STS-121 Update Thread: Part Two

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rfoshaug

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It's a wonderful sight to see the shuttle on its way to the pad again. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff9900">----------------------------------</font></p><p><font color="#ff9900">My minds have many opinions</font></p> </div>
 
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bobw

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I was looking at the pictures from the pad earlier this morning and it looks like the environmental hoses for the payload canister are still attatched to the transporter. Which makes me wonder if the transporter with the hoses drives along while the structure is closed around the orbiter. Do the big red hoses supply environmental control until the payload is in the orbiter bay and the doors are closed? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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bobw

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You are a gold mine of information and a model of patience. Thanks again shuttle_guy. <br /><br />Edit: It is on its way down right now. I had to go to work on Tuesday before the lift so I didn't see the whole thing. I swear it looks tilted again. I am going to see what happens when it gets down today, though, it's my day off.<br /><br />I think I get it now. The canister is basically a copy of the payload bay. Maybe it just doesn't hang perfectly straight on the crane. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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bobw

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Comparing it with my pictures from Tuesday it seems tilted about twice as much: 2.5 degrees then, 4.5 degrees today. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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jschaef5

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How long does it take to crawl from the VAB to either of the launch pads? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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rybanis

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The crawlers have always interested me. When I was at the cape, they had a display of 1 crawler tread...and it awed me. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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subzero788

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Are the crawlers reaching the end of their lifetime? Are they likely to be used for the CLV/CaLV launches?
 
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SpaceKiwi

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That's awesome news, it seems like 1 July could be a real starter with all that padding currently in the work-flow.<br /><br />Any updates on the foam situation? I think they were further analysing the test data to confirm that things are okay to launch in the current config. There's unlikely to be any show-stopper come out of that now, is there? <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>
 
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jschaef5

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Is it still 4/4 ECO sensors to launch? I'm a bit worried that once they fill it up one of the sensors or a couple might not work and they would have to scrub the launch for weeks to go back and replace them. Or is there a way to test them without filling up the tank? Last I heard they would only launch if all 4 were working. Is there any chance this will change? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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radarredux

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> <i><font color="yellow">Yes, we will be 4 of 4 ECOs for this launch.</font>/i><br /><br />I wonder if, after all is said and done, people will look back at this period of time as a the plague of ECO sensors, tank fills and drains (from test or ECO-induced launch aborts), and the ramifications of those fills and drains.<br /><br />It seems ironic that such a small and relatively inexpensive component can have such a big impact on such a large and expensive program.</i>
 
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SpaceKiwi

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You would have to think, given all the hassles they've had with ECO sensors in the past year or so, that they are again the prime candidate for a show-stopping incident come the opening of the launch window on 1 July.<br /><br />I'll be keeping all extremities crossed come tanking time, that is for sure. <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>
 
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SpaceKiwi

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It's reassuring to hear you say you think they've got the ECO sensor problem licked. Regards weather, I hope that doesn't come into play. July 1 equates to a Sunday launch in this part of the world, which means I can watch activities with no concern for the clock. Plus an extra eighteen days in the flow would be a bonus in trying to get three birds away this year.<br /><br />I really hope the weather cooperates at the other end too. A KSC landing is long overdue after Columbia and RTF1. <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>
 
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bushuser

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You are confident the ECO problem is licked? Does that mean they know why the sensors failed repeatedly?
 
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montmein69

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Is the fueling of the tanks with LH2/LOX really on track ?<br />Does it mean there is not such confidence with the ECO sensors ?<br />What about the inconvenients of such test ? (notably foam that contracts and expands due to the variations of temperature ?) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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erioladastra

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"Even if the change to 3 of 4 was made now the soft ware to support the change could not be made in time. "<br /><br />S_G, what software? It is my understanding that there is already the voting logic, we just have the LCC to have 4/4. Hale said that if we tank and have a problem, we would stand down, assess and probably change the LCC and go again in a day or so. Not sure I understand this statement.
 
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elguapoguano

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I think what he's trying to ask is... Was the reason for the ECO sensors failures found? And if so, then great. But if not. Why are you so confident of that nagging problem not rearing it's ugly head again on this attempt? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#ff0000"><u><em>Don't let your sig line incite a gay thread ;>)</em></u></font> </div>
 
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montmein69

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Sorry, I misunderstood the post related to the filling of the tank.<br />When will the filling happen with a launch scheduled the 1st of July ? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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CalliArcale

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With a launch attempt July 1, it'll be loaded during the night prior to July 1. They always hold a review before tanking to make sure it's worth doing so; if the weather looks like crap, they'll scrub before tanking to avoid the expense and risk of a wasted tanking. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>
 
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bpcooper

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Launch is 3:48pm July 1. Tanking should commence at roughly 5:53am for that attempt. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>
 
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jschaef5

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I'm a bit confused on this shadow thing they mentioned. I haven't heard anything about this except that they need to launch in daylight. They were talking about the tank after it seperates and the shadows or something and how the tank pitches and rolls after seperation. What exactly were they talking about? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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bobw

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<font color="yellow">Does that mean they know why the sensors failed repeatedly?</font><br /><br />It was a long time ago but I remember reading that they thought they had found the problem. I think it was a grounding problem with the sensor interface box. I remember thinking that I have never seen an instrument that could measure such a small resistance. It was on the order of a thousandth of an ohm, or something incredibly small like that. I have a small pocket DVM that I carry around at work and if I get a couple tenths of an ohm when I put the leads together I call it good to go <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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SpaceKiwi

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Good press conference, sounded fairly positive from what I saw. Although Hale is always upbeat in his outlook, I reckon we'll be seeing a shuttle launch sometime in July. <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>
 
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