Posts Tagged ‘OBSS’

Endeavour preparing for the trip home – TPS clearance overview

Monday, May 30th, 2011

After nearly 12 days of docked operations with Space Station Alpha, the Space Shuttle Endeavour, NASA youngest Shuttle orbiter, departed the international outpost to begin her final journey home. Thanks to the superb work by her flight crew and her thousands of support staff on terra firma, Endeavour’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) was formally cleared [...]

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The FINAL Space Shuttle Spacewalk: STS-134 EVA-4 – Completed

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

As Endeavour heads into the sunset portion of her historic final voyage to space, her crew have completed one of the biggest lasts in the Shuttle Program: the 162nd and FINAL Space Shuttle spacewalk. This historic day concluded all scheduled EVA activities for the Space Shuttle Program and its astronauts since EVAs on Shuttle missions began [...]

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STS-134: Endeavour completes Docked Late Inspections for OBSS handover

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

As the historic milestones continue to come thick and fast, Endeavour was put through her final inspections via the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), ahead of presenting it to the International Space Station (ISS) as a farewell gift. The results of the scans – which focus on her Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) panels – will [...]

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Discovery’s retirement plans provide insight into the fate of the robotic arms

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

NASA’s End State Flow Review (ESFR) has refined preliminary arrangements and schedules for Discovery’s immediate post STS-133 future, as well as where the orbiter’s SRMS (Shuttle Remote Manipulator System) arms and OBSS (Orbiter Boom Sensor System) arms will end up once the Shuttle Program comes to an end next year.

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STS-132′s OBSS cable snag sets up potential mitigation plan

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Following the snagged cable incident on Atlantis’ Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) Pan Tilt Unit (PTU) during STS-132, the Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) have outlined their investigation findings, and a potential mitigation plan. Later this month, engineers will test the addition of a permanent cable tie, in order to avoid future snags.

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STS-119: Opening TPS inspections complete – several issues being worked

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Discovery is completed her opening Thermal Protection System (TPS) inspections on Flight Day 2 of STS-119, as engineers on the ground evaluate ascent imagery and the opening ‘funnies’ reported to the Mission Evaluation Room (MER). In total, engineers have reported eight issues – all of which are minor and have no mission impact.

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NASA approve funding to leave OBSS permanently on the ISS

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

NASA managers have approved funding elements to allow for a plan to leave the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) as a permanent fixture on the International Space Station (ISS). The 50 foot robotic arm would be used as a EVA crew platform for maintenance activities by ISS crewmembers.

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Endeavour undocks from a healthier ISS – heads to Late Inspections

Friday, November 28th, 2008

Shuttle orbiter Endeavour has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight Day 15 of STS-126. Endeavour and her crew depart the Station in a much healthier state than when they arrived, notably via the maintenance on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJs), with early results showing the downstream multi-mission plan – which ends [...]

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