View Full Version : [Space] NASA - STS-118 - ISS-13A.1 (Endeavour)
NASA STS-118 - International Space Station Assembly Mission 13A.1
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/STS-118_patch_new.png/496px-STS-118_patch_new.png
STS Program Mission: STS-118 (119th flight, 20th OV-105 flight)
ISS Program Assembly Flight: 13A.1
Orbiter: Endeavour (OV-105)
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission duration: 10 days 20h 40m
Landing site: KSC
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary payload:
S5 Truss
Crew:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c0/Sts-118crewdrew.jpg/750px-Sts-118crewdrew.jpg
Commander Scott J. Kelly
Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh
Mission specialist 1 Tracy Caldwell
Mission specialist 2 Richard Mastracchio
Mission specialist 3 Dafydd Williams
Mission specialist 4 Barbara Morgan
Mission specialist 5 B. Alvin Drew
Assembly Mission 13A.1:
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/126507main_iss_assembly_13a1.jpg
STS-118 Press Kit:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/182728main_STS-118_Press_Kit.pdf
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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
STS-118 Quick-Look Mission Facts and Figures
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Da Spaceflightnow.com:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070711rollout/
Overhauled Endeavour on the pad again after five years
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: July 11, 2007
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070711rollout/endeavour.jpg
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070711rollout/endeavour.jpg
Traveling at less than a mile per hour in the dark of night, space shuttle Endeavour journeyed to the launch pad this morning fresh from a major tune-up for its first flight in nearly five years.
Bolted to a giant external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters atop a mobile launching platform, Endeavour embarked on the three-and-a-half-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39A at 8:10 p.m. EDT.
An Apollo-era transporter hauled the shuttle stack along the rock-covered crawlerway leading to the oceanfront launch complex at barely a walking pace. Powerful hydraulics jacked up the platform, keeping it level as the crawler ascended the pad's concrete incline just after 1 a.m.
A laser alignment system helped technicians precisely position the platform, then the crawler lowered it onto the pad's pedestals to complete Endeavour's rollout at 3:02 a.m.
The trip was supposed to start just after midnight Tuesday morning. But delays getting ready to start the move, coupled with the possibility of bad weather threatening the shuttle before it could safely reach the pad, prompted officials to cancel their opportunity to start the move overnight and instead retarget for Tuesday evening.
"We had hoped to rollout this morning but we didn't get everything done before the end of the window," Kim Doering, deputy shuttle program manager, said Tuesday. "And we were expecting potentially some lightning at the Kennedy Space Center...We can't roll out if there's lightning."
The day's delay will be absorbed by the slack time available in the month-long preflight campaign and won't impact Endeavour's launch plans. Liftoff remains set for around 7:02 p.m. EDT on August 7 with a crew of seven astronauts and a payload bay filled with hardware and supplies for the International Space Station.
"The mission has lots of angles," said Matt Abbott, the lead shuttle flight director. "There's a little bit of assembly; there's some resupply; there's some repairs. And there are some high-visibility education and public affairs events. It's a little bit of everything."
Led by commander Scott Kelly, the crew includes pilot Charlie Hobaugh, mission specialists Tracy Caldwell, Al Drew, Rick Mastracchio, Dave Williams and educator-astronaut Barbara Morgan. A former Idaho school teacher, Morgan was Christa McAuliffe's backup in the original "teacher-in-space" program.
"I'm excited about experiencing the whole spaceflight, seeing Earth from space for the very first time and experiencing weightlessness and what that's all about," Morgan said. "I am excited about seeing what it's like living and working onboard the International Space Station."
Endeavour will bring up the small Starboard 5 truss spacer to continue expanding the station's framework, plus install an external stowage deck for replacement equipment. The shuttle's robotic arm will be used to unberth the structures from Endeavour and then the station arm will mount them on the orbiting outpost.
In addition, a Spacehab module riding in Endeavour's payload bay is packed with a couple tons of gear and supplies that the astronauts will carry through the hatchway and deliver to the station.
"I think right now the manifest has us bringing up about 5,000 pounds and then bringing down about 5,000 pounds," Kelly said. "So it's a lot of spare parts, food, clothing, scientific experiments. We'll unload that and then reload (Spacehab) with stuff that needs to come home -- garbage, spare parts that are no longer needed on the station."
The cargo pieces were transported to the pad Sunday and hoisted into the rotating service gantry's cleanroom. That structure will enclose Endeavour during the shuttle's stay on the pad, allowing the payload bay doors to be opened and the Spacehab, truss and stowage deck to be installed into the orbiter for launch.
The astronauts fly to Kennedy Space Center from Houston next week for launch pad emergency training drills and a countdown dress rehearsal. They'll suit up and board Endeavour for the final three hours of launch day simulation next Thursday morning.
The upcoming mission will be the first time Endeavour has flown in space since late 2002, just two months before the Columbia tragedy. While sisterships Discovery and Atlantis made the five post-Columbia flights so far, Endeavour was inside its space-age garage undergoing a tune-up and being outfitted with some new enhancements.
"We have made good use of that time. The Endeavour vehicle went through an orbiter major modification program. We do that every couple of years with the orbiters. It is similar to what an aircraft would go through," Doering said.
"We inspect the structure to make sure there is no corrosion, we check all of the wiring, we replace things like filters and seals - the soft goods as we call them.
"We also inspected all 1,900 (thermal) blankets on the orbiter. We replaced over 2,500 tiles. We do that periodically to get everything back to spec. Sometimes we have some minor damage that is fine to fly with but whenever we take the orbiter in for one of these major modifications we like to fix everything that we can.
"We also replaced two of the windows with some thicker panes. That is one of our return to flight modifications that improves safety. And we were able to install 68 of the (new stronger) tiles. We like to put those in some of the locations that tend to get more dings than other areas of the orbiter.
"We also made several first flight modifications to this vehicle that we're excited about. We're going to be flying a three-string Global Positioning System for the first time. We've typically used a TACAN, tactical navigation system, to give our position during entry and landing. But we're going to be moving to the Global Positioning System on this flight. We did fly one-string previously and it worked great. So we're excited about that improvement.
"Another big thing is we will be flying for the first time a space station-to-shuttle power transfer system....We'll be able to augment the shuttle's fuel cells to produce power for shuttle with station power from the big solar arrays. If that system works out the way we plan, it'll allow us to extend the mission by three days. We'll be able to be docked to the station longer and continue to work with the station crew performing critical assembly tasks.
"We also made an upgrade on this vehicle to our wing leading edge impact detection system. Those are a series of sensors that can detect ascent or micrometeroid debris (impacts) on the reinforced carbon-carbon panels. One of the challenges we have had is the batteries don't perform very well at cold temperatures. We've added a voltage booster to this flight so that that wing leading edge system will be able to operate better at cold temperatures."
Endeavour's flight will last either 11 or 14 days, depending on the performance of the station power transfer system. An early afternoon landing back at the Kennedy Space Center is planned.
Doering said the shuttle team is ready to fly Endeavour's mission despite the brief amount of time since Atlantis returned from the station just a few weeks ago. And both Discovery and Atlantis are being prepped for launches in October and December, respectively, to attach new modules to the station.
"The team has demonstrated that they can turn these vehicles around quickly. If you look at the rest of the assembly sequence between now and 2010, this is about the pace we will be on. We'll roughly be flying every other month."
Altre foto del Rollout:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070711rolloutpix/
L'Endeavour finalmente sul pad dopo quasi 5 anni...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/43/STS-118_Launchpad.jpg/800px-STS-118_Launchpad.jpg
Marilson
12-07-2007, 20:27
spero abbiano fatto almeno il tagliando :asd:
spero abbiano fatto almeno il tagliando :asd:
miii se lo son tenuto in officina 5 anni ;)
Ad ogni modo che modifiche hanno fatto al sistema di navigazione?
A quanto si evince ora e' basato su tecnologia GPS, ma prima?
Marilson
12-07-2007, 22:21
magari hanno sostituito il cockpit, ma già 5 anni fa l'endevour non doveva essere dotato di glass cockpit? :confused:
bah.. magari ci hanno installato un bel garmin 1000 :sofico:
Ad ogni modo che modifiche hanno fatto al sistema di navigazione?
A quanto si evince ora e' basato su tecnologia GPS, ma prima?
Prima gli orbiter utilizzavano il sistema di navigazione TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation System) un sistema ad uso esclusivamente militare che utilizza segnali triangolati da stazioni a terra.
Durante gli ultimi programmi di modifica estensiva e ricertificazione (nell'ordine Atlantis, Discovery e per ultimo Endeavour - non ricordo se il Columbia fu mai upgradato) il sistema è stato sostituito con il Navstar GPS.
magari hanno sostituito il cockpit, ma già 5 anni fa l'endevour non doveva essere dotato di glass cockpit? :confused:
bah.. magari ci hanno installato un bel garmin 1000 :sofico:
L'Endeavour era l'ultimo orbiter ad utilizzare ancora i vecchi indicatori eletromeccanici (tranne alcuni strumenti avanzati già installati al momento della costruzione, rispetto agli altri orbiter), mentre per gli altri il cockpit tradizionale è stato sostituito dalla versione elettronica nel corso del primo programma estensivo di modifica e certificazione (MMOP), nell'ordine Columbia, Atlantis, Discovery.
Le principali modifiche apportate all'Endeavour, a parte quelle solite come la sostituzione di parti consumate o di parte del rivestimento termico, ecc, sono quindi state:
- Installazione del sistema SSPTS (Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System) in grado di trasferire energia elettrica con una potenza massima di 8 kw convertendo da 120V CC a 28V CC, permettendo all'orbiter di rimanere attraccato alla stazione per ulteriori 3 o 4 giorni al massimo.
- Installazione del "glass cockpit" con 11 monitor LCD in sostituzione dei vecchi elettromeccanici, e nuovo sistema di navigazione GPS in complemento al TACAN.
- Installazione dell'OBSS (Orbiter Boom Sensor System), sistema a scansione laser per il controllo del rivestimento termico dell'orbiter installato su un Canadarm che si affianca a quello utilizzato per muovere i carichi "payload" dalla stiva alla stazione.
Qualche aggiornamento sui preparativi per il lancio:
da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
FRR going well - expected to green light Endeavour's STS-118
By Chris Bergin, 7/25/2007 3:14:49 PM
FRR going well - expected to green light Endeavour's STS-118 NASA managers have concluded the first of two days of the Flight Readiness Review (FRR), with nearly all outstanding troubleshooting completed. Endeavour is expected to be given the green light for an August 7 launch attempt.
A late issue with Endeavour's LH2 recirculation pump inside the Main Propulsion System (MPS) - which might of required replacing - has been cleared for flight, as STS-118 proceeds on track with the pad processing flow.
Endeavour is being prepared for launch at Pad 39A, with hypergolic fuel loading making up most of the first part of this week. A couple of leaks with the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) have also been going through troubleshooting.
'Wednesday and Thursday of this week is the Level 1 FRR at KSC (Kennedy Space Center),' noted Flight Director level NASA information.
'In addition to reviewing the STS-117 in-flight anomalies, the topics that are expected to be discussed are the investigation of the STS-115 fuel cell coolant pump motor phase A failure, APU2 isol valve power A failure, and ET-120 loading sensors.
'This is also the first flight of the active vibration redline for the Advanced Health Monitoring System (AHMS), the MPS ECO voltage monitoring system, Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS) and 3-string GPS.'
'With a successful ISS reboost on 7/23, STS-118 will have consecutive FD3 launch opportunities from August 7-22.'
Endeavour's MPS LH2 recirculation pump became one of the main topics in the pre-FRR, due to potential contamination, which led to an inspection being carried out. If contamination was found, the pump may have required replacement.
'It was decided late last week to inspect OV-105's MPS LH2 recirc pump impeller nuts for silver sulfide contamination,' added the information.
''This is being done to eliminate the uncertainty surrounding 105's engines and whether the contamination found on a spare recirc pump is unique or generic in nature. If silver sulfide crystals are found on one or more nuts, the question of whether or not to R&R the OV-105 recirc pump package will be reviewed.'
However, just ahead of the FRR, and confirmed within the meeting, the pump was cleared for flight.
'Payload bay doors closed and will open again after hyper loading this week. LH2 recirculation pump inspection completed, with no issues on nuts; will do foam closeout on area after S0024 later this week,' added processing information, which also noted a couple of additional lightning strikes at the pad.
'Had lightning strikes Friday night at pad. One strike hit mast and another was within 0.3 nm. This is under review process and will go to (Engineering Board) this week.'
The issue - which gained a large amount of media attention last week - with the booster O-ring seals, was - as expected, passed via evaluations.
'Completed validation testing of large O-ring on weekend with data as expected,' noted integration report information pre-FRR. 'Looks good for next couple of launches.'
A vast amount of data is being evaluated ahead of the official confirmation of the launch date, with Thursday's meeting rounding up any outstanding issues, including LON (Launch On Need).
Currently, the LON vehicle - Discovery - is in a smooth processing flow, with only the sensor issue on the External Tank (ET-120) being the 'fluid' situation.
Anything left outstanding from the meeting will move to the L-2 Day MMT (Mission Management Team) meeting for discussion.
link alla pagina originale:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5175
da Nasa.gov:
Flight Readiness Review Gets Under Way
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170421main_118tcdt2.jpg
Image above: STS-118 crew members get a close look at the payloads installed in Space Shuttle Endeavour. Seen in the foreground are Mission Specialists Dave Williams (center), who represents the Canadian Space Agency, and Tracy Caldwell (right). Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
07.25.07 - 8:30 a.m. EDT
The flight readiness review for the upcoming STS-118 mission is under way at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Agency and program managers convened this morning for the two-day meeting, in which they'll discuss the status of Space Shuttle Endeavour, the flight crew and payload in order to confirm an official launch date. Launch is currently targeted for the evening of Aug. 7.
Last week, the crew members completed the terminal countdown demonstration test. A routine element of prelaunch training, the test allowed the astronauts to try on their launch and entry suits, learn emergency procedures at the launch pad, and take part in a variety of familiarization activities and briefings. The test concluded with a countdown dress rehearsal at Launch Pad 39A.
Space Shuttle Endeavour has been in place at the launch pad since July 11, and the STS-118 payload -- including the S5 truss, SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3 -- is secured inside the orbiter's payload bay.
This will be the first flight for Endeavour since 2002, and the first mission for Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
SpaceFlightNow.com:
Endeavour 'go' for launch
NASA's two-day flight readiness review for space shuttle Endeavour's upcoming launch to the space station has concluded with officials affirming plans for blastoff at 7:02 p.m. EDT on August 7. The flight will deliver a small truss and supplies to the station and features Barbara Morgan, the first educator-astronaut.
Ho sentito al tg il sabotaggio dell'endevour, ma nel 3d non è riportato nulla o sbaglio?
Alla fine come si è risolta la storia?
Posterò un articolo non appena si avranno sviluppi ma vi prego prendete con le tenaglie da metalmelccanico tutte le cose che sentite in tv o leggete sui giornali...
Vi è stato un espidodio di sabotaggio sicuramente grave ma forse circoscritto sebbene rimangano parecchi aspetti non ancora chiari. Brevemente un sub-contractor del programma STS ha notificato alcune settimane fa la direzione del programma della NASA di un tentativo di sabotaggio ad alcuni componenti di un sistema di controllo di hardwarte destinato alla ISS da portare su con la prossima missione. Il materiale non è mai arrivato in Florida, perchè bloccato in fabbrica dal contractor.
da Assiociated Press:
Conroe [Texas]-based Invocan today announced the company has not yet identified suspects or motives. Spokesman Kevin Champaigne (sham-PAYN') says they don't know if it was just one person.
Invocon made the unit for Boeing -- NASA's main contractor for the space station.
The item, which is about half the size of a briefcase, was to be installed inside the space station to collect data from strain gauges on an outside beam.
Invocon found severed wires in an identical unit being tested last week -- then alerted Boeing to check the space-bound unit and another one in storage.
Thx Gio! celere come sempre! :)
Leak issue resolved - Endeavour back on track for August 7
By Chris Bergin, 7/30/2007 9:39:43 AM
Engineers have managed to resolve a crew cabin leak on Endeavour, which had threatened the August 7 launch attempt of STS-118.
Working late into Sunday, engineers carried out several leak checks to find the source of the leak, which in the worst case scenario would have led to the rollback of the vehicle. In the end, the source of the leak was a loose nut on the Probe Assembly related to the Ingress/Egress Hatch, which simply required a half turn to stop the leak.
l'articolo completo:
The issue came to light on Saturday, during the standard leak tests on the crew cabin and Spacehab module. Engineers noticed a decay in the crew cabin's pressure at a rate of 0.06 psi (pounds per square inch) over a one hour period. The maximum allowable rate is 0.022 psi over a four hour period.
