[Space] NASA - STS-121 - Discovery

[GioFX]

NASA STS-121 - International Space Station

STS Program Mission: STS-121 (115th flight, 32th OV-103 flight)

ISS Program Assembly Flight: ULF1.1

Orbiter: Discovery (OV-103)

Launch Pad: 39B

Mission duration: 11 days

Landing site: KSC

Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Payload:

• Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM)
• Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC)
• Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC)

Crew:

• Commander Steve Lindsey
• Pilot Mark Kelly
• Mission Specialist Mike Fossum
• Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak
• Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson
• Mission Specialist Piers Sellers
• Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter

Live Coverage:

NASA TV - Real Media: http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram

NASA TV - Windows Media: http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx

NASA TV - Real Audio:
http://www.nasa.gov/ram/55643main_NASATV_Audio_Only.ram

[GioFX]

Nasaspaceflight.com:

Discovery - More Than Just a Space Flight

By Chris Bergin, 6/25/2006 12:19:00 AM

Shuttle Discovery's July 1 launch from the Kennedy Space Center won't just be to test out the modifications made to the External Tank, it won't even be just a re-supply mission to bring food and clothing to the International Space Station.

A Johnson Space Center (JSC) full mission outline of flight day activities and logistical elements has been acquired and listed into this article, as part of NASASpaceflight.com's extensive coverage of STS-121.

Crew

Shuttle Crewmembers, from left:Stephanie D. Wilson, mission specialist 3. Michael E. Fossum, mission specialist 1 (EV2). Steven W. Lindsey, commander. Piers J. Sellers, mission specialist 4 (EV1). Mark E. Kelly, pilot. Lisa M. Nowak, mission specialist 2. Discovery will also bring a third crewmember to the ISS, ESA Astronaut, Thomas Reiter.


Flight Day List

Day 1: Launch. Obtain imagery and impact sensor data during ascent. Downlink external tank umbilical photos and wing leading edge system data. Power up and initialize Shuttle arm; deploy KU antenna.

Day 2: Checkout Shuttle arm prior to survey activity. Inspect Shuttle wing leading edge (both wings) and nose cap. Checkout two EVA suits.

Crewmembers will perform wing leading edge and nose cap inspections using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System attached to the Shuttle arm; downlink the sensor data to the ground for evaluation; similar inspections will be performed on Flight Day 4. The Orbiter Boom Sensor System configuration has three sensors: the Laser Dynamic Range Imager, the Integrated Sensor Inspection System Digital Camera, and the Laser Camera System.

Day 3: Perform 360-degree pitch maneuver to photograph Shuttle tiles. Dock Shuttle to ISS; hand-off attitude control to ISS. Unberth Orbiter Boom Sensor System with ISS arm; hand off to Shuttle arm. Transfer critical middeck cargo to ISS.

ISS Crewmembers will inspect Shuttle tiles using ISS cameras during the rendezvous R-bar Pitch Maneuver. Shuttle crew cabin will be surveyed using Shuttle arm with real time KU downlink.

Day 4: Install Multi-Purpose Logistics Module on Node 1. Prepare for EVA 1. Perform Orbiter Boom Sensor System focused inspection survey. Transfer logistics and Shuttle middeck items.

Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Leonardo, will make its 4th trip to ISS to deliver more than two tons of equipment, supplies, spare parts and crew supplies: 3 Resupply Stowage Racks (RSRs). 5 Resupply Stowage Platforms (RSPs). 1 Express Transportation Rack (ETR). Minus Eighty-Degree/Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). 1st rack of the Oxygen Generation System (OGS).

MELFI will provide the capability to preserve science samples. OGS will eventually provide enough oxygen to support six crew members.

After Leonardo is unloaded, used equipment and trash will be transferred from ISS for return to Earth. The logistics module will be detached from the ISS and positioned back into Shuttle's cargo bay for return.

Day 5: Perform EVA 1 from ISS Joint Airlock (6 hours 30 min.) Perform Orbiter tile repair worksite stabilization tests. Restore 1 of 2 failed ISS mobile transporter umbilical guides. Transfer logistics items.

Crewmembers will begin maintenance of the ISS Mobile Transporter by either safing or replacing an automatic cable-cutter unit, housed in the Interface Umbilical Assembly. The Trailing Umbilical System cable which provides power, command, data and video connections to the Mobile Transporter will then be re-routed back through the Interface Umbilical Assembly. The cable was moved out of range of the cable cutter during Expedition 12 to prevent accidental severing.

