Author Topic: LIVE: STS-119 Flight Day 13 - EOM-1 - FCS Checkout, RCS Hot Fire (Read 29909 times)

Chris Bergin · « **on:** 03/27/2009 08:49 am »

Live coverage of FD13:

FD13 – Cabin stow & Checkouts
– FCS checkout
– RCS hot fire
– Cabin Stow
– KU antenna stow

Please note, this is interactive, but all posts need to be on topic. If you post images, no more than two per post.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #1 on:** 03/27/2009 09:17 am »

ETEE · « **Reply #2 on:** 03/27/2009 09:27 am »

FD 13 execute package available

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/323001main_119_fd13_expck.pdf

maxx · « **Reply #3 on:** 03/27/2009 11:05 am »

the payload bay cameras have just been oriented to support FCS checkout

maxx · « **Reply #4 on:** 03/27/2009 11:14 am »

APU 1 will be used for FCS checkout

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #5 on:** 03/27/2009 12:09 pm »

Blue entry screen at MCC-H FCR:

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #6 on:** 03/27/2009 12:13 pm »

FCS Checkout in 30 minutes.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #7 on:** 03/27/2009 12:18 pm »

Final MMT (for nominal EOM) to be held at 10am Central with the aim to clear Discovery for re-entry via Late Inspections (DAT).

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #8 on:** 03/27/2009 12:20 pm »

Call up noting CO2 levels have risen on Discovery, but that's fine as Swanny says they've not changed out the Lioh canisters yet.

ChrisC · « **Reply #9 on:** 03/27/2009 12:39 pm »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 03/27/2009 12:09 pm

Blue entry screen at MCC-H FCR:

I asked this during the last mission but never got an answer ... What's the significance of the blue graphic? Just a tradition or are there some different elements to it?

maxx · « **Reply #10 on:** 03/27/2009 12:44 pm »

Ready to start FCS checkout

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #11 on:** 03/27/2009 12:44 pm »

In 7-13 of *which* checklist?

FCS checkouts starting.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #12 on:** 03/27/2009 12:47 pm »

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #13 on:** 03/27/2009 12:50 pm »

Software transition from G2 to G8 for on orbit checkout.

APU 1 preps.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #14 on:** 03/27/2009 12:51 pm »

Discovery DAP to AUTO.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #15 on:** 03/27/2009 12:55 pm »

Got to start APU 1

DaveS · « **Reply #16 on:** 03/27/2009 12:57 pm »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 03/27/2009 12:44 pm

In 7-13 of *which* checklist?

FCS checkouts starting.

Orbit OPS C/L. Also has RCS Hotfire on page 10-2.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #17 on:** 03/27/2009 01:00 pm »

FCS checkout looked fine.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #18 on:** 03/27/2009 01:03 pm »

Go for APU Shutdown

maxx · « **Reply #19 on:** 03/27/2009 01:05 pm »

Animation of the checkout ~500kb

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #20 on:** 03/27/2009 01:06 pm »

Quote from: maxx on 03/27/2009 01:05 pm

Animation of the checkout ~500kb

Flap those elevons!

Hotfires up next.

maxx · « **Reply #21 on:** 03/27/2009 01:17 pm »

7 min LOS, crew cleared to continue the procedure and report any anomaly on the other side of the LOS

AmateurRocketeer · « **Reply #22 on:** 03/27/2009 01:33 pm »

Thanks Maxx for the animation!!

Always learn something new about this vehicle, even after watching
it for 28 years. Never knew there were hinged slats between
the wing trailing edge and elevons.... Wow

maxx · « **Reply #23 on:** 03/27/2009 01:39 pm »

ready for G8 to G2 transition

PAO event at 12:03 CT

maxx · « **Reply #24 on:** 03/27/2009 01:43 pm »

RCS checkout in 15min(?) all jets will be pulsed twice as there is plenty of propellant (PAO)

maxx · « **Reply #25 on:** 03/27/2009 01:50 pm »

Seem RCS checkout will start a bit early (in 5min). Ground is ready

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #26 on:** 03/27/2009 02:02 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #27 on:** 03/27/2009 02:11 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #28 on:** 03/27/2009 02:18 pm »

RCS hotfire looks good, no anomalies

Lawntonlookirs · « **Reply #29 on:** 03/27/2009 02:22 pm »

That was a fast sunset.

