[Space] NASA - STS-116 - ISS-12A.1 (Discovery)

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NASA STS-116 - International Space Station



STS Program Mission: STS-116 (117th flight, 33th OV-103 flight)

ISS Program Assembly Flight: 12.1A

Orbiter: Discovery (OV-103)

Launch Pad: 39B

Mission duration: 10 days, 19 hours 25 min

Landing site: KSC

Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Payload:

• 3rd Port Truss segment (P5)

Crew:

• Commander Mark Polansky
• Pilot William Oefelein
• Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam
• Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham
• Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick
• Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang
• Mission Specialist Sunita Williams

STS-116 Press Kit:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/162182main_S..._Press_Kit.pdf (7.3 MB)

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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

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Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4897


STS-116 milestone - A Small Victory

Workers are in the process of handing over Shuttle Discovery to rollout and pad crew, as STS-116 draws closer to making its target launch window - which opens on December 6.

The continued smooth flow towards the accelerated launch schedule for Discovery gained a note from Shuttle manager Wayne Hale, who praised the workforce for this achievement, ahead of Wednesday's rollout to the pad.

The accelerated launch schedule was seen by many as 'ambitious' - especially with the amount of work that was still to be completed on both Discovery and Atlantis, the latter required for LON (Launch On Need) support.

However, with Hale - regarded by most people as the best Shuttle manager ever to head the program - at the helm, Discovery starts her trip to Pad 39B with several days of contingency remaining in the flow, ahead of the 10 day window that opens on the 6th.


'Wayne Hale said many thought a few months ago we could not accelerate STS-116 launch one week,' noted the latest Shuttle integration report. 'This was accomplished, and he is proud of work on this.'

A key element of supporting STS-116 is the ability to have Atlantis ready for LON support (LON-317). Now that Discovery is set to head to the pad, workers have been transferred to that goal of finishing work on Atlantis.

STS-116 is now heading into the MOD FRR (Flight Readiness Review) on Wednesday (presentations available on L2 now), ahead of the full FRR later this month.

'Resources dedicated to OV-103 (Discovery) to get ready for rollout, now being shifted back to OV-104 (Atlantis) and OV-105 (Endeavour),' added the report, which listed outstanding work on Discovery's sister ships.

Such work included the change out of black boxes for S-band antenna, which is hoped will fix the problem of S-band dropouts seen on last flight (STS-115), and the completion of nose cap repairs.

As of this morning, Integrated drag chute operations are 'in work' - with payload bay door rigging also progressing. She was also powered up at 8am on Tuesday.

Endeavour was also powered up this morning at the same time, with crew module hatch seal removal and replacement in work, along with APU leak checks and functionality checks in work.

SRB (Solid Rocket Booster) elements are already arriving and being prepared for both STS-117 and STS-118. 'STS-117 right forward assembly and both aft assemblies for STS-118 going to Ground Operations.'

Also buoying the processing flow is the status of the External Tanks, with all flows now on schedule.

'ET-124-This is next tank. Tank due out December 17th. On schedule. Completed sprays to address foam thicknesses for PAL ramp. Made progress in drip lip locations. Some longeron sprays completed. ET-117-This is next tank following ET-124 Vertical in Cell A. On schedule. Plan first series of lower sprays this Sunday. ET-114-On schedule.'

A couple of outstanding issues that have been previously noted also received mentions, with the crack that was found on Discovery's landing gear - and the debris strike that punched a hole in one of Atlantis' radiator panels on orbit during STS-115.

'During rollover, someone noticed small crack in corner of bracket holding right door uplock proximity sensor,' noted the report. 'Not structural member. Only potential concern would be sensor becoming FOD inside wheel well if crack were more extensive.

'Approved using tape to secure sensor for now, and will fix next flight. (Engineering) representative wants to know who spotted crack, because (person) deserves recognition.'

On the MMOD strike, a level of testing has taken place at White Sands to help future evaluations of such incidents. Testing has seen twenty hypervelocity shots at the radiator panels, to gain engineering data.

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Da SpaceFlightNow.com:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...061109rollout/

Discovery moved to launch pad for upcoming blastoff

BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: November 9, 2006

Space shuttle Discovery journeyed to launch pad 39B overnight to begin final preparations for its nighttime blastoff December 7 on a delicate space station re-wiring mission.