Crewmembers will test a manned orbital boom to determine the stability of the Shuttle?s robot arm when equipped with a 50-foot extension. Crewmembers on the end of the Shuttle arm will perform simulated EVA inspections and repair movements as the arm is moved to various positions while the loads are being measured.

Results will be used to develop load-minimizing techniques, worksite stability requirements, and associated hardware in order to accomplish EVA inspection and repair of the Shuttle tiles.

Day 6: Prepare for EVA 2; checkout EVA suits #3 and #4. Transfer logistics and Shuttle middeck items.

Day 7: Perform EVA 2 from ISS Joint Airlock (6 hours 30 min.) Remove and replace mobile transporter umbilical and guide. Transfer pump module to the external stowage platform. Transfer logistics items and maintenance spares to ISS.

Crewmembers will remove and replace the Nadir Trailing Umbilical System (TUS) reel assembly which had an unexplained failure when its automatic disconnect system inadvertently fired and severed the cable.

Day 8: Prepare for EVA 3 (if mission extended). Transfer logistics and Shuttle middeck items.

Day 9: Perform EVA 3 (6 hours 30 min) if consumable dependent extension is achieved. Perform crack repair on damaged samples. Photograph wing leading edge and tile repair samples. Perform final logistics transfers; crew off-duty time (If EVA #3 takes place, all subsequent tasks will move 1 day to the right).

Crewmembers will perform Reinforced Carbon-Carbon/tile crack repair on eight damaged samples using Non-Oxide Adhesive (NOAX). Heat resistant putty-like material, applied with caulk gun to repair coating loss and fill fine cracks. Crew will capture imagery of tile repair samples in Sample Box Assembly and wing leading edge.

Digital still camera will be tested to determine its usefulness at detecting tile subsurface delaminations; tests will determine if camera is flown as standard equipment on future flights.

Day 10: Reberth logistics module and Orbiter Boom Sensor System in payload bay. Perform late inspections on port wing leading edge. Complete middeck transfers.

Day 11: Close hatches; perform docking system leak checks; undock from ISS. Stow Orbiter Boom Sensor System in Shuttle cargo bay. Perform late inspections on starboard wing leading edge and nose cap.

Day 12: Stow Shuttle cabin. Checkout re-entry systems.

Day 13: Prepare for deorbit and landing at Kennedy Space Center.


Mission Objectives

Verify return to flight efforts and analysis in launch environment. Inspect Shuttle wing leading edge and tiles. Demonstrate Orbiter Boom Sensor System as a repair work platform. Increase ISS crew size from 2 to 3. Replace ISS Mobile Transporter failed umbilical. Replace Microgravity Science Glovebox window.

Transfer resupply and outfitting to ISS: Nitrogen. Crew provisioning and food. 3 US EVA spacesuits. 1st rack of the Oxygen Generation System. Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS rack. Critical Spares.

Discovery will carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), Leonardo, with equipment to resupply the ISS. The Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC) will support delivery of hardware required to perform Thermal Protection System (TPS) repair during an EVA.

The Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) will be used to transport the Early Ammonia Thermal Control Pump Module Assembly (PMA) and the Trailing Umbilical System Reel Assembly (TUS RA). Additional cargo includes the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS), Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), and the Orbiter Docking System (ODS).


Expedition Firsts

Transition from 2 crew to 3 crew. ESA astronaut flying as cosmonaut (long duration crew member). Monitor operation and status of ESA Columbus Control Center.

Deliver and checkout the 1st rack of the Oxygen Generation System. Deliver and activate refrigerator/freezer. Resume ISS assembly with Flight 12A.


Equipment and Supplies on STS-121 for ISS Expedition 13 On-board Experiments

ALTEA (Anomalous Long Term Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous System):
Measures the exposure of crewmembers to cosmic radiation to further our understanding of the impacts of radiation on the human central nervous system and visual system. Provides an assessment of the radiation environment in the ISS. Livio Narici, Ph.D., University of Rome ?Tor Vergata? and INFN, Rome, Italy.

CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment):
A suite of fluid physics flight experiments to investigate capillary flows and flows of fluids in containers with complex geometries. Results will provide computer models that may be applied by designers of low gravity fluid systems in future spacecraft. Mark Weislogel, Ph.D., Portland State University, Portland, OR.

DAFT (Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test):
Tests the effectiveness of a device that counts ultra-fine dust particles in a microgravity environment. A precursor and risk mitigation activity for the next generation of spacecraft fire detection hardware. David Urban, Ph.D., Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH.

