.

Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Story developing...
http://www.tmz.com/


Fox News and CNN both are now saying that he died at 3:15 PM at the hospital. It was reported confirmed by the ASSOCIATED PRESS.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6579622.ece

Love him or dislike him...He was one of the Worlds BEST ENTERTAINERS "EVER".
Thriller was my favorite and most memorable videos and song.
I loved it an still do.

R.I.P. dear Michael...You will never be forgotton and you will be missed greatly. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ALWAYS.
GOD has a new Angel in heaven now. May your entertainment to all of Gods Angels be as great as ever.

GOD BLESS YOU MICHAEL
For your enjoyment, the original Thriller Video that was presented on MTV in 1983.

FARRAH FAWCETT PASSES AWAY, JUNE 25TH, 2009

R.I.P. Farrah ! You will always be remember as a Brave and Beautiful women who never gave up the fight. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, NOW AND ALWAYS.











Farrah Fawcett Dies at 62, Succumbs to Cancer
Ryan O'Neal: 'After a Brave Battle with Cancer, Our Beloved Farrah Has Passed Away'

Farrah Fawcett, the 1970s "It Girl" who was known for her cascading golden hair and bombshell body, died in a Santa Monica hospital today, ABC News has learned. She was 62-years-old.

"After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," Fawcett's longtime romantic partner Ryan O'Neal said in a statement released by Fawcett's publicist, Paul Bloch. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."

Fawcett became a symbol of the will to survive through her years-long battle with cancer, which was chronicled in the recent TV documentary "Farrah's Story." Her death comes on the heels of O'Neal's declaration that she agreed to marry him.

"I've asked her to marry me, again, and she's agreed," O'Neal, 68, told Barbara Walters who sat down with O'Neal and others close to Fawcett in the final days of the actress' life.

Fawcett and O'Neal began dating in 1980 and lived together with son Redmond. The two never officially tied the knot, but not for O'Neal's lack of trying.

"I used to ask her to marry me all the time," he said. "But ... it just got to be a joke, you know. We just joked about it."

Now, Fawcett leaves behind O'Neal, their 24-year-old son and her father, James. She was previously married to Lee Majors, star of "The Six Million Dollar Man," from 1973 to 1982.

Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006. Although doctors declared her free of cancer in February 2007, a few months later they learned that the cancer had returned.

Fawcett's alternative approach to her cancer treatment was surrounded by much controversy. After her initial diagnosis, Fawcett received traditional treatments in California.

According to People.com, Fawcett was "disheartened" by both the reoccurrence of the cancer and the treatment she was receiving in the United States, so she traveled to Germany's University Clinic in Frankfurt in search of an alternative course of treatment.

Some reports have said that she received experimental stem cell treatment while in Germany. But Craig Nevius, who helped produce "Farrah's Story," told ABCNews.com that while details of the stem cell treatment have been widely reported, it has never been confirmed by the actress or sources close to her.

Last year, an employee at the UCLA Medical Center was disciplined for accessing Fawcett's medical records, a few weeks after the hospital announced that several employees had been fired for snooping in Britney Spears' records.

Fawcett's attorney told The Associated Press that an employee at the hospital reviewed the actress' medical records without authorization and then details about her treatment appeared in the tabloid the National Enquirer.

Though Fawcett returned home earlier this year, taking a break from long hospital stays, according to People magazine, the actress returned to the hospital for at least two weeks prior to her death.

Farrah Fawcett's Life in the Limelight
Fawcett first stepped into the spotlight playing Jill Munroe in the TV series "Charlie's Angels" in the 1970s. The series became a smash hit and Fawcett quickly became an iconic pin-up model for millions of men. She pioneered a feathered hairstyle dubbed the "Farrah Do" or "Farrah Hair" that remained in vogue throughout the decade.

She later went on to earn one of three career Emmy Award nominations for her role as a battered wife in the acclaimed television movie "The Burning Bed."

Fawcett stirred controversy when she posed nude in the December 1995 issue of Playboy, but buzz about the actress baring all only served to make the magazine fly off newsstands -- the issue was Playboy's most successful of the 1990s, with over 4 million copies sold worldwide.

Defying naysayers, in 1997, at age 50, Fawcett posed again for the July issue of Playboy, which also sold well.

Fawcett's last project was closely tied to her illness. "Farrah's Story," the 90-minute documentary chronicling her battle with cancer, featured footage shot by Fawcett and her friends on a home video camera. It aired on NBC in May, attracting 8.9 million viewers.

The film showed both the ugly and uplifting sides of her struggle, juxtaposing video of Fawcett vomiting and shaving her head with scenes of her dancing with friends during times when her health was up. "Farrah's Story" also featured moving footage of her lying on a hospital bed with O'Neal, and his solemn vow, spoken to the camera: "I will never love anyone like I love Farrah."

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

NASA Lunar Mission Successfully Enters Moon Orbit JUNE 23rd, 2009

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter








This artist's concept shows LRO in orbit of the moon. Credit: NASA

June 23rd, 2009
NASA Lunar Mission Successfully Enters Moon Orbit GREENBELT, Md. -- After a four and a half day journey from the Earth, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully entered orbit around the moon. Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., confirmed the spacecraft's lunar orbit insertion at 6:27 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

During transit to the moon, engineers performed a mid-course correction to get the spacecraft in the proper position to reach its lunar destination. Since the moon is always moving, the spacecraft shot for a target point ahead of the moon. When close to the moon, LRO used its rocket motor to slow down until the gravity of the moon caught the spacecraft in lunar orbit.

