STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (April 5,6:21 AM EDT)

[MeteorWayne]

OK, next up, on March 18th (tentatively):

Commander Alan Poindexter will lead the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Jim Dutton will serve as the pilot. Mission Specialists are Rick Mastracchio, Clay Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Discovery will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks to be transferred to laboratories on the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.

Mastracchio and Anderson will conduct three six-and-a-half-hour-long spacewalks on flight days 5, 7 and 9 to replace an ammonia tank assembly, retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior and switch out a rate gyro assembly on the S0 element of the station’s truss.

STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Crew:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gify4qV1LNY[/youtube]

External Tank and Boosters Attached:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38abQy0j2Jc[/youtube]

Short NasaTV's Overview:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTy4wrioFMQ[/youtube]

 

[shuttle_guy]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

The Orbiter roll over to the VAB was set for today however the weather is too cold. (If the Reaction Control Thrusters get colder than 45 deg. F they could start to leak hypergolic propellant). The planned roll over is now no earlier than Sunday. This delay has started a discussion with the launch managers to possibly slip the launch to mid April because of this delay which puts the Shuttle Orbiter at the ISS when the next manned Soyuz is to be docked to the ISS. NASA does not want to have both vehicles there at the same time for several reasons thus the possible launch slip to mid April.

 

[shuttle_guy]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

A side note, this Shuttle crew has, for the first time, 3 women on board. If the Shuttle delays until after the Soyuz leaves there Tracy Caldwell will be a member to the ISS crew......4 women on the ISS at one time.

 

[Testing]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Sounds fine to me. Can I go?

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Sounds fine to me. Can I go?

You are a very brave person :shock: :?

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

I deleted the content of this post since it simply was too stupid.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

OK, folks, let's please remember, this is Missions and Launches, so is supposed to be discussing the specific mission, which in this case is the upcoming STS-131 launch.

Let's place the banter in a thread on another forum like Free Space.

TIA

Moderator Meteor Wayne

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

And to steer this thread firmly back on topic here is the official STS-131 pages at nasa.gov:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shutt ... index.html

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Space shuttle Discovery STS-131 crew participated in a crew equipment interface test, Jan. 8.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iXQSnwLqMA[/youtube]

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Discovery's processing milestones:

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=30231

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Cold weather delays Discovery's trip to VAB:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/s ... 0215delay/

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Launch of shuttle Discovery on the next mission to the International Space Station will slip from March 18 to April 5 because of an unusual cold snap in Florida that has delayed processing and to avoid having a shuttle at the lab when the next Russian Soyuz crew transport arrives.

Whole article from Spaceflight Now: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/s ... 0216delay/

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Official STS-131 crew photo :



NASA : STS-131 Mission Information

Seated are NASA astronauts Alan Poindexter (right), commander; and James P. Dutton Jr., pilot. Pictured from the left (standing) are NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki and NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson, all mission specialists.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Launch of shuttle Discovery on the next mission to the International Space Station will slip from March 18 to April 5 because of an unusual cold snap in Florida that has delayed processing and to avoid having a shuttle at the lab when the next Russian Soyuz crew transport arrives.

That's a shame

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

MEDIA ADVISORY : M10-033 NASA To Preview April Flight Of Space Shuttle Discovery HOUSTON -- NASA will preview the next space shuttle mission during a series of news briefings on Tuesday, March 9, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the briefings live. Reporters will be able to ask questions from participating NASA locations.

The STS-131 mission, targeted for launch April 5, will be shuttle Discovery's next-to-last flight and deliver critical spare parts and cargo to the International Space Station. A multipurpose logistics module will be carried inside the shuttle's payload bay and temporarily attached to the station during the mission. The cargo carrier will be brought back with the shuttle. Following STS-131, only three more shuttle flights are scheduled.

Alan Poindexter will serve as the mission commander and James Dutton as the pilot. They will be joined by Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Clayton Anderson, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Dutton, Metcalf-Lindenburger and Yamazaki will be making their first trips into space. Metcalf-Lindenburger is a member of the cadre of former educators trained as mission specialists and the last of that group scheduled to fly on the shuttle.

The schedule of briefings includes (all times CST):
8:00 a.m. -- Program Overview (9 AM EST, 1400 GMT)
9:30 a.m. -- STS-131 Mission Overview
12:30 p.m. -- STS-131 Spacewalk Overview
1:00 p.m. -- STS-131 Crew News Conference

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Nice photos about lifting Discovery up from her transport vehicle for mating with ET+SRBs stack:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/s ... index.html

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Some nice pictures there :

:shock:

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Discovery Moves to VAB:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKesHRgsVII[/youtube]

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Discovery on Tap for Rollout to Pad
Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:21:25 PM UTC+0200

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery now is attached to its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher platform in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Engineers are preparing the shuttle for its rollout to Launch Pad 39A, which is scheduled for March 2 at 12:01 a.m. EST.

The STS-131 astronauts are conducting a deorbit integrated simulation today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Discovery's crew will head to Kennedy early next month to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, and related prelaunch training.

Quoted from: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lI6TajJRek[/youtube]

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQVA1e9RJzM[/youtube]

 

[Zipi]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

720P HD Quality Youtube Video from ATK's Recent SRB Test:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3wDpCQ0rDQ[/youtube]

SDC's Article:

The thunderous roar from a space shuttle solid rocket booster reverberating and rebounding off the mountains of northern Utah was heard for the final time Thursday, as NASA and contractor Alliant Techsystems (ATK) ignited their final ground test after three decades of static firings.

Whole Article: http://www.space.com/news/last-shuttle- ... 00226.html

NASA's Official Footage:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk7VrKDu11Y[/youtube]

 

[shuttle_guy]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

As of now the roll out to pad A is still set for monday night at midnight.

 

[3488]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Hi S-G.

Looks like preparations are still going well.

I am still hoping to come over for STS 132 Atlantis.

Andrew Mrown.

 

[ozspace]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion

Hi S-G.

Looks like preparations are still going well.

I am still hoping to come over for STS 132 Atlantis.

Andrew Mrown.

Let's hope she stays on track, I am planning to come from Australia for this launch! NASASpaceflight are talking about possible "schedule crunch", let's hope not!

Cheers,
Peter
Melbourne, Australia