STS-125 Hubble Repair Mission (Atlantis) [May 2009?]

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MeteorWayne

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From SDC's Tariq Malik

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The space shuttle Atlantis moved out to its seaside launch pad in Florida early Tuesday to prepare for NASA's long-delayed final flight to the iconic Hubble Space Telescope.

Moving slowly atop an Apollo-era carrier vehicle, Atlantis began the 3.4-mile (5.4-km) trip to Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 3:54 a.m. EDT (0754 GMT) and reached the launch site about seven hours later.
 
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MeteorWayne

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Why Hubble's worth saving, from SDC:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0 ... anets.html

Excerpt:

A new technique has uncovered an extrasolar planet hidden in Hubble Space Telescope images taken 11 years ago

The new strategy may allow researchers to uncover other distant alien worlds potentially lurking in over a decade's worth of Hubble archival data.

The method was used to find an exoplanet that went undetected in Hubble images taken in 1998 with its Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Astronomers knew of the planet's existence from images taken with the Keck and Gemini North telescopes in 2007 and 2008, long after Hubble snapped its first picture of the system.

The planet is estimated to be at least seven times the mass of Jupiter. It is the outermost of three massive planets known to orbit the dusty young star HR 8799, which is 130 light-years away from Earth. NICMOS could not see the other two planets because its coronagraphic spot — a device that blots out the glare of the star —blocked its viewof the two inner planets.

"We've shown that NICMOS is more powerful than previously thought for imaging planets," said the scientist who found the planet, David Lafreniere of the University of Toronto in Canada. "Our new image-processing technique efficiently subtracts the glare from a star that spills over the coronagraph's edge, allowing us to see planets that are one-tenth the brightness of what could be detected before with Hubble."

Taking the image of an exoplanet is not an easy task. Planets can be billions of times fainter than the star around which they orbit and are typically located at separations smaller than 1/2,000th the apparent size of the full moon, as seen from Earth, from their star. The planet recovered in the NICMOS data is about 100,000 times fainter than the star when viewed in the near-infrared spectrum.

Lafreniere adapted an image reconstruction technique that was first developed for ground-based observatories.

Using the new technique, he recovered the planet in NICMOS observations taken 10 years before the Keck/Gemini discovery. The Hubble picture not only provides important confirmation of the planet's existence, it provides a longer baseline for demonstrating that the object is in an orbit about the star.

"To get a good determination of the orbit we have to wait a very long time because the planet is moving so slowly (it has a 400-year period)," Lafreniere said. "The 10-year-old Hubble data take us that much closer to having a precise measure of the orbit."
 
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MeteorWayne

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From Spaceflightnow:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/s ... 416debris/

Excerpt:

Even factoring in a recent satellite collision, an analysis of the threat posed by space debris at the Hubble Space Telescope's 350-mile-high altitude shows the crew of shuttle Atlantis, scheduled for launch May 12 on a mission to service the observatory, will not face a dramatically higher risk of potentially catastrophic damage, a NASA official said today.

While the overall risk of impact damage is higher for a Hubble mission than a flight to the International Space Station, which orbits at a lower, less debris-filled altitude, the actual numbers are better than flight planners initially expected.


Including the threat posed by debris from a satellite collision in February between a defunct Russian Cosmos satellite and an Iridium telephone relay station, the mean odds of a catastrophic impact during the Hubble mission are on the order of 1-in-221, which is below the 1-in-200 threshold that requires an executive-level decision by NASA's leadership.
 
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MeteorWayne

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Space Shuttles Endeavour and Atlantis on Neighboring Launch Pads
Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:19:28 PM EDT


Friday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour completed its 4.2-mile trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B. With Atlantis on nearby Launch Pad 39A, this marks the final time that two shuttles will be on the launch pads at the same time, as the shuttle program draws to a close next year.

Atlantis is targeted for liftoff May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT, when the crew will begin the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis' mission payload is set to arrive at the launch pad Saturday evening.

Prior to its STS-127 mission to the International Space Station, Endeavour will remain on standby at the launch pad in the unlikely event that a rescue mission for the Atlantis crew members would be necessary during their mission. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue spacecraft, workers will move it to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for a targeted June 13 liftoff at 7:19 a.m. EDT.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125 astronauts continue training for their servicing mission, which will include five spacewalks.
 
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MeteorWayne

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From spaceflightnow

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/s ... 422moveup/


NASA managers are debating whether to move up launch of the shuttle Atlantis one day, from May 12 to May 11, to get as many launch opportunities as possible before standing down to make way for a military operation that requires support from the Air Force Eastern Range starting May 14, officials said Wednesday.
 
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MeteorWayne

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Review Will Set Official Atlantis Launch Date
Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:55:38 PM EDT


NASA managers will hold a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, April 30, to discuss the status of the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, and to announce an official launch date. The briefing will begin no earlier than 6 p.m. EDT, after the conclusion of the Flight Readiness Review. Launch currently is targeted for May 11. (at 2:01 PM-MW)

While the astronauts continue their mission training at Johnson Space Center in Houston, technicians at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A continue to prepare Atlantis and its payload for launch.
 
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shuttle_guy

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The long range weather out look is good for the Hubble launch on May 11 at a few sec before 1402 hrs EDT. However the weather at KSC is difficult to predict 10 days ahead !! I expect we will get it off on the 11th.

On another note the layoffs are starting with 900 contractor heads to roll by Sept. 30th 2009.
 
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DrRocket

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shuttle_guy":8u50ih4i said:
On another note the layoffs are starting with 900 contractor heads to roll by Sept. 30th 2009.

Any contractors in particular ? USA?
 
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MeteorWayne

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They did not get specific, because they said not all the employees have been notified.
 