"Lunar orbit insertion is a crucial milestone for the mission," said Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at Goddard. "The LRO mission cannot begin until the moon captures us. Once we enter the moon's orbit, we can begin to buildup the dataset needed to understand in greater detail the lunar topography, features and resources. We are so proud to be a part of this exciting mission and NASA's planned return to the moon."

A series of four engine burns over the next four days will put the satellite into its commissioning phase orbit. During the commissioning phase each of its seven instruments is checked out and brought online. The commissioning phase will end approximately 60 days after launch, when LRO will use its engines to transition to its primary mission orbit.

For its primary mission, LRO will orbit above the moon at about 31 miles, or 50 kilometers, for one year. The spacecraft's instruments will help scientists compile high resolution, three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths.

The satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, examining permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans. LRO will return more data about the moon than any previous mission.

For more information about the LRO mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro

LRO Enters Orbit Around the Moon

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has successfully entered orbit around the moon following a nearly five-day journey. Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., confirmed the spacecraft's lunar orbit insertion at 6:27 a.m. EDT on June 23.

A series of four engine burns through June 27 will finalize LRO's initial orbit. During this phase, each of its seven instruments is checked out and brought online. LRO Project Manager Craig Tooley reports that LEND and CRaTER are already online and working well.

The LRO satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, examining permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans. LRO will return more data about the moon than any previous mission. The spacecraft's instruments will help scientists compile high resolution, three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths.

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

Ed McMahon Dead at 86, June 23, 2009, Heeeeeeres's Johnny !

Ed, you will always be remembered and missed greatly. Your memory will live on. R.I.P.

Legendary Television Host and Comedian Ed McMahon Dead at 86












Ed McMahon, the loyal "Tonight Show" sidekick who bolstered boss Johnny Carson with guffaws and later carved out his own niche as the host of "Star Search," has died at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 86.

According to his publicist Howard Bragman, the former "Tonight Show" announcer passed away at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California this morning.

Earlier this year, McMahon was in and out of the hospital for pneumonia and other medical issues, according to sources close to him.

While Bragman did not give a cause of death, he said McMahon had "a multitude of health problems the last few months."

McMahon had bone cancer, among other illnesses, according to a person close to the entertainer. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

FAST FACTS: Ed McMahon's Life and Career

Best known for his famous catchphrase "Heeeeeere's Johnny," said every night when Johnny Carson took the stage, McMahon spent three decades as the legendary comedian's sidekick.

McMahon and Carson had worked together for nearly five years on the game show "Who Do You Trust?" when Carson took over NBC's late-night show from Jack Paar in October 1962. McMahon played second banana on "Tonight" until Carson retired in 1992.

"You can't imagine hooking up with a guy like Carson," McMahon said an interview with The Associated Press in 1993. "There's the old phrase, hook your wagon to a star. I hitched my wagon to a great star."

McMahon, who never failed to laugh at his Carson's quips, kept his supporting role in perspective.

"It's like a pitcher who has a favorite catcher," he said. "The pitcher gets a little help from the catcher, but the pitcher's got to throw the ball. Well, Johnny Carson had to throw the ball, but I could give him a little help."

The highlight for McMahon came just after the monologue, when he and Carson would chat before the guests took the stage.

"We would just have a free-for-all," he told the AP. "Now to sit there, with one of the brightest, most well-read men I've ever met, the funniest, and just to hold your own in that conversation. ... I loved that."

When Carson died in 2005, McMahon said he was "like a brother to me" and recalled bantering with him on the phone a few months earlier.

"We could have gone on (television) that night and done a 'Carnac' skit. We were that crisp and hot."

His medical and financial problems kept him in the headlines in his last years. It was reported in June 2008 that he was facing possible foreclosure on his Beverly Hills home.

By year's end, a deal was worked out allowing him to stay in his home, but legal action involving other alleged debts continued.

Among those who had stepped up with offers of help was Donald Trump.

"When I was at the Wharton School of Business I'd watch him every night," Trump told the Los Angeles Times in August. "How could this happen?"

McMahon even spoofed his own problems with a spot that aired during the 2009 Super Bowl promoting a cash-for-gold business. Pairing up with rap artist MC Hammer, he explained how easy it is to turn gold items into cash, jokingly saying "Goodbye, old friend" to a gold toilet and rolling out a convincing "H-e-e-e-e-e-ere's money!"

Born Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. on March 6, 1923, in Detroit, McMahon grew up in Lowell, Mass. He got his start on television playing a circus clown on the 1950-51 variety series "Big Top." But the World War II Marine veteran interrupted his career to serve as a fighter pilot in Korea.

He joined "Who Do You Trust? in 1958, its second year, the start of his long association with Carson. It was a partnership that outlasted their multiple marriages, which provided regular on-air fodder for jokes.

While Carson built his career around "Tonight" and withdrew from the limelight after his retirement, McMahon took a different path. He was host of several shows over the years, including "The Kraft Music Hall" (1968) and the amateur talent contest "Star Search."

He was a longtime co-host of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, a Labor Day weekend institution, and was co-host with Dick Clark of "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes."

McMahon and Clark also teamed up as pitchmen for American Family Publishers' sweepstakes, with their faces a familiar sight on contest entry forms and in TV commercials. McMahon was known for his ongoing commercials for Budweiser as well.

He had supporting roles in several movies, including "Fun with Dick and Jane" (1977) and "Just Write" (1997). He took on his first regular TV series job in the 1997 WB sitcom "The Tom Show" with Tom Arnold.