Several more leak checks were conducted, as the effort to find the source of the leak - a process which could have taken a large amount of time - took place, including the use of an ultrasonic leak detector.
The leak was identified as specific to the crew cabin, with one leak check showing the pressure decay rate had increased to nearly 0.089 psi per hour.
'IPR (Interim Problem Report) opened when the leak checks failed for the crew module and Spacehab. Troubleshooting with D-hatch closed exonerated Spacehab as the leak source,' noted troubleshooting information.
In the end, leak detectors weren't required, as due diligence from United Space Alliance engineers found, prior to pressurizing the Crew Module, that the b-nut on the Probe Assembly - which feeds the cables and the pressurized breathing air into the Ingress/Egress Hatch - was loose.
The nut was tightened hand-tight with approximately 180 degrees rotation by an engineer, and the leak test was performed with nominal results at approximately 0.001 psi/hr.
'Additional troubleshooting on Sunday revealed that the nut on the probe flex hose hookup assembly, which connects to the fitting on the hatch, rotated 180 degrees CW - it appeared that the nut was not on fully hand tight,' noted processing information on Monday.
'Nut was tightened and leak check tests were performed successfully and with no issues. IPR disposition is in work.'
Another leak test will be conducted on Tuesday, to ensure the issue has been resolved. As per usual, a final leak check will take place after the hatch is closed for launch.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5179
da NasaSpaceFlight:
STS:118: L-Seven Days - more leak issues, LON requirement aligned
By Chris Bergin, 7/31/2007 10:06:17 AM
NASA and the United Space Alliance (USA) are in the midst of dual processing flows, required to support STS-118's scheduled launch attempt next Tuesday.
Endeavour, sat on pad 39A, has a new leak issue being worked, while at the same time her older sister, Discovery, is being finalized for rollover one month later, in time to launch to the International Space Station to pick up a stranded crew in the event of an emergency.
New Leak Issue:
Engineers are attempting to track down the source of another pressure decay onboard Endeavour, after a leak check failed late last night on the crew cabin and Spacehab module.
The new leak is separate to the failed test at the weekend, which was quickly tracked down to a loose nut on the Probe Assembly related to the Ingress/Egress Hatch. Elements of the pad flow ahead next week's STS-118 have been delayed, while engineers evaluate the problem.
'Leak checks failed for the crew module and Spacehab. Cabin leak checks were performed again on Monday evening in the same configuration as (process) requires. Pressure decay failed at 0.047 per hour,' noted processing information on Tuesday.
'Five data points were taken every half hour. Leak rate remained the same at 0.023 psi per half hour. GSE (Ground Support Equipment) QD was disconnected from the probe and retightened b-nut on the probe, with no difference in decay rate. Engineering evaluation continues.
'S5009 Ordnance Installation/Connects, has been postponed to today (Tuesday) to accommodate SRB (Solid Rocket Booster) power up for HPU (Hydraulic Power Unit) fuel isolation valve cycling. S0071 Hyper/MPS (Main Propulsion System) Press/Closeouts operations are scheduled to pick up Wednesday.'
Launch On Need Requirement
To support Endeavour's mission, Discovery is required to launch within a schedule determined by a timeline known as CSCS (Crew Shuttle Contingency Support) - which is the amount of days the crew of Endeavour - along with the three member Expedition 15 crew - can be sustained onboard the ISS, until the four man rescue crew on Discovery arrive at the station.
While the chances of a LON (Launch On Need) rescue being called are remote at best, the requirement is often under reported. However, the contingency is a key element of post-Columbia safety improvements in the event of serious damage during ascent, or whilst on orbit.
In the event of a LON/CSCS scenario, Endeavour would have to be undocked from the ISS, before Discovery arrived to pick up the crew. The extent of damage to Endeavour would determine whether controllers would attempt to bring her home unmanned - via the available Remote Control Orbiter (RCO) modification, or if she sadly has to be destroyed via the disposal option, a controlled and destructive 'tail first' re-entry.
While the exact CSCS timeline is constantly under review - based on consumables onboard the ISS - Discovery is currently targeted to launch on October 5, if a LON rescue contingency was called during STS-118. At present, the ISS is in good shape, with large amounts of consumables, along another Progress re-supply ship due to launch in a couple of days time.
Because of LON/CSCS, NASA's shuttle schedule reflects this requirement, with the primary launch of Discovery - carrying Node 2 for installation on the station on STS-120, scheduled for October 23 - allowing the orbiter to be processed along a very similar timeline for both requirements.
As with all processing flows, issues can arise which delay the date an orbiter can be launched. Should this arise with Discovery, NASA can use backup options, which include Russian assistance via Soyuz rescue missions.
Looking at Discovery's processing flow, the orbiter is enjoying a smooth turnaround from her STS-116 mission at the end of 2006. Discovery recently had all three of her SSMEs (Space Shuttle Main Engines) installed, with the OMS (Orbital Manoeuvring System) Pods set to be installed into the business end of the orbiter this week.
'Payload configuration and bay closeouts continue,' added the latest processing information. 'Preparing for RH (Right Hand) OMS pod installation planned later this week. ECO (Engine Cut Off) sensor mod power up retest continues. SSME leak checks completed. Payload testing continues; CEIT (Crew Equipment Interface Test) scheduled later this week.'
The only issues with STS-120 relate to the External Tank (ET-120), which still needs concerns with a couple of its LO2 liquid level 'loading' sensors allaying, following out of spec readings during final checkouts at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF).
While Lockheed Martin engineers at MAF have worked a plan that gives colleagues at the Kennedy Space Center the option of flying 'as is' - or changing out the sensors - further tests are to be conducted on the tank inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to help assess the status of the sensors.
'Resistance checks for loading sensors on ET-120 still scheduled August 1,' noted processing information. 'Want LO2 loading sensor resistance check to be performed for ET-120. Hope stability of measurements is good. If resistance shifts further, team is ready to respond.'
Another issue relating to STS-120 and the LON requirement in support of STS-118 was resolved, after a hold in stacking operations for Discovery's Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) inside the VAB. Following the resolution of the issue, the left hand booster completed its build up, as operations moved to the adjacent right hand booster.
'During the LH (Left Hand) forward segment mate, operations were held while evaluations took place to understand segment drift above the FJAF (Field Joint Assembly Fixture),' noted ATK processing information. 'No contact was made with the FJAF.
'These evaluations determined that the drift was caused by the mate enclosure air conditioning duct (horizontal drift) and expansion of the crane cables (vertical drift) due to sunshine through the high bay doors. There was also a problem where the segment would not lower due to a crane fault. These problems were corrected and the mate was nominal.'
At present, ET-120 will join the boosters for mating on August 20 - although this is under review pending sensor tests - while Discovery is due to rollover and mated to the stack September 6, for rollout to pad 39A a week later.
Endeavour Readiness
Meanwhile, Endeavour, just a week away from the opening launch attempt for STS-118, was back into a smooth pad flow, after the scare of the pressure leak from the crew cabin over the weekend. The new leak issue could become a similar threat to the launch date as the previous pressure decay problem of Saturday and Sunday.
'Finished propellant load at pad and did leak checks. Completed EMU (EVA Mobility Unit - space suits) functional, and final SRB closeouts are in work,' added processing information on Monday, ahead of the problem with the new leak check later that evening.
'Payload bay doors closed for flight. Will recheck after ordnance installation Tuesday (now postponed due to new leak issue). Continuing this week with orbiter aft closeout, flight crew systems stow, hypergol and MPS tank pressurization. Will try to close aft compartment toward end of week.'
Over-viewing Endeavour's status with just over half a week before the start of S0007 (Launch Countdown), other than the new leak problem, the shuttle appears to be in great shape for her ride uphill to the ISS, as the last remaining items are cleared for flight.
'Discussed MPS (Main Propulsion System) temperature transducer at FRR (Flight Readiness Review) that was qualified only by similarity to Apollo vintage hardware,' added Standup/Integration report information, listing off a vast array of items that are being cleared ahead of the launch.
'Ran test on transducer this weekend for 50 mission duty cycle times four, and it looks good. Doing final NDE (Non-destructive Evaluation) Monday and Tuesday, and should wrap up certification this week.
'On Fiberglas material around ET disconnect, fire barrier coating was applied on STS-118, and is in good configuration for flight. GRC (Glenn Research Center) completed window testing almost one week early...with good results.'
Managers are meeting on a regular basis to check on Endeavour's status ahead of launch, following the FRR last Thursday, and the L-10 day bench review last Friday, which 'went well.'
The next big review will come in the form of the L-2 day meeting of the MMT (Mission Management Team), which checks over items of interest, as Endeavour proceeds with the three day countdown, which starts at T-43 hours and includes over 27 hours of built-in hold time leading, to a preferred launch time at 7:02 pm local time.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5180
da SpaceFlightnow:
Shuttle Endeavour cabin leak being investigated
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: July 31, 2007
Engineers readying the shuttle Endeavour for the start of its countdown Saturday and launch next Tuesday on a space station assembly mission are wrestling with an apparent crew cabin leak that is proving difficult to isolate.
On Saturday, engineers carried out a standard crew module-airlock leak test and were surprised to note a pressure decay rate of 0.06 pounds per square inch in one hour. The allowable limit is 0.022 psi over four hours. After opening the crew cabin hatch and verifying the position of numerous valves, additional checks were carried out with similar results.
Troubleshooting continued Sunday and by Monday, engineers believed they had isolated the problem to a loose fitting in ground equipment. But tests Monday night to confirm that were not successful and engineers now suspect a real leak. Endeavour passed a similar leak test on May 15, before the shuttle was moved to the launch pad, and it's not clear what might have changed.
Endeavour is carrying a pressurized logistics module in its cargo bay that is connected to the shuttle's external airlock by a short tunnel. The airlock, in turn, is attached to the aft bulkhead of the crew module and there are multiple hatches, valves and seals where a leak could occur. Engineers suspect possible problems with a pressure relief valve located behind the back wall of the shuttle's toilet.
Troubleshooting is not yet complete and it's not yet clear what impact work to replace the valve, if required, might have on Endeavour's launch date. Such work would be invasive, however, and time is short.
The Endeavour astronauts - commander Scott Kelly, pilot Charles Hobaugh, Tracy Caldwell, Rick Mastracchio, Dave Williams, educator-astronaut Barbara Morgan and Al Drew - plan to fly to the Kennedy Space Center on Friday. The countdown is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Saturday for a launch at 7:02 p.m. Tuesday.
A wild card in the shuttle's ground processing flow is the planned launch of the Mars Phoenix lander atop a Delta 2 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Liftoff had been targeted for 5:35:18 a.m. Friday, but the high-priority flight has slipped 24 hours, to 5:26:31 a.m. Saturday, because of anticipated bad weather today.
Phoenix could launch as late as Sunday morning, at 5:17:23 a.m., and not impact NASA's plans to launch Endeavour on Tuesday. But bad weather or additional problems with the Mars mission could have an impact on the shuttle.
The $414 million mission has a limited 22-day launch window that won't reopen for another two years. NASA managers have said Phoenix likely would be given additional launch tries, if necessary.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070731leak/
Pare che forse si è trovato un sistema... povero Atlantis, ma per l'Endeavour questo è altro! :O
Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5181
Atlantis to donate valve for Endeavour troubleshoot
By Chris Bergin, 8/1/2007 9:25:59 AM
A replacement valve will be taken from Atlantis, after the United Space Alliance finalized a decision that will R&R (Remove and Replace) the cabin relief valve at the center of the failed leak tests on Endeavour.
The culprit, a Positive Pressure cabin Relief Valve B (PPRV B) - one of two valves - will be replaced overnight, in a process that at present will not affect the move to the launch countdown of STS-118, although the timeline is now very tight.
Testing of the cabin relief valves were completed this morning - via leak checks - which isolated the origin of the leak is PPRV B, after PPRV A passed. Its location is behind the Waste Collection System (WCS).
The results from the leak checks will be discussed at the OPO (Orbiter Project Office) meeting at noon today, with evaluations to consider whether the valve will require replacing. The R&R plan was approved, with NASA now meeting to give the approve the plan.
If replacement is the forward plan, the valve will be removed from Atlantis, to be replaced in Endeavour. Engineers do have other spare valves, which will ensure there is no impact to Atlantis' processing timeline.
'With the positive pressure cabin relief valve B enabled and valve A closed, the leakage rate was 0.06 psi/hr,' noted information acquired via live updates on L2.
'The Problem Resolution Team (PRT) recommends change out of the valve using Atlantis to cannibalize the part. This will be going to the Noon board for approval.
'If the OK is given to R&R (Remove and Replace) the valve, access is needed behind the WMC panel and the anticipated duration is eight hours to perform the R&R.
'After the R&R, time has to be found in the schedule to perform two cabin leak checks with the vehicle powered down.'
Memos flying around the Kennedy Space Center this morning did point towards an on time call to stations for the August 7 launch attempt. This is still under review.
The forward plan is to remove the valve from Atlantis this evening and R&R in Endeavour overnight.
Leak checks will be conducted on Friday and Saturday morning, ahead of the start of S0007 (launch countdown) on Saturday evening.
beh, dai! ne hanno anche altre di valvole di riserva. useranno quella dell'Atlantis solo perche' e' gia' testata e certificata ;)
e concordo con Gio, per l'Endeavour questo e altro!
Il lancio è stato appena posticipato di 24 ore!
Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5185
NASA decide to delay STS-118 by 24 hours
By Chris Bergin, 8/3/2007 12:27:08 PM
NASA managers have concluded a midday meeting by deciding to delay the launch of shuttle Endeavour on STS-118 by 24 hours.
The schedule proved to be too tight to work towards the start of the launch countdown - previously scheduled for Saturday evening - leading to a new launch date of August 8, at 6:36pm local time. The delay will allow for a full leak check on the orbiter on Saturday.
The one day slip will allow for a full leak check test of the crew cabin and Spacehab module in the payload bay, thus ensuring the pressure issues have been fully resolved. (Four articles on leak issue)
'Out of a 1200 scheduling meeting here at KSC, the decision was made to slip call to stations (CTS) 24 hours which will delay launch by 24 hours. We will not be launching on Aug 7,' noted an e-mail set out to managers after the conclusion of the midday meeting.
The delay won't change the plans for the STS-118 crew, who will arrive at KSC today, as planned.
______________________
La valvola intanto è stata sostituita con successo...
Valve replacement solves Endeavour leak - tight timeline
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5184
intanto.. ci stiamo avvicinando al lancio!!!
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
1736 GMT (1:36 p.m. EDT)
Launch of Endeavour is now five hours away. All continues to go smoothly in this afternoon's countdown.
In a pre-flight interview, mission specialist Dave Williams offered an overview of Endeavour's mission to the space station.
"STS-118 is going to be a really exciting mission. There's three main objectives for the mission. The first one is: We're going to be taking up a section of the space station, called S5 -- it's one of the truss elements -- and we're going to be lifting it out of the payload bay of the space shuttle and installing it using the robotic arm in the shuttle, handing it off to the space station, then putting it out on the starboard side to enable us to put more solar panels out to provide power for the space station. In addition to that, we're also going to be doing a number of spacewalks, and helping to continue building the structure of the space station.
"The second main objective is to take a number of cargo items up to the space station and resupply the space station. Of course, when you're living and working in space in this closed environment, you go through a lot of consumables; we rely on other spacecraft to bring those consumables up.
"And, the third objective of the spaceflight, which is really exciting, is the first flight of the educator astronaut. Barbara Morgan will be flying with us as a mission specialist educator astronaut, trying to captivate the imagination of the youth of America, looking at that next generation of space exploration, what we're going to need in terms of technology, to live and work on the surface of the moon or send humans to Mars."
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1902 GMT (3:02 p.m. EDT)
Endeavour's crew arrived at launch pad 39A at 3:01 p.m. The AstroVan came to a stop on the pad surface near the Fixed Service Structure tower elevator that will take the seven-man crew to the 195-foot level to begin boarding the shuttle.
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2131 GMT (5:31 p.m. EDT)
T-minus 20 minutes and counting. The countdown has resumed after a 10-minute hold. Clocks will tick down for the next 11 minutes to T-minus 9 minutes where the final planned hold is scheduled to occur. The hold length will be adjusted to synch up with today's preferred launch time of 6:36:42 p.m.
