Shuttle Launch Thu Dec 6th

Hi all,

There is another shuttle launch on Thu Dec 6th, launch time is 21:31 (our time) and it docks with the ISS at 18:15 approx on Sat evening, if the schedule stays the same. The ISS passes are visible again, so you might see the shuttle. Heavens-above will have the pass times for ISS and Shuttle.

If the schedule stays the same and the weather plays ball it should be possible to see Atlantis and the ISS in the final stages of docking at 1740UT approx on Saturday evening. This is a great imaging opportunity!

Meanwhile, here's my shot of Atlantis on Pad 39A from my recent holiday...





See how the gantry protects the orbiter from the Floridan weather.

This launch will at long last deliver ESA's Columbus laboratory for installation! It's been a long time coming.

Those are some lovely shots Paul. Did you take these from one of the bus tours they do? In 1996 I went to KSC and at the time they were preparing Colombia in the VAB. The bus driver drove us around the back of the VAB and we got a good look in. Unfortunately the camera I had at the time had an automatic flash which reflected off the windows of the bus and ruined all my photos:( What I didn;t know at the time was the very next day columbia was rolled to the pad on the crawler. If only I had waited one more day to go there.

Glad you had better luck.

Sweet. Thanks for the heads up.
How long is the mission for do you know,
Might we see some ISS & Shuttle passes during the Geminids?
Ohh time to get the cameras ready!!

Plenty of cloud has been forecasted I believe for the weekend (there goes TAS's first Friday of the month Observing Session out the window... again... )