STS-132 Pre Launch Discussion (Target date May 14)

[EarthlingX]

Have a good flight, Andrew I hope you are geared up to the teeth with imaging equipment, and that you will have forum posting capabilities

Countdown has already started :
http://www.nasa.gov : Countdown to Atlantis' Liftoff Begins Today

Tue, 11 May 2010 05:37:27 UTC

The countdown to liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission is set to begin today at 4 p.m. EDT. Launch controllers will report to their consoles in NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center at 3:30 p.m. to be in place when countdown clocks start counting back from the T-43 hour mark.

"Teams at the Kennedy Space Center and at other centers around the country have been working very hard to get this vehicle ready to fly, and I am happy to report everything is going quite well at [Launch Pad 39A]," NASA Test Director Steve Payne said Tuesday morning. "Atlantis, crew and launch team are ready to go and looking forward to a beautiful launch Friday afternoon."

During the 12-day mission, Atlantis and the mission's six astronauts are delivering an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station. Technicians will close Atlantis' payload bay doors today, although a few experiments will be added to Atlantis' middeck about 28 hours prior to launch.

Atlantis' astronauts arrived at Kennedy on Monday evening, touching down at the Shuttle Landing Facility in four T-38 jets at 6:49 p.m. Today the crew members will review flight day file material and take part in a checkout of their orange launch-and-entry suits.

Liftoff is scheduled for May 14 at 2:20 p.m. According to Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters, weather is expected to be favorable, with a 70 percent chance of good conditions. The primary weather concern for Friday is the possibility of a low cloud ceiling. Partly cloudy and generally dry conditions will dominate the afternoon hours throughout the week.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKSkX-jQhRQ[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU6jndd5vKs[/youtube]

 

[3488]

Thanks EarthlingX,

I will be off to sleep soon as it's an EARLY start.

Looks like the volcanic ash cloud is not an issue & out flight is still scheduled for 11:15 AM CET.

Whether or not I can post on here is dependent on access to the internet. I will however if not, post everything up on my return.

Andrew.

 

[shuttle_guy]

Thanks EarthlingX,

I will be off to sleep soon as it's an EARLY start.

Looks like the volcanic ash cloud is not an issue & out flight is still scheduled for 11:15 AM CET.

Whether or not I can post on here is dependent on access to the internet. I will however if not, post everything up on my return.

Andrew.

Very good, I will be home by 1600 tomorrow and Thursday.

 

[3488]

That's it, I'm logging off now for the last time before I leave for the US of A tomorrow.

Going to get some sleep. Early start tomorrow. Up at 4:30 AM.

Andrew Brown.

 

[shuttle_guy]

All is well with the vehicle. No significant problems. The weather is predicted 70% go Friday, sat and Sunday.

 

[EarthlingX]

http://www.nasa.gov : Atlantis Revealed on Launch Pad 39A

Fri, 14 May 2010 10:41:21 UTC

The countdown continues toward the scheduled launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission. At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, the rotating service structure has been pulled away from Atlantis in preparation for liftoff Friday at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

"We've had a very clean countdown so far and we're currently on schedule, and we're not working on any issues," NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber said Thursday morning.

During the 12-day mission, Atlantis and the mission's six astronauts are delivering an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station.

According to STS-132 Weather Officer Todd McNamara, the primary launch weather concern is a low cloud ceiling. But the forecast is good overall, calling for a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtcypzKWI8o[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXE7WTC7Ul4[/youtube]

 

[dji420]

I HAVE A QUESTION. SO AFTER THIS THEY'RE NOT EVER GOING BACK INTO SPACE?

 

[drwayne]

Welcome to the forum!

I am not sure what you mean by "they" - if you mean the shuttles, then after shutdown, they will
no longer be going into space. If by "they", you mean astronauts, then no, they will be going into
space in other vehicles.

One posting note - posting in all captials is considered "shouting" - plase don't do it.

Wayne

 

[EarthlingX]

http://www.nasa.gov: T-20 Minutes and Holding

Fri, 14 May 2010 17:05:06 UTC

Launch day continues to progress very smoothly at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where space shuttle Atlantis is poised to launch on its STS-132 mission at 2:20 p.m. EDT. Countdown clocks are holding at T-20 minutes for a 10-minute-long built-in pause.

The mission's six astronauts all are strapped into their seats in Atlantis' crew module, the external tank is fully loaded with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, and the launch team is not tracking any issues at this point that would prevent an on-time launch.

