Author Topic: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty  (Read 70830 times)

Offline Ares67

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #120 on: 02/23/2013 10:19 pm »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #121 on: 02/23/2013 10:20 pm »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #122 on: 02/23/2013 10:23 pm »
Sunday, March 4, 1990 (Landing Day) – Leaky Loop Landing

As dawn approached the salt flats of Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert, the outlook for the landing of Atlantis appeared as bleak as the clouds overhead. Winds were gusting across the runway at 28 knots, above the shuttle’s limits. Forecasters churned out estimates of rain.

A hundred miles and more up, the crew of Atlantis may have been anticipating a waive off. After all, an extra day in space – free time at the shuttle’s windows – was evolving into a tradition. Both the previous two shuttle missions had been extended a day due to weather. Would that extra day become an inalienable right of shuttle crews? The morning gloom evaporated like the clouds and threats of rain. The winds died to acceptable levels, and the planned return of Atlantis proceeded.
« Last Edit: 02/23/2013 10:25 pm by Ares67 »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #123 on: 02/23/2013 10:30 pm »
PAO (Billie Deason): This is Mission Control. At Dryden Flight Research Center the convoy crew has just completed its landing briefing. The convoy manager always gathers all members of the convoy together shortly before landing to run over procedures and any last-minute changes. Here in Mission Control we’ve reacquired communications and data with the crew. And the propulsion officer confirms that we had a good deorbit burn. Just before we went LOS we saw indication that a circuit breaker had tripped. There’s no major impact to the landing procedures this morning. The crew is in the process right now of trying to turn that breaker back on. We will keep you informed of their progress.

Offline Ares67

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #124 on: 02/23/2013 10:35 pm »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #125 on: 02/23/2013 10:36 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #126 on: 02/23/2013 10:42 pm »
Shortly after the deorbit burn, as Atlantis descended through the thin upper layers of atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean, the routine of reentry suddenly was broken. The quantity of hydraulic fluid in loop #1 was registering low, indicating a possible leak. Ascent/Entry Flight Director Ron Dittemore said flight controllers were watching the system because a pressure fluctuation had been noticed during ascent. Routine tests of the hydraulic system the day before proved inconclusive; was it a leak or a bad sensor?

As a precaution Mission Control ordered APU 1 switched to low-pressure, reducing pressure in the hydraulic loop from 3,200 psi to 800 psi to ease any leakage. Without hydraulics, the wing elevons would not move, the tail speed brake could not open – in short, the shuttle would be without muscle power, without control. For this reason, the orbiter is equipped with three redundant hydraulic systems.

The crew flipped switches to isolate the #1 loop from the shuttle’s computer system, which might interpret the problem as requiring all three loops be shut down. The glitch, just the kind the crew was trained to handle, posed no danger to the landing… no immediate danger. Yet if one hydraulic loop was failing, could the same problem begin to attack the remaining two? Could a cold touch of uneasiness be creeping into the minds of crew and controllers? To be snuggled back in effortless orbit, gazing at the Earth for an extra day… or even to be back on the pad, where any problem could be probed by the ground team…

As the shuttle approached the California coastline, APU loop #1 continued spraying red hydraulic fluid – like blood –  into the aft fuselage engine compartment. Pressure in the system fluctuated – dipping to 600 psi instead of the 800 psi controllers had dialed in. Could the pump be failing?

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #127 on: 02/23/2013 10:44 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #128 on: 02/23/2013 10:48 pm »
PAO: This is Mission Control. We can now see Atlantis visually at Dryden. APU 1 will now be taken back to normal pressure. Mechanical systems officer reports that APU 1 looks good so far. Atlantis now at Mach 1.6, 71,000 feet over California and about 39 miles away from Edwards…


The astronauts switched back APU #1 to high pressure – and the system responded. Only about ten minutes had elapsed from the time controllers took first action. The landing proceeded normally.

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #129 on: 02/23/2013 10:58 pm »
PAO: This is Mission Control, velocity now Mach 1, altitude 55,000 feet… Atlantis just about a minute from intercepting the Heading Alignment Circle… mechanical systems officer reports that APU 1 still looks good.


At that point Billie Deason’s microphone was able to catch up CapCom Steve Oswald’s voice in the background.


CapCom: Atlantis, Houston, you’re looking good (…)

PAO: Mechanical systems officer expects APU 1 to be able to support the landing all the way through touchdown…

CapCom: Atlantis (…)

PAO: Flight dynamics officer reports that Atlantis looks good coming onto the Heading Alignment Circle; velocity is now feet per second 800 feet per second, 37,000 feet altitude, about 19 miles from touchdown…


The shuttle’s double sonic boom rolled over the Mojave Desert.


PAO: And the flight dynamics officer reports that energy is right on target as Atlantis comes around the Heading Alignment Circle…

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #130 on: 02/23/2013 11:00 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #131 on: 02/23/2013 11:03 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #132 on: 02/23/2013 11:07 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #133 on: 02/23/2013 11:13 pm »
PAO: Velocity now 700 feet per second, altitude 20,000 feet, Atlantis coming down at about 330 feet per second… Coming in now to the final approach at about 14,000 feet; velocity is 500 feet per second… Mechanical systems officer reports APU 1 still performing alright; velocity is 400 feet per second, altitude about 10,000 feet… This is Mission Control. Flight Dynamics reports that Atlantis is all lined up right on the glide slope over Runway 23, about 8,000 feet above the runway now… winds remain the same, 18 gusting to 22 knots headwind and a very negligible crosswind…


Skies were clear and sunny as Atlantis floated down to touch the Rogers lakebed Runway 23 at 10:08 a.m. PST, four days and ten days after launch from KSC.

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #134 on: 02/23/2013 11:16 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #135 on: 02/23/2013 11:20 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #136 on: 02/23/2013 11:22 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #137 on: 02/23/2013 11:26 pm »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #138 on: 02/23/2013 11:30 pm »
PAO: Altitude now about 700 feet… landing gear is down… main gear touchdown… nose gear touchdown… and… wheels stop reported by Mission Commander J.O.  Creighton…
« Last Edit: 02/23/2013 11:30 pm by Ares67 »

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Re: Atlantis STS-36 – Tour of Duty
« Reply #139 on: 02/23/2013 11:33 pm »

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