Discovery nears pad 39B at sunrise. Photo: Ben Cooper/Spaceflight Now

The four-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building, which began at 12:29 a.m. EST (0529 GMT), saw an Apollo-era transporter haul Discovery's mobile launch platform along Kennedy Space Center's crawlerway at a top speed less than one mph.

The transporter is powered by 16 traction motors feeding from two 2,750 horsepower diesel engines and consumed over 100 gallons of diesel fuel in each mile of the trip.

The shuttle reached the pad entrance at sunrise under clear, crisp skies. The rollout crew activated the transporter's jacking and leveling system for the slow creep up the ramp of pad 39B. The crawler uses hydraulic lifts to keep the shuttle level during the ramp ascent by jacking up the front-end of the platform. Once on the flat pad surface, a precision laser guidance system helped align the platform over the pad pedestals.

Technicians called the platform harddown on the pedestals at 9:03 a.m. EST (1403 GMT), officially completing the rollout.

The methodical process of hooking up the crew module assess and hydrogen vent arms extending from the launch tower, as well as electrical, propellant, communications and other lines between the ground systems and launch platform will begin.

A hot-fire test for Discovery's auxiliary power unit system is scheduled later today. The APUs provide the hydraulic pressure needed to move the ship's wing flaps and main engine nozzles and deploy the landing gear. Then the gantry-like rotating service structure will be moved around Discovery.

In the coming days, the shuttle's payload bay doors to be opened and the mission cargo loaded aboard the orbiter. And a practice countdown with the astronauts is planned for next week.

Liftoff remains targeted for December 7 at 9:36 p.m. EST. It will mark the first night shuttle launch in four years.

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Da SpaceFlightNow.com:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...6/061109status

Discovery mission extended; moving up launch ruled out

BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: November 9, 2006


Discovery arrived at pad 39B this morning. Photo: NASA-KSC

The shuttle Discovery was hauled to launch pad 39B today for work to ready the ship for blastoff Dec. 7 on a critical space station assembly and re-wiring mission. NASA managers considered moving launch up an additional day, to Dec. 6, but ruled that out today based on time needed to complete crew training and to develop software intended to prevent damage to the station's new solar arrays.

The software in question is designed to constantly monitor the positions of the sun-tracking arrays and warn flight controllers of possible rocket plume contamination or excessive structural loads, Sources said the new monitoring software - and the training needed to use it - likely cannot be formally certified before Discovery's current December launch window closes.

Instead, engineers hope to have a workable system in place by Dec. 7, although details about what needs to be done are not yet clear.

Mounted atop a powerful crawler-transporter, Discovery and its mobile launch platform began the 4.2-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad at 12:29 a.m. The MLP was "hard down" at the pad by 9:03 a.m.

Discovery's crew - commander Mark Polansky, pilot William Oefelein, Nicholas Patrick, Robert Curbeam, European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang, Joan Higginbotham and Sunita Williams - plans to fly to the Kennedy Space Center next week to review emergency procedures and participate in a dress rehearsal countdown Thursday.

A two-day flight readiness review to assess Discovery's processing is scheduled for Nov. 28-29. If no problems develop, launch will be targeted for no earlier than Dec. 7. The launch window that day opens at 9:30:42 p.m. and closes at 9:40:42 p.m. Liftoff will be targeted for the middle of the window, at 9:35:42 p.m.

The goal of the flight is to attach a short spacer segment to the station's solar array truss and to carry out a complex two-spacewalk re-wiring job to switch the station over from interim power to its permanent electrical system. That change over, which requires extensive realtime ground commanding and system power cycling during ongoing spacewalks, makes Discovery's flight the most complex station assembly mission yet attempted.

Mission STS-116 initially was baselined for 11 days with the possibility of extending the flight one day in orbit if on-board supplies permitted. NASA managers recently made that official, baselining a 12-day flight and adding a post-undocking (flight day 11) heat shield inspection to the crew's timeline. Here is a revised summary timeline:


FD-1 (12/07): Launch at 9:36 p.m.
FD-2 (12/08): Heat shield inspection
FD-3 (12/09): Space station docking; P5 truss removal from bay
FD-4 (12/10): Spacewalk 1: P5 attachment to P4 solar array segment
FD-5 (12/11): P6 port solar wing retraction
FD-6 (12/12): Spacewalk 2: Electrical channel 2/3 re-wiring
FD-7 (12/13): Crew off duty time; crew news conference
FD-8 (12/14): Spacewalk 3: Electrical channel 1/4 re-wiring
FD-9 (12/15): Equipment transfers
FD-10 (12/16): Discovery undocks from space station
FD-11 (12/17): Heat shield inspection
FD-12 (12/18): Cabin stow
FD-13 (12/19): Landing at 4:37 p.m.
Senior NASA managers meeting today at the Johnson Space Center ruled out moving the launch date up to Dec. 6. The flight already had been moved up a week, from Dec. 14 to Dec. 7. Crew trainers and the flight control team argued against another move to Dec. 6 to avoid losing another day of preparation.
Completing development of the new solar array monitoring software is a bit of a wild card in mission planning.

Before the station can be switched from interim to permanent power, one of the two solar array wings providing interim power must be retracted. In addition, the new array panels attached to the left side of the station's main solar power truss in September must begin rotating like a giant paddle wheel to keep face on to the sun.

As the arrays rotate on the end of a massive solar alpha rotary joint, or SARJ, their masts are moved at right angles, by so-called beta-gimbal joints, to change their pitch as required.

Engineers always knew the start of that complex, automated sun tracking would require careful monitoring to make sure station or shuttle thrusters did not deposit contamination on the solar cells or impart excessive loads that might damage or even break the fragile hardware.

As it turned out, the requirements for the software were late and development is not yet complete. Engineers are racing the clock to get a workable, if not certified, version in place by the opening of Discovery's launch window.

With that issue percolating in the background, Program Manager Wayne Hale asked the shuttle team to consider moving launch up to Dec. 6 as a way to add a day to Discovery's launch window. An extra day would provide a bit of insurance getting the shuttle mission off before running up against the end of the year.

When the shuttle's flight control software was developed in the 1970s, NASA managers did not envision the possibility of flying missions during the transition from one year to the next. Internal clocks, instead of rolling over to Jan. 1, 2007, would simply keep counting up, putting them at odds with navigation systems on the ground.

"It's an interesting problem because if you remember a few years ago, we went through the Y2K change and there was a lot of concern about what computers would do," Hale told reporters earlier this week. "The interesting thing about the shuttle computers and the ground computers that support the shuttle is they were never envisioned to fly through a year-end change over. So the shuttle computers actually keep counting and they believe it's day 366 instead of day 1 of the year.

"That sounds rather trivial, but the fact of the matter is to keep the navigation in synch with the rest of the world, which has changed from day 365 to day 1, you've got to make that change appropriately and it was never designed in."

Space station software, on the other hand, was designed from the ground up to handle year-end rollovers and in the wake of the 2003 Columbia disaster, engineers re-evaluated the shuttle's software to make sure an emergency rescue mission, if needed, could safely fly across a new year.

"We had certified that for contingency use in the sense that if we ever had to fly a launch-on-need rescue mission and it happened to cross a year-end rollover, it would work," Hale said. "So we did quite a bit of testing on the software at that point. But there is a different level of testing that you need to do when you want to execute a procedure like that for a normal, planned, not contingency kind of operation.

"In April, we asked the team to go off and do that work. There had been a series of problems with that work and it turns out while we feel confident that it would work if we had to use it, we did not get the normal amount of testing and a normal amount of runtime on what are some very complicated procedures, both on the ground and with the crew to keep everything in synch across the end of the year.

"So right now, coming out of a review last week, it looks like we will not try to execute the flight over the year end," Hale said. "We're going to review that at the flight readiness review, so I would not call it a hard constraint at this time but rather a recommendation to take forward."

NASA managers today officially ruled out a Dec. 6 launch. A requirement to be back on the ground by Dec. 31 at the latest means Discovery must take off by Dec. 17, which would result in a landing Dec. 29 and still preserve two additional landing days in case of bad weather or other problems.

Florida's nighttime December weather is relatively mild and with 11 launch opportunities from Dec. 7 through Dec. 17, flight controllers are optimistic they'll get Discovery into space before the 2006 window closes.

"With the more benign weather that we have in Florida in December," Hale said, "we think that would probably be adequate to get us off."

[marcozambi]

Ciao!
Vi segnalo che oltre a seguire questa missione sulle pagine di questo ottimo forum, potete trovare ulteriori informazioni e commenti in lingua italiana su http://www.forumastronautico.it.
Ciao e complimenti per tutta l'ottima sezione dedicata allo spazio!!!