McMahon married his third wife, advertising executive Pam Hurn in 1992, and adopted her son. McMahon and his second wife, Victoria Valentine, had an adopted daughter, and McMahon and first wife Alyce Ferrill had four children.

One son, Michael Edward McMahon, who worked as a counselor for abused children, died of cancer in 1995 at 44.

Ed McMahon released his autobiography, "For Laughing Out Loud: My Life and Good Times," in 1998. In it, he recounts the birth of "Tonight."

"Let's just go down there and entertain the hell out of them," Carson told him before the first show. Wrote McMahon: "That was the only advice I ever got from him."

In 1993, he recalled his first meeting with Carson after they left "Tonight."

"The first thing he said was, 'I really miss you. You know, it was fun, wasn't it?"' McMahon recalled. "I said, 'It was great.' And it was. It was just great."

Besides his wife, McMahon is survived by children Claudia, Katherine, Linda, Jeffrey and Lex.

Bragman said no funeral arrangements have been made.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,528407,00.html

UPDATE:
The basic funeral arrangements for Ed McMahon have been made. The Johnny Carson side kick will have a “celebration of life“. This funeral will not be televised. It will be private. Note: A Celebration of Life is a Funeral Service, specifically a memorial service.

Time:5:30 PM Pacific Standard Time

Date: July 1,2009

Place: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, North Hollywood, California.

Host: NBC

From theolympian.com

“Ed McMahon’s publicist says a celebration of the late “Tonight” show sidekick, who died Monday, is set for July 1.

McMahon’s publicist, Howard Bragman, tells The Associated Press Friday that NBC will host the untelevised event, scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. PST at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood.

Bragman says details are still being finalized, including the guest list”

Funeral Arrangements incomplete but made.

Space Shuttle Endeavor repair continues set the launch July 11, 2009, or July 14, 2009

Work Continues on ET

The afternoon sun casts shadows on space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank as workers remove the seal from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, on the tank.
June 24, 2009













GUPC Seal Removed
A worker has removed the seal from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate on space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank.

A hydrogen leak at the location during tanking for the STS-127 mission caused the launch attempts to be scrubbed on June 13 and June 17. Picture. June 24, 2009


GUCP Removed
A worker has removed the 7-inch quick disconnect from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, on space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank.

The GUCP will be examined to determine the cause of the hydrogen leak and repaired. The GUCP is the overboard vent to the pad and the flame stack where the vented hydrogen is burned off.













Latest Space Shuttle News
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle en-us

The Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate platform was partially extended Monday to allow technicians to continue their ongoing engineering analysis and to verify exact measurements of the position of the plate. The explosive bolts that connect the vent line to the external tank were safely disconnected, and GUCP leak checks were performed at ambient temperatures using helium gas. No leaks were detected. Previously, the only time leaks were seen were during launch attempts when super cold hydrogen gas was being passed through the vent line.

The repairs will be confirmed by a "tanking test" within the next week, in which Endeavour's external tank will be filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, just as it is before launch. If the repairs are successful, Endeavour's next launch attempt will be targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

Today, Endeavour's astronauts will catch up on administrative work and take T-38 training jet flights from their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to El Paso and back

Teams at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A will begin disconnecting the vent line from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate. Today, crews re-verified the exact measurements of the plate's attachment to the external fuel tank and performed a leak check at ambient temperatures.

Technicians are preparing to test the repair plan by filling Endeavour's external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the next week and a half, just as they would for a launch. This "tanking test" will confirm whether the repairs will work before another launch attempt is made. Hydrogen leaks in the vent line postponed Endeavour's launch attempts June 13 and 17, delaying its 16-day flight to the International Space Station. If the repairs are successful, Endeavour's next launch attempt is targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

Tomorrow at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-127 crew will review details about the Japanese lab’s robotic arm and do additional training in the NASA T-38 training aircraft

Teams at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A are taking precise measurements of the attaching plate during the weekend before crews disassemble it, realign the plate and install a new set of seals to fix the leak. Shannon also says technicians are preparing to test the repair plan by filling Endeavour's external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the next week and a half, just as they would for a launch. This "tanking test" will confirm whether the repairs will work before another launch attempt is made. Hydrogen leaks in the vent line postponed Endeavour's launch attempts June 13 and 17, delaying its 16-day flight to the International Space Station. If the repairs are successful, Endeavour's next launch attempt is targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, STS-127’s seven astronauts are taking the weekend off before resuming their mission training.

Located in the hydrogen venting system outside Endeavour's external fuel tank, the leak postponed launch attempts June 13 and 17, delaying the 16-day flight to the International Space Station.

Launch teams at Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A will take the weekend off and resume work Monday.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, STS-127’s seven astronauts also will resume their mission training Monday.

Endeavour's next launch attempt is targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT

A leak in the hydrogen venting system outside Endeavour's external fuel tank postponed Endeavour's launches Saturday and Wednesday. The leak occurred in the attaching point to the external tank and the vent line at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP.

Endeavour's seven astronauts are spending the rest of the week with family and friends. They returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston yesterday morning and will resume their mission training next week.

At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, technicians moved the rotating service structure back around Endeavour this morning. The structure provides access to the shuttle and protection from the weather.

Endeavour's next launch attempt is targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT

"We're going to step back and figure out what the problem is and go fix it," said Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager LeRoy Cain during a briefing afterward. "Once we get it fixed and we're confident that we have a solution that's going to work and allow us to go fly safely, then we'll proceed forward."

