Author Topic: Aug.8 STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread  (Read 79565 times)

Offline Chris Bergin

I think it's pretty much the best time to set this thread up. Discovery has RCS Thruster checks and Flight Control Systems in general. This has started now with APU Checks.

Please post anything you hear and pictures of interest as all being well they'll always be someone on this thread to update in-between my downtime for various reasons.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Seems they are going to split screen on some views.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Eileen is having some issues getting some of the switches to OFF on the Flight Deck. One took 10 seconds of pulling  :o
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Collins hooking up a laptop to Discovery's flight systems to help generate some random landing senarios for Discovery to work over.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Incidently, we've acquired some brilliant quotes from none other than Buzz Aldrin, supporting the Shuttle and noting his wish to see the CEV come in to take NASA to the next stage...out of LEO (which the Shuttles are bounded by - Low Earth Orbit).
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Ladies and Gentlemen, guess who's back at the Flight Director Desk!

Only Mr Leroy Cain!!!!

I really felt for that guy during Columbia's break up on the video that filmed him during those last moments. (I can't believe they kept filming when he had his head in his hands). One hell of a moving video to see people's reactions.

He's back and it's great to see him!!! The man has some balls.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Nice view of the back of Discovery's flight deck. Non of the fancy screens etc at this end of her, but cool all the same.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Errrrrrrrm  :o
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

Do you love this guy or do you love this guy. Basically, I love this guy.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=3433
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #10 on: 08/07/2005 06:00 am »
Flight control checks complete and all green. Small break for the crew, then some media interviews where they'll no doubt be asked stupid questions by stupid journalists who will have already written their "Crew shitting themselves about re-entry" bollocks.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #11 on: 08/07/2005 06:04 am »
Nice view of the southern pacific, just south of New Zealand. Wave Tahii, wave!

Pic one is to the west of NZ, south of south island. No idea if you can make it out. was pretty much bang on the area with the tracking. Second image is when they kindly changed the damn angle :(

Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline SimonShuttle

  • Elite Veteran
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1795
  • Manchester, England
  • Liked: 44
  • Likes Given: 89
RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #12 on: 08/07/2005 06:06 am »
Aldrin rules. What a guy. Legend!

Offline Chris Bergin

RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #13 on: 08/07/2005 06:12 am »
Right, time for some shut-eye to get in the right sleep zone for re-entry. Anyone is welcome to post images to this thread and any news updates you hear.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline JamesSpaceFlight

  • Regular
  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 133
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #14 on: 08/07/2005 07:11 am »
Good luck Discovery. Hope someone knows how to add NASA TV feed images as I don't.

Offline Tahii

  • Fetch me a fix of anesthetic
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 383
  • Lurking around the Awarua Space Tracking Station
  • Invercargill, New Zealand
  • Liked: 2
  • Likes Given: 12
RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #15 on: 08/07/2005 10:29 am »
Quote
Chris Bergin - 7/8/2005  6:04 PM

Nice view of the southern pacific, just south of New Zealand. Wave Tahii, wave!
I waved! Trust me on that!

According to the sightings java program on spaceflight.nasa.gov, I won't be able to see the Shuttle again, until Wednesday or so, when it goes over again - Ha!

Offline Stardust9906

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1279
  • Durham, UK
  • Liked: 57
  • Likes Given: 1369
RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #16 on: 08/07/2005 12:08 pm »
Great article on Buzz Aldrin Chris.  Here's a shot of Leroy at the Mission Status Briefing.

Offline anik

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7776
  • Liked: 955
  • Likes Given: 368
RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #17 on: 08/07/2005 12:28 pm »
From CBS News Coverage of Mission STS-114
http://cbsnews.cbs.com/network/news/space/current.html

"The weather appeared ideal and while there is a slight chance of off-shore rain in Monday's forecast, conditions are expected to be similar.

