Heads up, it is coming

http://www.space.com/nightsky/space-shuttle-landing-skywatching-100418.html

The shuttle is scheduled to enter Earth's atmosphere over the central Pacific Ocean at 8:17 a.m. EDT and should be visible over Montana about a half hour before landing in Cape Canaveral, NASA flight director Brian Lunney told Reuters.

It is only the second time since the 2003 Columbia disaster that a NASA space shuttle will descend across the continental U.S. -- and it is likely the last time before NASA retires its shuttle fleet later this year, according to a Space.com report.

Could be your last chance to catch the shuttle coming in to land.

Virgin space is one step closer

The Video of the Week for this week shows the first flight of White Night Two while carrying the Virgin Galactic "Enterprise" spacecraft. The flight took place just three days ago and is the latest step toward operating commercial passenger space flights in 2011.

Gadling was there when they unveiled SpaceShipTwo under very stormy skies. But they couldn't have had a more beautiful day to accomplish this test flight. I can't imagine what it's like to sit in the far right side of the giant aircraft. Landing just a few feet from the right side of the runway must take some getting used to. According to a comment on the video, the left side may be used to take observers of the launch in the future. This could be nearly as exciting as going on a launch itself.

As for the experience of travelling weightless over California for a few minutes, would you join the over 330 people who have put down deposits on the $200,000 flights? Virgin Galactic claims another 80,000 people are on the waiting list.

So, if money were no object, would you take a ride?

Discovery launch Video

NASA High Definition Video

Only three more shuttle launch missions on the schedule. If you want to see one of these you need to make plans soon.

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html

Did anyone notice the Discovery launch?

Image above: Seated are Commander Alan Poindexter (right) and Pilot James P. Dutton Jr. From the left (standing) are Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Naoko Yamazaki and Clayton Anderson. Image credit: NASA

Mission: STS-131Space Shuttle: Discovery Primary Payload: Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module Launch Date: April 5, 2010 Launch Time: 6:21 a.m. EDTLaunch Pad: 39A Landing: April 18, 2010Landing Time: 8:29 a.m. EDTLanding Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.Mission Duration: 13 daysInclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Commander Alan Poindexter will lead the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Jim Dutton will serve as the pilot.

Mission Specialists are Rick Mastracchio, Clay Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Discovery will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks to be transferred to laboratories on the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

Mastracchio and Anderson will conduct three six-and-a-half-hour-long spacewalks on flight days 5, 7 and 9 to replace an ammonia tank assembly, retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior and switch out a rate gyro assembly on the S0 element of the station’s truss. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.

Have you notice how fast the public looses interest in space when everything goes smoothly? It is only those times when the wheels fall off that we are drawn back to the history that is being played out before our eyes.

Virgin Space

http://www.virgingalactic.com/overview/
Tickets cost $200,000 and deposits start from $20,000.

Space tourism moved one flight closer to reality Monday when Virgin Galactic took its maiden "captive carry" test flight over the California desert.

Richard Branson's Virgin Group, said they expect the first passenger flight will be completed by 2011.

If you have been waiting for your chance to view outer space up close. Your chance to reserve your seat is here.

Fun in the space station

This is a video of the crew of the space station having fun. Would be nice if we could all fly this high.