STS-116/12A.1 Status

[erioladastra]

<br />Well since this flight is hot on the heels of STS-115/12A, and may well be the most difficult ISS assembly flight, I thought I would get the thread started. Plus, I wanted to get away from the Shuttle-centric names <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />As for flight status - everything is progressing well. Folks are reviewing the beta and night restrictions to potentially open the launch window up some more. The biggest threat to the flight at this time is the ET processing for STS-117/13A which is the rescue mission for 12A.1. Various options are being analyzed but if the tank is delayed it will impact the launch.

 

[bpcooper]

You mean 115 for difficulty? <br /><br />119 was going to be the great mission, but if P6 moving is being moved up as you say, that lessens the complexity.<br /><br />116 is currently a night launch on Dec. 14 at 6:52pm. That is resting on a foam-free 115 and for them to lift the night restrictions. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

There is also the issue of working over the new year to consider.

 

[SpaceKiwi]

erioladastra, I get the impression from your posts that you're on the payroll at NASA or USA perhaps?<br /><br />Should this be so, are you at liberty to divulge approximately what you get up to within the Program? <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>

 

[ozspace]

Thanks for the info, is the ET for STS-117/13A at KSC or MAF? What kind of delays might crop up? Weather for barge trip? ECO sensors? Foam repairs? PAL ramps?<br /><br />Sorry, I got carried away there...

 

[subzero788]

"Plus the 2006/2007 roll over which NASA does not want to do with a Orbiter flying. That only gives us 4 days to launch in December."<br /><br />Can someone explain the seriousness of this problem to a non-engineer? Maybe I'm naive but it sounds like a repeat of the Y2K bug <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[lbiderman]

They would need to restart some computers on board, since they are not prepared to make the year shift in space. NASA doesn't want to do it, since that would make the orbiter "blind" for some time, and it was never done before.

 

[viper101]

Just looking at <br />http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts115/fdf/manifest.html<br /><br />What happens to the solar array at the top of the station between sts 115/116? Looks like half of it is gone...

 

[larper]

They are retracted so that the permanent arrays can rotate on their gimbal. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[bpcooper]

Yes. The first array is rolled up around 116, and the second around 117 which will make up for the needed power with its delivered array. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"You mean 115 for difficulty? "<br /><br />No, 12A.1 is basically where we rewire the entire station power system. One one day half the systems are shut down, two days later, the other half. This mission will be followed by 3 critical stage EVAs to complete the process (mainly thermal reconfigurations). This mission has the highest pucker factor. Should be fun <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[erioladastra]

"Plus the 2006/2007 roll over which NASA does not want to do with a Orbiter flying. That only gives us 4 days to launch in December. "<br /><br />Yeah, I find that kind of funny that in 2006 we have a concern over it. However, there is a team looking into that and possible testing.

 

[PistolPete]

<font color="yellow">It looks like we will have to remove the right OMS pod due to a helium regulator replacement which failed a checkout due to interal leakage</font><br /><br />Wow! A whole friggin OMS pod! how far back will that put the launch schedule. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

BPCooper - sorry for taking so long but I hadn't forgotten and wanted to clarify the "difficulty" Hope this helps a little:<br /><br />Flight Day / Activity<br />------------ / -------------------<br /> 1 / Launch<br /> 2 / Checkouts<br /> 3 / Docking. P5 unberthed and handed off to ISS SSRMS<br /> 4 / EVA 1, P5 installed<br /> 5 / P6 4B retract. Need at least 40% before the SARJs can operate. Mobile Transporter is moved.<br /> 6 / EVA 2, MBSU 2/3 configured, the entire 2/3 power channel shut down (half the station power). Power from Pg 2B is deactivated and P4 2A actiavated through the MBSU. CETA carts moved from starboard to port. External Active Thermal Control System Loop B actiavted for first time. <br /> 7 / Transfer stuff<br /> 8 / EVA 3, BMSU 1/4 configured, same as FD 6 but the other half. Power from P6 4B channel removed and P4 4A actiavted. EATCS Loop A actiavted for first time.<br /> 9 / Transfer more stuff. MT translated.<br /> 10 / Undock<br /> 11 / Cabin stow<br /> 12 / Landing<br /><br />MBSUs are the Main Bus Switching Units. Getting the ISS electrically rewired and the EATCS will be a huge challange. Note that you also have one day to (between EVAs 6 & 8) to completly power up half the systems on ISS from EVA 2 (computers, thermal, power, etc), swap to the redudant strings, and then power down the other half in preperation for EVA 3. For many things we will be single string tolerant which is a little nerve wracking for so much equipment.<br /><br />Hope that is helpful...

 

[colchadisatlend]

So what's the latest status on badass Discovery....is her processing still on schedule for her sistership Atlantis to launch on time?

 

[colchadisatlend]

uh oh, that's not good <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> Is that the same leak where Discovery "healed herself"...or was that the APU leak I am thinking of?

 

[ozspace]

Stacking in progress! Check channel 3 here: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/video45lh.html

 

[colchadisatlend]

Looks like they moved it to a different area in the VAB<br /><br />http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/chan3large.jpg<br /><br />Hell yeah! Stacking is looking good so far....is the ET for STS 317/116 in place yet?

 

[colchadisatlend]

Hey, haven't seen anything new in this thread for awhile....just checking in on badass Discovery to see how her processing for both STS 317 and STS 116 is coming along...did they fix her leaky OMS engines yet?<br /><br />Also, how has the recent Ernesto nonsense impacted her December scheduled launch?

 

[colchadisatlend]

Here's a live picture of the rotating service structure<br /><br />http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/chan9large.jpg<br /><br /><b>ATLANTIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</b>

 

[erioladastra]

Wrong mission <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[colchadisatlend]

Hehe...sowwy <img src="/images/icons/blush.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[rybanis]

The tank is coming from MAF tomorrow? Cool. Lets hope there are some good ECO sensors onboard! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bushuser]

OK, SG. What more can be done about those nasty ECO sensors prior to Discovery's launch? [other than rewriting the launch rules]

 

[bobw]

For starters, these links have links to details about each Shuttle mission and Space Station crew. I hope it is something like what you had in mind.<br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/list_main.html<br />http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/index.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>