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Tuesday, Dec 22
Soyuz TMA-17 arrives as ISS and SSP evaluate Dual-Docked Ops scenarios
This type of constraint was most recently seen during the March 2009 flight of Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-119. For this mission, two flight days and one ...
Friday, Dec 18
IFA Review reveals solid performance of STS-129 SRBs and Main Engines
In all, STS-129 was a clean flight, particularly for the vehicle's Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs). Between the SRBs and ...
Tuesday, Dec 15
STS-131: Engineers working through issue with FRCS on Discovery
Discovery's flow has been proceeding along the schedule milestones, with all three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) now installed and undergoing interface ...
Friday, Dec 11
STS-130: Endeavour arrives in the VAB for mating
Meanwhile, Shuttle managers have set the dates for the two main Flight Readiness Reviews (frrs), with the two day Space Shuttle Program (SSP) FRR due to ...
Sunday, Sep 20
LIVE: Discovery/SCA duo arrive in Fort Worth en-route to KSC
Special requirements were also listed for the payload that Discovery still has in her cargo bay, namely the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM). While all of its logistic supplies were transferred during Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the M...
Saturday, Sep 19
Ares I-X undergoing ordnance installation – I-X/STS-129 conflict evaluations
Also related to the launch, modifications to Pad 39B are nearing an end, as it transforms for a shuttle launch pad into the launch site for Ares I-X. “There is a great deal of discussion between the SSP (Space Shuttle Program) and the CxP (Constellation Program) on how to handle the Ares I-X l...
Friday, Sep 18
SSP fight back at ASAP Augustine Hearing claim on Shuttle risk
Shuttle Risk: With the heavy tone on the risk, and with six shuttle missions still to be launched, Mr Gordon asked if NASA should be looking at one less flight – if the risk was as bad as the ASAP was portraying. That led to an astonishing claim from Admiral Dyer. Shuttle Response:
Tuesday, Sep 15
Shuttle fleet in smooth processing on both sides of the United States
Atlantis returns to ISS missions – following her flagship mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope for a final time – with the aforementioned STS-129 mission, set to deliver the Express Logistic Carriers 1 and 2 (ELC-1 and ELC-2) to the Station.
Monday, Sep 14
Discovery in Dryden processing for Ferry home – TPS in great shape
Discovery is undergoing safing at the Mate/Demate Device (MDD), which will be used to eventually raise Discovery to allow the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) to roll underneath for mating. “OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) trickle purge is active. Cryo offload is complete; PRSD (Power...
Friday, Sep 11
Discovery makes perfect landing in California – STS-131 flow preview
With the weather failing to improve on the Florida coastline, Discovery has landed at the Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California – where she will undergo initial deservicing prior to a ferry trip back to the Kennedy Space Center on the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). The de...
Friday, Jun 12
STS-127: Ice in focus as RSS retracts for Endeavour's launch
The ascent threat of ice liberation, as observed on STS-126 and potentially STS-125, will be closely monitored during Endeavour's launch, following an expansive overview by NASA's Space Shuttle Systems Engineering and Integration Office (SE&I) to the ...
Wednesday, Jun 10
Endeavour enjoying a smooth countdown heading into L-2 MMT milestone
UK As with all flows on such a complex vehicle, a few issues still challenged the engineers ahead of the countdown, notably with potential damage to one of Endeavour's SSMEs (Space Shuttle Main Engines) during vehicle pressurization. ...
Tuesday, Jun 9
Supporting Endeavour: OPO check previous flights to ensure STS-127 ...
UK The first issue from STS-125 (the previous program flight) to carry over to the OPO STS-127 SSP FRR was an erratic MPS (Main Propulsion System) Engine 2 GH2 Outlet Pressure Ducer reading. “At liftoff, the left Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) GH2 ...
Wednesday, May 27
NASA updates Endeavour’s 2010 opening STS-130 mission carrying Node 3
STS-130 Pre-launch Campaign: STS-130 will be the 24th flight of Endeavour and the 130th overall flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Endeavour will use Solid Rocket Booster set BI-141 and Reusable Solid Rocket Motor set 109. Payload Clearance Concerns:
Thursday, Apr 30
NASA approves May 11 for STS-125, reviews ‘Special Topics’ for STS-400
While a FD-2 rendezvous is preferred for STS-400 operations - mainly because of limiting consumables (food, propellant, etc.) onboard Atlantis - the MOD and the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) have agreed to allow the Kennedy Space Center launch team the ability to extend the daily launch w...
Monday, Apr 27
NASA reviews mission parameters for Hubble flight via FRR
As noted several times by this site, Atlantis will not have the option of performing a Rbar Pitch Maneuver like all previous post-Columbia flights have done as they approach the International Space Station (ISS). Unlike missions to the ISS, Atlantis will not be able to perform an ECAL (Ea...
Tuesday, Apr 21
Managers considering May 11 for STS-125 - ET camera/flash troubleshooting
Atlantis to rollback to VAB on October 20 - Hubble troubleshooting latest As NASA and the SSP (Space Shuttle Program) refine their... The dual processing flows for Atlantis and Endeavour are proceeding to plan, with the main engineering focus on the ET camera flash system, which is undergo...
