It's Launch Day!

November 16, 2009

Titusville, Florida

STS - 129 launch day

Florida is a bit more breezy this morning, and the cloud coverage is quite thick, though the local weather indicates that all of it will burn off before launch time. 

STS-129 is scheduled to shoot off at 2:23 EST today.  What's much more different with this launch than from the ARES IX launch is the window opportunity of launch for the shuttle.  The ARESIX rocket had a window of four hours because it wasn't going into space.  It was merely a test rocket.  The ARES flew up and fell right back down into the Atlantic – the shuttle is much more different.  

The window for the shuttle is only 10 minutes long.  It is this way because the shuttle has to be able to meet with the space station as it is orbiting the earth in the nearest possible location.  In order to do so NASA must perfectly sync the shuttle's launch with the location of the space station in orbit.  This window is very narrow, and if anything goes wrong or isn't a "go", the window is lost.  

In the case that this occurs the launch will be scrubbed for today ad picked back up tomorrow for a window time of twenty minutes later than today.  

The crew is hopeful and ready for the launch, and in fact at the press conference yesterday Kathy Winters the chief meteorologist for NASA stated that there's a 10% chance of the launch not flying today due to weather related issues.  In NASA terms, a 10% chance of a no-go is practically a guarantee.  Though, this morning with the strong breeze and grey clouds it's easy to be skeptical.  

As of right now the countdown clock is at the 3 hour hold mark.   Before the seconds start ticking down again we will be conducting three interviews with three astronauts!  We certainly have a busy schedule, and the crew is starting to feel the buzz at Kennedy Space Center that today is launch day.  This is happening nowhere else in the world today, and they're here to see it.  

I believe I speak for all of them when I say thank you MTSU for this opportunity. It's an experience like this that forms a professional.  Thank you for the mold.

Almost show time

Well here we are, blogging from inside of MTSU's on-site production media truck.  This thing is incredible.  In the far back we have "The Marcs", one being Marc Parrish a professor at MTSU and the other an associate of Marc's, they are cueing past interviews of the students that went to the ARES IX launch a couple of weeks ago. These past interviews will be taped live to the show's footage that will be captured 50 feet or so from the truck.  They are also designing graphics and a bottom thirds for the show, and that's only the back of the truck.

Moving forward in the truck, and to the left is what Adam Ellis, a graduate audio student, dubs "Audio World".  Inside there's a full mixing board, a 48 multi-track recorder, and everything else necessary to capture, format, and edit all audio for the live-to-tape show.

A few more feet past audio world is the control room.  Here adorned on the far wall are two huge flat screen TVs that display all feeds from all cameras out on the field.  Also available in this room is the communication devices.  Mike Hildebrandt, the director of the shoot, has been telling all of the camera men out in the field to zoom in, move closer, or get out of the shot.  Sure enough as he talks the display feeds on the large Sony flat screen TVs move in, zoom out, and students are being pulled away from the frame.  This is truly a professional production crew.

Our purpose for this 30 minute segment is to have a small package that we will be able to distribute to various media outlets within the area to heighten awareness of not only this class and what we are involving ourselves with, but also for future generations so that they can see the amazing opportunites that they can potentially have if they choose MTSU as their upper-education institution.  

Florida is nothing short of beautiful, the skies are blue and the breeze is refreshing.  We're just about ready to shoot, so this is it for now.  Keep checking back as the day continues! 

The MTSU camera crew is back at Kennedy Space Center!

They arrived at the press accreditation center right before 8 in the morning to receive their badges.  From there, there were a few security clearances that they still had to make it through, but now they're on-site at the media center at KSC!  

The main difference between this trip to KSC as opposed to the last one is that they have MTSU's production truck. 

With it the crew plans to tape a live-to-tape thirty minute show to send out to various media outlets in hopes for more coverage on their endeavors.  That taping will take place sometime today and it will highlight all of the students who are involved in this project and are here on the second trip to NASA.  The taping will focus primarily on their experiences at NASA and their feelings on the tremendous opportunity that MTSU has provided them to be here.

Besides that though, the launch tomorrow is one of the last 7 shuttle launches.  After the shuttle is retired the Constellation program will take it's place and feature rockets such as the ARES IX and ARES IV.  The crew was fortunate enough to see the first test launch of the ARES IX on the last trip.

The shuttle launch tomorrow is scheduled to shoot off around 2:33 in the afternoon.  This particular mission will include three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station's truss, or backbone.  Also on this launch, they will be bringing back home a crew member that has been aboard the orbiting laboratory for the past two months.  This crew rotation at the space station will be the last one.

To say the least the crew has a lot in store for them this time around at Kennedy Space Center, and as one of the professors of the class Dan Pfeifer says, "We're gonna fly tomorrow!"

 

Well...the first day of launch got "scrubbed".

The reasonings for the constant delays of the ARES IX launch ranged from the typical weather related delays, technical difficulties concerning the rocket itself, and there was even a delay because a cargo ship somewhere out in the Atlantic had entered the red zone, which was the area in the Atlantic ocean where NASA projected that certain parts of the rocket, after disengaging, could potentially land.

The crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center near 6 in the morning while the temperature was still bearable and the sun was still down. The press area was riddled with news crews covering the days events.

The patient ARES rocket gleamed off in the distance with its incredible presence, as two huge spot lights soared from the ground to the sky above. All the while the famous countdown clock at the press area diligently ticked down the seconds for lift-off.

As the sun and anticipation rose; the heat did as well. The crew slowly made their way into the on-site tent to rehydrate and re-energize with a bite to eat as the delays of the rocket launch chiseled away at the narrow four hour window that NASA allotted for the ARES launch.

Needless to say one hour turned into 2, and 3 turned into 4, which by 12 O'clock diminished the window for the first test flight of the ARES IX rocket.

Tomorrow they project a 20% increase of probability for a launch, so we're up again before the crack of dawn to set up the tripods to be there to tape the future of the NASA program.

Today at the BlueGrass Underground proved to be another incredible opportunity for the crew to get the gear out and do what they do.

It was only about an hour or so drive from Murfreesboro to the Cumberland Caverns. We arrived to nearly desolate, rainy site. We waited for Todd, "our guy", to show up for about 40 minutes which turned out to be a nice time for the crew to wake up and warm up by the fire inside of the gift-shop.

Once Todd showed though, the crew was ready to make it happen. Cumberland Caverns was kind enough to let us use their old WWI model Jeep to haul down our $20,000 plus equipment deep into the caverns, winding through thousand year old stalactites and stalagmites to finally reach the bit more modernized volcano room. It was fully stocked with in-door plumbing, electricity, and even a full snack bar which sold a bit overpriced $3 hotdog. Though, for those who forgot to bring a lunch sack along would have been thankful for anything. Appetites were certainly worked up.

The musicians for the day were Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain, but headlining the event was Mountain Heart. Both performances were spectacular. The talent was amazing and the music was nothing short of fitting for being burrowed deep down underground.

Sunday October, 25 the crew is waking up bright early and is making their way to Kennedy Space Center. Stay tuned for more!

It's hard to believe that the day is soon approaching.

On Sunday, October 25, the crew will gear up at 6:30 AM and start the long trek down to what Dr. Chappelle liked to describe Kennedy Space Center as, hallowed ground.

Our itinerary for the days to come once we have arrived are as follows...

L-1 Day - Monday, Oct. 26

10 a.m. (approximately) - Ares I-X Launch Readiness news conference
- Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager
- Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager
- Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director
- Kathy Winters, weather officer
9 p.m. - Ares I-X rocket photo opportunity (not televised)

Launch Day - Tuesday, Oct. 27

1 a.m. - Launch countdown officially begins (not televised)
5 a.m. - Live launch commentary begins on NASA TV
8 a.m. - Launch

Launch + 2 hours - Post-launch news conference

- Doug Cooke, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
- Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager
- Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager
- Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director

Though before the crew can make headway through this schedule, they first need to finish a project Saturday, October 24, which is a little closer to home, and won't necessarily give off clouds of smoke, rockets, and the rest.

Saturday, October 24, the crew is making a short trip to east Tennessee to tape the Bluegrass Underground. They will be deep in a cave...seriously, a cave, and taping a bluegrass show. They will be greeting the 6:30 morning sun-rays once more will nothing but show-blacks and a lunch sack for the day.

The crew is ready the PB&J's are wrapped, and they're all pushing towards the mark for the countdown...3..2...1....

Tonight was amazing.

The crew had to opportunity to tape a live performance of Tyler Bryant. For those who don't know Tyler Bryant he is who Robert Knight, a highly acclaimed rock music photographer, projects to be our generations next best thing.

There was a 77 minute documentary shown prior to the show titled "Rock Prophecies" about Robert Knight's career and his almost prophetic niche to know who will be rock stars and who won't. Robert has photographed the best of the best in the music industry from Led Zepplin, Slash, Santana, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. In fact, Robert Knight was the only photographer given permission to take pictures at what came to be Stevie's last live performance before the unpredictable helicopter crash that took Stevie's life.

Needless to say Mr. Knight has been around long enough to have an accredited say in who will or will not make it in the music industry.

He pushed the Sick Puppies, a band from Australia, to come to America because he believed that they would become huge. Granted they had the ups and the periodic downs, but they, in 12 months time reached top ten on the Billboard charts. Robert was right.

He also was right about Panic at the Disco. He introduced them to people who didn't think they'd ever make some how Robert just knew that they would make it. Panic at the Disco has reached stardom, and Robert Knight was the first to say so. Somehow Robert just knew.

His next projection to be on top? Tyler Dow Bryant. Tyler played his first college performance on MTSU campus tonight, and left the audience picking up their jaws as they left the auditorium to wait in line to say thank you and shake Tyler's hand.

The crew did exceptional in getting the shots as Tyler jumped off of drums, ran out into the audience, and bounced around stage all night long. Tommy, the director of this particular shoot, even won a Fender Stratocaster as a raffle prize give-away!

They got the shoots, they won guitars, and they taped who very well maybe, according the Robert Knight, as the next Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Tonight was an absolute success and an incredible experience in itself. It's hard to imagine what kinds of things they'll experience in Florida.

Till then.