Journals (Behavioral Issues Associated with Isolation and Confinement):
Crew journals and surveys are studied to help evaluate the most important factors for coping with isolation and long duration space flight. Jack Stuster, Ph.D., Anacapa Sciences, Incorporated, Santa Barbara, CA.

MISSE-3 and 4 (Materials International Space Station Experiment - 3 and 4):
Part of an ongoing experiment and will be installed during an EVA. Test beds attached to the outside of the ISS containing materials and coatings are being evaluated for the effects of atomic oxygen, direct sunlight, and extremes of heat and cold. Allows development and testing of new materials to better withstand the rigors of space environments. Many of the materials may have applications in the design of future spacecraft. William H. Kinard, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA.

MISSE-5 (Materials International Space Station Experiment -5):
Part of an ongoing materials testbed experiment and will be retrieved during an EVA. Robert Walters, Ph.D., Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC and William Kinard, Ph.D., Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA.

Nutrition (Nutrition Status Assessment):
Allows for a more complete assessment of space flight impact on crew nutritional status, bone health, and rehabilitation by expanding on the current Clinical Nutrition Assessment. The data collected will allow for the evaluation of the efficacy of current and potential countermeasures. Scott Smith, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.

POEMS (Passive Observatories for Experimental Microbial Systems):
Will evaluate the effect of genetic variation within model microbial cells. Enhances understanding of the growth and ecology of microorganisms in space. Michael Roberts, Ph.D., Dynamac Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, FL.

Renal Stone (Renal Stone Risk During Space Flight:
Assessment and Countermeasure Validation): Tests the efficacy of potassium citrate as a countermeasure to renal stone formation during long-duration space flight. Kidney stone formation is a significant risk during long duration space flight that could endanger crew health. Peggy A. Whitson, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.

SAMS-II (Space Acceleration Measurement System-II):
An intermittent study of the small forces (vibrations and accelerations) on the ISS that result from the operation of hardware, crew activities, as well as dockings and maneuvering. Results will be used to generalize the types of vibrations affecting vibration-sensitive experiments.

SEM (Space Experiment Module):
Students conduct research on the effects of microgravity, radiation and space flight on various materials. Encourages students to probe into the physics of radiation, microgravity and space flight through planning, performing and analyzing materials experiments on board the ISS. Ruthan Lewis, Ph.D., Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.

SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites):
Bowling-ball sized free-flying spheres test control algorithms for spacecraft by performing independent formation flight and docking maneuvers inside the ISS. The results are important for satellite servicing, vehicle assembly, and formation flown interferometers. David W. Miller, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

Stability (Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic and Nutritional Compounds):
Past space flights have suggested that the space environment can reduce the potency of medicines and the nutritional value of foods commonly used by space explorers. Determine the magnitude of these effects on the stability of medicines and food to develop improved storage, countermeasures, and preserve items for future long duration expeditions to the Moon and Mars. Scott Smith, Ph.D. and Lakshmi Putcha, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.

SWAB (Surface, Water and Air Biocharacterization):
Human presence in space, permanent or transient, is accompanied by the presence of microorganisms. Will provide better understanding of the microbial flora thorough microbial risk assessment to the crew and the spacecraft for human exploration to the Moon and Mars. Used to advanced molecular technologies and better understand the types of organisms that the crew could encounter, their sources, and the potential risks to the crew. Duane L. Pierson, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.

Tropi (Analysis of a Novel Sensory Mechanism in Root Phototropism): Video tape, sample and analyze plants sprouted from seeds to determine which genes are responsible for successful plant growth in microgravity. May lead to sustainable agriculture for future long duration space missions. John Kiss, Ph.D., Miami University, Oxford, OH.

FIT (Fungal Pathogenesis, Tumorigenesis, and Effects of Host Immunity in Space):
Investigate susceptibility to fungal infection, progression of radiation-induced tumors and changes in immune function in sensitized Drosophila (fruit fly) lines. Sharmila Bhattacharya, Ph.D., Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA and Deborah Kimbrell, Ph.D., University of California-Davis, Davis, CA.

Latent Virus (Incidence of Latent Virus Shedding During Space Flight):
Study Astronauts to determine frequencies of reactivation of latent viruses and clinical diseases after exposure to the physical, physiological and psychological stressors associated with short duration space flight. Duane L. Pierson, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX and Satish K. Mehta, Ph.D., Enterprise Advisory Services, Incorporated, Houston, TX.

MAUI (Maui Analysis of Upper Atmospheric Injections):
Observe exhaust plume of the Space Shuttle to assess spacecraft plume interactions with the upper atmosphere. Rainer Dressler, Ph.D., Hanscom Air Force Base, Lexington, MA.

