With Endeavour’s June 13 launch to the ISS now counting down, engineers are continuing to work towards the safe flight of the fleet’s youngest orbiter and her crew. To aide in this effort, the Orbiter Project Office (OPO) examined the flight performance of STS-126 (Endeavour) and STS-125 (Atlantis) – the previous vehicle flight and previous program [...]
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Discovery remains on track for her February 12 launch, pending the successful replacement, testing and flight rationale for the spare three Flow Control Valves (FCVs), due to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. Discovery is ready to accept the valves, as the vehicle continues the process of closeouts for flight.
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Following a run of “clean” flights during 2008 – thanks to continued progress in reducing foam liberation from the External Tanks – the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Flight Readiness Review (FRR) focused on the threat of ice liberation during ascent for 2009’s opening mission, STS-119. This follows a near miss with a large piece of [...]
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An assessment into the holddown post failure on STS-126’s launch has found that debris that is not captured by the Debris Containment System (DCS) is capable of impacting the vehicle during launch. A solution to STS-126’s anomaly is currently being certified for STS-119.
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Engineers will meet in the middle of January to push forward with a redesign of the Holddown Post (HDP) Debris Containment System (DCS), in time for the launch of STS-119 – following an investigation into a debris incident during STS-126’s launch.
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Four missions, four clean tanks – that’s what the 2008 report card notes for the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), with the last mission of the year – STS-126 with ET-129 – proving to be the best performing tank since Return To Flight (RTF).
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As NASA’s triumphant 2008 year comes to a close – a year that saw four Space Shuttle construction flights to the International Space Station (ISS) - engineers around the United States are working hard to ensure a safe and successful 2009, starting with the launch of Discovery’s STS-119 mission in February, via lessons learned from STS-126.
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Expedition 18 crewmembers Yury Lonchakov and Michael Fincke have performed a Russian spacewalk (ISS RS EVA-21), which has included the installation of a probe to aid the on-going investigation into the off-nominal re-entries of two Soyuz vehicles. Meanwhile, the continued assessments into work conducted during STS-126’s EVAs on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJs) are [...]
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As KSC engineers prepare for a much deserved break over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday, several ongoing investigations and actions are taking place as a result of the STS-126 In-Flight Anomaly (IFA) review conducted last week.
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With Endeavour now undergoing post-flight processing in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 following her cross-country ferry flight last week, the Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) has concluded a thorough review of Endeavour’s STS-126 mission to the International Space Station, revealing an extremely clean flight and relatively issue free mission.
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Endeavour has finally arrived back to the home comforts of her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2), following her highly successful STS-126 mission. Meanwhile, the pace shows no sign in letting up, with Discovery now powered down for the final time, as she prepares to rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) early in January, ahead of [...]
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The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) has returned Endeavour to Florida on Friday, following a cross country ferry trip that has seen large crowds greet the duo in Texas and Louisiana. Meanwhile, shuttle managers have completed a post mission IFA (In Flight Anomaly) review of STS-126, with highlights including information on a holddown post issue.
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The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) and Endeavour departed from Edwards Air Force Base on Wednesday, for a cross country ferry trip that will take in stops in Texas and Louisiana – subject to change due to weather – before arriving back in Florida on Friday. A flyover of the Johnson Space Center was completed around [...]
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Engineers are continuing to prepare Endeavour for her trip back to Florida, with the installation of an aerodynamic tailcone to the aft of the orbiter, and preparations to mate her on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). Problems with the installation of the tailcone has delayed depature by at least a day, according to [...]
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Endeavour is receiving numerous visitors and support equipment during her Californian vacation, as post flight deservicing continues to ramp up towards a Sunday flight home to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The orbiter and SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft) duo are expected back in Florida in the middle of next week, following the cross-country trip.
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Space shuttle orbiter Endeavour has landed at the Edwards Air Force Base in California, following a hugely successful STS-126 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). She’ll now undergo initial deservicing activities at the Dryden Flight Research Facility, before a ferry trip back to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on top of the SCA (Shuttle [...]
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STS-126 marked Endeavour’s EOM-1 (End Of Mission minus one day) with checkouts of the orbiter’s vital systems that will be used during Sunday’s re-entry, and the deployment of a Picostar from Endeavour’s Payload Bay. Due to poor weather in Florida, Endeavour will head to Edwards Air Force Base for landing at 4:25pm Eastern.
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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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With Flight Day 14 marking the STS-126 crew’s final day onboard the International Space Station (ISS), the performance of Endeavour during her docked mission has been almost issue-free mission, which has allowed the Mission Management Team (MMT) to focus their attentions on other elements of the mission.
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The Mission Management Team (MMT) have initially cleared a Micrometeoroid Orbital Debris (MMOD) strike to Endeavour’s window 6 (Pilot’s window), with full re-entry rationale expected. Meanwhile, Shuttle manager John Shannon praised Kennedy Space Center (KSC) engineers for an “unbelievable” vehicle.
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