Author Topic: LIVE: STS-120 Flight Day 14 - Undocking - Flyaround - Late Inspections (Read 79983 times)

Speedracer · « **Reply #180 on:** 11/05/2007 05:25 pm »

I never knew that Noctilucent clouds were the reason they didn't do desending node landing. I always thought it was 1) Sonic Boom noise, and 2) if a breakup like Columbia occurred, it wouldn't be on a trajectory where a majority of population would be.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #181 on:** 11/05/2007 05:28 pm »

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Speedracer - 5/11/2007 6:25 PM

I never knew that Noctilucent clouds were the reason they didn't do desending node landing. I always thought it was 1) Sonic Boom noise, and 2) if a breakup like Columbia occurred, it wouldn't be on a trajectory where a majority of population would be.

Me neither.

The public safety risk of re-entring over the heartland of the US is not a problem for an undamaged orbiter, he noted.

el_nino · « **Reply #182 on:** 11/05/2007 05:28 pm »

that was a fantastic explanation from Wayne Hale there.

Mike_1179 · « **Reply #183 on:** 11/05/2007 05:28 pm »

Additionally, I never knew that it took a larger de-orbit burn to make up for the lower atmospheric density further from the equator. Hale has probably forgotten more than most people know about the program

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #184 on:** 11/05/2007 05:31 pm »

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el_nino - 5/11/2007 6:28 PM

that was a fantastic explanation from Wayne Hale there.

He's awesome.

I'll quote that out word for word in the pre-landing article (couple more to come before, but I will quote that)

makims · « **Reply #185 on:** 11/05/2007 05:31 pm »

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el_nino - 5/11/2007 12:28 PM

that was a fantastic explanation from Wayne Hale there.

Yeah.Wayne Hale You're the man! :cool:

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #186 on:** 11/05/2007 05:37 pm »

Briefing concluded! Wayne Hale had great information today (as always!).

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #187 on:** 11/05/2007 05:40 pm »

Back to inspections!

DaveS · « **Reply #188 on:** 11/05/2007 05:42 pm »

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Mike_1179 - 5/11/2007 7:28 PM

Additionally, I never knew that it took a larger de-orbit burn to make up for the lower atmospheric density further from the equator. Hale has probably forgotten more than most people know about the program

That could explain the large(100 fps, dual-OMS) orbit adjust burn scheduled for tommorow. According to my data it would decrease the Hp of Discovery's orbit from 181.084 n.mi to 124.7 n.mi.