STS-118: Omnibus Thread

Yeah Jbird' I have about 14 or 15 minutes of "stuff" from 117... some of it is interesting but mostly space debris... I think I compiled 22 bits of stuff - nothing conclusive... hardly worth the effort to edit it out of the hourly captures. Total hassle. I mean that - editing video sucks. The STS-117/ISS docking separation shots have already been seen.

But unless one collects it; "the video", one can't refer to it as easily. One day perhaps something conclusive will be seen. I remain hopeful.

Cheers,

Vic

11:47PM EDT Commander Kelly has requested to speak with a flight surgeon. This conference is off the public loop. This is not all that unusual. I would expect some of the crew members may be feeling a little queasy and disoriented. B-12 cocktails are not unusual and Astronaut Williams is an MD so no big deal.

Cheers,

Vic

The ET Sep video was nominal with only a few bits of junk floating by...





All on orbit tasks for the day are complete... crew wake up 8:36AM EDT.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 8-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

Would someone here please tell me when "docking" is supposed to take place. I can't seem to find the time anywhere.

Thanks in advance.

Kim

[edit on 8-8-2007 by pahrump]

If all goes well STS/ISS docking should occur at 1:53PM EDT on Friday.

Cheers,

Vic

Thank you very much!
This is always so exciting to watch.


Kim

To some this will look like a classic 3 points of light triangle. I watched the ice break away from the OMS pod and form this triangle which stayed visible for several minutes in this basic shape. Bizzare but I watched it. I'm still hoping for a real triangle tho'...



Cheers,

Vic

Crew wake-up for Flight Day 2 was on time. The wake-up music was "Where my heart lies" by Russell Watkins (theme from the last Star Trek series). An oxygen sensor tripped an alarm during crew sleep and Houston is working the issue doing some trouble shooting.

The big stuff for FD-2:
- Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) Survey of Shuttle Wings and Nose Cap
- Spacesuit Checkout 
- Shuttle Robotic Arm Checkout of Shuttle’s Orbital Maneuvering System Pods 
- Orbiter Docking System Checkout and Ring Extension 
- Rendezvous Tool Checkout Flight

Cheers, hoping for great day on orbit!

Vic

So far so good. The APU cryo Oh-Two controller for tank number 2 has failed off-scale-low and it's regulation will be done manually - no problem. The OBSS STS surface checkout and spacesuit inspections are in work. Some syringes were not packed where expected... no more on that yet.

There is a news conference skedded for 6:00PM EDT on NASA-TV and the TVSKED has been revised up to Rev D and will likely see more revision. All on orbit activities are nominal at 2:24PM EDT Thursday.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 9-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

The news briefing has just ended. There is some potential issue with the External Tank Umbilical Door on the Orbiter's belly. The switches that confirm door closure have not tripped.

NASA's John Shannon (usually the smartest person in the room wherever he goes) stated that more would be known after tomorrow's Rendezvous Pitch Manouvre (RPM) where ISS crew members Yuruckin and Kotov will photograph Endeavour's "back-flip" with an 800mm and 400mm digital cameras. If the door isn't closed - no safe re-entry.

These door switches have given trouble before... way back in the mid-nineties. It is unclear if these switches are of the same vintage as the belly door did receive some changes after the CAIB RTF recommendations.

Some "crew's choice" video is due to be sent down around 7:56PM EDT for re-broadcast on NASA-TV.

The APU oxygen tank 2 heater controller is toast and the crew will have to adjust it manually until that bottle is empty or until SSPTS (Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System) is plugged-in.

Crew wake up tomorow is an hour earlier than today scheduled for 7:36AM EDT.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 9-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

I found this of interest. On or about August 25th 2007 the refrigerator size 1400 pound Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS), manually jettisoned a week or two ago by Clayton Anderson, will pass 2 Km directly beneath ISS and the video stanchion also recently jettisoned will pass within 5 Km of ISS according to NASA PAO Rob Navius - first I'd heard. They are being tracked and it isn't a problem. Just surprised me that's all. Buddy heaved it right at the Earth, I watched him, it was moving toward the planet at several feet per second.

I want to check the ISS orbital altitude data for the jettison day of the EAS, according to the commentary of that day it was done at a low altitude before an ISS boost burn to gain altitude for meeting Progress 26 and Endeavour. I'm not "up" on orbital mechanics but something seems funny. "Space Junk", big problem.

The items are being tracked on the Worldview map application that is displayed from time to time on NASA-TV.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 9-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

11:15AM EDT Friday, Endeavour is comin' up on the Terminal Initiation Burn to set up for today's docking at 1:53PM EDT in about 2.5 hours. To watch the docking try NASA-TV or www.nasa.gov/ntv. TIB is "good", no further trim required.


Cheers,

Vic

!0 minutes to Rendezvous Pitch Manouvre (RPM). Look for the umbilical door status on the belly well aft of the nose-gear bay door. Fingers-crossed.

NASA-TV

Vic

EDIT: To add RPM pic


[edit on 10-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

40 minutes left for docking with the ISS and abt 300 feet distance from it
.

Docking was nominal and within a couple of minutes of the timeline... hard-dock in work and almost complete. Here's a few of the items for the balance of FD-3:
- Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony (downlink of RPM photos)
- Shuttle Robotic Arm Grapple and Unberth of S5 Truss
- Handoff of S5 Truss to Station Robotic Arm (Canadarm2)
- Station‐to‐Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS) Activation and Checkouts
- EVA 1 Campout for Williams and Mastracchio

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 10-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

amazing images from space!!!!!!!
Earth is so beautiful and we re killing her

The Mission Management Briefing announced a displaced gap filler near the starboard main-gear bay. There appears to have been an ice-related incident at T-Plus 58 seconds.