PMZ (Bioavailability and Performance Effects of Promethazine During Space Flight):
Examine bioavailability and performance impacting side-effects of Promethazine as a motion sickness medication taken by the Space Shuttle astronauts. Lakshmi Putcha, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.

RAMBO (Ram Burn Observations):
Observes Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System engine burns to improve plume models. Sensors will observe selected rendezvous and orbit adjust burns. William L. Dimpfl, Ph.D., Aerospace Corporation. Los Angeles, CA.

Sleep-Short (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Space Flight-Short):
Examine effects of space flight on the sleep-wake cycles of the astronauts during Space Shuttle missions. Charles A. Czeisler, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA.


European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) (ESA)

FACILITY SUMMARY:
EMCS provides a facility where small organisms (plants, microbes, insects, amphibians) can grow in variable gravity conditions (0.001G to 2.0G) using a rotating centrifuge. It was designed for multi-generation experiments and studies on gravity effects on early development and growth in a variety of organisms.

EMCS will facilitate long-term plant growth studies, including multi-generation studies (seed to seed), early development events in plants, gravity influence on early development and growth (g-level threshold research) and how plants perceive and respond to gravity as they grow.

FACILITY OPERATION:
SEMCS consists of a gas tight incubator containing two centrifuges with space for 4 Experiment Containers on each rotor; the life support and water supply system, and the illumination and the observation system are located on the rotors.

Once on ISS, the turning of the rotors can be used to apply a gravity effect between the normal microgravity and 1G experienced on Earth.


Minus Eighty Degrees Laboratory Freezer (MELFI)

FACILITY SUMMARY:
This multi-purpose freezer significantly enhances the research capabilities of the US Laboratory on ISS.

Supports a wide range of life science experiments by preserving biological samples (such as blood, saliva, urine, microbial or plant samples) collected onboard ISS for later return and analysis back on Earth.

Samples from the ISS Medical Project will be stored in MELFI and contribute to multiple studies of the effect of space flight on human health in support of the Vision for Space Exploration.

FACILITY OPERATIONS:
The freezer is based on the Brayton Thermodynamic Cycle which uses nitrogen as a working fluid. It includes four nitrogen-cooled dewars which can be controlled independently to keep samples at any of three different temperatures: -80, -26 and +4?C (-112, -15 and 39?F).

[demonbl@ck]

o ma roba in italiano mai!!!??

[GioFX]

[duchetto]

Discovery visibile dall'Italia
Nel caso in cui lo Space Shuttle Discovery verrà lanciato sabato 1 luglio 2006 alle 21:49 italiane, esso sarà visibile ad occhio nudo nei cieli di buona parte dell’Italia, pochi minuti dopo il lancio. Gli orari del transito in varie città della penisola sono indicati nello schema più in basso. Come si può notare, gli orari cambiano pochissimo da una città e l’altra. Questi orari sono validi solo nel caso in cui il Discovery venga lanciato sabato 1 luglio. Attualmente ci sono molte preoccupazioni circa la possibilità di condizioni meteorologiche al di fuori dei limiti di sicurezza sia per sabato 1 luglio che per domenica 2 luglio. Gli ufficiali meteorologici del Kennedy Space Center riportano il 40% di probabilità di pioggia per sabato e il 60% di domenica. Nel caso in cui il lancio venga rinviato, il sito riportato sotto fornisce le successive finestre di lancio possibili.

In the case of the Space Shuttle Discovery is launched Saturday, 1st July 2006, at 9:49 pm (CEST), it will be visible with naked eye from the most part of Italy, few minutes after launch. Timings of the transit above few Italian cities are reported in the chart below. As it can be noticed, timings changes slightly from one city to another. These timings are exact only in the case of Discovery will be launched Saturday, 1st July. Currently there are many concerns about the possibility of weather conditions outside the launch criteria, both on Saturday 1st July and Sunday 2nd July. Weather officers at the Kennedy Space Center reports about 40% chance of rain on Saturday afternoon and 60% on Sunday. If the launch is scrubbed, in the website reported below are indicated the later launch windows.


