LIVE: STS-120 Flight Day 13 - Transfers - Hatch Closure

[station55]

ok they have closed the hatches between two vehicles... and what about the P1 radiators number 1 and 3? Why arent the radiators deployed yet?

[Ronsmytheiii]

station55 - 4/11/2007  3:56 PM

ok they have closed the hatches between two vehicles... and what about the P1 radiators number 1 and 3? Why arent the radiators deployed yet?

They are going to be deployed after undocking, don't know the exact day.

[Chandonn]

A quick glance suggests that they won't be deployed until Harmony is relocated... due to clearance issues.

[punkboi]

Chandonn - 4/11/2007 1:35 PM A quick glance suggests that they won't be deployed until Harmony is relocated... due to clearance issues.

My sentiments, exactly.

EDIT: Space Station Freedom...and reality.

[ChrisGebhardt]

punkboi - 4/11/2007  5:00 PM

Chandonn - 4/11/2007 1:35 PM A quick glance suggests that they won't be deployed until Harmony is relocated... due to clearance issues.

My sentiments, exactly.

EDIT: Space Station Freedom...and reality.

Wow! Never realized how similar Freedom and ISS Alpha are.

[ChrisGebhardt]

Forgive me if this has been asked before in one of the multiple STS-120 threads but the search function doesn't work for me. So, with the shift in landing times, does this mean Discovery will land on a desending trajectory over much of the US. Thanks.

[uko]

punkboi - 4/11/2007  4:00 PM

Chandonn - 4/11/2007 1:35 PM A quick glance suggests that they won't be deployed until Harmony is relocated... due to clearance issues.

My sentiments, exactly.

EDIT: Space Station Freedom...and reality.

Cool comparison!!!

[Chris Bergin]

punkboi - 4/11/2007  10:00 PM

Chandonn - 4/11/2007 1:35 PM A quick glance suggests that they won't be deployed until Harmony is relocated... due to clearance issues.

My sentiments, exactly.

EDIT: Space Station Freedom...and reality.

Not too shabby there!

[jmjawors]

No kidding!  Wow.  Of course, there's quite a history with that "Alpha" designation, and your graphic looks like no "Freedom" graphic I've seen before.  Could be the "Space Station Alpha" design that was floating around in the early 90's... just before the ISS was conceived.  Which would make sense.

And yes... descending trajectory.  Details will follow... most likely Tuesday.

[Jim]

Trekkie07 - 4/11/2007  6:30 PM

punkboi - 4/11/2007  5:00 PM

Chandonn - 4/11/2007 1:35 PM A quick glance suggests that they won't be deployed until Harmony is relocated... due to clearance issues.

My sentiments, exactly.

EDIT: Space Station Freedom...and reality.

Wow! Never realized how similar Freedom and ISS Alpha are.

Huh?   It shouldn't be a surprise,  ISS is just Freedom with Russian involvement .  Two less trusses and more modules

[ChrisGebhardt]

jmjawors - 4/11/2007  6:42 PM

And yes... descending trajectory.  Details will follow... most likely Tuesday.

Okay. Good. That's what I thought. A descending trajectory means I'll get to hear those LOUD sonic booms nice and clear as she makes her approach to KSC.

[sts1canada]

Trekkie07 - 4/11/2007  6:31 PM

Forgive me if this has been asked before in one of the multiple STS-120 threads but the search function doesn't work for me. So, with the shift in landing times, does this mean Discovery will land on a descending trajectory over much of the US. Thanks.

Yes, the entry trajectory of Discovery will be from northwest to southeast towards KSC on Wednesday afternoon (Eastern Standard time). The groundtrack for orbit 239 for Discovery on the entry for the first KSC attempt will take the orbiter north of Seattle, near Vancouver and then curve southeast over the Dakotas, down over Missouri and Georgia and along the east coast of Florida to KSC; the official groundtracks will be released by NASA in the next day or so, we will see how close my prediction above is, it should be very close.

I believe this will be first descending entry attempt to KSC since the 41-G Challenger mission landed at KSC on a descending node traj. way back in October 1984, someone please correct me if I am wrong on that!

Richard

[psloss]

sts1canada - 4/11/2007  6:51 PM

I believe this will be first descending entry attempt to KSC since the 41-G Challenger mission landed at KSC on a descending node traj. way back in October 1984, someone please correct me if I am wrong on that!

41-G may have been the first high-inclination mission to land at KSC on a descending node, but I'm pretty sure others did.  Have to go off and check...

[Ronsmytheiii]

sts1canada - 4/11/2007  6:51 PM

Trekkie07 - 4/11/2007  6:31 PM

Forgive me if this has been asked before in one of the multiple STS-120 threads but the search function doesn't work for me. So, with the shift in landing times, does this mean Discovery will land on a descending trajectory over much of the US. Thanks.

Yes, the entry trajectory of Discovery will be from northwest to southeast towards KSC on Wednesday afternoon (Eastern Standard time). The groundtrack for orbit 239 for Discovery on the entry for the first KSC attempt will take the orbiter north of Seattle, near Vancouver and then curve southeast over the Dakotas, down over Missouri and Georgia and along the east coast of Florida to KSC; the official groundtracks will be released by NASA in the next day or so, we will see how close my prediction above is, it should be very close.

