LIVE: STS-124: Launch Day / Flight Day 1 - May 31

[Chris Bergin]

STS-124: Launch Attempt 1/Flight Day 1

Launch Preview Article:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5436

Articles through processing:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/cat.asp?cid=4


This is the live update thread for the launch. Should we have a launch, it will continue as the Flight Day 1 Live Update thread. Each Flight Day will have a specific thread.

Below are the rules for what is always a very busy day on this site - which is the world's most visited shuttle news media site regardless, so you can imagine what it's like during a mission (please take note):

This is a live update thread, so we do not want any "woo hoo, go shuttle!" comments clogging up the updates. We have a cheerleading thread for your best wishes:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=12729.0

We also have a separate weather specific thread, for comments on the status of the pre-launch weather - though this will be uneventful...
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=13217.0

If you are in Florida for the launch and need tips on where to go for best viewing, we have a thread for that:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=12468.0

All NASA TV video files, conferences, etc. for the mission is available - for free - here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=12531.0

If you're learning about the Shuttle you are encouraged to ask questions, but please keep them in the Q&A threads:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=36.0

Moderators will delete - without notification - any posts that do not follow the above request to ensure all visitors get the information they require, without being annoyed by random posts.

DO NOT copy information from this site to other sites and forums without URL accreditation.


For L2 users, we will have the flagship specific live sections for missions (you'll get to see what's going on with this mission before anywhere else - as we've proven over the last four or five missions). I will copy some paraphrased notes of interest into this thread.

L2 regulars will know it's the only place in the world which contains live NASA/USA etc documentation, images, video, memos and notes from actual engineers and managers (via sources) working the mission as it happens.

God Speed Discovery.

[Bubbinski]

Excellent article, Chris.  Great stuff on the flight, including the modifications to the ET, and an interesting note about more robust work mats to protect foam.  If it's understood that the STS-114 PAL Ramp loss was a "one off" that makes you wonder why they delayed flights for a year.

[heinleid]

For those of us who can watch it, and for those of us who wish we could...

Special HD Launch Coverage of STS-124:

Satellite Coordinates
Program ID: 105, Satellite: AMC 6, Transponder: 17C
Orbital position: 72 degrees west
Downlink frequency: 4040 Mhz
Polarity: Vertical
FEC: 3/4
Data rate: 36.860 Mhz
Symbol: 26.665 Ms
Transmission: DVB-S
Video PID: 0x0057 (hex) ; 87 (decimal)
PCR PID: 0x0057 (hex) ; 87 (decimal)
AC-3 audio PID: 0x0058 (hex) ; 88 (decimal)
Mpeg-2 Layer II audio PID: 0x0059 ; 89 (decimal)

[Carl G]

Another excellent article Chris. Technical, but relayed in a way we can understand. We'd be lost without this news site.

[cb6785]

Having all fingers crossed that this WILL be flight day 1, here are all the major things that would be/will be happening from now on till end of FD1:

All times are eastern.

Countdown:

- Enter planned 2-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark (5:37 a.m.)

- Launch team verifies no violations of launch commit criteria prior to cryogenic
   loading of the external tank
- Clear pad of all personnel

- Resume countdown (7:37 a.m.)

- Chill down propellant transfer lines (7:37 a.m.)
- Begin loading the external fuel tank with about 500,000 gallons of cryogenic
   propellants (about 7:47 a.m.)
- Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid
   oxygen propellants (about 10:37 a.m.)
- Final Inspection Team proceeds to launch pad

- Enter planned 2-hour, 30-minute built-in hold at T-3 hours (10:37 a.m.)

- Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration
- Align Merritt Island Launch Area tracking antennas
- Perform open loop test with Eastern Range

- Resume countdown at T-3 hours (1:07 p.m.)

- Crew departs Operations and Checkout Building for the pad (1:12 p.m.)
- Complete closeout preparations in the White Room
- Check cockpit switch configurations
- Flight crew begins entry into the orbiter (1:42 p.m.)
- Astronauts perform air-to-ground voice checks with Launch and Mission Control
- Begin to close Discovery’s crew hatch (2:57 p.m.)
- Begin Eastern Range final network open loop command checks
- Perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks
- Complete White Room closeout
- Closeout crew moves to fallback area
- Primary ascent guidance data is transferred to the backup flight system

- Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes (3:47 p.m.)

- NASA test director conducts final launch team briefings
- Complete inertial measurement unit preflight alignments

- Resume countdown at T-20 minutes (3:57 a.m.)

- Transition the orbiter's onboard computers to launch configuration
- Start fuel cell thermal conditioning
- Close orbiter cabin vent valves
- Transition backup flight system to launch configuration

- Enter estimated 45-minute hold at T-9 minutes (4:08 p.m.)