Assuming the forecast holds up, Collins plans to fire Discovery's twin orbital maneuvering system braking rockets for three minutes and 12 seconds starting at 3:39:43 a.m. Monday, slowing the ship by 220 mph and dropping the far side of its orbit deep into the atmosphere over Florida's East Coast.

Flying along a southwest-to-northeast trajectory, Discovery will pass above Central America, the Gulf of Mexico and the west coast of Florida near Tampa as it glides toward touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center. Landing is expected around 4:46:44 a.m. Monday, closing out a 13-day voyaging spanning 5.3 million miles and 201 complete orbits since blastoff July 26.

Because the forecast for California's Edwards Air Force Base is good for several days, entry flight director LeRoy Cain does not plan to activate the backup landing site Monday and will focus instead on getting Discovery back on the ground in Florida.

Along with costing about $5 million in added work, a landing in California would eliminate any chance of launching the next shuttle mission in late September even if NASA solves its external tank foam problem. The shuttle Atlantis only has a four-day launch window and if Discovery is diverted to California, workers likely would not have enough time to prepare that shuttle for launch on a possible rescue mission.

In any case, Collins and company have two Florida landing opportunities Monday, one at 4:47 a.m. and the other one orbit later at 6:22 a.m.

"We're just calling up KSC for tomorrow," astronaut Ken Ham radioed Discovery from mission control early today. "So barring any unforeseen failures, that's all we're looking at for tomorrow. The weather at the Cape, the official forecast is few (clouds) at 2,500 (feet), few at 10,000, scattered at 25,000 with good visibility. The winds are light and pretty much variable, mostly out of the west-northwest. There is a call out for a slight chance of rain showers within 30 (nautical miles) and those are mostly out over the Gulf stream and fairly light.

"The weather for tomorrow should be fairly similar to what we saw today and the day prior. If you were to have come home today, you would have been go for the deorbit burn. So we're looking like a pretty favorable condition for the Cape tomorrow. Additionally, for weather out west, Edwards looks good for now and for the foreseeable future, for the next few days anyway, looks fairly good in case we need to go that direction for Tuesday."

"We can't think of any questions," Collins replied. "Sounds like really great weather."

"Yeah, we're looking forward to it."

If the weather or some other problem blocks both Monday opportunities, Cain will keep Discovery in orbit an extra day, activate the backup landing site at Edwards and bring the ship down on one coast or the other Tuesday.

Here are all possible landing times for Monday through Wednesday, including targets for White Sands, N.M. (in EDT)


ORBIT...SITE....TIG..............LANDING

Monday, Aug. 8

201.....Kennedy Space Center.....03:40 AM.....04:47 AM
202.....Kennedy Space Center.....05:15 AM.....06:22 AM

Tuesday, Aug. 9

217.....Kennedy Space Center.....04:05 AM.....05:08 AM
218.....White Sands, N.M.........05:37 AM.....06:39 AM
218.....Kennedy Space Center.....05:41 AM.....06:43 AM
219.....Edwards AFB..............07:11 AM.....08:13 AM
219.....White Sands, N.M.........07:13 AM.....08:14 AM
220.....Edwards AFB..............08:47 AM.....09:48 AM

Wednesday, Aug. 10

232.....Kennedy Space Center.....02:50 AM.....03:53 AM
233.....Kennedy Space Center.....04:25 AM.....05:28 AM
234.....Edwards AFB..............05:55 AM.....06:58 AM
234.....White Sands, N.M.........05:57 AM.....06:59 AM
235.....Edwards AFB..............07:31 AM.....08:32 AM
235.....White Sands, N.M.........07:33 AM.....08:34 AM"

Offline Stardust9906

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1279
  • Durham, UK
  • Liked: 57
  • Likes Given: 1369
RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #18 on: 08/07/2005 12:51 pm »
Here are the ground tracks for Monday's two opportunities.

Offline Chris Bergin

RE: STS-114 Return to Earth - Updates and Images thread
« Reply #19 on: 08/07/2005 02:08 pm »
Afternoon ;)
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
0