Bolzano Appears 22h08m12s 4.8m az: 297.5d WNW Transit 22h11m36s -2.5m az: 25.8d NNE h:70.6d; dist:205.4km alt:194.2km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.8m az:109.0d ESE h:17.0d

Milano Appears 22h08m00s 5.6m az:302.5d WNW Transit 22h11m22s -1.3m az: 24.7d NNE h:37.1d; dist:310.8km alt:193.0km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.3m az: 94.1d E h:12.6d

Firenze Appears 22h08m33s 5.8m az:308.1d NW Transit 22h11m54s -0.7m az: 26.7d NNE h:27.8d; dist:399.2km alt:195.6km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.6m az: 77.2d ENE h:17.3d

Roma Appears 22h09m02s 5.9m az:314.8d NW Transit 22h12m20s -0.1m az: 28.1d NNE h:19.6d; dist:532.8km alt:197.7km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.3m az: 53.4d NE h:17.5d

Napoli Appears 22h09m28s 5.7m az:317.5d NW Transit 22h12m46s 0.1m az: 29.6d NNE h:18.3d; dist:567.5km alt:199.6km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.0m az: 34.5d NE h:18.2d

[RiccardoS]

Originariamente inviato da duchetto

Discovery visibile dall'Italia
Nel caso in cui lo Space Shuttle Discovery verrà lanciato sabato 1 luglio 2006 alle 21:49 italiane, esso sarà visibile ad occhio nudo nei cieli di buona parte dell’Italia,

....

Bolzano Appears 22h08m12s 4.8m az: 297.5d WNW Transit 22h11m36s -2.5m az: 25.8d NNE h:70.6d; dist:205.4km alt:194.2km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.8m az:109.0d ESE h:17.0d

Milano Appears 22h08m00s 5.6m az:302.5d WNW Transit 22h11m22s -1.3m az: 24.7d NNE h:37.1d; dist:310.8km alt:193.0km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.3m az: 94.1d E h:12.6d

Firenze Appears 22h08m33s 5.8m az:308.1d NW Transit 22h11m54s -0.7m az: 26.7d NNE h:27.8d; dist:399.2km alt:195.6km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.6m az: 77.2d ENE h:17.3d

Roma Appears 22h09m02s 5.9m az:314.8d NW Transit 22h12m20s -0.1m az: 28.1d NNE h:19.6d; dist:532.8km alt:197.7km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.3m az: 53.4d NE h:17.5d

Napoli Appears 22h09m28s 5.7m az:317.5d NW Transit 22h12m46s 0.1m az: 29.6d NNE h:18.3d; dist:567.5km alt:199.6km Disappears 22h12m52s -0.0m az: 34.5d NE h:18.2d

e per Rovigo quando passa?

ach... sembra che la traiettoria sia da Nord a Sud... io proprio quel sabato sera dovrei essere al mare a vedere le stelle... ma mi sa che dalla costa adriatica mica riesco a vederlo...

[GioFX]

mitico, ottime info.

Da Spaceflightnow.com:

Discovery astronauts fly to Florida for launch

BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: June 27, 2006

Commander Steve Lindsey and his six crewmates - pilot Mark Kelly, flight engineer Lisa Nowak, spacewalkers Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum, Stephanie Wilson and European astronaut Thomas Reiter - flew to the Kennedy Space Center today for final preparations before launch Saturday on a space station servicing mission.

Arriving aboard two-seat T-38 jet trainers, the astronauts touched down on the shuttle's 3-mile-long runway at mid morning, landing one at a time in a staggered sequence.

"We're really excited to be here, ready to go do this for real," Lindsey told reporters at the runway. "We've been training for a long time, we're as prepared as we're going to be. The vehicle is ready and everything's looking 'go.' So weather permitting, which I'm pretty confident in, we're going to be airborne on July 1."

Discovery's launch from pad 39B is targeted for 3:48:37 p.m. Saturday, roughly the moment Earth's rotation carries the shuttle into the plane of the space station's orbit. Afternoon showers are expected, but NASA has not yet issued an official forecast.

"I'm hoping the weather's going to improve a little bit in the next few days and we'll get off on time," said Sellers. "It's great to be here at last."

Discovery's flight is only the second post-Columbia mission and the first launch in nearly a year as NASA has struggled to overcome ongoing problems with the foam insulation on the shuttle's external fuel tank.

The goals of the 115th shuttle mission are to deliver more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and equipment to the space station; to repair a stalled robot arm transporter needed for continued assembly; and to deliver European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter to the outpost as a full-time crew member.

Reiter is on board Discovery under a commercial contract between the European and Russian space agencies. He will join station commander Pavel Vinogradov and flight engineer Jeff Williams for a long-duration stay aboard the outpost, boosting crew size back to three for the first time since the immediate aftermath of the 2003 Columbia disaster.

"I'm the one who will be left behind on the station," Reiter joked today. "After years and years of training, I think this is a remarkable moment. I think we all are confident our launch will signify the continuation of assembly of the station, returning to a three-man crew and utilizing the station for its (intended) purpose."