[Octane]

Originariamente inviato da marcozambi

Ciao!
Vi segnalo che oltre a seguire questa missione sulle pagine di questo ottimo forum, potete trovare ulteriori informazioni e commenti in lingua italiana su http://www.forumastronautico.it.
Ciao e complimenti per tutta l'ottima sezione dedicata allo spazio!!!

Tnx per il link (non conoscevo..)
adesso dovro' ricavarmi ancora un altro po' di tempo per leggere 3d e news

[GioFX]

scusate se non seguo molto in questi ultimi giorni, sono molto impegnato... chi può aggiorni pure!

[Octane]

Originariamente inviato da GioFX

scusate se non seguo molto in questi ultimi giorni, sono molto impegnato... chi può aggiorni pure!

no problem!
non ci sono pero' grandi notizie in questi gg..
giusto un paio di aggiornamenti dei lavori su ET e il Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT)
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4904
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4908

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La prossima settimana terminerà la Flight Readiness Review (FRR)...

Da SpaceFlightNow.com:

NASA ready for final STS-116 approval

By Chris Bergin, 11/21/2006 12:49:00 PM

NASA is closing in on their Flight Readiness Review (FRR) next week with only a few minor issues being worked. The milestone FRR will give the final official approval to proceed towards the December 7 launch target.

Both Discovery and Atlantis (LON-317) are ready to provide primary and rescue mission support for what will be the third Shuttle mission of 2006.

Discovery, on launch pad 39B, enjoyed an uneventful TCDT (Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test), with only a CRT - part of the orbiter's control system displays - failing during the two day test. That CRT has been replaced at the pad.

Other pre-launch activities are proceeding to plan, with the completion of orbiter APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) hydrazine loading, added to the loading of oxidizer into the OMS RCS (Orbital Manoeuvring System Reaction Control Systems).

Some troubleshooting exists - as with any pad flow - mainly relating to electrical elements on the orbiter, including the Advanced Health Management System (AHMS), which will debut on this flight.

'Plan to troubleshoot MTU signal after SCAPE is complete,' noted the expansive Shuttle Stand-up/Integration Report for November 20 (on L2). 'Will install hydraulic trays and hoses to re-run SSME FRTs. SSME actuator calibration coefficients were not written to the new AHMS, which was their procedural error.

'Caught error and will re-run FRTs on engine Wednesday. If complete FRTs, will power down this weekend. Have much powered-down work to perform.'

The AHMS is suffering from some teething problems, but will not have any constraints on STS-116, given it will be installed on one of Discovery's SSMEs (Space Shuttle Main Engines) to test its own reactions to the pressures endured during ascent. It will not have any control over the engine on this flight, along for the ride as a passive system.

'Working on command sequence discrepancy (for SSME actuator calibration coefficients not written to new AHMS) with USA Avionics. Concur that need to repeat engine 3 actuator calibration test performed at launch pad,' added SSME managers at Pratt & Whitney.

'Problem is calibration coefficients are written into temporary memory (S-RAM) and a command is required to transfer memory contents to EPROM (permanent memory). The command failed the checkout.'

Also relating to SSMEs is an investigation into a crack on one of the blades on an engine pump that flew with Atlantis on STS-115 earlier this year. The fault is deemed as minor.

'Dye penetrant inspection on STS-115 pump 8222 showed indication on one first stage blade on platform (.020 X .030 X .020 inch deep). Broke platform open, and metallurgy reports said appeared to be anomalous grain. Size of crack is well below critical initial flaw size for area (.045 inch). Mr. Hale (Space Shuttle manager) asked for more information as investigation continues.'

Meanwhile, on Atlantis herself - set to fly on STS-117 next spring, her related processing flow continues, ready to support her sister as the LON (Launch On Need) rescue ship. Work is proceeding along the scheduled timeline.

'Down to 102 tile cavities to bond. Plan to bond 11 this week. Chin panel fit checks in work. Plan powered-on testing today,' added the report. 'Plan SCAPE operations at 5:00 a.m. EST tomorrow to backfill manifolds for thruster R&R performed last week. Plan waterproofing Friday and Saturday.'

Stacking in the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) of the twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) that will help power Atlantis off the pad will begin on December 4, following the delivery of the segments that make up the boosters. Repair work on the VAB doors will also begin on December 4.