- Launch director, Mission Management Team and NASA test director conduct
   final polls for "go/no go" to launch

- Resume countdown at T-9 minutes (4:52 p.m.)

- Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9 minutes)
- Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30)
- Start APU recorders (T-6:15)
- Start auxiliary power units (T-5)
- Terminate liquid oxygen replenish (T-4:55)
- Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55)
- Start main engine gimbal profile test (T-3:30)
- Pressurize liquid oxygen tank (T-2:55)
- Begin retracting the gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:50)
- Fuel cells to internal reactants (T-2:35)
- Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank (T-1:57)
- Deactivate bi-pod heaters (T-1:52)
- Deactivate solid rocket booster joint heaters (T-0:50)
- Orbiter transfers from ground to internal power (T-0:50 seconds)
- Ground launch sequencer go for auto sequence start (T-0:31 seconds)
- Booster gimbal profile (T-0:21 seconds)
- Ignition of three space shuttle main engines (T-6.6 seconds)
- Booster ignition and liftoff (T-0)

Flight:

- Launch (5:02pm)
- MECO (5:10pm)
- Payload bay door opening (6:27pm)
- Ku-band antenna deployment
- Shuttle robotic arm activation
- Umbilical well and handheld external tank video and stills downlink (9:42pm)

End of FD1

[usn_skwerl]

I've been on nasa tv online for the last 6-7 hours, since the xenon lights coming on. Has it been dead completely quiet for everyone else? I haven't heard a single thing from the PAO or anything. My source: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

thanks, Jeph

[marshallsplace]

Discovery ready:

[cb6785]

I've been on nasa tv online for the last 6-7 hours, since the xenon lights coming on. Has it been dead completely quiet for everyone else? I haven't heard a single thing from the PAO or anything. My source: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

thanks, Jeph

Yep, it's quiet.

[usn_skwerl]

Thank you, I thought I or they might have been having audio issues or something. It's not often that they're this quiet for so long.

[cb6785]

Well there isn't happening to much visibly on cam for another 3 and 1/2 hours... that's when they start tanking operations. If remember correctly from the last missions it was really quiet until this point too...

[cb6785]

T-6 and holding

[lsullivan411]

I've been on nasa tv online for the last 6-7 hours, since the xenon lights coming on. Has it been dead completely quiet for everyone else? I haven't heard a single thing from the PAO or anything. My source: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

thanks, Jeph

They have simply left Nasa TV on viewing Discovery all night - PAO coverage will start with the launch coverage at 12 noon. 

I would not be surprised to see them go to other programming in the morning, before starting on launch coverage, as they have done in the past. 

Enjoy the view, but you won't hear anything until the official covearage starts!.

Reminder - there is a Nasa TV thread here for comments regarding coverage on NTV

 http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=5791.210

[cb6785]

T-6 hours and counting. Tanking operations coming up next.

[Chris Bergin]

Tanking has begun.

[sham79]

it's funny, usually during tanking there is the usual changes of camera views and occasional commentary, but all im seeing since 3 hours ago is the side view of Discovery.Chris, at exactly what time did the tanking begin cuz i didn't hear anything about it?

[Chris Bergin]

Bang on time I heard. At least I got a note one minute after the scheduled time of LH2 slowfill. The lack of any PAO is a sign of them getting past the LH2 Feedthrough connector/ECO sensor issue. So far, this is another one that has no problems.

[cb6785]

thought the same thing about the cameras...perhaps this time they'll keep this view till noon? ^^

[ntschke]

it's funny, usually during tanking there is the usual changes of camera views and occasional commentary, but all im seeing since 3 hours ago is the side view of Discovery.Chris, at exactly what time did the tanking begin cuz i didn't hear anything about it?

I believe that profile shot is not live at this time.  I have noticed no change in shadows over the last few hours and it seems to be skipping like its stuck on a particualr set of frames.

Has anyone seen any kind of movement...even a bird or something?

[psloss]

it's funny, usually during tanking there is the usual changes of camera views and occasional commentary, but all im seeing since 3 hours ago is the side view of Discovery.Chris, at exactly what time did the tanking begin cuz i didn't hear anything about it?

Tanking commentary is unusual.  The only times it's provided is when there's something technical going into tanking (such as the past issues with the low-level cutoff system) or if there's a higher level of general interest (the two RTF launches or the mission that Barbara Morgan was on).

The static shot with no commentary like this is much more of the "rule," going back to the 80s.

[psloss]

I believe that profile shot is not live at this time.  I have noticed no change in shadows over the last few hours and it seems to be skipping like its stuck on a particualr set of frames.

Has anyone seen any kind of movement...even a bird or something?

They finally adjusted the contrast a little while back.  The pad would have been cleared for tanking a while ago.

Most of the times I've been in the Space Coast, this time of the day (and especially this time of the year) does have a kind of "un-animated" feel to it.  The vultures are probably still sleeping...