Discovery's countdown to launch is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

[GioFX]

Da Spaceflightnow.com:

Weather outlook iffy for weekend shuttle launch

BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: June 28, 2006

The shuttle Discovery is in good shape and on track for launch Saturday, but forecasters are predicting a 60 percent chance of electrically charged anvil clouds and afternoon showers Saturday, Sunday and Monday that would prevent takeoff.

Florida's summertime afternoon weather is always subject to change on short notice and as of this writing, launch managers plan to press ahead for what will be only the second shuttle flight in three years.

"Our teams have been working tirelessly during the last year to make this shuttle flight and all our shuttle flights, obviously, as safe as possible for the crews," said NASA test director Jeff Spaulding.

"As we approach our nation's 230th birthday, I'm proud to announce that the launch vehicle, the launch team and flight crew are ready to launch and continue our mission of completing the space station."

Discovery's countdown is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. today, leading up to a launch attempt at 3:49 p.m. EDT Saturday, roughly the moment Earth's rotation carries the launch pad into the plane of the international space station's orbit.

Spaulding dismissed concerns about the weather, pointing out that on more than one occasion NASA was able to proceed with a launch despite forecasts as bad as 90 percent no-go.

"I think as always, if we have an opportunity to launch, the management team will sit down and make an evaluation and then make a go at trying to get off the ground," he said. "That's always our plan, to try to get off if we have an opportunity. Obviously these forecasts, while they sound a little bit gloomy, we've certainly launched with higher predictions than this, etc.. As always, we'll evaluate the weather real time and make a decision on the day of launch."

Engineers plan to load Discovery's electricity producing fuel cell system with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen Thursday afternoon. Once loaded, Discovery will have five days to get off the ground before a two-day stand down to top off the hydrogen tanks. The oxygen supply will be good for 12 days.

If Discovery can take off during the first three days of its window, enough hydrogen and oxygen will be available to permit a one-day mission extension and the addition of a third spacewalk to test heat-shield repair techniques. But after Monday, enough hydrogen likely will have boiled off in the fuel cell system to preclude an extra day.

Spaulding said no decisions have been made on whether NASA would make three launch attempts in a row to get Discovery off. The usual practice is two attempts in a row and then a day off to give the launch team a break. If that policy holds up, NASA will be able to make four attempts in five days before standing down for 48 hours to top off the hydrogen tanks.

Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are the rule on Florida's east coast in the summer months and Kathy Winter, an Air Force weather officer, said this week is no exception. While a ridge will push afternoon storms inland this weekend, electrically charged anvil clouds will pose a threat to Discovery's launch.

"Those thunderstorms, even though they'll be pushing inland, we'll be seeing anvils coming back from those thunderstorms and those are also dangerous when it comes to triggering a lightning strike. So our main concern is going to be those anvils coming back from those thunderstorms."

In addition, an inverted trough, or wave, to the west will bring more moisture into the area "and because of that, we could also see some isolated showers and cumulus clouds in the area of the launch pad and within 20 nautical miles of the shuttle landing facility," she said.

The weather is expected to be acceptable for at least one emergency runway in Spain or France, along with a backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California throughout the weekend.

NASA's problem is the possibility of rocket-triggered lightning during launch and/or showers and low clouds that could prevent a safe return-to-launch site abort.

NASA flight rules require a "go" forecast for RTLS, meaning no worse than scattered clouds below 5,000 feet, visibility of at least four statute miles and crosswinds less than 15 knots. A shuttle cannot be cleared for launch if thunderstorms, lightning or rain are within 23 miles of the runway.

[Octane]

Beh, sono partiti anche con previsioni del tempo peggiori (come e' anche stato detto..) A loro basta mezz'ora di sole per partire

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da Octane

Beh, sono partiti anche con previsioni del tempo peggiori (come e' anche stato detto..) A loro basta mezz'ora di sole per partire

ma prima del Columbia, il punto ora sono le restrizioni dettate dal rapporto del CAIB.

[Octane]

certo, vogliono essere sicuri di poter filmare tutto con la miglior illuminazione possibile.
Speriamo bene per sabato!

[morpheus85]

http://ilrestodelcarlino.quotidiano..../06/27/5422393

[RiccardoS]

Originariamente inviato da morpheus85

http://ilrestodelcarlino.quotidiano..../06/27/5422393

non preoccuparti morfè: NON è un ufo.

[morpheus85]

Originariamente inviato da RiccardoS

non preoccuparti morfè: NON è un ufo.

edit: E' stato identificato...

