Shuttle Questions Q & A (Part 4)

[stockman]

are their any web cam views currently available that will allow us to watch Discover being towed from the runway to the hanger?

[TJL]

I understand that Atlantis does not have the SSPTS that Endeavour and Discovery have, enabling it to stay in orbit a few days longer. My question though is why is STS-122 /Atlantis scheduled as an 11 day mission next month while Atlantis / STS-117 flew close to 14 days. Is there a need to bring STS-122 home as early as possible?
Thank you.

[psloss]

TJL - 7/11/2007  5:51 PM

I understand that Atlantis does not have the SSPTS that Endeavour and Discovery have, enabling it to stay in orbit a few days longer. My question though is why is STS-122 /Atlantis scheduled as an 11 day mission next month while Atlantis / STS-117 flew close to 14 days. Is there a need to bring STS-122 home as early as possible?
Thank you.

117 was also 11 days at first, but they had two contingency days during the docked period (11+2+2, IIRC) and used them to add an EVA in part for the OMS pod blanket repair.  And then they waved off landing for a day due to bad weather at KSC.

The details were reported in Chris's stories and in the journal of STS-117 in the forums here.

[ChrisGebhardt]

psloss - 7/11/2007  7:08 PM

TJL - 7/11/2007  5:51 PM

I understand that Atlantis does not have the SSPTS that Endeavour and Discovery have, enabling it to stay in orbit a few days longer. My question though is why is STS-122 /Atlantis scheduled as an 11 day mission next month while Atlantis / STS-117 flew close to 14 days. Is there a need to bring STS-122 home as early as possible?
Thank you.

117 was also 11 days at first, but they had two contingency days during the docked period (11+2+2, IIRC) and used them to add an EVA in part for the OMS pod blanket repair.  And then they waved off landing for a day due to bad weather at KSC.

The details were reported in Chris's stories and in the journal of STS-117 in the forums here.

Additionally, they had to power-down a few non-critical systems while on orbit in order to accomplish the extra days on orbit.

[TJL]

Thanks, for the very informative responses.
Listening to Wayne Hale today, he seemed pretty certain that STS-125, next July will be Atlantis' final flight... "unless..."
I guess there would be no purpose of adding SSTPS to OV-104 then.

[ChrisGebhardt]

TJL - 7/11/2007  7:47 PM

Thanks, for the very informative responses.
Listening to Wayne Hale today, he seemed pretty certain that STS-125, next July will be Atlantis' final flight... "unless..."
I guess there would be no purpose of adding SSTPS to OV-104 then.

I haven't listened to the briefing yet, but as for the SSTPS on OV-104 it would depend what missions and what obejectives they want Atlantis to carry out.

[nathan.moeller]

Trekkie07 - 7/11/2007  7:16 PM

TJL - 7/11/2007  7:47 PM

Thanks, for the very informative responses.
Listening to Wayne Hale today, he seemed pretty certain that STS-125, next July will be Atlantis' final flight... "unless..."
I guess there would be no purpose of adding SSTPS to OV-104 then.

I haven't listened to the briefing yet, but as for the SSTPS on OV-104 it would depend waht missions and what obejectives they want Atlantis to carry out.

Earlier talk pointed to Atlantis possibly gaining STS-127 and STS-131.

[nathan.moeller]

Gary - 6/11/2007  7:17 PM

What you are referring to is LON and No. What will happen instead is there will be two contingency flights which will have flight ready hardware that can be used if need be. I assume the programme will finish with at least one spare tank - A tank that should never be used.
You might get more detailed answers via the Shuttle Q&A thread.

The contingency flights you are referring to are STS-131 and STS-133.  As of a couple of months ago, it was decided that they would press ahead with these missions in an effort to end the program as early as April 2010 (as opposed to July 2010, as previously predicted).  That also assumes Atlantis stays in service for two ISS flights after STS-125 (SM-04).

As for the tank, your assumption is correct.  Earlier this year, they began work on the final tank, which is designated ET-138.  After they began assembly at MAF, they began dismantling ET assembly hardware that won't be needed after the shuttle program ends.  In other words, no more tanks after this one.  The same goes for the shuttle SRBs.  But I'm sure they will have ET-138, as well as a pair of SRBs available if Endeavour needs to be rescued during STS-133.

The new predictions (and I mean that in the strongest sense) show Atlantis gaining STS-127 and STS-131.  She will retire after STS-131, which will see the delivery of the Russian DCM.  Discovery will follow Atlantis into retirement after STS-132, which is flight 20A and the delivery of Node 3 and Cupola.  Endeavour will finish out the shuttle program with STS-133 (ULF5, I believe) and will deliver experimental equipment, if memory serves me right.  After that, she will join her two sisters in retirement.  Someone can elaborate better than I can at some point.

[Hoonte]

How are the holes from the propellant feed from the ET closed when the ET disconnects from the orbiter?

[DaveS]

Hoonte - 8/11/2007  10:14 AM

How are the holes from the propellant feed from the ET closed when the ET disconnects from the orbiter?

Read this: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts-mps.html#sts-etsep-sys

[Real Madrid]

with space shutttle have the  record for the amount of time spent in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) before launch?

[Jim]

after Challenger.

[ShuttleDiscovery]

I'll add another question on OPF's:

How did they manage to process 4 shuttles (before 2003) with only 3 OPFs?
Where did the one left over go?

[Real Madrid]

Jim - 8/11/2007  7:33 PM

after Challenger.

Before the challenger

[nathan.moeller]

ShuttleDiscovery - 8/11/2007  12:33 PM

I'll add another question on OPF's:

How did they manage to process 4 shuttles (before 2003) with only 3 OPFs?
Where did the one left over go?

They stored her in the transfer aisle of the VAB.

[ApolloLee]

ShuttleDiscovery - 8/11/2007  10:33 AM

I'll add another question on OPF's:

How did they manage to process 4 shuttles (before 2003) with only 3 OPFs?
Where did the one left over go?

If I remember correctly, they would store one of the orbiters in one of the VAB high bays if all three OPFs were occupied....

[Jim]

Real Madrid - 8/11/2007  1:33 PM

Jim - 8/11/2007  7:33 PM

after Challenger.

Before the challenger

I meant the orbiters spent years in the OPF after 51-L and before STS-26.

OV-102 spent a lot of time in the OPF before STS-1

[ShuttleDiscovery]

Thanks. I thought about the VAB but wasn't sure!

[ShuttleDiscovery]

Real Madrid - 8/11/2007  6:30 PM

with space shutttle have the  record for the amount of time spent in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) before launch?

If I am correct Discovery spent just under 4 years in the OPF between STS-105 and STS-114? Or did they do an OMM?

[psloss]

ShuttleDiscovery - 8/11/2007  2:57 PM

If I am correct Discovery spent just under 4 years in the OPF between STS-105 and STS-114? Or did they do an OMM?

The latter, and Discovery spent a good part of 2002 in the VAB before that...rolled into looks like OPF-3 in late August, 2002.