As Space Shuttle Atlantis prepares to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) for her STS-135 mission on Friday, signalling the end of the Space Shuttle era, a new era in robotic satellite refuelling will just be beginning, as Atlantis will transport to the ISS a payload designed to demonstrate and evaluate the technologies and [...]
Read more... »
Atlantis and her engineers are now working through the complex set of tasks relating to S0007 – better known as the launch countdown – with no major issues currently under evaluation. However, Friday’s countdown does have at least one challenge to overcome, related to the stormy weather which is expected to roll in over the [...]
Read more... »
Atlantis is continuing to behave on Pad 39A as preparations for entering S0007 tasks – otherwise known as the three day launch countdown – remain on track, with the clock’s scheduled to start ticking backwards at 1pm local on Tuesday. STS-135 will mark the final scheduled Space Shuttle mission, although the actual duration of the [...]
Read more... »
The Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR) has – as expected – approved the July 8 launch date, after all outstanding issues were confirmed to be out of Atlantis’ path for what will be the final Space Shuttle mission. Meanwhile, the International Space Station (ISS) crew were put through a contingency event on Tuesday, following a [...]
Read more... »
As all teams continue to track a July 8 launch of STS-135, an important final milestone was reached this month with the final integrated launch and mission simulations (sims) with the Flight Crew and their Flight Control Team. Particularly, these sims gave the crews a chance to practice a modified Systems Abort-Once-Around abort, an abort procedure [...]
Read more... »
Following its replacement on Atlantis’ SSME-3 (Space Shuttle Main Engine), the new Main Fuel Valve (MFV) underwent testing at Pad 39A - with a slight delay to its completion due to a hydraulic leak - aimed at providing confidence the hardware will perform as required during the launch countdown. Meanwhile, inspections on ET-138′s stringers have been completed [...]
Read more... »
With her team ably dealing with the usual pad flow hiccups, Atlantis is heading towards her July 8 launch date with no major issues, with the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) completed on Thursday. While inspections continue on the numerous stringers on Atlantis’ External Tank (ET-138), work on the camera modification – designed to film [...]
Read more... »
As the flight crew and engineers close in on the targeted July 8 launch of Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis and the STS-135/ULF7 mission to the International Space Station, mission managers are continuing their Flight Readiness Review process with a thorough review of the new operations, special topics, items of interest, and mission timeline get-wells from [...]
Read more... »
Multiple efforts are under way for Atlantis’ STS-135 launch preparations, as her four member crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). As engineers check the health of External Tank ET-138′s stringers, following last week’s Tanking Test, the replacement of a Main Fuel Valve (MFV) on Space Shuttle [...]
Read more... »
With just three weeks to go before the final launch of the Space Shuttle, Atlantis remains on course for her big day on July 8. Meanwhile, NASA and mission managers met this week for the main Flight Readiness Reviews (FRR). During the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) FRR, the STS-135/ULF-7 flight timeline was thoroughly reviewed ahead of [...]
Read more... »
Atlantis’ External Tank (ET-138) was put through a Tanking Test on Wednesday, slightly delayed due to a lightning storm which passed over the the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The test – which is checking the health of the tank’s LO2 stringers – is showing positive signs, although a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME-3) Main Fuel [...]
Read more... »
With the US Segment of the International Space Station (ISS) now complete, NASA managers are turning their attention away from the era of construction and maintenance of the station and toward the new era of utilization, which includes advanced technology demos ranging from beam energy transfer to robotic servicing.
Read more... »
Interrupting a nominal pad flow, engineers are set to begin S0037 operations – otherwise known as a tanking test – on Monday, ahead of tanking of External Tank ET-138 on Wednesday. The test will check the health of the tank’s intertank stringers, following the issue of cracks being found in the related ET-137, after STS-133′s [...]
Read more... »
Schedules are showing the External Tank camera – which will ride with Atlantis’ ET-138 – is to be modified – allowing it to beam back video of the tank’s disintegration after parting ways with the orbiter at MECO (Main Engine Cut Off). Meanwhile, STS-135′s pad flow now includes the replacement of the left outboard Window [...]
Read more... »
As the procession of “lasts” continue for the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), Atlantis is undergoing her final pad flow ahead of the STS-135 mission in July. No Interim Problem Reports (IPRs) are being worked at present, bar checks into the stack’s systems following a thunderstorm, which registered a lightning strike near the pad, coupled with [...]
Read more... »
Atlantis kicked off what was a historic evening for the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), as she rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) – with first motion at 8:42pm local time. Now at the pad, she will be put through a nominal pad flow, prior to a Tanking Test on ET-138, to be followed [...]
Read more... »
Managers are reviewing one item of interest – relating to an ascent observation during Endeavour’s ride uphill – ahead of Atlantis’ rollout to Pad 39A next week. As one of the milestones for the final shuttle mission was completed – the S0044 Launch Countdown Sim – Launch Director Mike Leinbach received a standing ovation from [...]
Read more... »
Atlantis has rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for mating operations ahead of her July mission to the International Space Station (ISS) – the final scheduled shuttle mission. NASA managers are expected to set a realigned planning date for Atlantis’ launch, which – according to preliminary schedules – ranges between July 10-12.
Read more... »
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) engineering teams have realigned processing targets for STS-135 to point towards a July 12 launch date. The preliminary target is dependant on numerous – and upcoming – factors, not least the need for Endeavour to launch on her re-planned May 16 date, but also a nominal pad turnaround and a smooth [...]
Read more... »
Teams at launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, FL have completed operations to install a replacement Aft Load Controller Assembly (ALCA) into one of Endeavour’s aft avionics bays. Meanwhile, the ALCA that failed during the April 29th launch attempt for Endeavour is undergoing testing to isolate the cause of the failure and enable [...]
Read more... »© 2005-2011 NASASpaceFlight.com | powered by
WordPress
| Advertising | Entries (RSS) 
.
73 queries. 0.526 seconds.