Endeavour's onboard computers are now transitioning to the Major Mode-101 program, the primary ascent software. Also, engineers are dumping the Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) onboard computers. The data that is dumped from each of PASS computers is compared to verify that the proper software is loaded aboard for launch.
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2224 GMT (6:24 p.m. EDT)
The final readiness poll by the NASA test director confirms there are no technical issues being addressed. The Range also reports "go" on the local weather. And Mission Control is ready for the flight.
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2225 GMT (6:25 p.m. EDT)
NASA launch director Mike Leinbach has conducted his poll and given approval to resume the countdown for liftoff at 6:36 p.m. this evening!
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2231:42 GMT (6:31:42 p.m. EDT)
T-minus 5 minutes. The "go" has been given for for Auxiliary Power Unit start. Pilot Charlie Hobaugh is now flipping three switches in Endeavour's cockpit to start each of the three APU's. The units, located in the aft compartment of Endeavour, provide the pressure needed to power the hydraulic systems of the shuttle. The units will be used during the launch and landing phases of the mission for such events as moving the orbiter's aerosurfaces, gimbaling the main engine nozzles and deploying the landing gear.
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2232:42 GMT (6:32:42 p.m. EDT)
T-minus 4 minutes. Activation of the APUs is complete. The three units are up and running normally.
And the final helium purge sequence is underway in the main propulsion system. This procedure readies fuel system valves for engine start. In the next few seconds, the aerosurfaces of Endeavour will be run through a pre-planned mobility test to ensure readiness for launch. This is also a dress rehearsal for flight of the orbiter's hydraulic systems.
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2234:12 GMT (6:34:12 p.m. EDT)
T-minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The external tank liquid oxygen vent valve has been closed and pressurization of the LOX tank has started.
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2234:42 GMT (6:34:42 p.m. EDT)
T-minus 2 minutes. The astronauts are being instructed to close and lock the visors on their launch and entry helmets.
At T-minus 1 minute, 57 seconds the replenishment to the flight load of liquid hydrogen in the external tank will be terminated and tank pressurization will begin.
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2236:11 GMT (6:36:11 p.m. EDT)
T-minus 31 seconds. AUTO SEQUENCE START! The handoff has occurred from the Ground Launch Sequencer to the space shuttle. Endeavour's computers now controlling.
In the next few seconds, the solid rocket booster hydraulic steering system will be started, the orbiter's body flap and speed brake moved to their launch positions, the firing chain armed. Main engine ignition begins at T-minus 6.6 seconds.
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2236:42 GMT (6:36:42 p.m. EDT)
LIFTOFF! Liftoff of Endeavour, building the space station while building the future by inspiring the next generation. And the shuttle has cleared the tower!
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2239 GMT (6:39 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 2 minutes, 45 seconds. The twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines on the ship's tail have ignited to provide an extra boost in thrust in addition to Endeavour's three main engines.
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2240 GMT (6:40 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 4 minutes, 1 second. Negative return. The shuttle has passed the point where Endeavour could turn around and make an emergency landing at Kennedy Space Center in the event of a main engine problem. Landing sites in France and Spain are now available to Endeavour in the unlikely event an abort occurs during the remainder of this evening's launch.
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2241 GMT (6:41 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. Endeavour will be tripling its speed in the next four minutes to reach orbital velocity of 17,500 mph.
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2242 GMT (6:42 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 5 minutes, 20 seconds. "Press to ATO". Endeavour can reach an orbit, albeit a low orbit, on two engines should one shut down now. But all three powerplants are still running just fine.
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2242 GMT (6:42 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 6 minutes. The shuttle has started rolling to a heads-up position to improve communications with the TDRS satellite network.
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2243 GMT (6:43 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. "Press to MECO" Endeavour can now achieve a safe orbit on two engines. All three remain in good shape.
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2244 GMT (6:44 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 7 minutes, 45 seconds. The main engines are beginning to throttle down to ensure the shuttle does not experience forces greater than 3 g's as it continues to accelerate prior to engine shutdown.
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2245 GMT (6:45 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. MECO. Main Engine Cutoff confirmed! Speeding along at five miles per second above the Atlantic Ocean, Endeavour returns to space for the first time in nearly five years.
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2245 GMT (6:45 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 8 minutes, 48 seconds. The emptied external tank has been jettisoned from the belly of space shuttle Endeavour. The tank will fall back into the atmosphere where it will burn up harmlessly.
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Lancio semplicemente grandioso!
Go Endeavour!!!
:yeah:
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2254 GMT (6:54 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 18 minutes. The two flapper doors on the belly of Endeavour are being swung closed to shield the umbilicals that had connected to the external fuel tank.
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2300 GMT (7:00 p.m. EDT)
T+plus 23 minutes, 25 seconds. The doors are confirmed closed and latched.
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Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070808launch/
Shuttle Endeavour thunders into space
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 8, 2007; Updated following news conference
The shuttle Endeavour, making its first flight since the 2003 Columbia disaster, blasted off today on a space station assembly mission carrying a crew of seven that includes teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, Christa McAuliffe's backup in the original Teacher in Space program.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070808launch/sts118launch.jpg
Credit: Chris Miller/Spaceflight Now
With its three hydrogen-fueled main engines roaring at full throttle, Endeavour's twin solid-fuel boosters flashed to life at 6:36:42 p.m. and the 4.5-million-pound spacecraft vaulted away from launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center atop a churning cloud of fire and exhaust.
Climbing straight up into a hot, hazy Florida sky, Endeavour rolled about its vertical axis into a heads down position below the external tank and rocketed away to the northeast on a trajectory paralleling the East Coast.
One minute after launch, the shuttle had burned up half its weight in fuel and a minute and four seconds after that, at an altitude of 29 miles and a velocity of some 3,650 mph, Endeavour's solid-fuel boosters were jettisoned and the orbiter continued its climb to space on the power of its three main engines.
Endeavour completed its last mission in December 2002 - the flight before Columbia's ill-fated voyage - and despite years of down time to complete a thorough overhaul and to upgrade critical systems, NASA's newest shuttle - built to replace Challenger and named by school kids - sailed through a near-flawless countdown.
"The weather's great, Endeavour is ready to fly after four-and-a-half years so good luck, Godspeed and have some fun up there," Launch Director Mike Leinbach radioed the crew minutes before liftoff.
"Thanks, Mike," commander Scott Kelly replied. "This is a serious business we're in here. I'm proud of your team for getting Endeavour ready to go fly. I'm also proud of my crew and the rest of the astronaut office for their competence and professionalism for consistently making something that is incredibly difficult look easy. We'll see you in a couple of weeks and thanks for loaning us your space shuttle."
"Good, Scott, thanks a lot," Leinbach said. "Take good care of that great ship, Endeavour."
Kelly's comments followed a recent letter he wrote to the media, strongly defending the astronaut office in the wake of a NASA-chartered medical report that included anecdotal allegations of at least some instances of alcohol abuse in the past. NASA is currently carrying out an internal investigation to determine whether the alleged incidents actually occurred. So far, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin said today, investigators have not found any evidence supporting the allegations in the report.
"We are conducting a full-scale investigation, flight by flight, to determine whether it's even reasonable or possible that a crew under the influence of alcohol got on a space shuttle, or a Soyuz or third, on a T-38 (jet trainer)," he said. "We'll look at all that. Right now, we've gone back 10 years. And we can't even find where it would be a possibility that there was a crew under the influence on either a (Russian) Soyuz or a shuttle."
But Griffin stressed the probe is not yet complete. The allegations are "extremely serious," he said, and "I take it as my responsibility to find out."
Endeavour chalked up a picture-perfect climb to space with no obvious signs of external tank foam debris that might pose a threat to the ship's heat shield. Eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, at an altitude of 65 miles, the shuttle's three main engines shut down and the spacecraft slipped into its planned preliminary orbit, racing through space at some five miles - 88 football fields - per second. Kelly and pilot Charles Hobaugh fired the ship's orbital maneuvering system engines 37 minutes after launch to raise the low point of Endeavour's orbit and put the ship on course for a Friday linkup with the international space station.
Joining Kelly, Hobaugh and Morgan aboard Endeavour were Tracy Caldwell, flight engineer Rick Mastracchio, Canadian flier Dafydd Williams and Al Drew.
Morgan, who was selected as McAuliffe's backup on July 19, 1985, has waited 21 years to fulfill the legacy of the Teacher in Space, becoming a full-fledged NASA astronaut in 1998. She originally hoped to fly in late 2003, but the mission, originally planned for Columbia, ws put on hold when that shuttle crashed during re-entry.
"I am going up doing the job of an astronaut, the work of an astronaut, but I'm going up with a teacher's eyes, ears, heart and mind," Morgan said in an interview. "And so I look very much forward to doing that with an open mind and being able to come back and ... translate that into how can we best provide wonderful opportunities for our colleagues and our students."
NASA managers were eager to get Endeavour back into orbit after a four-and-a-half-year hiatus. Now sporting state-of-the-art satellite navigation gear and converters to tap into the space station's solar power grid, Endeavour should be able to reduce the load on its own generators and stay docked at the lab complex longer than any previous flight.
"The return of Endeavour to flight status is personally an emotional milestone for me," said Program Manager Wayne Hale, who served as ascent/entry flight director during Endeavour's last mission in November 2002. "It's like a new space shuttle. It's been completely inspected from stem to stern for any defects in the wiring, any structural corrosion and it's come out clean. It's like driving a new car off the showroom floor."
Going into the mission, the flight is officially planned for 11 days and includes three spacewalks. But if the shuttle-to-station power transfer system works as expected, the flight will be extended three days and a fourth spacewalk will be added. Under either scenario, Endeavour is expected to dock with the space station Friday around 1:51 p.m. If the flight is not extended, the shuttle will undock on Aug. 17 and land two days later. In the extended mission scenario, Endeavour would undock Aug. 20 and land on Aug. 22.
The goals of shuttle mission STS-118 include installation of a 5,000-pound solar array spacer segment; replacement of a critical stabilizing gyroscope; installation of a 7,000-pound external equipment storage platform; and delivery of fresh water and some 5,000 pounds of needed hardware and supplies.
While the shuttle astronauts are plowing through their busy schedule, the space station crew - Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Oleg Kotov and Clay Anderson - will carry out a long, complex repair job to replace a critical component in the Russian computer system. The unit is mounted near an air conditioner in the Zvezda command module and engineers believe corrosion found on cables leading to and from the box may have played a role in widespread computer failures during a June shuttle visit.
The new hardware was delivered to the station Aug. 5 aboard an unmanned Russian Progress supply ship. It will take the station crew four days to complete the computer overhaul and test the wiring.
"It's got a little bit of everything," lead shuttle Flight Director Matt Abbott said of Endeavour's mission. "We've got some assembly operations with the S5 truss installation, some repair operations with the control moment gyroscope replacement, a lot of resupply - the Spacehab module has about 5,000 pounds of cargo going up in it and we'll bring back about 4,000 pounds of cargo. We've also got some external spares to be installed on the outside of the station, we've got some science going on, several middeck payloads and really a very, very busy timeline."
Endeavour's flight will clear the way for a dramatic shuttle mission in October to move a huge set of stowed solar arrays to the far left end of the station's main power truss and attach a multi-hatch node called Harmony. The new module, temporarily mounted on the left side of the central Unity compartment, will be moved to the front of the station after the shuttle departs, providing docking ports for European and Japanese research modules scheduled for launch in December and early next year.
"It's an awesome schedule," Griffin said in an interview Tuesday. "We think we know what to do. We've had some pretty awesome flights in the recent past on space station assembly and we expect the upcoming ones to surpass them. So I would say stay tuned.
"I have frequently characterized space station assembly as the greatest construction project human beings have ever attempted," he said. "And I believe when you take it all in, that that's true. There is and there will continue to be much debate on the scientific merits of the space station and I think there should be that debate, that's fine. We will find a way to utilize the space station to help benefit human exploration of the solar system. But leaving all of that aside, it is the most amazing construction project ever attempted by human beings."
On a more human level, Morgan's journey from an Idaho classroom to the space shuttle has generated widespread interest in Endeavour's mission.
Morgan was selected on July 19, 1985, to train as McAuliffe's backup in NASA's original Teacher in Space program. McAuliffe and seven crewmates died in the Jan. 28, 1986, Challenger disaster but Morgan never gave up her dream of carrying education to the final frontier.
"Christa was and is and always will be a great representative of the teaching profession," said Morgan, now 55. "And we are really, really proud of her. She was, is, and always will be our Teacher in Space.
"This mission is symbolic and I know that people will be thinking about not just Christa, but the Challenger crew and the Challenger mission. And that's a good thing. And I know they will be thinking about so many people over the years, the families, friends, colleagues and people the Challenger crew never ever even knew ... who for so many years have been working so hard at continuing on their work and their dreams."
As a full-fledged astronaut, Morgan will not teach any lessons from space as McAuliffe once planned. A few modest educational events are planned, but her focus will be on mission-critical work, operating the shuttle's robot arm and overseeing logistics transfer activity.
"I know people are going to think about Challenger, and they should," Morgan said. "And I want people to remember what great folks they were and that what happened with Challenger was wrong, but what the crew and NASA was trying to do was absolutely right. I'm grateful that we are continuing that."
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SpaceFlightNow.com:
NASA says tank appears to have performed well
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 9, 2007
Preliminary analysis of launch photography indicates about nine small bits of foam insulation came off the shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank during the climb to space Wednesday. But only three are believed to have possibly struck the orbiter and there are no obvious signs of any impact damage, officials said today.
---
Articolo: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070809day2/
SpaceFlightNow.com:
Endeavour pulls into port at the space station
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 10, 2007
The shuttle Endeavour, deftly piloted by commander Scott Kelly, glided to a gentle docking with the international space station today after a spectacular trans-Atlantic somersault to give the lab crew a chance to inspect the orbiter's heat-shield tiles. While analysis of high-resolution digital images will take several days to complete, there were no obvious signs of any problems with the tiles, wing leading edge panels or insulation blankets visible on live television beamed down from the space station.
---
Articolo: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070810docking
Super Vegetto
10-08-2007, 21:04
E allora attenzione, che fra 15-20 minuti Shuttle e ISS ci passano sopra le teste (neanche tanto sopra poi, qui a Varese passano a Nord a 24° max di altezza)
Hatch aperto!!!
L'equipaggio dell'STS-118 entra così nella ISS! :yeah:
2004 GMT (4:04 p.m. EDT)
HATCHES OPEN. The hatchway between Endeavour and the space station has been opened, and the shuttle crew is being welcomed aboard the outpost.
Also upcoming is the unberthing of the S5 truss from Endeavour's payload bay by the shuttle robot arm. The truss will be handed to the station's arm to stay overnight. Installation of truss occurs tomorrow during the first spacewalk of the mission.
Marilson
11-08-2007, 13:51
ma dopo tutti questi nodi e collegamenti quando porteranno su i moduli rimasti? :stordita:
ma dopo tutti questi nodi e collegamenti quando porteranno su i moduli rimasti? :stordita:
dal RTF (Return to flight, STS-121) ad oggi hanno portato su i segmenti P3/P4 + Solar Array (STS-115), P5 (STS-116), S3/S4 + Solar Array (STS-117) e S5 (STS-118, la missione in corso).
Il grosso dei nuovi moduli andrà su con le prossime missioni: Nodo 2 (STS-120, ottobre 2007), European Columbus Laboratory (STS-122, dicembre 2007), Japanes Kibo Laboratory (STS-123, febbraio 2008), Japanes Pressurized Module (STS-124).