Teams followed the same repair method as they did for the GUCP leak encountered during the STS-119 countdown. The STS-119 and STS-127 leaks will both be evaluated in order to determine the cause. Data collected during fueling is expected to help the troubleshooting effort.

Endeavour's next launch attempt for its STS-127 mission is targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:03:28 GMT
Endeavour's next launch attempt for its STS-127 mission is targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

There will be a briefing on NASA TV no earlier than 3:30 a.m. EDT. Watch it live at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

There will be a news briefing on NASA TV later this morning

The three-hour fueling operation began at 11:04 p.m. EDT after a weather delay. The launch countdown resumed at T-3 hours and countding at 1:45 a.m. EDT. Launch still is scheduled for 5:40 a.m.EST.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:50:03 GMT The three-hour fueling operation began at 11:04 p.m. EDT after a weather delay. The launch countdown currently is holding at T-3 hours, which will last until 1:45 a.m. EDT. Launch still is scheduled for 5:40 a.m. EDT.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:32:23 GMT
Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate Repairs Continue
Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:14:32 AM EDT


At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, teams are working to evaluate and repair a plate that attaches a gaseous hydrogen vent line to space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank. Hydrogen leaks in the area of the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, postponed Endeavour's launch attempts June 13 and 17, delaying its 16-day flight to the International Space Station.

The Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate platform was partially extended Monday to allow technicians to continue their ongoing engineering analysis and to verify exact measurements of the position of the plate. The explosive bolts that connect the vent line to the external tank were safely disconnected, and GUCP leak checks were performed at ambient temperatures using helium gas. No leaks were detected. Previously, the only time leaks were seen were during launch attempts when super cold hydrogen gas was being passed through the vent line.

The repairs will be confirmed by a "tanking test" within the next week, in which Endeavour's external tank will be filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, just as it is before launch. If the repairs are successful, Endeavour's next launch attempt will be targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

Today, Endeavour's astronauts will catch up on administrative work and take T-38 training jet flights from their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to El Paso and back.

The Space shuttle program draws to a close, ONLY 8 LEFT TO LAUNCH

A Countdown of Countdowns: The Space Shuttle’s Finale

For 50 years, NASA’s been famous for counting backward from 10 to zero. But a final countdown is now under way that will stand out among them all.

After 126 space shuttle missions, only eight remain before the fleet is scheduled to retire. That’s eight flights remaining to use the unique capabilities of the shuttle to finish construction on the International Space Station and prepare it for life after shuttle. Each flight is unique and extremely complicated. Attention to detail and planning will be needed to be successful. There are no easy flights remaining and there may be pauses in this countdown that will ensure the highest chance of mission success. The shuttle will fly each flight when it’s ready.

Take the time to look and really study the remaining shuttle flights. Here’s a close up look at the countdown of flights.

8: STS-127—A Mission for all Nations

The International Space Station has been growing steadily over the past few years, but the one thing it still doesn’t have is a porch. STS-127 will take care of that.

Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the external facility for Japan’s Kibo module during that mission, completing the Japanese complex on the space station and providing a science platform outside the station walls.

And if the international flavor of the cargo isn’t enough, it will be the first shuttle mission to visit the station after its expansion to a six-person crew, when the station will have representatives from all five international partners on board.

“It just brings a lot of different nations together,” STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky said. “I look at space and what we’ve done with the International Space Station as a wonderful example of how we can cooperate. We all have a common goal, and we all work together. We all have cultural differences, and somehow we put all that aside and we get the job done.”

The installation of the new external facility will be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate all that.

“You’ll have this truly integrated operation, where you’ve got the Canadian robotic arm holding the new big piece of Japanese hardware, brought up by a United States vehicle,” said Holly Ridings, the lead space station flight director for the mission. “If you think about the integration of all those parts and pieces, it’s really amazing how far we’ve come.”

7: STS-128—Stepping Up Station Science

With the increasing size of the space station crew comes an increasing amount of crew time available to be spent on science. STS-128 will bring up new projects for them to spend that time on.

Tucked inside the multi-purpose logistics module to be carried up inside Discovery’s cargo bay will be two new experiment racks – the materials science research rack-1 and the fluids integrated rack. The materials rack will allow the crews of the space station to conduct experiments on such diverse materials as metals, glasses, crystals and ceramics. They’ll be able to study how materials mix and solidify or how crystals grow, outside the confines of the Earth’s gravity.

If it’s not covered by the materials rack, there’s a fair chance that it will be by the fluids rack. Colloids, gels, bubbles, boiling and cooling are just a few of the long list of areas astronauts will study using the fluids rack.

Of course, with all the additional science being done on the station, the crews will need more room in which to store the fruits of their labor. So Discovery will also bring up a second Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS – or MELFI, as it’s known.

And one other way that the STS-128 (and STS-125 and STS-127) mission will further the cause of science is by taking part in crew seat vibration tests that will help engineers on the ground understand how astronauts experience launch. They’ll then use the information to design the crew seats that will be used in future Constellation launches.

6: STS-129—Spares to Space

There will be lots of reasons to miss the space shuttles when they retire, but one of the most practical ones will be the lack of transportation options for large space station equipment.

In addition to all the modules and truss segments that the shuttle has been hauling into space for the past 10 years, there have been occasional ORUs – or orbital replacement units, a fancy word for spare parts – many of which were big. Too big, in fact, to be brought up on any other vehicle that visits the space station or any that’s being planned.

