# HDNet - NASA Shuttle Night Launch of Discovery - 12/7/06!



## moonman (Jul 21, 2004)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HDNet to provide live, high definition coverage of the night time launch 
of Space Shuttle Discovery

Network to utilize new broadcast production truck dedicated solely to 
NASA launches

DALLAS, TX, November 30th, 2006The night sky will provide a dramatic 
backdrop for HDNets live coverage of the launch of Space Shuttle 
Discovery, scheduled for Thursday, December 7th at 9:36pm ET  the first 
night time launch since November of 2002.

HDNets live coverage of the launch of STS-116 will begin at 6:00pm ET. 
This will be the first time that a night launch will be broadcast in 
high definition.

"Capturing any Shuttle launch in high definition is a challenging 
event, said HDNet Co-Founder and GM Philip Garvin. A night launch is 
even harder, but we expect it to be spectacular. We take in video from 
over 20 HD cameras spread around the massive NASA & Cape Canaveral Air 
Force Station  in some cases our video signal travels over 8 miles of 
fiber."

HDNet will again be deploying a special Canon DIGI SUPER 100xs lens with 
image stabilization capable of a 1860mm focal length. This will lens 
enable a 1080i camera, situated at one of the tracking sites, to follow 
Discovery at least 176,000 feet, or 33 miles into the earth's atmosphere.

"We have now dedicated a special production and uplink truck exclusively 
to cover these launches further demonstrating HDNets strong commitment 
to NASA," said Mark Cuban, Co-Founder and President of HDNet. "We're 
proud to bring these launches to a whole new generation of television 
viewers."

The broadcast truck, built by the engineers of HDNet, includes a Grass 
Valley Kayak HD Switcher, Ensemble HD Cross Converters & Frame Syncs, 
Telecast Rattler fiber transmitters, Leitch X75's & Panacea Router. All 
monitoring is done in high definition, with virtually no down-converters 
on board.

HDNet World Report Chief Correspondent Greg Dobbs and former Shuttle 
Astronaut Charles "Sam" Gemar will anchor live from the launch site at 
the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. HDNet's exclusive HD partnership 
with NASA allows the network unprecedented shuttle and astronaut access 
including coverage of the pre-launch preparations of Discovery's crew.


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## Bob_Newhart (Jul 14, 2004)

Hey! That's my birthday. All the more reason to watch.


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## ThreeSoFar'sBro (Oct 10, 2004)

Just checked, and my guide shows NHL at that time. Will they pre-empt that, or break in for the launch, or is this a mistake?


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## moonman (Jul 21, 2004)

ThreeSoFar'sBro said:


> Just checked, and my guide shows NHL at that time. Will they pre-empt that, or break in for the launch, or is this a mistake?


______
They have done this on previous launches as well.....Sometimes they do not
update the guide till 12-24 hours before the event. Unless the launch has been
postponed, the coverage should start @ 6PM...if you will be out of town, then
I suggest a manual recording is in order. They WILL cover the launch!


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## JRAllas (Mar 26, 2006)

I'll definitely have to Tivo the launch. I caught the live HD broadcast from the Space Station, and although the Earth-bound host was extremely boring, the Astronaut showed some cool stuff and the brief view of Earth out the window was worth the entire 30 minute broadcast.


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## super dave (Oct 1, 2002)

I set this one up, I hope it sticks the last lift off moved quite a few times, I had to set up a manual recording to get it, but it was well worth it! This one shows up in my guide (Dish 622), for about an hour and a half block, must have a lot of special programming attached to it. 

Thanks for the heads up, we really enjoy watching takeoffs in HD.


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## willardcpa (Feb 23, 2001)

Bob_Newhart said:


> Hey! That's my birthday....


Is that the reason it is known as the "Date that will live in infamy!"?


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## super dave (Oct 1, 2002)

The launch time changed to 9:30, and could be postponed due to weather.


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## moonman (Jul 21, 2004)

Yeah, I see that....the thing that puzzles me, is that they knew the weather was gonna
go sour, day's ago, and is not likley to improve in next 3-4 days, so why do they load all
that fuel up and strap the people in, only to make them get out at the last minute?


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## super dave (Oct 1, 2002)

HDNet is covering it now, showing them load up the crew. I guess they are going to break into the hockey game if liftoff goes off at 9:36PM. There seems to be a good chance that it will be postponed, They already know the weather isn't good.


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## dmward81 (Aug 27, 2005)

moonman said:


> Yeah, I see that....the thing that puzzles me, is that they knew the weather was gonna
> go sour, day's ago, and is not likley to improve in next 3-4 days, so why do they load all
> that fuel up and strap the people in, only to make them get out at the last minute?


The weather officer said the winds are just bumping up against the limits, so if they die down they may still get it off. They want to launch earlier rather than later because it's a 12-day mission and they don't want the shuttle in space on New Year's Eve because... they don't think the computers can handle the switchover to a new year. Yikes.


