Discovery poised for final mission

Space shuttle Discovery is poised to launch tonight on its 39th and final mission – a last trip to the International Space Station which will end a career stretching over 26 years. The rotating service structure moves away from space shuttle Discovery. Photo: NASA NASA last night retracted the rotating service structure which …

[SiCo FR34K]

Uh Oh

Did anyone ever see Red Planet....

[Anonymous Coward]

Tempting Fate

Careful now. Final mission? STS-133? Two planned space walks? A crew of retiring astronauts embark on a swansong mission and bring along an experimental robot "to demonstrate how dexterous robots behave in space"? Uh-oh..

Quote: "Everything is on track and going beautifully with the countdown. We're really looking forward to a very ACTION-PACKED, successful mission and everything is on track."

Why not just say "Nothing can go wrong"?

[Adam Foxton]

It couldn't have sounded like a film script

if they'd said

"The R2 was created by man. With software and hardware upgrades, we hope it will evolve- and that we can give the ISS many copies. Eventually, it may even look- and feel- human. We have a plan."

and then unveiled the R2, complete with scanning red eye-dot.

Oh, get my coat? By your command.

[Sabine Miehlbradt]

What could possible go wrong?

"We're really looking forward to a very action-packed, successful mission and everything is on track" ...

An experimental robot...

in a space module....

Sounds like the first few minutes of a new sci-fi survival horror flick.

/me breaks out he popcorn.

[Captain DaFt]

It gets better!

Add in the fact that it's an easily reconfigurable/reprogramable android that's going to be on a space station that's connected to a fully autonomous ATV who's future consists of being filled with garbage and dumped to a fiery death once its usefulness is ended... and both are linked in to the central computer...

I can see it now, "We had to manually jettison the ATV when all it's systems shutdown, and BTW, R2's doing better than expected, but I'd swear it seems a bit... surly."

[Paul_Murphy]

R2D2

Half-way there.

:-)

ttfn

[Annihilator]

If films colided...

"There's nothing wrong R2, just setting a new course. We're not going to regroup with the others, we're going to the Dagobah system."

"I'm sorry Luke, I'm afraid I can't let you do that..."

[Havin_it]

That is one badass-looking robot.

If it were silver not gold, it'd be pretty close to a Cylon tin-can. And the glowing finger-joints: Electro-nux(TM)? The Spartan-looking helmet and white (otherwise rather pointless shurely) space-jerkin do make it look kinda heroic though, so fingers crossed.

Also, is this the last Discovery mission or the last Shuttle mission full-stop? Request for clarification.

[Anonymous Coward]

Two more after this

Currently scheduled as:

April 19th STS-134 with Endeavour

June 28th STS-135 with Atlantis

and then it's all over.

[Neil Barnes]

Say what you like...

That's a protocol droid. The Empire is closer than you think...

I, for one, welcome our new dark overlords.

[Anonymous Coward]

Now showing for your inflight entertainment,...

the movie "Saturn 3"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_3

[Anonymous Coward]

Discovery poised for final countdown

What no Europe Icon.

[Anonymous Coward]

If the robot...

Malfunctions...

Can it punch your lights out?

Through the space helmet?

Or is it 200Kg of pure pussy?

[Sabine Miehlbradt]

BTW

ATV Johannes Kepler just docked successfully with supplies, spare parts and fuel for the next elevation in orbit.

http://www.livestream.com/eurospaceagency?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks

That's an autonomous vehicle docking completely on auto.

Have the Vulcans arrived yet?