“What you’ve done,” Kirk Shireman, International Space Station program deputy manager, said, “is take away the 18-wheeler and replace it with a bunch of small pickup trucks.”

For STS-129, the 18-wheeler’s cargo hold will be full of spares to keep the station going after the big wheels have stopped rolling. There will be a spare control moment gyroscope, a spare nitrogen tank assembly and a spare ammonia tank assembly. A spare latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm, and a spare trailing umbilical system for the rail car that the arm travels on. A spare antenna and a spare high pressure gas tank.

There will be plenty more spares to come before the last shuttle flight, but STS-129 is definitely a start.

This should last us for some time,” Shireman said.

5: STS-130—A Room with a View

STS-130 will represent a major milestone mission, as it will be bringing up the last major United States addition to the space station. And as usual, last doesn’t equal least.

Not only will space shuttle Endeavour be bringing up the final node – this one named Tranquility – and giving the expanded crew plenty of space to spread out in, but as this node will come attached to the six-windowed cupola, it’s likely to become everyone’s favorite room on the station.

“This flight will, I think, grab the public’s attention,” Shireman said. “It’s just going to be a really, really neat module for those on board. The dream of being able to go out and just have an unencumbered view of space – we’ll have it. You can open up all the windows and look around and really feel like you’re out there.”

The windows aren’t just for fun, however – they’ll be working windows. As more cargo vehicles begin frequenting the space station, the station’s robotic arm is going to be called into action to capture some of them as they approach and guide them into their docking port. A good view of that operation will be a welcomed help to those at the controls of the arm.

4: STS-131 — Experiment Experience

Much of the science done on the International Space Station involves difficult-to-understand concepts with long, hard-to-pronounce names. But the STS-131 mission will prove that’s not always the case. The experiment racks space shuttle Atlantis will deliver to the space station inside its multi-purpose logistics module focus on things regular people here on Earth do every day: exercise and look out the window.
The experiment racks that STS-131 will deliver to the station – the window observational research facility and the muscle atrophy research and exercise system rack – are pretty much exactly what they sound like. The window observational research facility is designed to beef up the work that astronauts are able to do looking out the window of the Destiny laboratory by adding cameras, multispectral and hyperspectral scanners, camcorders and sensors. With those instruments, the crew will be able to study global climates, land and sea formations and crop weather damage like never before.

Meanwhile, the muscle atrophy research and exercise system rack – or MARES – will give the crew members a way to assess the strength of their muscles while in space. The deterioration of muscles not used while astronauts are floating in microgravity has long been a concern for space programs. This rack will mean that the crew members don’t have to wait until they’re back on solid ground to find out how their time in space affected their health. Instead, the MARES will help them exercise seven different human joints, gauge the strength of the muscles around those joints and decide how the countermeasures designed to prevent muscle atrophy are working.

3: STS-132—Finishing Touches

The last International Space Station modules to be delivered by a space shuttle will come up on the STS-132 mission.

The last space station module to be delivered by a shuttle also happens to be the first Russian module delivered to the ISS by a shuttle. It will be filled, for the launch, with pressurized U.S. cargo, installed by a Canadian robotic arm and include a European robotic arm – all of which underscores once more the very international nature of the International Space Station.

2: STS-133—Spares in Space

STS-133 was originally scheduled to be the final shuttle flight of the fleet, and as such, it was packed to the brim with one last load of spares.

There are debris shields for the Zvezda service module, and antennas for the S-Band communication system. There’s a spare ammonia tank assembly, a spare flex hose rotary coupler, several remote power control modules and even a spare arm for the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator.

“It isn’t glamorous, but it’s really important for the space station to execute its mission,” Shireman said.

Besides, even though none of the equipment will actually be installed, it will still take at least three spacewalks to get it all in position to be ready when needed. And this flight (along with the next) will also be used to try out a new relative navigation sensor that could be used on Orion, the next U.S. vehicle that will take astronauts to the International Space Station. So there should still be excitement to spare, as well as equipment.

“There are no boring shuttle flights,” John Shannon, Space Shuttle program manager, said.

1: STS-134—Shuttle Says Goodbye

It’s appropriate that the last flight of the Space Shuttle Program is scheduled to bring up the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Designed to detect cosmic rays, it should continue the tradition of discovery that the space shuttles have fueled for almost three decades. Even so, it’s unlikely that will make it any easier to say goodbye. Shannon said it’s hard to imagine the end of the program at this point, but he expects it to be bittersweet.

“I’m sure it will be emotional,” he said. “But I suspect that it will not be sadness over the passing of that era, but happiness that we were a part of it. The assembly of the space station could not have been done without the space shuttle, and the assembly of the space station is one of the great engineering achievements of mankind.

“So the space shuttle will have done a good job.”

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

THANK YOU PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH !

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR KEEPING US SAFE. You will always be my PRESIDENT. Job well done ! God bless you and your family always

Lunar liftoff sucessful today @ 5:32, JUNE 18, 2009

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite launched at 5:32 p.m. EDT Thursday












NASA launches 1st moon shot in decade, unmanned probes will scout landing spots for astronauts.
5:36 PM EDT, June 18, 2009

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has launched its first moon shot in a decade.

An unmanned rocket blasted off Thursday from Cape Canaveral, carrying a pair of science probes that will scout out potential landing spots for astronauts. It's a first step in NASA's effort to return humans to the moon by 2020.