I believe this will be first descending entry attempt to KSC since the 41-G Challenger mission landed at KSC on a descending node traj. way back in October 1984, someone please correct me if I am wrong on that!

Richard

here is the Ground track for 41-g.  If sts-120 lands on this track, that means I will finally be able to see a shuttle landing in person!

Edit:  Well not actual touchdown, but the fly over.

[sts1canada]

psloss - 4/11/2007  7:06 PM

sts1canada - 4/11/2007  6:51 PM

I believe this will be first descending entry attempt to KSC since the 41-G Challenger mission landed at KSC on a descending node traj. way back in October 1984, someone please correct me if I am wrong on that!

41-G may have been the first high-inclination mission to land at KSC on a descending node, but I'm pretty sure others did.  Have to go off and check...

Thanks Philip, I appreciate your comments. I don't remember any other STS mission that landed at KSC that crossed the mid section of the USA on a descending node that passed from Oregon, the Dakotas, Missouri and down towards the southeast US to KSC since then (41-G). I have followed every shuttle mission closely since STS-1 and I don't remember another entry traj. like this one since that time in 1984. If you or someone else can find out when the last descending entry traj. to KSC was used, I would like to know, thanks

Richard

Does anyone have the ground landing tracks for Wednesday for KSC?

[sts1canada]

Ronsmytheiii - 4/11/2007  7:14 PM

sts1canada - 4/11/2007  6:51 PM

Trekkie07 - 4/11/2007  6:31 PM

Forgive me if this has been asked before in one of the multiple STS-120 threads but the search function doesn't work for me. So, with the shift in landing times, does this mean Discovery will land on a descending trajectory over much of the US. Thanks.

Yes, the entry trajectory of Discovery will be from northwest to southeast towards KSC on Wednesday afternoon (Eastern Standard time). The groundtrack for orbit 239 for Discovery on the entry for the first KSC attempt will take the orbiter north of Seattle, near Vancouver and then curve southeast over the Dakotas, down over Missouri and Georgia and along the east coast of Florida to KSC; the official groundtracks will be released by NASA in the next day or so, we will see how close my prediction above is, it should be very close.

I believe this will be first descending entry attempt to KSC since the 41-G Challenger mission landed at KSC on a descending node traj. way back in October 1984, someone please correct me if I am wrong on that!

Richard

here is the Ground track for 41-g.  If sts-120 lands on this track, that means I will finally be able to see a shuttle landing in person!

Edit:  Well not actual touchdown, but the fly over.

That ground track is very close to what Discovery will 'fly' on Wednesday for the first KSC attempt, the ground track will be a little closer to & over Missouri than shown here for 41-G as that mission (41-G) was a 57 degree inclination flight and Discovery is a 51.6 degree inclination flight) but by using that image, you will get a good idea of what the entry traj. of Discovery will look like. Thank you for posting that image!

Richard

[ChrisGebhardt]

Justin Wheat - 4/11/2007  7:25 PM

Does anyone have the ground landing tracks for Wednesday for KSC?

As a mentioned a few posts above, NASA will release the ground tracks for Wednesday's landing tomorrow or Tuesday.

[psloss]

sts1canada - 4/11/2007  7:20 PM

Thanks Philip, I appreciate your comments. I don't remember any other STS mission that landed at KSC that crossed the mid section of the USA on a descending node that passed from Oregon, the Dakotas, Missouri and down towards the southeast US to KSC since then (41-G). I have followed every shuttle mission closely since STS-1 and I don't remember another entry traj. like this one since that time in 1984. If you or someone else can find out when the last descending entry traj. to KSC was used, I would like to know, thanks

With few exceptions, the only mentions would be from MCC status reports and Bill Harwood, and both note this for STS-84; however, I'm not sure if this was the last:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-84/news/sts-84-mcc-19.txt
http://cbsnews.cbs.com/network/news/space/STS-84_Archive.txt

For ground tracks, I'm looking for a copy of the RTF graphic...

[sts1canada]

psloss - 4/11/2007  7:39 PM

sts1canada - 4/11/2007  7:20 PM

Thanks Philip, I appreciate your comments. I don't remember any other STS mission that landed at KSC that crossed the mid section of the USA on a descending node that passed from Oregon, the Dakotas, Missouri and down towards the southeast US to KSC since then (41-G). I have followed every shuttle mission closely since STS-1 and I don't remember another entry traj. like this one since that time in 1984. If you or someone else can find out when the last descending entry traj. to KSC was used, I would like to know, thanks

With few exceptions, the only mentions would be from MCC status reports and Bill Harwood, and both note this for STS-84; however, I'm not sure if this was the last:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-84/news/sts-84-mcc-19.txt
http://cbsnews.cbs.com/network/news/space/STS-84_Archive.txt

For ground tracks, I'm looking for a copy of the RTF graphic...

Thanks Philip for the STS-84 reminder, I forgot about that one, however these descending node entry opps. are very rare for the STS program, good job in finding that one!

Richard