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trailrider

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"The long range weather out look is good for the Hubble launch on May 11 at a few sec before 1402 hrs EDT. However the weather at KSC is difficult to predict 10 days ahead !! I expect we will get it off on the 11th."

SG-
You better talk to the met-liars! I'm going down specifically to watch the launch, and can only be there from late Sunday through early Wednesday morning. First launch I'll be seeing in 48 years! :D Also, members of my family who have never seen a launch or the Cape and I are supposed to go on some tours (meet an astronaut, etc.) on days other than when there is the launch, and too much re-sked will throw that off. Of course, such things are more important than some old Shuttle launch itself...right? ;)

Godspeed to them!

Ad LEO! Ad Luna! Ad Ares! Ad Astra!

P.S. What's the status of the crack resulting from the radiator door being dinged by the socket?
 
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MeteorWayne

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Re the radiator,they said at the News Conference, they had a plan in place, the work was about to get under way, and it wouldn't be a problem.
 
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TariqJMalik

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Re:

SpaceKiwi":fe7kwdah said:
SG, if Endeavour isn't required for the STS-400 mission, will it be rolled off 39B and across to A, or will it go right back to the VAB and out to A at a later date? SK

Hi SpaceKiwi, Tariq Malik here. If Endeavour isn't required for the STS-400 mission, then NASA will keep it on Pad 39B until AFTER Atlantis returns to Earth.

The folks at KSC say the current plan, given a nominal STS-125 mission, will be to keep Endeavour on Pad B until late May, around the 27 or so, and then roll it straight to Pad 39A in what NASA calls a "rollaround."

Hope that helps and cheers,

Tariq
 
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MeteorWayne

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Thanx for the update Tariq. Nice to see you over here on the "chatty" side :)
MW
 
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shuttle_guy

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trailrider":1itx5q35 said:
"The long range weather out look is good for the Hubble launch on May 11 at a few sec before 1402 hrs EDT. However the weather at KSC is difficult to predict 10 days ahead !! I expect we will get it off on the 11th."

SG-
You better talk to the met-liars! I'm going down specifically to watch the launch, and can only be there from late Sunday through early Wednesday morning. First launch I'll be seeing in 48 years! :D Also, members of my family who have never seen a launch or the Cape and I are supposed to go on some tours (meet an astronaut, etc.) on days other than when there is the launch, and too much re-sked will throw that off. Of course, such things are more important than some old Shuttle launch itself...right? ;)

Godspeed to them!

Ad LEO! Ad Luna! Ad Ares! Ad Astra!

P.S. What's the status of the crack resulting from the radiator door being dinged by the socket?


The weather looks good for the launch (but HOT). I think there is a very good chance to launch on the 11th.
I hope everyone in your group has a wonderful time.

If you are looking for a good place to watch the launch I suggest the river's edge in Titusville. Get there early and enjoy !!
 
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shuttle_guy

Guest
Re: Re:

TariqJMalik":6k26wi1t said:
SpaceKiwi":6k26wi1t said:
SG, if Endeavour isn't required for the STS-400 mission, will it be rolled off 39B and across to A, or will it go right back to the VAB and out to A at a later date? SK

Hi SpaceKiwi, Tariq Malik here. If Endeavour isn't required for the STS-400 mission, then NASA will keep it on Pad 39B until AFTER Atlantis returns to Earth.

The folks at KSC say the current plan, given a nominal STS-125 mission, will be to keep Endeavour on Pad B until late May, around the 27 or so, and then roll it straight to Pad 39A in what NASA calls a "rollaround."

Hope that helps and cheers,Tariq


Correct SpaceKwi.
The STS-400 will vehicle will remain on pad B on standby until after the STS-125 landing and the Pad A launch damage is evaluated and repaired and the normal pad post launch clean up is performed. Then the vehicle's mission becomes STS-127.
 
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CalliArcale

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shuttle_guy!!!

*tacklepouncehuggles*

Maybe you've been around a while and I've been to dense to notice, but I'm noticing now, and I'm sure glad to see you. ;)
 
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MeteorWayne

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shuttle_guy, good to see you again. Will you be in the firing room for this mission, or does your new job not include that?
 
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shuttle_guy

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CalliArcale":2iu2rguv said:
shuttle_guy!!!

*tacklepouncehuggles*

Maybe you've been around a while and I've been to dense to notice, but I'm noticing now, and I'm sure glad to see you. ;)

It's good to be back. I was out due to some surgery and recovery and a new job.
 
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shuttle_guy

Guest
MeteorWayne":3nwdnibe said:
shuttle_guy, good to see you again. Will you be in the firing room for this mission, or does your new job not include that?

I am sorry to say that my new job will keep me out of the Shuttle Firing room foor most Shuttle launches. I will mainly be working the integration of NASA payloads on to ELVs.
 
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MeteorWayne

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s_g, I guess the good news is you'll get to watch a few from outside?
 
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shuttle_guy

Guest
MeteorWayne":1y5ubte7 said:
s_g, I guess the good news is you'll get to watch a few from outside?

yes, however I would rather be inside the control room...........
 
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shuttle_guy

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The weather in Spain at the Shuttle emergency landing site may delay the launch from Monday.

More to come
 
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MeteorWayne

Guest
This morning's CSB (Countdown Status Briefing)

All is on schedule, no problems.

Monday Weather:
90% go at KSC
US sites EDW possible crosswinds, Northrup OK
2 Good TAL sites (Istres and Zaragoza)

Tuesday 60% go at KSC (possible thunderstorms and showers)
US sites EDW possible crosswinds, Northrup OK
Only 1 TAL site called up Moron; weather good

Wednesday 60% go at KSC, possible showers
Both US sites good
Only 1 TAL site called up Moron; weather good

MW
 
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