STS-130 Pre Launch Discussion

[MeteorWayne]

Huh? That was yesterday's launch time. The next is 4:14:08 AM EST, about 9 1/2 hours from now.

 

[MeteorWayne]

FWIW, official NWS forecast for the shuttle landing facility:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. North northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. North northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Go has been given for tanking....

 

[EarthlingX]

What's the countdown ?
5h and counting ?

 

[MeteorWayne]

4:14:08 AM EST is the scheduled launch time

 

[EarthlingX]

4:14:08 AM EST is the scheduled launch time

Thank you. Must have been an old piece of recording ..
.. Countdown T-05:45 min ..
T-5h:33h and couting
.. chill down process on LO ...
.. 40 % no go for clouds ..
.. everything else go ...
... astronauts awake ..
..T-5h29min ..
... waiting for LO slow fill ..


.. 5% sensors on LO are wet ..
.. LO fastfill under way ..
.. 60 % favorable weather chance at tomorrow launch time (NASA website, GMT+0100 ) ..
..

...
T-4h:55min and counting
.. clock set for holding ..
.. cloud cover in red, but was expected ..
.. cautious optimism about the weather ..
T-4h:53 min and counting ..
..
T-4h:45min (NASA Website T-080818)
..

..
T-4h18min and counting ..
.. comm checks going on ..
.. tanking operations more than half way through ..
... SRB retrieval ships on station ...
.. scattered clouds, occasionally broken in forecast ..
.. NW winds peak at 8-12 kt ..
..
T-4h15min and counting ..
.. 40 % chance of clouds prohibiting launch (http://www.spaceflightnow.com) ..
..

..
T-3h56min and counting
..temp at 50F will drop ..
.. prognosis of 83 % humidity at launch time ...
.. cloud cover ceiling violation ..
.. breaks are seen ..
.. hopes for better cloud cover ..
.. alignment of tracking station antenna ..
.. T-3h51min and counting
..

..
.. preparations for final inspection ..
.. 45 min remaining in fueling operations ..
.. completed test to check for safe pad entry ..
.. 40% chance of no go ..
..
.. clouds just got scattered ..
.. green on all weather for now ..
T-3h:34min and counting ..
..

..
T-03h:22min and counting
.. LH in stable replenish ..
.. 20 min to finish LO tanking ...
.. 40 % chance of no go on the weather ..
T-03h:20min and counting
..

..
..
T-03h:10 min and counting
.. comm checks going on ...
.. currently weather go ..
.. engine software checks performed ..
T-03h:08min and counting
..
T-03h:03min and counting
.. going into hold ..
.. everything on schedule
T-03h and holding
.. 2h30 min built in hold ..
..

 

[EarthlingX]

T-03h and holding ..
.. topping under way on LO ..
.. verifying communication links ..
..
.. tanking is complete at 09:54..
.. control switching is in the effect ..
.. waiting for the final inspection team ..
... clouds off-shore, staying there ..
.. weather green ..
.. clearance for the final inspection team to go to the pad ..

.. going up the pad ramp ..
...

..
.. ice check going on ..
.. no issues ..
.. weather green, 40 % chance of no go ..

..
T-03h and holding ..
.. 1h:40 min left in the hold ..
.. hold-fire checks verified ..
..

...
(Firing room 4)

...
.. white room getting ready ..
.. fuel cells and computers working as expected ..
.. inspections continue, no problems ..
..
..
...
(NASA Website countdown T-05:03:52)
..
.. astronauts to receive weather report ..
... no issues to launch on time ..
.. 53 min remaining in hold ..
...

...

... weather currently green ...
... winds still concern ..
.. expect scattered clouds ..
.. main concern low level clouds ..
.. low level winds green ...
.. two abort sites with green weather ..
.. more optimistic about the weather, things are looking good ...
..

.. astronauts begin to suit up ..
.. 60 % chance of good weather, possibility of ceiling coming in from the E ..
.. different wind patterns than yesterday ...
... weather reckon flight in T-38 and ...
.. no 'dynamic' weather ..
..

..
.. better opportunity for launch this morning ..
.. 13 min remaining in hold ..
..

..
(NASA Website countdown T-04:03:13)
.. final inspection team finishing ..
..

..
T-02h:58 min and counting ..

T-02h:51 min and counting ..

 

[EarthlingX]

.. no issues ..
.. weather at 60 % chance ..
.. crew on the way to pad ..
T-02h:48min and counting ..
...

T-02h:35min and counting ..
.. no issues, expect launch on time ...

..
... NASA WebSite countdown T-03:15:33
...
T-02h:18min ..
..

... going through the comm checks ...
...
.. pilot getting in the position ..
...
T-02h:04 min
..

...
.. weather reckon in T-38 going out ...
.. keeping eye on the weather ..
...

...
.. more comm checks ...
..

... no issues ..
.. counting down to hold at T-00:20min ..
.. NASA website Countdown at T-02:35:00
.. more comm checks ..

.. one more of crew to board ...
.. currently red on the cloud ceiling ...
..

 

[bdewoody]

Watching on the NASA channel prepping the astronauts it makes me sad there will only be 5 more flights. I'm driving over in a little while to watch the launch live at Titusville at Kennedy Point.

 

[EarthlingX]

I wish i was there ..
(anyone awake ?)



...
.. all astronauts aboard ..
.. last astronaut to perform comm check ..

.. weather currently no go, but weather officer optimistic ..
..
T-01h:24 min and counting ..
..
...
..
.. comm checks done ..
.. getting ready to close the hatch ...
...

...
T-01h:12 min and counting
..
..
.. getting ready for a leak check ..
.. hatch closed and locked ..

..
T-00:45min and counting ...
.. no issues but weather, still red ..
.. 40 % chance of abort ..
.. getting ready to remove the probe from the hatch..
T-00:34min and counting ...
.. white room getting ready ..
.. removing duct ..
.. weather still read, clouds ..
.. predicting a gap at launch time ..

..
.. NASA Web site countdown -01:28:00
..
.. white room secured ..

..
weather reckon out with LearJet II ..
..
..

..
T-00:27min and counting
..

...
T-00:20min and holding
.. closeout crew driving away from the pad ..

 

[Gravity_Ray]

LOL Earthling the way you are following it, it IS like your there.

 

[EarthlingX]

I am


...
out of hold, counting ..
T-00:18min

..
T-00:15min and counting ...
..

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

(anyone awake ?)

Roger

 

[EarthlingX]

Can you do text ? (i will go watch it at T-00:09 hold) ..
T-00:13min and counting ..
.. Endeavour onboard computers guidance parameters being loaded ..
.. 1 min from hold ..
..


T-00:09min and holding ..
.. watching weather ..
.. weather is go ...
.. ceiling is not violated ..
.. 2 of abort sites closely watched for weather ..
.. 30 min remaining in hold ...

 

[Zipi]

Seems that KSC weather will be good enough, but TAL sites have more dynamic weather which may be a problem...

 

[EarthlingX]

Let's hope not, no technical issues at least.
T-00:17:00 on NASA Web,
weather green on abort sites too.
CLEARED TO LAUNCH

 

[gonzoprototype]

Weather green across the board. Whoo!

Let's hope it holds.

 

[nimbus]

Very cool pictorial EarthlingX

 

[EarthlingX]

Thank you it was to keep me awake and focused ..
Have some more, but have to sort them out first, a whole bunch ...

 

[MeteorWayne]

OK, She's Up Up and Away...future posts should go here:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22617