Un semplice elenco riassuntivo lo trovi qua:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISS_assembly_sequence
NB: tutte le missioni dopo l'STS-124 sono in corso di ridefinizione, quindi prenderle con le dovute cautele.
intanto è iniziata la de-pressurizzazione del AirLock nel modulo Quest, in vista dell'EVA-1.
ninja750
11-08-2007, 17:04
sentito al tg che lo shuttle ha uno squarcio di 7-8 cm e stanno valutando se rattopparlo per il rientro o lasciarlo così
Codename47
11-08-2007, 17:14
sentito al tg che lo shuttle ha uno squarcio di 7-8 cm e stanno valutando se rattopparlo per il rientro o lasciarlo così
Sentito anch'io stamattina... Vista l'attendibilità dei telegiornali italiani, aspettiamo conferme da GioFX (visto che al precedente lancio dello Shuttle al TG1 avevano detto che era esploso... :mc: :doh: )
sentito al tg che lo shuttle ha uno squarcio di 7-8 cm e stanno valutando se rattopparlo per il rientro o lasciarlo così
lasciando stare il sensazionalismo dei media... non si tratta di uno "squarcio", che suona un tantinello catastrofico... :D
Si tratta di due "mattonelle" (tiles) colpite durante il lancio molto probabilmente da un pezzo di ghiaccio, ma la posizione non è delle più pericolose e, secondo una prima analisi, si tratta di uno dei tanti casi che capitano ad ogni lancio (che coinvolgono formazioni di ghiaccio, e non di schiuma dell'ET) e non dovrebbe dare problemi. Ad ogni modo, come hai detto giustamente, stanno valutando se procedere o meno con una riparazione, ma solo dopo un'ispezione approfondita durante il FD5.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5195
http://a52.g.akamaitech.net/f/52/827/1d/www.space.com/images/070810_tile2_02.jpg
http://a52.g.akamaitech.net/f/52/827/1d/www.space.com/images/070810_tile1_02.jpg
il livello di qualità dei media generalisti è già ridicolo (anche all'estero) quando si tratta di argomenti di scienza e tecnologia, soprattutto aerospaziale, figuriamoci di quelli italiani... se poi a questo aggiungiamo la propensione al sensazionalismo ed al catastrofismo, avete il quadro del deprimente giornalismo non spacializzato che ci dobbiamo tenere.
:doh:
:nono:
gabi.2437
11-08-2007, 17:26
I media non hanno detto che la falla è stata provocata da disgregatori klingon? :doh:
1628 GMT (12:28 p.m. EDT)
EVA BEGINS. Rick Mastracchio and Dave Williams switched their spacesuits to internal battery power at 12:28 p.m. EDT, marking the official start time for today's spacewalk to install the new Starboard 5 truss on the space station and stow a radiator on the Port 6 truss.
I media non hanno detto che la falla è stata provocata da disgregatori klingon? :doh:
:sbonk:
Marilson
11-08-2007, 19:02
dal RTF (Return to flight, STS-121) ad oggi hanno portato su i segmenti P3/P4 + Solar Array (STS-115), P5 (STS-116), S3/S4 + Solar Array (STS-117) e S5 (STS-118, la missione in corso).
Il grosso dei nuovi moduli andrà su con le prossime missioni: Nodo 2 (STS-120, ottobre 2007), European Columbus Laboratory (STS-122, dicembre 2007), Japanes Kibo Laboratory (STS-123, febbraio 2008), Japanes Pressurized Module (STS-124).
Un semplice elenco riassuntivo lo trovi qua:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISS_assembly_sequence
NB: tutte le missioni dopo l'STS-124 sono in corso di ridefinizione, quindi prenderle con le dovute cautele.
graazie ;).
Cmq volevo chiederti una cosa... da quando è esploso il columbia con il return to flight hanno cominciato a fare decine di riprese ad alta definizione nonchè foto, e il backflip sotto la stazione per ispezionare visivamente ogni cm di mattonelle termiche.. ma prima? cioè.. gli è sempre andata di c..o? immagino i lanci negli anni 80, dove probabilmente non esisteva la tecnologia per realizzare delle immagini a così alta definizione... è una problematica che non hanno mai affrontato prima del disastro del columbia? non lo sapevano che la schiuma della ET poteva danneggiare i rivestimenti termici in sede di partenza? mah.... a volte non capisco se la nasa fa le cose con approssimazione o deve aspettare il disastro per tappare i buchi organizzativi... è brutto fare esperienza con le vite umane
ninja750
11-08-2007, 19:57
si chiaramente i TG per far scalpore ingigantiscono le notizie all'inverosimile
graazie ;).
Cmq volevo chiederti una cosa... da quando è esploso il columbia con il return to flight hanno cominciato a fare decine di riprese ad alta definizione nonchè foto, e il backflip sotto la stazione per ispezionare visivamente ogni cm di mattonelle termiche.. ma prima? cioè.. gli è sempre andata di c..o? immagino i lanci negli anni 80, dove probabilmente non esisteva la tecnologia per realizzare delle immagini a così alta definizione... è una problematica che non hanno mai affrontato prima del disastro del columbia? non lo sapevano che la schiuma della ET poteva danneggiare i rivestimenti termici in sede di partenza? mah.... a volte non capisco se la nasa fa le cose con approssimazione o deve aspettare il disastro per tappare i buchi organizzativi... è brutto fare esperienza con le vite umane
Se ne è parlato parecchio in passato... il succo del discorso è che prima, come hai ricordato tu, non esistevano queste tecnologie, non a questo livello almeno... inoltre molte critiche alla NASA su come siano state gestite certi aspetti del programma è giusto muoverle e sono stati mosse infatti. Con l'amministrazione Griffin molte cose sono cambiate, sono state inoltre implementate tutte le raccomandazioni del CAIB (Columbia Accident Investigation Board) e si sono fatti enormi passai avanti... ma c'è anche da dire che, nel caso specifico, sebbeno fossero ben noti i problemi del distacco della schiuma dall'ET al lancio, e fosse cmq monitorata per quanto possibile, non esistevano all'epoca modelli in grado di prevedere esattamente le conseguenze possibilli di uno evento simile a quello successo al columbia durante la prima fase di volo per il ritorno... e infatti successe per la prima volta (in quella entità) dopo 20 anni di voli.
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
New station truss installed during spacewalk
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 11, 2007
Astronaut Rick Mastracchio and Canadian flier Dave Williams floated back into the space station's Quest airlock, closed the hatch and began repressurizing the module at 6:45 p.m. to wrap up a successful six-hour 17-minute spacewalk. The astronauts accomplished all of their objectives, attaching a new solar array truss segment and latching down a folding radiator on another solar array segment to clear the way for relocation later this year.
This was the 89th spacewalk devoted to station assembly and maintenance since construction began in 1998 - the 12th so far this year - pushing cumulative station EVA time to 551 hours and one minute by 50 U.S. astronauts, 15 Russians, three Canadians and four fliers from Japan, Germany, France and Sweden. If all goes well, Mastracchio and Williams will stage a second spacewalk Monday; station astronaut Clay Anderson will join Mastracchio for a third EVA Wednesday; and Anderson and Williams will stage a fourth spacewalk Friday.
While today's spacewalk was underway, the primary command-and-control computer in the U.S. Destiny lab module unexpectedly shut down. There are three computers in the set and the backup immediately assumed the duties of the primary computer and a third machine that had been on standby was activated and configured for backup duty.
Mission control commentator Kyle Herring said late today engineers were still troubleshooting the problem, but the two operational computers remain healthy and in control of critical station functions.
"Just to update folks on the status of the station computers, there's no change to the earlier comments relative to the health of the command-and-control computers on the station," Herring said around 6:30 p.m. "At about (3:52 p.m.), the primary command-and-control computer shut down, the automatic sequence showed the backup basically taking over the primary computer's functions and then the third computer, which remains in standby, that computer was brought out of standby and took over as the backup and that configuration remains the same.
"There are three command-and-control computers located in the Destiny laboratory and the station flight control team, as time permits in and around the other activity ... will continue to look at why that computer went off line earlier this afternoon. But at this point, there are no issues with any of the systems on board the station."
The spacewalkers successfully bolted a 5,000-pound spacer segment to the right end of the international space station's solar power truss today to accomplish the primary objective of the crew's first spacewalk.
The boxy truss segment was moved into position by shuttle pilot Charles Hobaugh, operating the space station's robot arm. Guided by the spacewalkers, Hobaugh positioned the S5 truss segment so that coarse alignment pins slipped into the proper holes to line up the bolts necessary to lock it in place on the end of the S4 solar array truss segment. Mastracchio and Williams then drove the bolts home to complete the installation, just under two hours into the planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk.
With S5 in place, the astronauts moved a robot arm grapple fixture to keel of the segment and made cable connections between S5 and the S4 solar arrays that will carry power and data from S6 when the new outboard arrays are attached next year.
After final cleanup work, the spacewalkers moved to the top of the station's central Z1 truss to monitor the retraction of a cooling radiator and to lock it down. The radiator was on the P6 solar array segment, mounted atop Z1 to provide power during the initial stages of station assembly. The two P6 arrays were stowed during shuttle flights in December and June and if all goes well, the segment will be moved to the left end of the main power truss in October and the arrays re-extended.
intanto pare che la stora del danneggiamento alla protezione termica sia meno problematica del previsto, in quanto dai video scaricati dagli SRB si nota che un pezzo di schiuma, non di ghiaccio, si stacca, si rompe e cade in parte sul dorso dell'orbiter, all'altezza dell'allacciamento dei condotti di H2 all'ET...
certo, se da un lato questo può significare la non necessità di procedere a riparazioni (cosa che cmq verrà decisa dopo la Focused Inspection di oggi con l'ausilio di uno scanner laser e di fotografie ad altissima risoluzione), dall'altro costringerà ad una ancora più approfondita analisi di come si sia stacccata questa partre di schiuma dall'ET, e le possibili conseguenze (speriamo minime) sul processing della prossima missione.
Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
Tile damage less of a concern ahead of Focused Inspection
By Chris Bergin, 8/11/2007 11:53:42 PM
Deputy Shuttle manager John Shannon and the Mission Management Team (MMT) have gained more data - mostly encouraging - in regards to the tile damage on Endeavour's Thermal Protection System (TPS), which has lowered the chances it will require on orbit repair.
Shannon - speaking ahead of Flight Day 5's Focused Inspection on the tile - noted that the damage was caused by a piece of foam that liberated from a bracket on the 17 inch LOX feedline which runs down the side of the External Tank (ET), 58 seconds after launch, rather than a "denser" chunk of ice.
____
Articolo: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5196
razziadacqua
13-08-2007, 13:29
- Installazione del "glass cockpit" con 11 monitor LCD in sostituzione dei vecchi elettromeccanici, e nuovo sistema di navigazione GPS in complemento al TACAN.
Quindi fammi capire,ora hanno la plancia degli strumenti tutta in touch screen?Ho detto una niubbiata?
Se così...non è pericoloso in touch screen?
Quindi fammi capire,ora hanno la plancia degli strumenti tutta in touch screen?Ho detto una niubbiata?
Se così...non è pericoloso in touch screen?
rettifica (se non l'ho già fatta) l'installazione del glass cockpit è roba del primo OMDP, diversi anni fa... cmq no, non sono touch screen (a quanto ne so), ma monitor elettronici LCD a matrice attiva, tutto qua.
Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
OBSS reaches new heights - and depths - for tile evaluations
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5198
e
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070812inspections/
Inspection shows tile gouge almost reaches shuttle skin
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 12, 2007
A "focused inspection" of the shuttle Endeavour's heat shield today, prompted by concern over foam impact damage spotted earlier in the mission, revealed a deep gouge that nearly penetrates two adjacent tiles on the orbiter's belly. The damage was not apparent in realtime imagery downlinked from the shuttle, but higher resolution photos seen later in the day clearly showed a small but deep, scooped-out pit in the heat shield.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070812inspections/tile.jpg
A close-up view of tile damage was obtained during Sunday's inspections. Credit: NASA
Based on pictures snapped by the space station's crew during Endeavour's final approach Friday, mission managers had already decided the shuttle could safely re-enter as is if some other emergency forced a speedy return to Earth. The close-up pictures today did not change that judgment and John Shannon, chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team, said the orbiter's heat shield was healthy enough to handle re-entry as is if another emergency of some sort forced a speedy return to Earth.
"I did poll the team and it was still unanimous that there was no change in the thought process," Shannon said. "If we were in a significant emergency case we would feel comfortable deorbiting this vehicle. However, not being in an emergency case, we're going to proceed very methodically, understand exactly what we have and go get the vehicle in the best configuration we can for re-entry."
Engineers believe a softball-size chunk of foam insulation broke away from a bracket supporting a 17-inch-wide liquid oxygen feel line attached to the outside of the shuttle Endeavour's external tank during launch Wednesday. An instant later, the foam slammed into a support strut that helps hold the back end of the shuttle to the tank. The debris broke into several pieces and one ricocheted off the strut and directly into the belly of the shuttle, gouging a pit measuring 3.48 by 2.31 inches across.
But photos taken before today did not reveal how deep the pit might be - a key factor in determining the tile's ability to withstand the heat of re-entry - and so mission managers ordered today's focused inspection to find out.
Astronaut Tracy Caldwell, assisted by teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan and commander Scott Kelly, used Endeavour's robot arm and a 50-foot-long instrument boom to inspect five damage sites with a laser scanner and a high-resolution camera. During realtime downlink of black-and-white television camera views, the damage looked relatively minor. But high-resolution pictures seen later told a different story.
"As you can see ... it's a fairly deep gouge," Shannon said. "If you remember, the tile itself is 1.2 inches thick and the gouge goes pretty much through the entire thickness of the tile and there's a small area of the what we call filler bar, which is the material that is on the edge of the tile that the tile is mounted to that is showing. We think that that filler bar area is about .2 inches by about 1 inch. And then it impacts the second tile and just kind of took a scoop out of that part of the tile. So this is the data we were looking for.
"Not only did we get really good imagery, we got a good laser scan of it as well. And the process is we'll make a point cloud map of exactly what that damage is. And we'll do two things with that map. The first is we'll be able to model it and run our thermal analysis models to understand what the actual heating impact during re-entry would be for damage of this type. The second is a test method. We have already made up 2-foot by 2-foot sections of tile that are about that thickness and we'll take that cloud map and actually mimic the exact same damage on those test articles. And we'll put them in the arc jet facility here at Johnson Space Center and simulate re-entry conditions.
"That will be able to ground the analysis models with actual test data," Shannon said. "So we feel very comfortable with that. I expect we'll have the thermal analysis to discuss tomorrow at the Mission Management Team and the arc jet facility run will either be tomorrow or on Tuesday."
The arc jet facility can produce the 2,000-degree temperatures the shuttle's belly experiences during re-entry. Using stereo lithography based on the laser scan data, engineers will fashion an exact duplicate of the damage, put it in the furnace and see what happens. They also can test repair procedures to help determine the best course of action. Until then, Shannon said, it was premature to talk about possible repair scenarios or even if the damage needs fixing in the first place.
But Endeavour's crew is trained and equipped to make three different types of heat shield repairs. A spacewalking astronaut anchored to the same boom used to inspect the tiles today could apply a black, paint-like "emittance wash" to the exposed silica fibers of the damaged tiles to improve their ability to reject heat. The astronauts also could fill the gouge with a putty like material known as STA-54. They even have carbon composite panels that can be screwed into the tile to cover large areas of damage.
While it's too soon to say whether a repair might be needed, "I have a lot of confidence based on the testing we've done that if a repair is required, that we can go execute it," Shannon said. "As to which way we'll go, we'll see through the analysis over the next 24 to 48 hours."
Even before today's inspection, engineers assumed a deep pit for purposes of worst-case modeling of re-entry heat loads. As luck would have it, the damage site is right above an internal rib in the right wing called a stringer. Even if the tile was gouged out all the way to its base, Shannon said Saturday, any unusual heat during re-entry that made it to the underlying aluminum skin would spread out in the structure and not result in a localized hot spot. In addition, there is no wiring or any other systems on the interior of the right wing in that area.
Today, Shannon said the actual damage closely mirrored the presumed worst-case scenario.
"Surprisingly, it's almost exactly what we thought we had after the 2D images where you potentially have a very small piece of the filler bar material showing," he said. "We have some flight history and now that we know exactly what we have, we'll go and make sure we understand the differences between flight history and what we have here today and we will test the exact condition. I can't stress enough how incredibly valuable the laser data is and the optical data is. Now I have the opportunity to go model exactly what I have and put it in an arc jet (furnace), put it through a re-entry environment. That's really valuable.
"This is something we would rather not deal with, but we have really prepared for exactly this case," Shannon said. "So I feel very comfortable that whatever is required we con go do and do successfully."
The shuttle Columbia burned up during re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, because of a gaping hole in the leading edge of its left wing. The hole was the result of a briefcase-size piece of foam insulation that hit the wing during launch 16 days earlier.
The foam responsible for Columbia's demise is no longer used on the external tank and NASA has implemented a variety of other changes to minimize foam shedding across the board. Ongoing problems with the feedline brackets in question have led NASA to implement a design change that will make its debut three flights from now. Given the problem with Endeavour's heat shield, mission managers could be forced to re-think the rationale for flying the current design in the interim.
"We're all of about 24 hours into the realization that this is something that has happened on several flights," Shannon said. "It's an anomaly, we've got to go either develop flight rationale or develop a fix."
The next shuttle flight is scheduled for launch Oct. 23. NASA hopes to close out the year with launch of a European Space Agency research module on Dec. 6.
While today's inspection work was going on, space station commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov were busy replacing cables attached to a computer processing unit known by the English version of a Russian acronym, BOK-3. In the wake of widespread Russian computer failures in June, engineers discovered quite a bit of corrosion on cables leading to the BOK-3 unit, located near an air conditioner in the Zvezda command module.
Opening access panels today, Yurchikhin reported finding a fair amount of condensation and water in the area. The BOK-3 unit itself will be removed Tuesday and replaced with a freshly delivered spare on Wednesday.
Astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Canadian flier Dave Williams, meanwhile, spent part of the day preparing the tools they will use during a second spacewalk Monday to replace one of the station's four stabilizing control moment gyroscopes. The excursion is scheduled to begin around 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Along with looking at the tile damage photos, the Mission Management Team also reviewed the performance of a new station-to-shuttle power transfer system, or SSPTS, that is allowing the orbiter to plug into the station's solar power grid.
Going into the mission, flight planners said if the SSPTS operated as expected, they would recommend extending Endeavour's mission by three days and adding a fourth spacewalk. The SSPTS has been operating flawlessly, delivering some 6 kilowatts of power to the shuttle and allowing the astronauts to reduce the consumption of liquid oxygen and hydrogen used by the ship's fuel cells. As a result, the MMT today approved the mission extension, setting the stage for station assembly spacewalks Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Under the new flight plan, Endeavour will remain docked to the lab complex until Aug. 20 and return to Earth two days later. A revised flight plan will be posted here as soon as possible.
Marilson
13-08-2007, 23:32
secondo me il danno è grave, o perlomeno rischioso rientrare senza riparare i due tile contigui. Ricordo, correggetemi se sbaglio, che basta l'inefficienza di anche una sola piastrella per causare una reazione a catena potenzialmente catastrofica. Lo scudo termico non deve avere punti deboli... dovrebbero essere attrezzati per una ulteriore spacewalk e sostituire le tiles danneggiate, vero FX?
In realtà no... la press conference in corso con John Shannon sta chiarendo molto bene la questione. Sebbene solo domani si avranno tutti i risultati dell'analisi fluido-dinamica computazionale (CFD) e dei test effettuati su piastrelle campione modificate esattamente come il danno attuale nell'Arcjet (ad oltre 2000°, la temperatura prevista per quella zona dell'orbiter), l'MMT (Mission Management Team) ha già deliberato che lo shuttle è autorizzato al rientro in caso di un'altro tipo di emergenza che ne richiedesse il ritorno anticipato.
Danni simili si sono registrati in almeno altre tre o quattro missioni, ultima l'STS-121, per questo oltre a tutti i dati (ricavati dall'eccezionale analisi effettuata con il laser dell'OBSS) verrà analizzata anche la storia di queste missioni.
Ad ogni modo, se con i dati di domani sarà ritenuto opportuno procedere ad una delle tre possobili tipi di riparazione, con un'EVA extra), la decisione finale verrà presa alla riunione del MMT di mercoledì.
Ricordo, correggetemi se sbaglio, che basta l'inefficienza di anche una sola piastrella per causare una reazione a catena potenzialmente catastrofica. Lo scudo termico non deve avere punti deboli...
No, questo SOLO se in punti particolari della struttura e per dimensioni notevoli di danno. Ricordiamoci che il collasso strutturale dell'OV-102 è avvenuto a causa di uno squarcio di 30 cm in uno dei pannelli del bordo anteriore dell'ala in RCC (leading-edge Reinforced Carbon-Carbon), dove si anno le massime temperature.
Il danno in oggetto è questione di pochi centimetri, per quanto sia profondo, in una zona termicamente non di picco e in cui il flusso non può essere (secondo i modelli attuali, domani ne avremo la conferma con i nuovi modelli CFD specifici di questo tipo di danno al TPS) variato nel suo insieme, anche perchè secondo la ricostruzione 3D il buco sulla mattonella ha una conformazione tale da ridurre al minimo il vortice, cosicchè allo stato attuale si ritiene che l'eventuale fluido che ristagnasse nella cavità non produrrebbe temperature tali da compromettere l'integrità della mattonella stessa.
dovrebbero essere attrezzati per una ulteriore spacewalk e sostituire le tiles danneggiate, vero FX?
Certo, l'equipaggio ha in dotazione l'attrezzatura ed il materiale per tre diversi tipi di riparazione: un polimero nero da spalmare (testato nella missione STS-121) in grado di ridurre il sovra-calore, un composto più denso a base di carbonio, e dei pannelli speciali molto sottili dello stesso materiale di cui sono fatte le mattonelle, prevalentemente carbonio.
Marilson
14-08-2007, 01:20
cmq ho avuto modo di toccarle con mano queste piastrelle, al KSC... hanno una consistenza al tatto stranissima. Dovrebbero essere fatte di ceramica principalmente (chiaramente NON i cocci che abbiamo in casa ;) )
cmq ho avuto modo di toccarle con mano queste piastrelle, al KSC... hanno una consistenza al tatto stranissima. Dovrebbero essere fatte di ceramica principalmente (chiaramente NON i cocci che abbiamo in casa ;) )
[edit]
le mattonelle (usate prevalentemente sotto lo Shuttle) costituiscono la parte HRSI (High-Temperature Reusable Surface Insulation) del TPS (Thermal Protection System) dello Shuttle e sono costituite da silicati (in effetti anch'io ricordavo fossero prevalentemente carboceramiche, invece...).
Dalla voce di wikipedia (discretamente ben fatta):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle_thermal_protection_system
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ef/ShuttleTPS2.jpg/800px-ShuttleTPS2.jpg
High-temperature reusable surface insulation (HRSI)
HRSI tiles (black in color) provide protection against temperatures up to 2300 °F (1260 °C). There are 20,548 HRSI tiles which cover the landing gear doors, external tank umbilical connection doors, and the rest of the orbiter's under surfaces. They are used in areas on the upper forward fuselage, parts of the orbital maneuvering system pods, vertical stabilizer leading edge, elevon trailing edges, and upper body flap surface as well. They vary in thickness from one inch (2.54 cm) to five inches (12.7 cm), depending upon the heat load encountered during reentry. Except for closeout areas, these tiles are normally 6 by 6 inch squares (15.2 by 15.2 cm). The HRSI tile is basically a composite of high purity (99.8%) silica fibers (10%) and empty space (90%) that exhibits ceramic bonding. The high percentage of voids is the reason for the low density (9 lb/ft³) of the material making it light enough for spaceflight and strong enough to withstand the required G forces. The HRSI tiles have the black glossy appearance because of waterproofing coating made of tetrasilicide and borosilicate glass.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/Space_Shuttle_%28HRSI_tile%29.png
Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
NASA evaluate STS-118 extension up to a record 19 days
By Chris Bergin, 8/14/2007 9:06:47 AM
Shuttle managers are discussing the viability of extending STS-118's mission duration capability to 18 or 19 days - if required. The 'long pole' evaluation - which includes two repair related EVAs and weather wave offs - would see Endeavour smash the previous mission duration record.
All on orbit repair options are being discussed in direct relation to mitigating the potential of additional processing for Endeavour, once she's back inside her OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility). Endeavour is deemed safe to return without the repair.
-
Articolo: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5199
cmq ho avuto modo di toccarle con mano queste piastrelle, al KSC... hanno una consistenza al tatto stranissima. Dovrebbero essere fatte di ceramica principalmente (chiaramente NON i cocci che abbiamo in casa ;) )
Sei sceso giù, quindi, nell'edificio dove fanno l'addestramento degli astronauti? A noi non hanno fatto toccare niente, anche se eravamo accompagnati ad un astronauta, a te hanno fatto provare qualcosa? O le hai toccate da qualche altra parte?
Marilson
14-08-2007, 23:05
Sei sceso giù, quindi, nell'edificio dove fanno l'addestramento degli astronauti? A noi non hanno fatto toccare niente, anche se eravamo accompagnati ad un astronauta, a te hanno fatto provare qualcosa? O le hai toccate da qualche altra parte?
in realtà non ho toccato delle vere tiles ma sono riuscito a sporgermi e toccare le tiles dell'orbiter Explorer, la replica full size esposta al visitor complex del KSC. Non saprei se sono simili alle tiles attuali, ma sono quasi sicuro che durante i 20 anni e più di attività, la consistenza, la forma e le dimensioni delle tiles sono cambiate notevolmente nel corso degli anni. Cmq da vicino ci si rende bene conto del "mosaico" che esse compongono... lo scudo termico dello shuttle è una delle parti che mi ha sempre affascinato ;)
in realtà non ho toccato delle vere tiles ma sono riuscito a sporgermi e toccare le tiles dell'orbiter Explorer, la replica full size esposta al visitor complex del KSC. Non saprei se sono simili alle tiles attuali, ma sono quasi sicuro che durante i 20 anni e più di attività, la consistenza, la forma e le dimensioni delle tiles sono cambiate notevolmente nel corso degli anni. Cmq da vicino ci si rende bene conto del "mosaico" che esse compongono... lo scudo termico dello shuttle è una delle parti che mi ha sempre affascinato ;)
Il Kennedy, porca miseria, avevo letto male :fagiano:
Io sono stato a Houston...
Cico the SSJ
15-08-2007, 20:12
Sono appena tornato a casa e ho sentito che Richard Mastracchio ha fatto un qualche danno, non troppo rilevante, alla sua tuta durante l'eva...
:doh:
Ora pare sia tornato dentro x precauzione.. ma vuol dire che nn riusciranno a fare tutti i lavori con un solo uomo fuori :confused:
Marilson
15-08-2007, 20:28
si ma ora è tutto ok, confermo che mastracchio in questo momento è regolarmente in EVA ;)
Marilson
15-08-2007, 20:46
errata corridge: non è mastracchio in EVA ma Clay Anderson
Marilson
15-08-2007, 20:48
Sono appena tornato a casa e ho sentito che Richard Mastracchio ha fatto un qualche danno, non troppo rilevante, alla sua tuta durante l'eva...
:doh:
Ora pare sia tornato dentro x precauzione.. ma vuol dire che nn riusciranno a fare tutti i lavori con un solo uomo fuori :confused:
un piccolo taglio nel guanto
albertoz85
16-08-2007, 10:08
errata corridge: non è mastracchio in EVA ma Clay Anderson
Era Mastracchio in EVA non Anderson, Clay uscirà solo nella EVA 4.
Il taglio non è stato niente di pericoloso, ha interessato solo i primi due strati della tuta...
Se mi posso permettere, vedo che vengono pubblicati gli articoli interi di nasaspaceflight.com in inglese se può interessare esiste un forum-portale italiano che è altrettanto aggiornato, utilizzando le stesse fonti, ma è in italiano... roba piuttosto rara nel panorama italico...
http://www.forumastronautico.it/
Marilson
16-08-2007, 11:58
Era Mastracchio in EVA non Anderson, Clay uscirà solo nella EVA 4.
Il taglio non è stato niente di pericoloso, ha interessato solo i primi due strati della tuta...
Se mi posso permettere, vedo che vengono pubblicati gli articoli interi di nasaspaceflight.com in inglese se può interessare esiste un forum-portale italiano che è altrettanto aggiornato, utilizzando le stesse fonti, ma è in italiano... roba piuttosto rara nel panorama italico...
http://www.forumastronautico.it/
no no ti sbagli, al momento del mio post Mastracchio era già rientrato per precauzione nell'airlock, fuori c'era il solo anderson che stava cmq rientrando anche lui. Qui un'immagine dell'abrasione riportata sul guanto di Mastracchio
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/186354main_sts118_mastracchio_glove.jpg
Image above: Highlighted in this picture is an abrasion of Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio's glove during STS-118's third spacewalk. Image: NASA TV
Flight controllers decided just before 3 p.m. EDT Wednesday to end the mission's third spacewalk early because of damage to the outer layer of one of Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio’s gloves. Even though there was no threat to his safety, the decision was made as a precaution.
Up to that point, Mastracchio and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson were about an hour ahead of schedule and had completed the major tasks of the spacewalk. Mastracchio ended his portion of the spacewalk about 3 p.m. and Anderson wrapped up at 4:05 p.m.
Anderson finished with the retrieval of a transponder on the Port 6 truss after Mastracchio returned to the Quest airlock.
The damage was discovered during a routine scan of the gloves with Mastracchio’s helmet cam. Both gloves had damage, however, it was a small penetration in the outer layer of the left thumb that caused flight controllers to make the decision to end Wednesday’s spacewalk early.
albertoz85
16-08-2007, 12:28
no no ti sbagli, al momento del mio post Mastracchio era già rientrato per precauzione nell'airlock, fuori c'era il solo anderson che stava cmq rientrando anche lui.
Ah ok, credevo ti riferissi a chi avesse subito il danno.
Se mi posso permettere, vedo che vengono pubblicati gli articoli interi di nasaspaceflight.com in inglese se può interessare esiste un forum-portale italiano che è altrettanto aggiornato, utilizzando le stesse fonti, ma è in italiano... roba piuttosto rara nel panorama italico...
http://www.forumastronautico.it/
Indubbiamente, considerato il livello del giornalismo tecnico italiano, già quello estero lascia desiderare... quindi è solo che positivo.
Però magari in Italia avessimo accesso a notizie (e soprattutto risorse, documenti, ecc.) di prima mano direttamente dagli insider come si possono trovare nell'L2 di NSF, certo l'inglese per quanto comprensibile dagli appassionati non aiuta molto a diffondere la cosa, questo è vero...
Nel frattempo il buon Bill ci ricorda che per stasera è attesa la decisione sulla possibile (ma al momento remota) extra-EVA per la riparazione delle 2 tiles coinvolte maggiormante dal danno:
NASA awaits final test data before decision on repair
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 15, 2007
As expected, the Endeavour astronauts will delay their fourth spacewalk, from Friday to Saturday, to protect against the possibility of an unprecedented heat shield repair. Mission Management Team Chairman John Shannon said late today a decision one way or the other will be made Thursday, after a final round of tests in a high-temperature furnace to verify computer models accurately reflect the re-entry environment. Barring an unexpected surprise, Shannon said he remains "cautiously optimistic" a repair spacewalk will not be needed. And he made it clear the risks associated with a repair spacewalk are high enough to rule out attempting a fix if it is not absolutely necessary.
-
Articolo: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070815eva3/index4.html
###################################àà
Articolo di Chris su NSF:
MMOD strike not a concern - NASA still evaluating tile repair
By Chris Bergin, 8/16/2007 8:29:30 AM
NASA are still in the midst of evaluating the viability of carrying out a repair on the damaged tile area on Endeavour - with overnight testing of mock-ups of the damage and continued risk trade-offs of carrying out the repair EVA. A decision will be made later today.
Meanwhile, Endeavour's crew have taken images of a MMOD (micrometeoroid/orbiting debris) strike to window 2's thermal pane. Evaluations class it as minor, after initially placing the use of the OBSS (Orbiter Boom Sensor System) on standby.
-
Articolo: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5203
Sembra che l'MMT deciderà per non effettuare la riparazione, come già sostenevano molti nei giorni scorsi...
MMT receive opening recommendations of no repair for Endeavour
By Chris Bergin, 8/16/2007 2:46:47 PM
Several key NASA departments have officially recommended to the Mission Management Team (MMT) for STS-118 to continue as planned, with no repair on the damaged tile area on Endeavour's TPS (Thermal Protection System).
The MMT, meeting at 3pm Central time, will make the ultimate decision, following the key "DAT" team - made up of NASA and Boeing's Orbiter Project Office (OPO) - recommendation to the MMT that no repair is needed.
[...]
While there was never a threat to the crew, the evaluations rotated around the potential processing that might have to be added to Endeavour back at KSC. However, concerns relating to the amount of repair that mat be expected have dissipated.
-
Articolo: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5204
Marilson
17-08-2007, 10:52
è da valutare sopratutto il rischio di effettuare una EVA in più con la possibilità di compromettere ulteriormente il rivestimento termico.. se il gioco non vale la candela è logico non intervenire ;)
e per l'appunto...
da SpaceFlightNow.com:
Final decision: No repair needed on tile damage
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 16, 2007
NASA's Mission Management Team today ruled out an unprecedented heat shield repair spacewalk and cleared the shuttle Endeavour for re-entry and landing next week "as is" based on computer modeling and tests in a high-temperature furnace that show a small gouge in the ship's belly will not cause serious damage during the fiery plunge to Earth.
