STS-120/(10A) Update

[bobw]

Earlier when the view was from the Orbiter side it looked like dual exhausts from a big ol' V8 on a winter morning billowing out around the bases of the solids. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

BTW, official times...<br /><br />"The shuttle began its slow roll to the pad atop the crawler transporter at 6:47 a.m. Arrival at the pad is estimated between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.<br />" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[usn_skwerl]

watching it live now..about 50 ft from being locked into position! <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

What's your contingency time like now, SG? Did the slightly delayed rollout eat anymore into the day you've got up your sleeve?<br /><br /> <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>

 

[bpcooper]

Stephanie Stilson said yesterday "two days." That was news to me, I had thought it was down to a day or so:<br /><br />"Even with the slips, Discovery processing manager Stephanie Stilson told reporters today engineers still have two full days of contingency time to handle unexpected problems between now and Oct. 23"<br /><br />http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts120/070930rollout/ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Always easier upstairs than on the front line <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

<font color="yellow">It's really not difficult for them. They just make the black task bars shorter.</font><br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> That goes for just about every industry! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you folks out there at the cape. I hope all goes well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[mcs_seattle]

But isn't you engineers that build in 50% more capacity than needed on everything?

 

[erioladastra]

"Those Ops guys have a way of compressing the schedule."<br /><br />Hey now, just asking to take the extra, secret pad out!<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[halman]

"I would bet very few people have stood outside for long in 20 mph winds."<br /><br />Not quite the same, but riding a motorcycle at 70 mph with no fairing can give one an idea of what high winds are like.<br /><br />I must admit to my ignorance, but I still have never seen the crawler reaching the pad in any video or still photo. Does the crawler sit under the launch pad until after launch, or is there some mechanism to transfer the launch platform to a solid mounting? As far as I can recall, every picture I have seen of the transporter has been with a vehicle on it, so it is hard to visualize what the transporter looks like by itself. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[usn_skwerl]

i asked this question with the last launch. they leave the pad where it is, and pull the crawler away, and off the the side a bit. lemme see if i can find a pic. <br /><br />as far as standing outside in a breeze of 20mph. A: im from chicago <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> and B: ive worked on airfields since 1997 <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <br /><br />edit: not off to the side..they pull the crawler just outside the fence around the pads. it returns to the pad to scoop up the launch pad and drag it back to the VAB after the shuttle goes spinning about at high velocity. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[halman]

usn_skwerl,<br /><br />Thanks. I still would like to know how they unload the mobile launch pad from the crawler. I understand that there are six pillars that hold up the launch pad, and I am guessing that the crawler is able to lower the pad onto those pillars, and then lower further to get out from under the pad. Considering that the pad and the shuttle weigh several million pounds together, that must be quite an operation. I would love to see some photos of the procedure, but the NASA site doesn't include them in either the crawler page or the mobile launch pad page. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[usn_skwerl]

keep your eye on nasa tv, they'll review the days progress each day (not sure of time) with regards to the mission getting closer to liftoff. eventually theyll show the crawler shoving away from the pad. ive never seen it move away empty, myself<br /><br />click here and scroll down for the question from me, and the answer from S-G. about halfway down the page. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Hmmm, does the shuttle_guy "propellant rule" really apply for the APU's?<br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

OK, fine <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

<font color="yellow">This weekend th hypergolic propellants will be loaded in to the Orbiter OMS/RCS/APUs and SRB Aux Power Units. The load is about 32,000 pounds of oxidizer and fuel.</font><br /><br />Wow! I had no idea it carried that much. What an awesome machine. The 727 burns about that much fuel on a flight from San Diego, CA to Orlando, FL with a 40,000 load of cargo....assuming normal winds, of course. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bpcooper]

Yea the numbers are right...9 million for the MLP, 6 million for the crawler and about 2.5 million lbs for shuttle makes 17.5 for the total, empty stack. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

NASA update:<br /><br />10.01.07<br /><br />Katherine Trinidad<br />Headquarters, Washington<br />202-358-3749<br />katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov<br /><br />Allard Beutel<br />Kennedy Space Center, Fla.<br />321-867-2468<br />allard.beutel@nasa.gov<br /><br />MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-126<br /><br />SHUTTLE DISCOVERY AT LAUNCH PAD; LAUNCH DRESS REHEARSAL NEXT<br /><br />CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With space shuttle Discovery now at its launch <br />pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the next major milestone for the <br />upcoming STS-120 mission is a full launch dress rehearsal.<br /><br />The shuttle arrived at the pad near noon EDT Sunday on top of a giant <br />vehicle called the crawler-transporter. The crawler-transporter began <br />carrying Discovery out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 6:47 <br />a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 3.4 mile journey. <br />Discovery was firmly on the launch pad, or hard down, at 1:15 p.m.<br /><br />Discovery is targeted to launch Oct. 23 on a 14-day mission to the <br />International Space Station. The shuttle's seven crew members will <br />add a module to the space station that will serve as a port for <br />installing additional international laboratories. The crew also will <br />move the station's first set of solar arrays to a permanent location <br />and redeploy them.<br /><br />Discovery's crew members are Commander Pam Melroy, Pilot George Zamka <br />and Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug <br />Wheelock, Daniel Tani and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency. <br />Tani will remain aboard the station and return with the STS-122 crew, <br />targeted to launch Dec. 6. Current station Flight Engineer Clayton <br />Anderson will return to Earth aboard Discovery.<br /><br />The STS-120 astronauts and ground crews will participate in a launch <br />dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, <br />or TCDT, from O <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bobblebob]

Do they need to load more fuel this mission seeing as the shuttle will weigh more with Harmony inside?<br /><br />If so how much more fuel?

 

[bobblebob]

MeteorWayne - When did you get the latest KSC email? The one you just posted dated 1st Oct i still havent got <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />

 

[bobblebob]

Oh no not again <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> <br /><br />Is their nothing they can do to better protect the shuttle at the pad? Isnt this the 3rd hail incident now in the past year or so?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Unfortuanately I deleted it after posting it here, as my spam collector email account is quite full.<br /><br />Within the last 48 hours, but that's all I can say with assurance. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

A weather question from my meteorological half.<br /><br />Any idea what kind of devices are used as hail detectors? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bobblebob]

No problem, hopefully should come through soon

 

[SpaceKiwi]

How is this mission going to stack up, weight-wise, compared to the Destiny mission? Also, I assume there's a fair bit of equipment and consumables travelling up in Harmony?<br /><br /> <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>