Monday, Apr 20
Study finds EELV capable of Orion role - Griffin claims alternatives are fiction
“The President’s budget reiterated support for the retirement of the Space Shuttle and its replacement by the initial Constellation elements, continuation of International Space Station operations after 2015, and for human lunar return by 2020. All of that is good news.”
Sunday, Apr 19
NASA updates milestones for Atlantis’ STS-129 mission
With Atlantis and Endeavour now in their dual processing flows for the STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA managers have updated plans for shuttle Atlantis’ next mission - STS-129 - via the Launch Site Flow Review (LSFR).
Thursday, Apr 2
Pre-empting Hubble: MOD reviews STS-125/400 requirements
Moreover, given that the Hubble Space Telescope’s orbit is inclined to a different azimuth than that of the International Space Station, Atlantis’ launch trajectory will preclude the use of two normally available Trans-oceanic Abort Landing (TAL) sites - Istres, France and Zaragoz...
Sunday, Feb 22
STS-131: First Contingency Logistics Flight Baselined by PRCB
To get to orbit, the mission will use External Tank ET-135 and Reusable Solid Rocket Motor set 110 as well as Orbiter flight software OI-34. The latest flight software, OI-33, was debuted with Endeavour during STS-126. The Payload and EVAs:
Friday, Jan 23
STS-119 FRR outlines Discovery’s mission to the ISS
With Space Shuttle Discovery enjoying a smooth and relatively issue free processing flow at Launch Pad 39A, NASA managers have completed two of the three mandatory Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs) that will clear Discovery and her seven member crew for launch in mid February.
Thursday, Jan 22
STS-119 SSP FRR meeting concludes - FCVs and water recycler spares
STS-119’s mission next month will also carry some additional payload in the form of replacement hardware for what is confirmed to be failed hardware in the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA), which only recently arrived at the International Space Station on Endeavour’s STS-126 mission.
Tuesday, Jan 20
PRCB Outlines Delta Review for STS-127 - includes SpaceX DTO
The 15+1+2 day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will see Endeavour launch off of Mobile Launch Platform #3 with a full set of Cryo, GN2 (gaseous nitrogen), Aft RCS (Reaction Control System), and OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) tanks.
Friday, Jan 16
Discovery awaits payload installation - FCV a constraint to launch for FRR
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. The giant S6 integrated truss segment is set to be installed into Discovery’s payload bay over the weekend, as the shuttle continues to press through the opening stages of the S0009 pad flow. Meanwhile, the Flow Control Valv...
Tuesday, Jan 13
STS-119: Discovery set for early morning crawl to Pad 39A
Shuttle Discovery is due to depart from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at 4am Wednesday morning, for a dawn crawl to Pad 39A ahead of STS-119’s launch next month. There she will join her payload, which has been installed into the Payload Changeout Room (PCR).
Thursday, Jan 8
STS-119: Discovery mated to ET-127 as engineers focus on FCV issue
As part of the investigation, six FCVs have been removed - from Endeavour and Atlantis - for evaluation, with three spare valves heading back to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to be installed into Discovery around three days after she arrives at Pad 39A.
Friday, Dec 26
Return to SSME - Ares V undergoes evaluation into potential switch
Constellation engineers are carrying out an evaluation process into a potential option of going back to the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) on the Ares V first stage, which in turn would allow a return to a five segment Solid Rocket Boosters on the giant vehicle.
Wednesday, Dec 24
Review notes excellent performance of STS-126’s Reusable Solid Rocket Motors
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...
Sunday, Dec 21
Weather, Range and Radar Issues Identified in STS-126 IFA Review
Highlighting the excellent work by everyone involved in the launch of a Space Shuttle, the Eastern Range and the 45th Space Wing reported only two issues encountered during the November 14th launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour, of which none were classed as IFAs.
Sunday, Nov 30
Endeavour lands at Edwards to conclude STS-126
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 t...
Saturday, Nov 29
Endeavour heading to California for Sunday landing at Edwards Air Force Base
While the processing timelines for the downstream manifest can handle the additional week it would take to return Endeavour to KSC - via the SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft) - the debut use of the temporary runway at the Edwards Air Force Base is now assured.
Thursday, Nov 13
STS-126: Super smooth Endeavour easing through the countdown to L-1
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. A loose washer on a ground support carrier plate is the only reported issue, as Endeavour heads towards launch day - in an amazingly issue-free S0007 launch countdown for STS-126. This follows a review of outstanding paperw...
Friday, Oct 31
Safety enhancements dominate STS-126 Flight Readiness Reviews
As Space Shuttle Endeavour continues to enjoy a smooth processing flow at pad 39A, Space Shuttle Program (SSP) managers have completed a series of Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs) ahead of the STS-126 launch in two weeks time. Launch Issues: Launch on Need:
Thursday, Oct 30
Atlantis de-stack plan - as STS-125 is delayed to May
The problem relates to the replacement ground unit that needs to be delivered to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for flight with Atlantis, following the recent failure to the SIC&DH (Science Instrument Command and Data Handling) system Side A, which has since been switched over to i...
Wednesday, Oct 8
Pending Hubble: STS-125 tracking February 12 - Discovery support as STS-401
As preparations continue to switch the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) over to its back-up control system, NASA managers are working on a preliminary schedule for the short-term launch manifest. The rescue mission requirement for a February STS-125 launch would call on Discovery taking...