A 3 inch by 3 inch chunk was displaced from a six inch square tile. Downstream from that point there are several smaller pock marks that would sem to indicate further file damage.

There are repair options from paint to plates to "goo" that can be applied if it's deemed appropriate. No mention of the umbilical doors which "look" nominal to me.

On Flight Day 5 the OBSS will be able to have a closer look at the damaged tile and gap filler should that be deemed prudent. Orbiters have returned before and having landed it was discovered that belly tiles were missing. No panic.

The SSPTS is active and so far no problems...

More in a bit,

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 10-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

The Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS) seems to be operating fine and Rick Mastracchio reported that it was AOK.

There are still a number of checks and tests but I think the 68 million dollar extension cord is a real testament to how sometimes a "make-do" situation can be made to adapt a legacy system very successfully. Expensive, but much cheaper than changing the shuttle fleet from 28 Volt to 120 Volt.

These STS "extra" days on-orbit that this offers are a real boon to reducing schedule time pressure... in fact if it is successful some of the station assembly may happen eariler than currently scheduled. The real bonus is in mission flexibilty and safety. Nice upgrade.

Um, on the ride uphill, according to several MSM sources the STS didn't exactly go where they had wanted (they do fly upside down and backwards) with several course adjustments on the way to ISS... and it passed within 2 Km of yet more space junk than I reported in an earlier post. This time it was a big piece a Delta rocket body... been "coming down" for the last 32 years. Bummer avoided by luck. NASA did not hide this fact.

The ice strike on the orbiter belly could have struck the edges of the folding umbilical door on the starboard side. This could explain the lack of telemetry indicating "good" door closure and seating. The hinges of these doors used to crack regularly as a quick Google will show. The OBSS focused inspection on Sunday will tell the tale of the ice strike and door.

It was a warm and not unhumid day in Florida for launch. The NASA video clearly shows the spray of the belly hit. According to NASA's John Shannon more like ice than foam (I believe him). At T-Plus 58 seconds the vehicle's travelling pretty quick. There were at least 9 minor bits of foam lost from the ET at non-critical times. Maybe they need a Mission Rule for humidty/heat?

The tank was inspected very closely for ice before launch but it's a big tank and some nooks and crannies may defy view and there is nothing to say that ice didn't form after launch but before 58 seconds. The folks at Michoud won't like this at all. Every effort possible to minimize icing has been efforted. I'm not sure they can do much more, but never bet against NASA - smart folks.

Yurchikin and Kotov each got about 150 high res pics of Endeavour's exterior. I'm betting the Image Analysis Team at Johnson in Houston are pulling a late or an all-nighter.

After docking, the video of the astros and cosmos on ISS showed some very, very happy people. I saw several micro-gee high fives that have a "twist" to them; they "smack and grab" to avoid action-reaction gymnastics.

I saw Commander Yurchikin perform a module transit that would blow any gymnasts mind, a double-twisting quad somersault coming out and catching the module entry with one hand while he wasn't looking at it. Let's see Pastrana do that on a scoot'. This is not a young or small man; very, very skilled but neither young nor small. Coolest thing I've seen an astro do since Skylab... 'cept maybe for Suni Williams' food tricks.

Flight Day 4 Saturday:

- SSPTS pre-EVA deactivation
- crew wake up at 8:36 EDT PM
- Canadarm 2 S5 Installation to S4 Truss Segment
- EVA 1 with Rick M and "Super-Dave" Williams for S5 install and P6 radiator retraction.
- there will be lots of cargo transfer from SpaceHab to ISS tomorrow.
- SSPTS post-EVA reactivation.

If it looks like they'll do a repair on the tiles I can provide some data on that but it's a bit "thick" technically. The SFA "goo" is pretty bizzare stuff and the tests done on the earlier on-orbit RTF repair technique tests show it can work in theory. The most likely repair is an application of emissivity paint to seal the surface.

It was really good to see happy faces on ISS, that hasn't happened enough lately. There are 62 days consumables onboard ISS/STS-118 for the 10 people there should Endeavour not be able to de-orbit... this is "up" from earlier tallies by several days. It won't be too long before ISS can go to a full time crew of six, that will be interesting.

The EVA guys are sleeping in the Quest airlock getting ready for a big day and Clayton Anderson said "it was like a Darth Vader convention" (they sleep with Oh-Two masks on). He was extra happy to see some friendly faces and was notably "brighter" than over the past couple of weeks which have been really, really busy on ISS.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 10-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

well unfortunately i havent been able to keep up with the mission as i had planned... and i missed the docking to ISS, d'oh... thanks VK for keeping us updated on the current status...

The ISS/STS crew has been awake about an hour and preparations are well underway for today's spacewalk. The EV2 (Williams) bio-med leads from his suit are playing-up and are being worked on... there are spares on-board... in fact they have just now "fixed it".

Hobaugh has asked Houston for "get aheads" to keep busy while waiting on EVA prep... they are ahead of sked. Rick M (EVA lead; red-stripes) and Williams are suiting up.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 11-8-2007 by V Kaminski]

Airlock depressurization is in work, the EVA may get off a little earlier than the 12:31 EDT scheduled egress. Lt. Col Hobaugh has Canadarm 2 fired up, EVA Ground lead Bain has requested "they light up ISS like a Christmas Tree. De-press planned hold at 5.5 PSI for systems check. This will be both Astros first spacewalk - exciting... nominal EVA length in US suits is 6.5 hours. Quest iso de-press continues... www.nasa.gov/ntv

More in a bit,

Vic

[edit on 11-8-2007 by V Kaminski]