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## SeeD (Jun 19, 2005)

Hmmm I live in the Detroit area and HDNET has blacked-out the Blues/Wings hockey game and is showing a blank screen. 

Think the launch will be covered??


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## smimi10 (May 11, 2006)

I live in DFW and HDNet is showing the Red Wings game. Not sure what this means for coverage of the launch, but it is scheduled for a couple of hours from now. Maybe they'll break in, or not cover it *live*.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

9:36pm; EST?


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## srt (Jan 27, 2006)

SeeD said:


> Hmmm I live in the Detroit area and HDNET has blacked-out the Blues/Wings hockey game and is showing a blank screen.
> 
> Think the launch will be covered??


we live in california and there's ice skaters with football outfits and sticks hitting a black ball on the ice. I saw one guy smiling and he was missing teeth! 
p.s at the end of the scheduled launch they said they'd break in at the half time (about two hours) maybe 6:30 pst


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## appleye1 (Jan 26, 2002)

Who else thinks HDNET should not have committed to showing a hockey game the same night as a shuttle launch? They're going to either piss off hockey fans or piss off NASA fans. Maybe there's some overlap between the two but it still doesn't seem like a good idea to me. 

They probably had an earlier commitment to the hockey game and are doing the best they can, but it still irritates me.


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## Smuuth (Sep 21, 2005)

When I turned it on to program the manual recording to start at 9:30 EST, it was live from NASA - that was at 6:30 EST - Now it is 8:30 EST and they are showing hockey - Maybe the launch has been postponed by NASA?


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## appleye1 (Jan 26, 2002)

They came on a few minutes ago and said it was still scheduled to go at ~ 9:30. They break away from the hockey game every so often to show what's going on in FL.


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## moonman (Jul 21, 2004)

ebonovic said:


> 9:36pm; EST?


AT t-9 min. we will find out for sure with a 40 minute hold at that time...NASA just
said the weather is now go......hope I get to see it out my front windows...too
many clouds will end that idea....nite launches are awesome!!


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## SeeD (Jun 19, 2005)

Looks like this launch will be blacked-out here in Detroit.....what a crock! All I see is a blank screen!


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## RunnerFL (May 10, 2005)

9:26pm and still Hockey....


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Remember...

NASA CHANNEL FOLKS!!!
Channel 376

Not as good as HD, but better then nothing.


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## SeeD (Jun 19, 2005)

Maybe they will show it delayed at 10:00??? This from the HDNET website....

Thu., Dec. 7th 10:00 PM ET NASA on HDNet - Space Shuttle Discovery STS-116 Launch


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## cheerdude (Feb 27, 2001)

Hockey still here - watching NASA TV... looking like no go this evening

Launch window was exceeded for this evening


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## super dave (Oct 1, 2002)

It was scrubbed, watched NASA TV.


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## leesweet (Mar 13, 2004)

Just for completeness), anyone know if it's moved to HDNet? It's sked'd for 8:47 PM and HDNet doesn't show it. <sob>


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## ThreeSoFar'sBro (Oct 10, 2004)

I'm aslo in the Detroit area, and the game was blacked out on HDNET because it was on our local Fox Sports channel (NHL contractual agreement causes the blackout). However, I could see the HDNET NASA broadcast the whole time. Too bad the launch was scrubbed, since I actually remembered to watch it this time!


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## super dave (Oct 1, 2002)

leesweet said:


> Just for completeness), anyone know if it's moved to HDNet? It's sked'd for 8:47 PM and HDNet doesn't show it. <sob>


It is contracted to always be on HDNet.


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## leesweet (Mar 13, 2004)

For tonight's launch, do we (USA) see it or not?! It's sked'd for 8:47 EST, but see below's excerpt from HDNet's site: does that 'second break' comment mean we are good to go? I'd rather see more than a few minutes, but I'll take what I can get!  (*Love* NASA TV: wish it was HD!)

Today
7:00 PM ET

NASA coverage today on HDNet: Live NASA coverage during half-time of The Wooden Classic. One hour of live coverage from 7 PM - 8 PM ET. Live coverage during the first period break of the NHL game between the Chicago Blackhawks & Minnesota Wild. Note: If the shuttle launch happens during the second period of the hockey game, hockey viewers will see the launch during the break after the second period.

For Canada --- HDNet brings viewers in Canada uninterrupted NASA coverage from 7 PM - 9 PM ET. more... [the "more..." doesn't say anything....]


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

You also have the NASA channel, if you "MUST" see it live.


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## leesweet (Mar 13, 2004)

Well, yeah, of course, but it's not the same... 
I always watch the NASA channel, but was looking forward to the first only HDNET broadcast, Oh, well...

(Heck, been watching NASA liftoffs since NBC and Frank McGee... how does *that* date me?  )


Edit: HDNET will show the liftoff 'during the seccind break of the hockey game'. Not being a hockey fan, no idea what that means. Also, there is a possibility of a weather-related delay, as usual.


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