One probe will orbit the moon and provide a 3-D relief map of the lunar surface. The other satellite will drop its spent upper-stage rocket into a shadowed crater at the moon's south pole. This satellite will measure the matter that's kicked up, send the data to Earth, then also crash into the surface. The goal is to determine if frozen water is present.

The launch occurred one month shy of the 40th anniversary of the first lunar footprints.

NASA TO LAUNCH LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITOR TO MOON TODAY AT 5:32 PM, JUNE 18, 2009

LIFTOFF !!! READ ON BELOW....
LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITOR
NASA'S FIRST STEP BACK TO THE MOON

The weather seems to be a Concern at the moment in the area and Nasa has decided if the launch goes today it will be at the 5:32 slot. To be determined as the storms move through.
















http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/launch/launch_blog.html

LRO/LCROSS Launch Coverage


Even after the tanks are filled, the propellants will continue to be slowly pumped in to replace the propellant that evaporates during the count, a process known as "topping off." Like the space shuttle, the Atlas launch pad is equipped with lines that funnel evaporating propellants away from the rocket until liftoff

The launch team is not working any technical issues now and the weather forecast remains 60 percent favorable for liftoff

The launch team is taking steps to prepare the Centaur liquid oxygen storage tank, Atlas liquid oxygen vault and mobile launcher platform supporting the Atlas for the extremely cold propellants that will begin flowing shortly

Each spacecraft will evaluate the lunar surface in unique ways. The LRO will go into orbit just 31 miles above the lunar surface. Using seven instruments, it will take high-resolution photos of the moon along with detailed readings of temperatures, radiation and other factors NASA needs to know when deciding where to send astronauts on future missions.

The LCROSS mission will search for water by guiding the empty Centaur upper stage into a permanently shadowed crater near the moon's south pole. The LCROSS will fly through the plume so its instruments can analyze the dust and elements before it collides with the moon itself

LRO on its own
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 06:17:13 PM EDT

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has separated from the Centaur upper stage and LCROSS spacecraft.

Centaur Shuts Down
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 06:14:18 PM EDT

The Centaur's single engine has shut off as planned and the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft are coasting toward the moon. The LRO spacecraft will separate in about two minutes and follow its own course that will let it reach the moon in four days. The LCROSS spacecraft will stay connected to the Centaur upper stage and they will go into a long orbit around the moon and Earth that will culminate in their planned collision into the lunar south pole.


Centaur Ignites Engine Second Time
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 06:09:14 PM EDT

The Centaur upper stage lit its engine for a second time to catapult the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft toward the moon. The burn will last five minutes. The rocket is over the Indian Ocean.

Centaur Engine Shuts Down as Planned
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:46:24 PM EDT

The single engine on the Centaur upper stage shut down as planned. It will restart later to put the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft on a trajectory toward the moon. The LRO will separate soon after the end of the second burn since it will follow a different path to the moon than the LCROSS and Centaur will take.

Centaur Firing
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:46:04 PM EDT

The Centaur upper stage is firing to push the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft higher and faster. The rocket is going 12,422 mph and climbing. It is 800 miles away from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

First Stage Booster Separation
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:38:19 PM EDT

The first stage of the Atlas V rocket has burned out and fallen away from the Centaur upper stage and the two moon-bound spacecraft.

Payload Fairing Separates
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:38:07 PM EDT

The payload fairing that protected the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft has fallen away from the rocket as planned.

Even after the tanks are filled, the propellants will continue to be slowly pumped in to replace the propellant that evaporates during the count, a process known as "topping off." Like the space shuttle, the Atlas launch pad is equipped with lines that funnel evaporating propellants away from the rocket until liftoff.

The launch team is not working any technical issues now and the weather forecast remains 60 percent favorable for liftoff.

The launch team is taking steps to prepare the Centaur liquid oxygen storage tank, Atlas liquid oxygen vault and mobile launcher platform supporting the Atlas for the extremely cold propellants that will begin flowing shortly.

Each spacecraft will evaluate the lunar surface in unique ways. The LRO will go into orbit just 31 miles above the lunar surface. Using seven instruments, it will take high-resolution photos of the moon along with detailed readings of temperatures, radiation and other factors NASA needs to know when deciding where to send astronauts on future missions.

The LCROSS mission will search for water by guiding the empty Centaur upper stage into a permanently shadowed crater near the moon's south pole. The LCROSS will fly through the plume so its instruments can analyze the dust and elements before it collides with the moon itself.

Atlas Flies Strong
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:34:17 PM EDT

The Atlas V rocket is gaining speed at altitude onthe strength of its RD-180 engine. It has just crossed the sound barrier and the region of maximum dynamic pressure. All systems working well. 11.3 miles high.

LIFTOFF!
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:32:33 PM EDT

Liftoff of NASA's newest lunar explorers!

Atlas, Centaur on Internal Power
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:30:16 PM EDT

The Atlas V booster and its Centaur upper stage are both operating on internal power. Two minutes to go.

Countdown Resumes
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:28:14 PM EDT

The clock is moving backwards again from the T-4 minute point. Launch time is 5:32 p.m.

Launch Teams "Go" for Liftoff
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:26:31 PM EDT

Working no technical issues and with the weather cleared over the launch site, NASA and United Launch Alliance controllers have declared themselves and the Atlas V rocket ready for liftoff at 5:32 p.m. The two spacecraft aboard, the LRO and LCROSS, are also ready for their missions to the moon.

Launch Polls on Deck
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:18:56 PM EDT

The launch teams are preparing to conduct the final launch polls for a 5:32 p.m. liftoff of the LRO and LCROSS missions on an Atlas V rocket.