-
Articolo: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070816norepair
anche se...
da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
Endeavour dissent from engineer a sign of post Columbia changes
By Chris Bergin, 8/17/2007 11:38:30 AM
Unthinkable before the loss of Columbia, a contractor engineer at Lockheed Martin was able to voice his concerns over the state of Endeavour's damaged TPS (Thermal Protection System) - all the way to Mission Management Team (MMT) chairman John Shannon - within a matter of hours.
The engineer's concerns, with both re-entering as-is and repairing via T-RAD/STA-54, were addressed via the arsenal of analysis that gave rationale to the decision that will see Endeavour come home - now likely on Tuesday - without a repair being required on her tile damage.
[...]
'I received an email from one of our engineers expressing concern with the potential decision to re-enter the orbiter - either as is or with a putty repair,' Sigur wrote to Chapman, forwarding the e-mail she had received from the engineer. 'Notes from his email are below:'
'The damage could be worst than what it appears,' wrote the engineer. 'During some of the impacts tests, we have what we called shear-out failures, where some of the impacts failed the tile at the densification layer, which it is designed to do. The problem is that not all of the failures lifted the tile out of place, but only cracked it 25-75 percent through that layer, leaving a tile partially attached.
'With re-entry loads, it could fail the remaining portion and become dislodged during entry, leaving a large cavity, thus creating a more severe thermal issue. A repair to putty this area could also be detrimental, in that this could also aggravate the situation, making it worse.
'I know they are performing re-entry testing on the tiles that mimic the shape of the damage area at JSC (tiles were CNC machined to the damage profile based on the 3D laser imagery taken of the damaged site) but not on a tile out scenario.'
Sigur - herself a mechanical engineer by trade - highlighted the engineer's recommendation, before asking: 'What are the appropriate channels to identify this?'
Her answer would come just seven minutes later, as Chapman wrote back: 'I'd send it straight to John Shannon ASAP with a copy to Steve Poulos and Bill McArthur. Be sure to include contact info for your engineer so they can get more info / clarification if needed. If possible, he needs to attend this afternoon's MMT meeting.'
Just over an hour later, the concern had reached the inbox of Shannon and other key shuttle management, with the original e-mail and contact details of the engineer, should they wish to call him.
Ten minutes later, the e-mail had been forwards to other members of shuttle management, with a response on what was now becoming a chain e-mail, noting: 'Please handle this as a Shuttle Safety Hotline submission.'
Ultimately, the initial note of concern, forwarded from Sigur, had made it all the way up the chain of command to all of the shuttle management, within 90 minutes, with JSC manager Robert Doremus confirming to all on the chain e-mail: 'We will bring this up at today's MMT.'
While it is not known how the engineer's concerns were abated by the MMT, the ultimate decision that Endeavour was clear to come home, was taken the following day, with only the minor dissent of JSC Engineering noted.
[...]
-
Articolo: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5205
Possibile riduzione dell'EVA-4 da 6 a 4,5 ore, chiusura dell'hatch tra ISS ed orbiter sabato notte, undocking domenica e rientro un giorno prima del previsto, martedi prossimo. Questo a causa dell'uragano Dean, un previsto CAT-5 diretto verso le coste americane della Luisiana e del Texas, con passaggio su Houston, il che ha messo in moto le procedure per il piano di evacuazione anche del centro di controllo missione.
Sono disponibili centri di backup, in particolare al KSC, ma la cosa richiede del tempo e cmq non tutto il personale potrebbe essere "dispacciato" (... :O) al Kennedy, quindi di fatto incrementando il rischio per un sicuro controllo del volo di ritorno.
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
NASA studies landing options as hurricane threat looms
Articolo all'indirizzo: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070817fd10/index2.html
Marilson
18-08-2007, 17:03
c'è stato un falso allarme di presenza fumo all'interno della ISS precisamente nell'unit connecting node, ce ne fu un altro precedente ala STS 118 qualche settimana fa... probabilmente si pensa ad un sensore troppo sensibile
si, è già capito più volte, stanno controllando ma sembra il solito falso allarme...
razziadacqua
18-08-2007, 17:26
scusate ma oggi veramente al Tg dicevano che il ritorno verrà ritardato di 1gg e no anticipato,visto che l'uragano è già sorpa Houston credo ed è prossimo a diventare F5.
Sarebbe mio immenso piacere trovare la conferma delle notizie che sento direttamente dai siti americani,nasa o quel che volete,ma l assenza di banda larga ed un pc assai sensibile alle alte temperature mi rendono assai ostica la cosa.
razziadacqua
18-08-2007, 17:29
Approfitto per chiedere:
ma l'italiano risulta come specialista di missione.Io mi sono letto la sua carriera e cavoli vari e mi domando.
Cosa diavolo deve fara lassù?Quale era il suo compito?Insomma perchè gli han dato il titolo di specialista?IN COSA? O_o :confused:
albertoz85
18-08-2007, 19:05
scusate ma oggi veramente al Tg dicevano che il ritorno verrà ritardato di 1gg e no anticipato,visto che l'uragano è già sorpa Houston credo ed è prossimo a diventare F5.
Il rientro è stato anticipato di un giorno. Lo Shuttle chiuderà il portellone questa notte e si sgancerà dalla ISS domattina presto.
ma l'italiano risulta come specialista di missione.Io mi sono letto la sua carriera e cavoli vari e mi domando.
Cosa diavolo deve fara lassù?Quale era il suo compito?Insomma perchè gli han dato il titolo di specialista?IN COSA? O_o
Ma di che italiano stai parlando? Nespoli? Nespoli è a tutti gli effetti un astronauta come gli altri, ha eseguito lo stesso addestramento degli altri, è abilitato ad effettuare delle EVA e nella sua missione dirigerà gli "spacewalker" dall'interno della ISS manovrando anche il Canadarm in tutti i vari task. Poi avrà ovviamente una tabella di task come tutti gli altri.
Nespoli è "specialista di missione" in quanto tutti i membri dell'equipaggio dello Shuttle dal dopo-Challenger sono astronauti professionisti con qualifica di, appunto, "Mission Specialist".
La presenza di astronauti non americani è in virtù di specifici accordi bilaterali tra NASA e le agenzie spaziali di altri paesi spesso come "scambio", oltre che i normali accordi tra NASA-RKA, NASA-ESA ed ESA-RKA. L'Italia infatti, nell'ambito dell'ESA ma anche autonomamente con l'Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), si garantisce l'accesso alla ISS anche tramite accordi di scambio come ad esempio il contratto di costruzione dei cargo MPLM (Multi-Purpose Logistic Module, wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Purpose_Logistics_Module) consegnati alla NASA in cambio dell'utilizzo dello Shuttle come mezzo di accesso all'ISS e dei moduli americani della stazione stessa.
Nespoli andrà su cmq nell'ambito degli accordi NASA-ESA per l'installazione sulla ISS del modulo europeo Columbus (ed è un bel riconoscimento per l'Italia che in quella missione rappresenterà l'ESA e quindi l'Europa).
Allo stesso modo gli astronauti giapponesi Takao Doi (STS-123), Akihiko Hoshide (STS-124) e Koichi Wakata (STS-127) rappresenteranno la JAXA in occasione delle missioni per installare il modulo Kibo nel corso di tre missioni.
albertoz85
18-08-2007, 22:50
Nespoli andrà su cmq nell'ambito degli accordi NASA-ESA per l'installazione sulla ISS del modulo europeo Columbus (ed è un bel riconoscimento per l'Italia che in quella missione rappresenterà l'ESA e quindi l'Europa).
Ti correggo perchè Nespoli andrà su con la STS-120 per Harmony e non con la STS-122 che porterà il Columbus.
Infatti quello di Nespoli è uno dei voli dell'accordo NASA-ASI per gli MPLM e non è tramite ESA Per gli accordi NASA-ESA, appunto per il modulo Columbus con la STS-122, andranno gli Europei Hans Schlegel (GER) e Leopold Eyharts (FRA) con il secondo che si fermerà sulla ISS un paio di mesi per l'installazione e i collaudi del laboratorio europeo. ;)
ah grazie, ho fatto un pò di confusione in effetti... ero convinto che andasse su per il Columbus ma in effetti non mi tornavano i conti dei due europei... :D
Confermato il ritorno anticipato a martedì (al più presto, altrimenti si va avanti) con il seguente piano di rientro (CBSNews "Space Place"):
STS-118 DEORBIT OPPORTUNITIES
Editor's Note...
Current as of 08/18/07
ORBIT.SITE..DEORBIT....LAND
08/21/07 Tuesday
201...KSC...11:27 AM...12:29 AM
202...KSC...01:03 PM...02:04 PM
203...EDW...02:33 PM...03:35 PM
......NOR...02:34 PM...03:36 PM
204...EDW...04:08 PM...05:10 PM
......NOR...04:10 PM...05:12 PM
205...EDW...05:44 PM...06:46 PM
08/22/07 Wednesday
217...KSC...11:50 AM...12:52 AM
218...NOR...01:22 PM...02:24 PM
......KSC...01:26 PM...02:27 PM
219...EDW...02:55 PM...03:57 PM
......NOR...02:57 PM...03:59 PM
220...EDW...04:31 PM...05:33 PM
08./23/07 Thursday
232...KSC...10:38 AM...11:40 AM
233...KSC...12:13 AM...01:15 PM
234...EDW...01:43 PM...02:45 PM
......NOR...01:45 PM...02:46 PM
235...EDW...03:18 PM...04:20 PM
......NOR...03:20 PM...04:22 PM
236...EDW...04:55 PM...05:56 PM
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
NASA decides to bring Endeavour home a day early
The Endeavour astronauts staged a final, abbreviated spacewalk today and closed hatches between the shuttle and the international space station to set the stage for undocking early Sunday and landing Tuesday - a day early because of concern about Hurricane Dean - to close out a dramatic station assembly mission.
NASA's Mission Management Team met today and after evaluating the hurricane's predicted track and speed, decided that if the storm threatens to force an evacuation of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, flight controllers in Texas will stay long enough to oversee a Tuesday landing in Florida or, if bad weather develops at Kennedy, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., or White Sands Space Harbor, N.M.
If the hurricane does not threaten Johnson, the astronauts will still attempt a landing at Kennedy on Tuesday but in that case, if bad weather crops up in Florida, they will stay in orbit another day and try again on Wednesday. The shuttle has enough on-board supplies to stay in orbit until Friday, but the last day is always held in reserve in case of last-minute technical problems. Cain said NASA hopes to have the shuttle on the ground by Thursday at the latest.
---
Articolo: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070818eva4/index2.html
a che ora doveva/deve avvenire il distacco dall'ISS?
razziadacqua
19-08-2007, 11:10
Nespoli è "specialista di missione" in quanto tutti i membri dell'equipaggio dello Shuttle dal dopo-Challenger sono astronauti professionisti con qualifica di, appunto, "Mission Specialist".
avevo sospettato la cosa :)
La presenza di astronauti non americani è in virtù di specifici accordi bilaterali tra NASA e le agenzie spaziali di altri paesi spesso come "scambio", oltre che i normali accordi tra NASA-RKA, NASA-ESA ed ESA-RKA. L'Italia infatti, nell'ambito dell'ESA ma anche autonomamente con l'Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), si garantisce l'accesso alla ISS anche tramite accordi di scambio come ad esempio il contratto di costruzione dei cargo MPLM (Multi-Purpose Logistic Module, wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Purpose_Logistics_Module) consegnati alla NASA in cambio dell'utilizzo dello Shuttle come mezzo di accesso all'ISS e dei moduli americani della stazione stessa.
Nespoli andrà su cmq nell'ambito degli accordi NASA-ESA per l'installazione sulla ISS del modulo europeo Columbus (ed è un bel riconoscimento per l'Italia che in quella missione rappresenterà l'ESA e quindi l'Europa).
Allo stesso modo gli astronauti giapponesi Takao Doi (STS-123), Akihiko Hoshide (STS-124) e Koichi Wakata (STS-127) rappresenteranno la JAXA in occasione delle missioni per installare il modulo Kibo nel corso di tre missioni.
Grazie davvero per l'illuminazione :)
a che ora doveva/deve avvenire il distacco dall'ISS?
è avvenuto alle ore 7:57 AM EDT (11:57 ora italiana)... :D
Data la necessità di velocizzare le procedure di rientro è stata cancellata la tradizionale manovra di "fly-around" della ISS.
avevo sospettato la cosa :)
Grazie davvero per l'illuminazione :)
Di niente, cmq per completare il discorso le qualifiche sono queste:
- Commander (CDR) - Primo posto a sinistra nel flight-deck
- Pilot (PLT) - Seconod posto a destra nel flight-deck
- MS1-7 - 2 posti dietro nel flight-deck e fino a tre nel mid-deck.
Per quanto riguarda Nespoli mi ha giustamente corretto albertoz.
Nespoli andrà su con la missione STS-120 che installerà sulla ISS il Node 2 (Harmony), il secondo modulo di collegamento americano sulla ISS dopo lo Unity e che farà da interfaccia tra i laboratori europeo (Columbus) e giapponese (Kibo), di qui la necessità che sia installato prima di questi ultimi.
Il Node2 è stato costruito dall'Alcatel Alenia Space su commissione dell'ASI per conto ESA, a seguito del contratto stipulato tra quest'ultima e la NASA l'8 ottobre 1997. Il modulo, una volta completato nel 2003 è stato consegnato, dopo i test, all'ASI e da questa all'ESA. Dopo la consegna al KSC è stato completato il passaggio formale di proprietà dall'ESA alla NASA.
Nespoli è stato selezionato tra gli astronauti italiani dell'ESA per partecipare quindi come specialista di missione. :)
albertoz85
19-08-2007, 14:45
- MS1-7 - 2 posti dietro nel flight-deck e fino a tre nel mid-deck.
4 nel mid-deck, lo shuttle in condizioni normali può trasportare fino a 8 persone di equipaggio. ;)
4 nel mid-deck, lo shuttle in condizioni normali può trasportare fino a 8 persone di equipaggio. ;)
Non credo lo sia pià da tempo, nelle missioni ISS il limite è stato fissato a 7 se non erro.
albertoz85
19-08-2007, 17:30
Si beh certamente è molto tempo che non si vedono missioni con 8 persone di equipaggio, e anzi probabilmente non se ne vedranno più, però la capacità nominale rimane anche perchè se dovesse essere effettuata la STS-400 nel middeck dovrebbero starci 7 persone (6 sedute e 1 in piedi).
Cos'è l'Endeavour uno shuttle?
Ciao a tutti
Purtroppo a causa del collegamento internet molto precario che ho in ferie, non ho potuto seguire molto bene le vicende dell'endevour, quindi scusate la domanda ovvia che vi faccio:
Che giorno e ora torna l'endevour?
ho sentito ai TG che il rientro è stato anticipato di un giorno, ma non dicono quando. Inoltre sul pdf del TVschedule che avevo scaricato prima di partire il rientro era previsto per oggi.
grazie e ciao
Ciao a tutti
Purtroppo a causa del collegamento internet molto precario che ho in ferie[...]
ti capisco, le tariffe di collegamento ad internet anche in croazia erano decisamente poco "invitanti"
Si beh certamente è molto tempo che non si vedono missioni con 8 persone di equipaggio, e anzi probabilmente non se ne vedranno più, però la capacità nominale rimane anche perchè se dovesse essere effettuata la STS-400 nel middeck dovrebbero starci 7 persone (6 sedute e 1 in piedi).
l'STS-400 è l'eventuale missione di soccorso alla squadra impegnata alla manutenzione dell'Hubble vero? (non trovo piu' il manifest completo :fagiano: )
Marilson
19-08-2007, 20:16
Cos'è l'Endeavour uno shuttle?
:eek: :cry:
Ciao a tutti
Che giorno e ora torna l'endevour?
ho sentito ai TG che il rientro è stato anticipato di un giorno, ma non dicono quando. Inoltre sul pdf del TVschedule che avevo scaricato prima di partire il rientro era previsto per oggi.
grazie e ciao
l'atterraggio e' previsto al KSC per martedì alle 12:32 EDT quindi le 17:30 ora italiana (correggetemi se sbaglio, non ci azzecco mai con l'ora legale ;) )
per chi fosse interessato qui c'e' il link alla pagina del TV schedule della Nasa
http://www1.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html
Cos'è l'Endeavour uno shuttle?
Si, è uno dei tre orbiter (il termine corretto per indentificare lo shuttle inteso come navetta) attualmente in uso (commissionato per il volo con equipaggio).
