MMT is go for launch with Atlantis/STS-117

by Chris Bergin

NASA managers have concluded with their Mission Management Team (MMT) meeting on Wednesday with the approval to press head with the Friday launch attempt with Shuttle Atlantis on STS-117.

Despite last minute dissent that called for a delay to the launch by a number of days to address issues with out of spec “disconnects” between ET-124 and Atlantis, approval for the launch to proceed is now confirmed.

**The most comprehensive collection of STS-117 onwards related presentions and mission documentation, plus expansive daily processing documentation and updates are available to download on L2 ** Including all FRR documentation and presentations. All processing content from the article below orginate from L2’s STS-117 Special Section.

**LIVE news updates on Atlantis STS-117 – S0007 Countdown – LIVE**

**LIVE news updates on Endeavour STS-118 (LON-318) Processing**

**LIVE news updates on Discovery STS-120 (LON-320) Processing** 

The issue related to the umbilicals that link between the External Tank and Atlantis’ Main Propulsion System, involving measurements of the MPS GH2 2” disconnect, the LH2 4” disconnect, and the GO2 2” disconnect.

Atlantis was connected to ET 117 and ready to roll out of the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) in the mission that was to follow STS-107. However, Atlantis was demated to the tank following the loss of Columbia on STS-107, as the shuttle program stood down due to the disaster.

ET-117 – set to fly with Endeavour on STS-118 – was remeasured during recycling for flight, at which point some measurements were found to be out of spec.

There was concern by some engineers that this condition could also exist on STS-117, which was taken to a pre-brief – without a resolution, before heading to the MMT. Flight rationale was already in place due to all leak checks and helium signature data proving to be within specification.

‘I’m fully satisfied with the rationale for the tank,’ added Launch Director Mike Leinbach. ‘So from our perspective we’re ready to fly.’

**Ride home through the fire and plasma of re-entry with Atlantis on STS-115 – And now also with Discovery on STS-116 – TWO Stunning high quality 2hr, 355mb videos – from deorbit burn to post landing**

The MMT took dissenting opinion that more evaluations would be required, but that was later withdrawn. Had the MMT decided to do further checks on STS-117, a delay of between three and five days would have followed.

‘We did meet today as MMT, we had a few issues as we left the FRR (Flight Readiness Review) that we wanted to work to compleition,’ said NASA manager Leroy Cain. ‘We had some non standard work which we worked through.

‘We asked the team to work some techinical issues, but at the end of the day we concluded that we feel very good at where we are with Atlantis and the STS-117 stack. I’m very proud of the team.’

More to follow soon in a new article based on NASA’s L-2 Day MMT Overview Presentation (on L2).

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