Weather remains favorable, with STS-132 Weather Officer Todd McNamara predicting a 70 percent chance of good conditions at launch time.

Counting has restarted, counting to next hold.

Image above: STS-132 crew members strap into their seats aboard Atlantis with the help of support astronaut Chris Cassidy. Image credit: NASA TV

 

[MeteorWayne]

I HAVE A QUESTION. SO AFTER THIS THEY'RE NOT EVER GOING BACK INTO SPACE?

This is the last flight (scheduled) for this orbiter (Atlantis). Each of the two remaining shuttles will launch one more time.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Less than 1 hour till the scheduled launch time. Weather still looks pretty good. Working no issues right now.

Good Luck Andrew!!

At t - 9:00 final hold.

 

[MeteorWayne]

One potential issue has come up, working on it. I didn't hear the details because the other household member was babbling about something that could have waited till after the launch. Then she'll be mad at me when I don't remember a bloody thing she said because I was trying to listen to NASA

It had something to do with a ball bearing found on the pad?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Issue has been cleared.

Final poll conducted, all go, including weather.

12 minutes to launch.

 

[MeteorWayne]

T - 9:00 minutes and counting

 

[EarthlingX]

www.nasa.gov : Liftoff! Atlantis' 32nd Mission Begins

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:20:39 UTC

Liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis! Mission STS-132 is officially under way as the shuttle and its all-veteran crew of astronauts rise up and away from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following an on-time launch at 2:20 p.m. EDT. In approximately two minutes, Atlantis' twin white solid rocket boosters will burn out and separate, eventually falling back to the Atlantic Ocean. The shuttle's trio of main engines will propel the vehicle on the rest of its eight-and-a-half-minute climb to orbit, assisted by the two orbital maneuvering system engines.

 

[EarthlingX]

Very beautiful

MW ?

 

[EarthlingX]

www.nasa.gov : Atlantis in Orbit!

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:29:50 UTC

Main engine cutoff is confirmed -- space shuttle Atlantis is officially in orbit, kicking off its STS-132 mission and the pursuit of its target, the International Space Station. Atlantis lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center right on time at 2:20 p.m. EDT, rising into a picture-perfect Florida sky and capping a relatively problem-free countdown.

NASA Television will air the post-launch news conference at about 3:20 p.m.

 

[EarthlingX]

Launch replays on NASA TV, very nice :

NASA TV

 

[EarthlingX]

STS-132 MET=0:00:53:00 (Post time)

http://www.nasa.gov : Successful Launch for Atlantis; News Conference Coming Up

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:53:46 UTC

Space shuttle Atlantis is officially in orbit, kicking off its STS-132 mission and the pursuit of its target, the International Space Station. Atlantis lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center right on time at 2:20 p.m. EDT, rising into a picture-perfect Florida sky and capping a relatively problem-free countdown.

NASA Television will air the STS-132 postlaunch news conference at 3:30 p.m. EDT with Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, Alexey Krasnov, chief of Piloted Programs Directorate, Roscosmos, Mike Moses, chair, prelaunch Mission Management Team, and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director.

Image above: Liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission. Launch was on time at 2:20 p.m. EDT. Image credit: NASA TV

SDC : Shuttle Atlantis Soars Into Space on Final Mission

By Clara Moskowitz
SPACE.com Senior Writer
posted: 14 May 2010
02:18 pm ET

This story was updated at 3:01 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Atlantis launched majestically into space Friday on its final planned orbital trek before NASA retires the reusable space plane and its two sister ships for good.

Atlantis soared into clear skies from Launch Pad 39A here at Kennedy Space Center at 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 GMT). Commander Kenneth Ham is leading Atlantis' crew of six veteran astronauts on a 12-day sojourn to the International Space Station.

"On behalf of all the manufacturing, processing, flight and launch teams that have worked on Atlantis since March of 1980, I'd like to wish you all good luck, godspeed, and have a little fun up there," shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach radioed to the crew shortly before launch.

"Thanks Mike," Ham replied. "Those are great words, and like you said, there's a thousand folks out there that have taken care of this bird for a long time. Right now a special thanks to orbiter for getting us off the pad today. And we're going to take her on a 30-second flight, and if you don't mind, we'll take her out of the barn and make a few more laps around the planet."

 

[MeteorWayne]

Sorry for the delay in the transition to the Mission thread. One of the launch websites I was connected to hosed my system.

I am locking this thread now, the unlocked Mission thread is here:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24266