Range is "Go"
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:17:43 PM EDT

The weather is cleared and Air Force has declared the Eastern Range is "go" for launch.

Spacecraft are on Internal Power
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:15:30 PM EDT

Both the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft are running on their own power. Once in space, they will use solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity.

Clearing Weather Forecast
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 05:11:43 PM EDT

The weather is now expected to clear in 10 minutes, leaving the Atlas V launch team with good conditions for launch.

Launch Team Draws Up Weather Strategy
Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:08:36 PM EDT

The Launch Services Program and United Launch Alliance teams are considering the best course of action for dealing with weather conditions that currently violate launch rules. The countdown clock could still be restarted from its T-4 minute hold and run down to T-60 seconds even if the weather is "no go." The launch opportunity at 5:32 is instantaneous, so if they can't make that, they will have to reset for tomorrow.

Launch Time Resets for 5:32 p.m.
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 04:59:11 PM EDT

The Atlas V launch team is aiming for the 5:32 p.m. opportunity to give the current weather conditions a chance to move away.

Countdown in Planned Hold
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 04:52:01 PM EDT

The countdown for the launch of an Atlas V rocket with two lunar probes onboard has entered its last planned hold. The clocks have paused at the T-4 minute point and are to restart in 20 minutes. Weather remains the only concern for the launch. Launch time is 5:12p.m. with two more chances at 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m.

Launch Team Considering Options
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 04:41:05 PM EDT

Vernon Thorp with the United Launch Alliance told NASA TV the launch team will decide during the built-in hold in 10 minutes whether to push ahead to the first launch opportunity today or try instead for one of the later chances. The concern is a nearby storm system and the range is currently "no-go" for lightning and anvil clouds.

The Prospect of Lunar Ice
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 04:34:39 PM EDT

One of the reasons the LCROSS mission was selected for this flight was the tantalizing results from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft that was launched in 1998. That satellite found signs of water or hydrogen in the areas near the moon's poles. That was enough to raise curiosity. Both LRO and LCROSS were loaded with instruments that will search for water during their missions. For moon-bound astronauts, the lunar water could be used for fuel and air.

Atlas and Centaur Fueled
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 04:17:55 PM EDT

The fuel and oxygen tanks of the Atlas and its Centaur upper stage are at flight levels now and the launch pad systems are pumping in small amounts of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to replace the amounts that boil off. As for the weather, forecasters continue to track the storm cell near the Atlas launch complex. Launch preparations are continuing toward the first launch opportunity at 5:12 p.m.

Launch Weather Conditions "No-Go" Now
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 04:09:31 PM EDT

With storms over NASA's Kennedy Space Center moving south, the launch weather is "no-go" because of lightning and anvil clouds. The countdown is continuing, however, since the storms may pass before the launch opportunities arrive. The first chance is at 5:12 p.m. Other opportunities are 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m.

Centaur Liquid Hydrogen Tanking Begins
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 04:00:33 PM EDT

Centaur liquid hydrogen chilldown is finished and the propellant is beginning to flow into the rocket's upper stage. By keeping the hydrogen and oxygen in a liquid slush form, engineers can store more of the fuel onboard the rocket than if they kept it as a gas. That means the rocket engines can burn longer.

Weather Concern Continues
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 03:45:13 PM EDT

Meteorologists are studying the approach of a storm system now in the Daytona area in case it gets close enough to Launch Complex 41 to violate launch conditions. Even if it does, today's launch opportunities could give the launch team enough time to send the Atlas V on its way after the storm passes. The launch times for today are 5:12 p.m., 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m. Meanwhile, engineers are getting ready to load liquid hydrogen into the Centaur upper stage. Frost is forming on the outside of the Atlas first stage as the liquid oxygen is pumped inside, giving the copper-colored first stage a white look.

Centaur Oxygen Tank Filled
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 03:39:07 PM EDT

The Centaur's liquid oxygen tank is at flight level. The launch team will start the Centaur liquid hydrogen tanking operations in a few minutes. Since liquid hydrogen also is a cryogenic propellant, those activities start with chilldown of the appropriate transfer lines.

Even after the tanks are filled, the propellants will continue to be slowly pumped in to replace the propellant that evaporates during the count, a process known as "topping off." Like the space shuttle, the Atlas launch pad is equipped with lines that funnel evaporating propellants away from the rocket until liftoff.

Storm Expected in Area
Thu,18 Jun 2009, 03:30:28 PM EDT

Launch weather officers expect a nearby thunderstorm to enter the area around Launch Complex 41 shortly and last about an hour. The poor weather would potentially violate launch conditions. However, the tanking operations continue on schedule right now.

Atlas Liquid Oxygen Tanking Begins
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 03:30:22 PM EDT

Liquid oxygen is flowing into the Atlas V booster. The RP-1 fuel the Atlas V engine burns has already been loaded into the rocket's first stage. The engine mixes the refined kerosene and oxygen to power the rocket with about 860,000 pounds of thrust. The powerful first stage will fire for more than four minutes before it drops away and the Centaur takes over.

LCROSS, Centaur Will Join List of Lunar Impactors
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 03:19:29 PM EDT

Although the LCROSS mission is unusual because it calls for the spacecraft and rocket stage to crash into the surface on purpose, the mission is not the first with that goal. NASA's Ranger 7 spacecraft plunged to the lunar surface in 1964, sending back the first close-up television images of the moon as it closed in. Nor is Centaur the first rocket stage to be used in a scientific impact. Scientists on Earth measured the "moonquakes" that resulted from the impacts of the Saturn V third stages into the moon during the Apollo missions.The Soviet Union also launched missions that impacted the moon. The first was the Luna 2 flight in 1959.

