STS-124 Processing Latest

[Analyst]

Bubbinski - 19/2/2008  5:19 PM

If they do get off the ground on 5/25, and fly their full duration, they land before June 10th.  It would be about six months before STS-119 on 12/4, are they still able to support that date?

Yes. Done before, STS-121 and STS-116, for example.

Analyst

[Moonbase_Alphan]

psloss - 19/2/2008  9:45 AM
I believe a LON would occur regardless of the Beta angle; no idea what the 5/25 date refers to, whether it's a 124 launch or a 324 launch, but part of the LON plan in terms of processing at KSC would be to expedite hardware processing and shorten the pad flow.  If that's a hypothetical 124 launch date, then perhaps they could shave some time off that date.

what I have is that the STS-324 LON is scheduled for 5/10 with STS-124 NET 5/25
that's the direction we received in Flight Design yesterday

[Lee Jay]

Moonbase_Alphan - 19/2/2008  10:59 AM

psloss - 19/2/2008  9:45 AM
I believe a LON would occur regardless of the Beta angle; no idea what the 5/25 date refers to, whether it's a 124 launch or a 324 launch, but part of the LON plan in terms of processing at KSC would be to expedite hardware processing and shorten the pad flow.  If that's a hypothetical 124 launch date, then perhaps they could shave some time off that date.

what I have is that the STS-324 LON is scheduled for 5/10 with STS-124 NET 5/25
that's the direction we received in Flight Design yesterday

That extra 15 days makes the whole picture make a whole lot more sense, assuming MAF can actually support getting the tank ready in time.  Thanks for the information!

[psloss]

Moonbase_Alphan - 19/2/2008  12:59 PM

what I have is that the STS-324 LON is scheduled for 5/10 with STS-124 NET 5/25
that's the direction we received in Flight Design yesterday

Thanks for the info.

[Chris Bergin]

Bubbinski - 19/2/2008  4:19 PM

Thanks, Chris.  I'd seen the L2 stuff and the blurb in the article about the tank processing issues.  I was more looking for "official word" since there'd been some talk about the delay only being in days earlier.  And now that's come.

Sure thing. Mr Alpha's info is good. And we'll do a standalone article when we've got some good quote based info from a standup or PRCB presentation etc.

[ChrisC]

Per Gerst in the post STS-122 briefing in progress right now, the STS-124 launch has pushed back a month to May 25th.

[Chris Bergin]

RELEASE: 08-062

NASA UPDATES TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR SHUTTLE DISCOVERY

WASHINGTON - NASA is targeting May 25 at 7:26 p.m. EDT for the launch
of the space shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission from the Kennedy
Space Center, Fla.

The flight originally was targeted for April 24. Fuel sensor system
repair work on STS-122 and STS-123 delayed final preparations of
Discovery's external fuel tank. The tank is expected to arrive at
Kennedy in early March. Also, the shuttle cannot launch to the
International Space Station between May 7 and 25 because the angle of
the sun with respect to the plane of the station's orbit is too high
to generate sufficient solar power for the mission.

Discovery's launch date move will not affect the remainder of the
shuttle manifest.

Shuttle and station program officials will continue to evaluate
Discovery's liftoff date and are protecting the option to launch the
shuttle a few days earlier.

[James (Lockheed)]

Release - 20/2/2008  11:56 AM

Fuel sensor system
repair work on STS-122 and STS-123 delayed final preparations of
Discovery's external fuel tank.

Actually that is simply false.

[TrueBlueWitt]

Chris Bergin - 20/2/2008  12:56 PM

RELEASE: 08-062

NASA UPDATES TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR SHUTTLE DISCOVERY

....   Also, the shuttle cannot launch to the
International Space Station between May 7 and 25 because the angle of
the sun with respect to the plane of the station's orbit is too high
to generate sufficient solar power for the mission.

Is this limit due in part  to non-functional SARJ(if it's not fixed by then)? That they won't have enough power at those sun angles for all the labs plus power for SSPTS to extend the mission?  If the SARJ is operational does that add more available launch days?

[rdale]

Nope - beta angle cutout.

[TrueBlueWitt]

rdale - 20/2/2008  3:59 PM

Nope - beta angle cutout.

That's a temperature issue not a power issue.. correct?

So between your comment and the MAF guy's comment.. it sounds like the info coming from NASA HQ isn't any more accurate or reliable than the info from the news outlets.

[rdale]

I'm not sure whether it's temp or power (or both actually.) Either way - it's the angle. And L2 serves up more info on the ET side...

[DaveS]

rdale - 20/2/2008  10:25 PM

I'm not sure whether it's temp or power (or both actually.) Either way - it's the angle. And L2 serves up more info on the ET side...

