STS-114 Mission Update Thread (Part 4)

[tap_sa]

Some explanation for this picture, please? Which part is the PAL ramp, the three wedge things, the dark brown beam or what? The biggest tube must be the LOX line, right? What do those thinner tubes carry?

 

[nacnud]

Hum, your right, perhaps good was the wrong word to use.

 

[najab]

Here you go.... <br /><br />The thinner tubes carry warm gas back from the engines to the tanks to maintain proper ullage pressure. Remember the problems with excessive valve cycling during the tanking test? These are the lines in question.

 

[tap_sa]

Excellent, thanks! <br /><br />edit: they are about to open the hatch!

 

[nacnud]

<font color="yellow">Some explanation for this picture, please? Which part is the PAL ramp, the three wedge things, the dark brown beam or what? The biggest tube must be the LOX line, right? What do those thinner tubes carry? <br /><br /><font color="white">This is all guesswork but I think the top fat pipe is the LOX pipe, this stops at the 2/3s the way up the ET. The other three smaller pipes continue to the top of the ET, they are not covered in foam so they can’t be carrying anything cold. At a guess I’d say the fat one is an electrical duct of some sort the smaller ones I have no idea. Electrical, nitrogen purge, lighting conductor dunno…<br /></font></font>

 

[nacnud]

Thanks najab, I got realatively close.

 

[tap_sa]

ISS: Intruder alert! <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[rhodan]

German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine has a nice picture gallery of this mission online: link

 

[najab]

><i> Do the pressure lines carry He or N?</i><p>Neither. Both Helium and Nitrogen would form 'ice cubes' if they were pumped into the LH2 tank - not what you want your SSME turbopumps ingesting. Instead, a small portion of the propellants is fed through tubing in the engines and the warm gas is fed back into the appropriate tanks. This is the press-repress system that was getting so much attention during the first tanking test.</p>

 

[thechemist]

That's a party I sure as hell would love to attend !! Thumbs up <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[najab]

I hope this is true!!! That would be GREAT! <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> (I'm smiling so hard at that I'm almost crying!)

 

[tap_sa]

Interesting detail is that hydrogen press line looks about 2/3 size of oxygen press line, even though there is much bigger volume in the hydrogen tank to pressurize. I guess the small molecular size of hydrogen allows it to flow fast enough through smaller pipe. <br /><br />edit: S_G, great news! (But fire the repair team <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />)

 

[najab]

Let me make sure I didn't swap the captions by mistake.... <br />-----------------<br />Nope, I got them right. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> My guess is that the hydrogen boils off more than the oxygen, so there's less requirement for repress.

 

[nacnud]

Thank, I noticed the righting above the ET piture eventualy <img src="/images/icons/blush.gif" />

 

[najab]

I guess my high-school chem should have told me that I was talking nonsense! Thanks for the correction.

 

[Leovinus]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>****** this bloody foam! It's a right Achilles’ heel to shuttle operations.<br />It's really starting to look like my aluminum chicken wire idea might be a winner.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Remember the good ole days when stuff falling off the tank didn't matter? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thechemist]

True, H2 boiling point is -259 oC, O2 is -183 oC. <br /><br />Edit: but useless <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

There we go!! Now can we round up the "Sky is falling" media and stick them in an ET?

 

[shuttle_rtf]

I feel like I missed a REALLY good night out when I see Saturn 5 pics <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />

 

[tap_sa]

Anyone have link to that picture where lightning strikes Apollo 12 while it's already on it's way? IMO that has a pretty strong message how robust those old behemoths were.

 

[Leovinus]

Best I can do: http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/spacecraft/q0140.shtml <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

Who's the babe operating Capcom at the moment <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]

It has now taken 1.5 cups of java to catch up on this thread since yesterday afternoon. Loved the evening press conference. RTF, did you record? To Paraphrase, Paul told you where we were, we will update and Paul will be back tomorrow if you have any further questions.<br /><br />Thanks SG for the good news that there is a starting point on foam loss, much better than a clean slate for a fix. Saw some footage of the RCC inspection late last night and understand the 5' margin. Someone did a good dance step on the stiffness of the original arm with 50' added. Jesucristo! Am very surprised that they can get 0.25" resolution on that setup, but pleased. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jaredgalen]

What causes the dropouts in Comm?<br />Is it antennae getting blocked by parts of the ISS and shuttle or something?<br />

 

[Astrosag]

What a nerd najab (I smiled when i read shuttle_guys comment that the foam area was a repair area- so obviously just kidding...well we are nerds..)<br /><br />Anyways I had a question...who's the lady talking to the shuttle from shuttle mission control....her first name is Julie (im not sure if anyone asked this before - but is it an astronaut?..the canadian one?)<br /><br />Back to nasa tv and some techno at work! <br /><br />K Earth just asked this question...oops.