On the External Tank front, workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) have one again proved their worth, with ET-124 (required for LON and STS-117) still on schedule to be shipped out of New Orleans on December 17. However, a couple of production issues might delay the shipping by a few days - which is still within the required timeline for LON support of STS-116.

This tank also saw the remaining pressure on its schedule removed when NASA's Critical Design Review (CDR) on the modification of three IFR (Ice Frost Ramps) decided to leave the ramps 'as is' - given wind tunnel testing showed there was no notable improvements gained from 'sliming down' the ramps. Further evaluations will continue for future tanks.

'Wrapping up preparations for reinstallation of composite nose cone. Should secure nose cone this (week). LOX ice/frost ramp extensions trimmed. Trimming acreage spray on PAL ramp footprint. Bipod installation in work; about 20 percent complete on final routing and bonding of bipod heater and temperature sensor harnesses.

'Intertank venting and machining in progress (machining about 95 percent complete). Camera antenna about 99 percent complete, and should closeout next Monday. Harness routing on intertank about 85 percent complete associated with antenna. LO2 feedline fairing installed. Will spray 1979 drip lips tomorrow.

'These have been problematic, so have gone back on proficiencies and are taking results to technical subcommittee today for review. Completed last four 2026 drip lips. Preparing to install upper ice/frost ramps. Shakedowns are in work all over tank. Are few days down from December 17th delivery date, but are rerunning assessment today to replan with same target date.'

With many tanks now in various stages of processing, ready to support the busy final schedule for the Shuttle program, MAF continue to keep up the pace on the tanks required from the other missions of 2007.

ET-117 is now in Cell A at MAF, heading into final assembly. This tank is only a few days behind schedule. ET-120 is also moving through the MAF factory.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4915

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Da SpaceFlightNow.com:

Meeting to review plans for next week's shuttle launch

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


Discovery remains scheduled for launch December 7. Photo: NASA-KSC

NASA managers are gathering at the Kennedy Space Center for a two-day flight readiness review Tuesday and Wednesday to assess the shuttle Discovery's launch processing and to set an official launch date for mission STS-116.

Liftoff currently is targeted for Dec. 7 and there do not appear to be any major issues that would force a delay. But the launch window is complex because it includes lighting, holiday and end-of-year issues that are not normally on the table.

As it now stands, the window opens Dec. 7 and closes Dec. 26 because of a so-called "beta angle cutout," that is, thermal issues associated with the international space station due to the angle between the plane of its orbit and the sun. Based on the beta angle, the shuttle cannot launch between Dec. 27 and Jan. 13.

To reach the international space station, Discovery must be launched when Earth's rotation carries the launch pad into the plane of the lab's orbit. For mission STS-116, on Dec. 7, that works out to 9:35:45 p.m., resulting in NASA's first night launch since 2002. Daylight launch opportunities do not become available until Dec. 18.

Major post-Columbia objectives through the first three return-to-flight missions included photographing the shuttle's external fuel tank after separation in orbit to document how its foam insulation performed during ascent. For STS-116, NASA managers are relaxing that requirement based on the performance of the tank over the past three flights.

For the record, sufficient lighting for a camera mounted in the shuttle's belly does not become available until Dec. 20. For crew hand-held photography, good lighting is not expected until Dec. 24.

This Wednesday, rocket engines in a Progress supply ship will fire for 20 minutes to boost the space station's orbit slightly, giving Discovery's crew opportunities to rendezvous and dock on flight day three for any launch between Dec. 7 and Dec. 21.

Launches on Dec. 22, 24 and 26 would result in a flight day four rendezvous, which is considered unacceptable. If it comes to that, an additional space station reboost maneuver would be carried out Dec. 14 to ensure FD-3 dockings through the end of the shuttle's launch window.

A launch past Dec. 19 would result in the shuttle being in orbit during the year-end rollover from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1. The "YERO" issue has received quite a bit of attention in recent months because of concern about possible computer glitches. The shuttle's flight software was not designed to handle the transition from one year to the next and YERO will be a topic of discussion during the flight readiness review this week.

Launches between Dec. 7 and 12 result in a landing before Christmas for a standard 12-day mission. A launch on Dec. 17 would result in a landing on Dec. 29, preserving two days for bad landing weather or some other contingency. Launches past Dec. 17 could result in a YERO flight, depending on weather or other problems, while a launch past Dec. 19 would require the shuttle to be in orbit over the year-end rollover.