Actually, Bill Gerstenmaier answered this question during today's post-landing press conference: it's both. Even if they would have a fully functional starboard SARJ, there's no way they could have satisfied the thermal constraints while also have satisfied the power constraints.

It's either one or the other, but not both, makeing the stating NO-GO.

[rdale]

Justin - the SARJ is part of the ISS... There is a dedicated SARJ thread in the ISS forum.

In the STS-123 Shuttle Discovery install OBSS in the space station temporaly for next mission STS-124 because Kibo Module is so big for shuttle payload.
Discovery will arrive to station, install japanese Kibo module and inspected with station OBSS and then save this in cargo bay for return.

[Ford Mustang]

jancarlobascu - 22/2/2008  2:37 AM

In the STS-123 Shuttle Discovery install OBSS in the space station temporaly for next mission STS-124 because Kibo Module is so big for shuttle payload.
Discovery will arrive to station, install japanese Kibo module and inspected with station OBSS and then save this in cargo bay for return.

STS-123 is Shuttle Endeavour.  And yes, all of this has been stated before.  

Don't forget to read the news portion of the site too..  Not just a forum.  Chris puts in a lot of effort in those articles.  

[RonaldJamesCoote]

I am traveling to Florida from overseas to see the STS-124 launch. Of course, like everybody who comes from afar, I am trying to be flexible with my airline tickets, etc. It would make me more comfortable to see a list of targeted and actual times/dates for past shuttle launches. That at least would give some idea about 'average' delays, or I could build a histogram just to get some idea about the uncertainty of the launch date. I do understand that each launch is unique, and affected by its own special circumstances, but does this list exist anywhere? I can't find anything on this site, Wikipedia or the web generally. Any help gratefully received. Thanks.

[DaveS]

History of delays since 2005:
STS-114 delay 1: May 15 to May 22 (More time needed to close-out paperwork)
STS-114 delay 2: May 22 to July 13 (More time needed to iron out a set of technical problems)
STS-114 delay 3: July 13 to July 26 (Failure of LH2 ECO sensor#2 during stable replenish)

STS-121 delay 1: July 13 to September 9 (STS-114 taking over the July window)
STS-121 delay 2: September 9 to March 2006 (Delay following LH2 PAL ramp foam loss on STS-114)
STS-121 delay 3: March to May (More processing time needed)
STS-121 delay 4: May to July 1 (Delay due to need to repair OV-103's RMS and need to perfor ET-119 LH2 ECO sensor R&R in the VAB)
STS-121 delay 5: July 1 to July 2 (Scrubbed on July 1 due T-storm anvils in the launch area)
STS-121 delay 6: July 2 to July 4 (Scrubbed on July 2 due unfavourable weather forecast)

STS-115 delay 1: July 1 to August 28 (STS-121 taking over the July window)
STS-115 delay 2: August 27 to August 29 (Needed time inspect vehicle and pad after record setting lightning strike at pad)
STS-115 delay 3: August 29 to September 6 (Half-rollback after tropical storm Ernesto cancelled August 29 launch attempt)
STS-115 delay 4: September 6 to September 8 (Problem with a coolant loop pump on Fuel Cell#1 caused scrub prior to tanking in September 6)
STS-115 delay 5: September 8 to September 9 (Problem with LH2 ECO sensor#3 failed WET during tanking caused scrub to September 9)

STS-116 delay 1: December 7 to December 9 (Weather caused scrub)

STS-117 delay 1: March 15 to April (Hail storm on February 25 caused severe foam dameg on the ET, rollback cancelled March window)
STS-117 delay 2: April to June 8 (Prolonged repairs in the ET delayed mission from April to June

STS-118 delay 1: June 28 to August 9 (STS-117 taking over the June window, launch subsequently moved up to August 7)
STS-118 delay 2: August 7 to August 8 (A defective Positive Pressure Relief Valve on the orbiter caused delay from August 7 to August

STS-120: No recorded delays after 2005

STS-122 delay 1: December 6 to December 7 (Failures after multiple LH2 ECO sensors triggered scrub during tanking on December 6)
STS-122 delay 2: December 7 to December 9 (MMT decided to delay launch further for more ECO sensor data review from first tanking)
STS-122 delay 3: December 9 to January 2008 (LH2 ECO sensor failure during tanking caused scrub to January 2008)
STS-122 delay 4: Janaury to February 7 (Decided to change-out external feedthrough connector on ET, the earliest launch attempt the schedule would support was February 7)

STS-123 delay 1: From February 14 to March 11 (STS-122 tanking over the February window)

I hope this list will be of assistance to you!

[ShuttleDiscovery]

Wow! Great list Dave.

I'm glad they fixed the ECO sensor problem, as that will hopefully cut down future delays by a fair amount...