E' un vecchio satellite americano lanciato nel 1963
(ANSA) - MOSCA, 27 GIU - E' stato identificato l'oggetto che sembrava dovere entrare in rotta di collisione con la stazione orbitante internazionale (Iss). Si tratta di un vecchio satellite americano lanciato nel 1963, e la sua traiettoria, assicurano gli esperti russi, non rappresenta un pericolo per la Iss. 'La possibilita' di urti e' zero - ha detto un portavoce del centro spaziale russo di Koroliov - e quindi abbiamo deciso, d'accordo con la Nasa, di non fare alcuna correzione di rotta per la stazione'

[GioFX]

ricordiamo che per le notizie sulla ISS esiste un thread apposito.

[razziadacqua]

AHHHHHHHHH una cosa del genere andrebbe ad aggiungere un altra tacca tra i fenomeni assurdi che ho visto!!!DEVO VEDERE ASSOLUTAMENTE QUESTA COSA!

GioFx!Ci sono aggiornamenti su orario di lancio e orbita?E/o un modo per capire se sarà visibile pure dalla costa adriatica?

[uC.ArTaX]

Originariamente inviato da demonbl@ck

o ma roba in italiano mai!!!??

Ne approfitto per pubblicizzare il migliore forum italiano sull'astronautica
www.forumastronautico.it

Ci sono tonnellate di thread su progetti passati presenti e futuri (vedere la sezione "Progetto Aries e Moonlight scenario"), speriamo di accogliere tutti gli appassionati italiani, con conoscenze tecniche (che sono sempre presenti) oppure no (non sono fondamentali alla comprensione e sono sempre spiegate chiaramente)

Venite a farci un salto!

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da razziadacqua

Ci sono aggiornamenti su orario di lancio e orbita?E/o un modo per capire se sarà visibile pure dalla costa adriatica?

il lancio è previsto per domani alle 3:49 EST (21:49 CET) ed essendo diretto alla ISS l'inclinazione/altitudine è 51.6°/122 NM (vedi sopra).

[GioFX]

Da Spaceflightnow.com:

Mission management team 'go' for Saturday launch

BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: June 29, 2006

Afternoon thunderstorms delayed work to load the shuttle Discovery's fuel cell system today, but engineers expect to make up the lost time later this evening and mission managers said the orbiter will be ready for launch Saturday, weather permitting, on the second post-Columbia mission.

"I'm very happy to report that we just had our launch-minus two-day mission management team review and other than some questionable weather, we have no constraints to launch," said John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team. "It's been a long year, with a lot of hard work by all of the team members to get to this point and I just want to say I'm extremely proud of the team and we are ready to go for Saturday and do what NASA does best."

Liftoff from pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center is targeted for Saturday at 3:49 p.m. EDT. But forecasters continue to predict a 60 percent chance of afternoon showers and electrically charged anvil clouds that could delay launch tries Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Launch Director Mike Leinbach said NASA's strategy will be to make back-to-back attempts Saturday and Sunday, if necessary, take a day off and then try again Tuesday and Wednesday. After that, the launch team would stand down for two days to reload fuel cell hydrogen. Launch managers are hopeful the weather will cooperate before that point rolls around.

"I'm very confident the hardware we've put on the pad is the best hardware we have and I'm just looking forward to a great flight," Shannon said.

Discovery's flight is somewhat controversial because of NASA Administrator Mike Griffin's decision to press ahead with launch over the objections of his chief safety officer and the agency's chief engineer. Both men were no-go for flight because of concern about a recently discovered failure mechanism that could result in foam debris falling away from so-called ice-frost ramps on the external tank. The debris poses an impact threat to the shuttle's fragile heat shield.

The ice-frost ramps are officially classified by NASA as "probable/catastrophic" in the agency's integrated risk matrix, meaning that over the course of 100 flights, there is a 50-50 chance the foam could break away and lead to a catastrophic failure.

But Griffin argued the risk is to the shuttle - not the crew - because in a worst-case scenario, the astronauts could move into the international space station to await rescue by another shuttle crew. Given a 2010 deadline to finish the space station and retire the shuttle fleet, Griffin said he decided to accept the risk posed by the ice-frost ramps and to proceed with assembly.

Shannon defended Griffin¹s decision, saying the objections of Bryan O'Connor, director of Safety and Mission Assurance, and Chris Scolese, NASA's chief engineer, had been "mis-characterized a little bit" in the media.

