Space geeks - Shuttle Endeavour Will Be Visible Over UK Just After Final Launch

[kracken]

*UPDATE Launch of Endeavour has been postponed by the heater problem. http://tinyurl.com/sts134

On April 29th, 2011, the space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to blast off for the last time, delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station.

If you live in the UK you can watch the launch live on NASA TV and a number of other sites on the internet, but that’s not all you can do! You may be able to watch it fly over the UK with your very own eyes about 20 minutes later!

Yes! You can watch the Shuttle fly over the UK roughly 20 minutes after launch (launch time is currently set for 3:47 p.m. EDT – 8:47 p.m. GMT) if the timing is right and skies are clear. It will be accompanied by its bright orange external fuel tank as it sails across the sky.

Heres one from 2009 in UK

How to see it? Go outside roughly 15 – 20 minutes after launch and you could see two bright objects similar to what the ISS looks like when it passes over, moving at roughly the same speed. These bright objects in parallel to each other will follow a similar track in the sky to what the ISS does, but it will be the Shuttle Endeavour and its separated external fuel tank!

Hope for clear skies and that the launch isn’t delayed, as this may be our last chance ever of seeing a space shuttle fly over the UK just after launch.

Good luck to the crew of the shuttle and to everyone trying to spot it in the sky on Friday!

[tronads]

hmmm, 8:47 GMT... are we on GMT or BST at the moment, so will this actualy be 9:47 on my watch ?

[Northernbloke]

The UK is 5 hours ahead of Florida so my guess is the 8:47 GMT in the first post is technically BST as it's 5 hours ahead of the scheduled launch time.

Go and look just after 9pm and if you see nowt go back at just after 10 then sack it and get back inside the pub for last orders

[tronads]

Yeah, 5hrs is the general rule of thumb, but im sure there are odd times when the difference is 6 hours due to overlaps in our BST and their DST. GMT is an hour behind BST though, so Im thinking it will be 9:47.

[Northernbloke]

yep - but that's only within 1-2 weeks of our clocks going forward or backwards - I was in USA using EDT last week and it's 5 houras different

[Nibb]

GMT doesnt exist any more anyway...its called UTC now!!

[Northernbloke]

GMT doesnt exist any more anyway...its called UTC now!!

Bit like American English really - Yanks trying to stake a claim on everything not American and make it their own - Feck Em All - it's GMT all the way for me - and feet/inches/pints/miles/pounds..........................

[Nibb]

Bit like American English really - Yanks trying to stake a claim on everything not American and make it their own - Feck Em All - it's GMT all the way for me - and feet/inches/pints/miles/pounds..........................

Fuck all to do with the Yanks...its a recognised International standard such as the Newton and the Joule!

UTC replaced GMT as the basis for the main reference time scale or civil time in various regions on 1 January 1972

Oh and I think you'll find that "Yanks" still use feet, inches, pints, miles, pounds etc!!

[Soulassassin]

What direction will this be coming from? and will the whole UK be able to see it (cloud permitting)?

[kracken]

What direction will this be coming from? and will the whole UK be able to see it (cloud permitting)?

same direction as ISS fly over , so a general direction of west and if you have been able to see ISS fly over in the past , then weather permitting should be able to see shuttle

[Lighty]

unless of course your facing south Doh!!

[littlebilly1]

Visible 20 minutes after launch (9:07 pm) in uk skies, so ill be keeping nasa tv running on a lappy to watch the launch then head outside 15 minutes later just in case!

[pete252]

D'Oh! I wondered where to look in the sky and did a quick goo maps. That'll teach me to read the rest of the thread first.

[kracken]

NASA live coverage stream for iPhone >>HERE<< (beta)

Superb and very informative going on right now

[Clubber Lang]

You won't see shit, its been postponed

[Jack-daniels]

Launch postponed until at least Sunday

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh...ain/index.html

[kracken]

The ISS passes over at 21:31 tonight from the West, so we still get to see a spaceship fly across the sky tonight

[Mule]

"The earliest Endeavour could be launched on the STS-134 mission is Tuesday, May 10."

[kracken]

Astro_BoxGregory H. Johnson by NASA_Astronauts

According to Endeavour's NASA Flow Director, APU hardware repairs are complete & testing is underway.
A May 16th morning launch is on track!

*update*
Space shuttle managers set Endeavour's liftoff for 8:56amET/12:56 UT on May 16. Launch opportunities May 16-20, 22-26