As NASA continues its internal review of the pending launch dates for the final two Space Shuttle missions in history, preparations are also continuing in earnest for the mission that everyone hopes will never be needed: the STS-335 flight to rescue the STS-134 crew in the event that Endeavour becomes disabled during the program’s final [...]
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With manifest meetings set to take place in the next couple of weeks, Discovery continues to be deep in processing for her upcoming STS-133 mission. While program managers are working on confirming a mission extension by three days – with two EVAs added – processing on Discovery is concentrating on the repair of the helium [...]
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After what is becoming more likely to have been her last flight, Atlantis is continuing post roll in operations, as she prepares to head into STS-335 processing in support of STS-134. If STS-132 proves to be Atlantis’ swansong, the post-flight reports from the Mission Management Team (MMT) point to a superb performance during entry and [...]
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United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Delta IV has finally launched with the GPS IIF SV-1 satellite following several scrubbed attempts. With Atlantis returning home on Wednesday, the range was cleared for the Delta IV’s latest attempt, which launched from Cape Canaveral at the start of a 19 minute window that had opened at 11pm Eastern.
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Shuttle Atlantis has managed to dodge unacceptable weather at her home port of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Wednesday, taking the first of the two Florida landing opportunities, ending in a graceful landing. For what may of been her final day in space, Atlantis continued to be in great shape, with only the observation [...]
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As Atlantis’ crew complete final checkouts for entry and arrival back home at the Kennedy Space Center, the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) have successfully concluded their thorough review of Atlantis’ fragile Thermal Protection System (TPS) – clearing the vehicle’s heat shield for entry. Two landing attempts available for Atlantis on Wednesday morning – the first at [...]
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Following a spectacularly successful docked mission to the ISS, Atlantis has undocked from the orbiting international science laboratory for the final time in her career. Meanwhile, should mission managers deem necessary, a week’s worth of investigation into the L3D thruster heater failure has produced a potential workaround for the failed “off” heater during post-undock operations.
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There’s always a chance the unavoidable end of the shuttle program may be at least paced out via at least one additional flight, although the official schedule continues to dictate that Flight Day 10 of STS-132 will be the last time Atlantis will be docked with the International Space Station (ISS).
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Arianespace’s delayed opening launch of 2010, with the Astra 3B and COMSATBw 2 satellites, has launched from the European Spaceport in French Guiana via the Ariane 5 ECA. Launch was at 10.01pm GMT. Technical issues delayed the launch from March, before another issue in April caused the rollback and review of the vehicle’s hardware.
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The Damage Assessment Team (DAT) arm of the Mission Management Team (MMT) are no strangers to high praise for their work in ensuring an orbiter is safe to return home, and once again they have proved their worth – as they worked through an array of imagery, data, and historical experience to fill in the [...]
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Following a spectacular performance by Steve Bowen and Mike Good during a packed EVA-2, STS-132′s final planned space walk was completed in a similar fashion. Meanwhile, Mission Managers are reviewing the Wing Leading Edge Impact Detection System (WLE IDS) sensor information from Atlantis’ ascent one week ago in an effort to perpetuate understanding of the [...]
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The Japanese Space Agency JAXA have launched the Venus Climate Orbiter “AKATSUKI” and the Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator “IKAROS” – along with several university-developed secondary payloads – via their H-IIA Launch Vehicle. Launch from the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) on Thursday was originally scrubbed due to unacceptable weather earlier in the week.
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As STS-132 reaches its half-way point, astronauts Steve Bowen and Mike Good have ventured outside the Station/Shuttle complex to conduct the second of three planned EVAs of the mission on Flight Day 6, with the OBSS (Orbiter Boom Sensor System) PTU (Pan-Tilt Unit) cable repair and the beginning of the P6 battery R&R (Removal and Replacement) [...]
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Russia’s Mini Research Module-1 (MRM-1) “Rassvet” has been successfully docked and installed on to the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS). Meanwhile, the Mission Management Team (MMT) are close to clearing Atlantis’ Thermal Protection System (TPS) for Entry, after additional imagery of her Port Wing was acquired during EVA-1.
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Following a stunning R-bar Pitch Maneuver (RPM) and docking to the ISS Sunday morning, Atlantis’ crew have completed the first of three complex EVAs (spacewalks) of the STS-132 mission. The EVA completed the installation of a new SGANT (Space to Ground ANTenna), installation of an EOTP (Enhanced ORU Temporary Platform), and preparations for the P6 [...]
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NASA’s trusted mitigation approach to problems with their complex hardware has again paid dividends, with efforts to reduce foam liberation from their External Tanks (ETs) rewarded by photography of Atlantis’ ET-136 showing a near-pristine tank. An ongoing FD3 has seen Atlantis dock with the ISS at 9:28am Central, following a somewhat interrupted opening inspection of her TPS [...]
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And so to the end. With a flawless countdown and a launch into a clear blue sky, the Space Shuttle Atlantis launched for her 32nd and final time Friday – beginning the end of a glorious 25-year career for NASA’s “most-international” orbiter. As reflection begins on Atlantis’ storied history, her first full day on orbit [...]
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Atlantis has launched – possibily for the final time – at 14:20:07 EDT on Friday. The Mission Management Team (MMT) meeting on opened Friday’s relatively issue-free countdown by only taking 15 minutes to give a “GO” for tanking of Atlantis’ External Tank – a tank that became the focus of an investigation during manufacture. Initial [...]
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With S0007 (Countdown) operations underway for Friday afternoon’s scheduled 14:20:07 EDT launch of Atlantis, Program managers have completed the customary L-2 MMT (Mission Management Team) meeting – officially clearing Atlantis for launch. Among the items discussed and cleared at the various FRRs (Flight Readiness Reviews) for STS-132 this past month were the previous IFAs (In-Flight [...]
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As the countdown begins for STS-132, mission managers are continuing to review the status of Atlantis’ hardware, using the baseline of the Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs). In particular, certification of the STS-132 SRBs and RSRMs for flight was aided by the clean performance of both SRBs/RSRMs on STS-131 – with only one SRB IFA (In-Flight [...]
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