Flight controllers are expected to recommend against flying across the transition, sources say, but senior managers may approve the option anyway based on recent tests and analysis. If so, flight controllers would prefer to have the shuttle docked at the station for the actual rollover to make sure they have time to resolve any computer glitches that might arise.

If the shuttle launches between Dec. 18 and 22, however, the shuttle would be undocked and in free flight. Launches Dec. 23 through Dec. 26 would result in a docked rollover.

That said, here are the latest launch times for Discovery. Readers should note the actual launch window opens exactly five minutes before the "in-plane" times listed below and closes five minutes later (all times in EST and subject to minor changes; YERO: year-end rollover; UM: umbilical camera; HH: handheld camera; Partial: some lighting available, but marginal):



DATE.......LAUNCH........DOCK...........LIGHTING...YERO.......ET IMAGERY

12/07/06...09:35:45 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/08/06...09:13:13 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/09/06...08:47:31 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/10/06...08:24:59 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/11/06...07:59:17 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/12/06...07:36:45 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/13/06...07:11:03 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/14/06...06:48:31 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/15/06...06:22:49 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/16/06...06:00:17 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None
12/17/06...05:34:35 PM...FD-3...........Night......N/A........None

Note.......All 12+2 flights above land on or before 12/31

12/18/06...05:12:03 PM...FD-3...........Day........Undocked...None
12/19/06...04:46:21 PM...FD-3...........Day........Undocked...Partial UM

Note.......All flights below result in landings on or after Jan. 1

12/20/06...04:23:49 PM...FD-3...........Day........Undocked...UM
12/21/06...03:58:07 PM...FD-3...........Day........Undocked...UM
12/22/06...03:35:36 PM...FD-3/boost...Day........Undocked...UM/partial HH
12/23/06...03:09:53 PM...FD-3...........Day........Docked.....UM/partial HH
12/24/06...02:47:22 PM...FD-3/boost...Day........Docked.....UM/HH
12/25/06...02:21:39 PM...FD-3...........Day........Docked.....UM/HH
12/26/06...01:59:08 PM...FD-3/boost...Day........Docked.....UM/HH

-

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...127frrpreview/

[GioFX]

From NasaSpaceFlight.com:

NASA approve STS-116 launch date

By Chris Bergin, 11/29/2006 5:41:00 PM

NASA managers have concluded their two day FRR (Flight Readiness Review) by approving the NET (No Earlier Than) December 7 launch of Shuttle Discovery on STS-116.

During the meeting, managers evaluated all updated concerns relating to the 12 day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) - including related issues of what will be the first night launch since the loss of Columbia.

The launch window will extend to December 17 - with a return to evaluations on whether they can launch after that date, given the conflict of YERO (Year End Rollover), which would require Discovery to be docked on the ISS during the end of year event.

More to follow shortly...

[GioFX]

Da SpaceFlightNow.com:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...6/061206update

Discovery's countdown rolls on amid final troubleshooting

BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: December 6, 2006

NASA and contractor engineers are wrapping up around-the-clock work to resolve two last-minute technical issues that cropped up Tuesday during shuttle Discovery's countdown. While engineers are optimistic Discovery will be cleared for launch as planned Thursday, NASA's Mission Management Team will meet this afternoon to assess the data reviews.

Of more pressing concern, perhaps, forecasters now expect a 60 percent chance of low clouds that would prevent a launch attempt Thursday. In addition, conditions at all three of NASA's emergency runways in Spain and France are predicted to be no-go due to high winds, showers or both. At least one emergency trans-Atlantic landing site is required for launch, regardless of the weather in Florida.

"We're having a nice day here today at Kennedy Space Center, but tomorrow we are expecting a frontal system to come into the area and that is going to bring in a lot of cloud cover for the launch window," said shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters.

"So the forecast is trending toward the worst because right now, it looks like all that moisture is now trending on the models to be in the area. So because of that, we did increase our probability of KSC weather prohibiting launch to 60 percent due to low cloud ceilings."

Winters said the outlook for Friday is 70 percent no-go because of high winds, clouds and isolated showers, improving slightly to 60 percent no-go Saturday. Conditions in Spain and France improve, however, and at least one landing site should be available both days if conditions in Florida permit a launch.

Conditions should improve early next week but additional fronts are expected to move through Central Florida by the middle of the week, bringing more clouds and high winds.