Liquid Oxygen Flowing into Centaur
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 03:12:14 PM EDT

Tanking preparations are complete and the team is monitoring the flow of liquid oxygen into the Centaur upper stage. The oxygen that is not used by the engine during launch will be vented into space before the Centaur collides with the moon. That also goes for the hydrogen fuel the Centaur uses.

The launch team is not working any technical issues now and the weather forecast remains 60 percent favorable for liftoff.

Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 18:59:37 GMT
The launch team is taking steps to prepare the Centaur liquid oxygen storage tank, Atlas liquid oxygen vault and mobile launcher platform supporting the Atlas for the extremely cold propellants that will begin flowing shortly
Each spacecraft will evaluate the lunar surface in unique ways. The LRO will go into orbit just 31 miles above the lunar surface. Using seven instruments, it will take high-resolution photos of the moon along with detailed readings of temperatures, radiation and other factors NASA needs to know when deciding where to send astronauts on future missions.

The LCROSS mission will search for water by guiding the empty Centaur upper stage into a permanently shadowed crater near the moon's south pole. The LCROSS will fly through the plume so its instruments can analyze the dust and elements before it collides with the moon itself.

Centaur Transfer Line Chilldown Under Way
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 02:59:37 PM EDT

The transfer lines that deliver liquid oxygen to the 41.5-foot-long Centaur upper stage are being chilled in advance of tanking. This thermal conditioning is called "chilldown" and aims to reduce stress on the hardware due to an extreme change in temperature. Liquid oxygen is -297 degrees. The liquid hydrogen that will fuel the Centaur is even colder: -423 degrees.

Countdown Resumes
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 02:52:08 PM EDT

The countdown has resumed and clocks are ticking back from the T-120 minute mark. There's only one more scheduled hold in today's countdown, and that one comes much closer to launch time, at T-4 minutes.

The launch team is taking steps to prepare the Centaur liquid oxygen storage tank, Atlas liquid oxygen vault and mobile launcher platform supporting the Atlas for the extremely cold propellants that will begin flowing shortly.

Launch Officials Give "Go" for Cryogenic Tanking
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 02:49:08 PM EDT

Launch Conductor Ed Christiansen, NASA Launch Manager Chuck Dovale and NASA Advisory Manager Joe Lackovich just polled their respective teams and gave the go-ahead to begin loading super-cold, or "cryogenic," liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the vehicle.







From the Mission Director's Center
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 02:39:57 PM EDT

Today's edition of the NASA Launch Blog is originating from the Mission Director's Center inside Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. We are a couple miles from Launch Complex 41 where the Atlas V stands ready to send the LRO and LCROSS spacecraft to the moon. The Air Force station is adjacent to NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Florida's Atlantic coast. NASA's Launch Services Program uses the base to launch uncrewed missions. In fact, America's first astronauts launched from complexes on the Air Force station in the 1960s. The Saturn V and space shuttle missions have all launched from Kennedy, though.

Atlas V Propulsion
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 02:23:28 PM EDT

The countdown has entered a planned hold at the T-120 minute point. The hold is to continue for 30 minutes. Looking at the bottom of the Atlas V rocket, you'd think it uses two engines. In fact, the Atlas V first stage is powered by a single engine called the RD-180. The single engine feeds propellant into two thrust chambers where the chemicals are mixed and ignited. The flame and smoke emerges from two nozzles at the bottom of the rocket to shoot it into space. The Atlas V uses highly refined kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen for its propellants. The Centaur upper stage uses a single engine for this mission.

Two Missions on One Rocket
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 02:12:16 PM EDT

The Atlas V rocket standing on Launch Complex 41 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., will launch both the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite missions. A single-engine Centaur is the second or upper stage of the rocket. Unlike most missions, the Centaur will remain with the LCROSS spacecraft after launch to become part of the mission.

Each spacecraft will evaluate the lunar surface in unique ways. The LRO will go into orbit just 31 miles above the lunar surface. Using seven instruments, it will take high-resolution photos of the moon along with detailed readings of temperatures, radiation and other factors NASA needs to know when deciding where to send astronauts on future missions.

The LCROSS mission will search for water by guiding the empty Centaur upper stage into a permanently shadowed crater near the moon's south pole. The LCROSS will fly through the plume so its instruments can analyze the dust and elements before it collides with the moon itself.

Atlas V, Two Lunar Spacecraft Poised for Launch
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 02:03:24 PM EDT

NASA is ready to return to the moon for the first time in 10 years and we are at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to bring you all the developments as the countdown proceeds to today's launch. The space agency is launching two lunar probes on an Atlas V rocket, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. The launch team has three opportunities today for liftoff. The first is 5:12 p.m., then 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m. There are no significant technical issues at this moment, but weather may become a concern. The forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions at launch time.

Join Us For Launch Coverage at 2 p.m.
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, 01:22:52 PM EDT

NASA's Launch Blog will begin coverage of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite missions at 2 p.m. The spacecraft will launch together aboard an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. There are three launch opportunities today, starting at 5:12 p.m. NASA's Launch Services Program team is aiming for the first chance. Today's other opportunities are at 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m.

Follow the Launch Blog
Tue, 09 Jun 2009, 10:47:51 AM EDT

Join us on launch day for the countdown to liftoff of the Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite.