STS-114 Mission Update Thread (Part 4)

[erauskydiver]

No, the aerospike is not extended until the missile detects that it has breached the surface.

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">These stories would never happen without sources. I didn't go after the PAL Ramp Foam repair story till SG mentioned it on here and I'm also sure the first time I heard about issues with ECOs was SG on here too.</font>/i><br /><br />My predictions for the next major NASA announcement:<br /><ol type="1"><li>NASA has identified the "bad patch" process following the crane accident as the primary cause of the large foam shedding off the ET.<li>That repair process is now banned.<li>While other smaller pieces of foam came off, they do not believe 100% of all shedding can be eliminated, and flying the shuttle will always retain some risk in that area.<li>The next mission, also considered a test mission, will launch as originally scheduled.<br /></li></li></li></li></ol><br />Other predictions:<br /><ol type="1"><li>The press and pundits will use the "just patch the foam" and ignoring previous ECO sensor failures as indications that the "safety culture" of NASA is still broken.<li>The Whitehouse and Griffin will use the evidence of some foam still shedding (beyond the big piece) as a rationale to limit the remaining flights of the shuttle to 12-16. The Whitehouse will release a statement that says, "While we recognize the need to fulfill our ISS obligations, those obligations must be balanced against the safety of our astronauts."<br /></li></li></ol></i>

 

[ehs40]

could the foam comming off be caused by the solid rocket boosters when they detached from the external tank and they may have hit some foam and knocked it lose? and what is sts-300?

 

[silylene old]

My apologies for repeating this question, but I have never seen it addressed before in any manner. <i>Were there any large foam patch repairs on the ET on the Columbia flight? Near the bipod? </i> I am of course wondering if this could have happened before, in the earlier tragedy.<br /> <br />EDIT:<br />Some more searching and I found this....<br /><font color="yellow">BY PETE SLOVER<br />The Dallas Morning News Posted on Thu, Feb. 20, 2003<br /> <br />HOUSTON - (KRT) - The chunk that hit the Columbia's left wing after takeoff appeared to come from the area of a foam patch applied by hand at Kennedy Space Center - a problem zone during at least four previous missions, NASA documents show.<br /><br />A spokesman said Wednesday that the hand patching is a subject of "particular concern" to the panel investigating the disaster, along with the space agency's ongoing efforts to perfect the shuttle's foam insulation, even as Columbia took flight.<br /><br />NASA experts have warned that dislodged patches from the massive external tank could damage the shuttle's belly tiles and subject the craft to an abnormal rise in temperatures similar to that seen in the Columbia's sensors just before it disintegrated over Texas on Feb. 1.<br /></font><br />for more, see this link: http://www.iasa.com.au/folders/Safety_Issues/RiskManagement/STS107ExtTankREvelations.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[silylene old]

SG, read my edit pls. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[propforce]

<font color="yellow">US: But the ISP for LOX/H2 is so much better, especialy for a 2nd stage! <br /><br />Russia: What 2nd stage? <br /><br />US: Er.... </font><br /><br />... But I love the smell of hydrazine in the morning !!! <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[norm103]

Is that the baird falling? http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=26668

 

[silylene old]

SG, I do suggest that the oversight of not testing / understanding / controlling the quality of foam repair patches is a major mistake.<br /><br />Apparently this <i>may</i> have been related to the Columbia disaster - who knows? - I don't have the orginal source information, just a media report. I would like to find that reporter's original source!<br /><br />And apparently, the foam loss on the current mission seems likely to be a foam repair patch problem.<br /><br />I do not understand why this oversight in quality control occured (assuming this is the cause). If so, I am being kind in calling this an 'oversight', especially if it is true this has occured twice in a row. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[ozspace]

With no flights for over 2 years, evolution probably taught the buzzards around KSC that "these big orange and white things just roll in and out of that building over there and get real cold occasionally, nothing to worry about..."

 

[kurros]

lol <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[ehs40]

is the chance of atlantis launching possibly about 50%?

 

[strandedonearth]

There's an SDC member here (can't recall the handle) who's going to have to change their sig line to "Buzzards may soar, but weasels don't get run over by Space Shuttles."<br /><br />Good work S-RTF, digging where SG pointed you. Best news I've heard on that yet.

 

[syndroma]

MPLM docking.<br />Nice helmets!

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Interviews with the Discovery crew on NASA TV right about now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[klipper]

Flames from the SRB? Watch 1:40 to 2:00<br /><br />http://wm.nasa-global.speedera.net/wm.nasa-global/RTF/WB57.wmv <br /><br /><br />ps: With the painted ET there were no foam problems?

 

[mattrog]

"Flames from the SRB? Watch 1:40 to 2:00 "<br /><br />hmm it does look like that - wondered about it when i 1st saw it - could it be the foam on the bottom of the tank burning off? Looks to high to be the engines ...?

 

[nacnud]

Exhaust plume recirculation, I think. Apparently this is normal.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Just confirm something for me, if you would, anyone. My mind is mushed with PAL Ramps.<br /><br />Tanking Test 1<br />Tanking Test 2<br />Launch.<br /><br />Two Different MLPs (Mobile Launch Platforms) used here?

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Ok the above is going to be for another story, and I've found out now.<br /><br />Article on site http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=3308<br /><br />A lot of it is paraphrased from a few sources, there's a lockdown mentality with talking to the media, so even quoting them as sources would potentially leave a paper trail and I don't want to compromise them.<br /><br />Key points:<br /><br />The PAL Ramp section of foam was not a repair as such, it was removed on purpose to make another area 'safer' and guess what, it ended up making the PAL ramp section 'faulty'. This is the lead candidate for why the foam was liberated. <br /><br />The PAL Ramps are now expected to be removed from all ETs - green light next week. <br /><br />Five Tiger Teams are working on this ET issue to get it back to a green light status and 'unground' the fleet. <br /><br />ET-121 over-cycled 11 times and was one cycle and half a second away from a 12th cycle that would have scrubed the launch. They have found the reason for this and it is NOT the diffuser as we all thought.

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

Thanks for the heads up Chris! <br />As a side note you might want to follow up on the story over at CNN, bout a light aircraft intruding into the no flight zone. The pilot appears to have "legged it" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Air Force Captain Billy 'Ice Man' Billyson said: "Next time, we'll shoot his ass down. I don't care about his apparent excuse about losing his pet bird Eric - and searching for it near the launch pad. Hmmm, wonder if he ever found it? Oh! Ooops!"<br /><br />Consider it followed up <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[Testing]

RTF, is the Pan Tilt unit on the OBSS the same as on Canadarm and do you know where I can find a decent still of it? It was on yesterdays hilights but moving too fast to see well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Judging by the reactions of others here and at home I suppose I am in the minority, but I see a bit of a silver lining.. NASA's return to flight plan had a lot of pieces. Stop the foam, get a lot more cameras and radar on the launch, onboard cameras, on-orbit inspection, ISS safe haven. It is bad that the foam fell off, for sure, but overall the plan worked, didn't it? Nobody is unknowingly going to ride a broken shuttle home.<br /><br />The inspections are pretty boring for me. I am glad it is almost over and the spacewalks are coming up.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[ozspace]

"Tanking Test 1 <br />Tanking Test 2 <br />Launch. "<br /><br />Yes, differnet MLPs, after the two TTs, they swung Discovery across to the stack Atlantis was going to fly, which was already together on its own MLP.