"The way I would put it, and I have attended every one of these meetings, when people are asked in your specific area, which is engineering or the safety group as well, would you change the ice-frost ramps? The answer came back yes," Shannon said. "But whenever Mike Griffin and (spaceflight chief) Bill Gerstenmaier go through the rationale for flight and you start really poking into the numbers for the ice-frost ramp and the real risk that it poses, I think we had just about 100 percent agreement that yes, we understand.

"As engineers, we would not fly with this condition ... but we have looked at all the data, it does not look to be something you have to go fix right now, we understand the rationale to go fly. We kind of handicap people by asking them just to vote for their specific area. I think when you lay out the whole story, the whole picture, we got almost 100 percent understanding."

But it was NASA's own engineering community that classified the ice-frost ramps as "probable/catastrophic," the only red-level threat in the risk matrix. In fact, Discovery's flight is the first in shuttle history to be cleared for launch with a system officially deemed an unacceptable risk.

"I have no idea if it's really yellow or red," Shannon said. "What I'd say is we don't have enough information to very accurately characterize that. Some people think it's in the red because they don't know, and that's one way you might characterize it.

"I am very comforted by the fact that we have not seen foam losses that would be catastrophic, regardless of what time they're released. I'm comforted by the fact that the geometry of the underlying metal under the foam seems to be such that a mass loss of that size is not possible. So those things make you feel better, but is that real science that you can hang your hat on and say that's really guaranteed or not? We're in a learning environment."

Shannon said the open debate over the issue showed NASA has changed its culture since the Columbia disaster. But in this case, engineers do not have enough solid information to reach solid conclusions.

"So then you're left to opinions," Shannon said. "The debate is the important piece and I think that was fulfilled in spades."

NASA has been criticized in the past for proceeding with flights in the absence of solid engineering data about troublesome systems.

Astronaut Stephen Robinson, who flew aboard Discovery for the first post-Columbia mission last July, said he agree the ice-frost ramps need fixing, but he said he tends to worry more about the high-speed rotating machinery in the shuttle's main engines and hydraulic system.

Asked how the public should interpret the actual risk posed by the ice-frost ramps, he said "it's difficult to tell the risk of something that hasn't happened before, isn't it? That's the biggest problem in our whole business. How do you characterize the risk of something that's never occurred even once."

"Now we have never had, for instance, a problem with the thing we worry the very most about, which are the big machines that are moving very fast during the launch phase," he said. "These are the engines and all the pumps and compressors and the hydraulic power units. Those we worry about a tremendous amount every single launch. We've been extremely fortunate ... that nothing has ever occurred with those. Worrying about ice-frost ramps doesn't even stack up to those kind of things."

Engines have shut down before launch and once, in July 1985, in flight. But in all cases, the engines shut down safely and in the 1985 abort to orbit, the crew was able to accomplish most of the mission objectives.

"The ice-frost ramp is something we've learned a lot about, it's one of the many things we should worry about, but it cannot keep us from launching, it cannot keep us from reaching orbit successfully," Robinson said. "The absolute worst it could do is shed some foam. We don't think it could shed foam big enough to critically hurt us and not be able to come home. So from a crew safety point of view, I completely back the administrator that it's the correct thing to do.

"From worrying it's something that could hurt the shuttle and maybe the long-term reusability of the shuttle, I completely back our safety community and Bryan O'Connor that that is something to worry about. But you have to put it into perspective. There are many things to worry about in a shuttle launch and we should be worrying about them all. I think you can have confidence that NASA has made the right decision. The dissent you're seeing is absolutely normal. ... Remember how much we talked about culture change after Columbia? This is culture change."

Summing up the ice-frost ramp debate, Robinson said he worries "more about rotating machinery going at tremendous rates, I really do. I'm a mechanical engineer and a pilot and those are the things that worry me the most. But I have a wide spectrum of things to be concerned about when it comes to safety and you have to decide that the risk is minimized. I think the risk for this flight is minimized. It's not gone. We're going to accept the risk we currently know about and we're going to go fly and see how the changes we have made, how much safer they've made us."

[razziadacqua]

Originariamente inviato da GioFX

il lancio è previsto per domani alle 3:49 EST (21:49 CET) ed essendo diretto alla ISS l'inclinazione/altitudine è 51.6°/122 NM (vedi sopra).

Mh.Onestamente cmq nn ci ho capito tanto.Cioè,non riesco ad usufruire di codesti dati onde tracciare l orbita dello Shuttle nel cielo,in pARTIcolar modo da Pesaro...cmq già sapere che è diretta verso la ISSA è utile assai specie con http://www.heavens-above.com/ Certo che avere una dannatissima effemeride o carta con le zone di visibilità come per le eclissi,non farebbe schifo.