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

[3488]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (Target April 5)

I assume launch 10:21 UTC HRS / 11:21 HRS CET (BST)??

Thank for the updates Wayne. Looks like H2 tanking is going well.

Andrew Brown.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (Target April 5)

Yes, you times are correct. 1021 UTC/GMT

Tanking has not started yet...they had to investigate a minor power surge in a fuel cell so are a bit behind in clearing the pad.

 

[3488]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (Target April 5)

Thanks Wayne, I will try & watch the launch. Should be a spectacular dawn twilight one.

I thought H2 tanking had already commenced, my mistake!!!!!!!

Andrew Brown.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (Target April 5)

Tanking should start in about 20 minutes (about 45 minutes late, which is not a problem)

 

[jamesc69]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (Target April 5)

This may be a quite obsurd question this late in the game, however if I currently have tickets for viewing STS-131 at the KSC Viewing Area, what time should I arrive so that I can enter the facility. I know that it is extremely earlier than 6:21 am?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (Target April 5)

Oops, bad info...the line chilldown procedure, the official start of tanking began at 9:28 PM EDT. Loading of LH2 will begin soon.

As for the when to get there question, hopefully someone who knows is online...I haven't a clue.

I'd suspect it depends on where the tickets are for. They didn't give you that info when you bought them?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: STS-131 Pre Launch Discussion (Target April 5)

Slow Fill of the Liquid Hydrogen began at 9:38 PM EDT/

 

[MeteorWayne]

Slow Fill of the LOX tank will begin in about 5 minutes.

 

[EarthlingX]

Just checking in ..

 

[MeteorWayne]

LOX Slow Fill has begun pumping the 1.3 million lbs of LOX into the top tank. Even though the LH2 Tank is twice as large, it only takes 226,000 lbs of LH2.

Remember that 1.53 million lbs of propellant is used in ~8 1/2 minutes, so on average it burns 2990 lbs a second!

 

[MeteorWayne]

Just checking in ..

Howdy!

 

[EarthlingX]

Howdy!

They're kinda silent .. ? Oh, and i filled my image account the last time, no image spam this time, unless .. nah ... :roll:

Nice announcer, let's hope this remark doesn't spoil her ..

 

[MeteorWayne]

T- 4:30

Both Tanks are now in fast fill mode.

LH2 tank has passsed the old 5% ECO cutoff sensor test.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Just a heads up, weather is still 80% go for this morning's scheduled launch at 6:21 AM EDT.

 

[EarthlingX]

One, just one .. :roll: ( about T-3h:20min and counting)

STS-131, T-3h:09min and counting

• 2010.04.05 - 04:47 GMT,
• 2010.04.04 - 22:47 EST,

or close.

30 min hold at T-3h at

• 2010.04.05 - 04:56 GMT,
• 2010.04.04 - 22:56 EST

 

[bushuser]

At Pad 39

The remote cameras make everything seem quiet and peaceful. In fact, how noisy is fueling and the general work environment in the launch tower in these last few hours?

 

[EarthlingX]

Is my clock correct .. ?

 

[MeteorWayne]

T-3:00 and holding. LH2 tank in stable replenish mode.

PS, don't forget, the time is EDT, not EST so is UTC/GMT -4 hours, not 5

 

[EarthlingX]

While checking the clock (daylight saving settings conflict with the offset), i noticed Sun's geomagnetic field being unsettled :

from http://www.n3kl.org/sun/noaa.html
Geomagnetic Field:

That is not a concern, if there is no spacewalk ?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Just for calibration, it is currently 0013 EDT, or 0413 UTC/GMT. Launch in 6 hr 8 minutes.

 

[MeteorWayne]

While checking the clock (daylight saving settings conflict with the offset), i noticed Sun's geomagnetic field being unsettled :

from http://www.n3kl.org/sun/noaa.html
Geomagnetic Field:

That is not a concern, if there is no spacewalk ?

Unsettled by itself is not a concern..besides, the first spacewalk is over 5 days away.

Also, the ISS/shuttle is well within the protective shield of the earth's geosphere. If it was a polar orbit, it could be more of a concern. For a typical geomagnetic storm, the risk is far higher flying over the poles in a jet that being in the ISS. And this is just unsetteled, not a storm...

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 3 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 4 unsettled

It's really just a notch above "quiet"

 

[EarthlingX]

Just for calibration, it is currently 0013 EDT, or 0413 UTC/GMT. Launch in 6 hr 8 minutes.

Thanks, i had 'auto change DS set, and time synch with Net, finished 1h ahead. Thought is was something weird with the phone and wall and car clock .. :roll:

I recently installed this program, this was probably the only problem with it, otherwise it runs real smooth :

http://www.meinberg.de/english/sw/time- ... onitor.htm

 

[MeteorWayne]

T-3:00, tanking completed.

Cleared for Final Inspection (Ice Team) and Closeout crew to head back to the pad. Crew should start to be loaded in Discovery around 3 AM EDT (0700 UTC/GMT).

 

[MeteorWayne]

Nice announcer, let's hope this remark doesn't spoil her ..

BTW, the announcer is PAO Candrea Thompson.

 

[EarthlingX]

BTW, the announcer is PAO Candrea Thompson.

GJ Candrea

Picture on the live TV is also a bit better than the last time, i think.

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

Image above: On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Final Inspection Team works near a fully-fueled space shuttle Discovery. Image credit: NASA TV