NASASpaceFlight.com » Node 3 http://www.nasaspaceflight.com Giving space it's place on the web Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:25:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 NASA updates Endeavour’s 2010 opening STS-130 mission carrying Node 3 http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009/05/nasa-updates-endeavours-2010-opening-sts-130-mission-carrying-node-3/ http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009/05/nasa-updates-endeavours-2010-opening-sts-130-mission-carrying-node-3/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 05:01:09 +0000 Chris Bergin http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/?p=10125
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    • ]]>     With engineers working hard on processing Endeavour (STS-127) and Discovery (STS-128), while at the same time preparing for the arrival of Atlantis from the Dryden Flight Research Center sometime early next week, NASA mission managers are looking ahead on the Shuttle manifest – conducting the Launch Site Flow Requirements (LSFR) review for Endeavour’s early 2010 flight, STS-130/20A.

    STS-130 Pre-launch Campaign:

    The first of five scheduled missions in 2010, Endeavour’s STS-130/20A flight will see the delivery and installation of the final U.S. module to the International Space Station (ISS).

    This module, the Node-3 and adjoining Cupola unit, is currently undergoing processing for flight in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at the Kennedy Space Center. Node-3, named “Tranquillity” following an online naming contest, arrived from the Thales Alenia Space Italia (TAS-I) in Italy last week and was lifted into its processing stand in the SSPF on Tuesday, May 26.

    Node-3 will spend the next few weeks undergoing arrival checkouts in the SSPF before being loaded with ammonia in mid June. Currently, processing schedules indicate that Node-3 will be mated with Cupola for launch on July 16 before officially being turned over from ESA/TAS-I to NASA on October 30.

    Node-3 hatch closure for flight is expected on December 7 with transfer into the Payload Transport Canister on January 9, 2010. Node-3 and Cupola are scheduled to be transported to Pad 39A on January 12 with installation into Endeavour’s payload bay on January 18.

    Payload interface testing in Endeavour’s payload bay is scheduled for January 20 with payload bay door closure for flight on January 27 and a scheduled launch on February 4.

    Additionally, Endeavour will undergo a unique processing flow for launch.

    Assuming a nominal End-of-Mission for STS-127 on or around June 29, 2009, Endeavour will go through approximately 152 days of processing in OPF-2 (Orbiter Processing Facility 2) before rolling to the VAB for mating with External Tank (ET 134) on December 9.

    a410Rollout to launch pad 39A is currently scheduled for December 16 with 28 pad processing days, 12 contingency days, and 11 holiday days assessed to launch on February 4.

    STS-130 will be the 24th flight of Endeavour and the 130th overall flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Endeavour will use Solid Rocket Booster set BI-141 and Reusable Solid Rocket Motor set 109.

    The launch vehicle will be stacked on MLP-2 in VAB High Bay 3. This mission is the third scheduled flight of the Operational Increment (OI) 34 Flight Software.

    STS-130 is baselined as a 3+1 EVA flight with a planned mission duration of 12+1+2 days.

    Endeavour’s six person crew will consist of Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts, MS1 Kay Hire, MS2/FE Stephen Robinson, MS3 Nicholas Patrick, and MS4 Robert Behnken.

    Modifications for Endeavour:

    During Endeavour’s OPF flow for STS-130, technicians and engineers will perform two major modifications to NASA youngest orbiter. The first of these modifications relates to the Inconel Thermal Barrier redesign of the Rudder Speed Brake (RSB) spring tabs.

    “Installs redesigned Rudder Speed Brake inconel thermal barrier tabs to improve strength of the tab attachment,” notes the 90 page LSFR presentation available for download on L2.

    a319This redesign comes after an inconel tab liberation event during Discovery’s STS-124 mission last June.

    Furthermore, after Endeavour’s STS-126 flight last November, post-flight inspections of the Rudder Speed Brake revealed that seven inconel tabs were missing despite improved ground processing and inspection procedures prior to launch.

    This new redesign effort will “reduce the moment arm and stress to the spot welds, and will provide a secondary mechanical attachment,” notes the LSFR.

    The second modification to Endeavour pertains to O2 Crossover Valve Signal Talkback. The LSFR document noted that this procedure “modifies Orbiter electrical configuration for the O2 crossover valves to provide valve position indication.”

    The nitrogen/oxygen (N2/O2) control panel supports O2 and N2 flow to the crew cabin and also provides oxygen to the crew Launch Escape Suits (LES).

    The O2 crossover valves are also required to be in the open position to enable crew breathing through the Advanced Crew Escape Suit.

    The presentation notes that “current Orbiter configuration provides only switch scan instrumentation which verifies power applied to valve but not position indication (of the valve).”

    A failure of the valve in the closed position could result in a loss of oxygen to the LES.

    The new valve position indication will be displayed to the Flight Crew on the N2/O2 control panel. This will provide a reliable method for verifying that the O2 crossover valve is in the open position.

    To accomplish this modification, “Electrical modification (will require) repinning the connector at the N2/O2 control panel and reworking the MDM and signal conditioners in the avionics bay.”

    This will also provide visibility of the valve position for ground monitoring, which is a Launch Commit Criteria requirement.

    Payload Clearance Concerns:

    As done with all shuttle flights, mission planners have identified a series of points (34 total) along the perimeter of Node-3 that have less than 1” dynamic clearance with the side of Endeavour’s payload bay.

    a226All of these low clearance areas were identified as being greater than 0.5” expect of one, which was determined to have a “dynamic interference of 0.4-inches.” This area is located near the J6YY connector and MLI (Multi-layer Insulation) blanket to the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System arm.