Gli orbiter sono:
- OV-099 (Challenger, distrutto)
- OV-102 (Columbia, distrutto)
- OV-103 (Discovery, attivo)
- OV-104 (Atlantis, attivo)
- OV-105 (Endeavour, attivo)
a cui vanno aggiunti gli orbiter di test Enterprise (OV-101) usato per i testi atmosferici in volo e Pahtfinder (OV-098) per i test a terra.
l'atterraggio e' previsto al KSC per martedì alle 12:32 EDT quindi le 17:30 ora italiana (correggetemi se sbaglio, non ci azzecco mai con l'ora legale ;) )
per chi fosse interessato qui c'e' il link alla pagina del TV schedule della Nasa
http://www1.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html
sono 6 ore, quindi 18:32! :D
albertoz85
19-08-2007, 22:38
l'STS-400 è l'eventuale missione di soccorso alla squadra impegnata alla manutenzione dell'Hubble vero? (non trovo piu' il manifest completo )
http://www.forumastronautico.it/index.php?page=10
Qui quello ufficiale parziale solo per lo Shuttle e non molto aggiornato con le date:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html
l'STS-400 è l'eventuale missione di soccorso alla squadra impegnata alla manutenzione dell'Hubble vero? (non trovo piu' il manifest completo :fagiano: )
si, STS-3xx sono le sigle dei voli LON per le missioni ISS, STS-400 (Endeavour) è il LON per l'STS-125 (HST-SM4, Atlantis).
Grazie Octane per l'info, come ha detto GioFX però saranno le 18.32 ora italiana.:)
Se continuerà a fare brutto dove sono ora, sicuramente vedrò la fase di rientro su NasaTV..........gprs permettendo.
[OT x Octane]
Sono in villeggiatura a Malcesine sul Lago di Garda, ed il problema non è tanto la tariffa (20€ per 100 ore di collegamento mensili sono anche accettabili) quanto della rete gprs, che fa veramente pena.
Vedendo NasaTV con realplayer, non riesco ad andare oltre ai 7-15 Kbps e quindi vedo tutto a scatti, quando va bene e sento solo l'audio quando va male.
Solo la notte che è partito lo shuttle ho avuto il :ciapet: di avere un collegamento stabile a 20 kbps e sono riuscito a vedere qualcosa.
Thanks Vodafone e pensare che con tutti i tedeschi che ci sono quà è l'unica che fornisce il collegamento gprs, mentre TIM WIND e 3 sono tutte su UMTS. Per fortuna che Vodafone è internazionale :doh:
[End OT]
Ciao :)
Io sono in partenza forse già domani. Quindi se non riuscissi prego Octane o qualcun'altro se possobile di postare gli aggiornamenti più importanti del rientro.
Grazie raga! ;)
Intanto abbiamo le prime rotte di rientro per la prima possibilità del KSC, domani:
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070819tracks/
Endeavour landing ground tracks
These maps show the track that space shuttle Endeavour would follow into Florida's Kennedy Space Center for landing on Tuesday. The landing opportunity begins with the deorbit burn braking maneuver at 11:25 a.m., leading to touchdown on Runway 15 at 12:32 p.m. EDT.
If weather or a problem prevents the shuttle from reentering the atmosphere on this orbit, Endeavour would remain in space and target the next shot into Florida one orbit later.
First Kennedy Space Center opportunity
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070819tracks/ksc201a.gif
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070819tracks/ksc201b.gif
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070819tracks/ksc201c.gif
Second Kennedy Space Center opportunity
If Endeavour's first landing window is scrubbed on Tuesday, a backup opportunity is available one orbit later. That shot would begin with a deorbit burn at 1:00 p.m., leading to touchdown on Kennedy Space Center's concrete Runway 15 at 2:06 p.m. EDT.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070819tracks/ksc202a.gif
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070819tracks/ksc202b.gif
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070819tracks/ksc202c.gif
razziadacqua
20-08-2007, 11:58
Cos'è l'Endeavour uno shuttle?
:eek:
:mbe:
:stordita:
Ma io dico almeno sprecarsi ad usare Wikipedia piuttosto che fare certe figure eh? :doh:
:muro: :muro: :muro:
Anche perchè nel'era del Wiki,della Rete e della Banda Larga,l'ignoranza è ammessa entro certi limiti,c'è ignoranza ed IGNORANZA.Si parlasse di fusione nucleare qui dentro posso capire,ma fare copia incolla di "Endeavour" in un motore di ricerca o Wiki non richiede lauree specialistiche o banda larga...
Scusate ma non ho resistito....
Marilson
20-08-2007, 19:02
STS-118 Crew Prepares for Landing
The seven-member STS-118 crew is preparing for its return to Earth aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour after a successful stay at the International Space Station.
The crew completed tests this morning of Endeavour’s systems and engines that will be used for re-entry and landing. Other preparations include stowing equipment and a 30-minute deorbit briefing. The crew will also have some off-duty time to prepare for Tuesday's landing opportunities.
In other activities, crew members took time out of their schedule at 11:46 a.m. today to field questions from Canadian schoolchildren from the La Ronge, Saskatchewan, area.
Endeavour’s first landing opportunity on Tuesday is at 12:32 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., with the deorbit burn occurring at 11:25 a.m. A second opportunity is available at the Florida spaceport at 2:06 p.m. The deorbit burn would occur at 1 p.m.
Three opportunities are available Tuesday at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The first calls for landing at 3:37 p.m., with the deorbit burn at 2:30 p.m. The second calls for the deorbit burn to occur at 4:06 p.m. and landing at 5:11 p.m. The third opportunity would have the deorbit burn at 5:43 p.m. and landing at 6:48 p.m.
White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico will not be called up for a possible Tuesday landing there.
Meanwhile, mission managers continue to monitor Hurricane Dean as it moves westward in the Caribbean Sea.
The STS-118 crew members spent almost nine days at the international outpost. They continued the on-orbit construction of the station and transferred tons of cargo between the two spacecraft. The STS-118 crew conducted four spacewalks at the station. The two major objectives were the installation of the S5 and the replacement of a failed attitude control gyroscope.
nasa.gov
Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
Final checks successful - Endeavour cleared for re-entry
By Chris Bergin, 8/20/2007 2:42:23 PM
With the successful checkout of Endeavour's Flight Control Systems (FCS) and the RCS (Reaction Control System) hotfire, the final evaluations have been taking place to clear the orbiter for re-entry tomorrow.
The imagery of Endeavour's TPS (Thermal Protection System (TPS) - via Flight Day 12's Late Inspections - have been cleared, and the weather situation shows Endeavour has a good opportunity to return to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Tuesday.
---
Articolo: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5208
Codename47
21-08-2007, 10:22
L'atterraggio quindi è confermato per le 18.32 di oggi? :)
e' il turno di spaceflightnow:
Shuttle Endeavour heads for Tuesday landing in Florida
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 20, 2007
NASA managers today formally cleared the shuttle Endeavour for re-entry and landing Tuesday, weather permitting, to close out an action-packed space station assembly flight. Program managers say a small-but-deep gouge in the shuttle's heat shield poses no threat to Endeavour or its crew. But the jury is still out on what sort of near-term fix might be needed to keep shuttles flying until the external tank problem that caused the damage can be eliminated.
"We will expect there will be some readjustment to our schedule as we work through those options," said Program Manager Wayne Hale. "However, I believe that based on the discussions we've had, that our impacts to the next flight, in terms of the actual launch date of Oct. 23, will be small."
l'articolo completo:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070820landpreview/
http://www.forumastronautico.it/index.php?page=10
Qui quello ufficiale parziale solo per lo Shuttle e non molto aggiornato con le date:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html
Grazie! ;)
L'atterraggio quindi è confermato per le 18.32 di oggi? :)
Tempo permettendo si
sfiga vuole che il firewall dell'ufficio blocchi le connessioni di NasaTV..mi dovro' accontentare dei replay.:muro:
Tempo permettendo si
sfiga vuole che il firewall dell'ufficio blocchi le connessioni di NasaTV..mi dovro' accontentare dei replay.:muro:
per tutto? hai provato windowsmedia o quicktime?
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv
Marilson
21-08-2007, 15:31
due ore e ci siamo :D
1507 GMT (11:07 a.m. EDT)
GO FOR THE DEORBIT BURN! Weather is declared observed and forecast "go" at Kennedy Space Center. So entry flight director Steve Stich in Mission Control just gave the "go" for Endeavour to perform the deorbit burn at 11:25 a.m. EDT that will commit the shuttle for the trip back to Earth.
Touchdown in Florida is set for 12:32 p.m. EDT.
1525 GMT (11:25 a.m. EDT)
DEORBIT BURN IGNITION. Flying upside down and backwards above the Indian Ocean, Endeavour has begun the deorbit burn. The firing of the twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines on the tail of the shuttle will last three-and-a-half minutes, slowing the craft by about 250 mph to slip from orbit. The retro-burn will send Endeavour to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a touchdown at 12:32 p.m. EDT.
1529 GMT (11:29 a.m. EDT)
DEORBIT BURN COMPLETE. Endeavour has successfully completed the deorbit burn for the trip back home. Landing is scheduled for 12:32 p.m. EDT at the Cape to complete this two-week space station assembly mission.
1600 GMT (12:00 p.m. EDT)
ENTRY INTERFACE. Endeavour's thermal protection system is feeling heat beginning to build as the orbiter enters the top fringes of the atmosphere -- a period known as entry interface.
The shuttle is flying at Mach 25 with its nose elevated 40 degrees, wings level, at an altitude of 400,000 feet over the southern Pacific Ocean.
Touchdown remains set for 11:32 a.m. EDT in Florida.
1607 GMT (12:07 p.m. EDT)
Time to touchdown now 25 minutes. NASA says Endeavour's landing weight will be 222,398 pounds. That is 46,176 pounds lighter than the orbiter weighed at liftoff.
1610 GMT (12:10 p.m. EDT)
Endeavour's altitude is 236,000 feet and the speed is now 15,500 mph.
1618 GMT (12:18 p.m. EDT)
Endeavour is now 178,000 feet in altitude, traveling at 8,900 mph.
1620 GMT (12:20 p.m. EDT)
The shuttle is passing over Cuba at an altitude of 170,000 feet.
1621 GMT (12:21 p.m. EDT)
Now 11 minutes from touchdown. Mission Control computes Endeavour will land 1,800 feet down the runway at 205 knots.
1622 GMT (12:22 p.m. EDT)
Ten minutes from landing. Endeavour is over South Florida now.
per tutto? hai provato windowsmedia o quicktime?
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv
si, hanno messo i blocchi su porte e protocolli di trasporto :(
mi accontento di guardare i tuoi aggiornamenti in tempo reale :D
1625 GMT (12:25 p.m. EDT)
Seven minutes to touchdown. Air data probes are being deployed from the shuttle's nose to feed air speed, altitude and angle of attack information to the computers for navigation.
1626 GMT (12:26 p.m. EDT)
Endeavour is 82,000 feet in altitude at 1,600 mph. Ground tracking cameras have a good view of the shuttle already.
Marilson
21-08-2007, 17:27
sei minuti e mezzo.. 82000 piedi di altezza adesso
Marilson
21-08-2007, 17:28
sempre affascinante vedere venir giù il flying brick.... c'ha la portanza di cassone di cemento armato quel coso :D
1627 GMT (12:27 p.m. EDT)
The crew has been given the "go" for late deployment of the drag chute after nose gear touchdown as part of a crosswind handling test.
1628 GMT (12:28 p.m. EDT)
Very loud twin sonic booms have rumbled across the Kennedy Space Center area, announcing the shuttle's arrival.
Marilson
21-08-2007, 17:29
porca putt.. avete sentito il bang supersonico???? :eek: :ave:
BauAndrea
21-08-2007, 17:30
Cos'era quel botto abnorme?
1629 GMT (12:29 p.m. EDT)
The shuttle is in the Heading Alignment Cylinder, an imaginary circle to align with Runway 15. Commander Scott Kelly is piloting Endeavour through a 210-degree left-overhead turn over the Atlantic to loop around for landing on the northwest to southeast runway.
Cos'era quel botto abnorme?
il doppio boom supersonico, nel momento in cui lo Shuttle passa dalla velocità supersonica a quella subsonica.
sempre affascinante vedere venir giù il flying brick.... c'ha la portanza di cassone di cemento armato quel coso :D
il bello e' che l'orbiter e' un ibrido tra "delta winged" e "lifting body*" ma e' davvero uno spettacolo vedere sto coso venire giu' (apparentemente) a peso morto.. :)
*bel nome forviante anche quello ;)
1631 GMT (12:31 p.m. EDT)
Wings are level. Altitude 5,000 feet.
Marilson
21-08-2007, 17:32
gear going down, runaway is in sight, clear to land rwy 15 :O
1632 GMT (12:32 p.m. EDT)
TOUCHDOWN! Main gear touchdown. Nose gear touchdown. And drag chute deployed for Endeavour as the shuttle returns home to complete its 20th spaceflight.
il doppio boom supersonico, nel momento in cui lo Shuttle passa dalla velocità supersonica a quella subsonica.
:cry:
devo aspettare di tornare a casa per sentire..
1633 GMT (12:33 p.m. EDT)
WHEEL STOP. Endeavour has rolled to a stop after traveling more than 200 orbits of Earth and five million miles.
Bentornato a casa Endeavour! :)
Marilson
21-08-2007, 17:36
cos'è quel fumo che sbuffa? :mbe:
BauAndrea
21-08-2007, 17:36
ma cosa sta facendo ora? rumori strani e con la telecamera a infrarossi sembra di vedere come uno scarico boh
Bentornato Endeavour!!!
Bellissimo atterraggio, e un incredibile boom supersonico, come mai si è sentito su NASA TV!
:sofico:
cos'è quel fumo che sbuffa? :mbe:
ma cosa sta facendo ora? rumori strani e con la telecamera a infrarossi sembra di vedere come uno scarico boh
è il "venting" (lo scarico) dell'APUs (Auxiliary Power Unit) che genereano l'energia necessaria al movimento delle superfici aerodinamiche.
1637 GMT (12:37 p.m. EDT)
The external tank umbilical doors on the shuttle's belly are being opened.
cos'è quel fumo che sbuffa? :mbe:
ma cosa sta facendo ora? rumori strani e con la telecamera a infrarossi sembra di vedere come uno scarico boh
non vedo, ma suppongo scarichi di qualche genere (parte delle procedure post-atterraggio) oppure qualche residuo di ghiaccio che evapora
edit: ok, come non detto, ha risposto Gio ;)
1642 GMT (12:42 p.m. EDT)
The drag chute, landing gear and side hatch pyrotechnics have been safed.
1644 GMT (12:44 p.m. EDT)
Here are the landing times in Eastern Daylight Time and Mission Elapsed Time:
Main Gear Touchdown
12:32:16 p.m. EDT
MET: 12 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes, 34 seconds
Nose Gear Touchdown
12:32:29 p.m. EDT
MET: 12 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes, 47 seconds
Wheels Stop
12:33:20 p.m. EDT
MET: 12 days, 17 hours, 56 minutes, 38 seconds
1645 GMT (12:45 p.m. EDT)
On the runway, technicians are using instruments to "sniff" the shuttle's exterior to check for any hazardous vapors.
1649 GMT (12:49 p.m. EDT)
Endeavour's three Auxiliary Power Units have been shut down.
1648 GMT (12:48 p.m. EDT)
The crew has been given a "go" to climb out of their entry spacesuits.
1647 GMT (12:47 p.m. EDT)
The main engine nozzles have been repositioned, or gimbaled, to the "rain drain" orientation.
Bene, ora sono in onda i replay dell'atterraggio, a cominciare da quello visto dall'HUD del pilota.
Tutti i dipositivi pirotecnici sono stati messi in sicurezza, APU stoppate (come si è sentito dalle turbine che si fermavano). L'equipaggio uscirà a breve.
Con questo termina il live coverage della missione STS-118. Un'altro passo importante verso la fine della costruzione della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
Grazie a tutti per la preziosa collaborazione!
:)
Semplicemente fantastico,
ero col portatile quando ho sentito in diretta il sonic boom e per poco non mi scoppiavano le casse :sofico:
Ora sto seguendo i replay dal pc desktop con le casse serie, per risentirlo!
Codename47
21-08-2007, 18:33
Accidenti, oggi sono dovuto uscire per forza ed ho perso l'atterraggio :muro: Potete linkarmi i video del replay? :)
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
Welcome home, shuttle Endeavour!