"It does look like we're going to persist with this easterly flow through mid next week," Winters said. "But it does get a little more southeasterly on Tuesday and the winds come down some. ... So we're thinking weather starts getting more promising as we go into Sunday evening, Monday evening, but particularly Tuesday evening.

"We still are going to be concerned about crosswinds (at the shuttle landing strip), but we think Tuesday out of those three days is probably the best day. After that, we start being concerned about the next front that's going to be moving into the area. On Wednesday, we expect the weather to start deteriorating due to that front."

Discovery's mission to re-wire the international space station is scheduled to run 12 days. The shuttle needs to get off the ground by Tuesday to avoid being in orbit or landing on Christmas day.

Otherwise, the countdown is proceeding smoothly as engineers wrap up troubleshooting on two technical issues.

In one case, a large 800-pound launch pad power supply malfunctioned overnight Monday, sending a brief surge through the shuttle's electrical system. The power supply was replaced and engineers are reviewing data to make sure the spike didn't damage any orbiter systems. That review is almost complete and no problems have been found.

The other issue involves test data that has raised questions about the strength of a specific lot of adhesive used to secure insulation in joints between solid-fuel booster segments. Engineers are trying to determine if the adhesive is, in fact, suspect, if it is in place in Discovery's boosters and if so, does it represent a concern.

The insulation in question cannot be inspected at the pad. At least some engineers believe the adhesive isn't even needed because of how the joint operates when the motor is ignited. But the Mission Management Team ordered a review to make sure Discovery's boosters are good to go.

[Cico the SSJ]

che ore saranno qui in italia alla partenza?

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da Cico the SSJ

che ore saranno qui in italia alla partenza?

3:36 del mattino, ma molto porbabilmente non partità stanotte.

[GioFX]

2115 GMT (4:15 p.m. EST)

The Final Inspection Team is not reporting any areas of concern during its observations of Discovery this afternoon.

The team is responsible for checking the shuttle and launch pad one last time prior to liftoff. The team is comprised of engineers and safety officials from NASA, United Space Alliance and tank-builder Lockheed Martin. At the conclusion of their two-hour tour-of-duty, the team will have walked up and down the entire fixed service structure and mobile launcher platform.

The team is on the lookout for any abnormal ice or frost build-up on the vehicle and integrity of the external tank foam insulation.

The team uses a portable infrared scanner that gathers temperature measurements on the surface area of the shuttle and can spot leaks. The scanner will be used to obtain temperature data on the external tank, solid rocket boosters, space shuttle orbiter, main engines and launch pad structures. The scanner can also spot leaks of the cryogenic propellants, and due to its ability to detect distinct temperature differences, can spot any dangerous hydrogen fuel that is burning. The team member also is responsible for photo documentation.


2148 GMT (4:48 p.m. EST)

The Final Inspection Team is departing the launch pad, having wrapped up its checks of Discovery.


2130 GMT (4:30 p.m. EST)

A check of the current weather at Kennedy Space Center shows all conditions are acceptable for launch right now. But the forecast continues to predict low clouds and a chance of showers at launch time this evening.

[GioFX]

2210 GMT (5:10 p.m. EST)

The latest weather briefing given to the astronauts indicates the forecast for Kennedy Space Center still includes concerns for low clouds and showers at launch time. The landing sites in Spain and France remain questionable due to cloud cover and thunderstorms. At least one of the three emergency sites must have acceptable weather for Discovery to be permitted to lift off.

[GioFX]

Aggiornamento da un altro forum...

Gut is that there will be enough breaks in the clouds that they will go, and Istres (assuming there are no storms popping up) will be the TAL.

[GioFX]

0010 GMT (7:10 p.m. EST Thurs.)

T-minus 90 minutes and counting. Countdown clocks continue to tick down to T-minus 20 minutes where the next hold is planned. Countdown activities remain on track for liftoff at 9:35:48 p.m.

At this point in the count, the ground launch sequencer software that will control the final nine minutes of the countdown has been initialized. Also, the solid rocket boosters' gas generator heaters in the hydraulic power units are turned on, the aft skirt gaseous nitrogen purge is starting and the rate gyro assemblies (RGAs) are being activated. The RGAs are used by the orbiter's navigation system to determine rates of motion of the boosters during the first stage of flight.

[GioFX]

0048 GMT (7:48 p.m. EST Thurs.)

The shuttle's crew compartment hatch is confirmed to be closed and latched for flight.