I scheduled our school's annual rocket day for Monday. Endeavour is scheduled to lift off just before 8:00 central and I'm hoping to have every TV in the building turned on so the kids will come in to their classrooms and see it take place. We will go outside right after the big launch and begin our own. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and both launches will take place on time.

To me, this will be a memorial launch mourning the demise of the US manned space program. In fact, I may officially start calling it a memorial launch next year. "The HPS US Manned Space Program Memorial Launch." It has a sad ring to it.

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I love sanding.

Some way or another, I didn't realize STS-135 had been approved. It looks like the July launch of Atlantis will be the swan song of the manned space program.

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I love sanding.

on the original manifest STS-134 was the last flight. 135 was added last summer, IIRC. Its a crying shame to retire the fleet. Seeing photos inside the birds on nasaspaceflight.com forums, they look brand new, and the number of problem reports during a pad flow has dropped dramatically since the 80s and 90s. It seems the program was just reaching its stride when the bosses said shut it down. When it became clear that a replacement wasn't going to be ready, I wish they had backed-off the decision...oh well...

edit: I know the shut down order was in response to Columbia STS-107, but after all the reviews, the team came out stronger and better.

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David Stribling
NAR 18402 SR
But it is rocket science!
Get yer Barrowmans here

The launches were successful this morning. The shuttle launched on time, and we headed out right after ET separation. We launched Generic E2X kits for 110 3rd graders and then added a few demo flights. My daughter flew her Skywriter and Code Red. I flew an old 80's Big Bertha with keychain cam and a scratch built two stager from old E2X parts that is similar to the old Estes Mongoose. My son flew his scratch built 2.6" Army Patriot.

Skies were overcast at around 1500 ft. Misting rain came and went as the launch proceeded. The ground was saturated. I lost the sustainer of the two stager, but I expected to. It was built with discarded parts so it cost nothing. We found the cloud ceiling with it and never saw it again. That's the bad news. The good news is that we had 100% success with all the launches and all the other rockets were recovered in good but damp condition.

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I love sanding.

Any pics from the keychain cam?

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

It was windy and we have a small playground, so I only flew it on a B6-4. I'll see about getting something up.

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I love sanding.

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I love sanding.

I gotta get me one o' them.

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2