[Space] NASA - STS-115 - ISS 12A (Atlantis)

[Octane]

da Spaceflightnow.com

Atlantis launch officially rescheduled for next week
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2006

NASA managers today formally selected September 6 as the new target launch date for shuttle Atlantis after inspections revealed no damage from tropical depression Ernesto's encounter with Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff is set for 12:28:49 p.m. EDT.

The peak wind experienced at launch pad 39B from Ernesto was 44 mph, and the total rainfall accumulation was 4.16 inches. The space center was reopened this morning.

The Atlantis crew -- commander Brent Jett, pilot Chris Ferguson, flight engineer Dan Burbank, Joe Tanner, Steve MacLean and Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper -- will return to the Cape on Saturday morning. The flew back to Houston earlier this week for some additional mission simulations while launch was delayed for Ernesto.

The countdown is scheduled to begin Sunday at 8 a.m. EDT.

As it now stands, NASA will have three days to get Atlantis off the ground: Sept. 6, 7 and 8. If not, the flight will be delayed to late October or, if NASA relaxes a daylight launch requirement, at some point after the Sept. 29 landing of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the international space station's outgoing crew.

pagina con gli aggiornamenti sulla missione:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...15/status.html

[GioFX]

[viaggio-mode on]
Beh, quindi alla fine i russi hanno concesso un giorno in piu', meglio che niente... d'altra parte non e' certo colpa loro se gli americani non riescono per un motivo o per l'altro a lanciare in tempo...

Certo se lo lanciano il 6 io non faro' a tempo a vederlo... vabbe', mi leggero le info da qui.

A presto, ciao Octane!
[/viaggio-mode on]

[Octane]

da Spaceflightnow:

Shuttle Atlantis launch preps going smoothly

Engineers loaded the shuttle Atlantis' fuel cell system with liquid hydrogen and oxygen early Monday, a key step in readying the spacecraft for launch Wednesday on a weather-delayed space station assembly mission. There are no technical problems of any significance at launch complex 39B, officials said Monday, and forecasters are continuing to predict an 80 percent chance of good weather.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...5/060904count/

[Octane]

da Spaceflightnow:

Launch team set for three tries in a row, if needed

NASA managers Monday agreed to make three consecutive attempts to get the shuttle Atlantis off the ground if bad weather or technical problems prevent an on-time liftoff Wednesday.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...904threetries/

[Octane]

copertura televisiva del lancio:

NASA Television Schedule
COMPILED BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
Posted: Sept. 1, 2006

Editor's note:
NASA's daily video highlights reel will be replayed on the hour during crew sleep periods. The timeing of actual events is subject to change and some events may or may not be carried live on NASA television.

NASA Note: NASA Television is now carried on an MPEG-2 digital signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. A Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) - compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) with modulation of QPSK/DBV, data rate of 36.86 and FEC 3/4 will be needed for reception. NASA mission coverage will be simulcast digitally on the Public Services Channel (Channel #101); the Education Channel (Channel #102) and the Media Services Channel (Channel #103). Further information is available online. Mission Audio can be accessed on AMC-6, Transponder 13, 3971.3 MHz, horizontal polarization.

REV.EVENT..................................MET........EDT........GMT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
.*..COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING.........................11:00 AM...15:00
....VIDEO FILE FEED OF EXPEDITION 14/.................12:00 PM...16:00
....ANSARI DEPARTURE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
....ATLANTIS LAUNCH COVERAGE BEGINS...................06:30 AM...10:30
....LAUNCH.................................00/00:00...12:29 PM...16:29
....MECO...................................00/00:08...12:37 PM...16:37
1...LAUNCH REPLAYS.........................00/00:16...12:45 PM...16:45
1...ADDITIONAL LAUNCH REPLAYS FROM KSC.....00/00:46...01:15 PM...17:15
2...POST LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE............00/01:01...01:30 PM...17:30

il resto qui:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...115tvsked.html


il piano di volo aggiornato:

STS-115 Master Flight Plan
COMPILED BY WILLIAM HARWOOD

il link alla pagina originale:http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...lightplan.html

comunque se dovessero decollare in orario mi perderei pure io il lancio, perche' a quell'ora saro' in macchina..

[Octane]

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

NASA managers stopped the shuttle Atlantis' countdown early today and put launch on hold for at least 24 hours because of problems with one of the ship's three electricity producing fuel cells.

Engineers are continuing to troubleshoot the issue in hopes of getting Atlantis off the ground Thursday or Friday, the end of the current launch window. NASA's Mission Management Team plans to meet later today to discuss repair options.

It may be possible to press ahead with launch Thursday or Friday if the engineering community can get comfortable with the apparent internal short that was observed when fuel cell No. 1 was powered up earlier today.

But if not, and if the powerplant cannot be repaired at the launch pad, NASA could be forced to haul Atlantis back to its hangar for a fuel cell swap out, a move that would delay launch several weeks. As of this writing, however, no such decisions have been made.[...]

il resto dell'articolo:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...5/060906scrub/

Fuel Cell forces Atlantis scrub
By Chris Bergin, 9/6/2006 4:38:00 AM

NASA have been forced to scrub Wednesday's launch of Shuttle Atlantis, following a "lost phase A on the FC coolant pump motor" on Fuel Cell 1.

Engineers are working on a troubleshooting plan, although Atlantis will not be able to launch in the early September window if a replacement of the Fuel Cell is called. A meeting has been called (9am local) with the vendor on flying without replacement.[...]

il resto dell'articolo:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4761

Launch Delayed by Fuel Cell Problem


Atlantis at the launch pad. Image above: As dawn breaks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle Atlantis waits at Launch Pad 39B. Photo credit: NASA

The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis was postponed today for at least 24 hours because of an issue with the shuttle's fuel cell number 1. A short (a spike and drop in voltage) in the fuel cell coolant motor was seen shortly after the cell was activated.

The Mission Management Team is scheduled to meet at 1p.m. EDT today, and a news conference will follow.[...]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh...ain/index.html

[Octane]

lancio posticipato di un altro giorno ancora per valutare l'impatto del cortocircuito alla pompa di raffreddamento della cella a combustibile:

Atlantis launch slips to Friday at the earliest
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: September 6, 2006


Atlantis could launch Friday morning. Credit: NASA-KSC

NASA managers late today ruled out an attempt to launch the shuttle Atlantis Thursday but held open the possibility of a last-ditch Friday launching if engineers can resolve a problem with one of the ship's three electrical generators before time runs out.

The decision came at the end of a long day of troubleshooting, engineering analysis and discussion in which LeRoy Cain, chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team, recommended proceeding with a launch try Thursday. Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale and other senior agency officials disagreed and decided to err on the side of caution, ordering an additional 24-hour stand down.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...060906postmmt/

[Octane]

si tentera' il lancio oggi pomeriggio alle 17:41 ora italiana

da Spaceflightnow:

Fuel cell cleared for launch
NASA managers Thursday cleared the shuttle Atlantis for launch Friday despite a suspect electrical generator, deciding the risk of an in-flight fuel cell shutdown that could prompt a shortened mission was not a credible threat to the thrice-delayed space station assembly flight.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts115/060907go/



da NasaSpaceFlight:

NASA to proceed with Friday attempt
NASA's Management Mission Team (MMT) meeting has concluded with the approval to proceed with a launch attempt on Friday for STS-115.

There will be one more meeting during the launch countdown, however, pending motor 2 phase analysis. The final Go/No Go confirmation for Shuttle Atlantis is expected to come after that analysis is presented.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4774


da Repubblica.it:

Atlantis, la Nasa ha deciso
"Oggi il lancio dello shuttle"

Atlantis, la Nasa ha deciso "Oggi il lancio dello shuttle"

CAPE CANAVERAL - La Nasa ha deciso di effettuare il lancio dello shuttle Atlantis, più volte rinviato. Dean Acosta, il portavoce dell'Agenzia spaziale degli Stati Uniti, ha confermato che il decollo è previsto per oggi, alle 11.41 ora locale del Kennedy Space Center di Cape Canaveral in Florida (in Italia saranno le 17.41), dopo che un inconveniente elettrico lo aveva impedito sia ieri che due giorni fa.

Il piano iniziale era di far partire Atlantis mercoledì 6 settembre, ma poco prima del lancio era stato rilevato un problema a una delle tre pile a idrogeno, che forniscono l'elettricità alla navetta spaziale. Se anche questo tentativo dovesse fallire, la prossima finestra sarebbe il 26 ottobre.

La missione di Atlantis, che avrà a bordo sei astronauti, deve consentire la ripresa della costruzione della Stazione spaziale internazionale, la Iss, bloccata da tre anni e mezzo, cioè dalla tragedia del Columbia, disintegratosi al rientro nell'atmosfera il primo febbraio del 2003.
(8 settembre 2006)

http://www.repubblica.it/2006/08/sez...vo-lancio.html

[Octane]

da Spaceflightnow:

0653 GMT (2:53 a.m. EDT)
FUELING UNDERWAY. The filling of space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank with a half-million gallons of supercold propellants has begun at launch pad 39B.

The tanking operation commenced with the chilldown thermal conditioning process at 2:49 a.m. This will be followed by the slow-fill mode and then the fast-fill mode.

The cryogenics are pumped from storage spheres at the pad, through feed lines to the mobile launcher platform, into Atlantis' aft compartment and finally into the external fuel tank.

There are two tanks inside the shuttle's external fuel tank. The liquid oxygen tank occupies the top third of the bullet-shaped tank. It will be filled with 143,000 gallons of liquid oxygen chilled to minus 298 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid hydrogen tank is contained in the bottom two-thirds of the external tank. It holds 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen chilled to minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit.

[Octane]

Engine cutoff sensor could scrub launch

NASA managers are mulling two options for dealing with the failure of a hydrogen fuel level sensor in the shuttle Atlantis' external tank: Flying as is today or standing down for 24 hours for additional troubleshooting.

report completo: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...co/index2.html
mission status: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...15/status.html

[Octane]

procedono comunque i preparativi al lancio:

1200 GMT (8:00 a.m. EDT)

The AstroVan just passed the 52-story Vehicle Assembly Building where Discovery was attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters and the adjacent Launch Control Center. The Press Site is located across the street, and reporters have run outdoors to watch at the passing convoy. This is a launch day tradition to say farewell and good luck to the astronaut crews.

[Octane]

l'equipaggio e' ora a bordo ma ancora non si sa se avranno il via libera per il decollo.

1340 GMT (9:40 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle's crew compartment hatch is swinging shut

1335 GMT (9:35 a.m. EDT)

Approval has been given to close Atlantis' crew module hatch.

1328 GMT (9:28 a.m. EDT)

Weather conditions are looking good for today's 11:41 a.m. EDT launch time. Thunderstorms are likely this afternoon, something Atlantis would experience if a scrub is called and the ship remains on Earth for another day.

1320 GMT (9:20 a.m. EDT)

A series of routine communications checks between the Atlantis crew on various audio channels is underway.

1310 GMT (9:10 a.m. EDT)

The engine cutoff sensor situation continues to be discussed and debated among engineers and mission managers. No decision about today's launch attempt has been made yet.

[Octane]

NASA TV:

http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram (apritelo con Real Player)
http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx (apritelo in media player)
http://www.nasa.gov/qtl/151335main_NASA_TV_QT.qtl (per chi avesse un MAC o preferisse quicktime)

[Octane]

1407 GMT (10:07 a.m. EDT)

The ground pyro initiator controllers (PICs) are scheduled to be powered up around this time in the countdown. They are used to fire the solid rocket hold-down posts, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tail service mast and external tank vent arm system pyros at liftoff and the space shuttle main engine hydrogen gas burn system prior to engine ignition.

The shuttle's two Master Events Controllers are being tested. They relay the commands from the shuttle's computers to ignite, and then separate the boosters and external tank during launch.

1405 GMT (10:05 a.m. EDT)

The final engineering assessements of the engine cutoff sensor are being made now. A decision from the management team is expected shortly.

1345 GMT (9:45 a.m. EDT)

The crew module hatch has been sealed and latched for flight, the closeout crew reports.

1345 GMT (9:45 a.m. EDT)

Now passing the T-minus 1 hour mark in the countdown. Two scheduled holds are planned at T-minus 20 minutes and T-minus 9 minutes, leading to the target liftoff time of 11:41 a.m., if the hydrogen fuel sensor issue is deemed not a violation of NASA rules.

[Octane]

1453 GMT (10:53 a.m. EDT)

SCRUB! The engine cutoff sensor issue has forced NASA to scrub today's countdown. The plan calls for the external tank to be drained and another countdown performed tomorrow to evaluate how the hydrogen fuel level gauge acts. If it behaves in the same manner, officials could allow Atlantis to launch with only three of the four sensors working. Tomorrow's launch time is 11:15 a.m. EDT.

1446 GMT (10:46 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 9 minutes and holding. Countdown clocks have gone into the planned 45-minute built-in hold. Today's launch remains set for 11:41 a.m. EDT. However, the failed engine cutoff sensor remains an unresolved issue right now.

1443 GMT (10:43 a.m. EDT)

The Main Propulsion System helium system has been reconfigured by pilot Chris Ferguson. Soon the gaseous nitrogen purge to the aft skirts of the solid rocket boosters will be started.

1440 GMT (10:40 a.m. EDT)

Now one hour away from launch of Atlantis.

Pilot Chris Ferguson is configuring the displays inside Atlantis' cockpit for launch while commander Brent Jett enables the abort steering instrumentation. And Mission Control in Houston is loading Atlantis' onboard computers with the proper guidance parameters based on the projected launch time.

1435 GMT (10:35 a.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 11:41 a.m.

Atlantis' 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.

1433 GMT (10:33 a.m. EDT)

The launch team has been briefed on today's launch window and countdown procedures. Standing by to resume the clock momentarily.

1425 GMT (10:25 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 20 minutes and holding. The countdown has paused for a 10-minute built-in hold. Launch remains scheduled for 11:41 a.m. EDT, pending the engine cutoff sensor issue.

During this built-in hold, all computer programs in Firing Room 4 of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center will be verified to ensure that the proper programs are available for the countdown; the landing convoy status will be verified and the landing sites will be checked to support an abort landing during launch today; the Inertial Measurement Unit preflight alignment will be verified completed; and preparations are made to transition the orbiter onboard computers to Major Mode 101 upon coming out of the hold. This configures the computer memory to a terminal countdown configuration.

1415 GMT (10:15 a.m. EDT)

Commander Brent Jett is pressurizing the gaseous nitrogen system for Atlantis' Orbital Maneuvering System engines, and pilot Chris Ferguson is activating the gaseous nitrogen supply for the orbiter's Auxiliary Power Units' water spray boilers.

[GioFX]

1514:55 GMT (11:14:55 a.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of Atlantis -- launching solar wings to harness the Sun's energy and power our international station in space. And the shuttle has cleared the tower!

1514:24 GMT (11:14:24 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 31 seconds. AUTO SEQUENCE START! The handoff has occurred from the Ground Launch Sequencer to the space shuttle. Atlantis' 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.

1513:55 GMT (11:13:55 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 1 minute. Computers are verifying that the main engines are ready for ignition. Sound suppression water system is armed. The system will activate at T-minus 16 seconds to suppress the sound produced at launch. And the residual hydrogen burn ignitors are armed. They will be fired at T-minus 10 seconds to burn off hydrogen gas from beneath the main engine nozzles.

Shortly, the external tank strut heaters will be turned off; Atlantis will transition to internal power; the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen outboard fill and drain valves will be closed; the payload bay vent doors will be positioned for the launch; and the gaseous oxygen vent arm will be verified fully retracted.

1512:55 GMT (11:12:55 a.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.

1512:25 GMT (11:12:25 a.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.

Atlantis' power-producing fuel cells are transfering to internal reactants. The units will begin providing all electricity for the mission beginning at T-50 seconds.

And pilot Chris Ferguson has been asked to clear the caution and warning memory system aboard Atlantis. He will verify no unexpected errors in the system.

In the next few seconds, the gaseous oxygen vent hood will be removed from atop the external tank. Verification that the swing arm is fully retracted will be made by the ground launch sequencer at the T-minus 37 second mark.

1511:55 GMT (11:11:55 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 3 minutes. Orbiter steering check is now complete; the main engine nozzles are in their start positions.

1511:25 GMT (11:11:25 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The main engine nozzles now being moved through a computer controlled test pattern to demonstrate their readiness to support guidance control during launch today.

1510:55 GMT (11:10:55 a.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 Atlantis 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.

1509:55 GMT (11:09:55 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes. The "go" has been given for for Auxiliary Power Unit start. Pilot Chris Ferguson is now flipping three switches in Atlantis' cockpit to start each of the three APU's. The units, located in the aft compartment of Atlantis, 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.

Over the course of the next minute, the orbiter's heaters will be configured for launch by commander Brent Jett, the fuel valve heaters on the main engines will be turned off in preparation for engine ignition at T-6.6 seconds and the external tank and solid rocket booster safe and arm devices will be armed.

1509:25 GMT (11:09:25 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes, 30 seconds. APU pre-start is complete and the units are ready for activation. The orbiters flight data recorders have gone into the record mode to collect measurements of shuttle systems performance during flight.

1508:35 GMT (11:08:35 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 6 minutes, 20 seconds. Pilot Chris Ferguson has been asked by Orbiter Test Conductor Jeff Lauffer to pre-start the orbiter Auxiliary Power Units. This procedure readies the three APU's for their activation after the countdown passes T-minus 5 minutes.

1507:25 GMT (11:07:25 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The Ground Launch Sequencer has started pulling the orbiter access arm away from the crew hatch on the port side of the vehicle. The arm was the passage way for the astronauts to board Atlantis a few hours ago. The arm can be re-extended very quickly should the need arise later in the countdown.

1506:55 GMT (11:06:55 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 8 minutes and counting. Pilot Chris Ferguson has flipped the switches in the cockpit of Atlantis to directly connect the three onboard fuel cells with the essential power buses. Also, the stored program commands have been issued to the orbiter for the final antenna alignment and management for today's launch.

1505:55 GMT (11:05:55 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 9 minutes and counting! The Ground Launch Sequencer is now actively running this final phase of today's countdown to launch space shuttle Atlantis at 11:14:55 a.m. EDT.

1504:55 GMT (11:04:55 a.m. EDT)

Now 10 minutes from launch of Atlantis. All remains ready for liftoff.

1503:55 GMT (11:03:55 a.m. EDT)

Countdown clock will resume in two minutes.

Once the countdown picks up, the Ground Launch Sequencer will be initiated. The computer program is located in a console in the Firing Room of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center. The GLS is the master of events through liftoff. During the last 9 minutes of the countdown, the computer will monitor as many as a thousand different systems and measurements to ensure that they do not fall out of any pre-determine red-line limits. At T-minus 31 seconds, the GLS will hand off to the onboard computers of Atlantis to complete their own automatic sequence of events through the final half minute of the countdown.

1502 GMT (11:02 a.m. EDT)

NASA launch director Mike Leinbach has finished his final poll. He has wished commander Brent Lindsey and crew good luck and God speed. Launch is set for 11:14:55 a.m.

1502 GMT (11:02 a.m. EDT)

Mission Management Team chairman LeRoy Cain polled his team for a readiness call to proceed with the countdown. No constraints were reported.

1501 GMT (11:01 a.m. EDT)

Weather is "go."

1501 GMT (11:01 a.m. EDT)

NASA launch director Mike Leinbach is conducting his poll.

1501 GMT (11:01 a.m. EDT)

The final readiness poll of the launch team by NASA test director confirms there are no technical issues being addressed. Range has given its clear to launch as well.

1457 GMT (10:57 a.m. EDT)

The weather aircraft is taking a look at the clouds around the Shuttle Landing Facility to ensure the conditions don't constitute a low ceiling that would violate launch rules. A low ceilings could be a problem for both launch tracking optics as well as the Return to Launch Site emergency landing capability at the runway.

1455 GMT (10:55 a.m. EDT)

Coming up in the next few minutes will be the final readiness polls of the management and launch teams to clear Atlantis for liftoff.

1445 GMT (10:45 a.m. EDT)

Space shuttle Atlantis stands 30 minutes from liftoff to resume construction of the International Space Station.

1437 GMT (10:37 a.m. EDT)

Weather conditions are observed "go" currently and forecast to be acceptable at launch time.

1435 GMT (10:35 a.m. EDT)

Now a third of the way through this quiet hold period.

1425 GMT (10:25 a.m. EDT)

The International Space Station is orbiting 220 miles above Earth. Right now, the outpost is flying south of Australia. At launch, it will be over the North Atlantic. Liftoff is timed to place Atlantis on course to dock with the station Monday at 6:45 a.m.

1420 GMT (10:20 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 9 minutes and holding. Countdown clocks have gone into the planned 45-minute, 55-second built-in hold. Today's launch remains set for 11:14:55 a.m. EDT.

1417 GMT (10:17 a.m. EDT)

The Main Propulsion System helium system has been reconfigured by pilot Chris Ferguson. Soon the gaseous nitrogen purge to the aft skirts of the solid rocket boosters will be started.

1415 GMT (10:15 a.m. EDT)

Now one hour away from launch of Atlantis.

And Mission Control in Houston is loading Atlantis' onboard computers with the proper guidance parameters based on the projected launch time.

1412 GMT (10:12 a.m. EDT)

Pilot Chris Ferguson is configuring the displays inside Atlantis' cockpit for launch while commander Brent Jett enables the abort steering instrumentation.

1409 GMT (10:09 a.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 11:14:55 a.m.

Atlantis' 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.

1406 GMT (10:06 a.m. EDT)

The launch team has been briefed on today's launch window and countdown procedures. The window opens at 11:10:39 and closes at 11:19:36 a.m. EDT. The target liftoff time remains 11:14:55 a.m.

1400 GMT (10:00 a.m. EDT)

The weather aircraft reports the area of cloud cover to the west is thin and doesn't appear to be developing into anything yet.

1359 GMT (9:59 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 20 minutes and holding. The countdown has paused for a 10-minute built-in hold. Launch remains scheduled for 11:14:55 a.m. EDT.

During this built-in hold, all computer programs in Firing Room 4 of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center will be verified to ensure that the proper programs are available for the countdown; the landing convoy status will be verified and the landing sites will be checked to support an abort landing during launch today; the Inertial Measurement Unit preflight alignment will be verified completed; and preparations are made to transition the orbiter onboard computers to Major Mode 101 upon coming out of the hold. This configures the computer memory to a terminal countdown configuration.

1354 GMT (9:54 a.m. EDT)

The Orbiter Closeout Crew is leaving the launch pad now.

1349 GMT (9:49 a.m. EDT)

Commander Brent Jett is pressurizing the gaseous nitrogen system for Atlantis' Orbital Maneuvering System engines, and pilot Chris Ferguson is activating the gaseous nitrogen supply for the orbiter's Auxiliary Power Units' water spray boilers.

1345 GMT (9:45 a.m. EDT)

Astronauts Kent Romginer and Steve Lindsey aboard the Shuttle Training Aircraft are flying weather reconnaissance around the Kennedy Space Center today. Right now, they are heading westward to examine an area of clouds that could be developing into a storm.

1341 GMT (9:41 a.m. EDT)

The ground pyro initiator controllers (PICs) are scheduled to be powered up around this time in the countdown. They are used to fire the solid rocket hold-down posts, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tail service mast and external tank vent arm system pyros at liftoff and the space shuttle main engine hydrogen gas burn system prior to engine ignition.

The shuttle's two Master Events Controllers are being tested. They relay the commands from the shuttle's computers to ignite, and then separate the boosters and external tank during launch.

1336 GMT (9:36 a.m. EDT)

Ground Launch Sequencer main line activation is complete.

1319 GMT (9:19 a.m. EDT)

Now passing the T-minus 1 hour mark in the countdown. Two scheduled holds are planned at T-minus 20 minutes and T-minus 9 minutes, leading to the target liftoff time of 11:15 a.m., if the hydrogen fuel sensor issue is deemed not a violation of NASA rules.

1307 GMT (9:07 a.m. EDT)

The crew hatch is confirmed to be closed and latched for flight.

1302 GMT (9:02 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle's crew compartment hatch has swung shut.

1259 GMT (8:59 a.m. EDT)

The "go" was just given to close Atlantis' crew module hatch for launch.

1250 GMT (8:50 a.m. EDT)

A series of routine communications checks between the Atlantis crew on various audio channels is underway.

1249 GMT (8:49 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 90 minutes and counting. Countdown clocks continue to tick down to T-minus 20 minutes where the next hold is planned. Countdown activities remain on track for liftoff at 11:15 a.m.

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

1247 GMT (8:47 a.m. EDT)

With the astronauts strapped all aboard, the Orbiter Closeout Crew is beginning work to remove access platforms and equipment inside the crew module in preparation for shutting the hatch.

1243 GMT (8:43 a.m. EDT)

Initialization of the Ground Launch Sequencer has been performed. The GLS is the master computer in the Firing Room that runs the final nine minutes of the countdown.

1235 GMT (8:35 a.m. EDT)

Dan Burbank, the flight engineer for Atlantis' mission, is now climbing aboard the ship for today's launch to take the flight deck's center seat. He is the sixth and final astronaut to enter the shuttle this morning.

The 45-year-old, a native of Connecticut, is a commander in the Coast Guard with more than 3,500 flight hours, primarily in helicopters, and has flown over over 300 search and rescue missions. His space career includes the STS-106 space station assembly mission in 2000. On STS-115, Burbank will perform the second spacewalk with Steve MacLean. Read his biography here.

And a video interview with Burbank is available here.

1222 GMT (8:22 a.m. EDT)

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Steve MacLean, Atlantis' mission specialist No. 4, has climbed to the flight deck aft-right seat.

MacLean, 51, was born in Ottawa, Ontario. Selected as one of the first six Canadian astronauts in 1983, he flew as a payload specialist aboard shuttle Columbia in 1992. His role on STS-115 includes conducting the mission's second spacewalk along with Dan Burbank and becoming the first Canadian to operate the space station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. Read MacLean's biography here.

And a video interview with MacLean is available here.

1215 GMT (8:15 a.m. EDT)

Now three hours from the launch of Atlantis. The launch team in Firing Room 4 of the Complex 39 control center is not reporting any problems and weather still looks good for liftoff at 11:15 a.m. this morning.

1204 GMT (8:04 a.m. EDT)

Now climbing through the hatch is mission specialist No. 3, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper. She is assigned the right seat on the middeck.

Piper, a Navy commander, was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. The 43-year-old is a space rookie. She will be performing the first and third spacewalks of Atlantis' mission along with Joe Tanner. Read her biography here.

And a video interview with Piper is available here.

1203 GMT (8:03 a.m. EDT)

Pilot Chris Ferguson, the next crewmember to enter the shuttle, is making his way to the flight deck's front-right seat.

Ferguson is a spaceflight rookie. The 45-year-old Navy captain was born in Philadelphia. He has three childen, and when not preparing to fly in space he plays drums in the astronaut band Max Q. Read his biography here.

And a video interview with Ferguson is available here.

1153 GMT (7:53 a.m. EDT)

Joe Tanner, mission specialist No. 1, just climbed aboard Atlantis to take the seat closest to the hatch on the left side of the middeck.

This will be Tanner's fourth trip to space. The Illinois native is 56 years old. His flight history includes the STS-66 atmospheric science mission in 1994, the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing in 1997 and the 2000 space station construction flight, STS-97, that launched the first solar array truss. His experience from that mission has proved valuable in planning STS-115. He will conduct the first and third spacewalks along with Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper. Read his biography here.

And a video interview with Tanner is available here.

1151 GMT (7:51 a.m. EDT)

Commander Brent Jett is the first astronaut to board the shuttle. He is taking the forward-left seat on the flight deck.

Jett, 48, calls Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, his hometown. The Navy captain has flown in space on three earlier missions, including serving as the pilot on STS-72 in 1996 to retrieve a Japanese science satellite, pilot on the STS-81 mission to the Russian space station Mir a year later, and commander of STS-97 in 2000 that delivered the first set of U.S. solar arrays to the International Space Station. Read his biography here.

And a video interview with Jett is available here.

1146 GMT (7:46 a.m. EDT)

Commander Brent Jett has made his way across the catwalk-like Orbiter Access Arm to the White Room positioned against the side of Atlantis. The closeout crew is helping him don other survival gear.

1145 GMT (7:45 a.m. EDT)

The Atlantis astronauts have ascended up to the 195-foot level of the tower.

1143 GMT (7:43 a.m. EDT)

The astronauts are taking a few moments to gaze up at the shuttle before heading to the tower.

1142 GMT (7:42 a.m. EDT)

Atlantis' crew arrived at launch pad 39B at 7:41 a.m. The AstroVan came to a stop on the pad surface near the Fixed Service Structure tower elevator that will take the six-person crew to the 195-foot level to begin boarding the shuttle.

1135 GMT (7:35 a.m. EDT)

The AstroVan just passed the 52-story Vehicle Assembly Building where Atlantis was attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters and the adjacent Launch Control Center. The Press Site is located across the street, and reporters went outdoors to watch at the passing convoy. This is a launch day tradition to say farewell and good luck to the astronaut crews.

1124 GMT (7:24 a.m. EDT)

The astronauts are en route to launch pad 39B. They just walked out of the Kennedy Space Center crew quarters to board the AstroVan for the 20-minute ride from the Industrial Area to launch pad 39B on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

Veteran commander Brent Jett leads the STS-115 crew, and rookie astronaut Chris Ferguson serves as pilot. The four mission specialists are paired up as the spacewalking teams that will activate the new solar arrays. Joe Tanner and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper are scheduled to perform the first and third spacewalks; Dan Burbank and Canadian Steve MacLean will do the second EVA.

1119 GMT (7:19 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 3 hours and counting. The countdown has resumed on schedule from this planned three-hour built-in hold. Clocks will now tick down to T-minus 20 minutes when the next hold is planned. A final hold is scheduled at the T-minus 9 minute mark to synch up with the 11:15 a.m. EDT launch time.

1107 GMT (7:07 a.m. EDT)

The Final Inspection Team is departing launch pad 39B, having finished its work. The team will be returning to the Firing Room to give a briefing to management on their observations. But there were no problems reported in real-time during the inspections this morning.

1055 GMT (6:55 a.m. EDT)

The crew has donned the day-glow orange launch and entry partial pressure spacesuits. After final adjustments and pressure checks, the astronauts will depart the suit-up room and take the elevator down to the ground level of the Operations and Checkout Building to board the AstroVan for the trip to launch pad 39B.

1050 GMT (6:50 a.m. EDT)

The astronauts' weather briefing just occurred. Moron, Spain appears to have the best weather of the three overseas abort landing sites available to receive Atlantis if the shuttle has has an emergency during launch.

1019 GMT (6:19 a.m. EDT)

The countdown continues holding at the T-minus 3 hour mark. Clocks are slated to resume ticking in an hour.

0955 GMT (5:55 a.m. EDT)

The Final Inspection Team is not reporting any areas of concern during their observations of Atlantis this morning. And the team says the one thruster on the shuttle's nose, which lost its protective cover during a storm Thursday evening, looks just fine.

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

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

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

The team wears the highly visible day-glow orange coveralls that are anti-static and flame resistant. Each member also has a self-contained emergency breathing unit that holds about 10 minutes of air.

[GioFX]

1725 GMT (1:25 p.m. EDT)

A camera mounted on the side of the shuttle Atlantis' external tank showed several pieces of what appeared to be foam insulation separating from the tank about four minutes after liftoff. But that was well above the denser atmospheric regions where debris poses a major threat to the shuttle's heat shield. In any case, there were no obvious signs of damage.

1702 GMT (1:02 p.m. EDT)

The shuttle's high-speed Ku-band communications antenna has been deployed successfully.

1654 GMT (12:54 p.m. EDT)

The payload bay doors have been opened and Mission Control has just given the astronauts a "go" for on-orbit operations. Deployment of the Ku-band antenna is upcoming.

1638 GMT (12:38 p.m. EDT)

Mission Management Team chairman LeRoy Cain says the very preliminary look at the onboard video from the external fuel tank shows some small pieces of debris coming off the tank at T+plus 4 minutes, 7 seconds. But the events occurred after the time debris striking the orbiter could cause damage because the vehicle was out of the atmosphere.

1624 GMT (12:24 p.m. EDT)

Today's official liftoff time was 11:14:55.066 a.m. EDT.

1615 GMT (12:15 p.m. EDT)

The space shuttle Atlantis took off today on its fifth try, kicking off a long-awaited flight to restart assembly of the international space station three years after the Columbia disaster derailed construction.

Considered one of the most complex flights in shuttle history, commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates, with help from the station's three-man crew, will attach a 35,000-pound 45-foot-long solar array truss to the lab complex and stage three spacewalks to make critical electrical connections, hook up the array's cooling system and deploy the giant panels.

Read our full story.

1604 GMT (12:04 p.m. EDT)

A quick review of video from the external tank-mounted camera shows a couple of very small pieces of debris shedding from the tank well after solid rocket booster separation. So far, it looks like Atlantis had a clean ascent.

1555 GMT (11:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 40 minutes, 30 seconds. The twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines on the tail of Atlantis have been fired successfully to propel the shuttle the rest of the way to orbit.

1553 GMT (11:53 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 38 minutes, 30 seconds. The maneuvering engines have ignited for the two-minute orbit raising burn.

1541:55 GMT (11:41:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 27 minutes. Atlantis is orienting itself into the upcoming OMS engine firing attitude.

1539:55 GMT (11:39:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 25 minutes. The two flapper doors on the belly of Atlantis are being swung closed to shield the umbilicals that had connected to the external fuel tank.

1530:55 GMT (11:30:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 16 minutes. The OMS engine burn to insert Atlantis into the higher orbit will begin at T+plus 37 minutes and 16 seconds.

1529:55 GMT (11:29:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 15 minutes. The "go" has been given to the crew for Auxiliary Power Unit shutdown as planned.

1528:55 GMT (11:28:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 14 minutes. Atlantis has reached a preliminary sub-orbital trajectory with a high point of 137 statute miles and low point of 36 miles. Coming up, the Orbital Maneuvering System engines will be fired to raise the orbit to 143 by 116 miles.

1524 GMT (11:24 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes, 45 seconds. Atlantis has returned to space for the first time in four years. The shuttle is 1,200 miles northeast of the launch pad, traveling 17,000 mph.

1524 GMT (11:24 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes, 30 seconds. Commander Brent Jett is maneuvering the orbiter so digitial and film cameras embedded in the umbilical well on the belly of Atlantis can photograph the discarded fuel tank. In a few minutes, two of the mission specialists will shoot still photos and camcorder video out the cockpit windows.

1523:55 GMT (11:23:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes. The emptied external tank has been jettisoned from the belly of space shuttle Atlantis. The tank will fall back into the atmosphere where it will burn up harmlessly.

1523 GMT (11:23 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 8 minutes, 34 seconds. MECO! Confirmation that Atlantis' main engines have cutoff as planned, completing the powered phase of the launch.

1521:55 GMT (11:21:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes. Main engines continue to perform well as Atlantis nears the completion of powered ascent.

1520:55 GMT (11:20:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes. The shuttle has started rolling to a heads-up position to improve communications with the TDRS satellite network.

1519:55 GMT (11:19:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes. Atlantis is 225 miles northeast of the launch pad at an altitude of 65 miles, traveling at 7,000 mph.

1519 GMT (11:19 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 5 seconds. Negative return. The shuttle is traveling too fast and is too far downrange so it can no longer return to the launch site in the event of a main engine problem.

1518 GMT (11:18 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 45 seconds. Atlantis traveling over 4,000 mph.

1517:55 GMT (11:17:55 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. The twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines on the ship's tail are burning for an extra boost in thrust. Atlantis' main engines continue to fire, guzzling a half-ton of propellant per second.

1517 GMT (11:17 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 20 seconds. Guidance is converging as programmed. Atlantis' engine nozzles are swiveling to steer the ship for a precise point for main engine cutoff about six minutes from now.

1517 GMT (11:17 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 8 seconds. The twin solid rocket boosters have cleanly separated from the space shuttle Atlantis. The shuttle continues its climb to space on the power generated by the three liquid-fueled main engines.

1516 GMT (11:16 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 90 seconds. A smooth ride for Atlantis and the six astronauts. Commander Brent Jett, pilot Chris Ferguson, flight engineer Dan Burbank and Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean are seated on the flight deck, with mission specialists Joe Tanner and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper down on the middeck.

1516 GMT (11:16 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 80 seconds. Atlantis' engines have revved back to full throttle. Mission Control has given the "go" at throttle call and commander Brent Jett has roger'ed that. No problems have been reported in today's ascent.

1515 GMT (11:15 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 35 seconds. Atlantis' three main engines are throttling down to reduce the aerodynamic stresses on the vehicle as it powers through the dense lower atmosphere.

1515 GMT (11:15 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 20 seconds. Atlantis has completed the roll maneuver, placing the ship on a trajectory to rendezvous with the International Space Station on Monday. The outpost with its three-man crew is currently flying 220 miles over the North Atlantic.

[GioFX]

SpaceFlightNow.com

Ascent debris spotted; no apparent threat

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

A camera mounted on the side of the shuttle Atlantis' external tank showed several pieces of what appeared to be foam insulation separating from the tank about four minutes after liftoff. But that was well above the denser atmospheric regions where debris poses a major threat to the shuttle's heat shield. In any case, there were no obvious signs of damage.


Credit: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now

"It's extremely preliminary but so far, we didn't see anything in the region of highest concern and the things that folks did see ... were well into the ascent phase where we really don't have debris concerns," said LeRoy Cain, chairman of the launch-site Mission Management Team.

For foam debris to pose a threat to the shuttle's tiles or wing leading edge panels, it must come off early in flight when the shuttle is still within the denser regions of the atmosphere. That can cause separated foam to decelerate very rapidly, allowing the shuttle to ram into it at a high relative velocity. After about two-and-a-half minutes, the shuttle is beyond that danger zone.

The video also showed the tank's externally mounted 17-inch-wide liquid oxygen feedline flexing a fair amount as the shuttle thundered away. A foam ramp that used to provide aerodynamic shielding was removed to eliminate another potential source of ascent debris. The oxygen line appeared to move more than one used during Discovery's launch in July, but Atlantis made a so-called high-Q ascent that subjected the shuttle to higher aerodynamic stress. Whether that played any role in the movement of the oxygen line it not yet known. But the line is designed to flex and again, the ascent appeared uneventful.

Engineers will need several days to evaluate footage from a variety of cameras, data from wing leading edge sensors, a detailed inspection by the astronauts Sunday and additional inspections Monday during final approach to the station before Atlantis will be given a clean bill of health.

In the meantime, "what you saw today was a flawless count, a majestic launch and it was tough to get here," said NASA Administrator Mike Griffin. "This vehicle has not flown in many years and not everything in the count leading up to this day was easy. And in between we had to dodge tropical storms, lightning strikes and things like that. But we got here and it was just a flawless day."

[GioFX]

SpaceFlightNow.com

Atlantis roars into space to restart station assembly

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

The space shuttle Atlantis took off today on its fifth try, kicking off a long-awaited flight to restart assembly of the international space station three years after the Columbia disaster derailed construction.


Atlantis blasts off from pad 39B at 11:15 a.m. Credit: Ben Cooper/Spaceflight Now

Considered one of the most complex flights in shuttle history, commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates, with help from the station's three-man crew, will attach a 35,000-pound 45-foot-long solar array truss to the lab complex and stage three spacewalks to make critical electrical connections, hook up the array's cooling system and deploy the giant panels.

"In my opinion, every one of these flights we're flying in the next 12 to 18 months ranks right up there as the most complicated flights we've every flown, including Hubble Space Telescope repair missions," said Paul Hill, mission operations manager at the Johnson Space Center.

"The fact that we're going to go conduct a series of them for 18 months, each one of which is absolutely necessary for the next one to happen, without a doubt makes this the most complicated, most complex 18 months of manned spaceflight we have ever experienced.

Said shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale: "Clearly these are the most complicated spacewalk and assembly tasks that have ever been done before."

Two weeks after being grounded by a launch pad lightning strike, tropical storm Ernesto, a fuel cell glitch and trouble with an external tank fuel sensor, Atlantis's main engines flashed to life on time, followed 6.6 seconds later by ignition of the shuttle's twin solid-fuel boosters at 11:14:55 a.m.

With a crackling burst of incandescent flame, Atlantis began accelerating skyward, hitting 120 mph in just 10 seconds and then rolling about its long axis to line up on a trajectory carrying it up the East Coast of the United States.

A launch try Friday was called off because one of four hydrogen low-level engine cutoff - ECO - sensors manfunctioned. NASA managers decided to press ahead today using an amended flight rule that permitted a launch if the other three sensors worked properly. As it turned out, ECO sensor No. 3 worked normally today and the malfunction Friday remains an unexplained anomaly.

"Brent, it looks like you're long wait is over," Launch Director Mike Leinbach radioed the crew a few minutes before liftoff. "We wish you all the best luck in the world, Godspeed, and we'll see you back here in about two weeks."

"We appreciate those words and the effort to make this launch window," Jett replied. "It's been almost four years, two return to flight missions, a tremendous amount of work by thousands of individuals to get the shuttle program back to where we are right now and that's on the verge of restarting the station assembly sequence.

"We're confident over the next few weeks, and few years for that matter, that NASA's going to prove to our nation, to our partners and our friends around the world that it was worth the wait and the sacrifice. We're ready to get to work."

Atlantis put on a spectacular Saturday skyshow as it climbed away from Florida's space coast atop a long cloud of churning exhaust, knifing through a partly cloudy sky. A camera mounted on the external fuel tank provided dramatic live views as the shuttle climbed toward space, showing the Florida coast line dropping away in the brackground as the ship arced out over the Atlantic Ocean.

There were no obvious problems with the tank's foam insulation and no obvious signs of debris that might have posed a threat to the shuttle's fragile heat shield.

But engineers will need several days to evaluate footage from a variety of cameras, data from wing leading edge sensors, a detailed inspection by the astronauts Sunday and additional inspections Monday during final approach to the station before Atlantis will be given a clean bill of health.

Atlantis made the climb to orbit using an external tank featuring so-called ice-frost ramps that are officially classified as "probable/catastrophic" in NASA's risk matrix, meaning there is a 50-50 chance of a catastrophic failure over the 100-flight life of a space shuttle.

NASA is in the process of redesigning the ice-frost ramps but an interim fix will not be available until next year and the shuttle Discovery will make another flight with the old design in December. But based on the footage seen during today's launch, the ramps appeared to perform well with no obvious signs of trouble.

Joining Jett and Ferguson aboard Atlantis were flight engineer Dan Burbank, Joe Tanner, Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.

The astronauts have been training for nearly four years to install the new solar arrays and a massive rotary joint that will permit the giant panels to slowly turn like a huge waterwheel as the station streaks around the planet at five miles per second.

The solar alpha rotary joint, or SARJ, is the main component of what NASA calls the P3, or port 3, truss element. The solar arrays, their electronics and cooling radiators make up the P4 truss element. Both are bolted together and NASA refers to the combination as the P3/P4 truss.

Getting P3/P4 attached to the station's port truss will require one of the most ambitious flight plans ever put together for a shuttle mission.

Atlantis will dock with the space station Monday around 6:45 a.m. Just two hours later, Burbank, operating the shuttle's robot arm, will lift the P3/P4 truss out of the cargo bay and hand it off to MacLean, who will be operating the station's more massive Canadarm 2. Canadarm 2 will be mounted atop a mobile transporter on the far end of the port truss.

"Normally, once we finish the rendezvous, we open the hatches, everybody says hello and we get down to doing some (equipment and supply) transfers and a few things like that," said lead shuttle flight director Paul Dye. "We have so much on this mission that on this day, we're going to do the rendezvous and then we're going to ... take the payload, the P3/P4 truss segment, out of the bay and hand it off to the station before the crew goes to bed.

"So while we are equalizing air pressure between the spacecraft and opening the hatches and getting things connected and shaking hands and greeting, we're going to have crew on the aft flight deck getting ready to pull the P3 out."

Because the 50-foot-long orbiter boom sensor system, or OBSS, will be in place along the right side of Atlantis' payload bay, Burbank will have about one inch of clearance as he unberths P3/P4. To get past the OBSS, he will have to move the arm in a complex sequence, being careful not to bang into anything along the way.

"We'll grapple the payload, we'll move it up, back a little bit, up a little bit more to where we're clear, then out to the side and then we have a large automated maneuver which will put it into what we call the handoff position so the station can go and grab that with the big arm," Dye said.

"This is a pretty significant activity by itself and putting it on rendezvous day makes this a pretty long and very interesting day. Once we have it held in the handoff position, the station arm will move in and grapple. Once they've got it, we'll release it with our arm and at that point, it becomes (the station's) piece of equipment."

MacLean will leave P3/P4 parked overnight on the left side of the shuttle just below the station's unfinished truss. Before the crew goes to bed, they will change the orientation of the shuttle-station complex, rolling 45 degrees to port. That will aim the left side of the truss down toward Earth and help keep the stowed solar array blankets warm.

The next day, MacLean will move P3/P4 up to the station's P1 truss (there is no P2 element). Once properly aligned, motorized bolts in P1 will be powered up to lock the new truss in place.

As soon as three of the four attachment bolts are engaged, Tanner and Piper will exit the station's Quest airlock and begin a complex spacewalk to make critical electrical connections required to power heaters and other systems necessary to keep the new arrays alive.

Electrical power to the U.S. section of the space station currently is provided by solar arrays mounted atop a short truss, known as Z1, that extends up in the zenith direction from the station's multi-hatch Unity module.

Those arrays, known as P6, will be moved down to the main solar array truss next year and attached to a short spacer, known as P5, that will be bolted to P4 during the next shuttle assembly mission in December.

To wire in the new P4 arrays, flight controllers in Houston will carefully power down the station's two P6 electrical channels, one at a time, so Tanner can hook up 13 umbilical cables between P1 and P3/P4.

"There are about a hundred pages of ground commanding that have to go on in order to get things powered down in the right order and get things switched over and powered back up again afterwards," station flight director John McCullough said in an interview. "It's one of the more tightly choreographed EVAs that we've done as far as ground and crew interaction."

The P4 solar arrays are packed up like venetian blinds in four large "blanket boxes." Tanner and Piper will prepare those boxes for deployment and start the process of readying the SARJ for operation.

NASA managers may insert an extension day after the first spacewalk to give the astronauts time to carry out additional heat shield inspections if any "areas of interest" are identified during the inspections Thursday or during final approach to the station.

But as it now stands, MacLean and Burbank will carry out a second spacewalk the day after the first to complete preparations for SARJ operation and solar array deploy. That night, flight controllers will send commands to extend the arrays one mast bay in a confidence test before the astronauts take over the next morning. First, they will extend each array to 49 percent and then, after letting the sun heat them up a bit, the rest of the way.

The stepwise approach is being taken because of problems encountered in December 2000 when the P6 array was deployed. When the first P6 wing unfurled, several solar cell panels stuck together, resulting in a jerky motion that caused a tension cable to unwind and jump from its spool.

The second P6 array was deployed in high-tension mode, which prevented additional problems. Engineers now believe the "stiction" was caused by subtle effects of atomic oxygen coating the arrays and low temperatures. For the P3/P4 deploy, the arrays will be extended in high-tension mode with enough solar heating to preclude similar problems.

Fully extended, the 38-foot-wide arrays will span 240 feet from tip to tip. Some 66,000 solar array cells will generate nearly 66 kilowatts of usable power. A dozen massive batteries will provide power when the station moves into Earth's shadow and ammonia lines inside accordion-like radiator panels extending 44 feet will shed the heat generated by the electrical circuits.

But the new arrays will not provide power to the station until the next shuttle mission in December when the left side of the P6 array is retracted. In its current position, the port wing of the P6 array is at right angles to the P4 wings, extending into the area where P4 eventually will rotate.

With the new arrays deployed, Tanner and Piper will stage a third spacewalk the following day to complete SARJ activation, to carry out critical repairs on the station's S-band antenna system and to install a thermal blanket around components of the lab's high-speed KU-band antenna.

If all goes well, Atlantis will undock from the space station Sept. 17 - Sept. 18 if the flight is extended a day. The next day, the crew will carry out heat shield inspections to make sure Atlantis hasn't been hit by any orbital debris or micrometeoroids since they carried out a post-launch inspection on the second day of the mission.

Landing back at the Kennedy Space Center is targeted for a few minutes before 6 a.m. on Sept. 20, Sept. 21 if the flight is extended. Assuming the shuttle's external tank performed well and no major impact damage occurs, NASA managers will relax a post-Columbia requirement to launch in daylight, opening up more space station launch windows and clearing the way for a night launch of Discovery Dec. 14.

[Octane]

un paio di links ai replays del lancio:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/on_demand_video.html?param=|http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/anon.nasa-global/ccvideos/sts_115/ksc_090906_sts115_launch.ram|http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/et...15_launch.asx#
http://multimedia.repubblica.it/home/401030