Endeavour enjoyed an extremely clean flight, following a post-landing TPS (Thermal Protection System) report, which noted only a few dings and a breached thermal barrier on her Nose Landing Gear Doors (NLGD). The protruding ceramic insert on Window 2 also remained in place, which had become the main focus of the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) [...]
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As Endeavour sails into what is expected to be her final full day on orbit, the STS-130 crew spent the day testing and reconfiguring Endeavour ahead of the mission’s opening Deorbit, Entry, and Landing attempts Sunday evening. Meanwhile, Endeavour’s TPS (Thermal Protection System) has been cleared for reentry – with only three (3) areas of [...]
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An upper elevon “sliding seal” on one of Endeavour’s port wing flippers has protruded, although early Damage Assessment Team (DAT) reports claim only a low level of concern. As STS-130 moved through Flight Day 3, Endeavour and her External Tank appear to have enjoyed an extremely clean ascent, as the orbiter and her crew docking [...]
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Atlantis has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS), as she prepares to target a landing on Friday. Late Inspections took place later on Flight Day 10, although this should only be a formality – following the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) formally clearing the orbiter for entry during her docked phase of STS-129.
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Only three minor foam liberation events have been noted in initial ascent imagery evaluations, with External Tank ET-133 appearing to perform extremely well during launch. Further checks will take place via Flight Day 2’s opening Thermal Protection System (TPS) inspections which utilize the orbiter’s robotic arms for the first time during STS-129.
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Last week’s Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Flight Readiness Review (FRR) has approved the installation of a special minicam pointing out of window 4 on Atlantis’ flight deck. The camera will film the forward portion of the External Tank (ET) during flight, in order to capture the behavior of the LO2 Ice Frost Ramps (IFRs) during [...]
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The Damage Assessment Team (DAT) are working hundreds of images taken during the orbiter’s RPM (Rbar Pitch Maneuver) on Flight Day 3 – with full clearance from a Focused Inspection (FI) now gained. Clearance for re-entry will take around another day. Also, images of the External Tank (ET-132) via the ET Umbilical Well camera show the [...]
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The STS-128 crew have completed Flight Day 2’s activities, which focused on the opening inspections of Discovery’s Thermal Protection System (TPS), along with the checkouts of the orbiter’s docking systems ahead of Sunday night’s arrival at the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery launched Friday night on what is initially being described as a very clean ascent.
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The Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Flight Readiness Review (FRR) heads into a two day meeting on Tuesday, with the focus on the status of ET-132’s Ice Frost Ramps (IFRs). STS-128 may have to rollback for modifications to the ramps – if managers fail to agree on risk acceptance. Interestingly, documentation on the ramp that has [...]
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Although no ill effects were suffered by Endeavour, the problems with her External Tank (ET-131) – both prior and during last month’s launch – called for investigations into the downstream tanks, the latest of which is due to fly with Discovery later this month. Thanks to those evaluations, additional confidence has been gained ahead of [...]
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Endeavour has concluded her STS-127 mission by returning to her home base at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. She landed at 10:48am local time on Flight Day 17 of the highly successful mission to the International Space Station (ISS). One item of interest – relating to observed debris near the vehicle – was [...]
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STS-127 is coming to the end of another highly successful mission for the shuttle program, as the crew prepare for one of two attempts to land at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Friday – following the clearance of the vehicle’s Thermal Control System (TPS). With LiOH consumables limiting to a Sunday return deadline, Saturday [...]
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Following the conclusion of STS-127 docked phase of the mission, Flight Day 15 involved a Late Inspection survey on Endeavour’s Thermal Protection System (TPS). Meanwhile, an investigation into the foam losses from External Tank ET-131 during Endeavour’s ascent has indentified a leading candidate for why a large amount of foam shed from the Intertank.
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Shuttle engineers like to check, double check, and check again, whenever there’s a flight safety concern – and that was more than the case with the pull tests that have been conducted on External Tank ET-132, following an increased number of foam liberation events during ET-131’s ride to orbit with Endeavour. The test results show [...]
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The foam liberation from Endeavour’s External Tank (ET-131) intertank may have been a one-off event, as all 26 pull tests on ET-132’s intertank show no signs of weakness in the tank set to fly with Discovery next month. However, minor damage was sustained on the tank after a tube-lock broke loose and fell from scaffolding [...]
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STS-127 Spacewalkers Dave Wolf and Tom Marshburn have completed EVA-2, following robotic work to handover the Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deploy (ICC-VLD) to the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). Meanwhile, Endeavour has been cleared for re-entry following the DAT (Damage Assessment Team) evaluations on the orbiter’s TPS (Thermal Protection System), while Discovery’s ET-132 intertank [...]
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Endeavour has docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight Day 3, following a stunning RPM (Rbar Pitch Maneuver) – allowing engineers on the ground to make extensive evaluations into the orbiter’s Thermal Protection System (TPS). So far, engineers expect to see only minor cosmetic damage on Endeavour’s heatshield, following several debris events during her [...]
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Flight Day 2 for the crew of STS-127 focused on carrying out inspections of Endeavour’s Thermal Protection System (TPS), following Wednesday’s launch enroute to the International Space Station (ISS). Several debris events were noted during ascent, with ET photography showing numerous areas of missing foam on ET-131 – especially at the intertank region.
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As STS-127 prepares to enter S0007 Launch Countdown operations on Wednesday night, engineers have carried out repairs on areas of the External Tank (ET-131) Thermal Protection System (TPS) foam, and what appears to be a chip on the left hand Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). All areas are deemed as minor and should be cleared for [...]
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Shuttle Discovery has been tasked with a special DTO (Detailed Test Objective) – on behalf of the Orion Project Office – to be carried out during STS-128’s re-entry. A “Catalytic Coating” has been applied to two of Discovery’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles, providing Orion – and shuttle – engineers with refined aeroheating data.
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