HDNet To Broadcast Discovery Shuttle Launch Monday, April 5

[Nick]

"...four women together in space for the first time in history" DALLAS - April 1, 2010

HDNet to broadcast the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery
HD coverage scheduled to begin at 6:00 a.m. ET, Monday, April 5

HDNet will air live coverage of the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery, Mission STS-131, to the International Space Station.

On this, the 33rd shuttle mission to the station, Discovery will carry a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks for the laboratories aboard the station. That's why they're calling it "The Experiment Express." The mission has three planned spacewalks, with work to include replacing a critical ammonia tank assembly and retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station's exterior.

One more milestone on the mission: with three women on the seven astronaut crew, joining an American female astronaut already on the space station, there will be four women together in space for the first time in history.

HDNet World Report correspondent Greg Dobbs will host HDNet's coverage along with two-time shuttle astronaut Kay Hire. Hire's first shuttle flight was in 1998, and her most recent flight was on Endeavour in February of 2010.

HDNet's live coverage begins Monday April 5, at 6:00 a.m. ET with the scheduled launch of Discovery set for 6:21 a.m. ET.www.hd.net

[hdtvfan0001]

Nobody does a launch in HD better than HDNet.

[Henry]

Nobody does a launch in HD better than HDNet.

Agree ... it's the only timer I keep active all the time.

[Richard King]

Thanks, Nick. Timer set. I may even get up and take some pix.

[SPACEMAKER]

Must....resist....urge....to....make....chauvanist ic....joke....

[armophob]

Must....resist....urge....to....make....chauvanist ic....joke....

Like a space station parking joke? ;)

[n3ntj]

Maybe they'll have a slumber party in their jammies on the Space Station. ;)

[Richard King]

I woke up at T-2:00. I got out in front of the house to watch it, but no time to grab the tripod or 400mm lens, so no pix. It was BEAUTIFUL this time of day. I was able to watch it all the way up and then all the way down until it got to the top of my one story house. If I had gotten to the beach I probably could have seen it all the way to the horizon. Boy do I hate to see them throw this program away. :(

[Nick]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100405/capt.79e4ad006ba44253a7cfcf91fa67371d-79e4ad006ba44253a7cfcf91fa67371d-0.jpg?x=400&y=266&q=85&sig=y_RmxcflG8OuBzKoe_Q_6g--
Photo Credit: AP | Yahoo

Glad you got to see it, Richard. We space nuts on the board live vicariously through your eye-witness reports. I saw the launch on MSNBC while having and watching my Morning Joe. NBC's man at the Cape, Jay Barbree, reported that just before lift-off a brightly glowing ISS passed visibly overhead in the pre-dawn darkness.

So sad to think that more that 50 years of America's great adventure in manned space is coming to a close and we'll be reduced to hitching a ride with the Ruskies on a Soyuz at $50-$100 million a pop.

Thanks again, Richard, and may we never forget those brave Americans who gave their lives in pursuit of a dream.

[Richard King]

I forgot to mention, this is the first time that I have watched a launch from Vero Beach away from the roar of the ocean. SEVERAL minutes after the launch I was able to hear the low end rumble as the shuttle (5 seconds per mile x 70 miles = 350 seconds/60 seconds per minute = approx 6 minutes) climbed from the pad. I have never heard the launch from here (not hear) before.

[Nick]

Nice!

I would love to rattle my windows (and my neighborhood) with a full-spectrum in situ audio recording of the low-end launch rumble played back on a kick-ass system with 15" subs @ 1kW per. (see earthquake thread) :D

[Richard King]

Nice!

I would love to rattle my windows (and my neighborhood) with a full-spectrum in situ audio recording of the low-end launch rumble played back on a kick-ass system with 15" subs @ 1kW per. (see earthquake thread) :D

I have a tape of a shuttle launch that I recorded off my BUD (Big Useful Dish) C-band system years ago. It was a feed that was picked up by the networks. The audio on that tape was quite good and can rattle the walls of my house when I turn it up on the JBL 4430's. ;)