    All other areas of Node-3 were determined to have a static clearance of 2.15” or greater. Nevertheless, there is a fair amount of work remaining to complete official assessment of all clearance issues.

    Foremost, the DPA (Data Processing Assembly) measurement of Node 3 at the end of May to measure the LTA connector with and without the MLI blanket is still required, as is an optical measurement of Endeavour in order to formalize the official CHIT document for STS-130.

    The optical measurement of Endeavour’s payload bay cannot be completed until after her return from STS-127 at the end of June. Therefore a final assessment of dynamic clearance issues with Node-3 and the Payload Bay will not be completed until mid-September.

    Furthermore, the LSFR document notes that no new Cargo Integration Hardware (CIH) is required for STS-130. Likewise, all CIH, bridges, and latches are available to support STS-128, STS-129, and STS-130 on their currently planned launch dates.

    L2 members: Documentation – from which most of the above article has quoted snippets – is available in full in the related L2 sections, now over 4000 gbs in size

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    ]]>     http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009/05/nasa-updates-endeavours-2010-opening-sts-130-mission-carrying-node-3/feed/ 0     STS-130: Endeavour’s Early 2010 Mission to Deliver Node-3 http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/12/sts-130-endeavours-mission-to-deliver-node-3/ http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/12/sts-130-endeavours-mission-to-deliver-node-3/#comments Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:23:20 +0000 Chris Bergin http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/?p=8170 With Endeavour now pulling triple duty for her Launch on Need (LON) flight for STS-119, her Hubble rescue mission STS-400, and her primary mission STS-127 (which is currently targeting launch in May or June or next year), the Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) has baselined Endeavour’s second to last mission – based on the current shuttle manifest, which is expected to be extended.

    The mission, STS-130/20A, will see Endeavour deliver Node-3 with Cupola to the International Space Station (ISS) - thereby installing the final U.S. module and workstation to the ISS.

    The Mission:

    Node-3 and Cupola will be Endeavour’s primary payload, with various other 20A specific middeck payloads, as well as SIMPLEX, MAUI, and SEITE, rounding out the mission’s payload.

    See Also

    As part of the normal baseline, the PRCB concluded that Endeavour’s mission will be an 11+1 day mission - though this has since been amended to a 12+1 day mission - with three Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA’s), or spacewalks, with the option of adding one more EVA should mission or ISS Program requirements demand.

    The reason for the mission’s one day extension has to do with the Space Shuttle Program’s desire to protect a one day gap between shuttle dockings and the mission’s first EVA.

    “STS-130 should not perform the first EVA until FD-5 (Flight Day 5),” notes the PRCB presentation on L2. “Multiple Control Board recommendations have been made to delay the first EVA one day if possible. This 11 day flight should be designed to a 12 day mission, still retaining a day between each EVA.”

    For launch, the Cupola will be installed to the forward Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) on Node-3. Once Endeavour arrives at the ISS, and Node-3 is installed to the port CBM of Node-1, Cupola will be relocated to its permanent home on the Nadir CBM of Node-3.

    After installation of Node-3, the Endeavour/ISS crew will relocate five ISS racks to Node-3.

    These racks include the Air Revitalization System (ARS) from the Japanese Experiment Module, the Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) from the U.S. Destiny Lab, the Water Recovery System (WRS) Racks #1 and #2 from the U.S. Lab, the Oxygen Generation System (OGS) from Destiny, and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) from Node-1.

    In addition to the internal activities, three spacewalks are planned during Endeavour’s mission, all of which are dedicated to the installation and outfitting of Node-3 and Cupola.

    Some of the tasks for Endeavour’s spacewalkers include, “Prep tasks prior to Node 3 transfer to ISS, Node 3 avionics and ammonia utilities connections, Prep tasks prior to relocating Cupola, Removal of Cupola thermal covers and release of Cupola launch locks, and Node 3 and Cupola outfitting tasks,” notes the PRCB document.

    There are no stage spacewalks scheduled for the ISS crew after Endeavour’s mission.

    Launch Date and Crew:

    Also including in the baseline document is the targeted launch date for STS-130. According to the document, Endeavour’s mission is slated to launch in early December 2009. However, due to uncertainty in the upcoming shuttle manifest, mainly relating to the fluidity of Atlantis’ STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, it is unlikely that STS-130 will launch in 2009.

    At this time, it appears Endeavour’s mission is heading for launch in January 2010, making it the first of at least four missions that year before the current Shuttle retirement date of September 30, 2010.

    In addition to this likely slip to STS-130’s launch date, the mission is also constrained by a three minute launch window due to her payload’s weight and the fact that her ascent performance margin is severely impacted by a winter launch.

    If Endeavour were to launch in December 2009, she would have an ascent performance margin of 1148lbs; however, the more likely launch date in January 2010 results in an ascent performance margin of only 708lbs.

    In addition to this reduction, the extension of the mission to a 12+1 day flight further reduces Endeavour’s ascent performance margin by ~165lbs.

    NASA has assigned the six crewmembers for STS-130. Commanding this mission is veteran Space Shuttle astronaut George Zamka whose previous flight experience includes STS-120 in October 2007.

    Joining Zamka on STS-130 are veteran space flyers Robert Behnken (STS-123), Nicholas Patrick (STS-116), Kathryn Hire (STS-90), and Stephan Robinson (STS-85, STS-95, and STS-114).

    Endeavour’s pilot for this mission will be Air Force Colonel Terry Virts who will be making his first trip to space.

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