Guess What…We Actually Still Send Space Shuttles into Space

June 1st, 2008

No kidding. The Space Shuttle Discovery launched today carrying part of the International Space Station.

Discovery shot up into the sky at 5:02 p.m. EDT (2102 GMT) from its seaside Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying what will soon be the largest single room aboard the space station – the tour bus-sized main cabin of the Japan’s Kibo (“hope” in Japanese) laboratory.

“While we’ve all prepared for this event today, the discoveries from Kibo will definitely offer hope for tomorrow,” said Discovery’s commander Mark Kelly just before launch. “Now stand by for the greatest show on Earth.”

Watching the launch here was Kelly’s identical twin brother, Scott Kelly, who is also a veteran astronaut. I’ll bet he gets tons of flight deals with all his frequent flier miles . Their father Richard celebrated his 68th birthday while his son Mark launched into space.

“I’m excited for him – it’s an amazing experience,” Scott Kelly, a veteran spaceflyer, told SPACE.com this morning. “I think it’s a unique privilege to not only fly in space but then have your brother that you can talk about it with and he understands exactly what you’re talking about ’cause he’s shared those experiences and memories.”

The mission will span 14 days, and the 7 members of the crew will install the large room to the station. $1 Billion this thing cost. Just thought I would throw that out there for the misers of the world.

Anyways, it feels kind of strange to see how little public attention these launches get now. Growing up it was such a huge deal. I really don’t think it has been the same since the Challenger . (Note: That link describes all aspects of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. It is quite horrifying.)