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 21, 2007
Falling back to Earth, the shuttle Endeavour streaked across Central America and high above Cuba today before gliding up the length of the Florida peninsula to a sunny landing at the Kennedy Space Center to close out a dramatic two-week space station assembly mission.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070821fd14/landing.jpg
Credit: Chris Miller/Spaceflight Now
"Houston, Endeavour, wheels stopped," commander Scott Kelly radioed as the shuttle rolled to a halt on the centerline of runway 15.
"Roger wheels stopped, Endeavour," astronaut Chris Ferguson replied from mission control in Houston. "Congratulations, welcome home. You've given a new meaning to 'higher' education."
He was referring to teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, strapped into a seat on the flight deck just behind the two pilots. Christa McAuliffe's backup in the original Teacher-in-Space program, Morgan waited 21 years to fulfill the legacy of the fallen Challenger astronauts. While she did not teach any lessons from space as McAuliffe once planned, she chatted with school kids during two modest educational events and plans a busy schedule of post-flight appearances to promote science and math education.
Touchdown at 12:32:16 p.m. wrapped up a 5.2-million-mile voyage spanning 12 days 17 hours 55 minutes and 34 second over 201 complete orbits since blastoff Aug. 8 from nearby launch complex 39A.
Endeavour made its fiery return to Earth with a small-but-deep gouge in two heat shield tiles on the belly of the ship behind its right main landing gear door. The gouge was caused by a half-ounce piece of foam insulation that fell off an external tank propellant feedline bracket 58 seconds after launch.
NASA managers spent more than half of Endeavour's mission studying the gouge to determine whether it posed any re-entry threat to the shuttle or its crew. Late last week, based on super-computer analysis and tests of a mockup in a furnace that can simulate re-entry heating, NASA's Mission Management Team concluded the damage would have little or no impact and cleared the shuttle for return to Earth as is.
"We agree absolutely 100 percent with the decision to not repair the damage," Kelly said during an in-flight news conference. "We've had shuttles land with worse damage than this. We gave this a very thorough look and I am very, very comfortable and there will be no extra concern in my mind (during re-entry) due to this damage."
There was no immediate word on whether re-entry heating damaged any additional tiles or even the shuttle's aluminum skin, but the spacecraft appeared to handle normally during final approach and touchdown.
Kelly, Morgan, pilot Charles Hobaugh, flight engineer Rick Mastracchio, Tracy Caldwell, Al Drew and Canadian astronaut Dave Williams were expected to doff their heavy pressure suits and gather on the runway for a brief inspection of the shuttle an hour or so after landing before heading to crew quarters for medical exams and reunions with family members. All seven astronauts plan to spend the night in Florida before flying back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Wednesday.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070821fd14/touchdown.jpg
Credit: Ben Cooper/Spaceflight Now
With Endeavour back on the ground, NASA managers and engineers will carry out a detailed inspection to determine the extent of damage related to the foam strike while debating a half-dozen potential near-term fixes to prevent insulation from falling off the liquid oxygen feedline brackets during upcoming launches.
A bracket redesign already was in work, scheduled to debut on a tank four missions from now. The question facing NASA is what to do about the next three flights, currently scheduled for launchings Oct. 23, Dec. 6 and Feb. 14.
Endeavour docked with the space station Aug. 10 and the next day, the astronauts installed a short spacer segment on the right end of the station's main solar power truss. Two days later, Mastracchio and Williams replaced a faulty stabilizing gyroscope on the station amid work to transfer 5,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to and from the lab complex. The astronauts used robot arms on the shuttle and space station to attach a 7,000-pound equipment storage platform to the solar array truss and staged a third spacewalk Aug. 15 to complete a variety of station assembly get-ahead tasks.
Endeavour is the first shuttle equipped with a new station-to-shuttle power transfer system that enabled the orbiter to plug into the space station's solar power grid. As a result, NASA managers extended the flight three days and added a fourth spacewalk. Originally scheduled for last Friday, the excursion was delayed one day while NASA managers debated whether to turn the excursion into a tile repair spacewalk.
In the end, a repair was deemed unnecessary and Williams and space station flight engineer Clay Anderson were cleared to carry out the originally planned EVA on Saturday. But the threat of Hurricane Dean raised the possibility flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center might have to evacuate. As a result, NASA managers shortened Saturday's spacewalk and moved undocking from Monday to Sunday to get Endeavour back on the ground today.
As it turned out, Dean never threatened the Texas coast but by that point NASA was committed and the crew returned to Earth today.
Flying backward over the Indian Ocean at a velocity of 5 miles per second, Kelly and Hobaugh fired Endeavour's twin braking rockets at 11:25 a.m. for three minutes and 33 seconds, slowing the ship by 246 mph and lowering the far side of its orbit into the atmosphere. A half-hour later, the shuttle fell into the discernible atmosphere at an altitude of 76 miles. At that point, Endeavour was 5,020 miles from touchdown.
The shuttle's ground track carried it high above Central America just west of the Panama Canal on a course carrying it across central Cuba and up the Florida peninsula to the Kennedy Space Center.
Endeavour's flight sets the stage for a complex sequence of flights to attach a new docking module to the station in October, followed by the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory module in December and two flights early next year to attach Japanese modules.
Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale said Monday it's too soon to say what impact work to recover from Endeavour's unexpected foam debris incident might have on the upcoming schedule.
Hale said engineers are evaluating five near-term modifications to the feed line brackets, adding he is optimistic the next shuttle flight, scheduled for launch Oct. 23, can stay roughly on schedule. It will be more difficult to keep the December launch of the Columbus module on track because of a short week-long launch window.
"We have a number of improvements that are coming forward on a tank that we will fly about four flights from now," Hale said.
"We have three flights, however, with tanks that have not been modified. And in particular, one of the areas on that external tank that we have already got a design in work for is off these liquid oxygen feedline brackets that was the cause of the incident on Endeavour's launch. So we know that four flights from now we have a good fix that will eliminate that hazard. The discussions I've been having with the team in the last few days are what will we do with the next three tanks, and the next three flights, until we get that final design into the fleet to, again, mitigate and reduce the hazard."
Hale said engineers are working on "five different options to improve the situation on the next tank. We will expect there will be some readjustment to our schedule as we work through those options. However, I believe that based on the discussions we've had, that our impacts to the next flight in terms of the actual launch date of Oct. 23 will be small, we think we have plenty of time to evaluate some changes and in fact implement them if we feel that they are well justified."
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/070821fd14/index2.html
hihihi
avete sentito come il tg5 ha chiamato l'Endeavour?
hihihi
Marilson
21-08-2007, 19:32
è il "venting" (lo scarico) dell'APUs (Auxiliary Power Unit) che genereano l'energia necessaria al movimento delle superfici aerodinamiche.
l'APU dello shuttle è alimentata da quale tipo di combustibile? cherosene? c'è un serbatoio apposito?
l'APU dello shuttle è alimentata da quale tipo di combustibile? cherosene? c'è un serbatoio apposito?
le 3 APU ridondanti funzionano ad idrazina e sono collocate nella sezione di coda del''orbiter.
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts-apu.html#sts-apu
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/images/sts-hydraulic_6.jpg
l'APU dello shuttle è alimentata da quale tipo di combustibile? cherosene? c'è un serbatoio apposito?
Lo Shuttle è dotato di tre APU ridondanti.
Ciascuna APU è alimentata da un combustibile a base di idrazina. La combustione mette in moto una turbina collegata ad una pompa idraulica che comanda le aerosuperfici dell'orbiter.
http://www.hssensorsystems.com/Images/Space_Land_and_Sea/Global/US-en/products/SLS_0251.jpg
Bene, ora sono in onda i replay dell'atterraggio, a cominciare da quello visto dall'HUD del pilota.
Tutti i dipositivi pirotecnici sono stati messi in sicurezza, APU stoppate (come si è sentito dalle turbine che si fermavano). L'equipaggio uscirà a breve.
Con questo termina il live coverage della missione STS-118. Un'altro passo importante verso la fine della costruzione della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
Grazie a tutti per la preziosa collaborazione!
:)
Thanks per tutte le info (soprattutto per chi non poteva vedere NasaTV ;) )
Buone ferie!
Vedo ora che avevi già risposto sull'APU. ;)
Vedo ora che avevi già risposto sull'APU. ;)
hai mai pensato di integrare/ampliare la pagina di Wikipedia sullo Space Shuttle?
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle
solo raccogliendo le info nei posts delle missioni se ne potrebbe ricavare un'enciclopedia
:sborone:
hai mai pensato di integrare/ampliare la pagina di Wikipedia sullo Space Shuttle?
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle
solo raccogliendo le info nei posts delle missioni se ne potrebbe ricavare un'enciclopedia
:sborone:
si in effetti si potrebbero correggere molte cose, o cmq ampliare diverse voci... è che ci vuole tempo per scriverlo bene, ma ci sto pensando... naturalmente tutti gli appassionati sono invitati a farlo! ;)
razziadacqua
21-08-2007, 22:44
si in effetti si potrebbero correggere molte cose, o cmq ampliare diverse voci... è che ci vuole tempo per scriverlo bene, ma ci sto pensando... naturalmente tutti gli appassionati sono invitati a farlo! ;)
Tu scrivi,poi tanto internet è pieno di nerd o affini che si divertono solo a Wikificare le pagine scritte "male" :ciapet:
:eek:
:mbe:
:stordita:
Ma io dico almeno sprecarsi ad usare Wikipedia piuttosto che fare certe figure eh? :doh:
:muro: :muro: :muro:
Anche perchè nel'era del Wiki,della Rete e della Banda Larga,l'ignoranza è ammessa entro certi limiti,c'è ignoranza ed IGNORANZA.Si parlasse di fusione nucleare qui dentro posso capire,ma fare copia incolla di "Endeavour" in un motore di ricerca o Wiki non richiede lauree specialistiche o banda larga...
Scusate ma non ho resistito....
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endeavour
Comunque chiedevo se era uno shuttle perchè li ho sempre sentiti chiamare shuttle e non Endeavour quindi pensavo fosse la versione russa.
razziadacqua
22-08-2007, 13:10
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endeavour
Comunque chiedevo se era uno shuttle perchè li ho sempre sentiti chiamare shuttle e non Endeavour quindi pensavo fosse la versione russa.
°_°
Cioè scusa vorresti dirmi che non sapevi che gli shuttle hanno tutti un nome di battesimo?
Lo Shuttle COLUMBIA ti dice nulla?Penso che dopo il disastro avrai sentito almeno 200volte tra internet e TG questo nome no?E non ti balzato per la testa che COLUMBIA fosse il nome di battesimo dello Shuttle?Come del resto vengono battezzate tutte le navi?
Oh hai pensato che fosse Colombiano? :D
(ah una portaerei americana si chiama Enterprise,ma non è quella di star trek sia chiaro ;D )
E poi scusa ma sei il colmo:sai che i Russi hanno i loro shuttle...(cosa di merito,visto che sono davvero in pochi a saperlo....)...e non sai che di tutti sti shuttle in pratica hanno fatto solo 3-4voli,di cui uno si è distrutto sulla rampa e pure lui ha un NOME che è Buran (http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran) e l'altro solo dio sà che fine ha fatto.
Posso darti ragione sul fatto che l Endevour è poco conosciuto,ma pensare che sia russo °_°
sti shuttle in pratica hanno fatto solo 3-4voli,di cui uno si è distrutto sulla rampa e pure lui ha un NOME che è Buran (http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran) e l'altro solo dio sà che fine ha fatto.
mi pare che il fratello di Buran sia andato distrutto a causa del crollo dell'hangar in cui stava... ma nn vorrei dire una cazzata :(
albertoz85
22-08-2007, 14:48
Il Buran, l'unico ad aver volato nello spazio è andato distrutto nel crollo dell'hangar. In pratica non ha mai volato con equipaggio nello spazio, gli unici voli che ha eseguito sono dei test in atmosfera (munito di propulsori aeronautici) e pilotato in remoto per un unico viaggio nello spazio.
Il Buran lo conosco perchè ne han parlato alla tv
http://www.buran.ru/images/jpg/bbur90.jpg
Ma dell' endevour proprio non ne sapevo nulla, poi se chiedere è un reato la prossima domanda che poni ti rispondo con un bel esiste google e wikipedia.
Per chi volesse, sull'omologo russo del programma STS c'e' un thread:
http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showthread.php?t=1299899
se ne e' parlato anche in altrove anche se sempre offtopic :)
http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showpost.php?p=13120613&postcount=92
http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showthread.php?t=1246101&page=2
(vedi posts di GioFX e albertoz85)
razziadacqua
23-08-2007, 00:03
Il Buran lo conosco perchè ne han parlato alla tv
http://www.buran.ru/images/jpg/bbur90.jpg
Ma dell' endevour proprio non ne sapevo nulla, poi se chiedere è un reato la prossima domanda che poni ti rispondo con un bel esiste google e wikipedia.
Un conto è fare domande dove la risposta,cercarsela da soli,costerebbe ore ed ore di letture in inglese magari,ricerche e spulciate dai motori di ricerca o ricerche le quali non si sà nemmeno da dove cominciare...alchè io per primo(visto poi che sono senza adsl) andrei da un GioFx o Banus o Cristina a chiedere cose complesse o fin troppo specifiche nelle quali sò che loro mi possono dare benissimo la risposta più o meno immmediata.O MAGARI la risposta l'ho trovata,non ci capisco un cacchio lo stesso e mi faccio rispiegare.O magari le risposte che ho trovato non mi sono sufficienti.
Ma dinanzi a domande come " Cosa è un artrodia?" o "Cosa era ENIAC?" o più in argomento "Cosa è una E.V.A.?"...perdonami ma ti rispondo GIYF("Google is your friend"),perchè chiunque è in grado ed in DOVERE aggiungo di aprire una finestrella o scheda nuova,andare su google o wiki e inserire la parolina magica.
Ci riesco io con una 56kakka dove per aprire le pagine di questo forum a volte ci bado 8min(dannate foto),non vedo perchè non lo deve fare qualcun'altro.
Avessi chiesto"come sono cambiati i protocolli di sicurezza dello shuttle negli ultimi 10anni" caspita diventa una tesi cercare tutta la roba,piuttosto chiedo a un GioFx che quasi sicuramente mi sà dare gli indirizzi giusti o meglio ancora una risposta,visto che è del campo in pratica.
Ma chiedere se l'Endevour è uno Shuttle,perdonami,scusami,abbi pazienza,ma è una domanda fuori dal mondo,visto che io con la 56kakka ci ho messo 12sec a trovare e aprire pagina.
Abbi pazienza ma in un mondo dove la gente è di un ignoranza mostruosa e le risposte e i mezzi li hanno quasi tutti sotto mano,per poi vedermi posti come Yahoo Answer,dove la gente chiede quali sono i vostri gusti preferiti...
In un Forum Come Questo,un PARADISO,una culla di scienza e tecnica,una domanda come quella rasenta lo Spam.
Scusami.Ma su questo argomento sono molto duro a riguardo però in questo caso ci ho tenuto a chiarire e spiegare la mia posizione.Spero che tu mi abbia capito e quali sono le mie intenzioni.
Accidenti, oggi sono dovuto uscire per forza ed ho perso l'atterraggio :muro: Potete linkarmi i video del replay? :)
link ai video della missione STS-118
atterraggio (standard-res.):
http://mfile.akamai.com/18565/rm/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/real.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_082107_118_landing.ram
http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_082107_118_landing.asx
decollo:
1080i (~100 MB)
http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/wm.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_080707_118_launch_1080i.wmv
http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/qt.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_080707_118_launch_1080i.mov
720p (~68MB)
http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/wm.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_080707_118_launch_720p.wmv
http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/qt.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_080707_118_launch_720p.mov
Altre risoluzioni e altri video:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/hd_index.html
L'Endeavour e' tornato ora nel suo hangar l'OPF2 per tutti i controlli post-volo.
dalle prime analisi i tecnici hanno riscontrato una sensibile riduzione nel numero di impatti al TPS rispetto alla precedente missione dell'Atlantis.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/187410main_07pd2296-m.jpg
photocredit: Nasa
da NasaSpaceFlight:
Endeavour's initial TPS assessment encouraging
Endeavour's initial TPS assessment encouraging Endeavour's opening Thermal Protection System (TPS) assessment shows a major reduction in the amount of 'hits' on her tiles and RCC panels, compared to Atlantis' flight - STS-117.
A full assessment is currently being conducted inside Endeavour's OPF-2 (Orbiter Processing Facility), to be compiled into a report after August 26. So far, Endeavour appears to be one of the "cleanest" post flight orbiter in recent history.
l'articolo:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5210
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