Simultaneous shuttle launches - potentially real event in Oct 2008

[N328KF]

On October 8, 2008, Atlantis will be launching from LC-39A for the final Hubble Space Telescope repair mission (STS-125.) As Atlantis will not have access to ISS in case of emergency, Endeavour will be in hot-pad status on LC-39B to conduct a rescue if necessary.

Is this the first time two Shuttles will have been on the pads ready for launch at the same time? Will anyone here be able to get photos of what will undoubtedly be a very unique event?

(My source for this data is Aviation Week & Space Technology from June 9, 2008.

[01101001]

Armageddon. Independence and Freedom.

Hah.

Found Jonathan's Space Report:

STS-70 was launched at 1341:55 UTC on Jul 13. [...] This was the
shortest time between landing of the previous mission and launch of a
new one - only 6 days. The previous record between landing and next
launch for Shuttle missions was STS-55 in 1993, which followed the
STS-56 landing by 9 days.

Wikipedia: List of space shuttle missions

54 April 8 1993 STS-56 Discovery 9d 6h Kennedy ATLAS-2 science platform
55 April 26 1993 STS-55 Columbia 9d 23h Edwards Spacelab mission

69 June 27 1995 STS-71 Atlantis 9d 19h Kennedy First Shuttle-Mir docking
70 July 13 1995 STS-70 Discovery 8d 22h Kennedy TDRS launch

[ToSeek]

Is this the first time two Shuttles will have been on the pads ready for launch at the same time?

Not hardly. Apparently, it's happened 16 times before, though not since 2001.

[N328KF]

Yes, but there were gaps between those missions and it sounds as if there may have been work required. To me, it sounds as if this is the first time that NASA was/will be prepared in earnest to launch both back-to-back.

[Dave J]

I don't think Endeavour will actually be "ready to launch" when Atlantis departs, but it will be close to it. If it's not needed, I understand it will be rolled back and loaded/prepped for another ISS mission. Not sure if it's the next mission or what.
Did they determine the cause/extent of the last launch pad damage...that was definitely "anomolous"...(I'm amazed at the power of those SRBs, and that it doesn't happen more often!)

[novaderrik]

it would be cool if they would launch two shuttle back to back- say, within a day of each other- and have them both in the vicinity of the ISS at the same time- or have one dock within a couple of hours of the first one leaving.
or even make an adapter to allow two shuttles to rendezvous and dock with each other.
if nothing else, it would show that some of the promises made about the shuttle's capabilities weren't totally out there, especially if they could turn the first one back around and get it back up there before the second one lands.
yeah, it's a logistical nightmare- but it's nothing that a quick infusion of funding and some good planning couldn't take care of.

[tlbs101]

This brings up some interesting questions...

I didn't realize there were 2 fully operational mission control centers that could be operated simulteneously. How would they separate all the telemetry, assuming the telemetry transmitters operated on the same frequencies? Some shuttle components are moved from shuttle-to-shuttle depending on which one is in flight -- how much extra equipemt, of that type, to they have? Is it enough? Or, would Endeavour simply fly, 'bare-bones'.
.

[01101001]

Google Map aerial view twin launchpads 39A (lower) and 39B

[samkent]

I didn't realize there were 2 fully operational mission control centers that could be operated simulteneously.

Not to mention ground crew. I realize that the second has no payload but if you are talking about two launches in a couple of days, that's a lot of work for the ground crew.

[novaderrik]

Not to mention ground crew. I realize that the second has no payload but if you are talking about two launches in a couple of days, that's a lot of work for the ground crew.

NASA did it in the 60's for the Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 rendezvous mission- they launched Gemini 7 first, then had to rebuild the launchpad, stack the rocket, and launch within a 1 week window... they were shooting for a 3 day turnaround and would have made it, but there was a faulty valve on Gemini 6 that almost blew it up on the pad.
i learned that last night on the series they are showing about the NASA missions on the Discovery Channel...

[EndeavorRX7]

NASA did it in the 60's for the Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 rendezvous mission- they launched Gemini 7 first, then had to rebuild the launchpad, stack the rocket, and launch within a 1 week window... they were shooting for a 3 day turnaround and would have made it, but there was a faulty valve on Gemini 6 that almost blew it up on the pad.
i learned that last night on the series they are showing about the NASA missions on the Discovery Channel...

I learned that yesterday also from the same show lol.