STS-114 Mission Update Thread (Part 6)

[tmccort]

<br />Nooo! I already stayed up this long...

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

What? Are they going around again? <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>

 

[mattblack]

Oh great! Just what my nerves need: a wave off.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[botch]

At least we get to see Discovery land at a time when there is more daylight.

 

[ltm_se]

Why are a landing attempt not tried on the decending node of the orbit, meaning tonight? Is that due to orbiter flying over populated areas?

 

[giofx]

I think that's the main reason... yep!

 

[telfrow]

<font color="yellow">Well, I got up early (8am) to see the landing.</font><br /><br />I rolled out of bed here in the Central US at 3 am to watch. I'm awake now, and a pot of coffee is brewing....<br /><br />If they're going to land during the second window, the burn should take place in about fifteen minutes, right?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[giofx]

yeah, de-orbit fire at 5:15 AM EDT

 

[telfrow]

Just announced...waved off for 24 hours. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[giofx]

SCRUB!<br /><br />ANOTHER DAY IN SPACE! Unstable weather conditions and low clouds aren't going to cooperate at Kennedy Space Center this morning, forcing space shuttle Discovery to remain in orbit for an additional day. Tomorrow's first landing opportunity would be 5:08 a.m. EDT at the Cape.

 

[tmccort]

Noooooo!

 

[giofx]

NASA will activate the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The space agency intends to get Discovery back on Earth tomorrow at either Kennedy Space Center or Edwards. <br /><br />Here are all possible landing times, including targets for White Sands, N.M. (in EDT) <br /><br /><br />ORBIT...DEORBIT......LANDING...SITE<br /><br />Tuesday, Aug. 9<br /><br />217.....04:05 AM.....05:08 AM...Kennedy Space Center<br />218.....05:37 AM.....06:39 AM...White Sands, NM<br />218.....05:41 AM.....06:43 AM...Kennedy Space Center<br />219.....07:11 AM.....08:13 AM...Edwards AFB, CA<br />219.....07:13 AM.....08:14 AM...White Sands, NM<br />220.....08:47 AM.....09:48 AM...Edwards AFB, CA

 

[najab]

What the heck is wrong with NASA? Observed go and forecast go and they wave off.

 

[mattblack]

Oh... Poos. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[tmccort]

They said that it was still dynamic. I take that to mean their forecasts suck.

 

[botch]

It seemed that way to me too - they just weren't confident that the weather patterns were stable enough during the time it took to de-orbit, re-enter and land. It could change without warning, damn florida weather.

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

On Nasatv, their showing Earth from the ISS, is that the ISS shadow on Earth, or just a piece of the ISS below? <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>

 

[drwayne]

Florida in summer is weird. We were out for a drive yesterday and twice we got rained on when there was sunshine.<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[cello]

"including targets for White Sands"<br /><br />was shuttles ever has landed at White Sands?

 

[drwayne]

Columbia in 1982 was the only one so far.<br /><br />I think they will avoid it if at all possible, the gypsum sand got in everything....<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[captsolo]

E-mail campaign - there's an e-mail campaign on Sky News website at the momet:<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Sky News - Your Views: Shuttle Mission<br /><br />Tell us your views. What do you think of the latest Discovery mission and do you have any messages for the crew? Do you support manned space programmes or are they a waste of money?<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />If you can provide them with a [positive, insightful, , ...] opinion on the shuttle mission, please do so. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />The campaign might be closing in next 5 hours or so.

 

[mattblack]

Can anyone tell me at what point in the preparations for re-entry that the fuel cells are shut down and the APUs started up? Or are the APUs only started and the fuel cells shut down after a committed and successful OMS retro burn? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[najab]

One APU must be running at the time of the deorbit burn. The fuel cells are shut down about 4 hours after landing.

 

[mrmorris]

The SDC article about the wave-off has a quote from the weather controller at KSC saying:<br /><br /><i>“They want to be able to see the runway,” Madura said. “They don’t want to fly in on instruments.”</i><br /><br />Um... isn't that the *only* way the shuttle ever lands? Am I missing something, or was that a particularly stupid quote?

 

[tap_sa]

Haven't you heard of the emergency procedure in case computers/instrumentations fail? Pilot sticks his head out of the crew access hatch, uses Mark I eyeball instrumentation to take readings and shouts oral driving instructions to cmdr. "Nose up! Little Left! Steady! 100ft! 50ft! TOUCHDOWN!"