Posts Tagged ‘TPS’
Monday, July 20th, 2009
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 [...]
Read more... »
Tags: EVA, MMT, STS-127, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Friday, July 17th, 2009
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 [...]
Read more... »
Tags: ISS, STS-127, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
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.
Read more... »
Tags: DAT, STS-127, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
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 [...]
Read more... »
Tags: ET-131, STS-127, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
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.
Read more... »
Tags: Orion, STS-128, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle, SLS/Orion
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
Post flight processing on Atlantis at Edwards Air Force Base (Dryden Flight Research Center) has set an early target of the end of this weekend for the start of her trip back to Florida on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). The team of engineers working on safing the orbiter ahead of her mating [...]
Read more... »
Tags: Dryden, STS-125, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
The last humans to visit the Hubble Space Telescope have departed, leaving behind a rejuvenated spacecraft that will keep astronomers happy well into the next decade. Atlantis’ highly successful mission has completed Flight Day 9, which included Late Inspections – with one RCC panel (11R) deemed to be of increased interest due to a potential [...]
Read more... »
Tags: MMT, STS-125, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Sunday, May 17th, 2009
For Flight Day 7 of STS-125, Atlantis’ crew turned their attention to the forth EVA of the mission, focusing on the repair of the STIS instrument. Mike Massimino and Mike Good beat EVA-2′s duration by recording an eight hour EVA-4, which was forced to delete one item from the timeline. Meanwhile, the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) have overviewed Atlantis’ TPS to [...]
Read more... »
Tags: EVA, MMT, STS-125, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
STS-119′s Boundary Layer Transition (BLT) Detailed Test Objective (DTO) has been deemed a huge success, following the presentation of the test results. The tests will continue on at least two more flights, as engineers gain vital data on the conditions a spacecraft endures during reentry.
Read more... »
Tags: STS-119, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Monday, April 27th, 2009
With Space Shuttle Atlantis and her crew now less than two weeks away from launch on the highly anticipated fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA managers are continuing their review of all critical elements of the mission ahead of the now planned May 11 launch date.
Read more... »
Tags: EVA, FRR, STS-125, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Following her 13 day mission in space on STS-119, Discovery is being deserviced inside her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-3), ahead of her next mission, STS-128. Close inspections of her Thermal Protection System (TPS) created a list of work that will be carried during her 101 day processing flow.
Read more... »
Tags: STS-119, STS-128, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Another major milestone in the flow towards the final Hubble Servicing Mission has taken place, after Atlantis completed mating operations with External Tank (ET-130) inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). However, an incident during mating has resulted in tile damage on the belly of the orbiter, which was repaired on Friday morning.
Read more... »
Tags: Hubble, STS-125, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
Shuttle manager John Shannon has described Discovery’s performance as “amazing”, ahead of Wednesday’s undocking from the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery is now heading to Late Inspections of her Thermal Protection System (TPS) on Flight Day 12 of STS-119.
Read more... »
Tags: ISS, STS-119, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
A complex ballet of robotics between the Shuttle and Station arms took place on Wednesday, as the S6 is transitioned out of Discovery’s payload bay ahead of installation on Thursday. Engineers on the ground have also cleared Discovery’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) from requiring a Focused Inspection.
Read more... »
Tags: DAT, S6, SRMS, SSRMS, STS-119, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
Discovery has docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight Day 3, as the initial TPS (Thermal Protection System) inspection images show a very clean orbiter. Prior to docking, Discovery carried out the RPM (Rbar Pitch Maneuver) for a full check of her TPS and belly.
Read more... »
Tags: ISS, STS-119, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
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 [...]
Read more... »
Tags: Ferry, STS-126, TPS
Published in Shuttle
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
Engineers are working through post flight deservicing tasks on Endeavour at Dryden Flight Research Facility (DFRC)/Edwards Air Force Base, with opening engineering images and notes pointing towards an extremely clean vehicle, following Sunday’s landing in California. Images of Endeavour’s Window 6 “thermal pane” – which suffered from a MMOD strike on orbit – show the [...]
Read more... »
Tags: STS-126. MMOD, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008
Spacewalkers Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper (EV1) and Steve Bowen (EV2) have completed the third of four EVAs during STS-126, once again focusing on the starboard SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint). If required, a back-up option of a modified NOAX Gun is available for the remaining EVA tasks on EVA-4 - following the loss of two grease guns during EVA-1.
Read more... »
Tags: EVA, SARJ, STS-126, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Friday, November 21st, 2008
The engineering review of Endeavour’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) – which earlier this week cleared the orbiter for re-entry – has once again shown the amazing level of detail the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) engineers undertake to ensure orbiters can return home safely.
Read more... »
Tags: STS-126, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
Monday, November 17th, 2008
The “Leonardo” Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) has been transferred from Endeavour’s payload bay to Node 2 of the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight Day 4 of STS-126. Meanwhile, images of Endeavour’s External Tank (ET-129) show what may be the cleanest even tank – with only around three small areas of foam loss, with Endeavour [...]
Read more... »
Tags: ET-129, MPLM, STS-126, TPS
Published in Featured, Shuttle