Kel · « **Reply #30 on:** 03/27/2009 02:25 pm »

A little late, but this morning's wake up song was "Bright Side of the Road" by Van Morrison, played for Mission Specialist Richard Arnold.

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #31 on:** 03/27/2009 02:26 pm »

DaveS · « **Reply #32 on:** 03/27/2009 02:28 pm »

Quote from: Lawntonlookirs on 03/27/2009 02:22 pm

That was a fast sunset.

Not quite. It was Discovery that was moving back to the standard heads-down, tail-forward attitude.

For FCS C/O the attitude is heads-up, tail-forward attitude.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #33 on:** 03/27/2009 02:43 pm »

Nice viewpoint of France and Spain

ede545 · « **Reply #34 on:** 03/27/2009 03:35 pm »

Quote from: ChrisC on 03/27/2009 12:39 pm

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 03/27/2009 12:09 pm
Blue entry screen at MCC-H FCR:

I asked this during the last mission but never got an answer ... What's the significance of the blue graphic? Just a tradition or are there some different elements to it?

Yeah, I would like to know that as well. My guess: By having a visually different appearance everyone in the FCR immediately knows on which data she or he is looking. (I assume that it's a completely different software.)

On why they choose blue, you already got an answer in the shuttle Q&A thread. (Although that's also only a guess.) Maybe the explanation is just that blue gives a good contrast, so one can quickly capture the current situation.

I am sure someone with insight can clarify this.

Edit: Corrected Link.

maxx · « **Reply #35 on:** 03/27/2009 03:55 pm »

a little stitch from the payload bay

joncz · « **Reply #36 on:** 03/27/2009 03:56 pm »

That link should be

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=10600.msg339360#msg339360

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #37 on:** 03/27/2009 04:12 pm »

Lovely PAO event going on with schoolkids. John 44 will have the video, worth watching.

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #38 on:** 03/27/2009 04:30 pm »

Click to animate

astrowiki · « **Reply #39 on:** 03/27/2009 04:54 pm »

Loss of signal for about 13 minutes. Why LOS? Even TDRSS cannot cover the link?

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #40 on:** 03/27/2009 04:59 pm »

Who's the "Special Visitor" CAPCOM George Z just pre-empted?

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #41 on:** 03/27/2009 05:10 pm »

Water dump

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #42 on:** 03/27/2009 05:14 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #43 on:** 03/27/2009 05:15 pm »

Shelton family are the special guests, they are the flower people

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #44 on:** 03/27/2009 05:17 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #45 on:** 03/27/2009 05:19 pm »

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #46 on:** 03/27/2009 05:20 pm »

I wonder what the hourglass is related to?

psloss · « **Reply #47 on:** 03/27/2009 05:25 pm »

Quote from: Ronsmytheiii on 03/27/2009 05:15 pm

Shelton family are the special guests, they are the flower people

A little background from nasa.gov:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/sheltons.html

The flowers are something that is mentioned on most or all missions in recent memory by a PAO on shift.

Lawntonlookirs · « **Reply #48 on:** 03/27/2009 06:17 pm »

A touching story. I missed the coverage though.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #49 on:** 03/27/2009 06:35 pm »

MIssion Status Briefing at the top of the hour. Here's a look at the Freon cooling loops that we've had trouble with on a few past missions:

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #50 on:** 03/27/2009 06:36 pm »

MCC wants IMU 1 and 2 aligned at the proper time. RCC has been cleared for re-entry.

"Discovery to MCC, please pass along our words for them and the quick turnaround time on the late inspection call." - Archambault

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #51 on:** 03/27/2009 06:36 pm »

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #52 on:** 03/27/2009 06:40 pm »

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #53 on:** 03/27/2009 06:42 pm »

More freon tubes:

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #54 on:** 03/27/2009 06:51 pm »

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #55 on:** 03/27/2009 06:56 pm »

Discovery moving towards her SIMPLEX burn attitude:

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #56 on:** 03/27/2009 06:59 pm »

MSB up next. I'll transcribe anything important:

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #57 on:** 03/27/2009 07:06 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #58 on:** 03/27/2009 07:07 pm »

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #59 on:** 03/27/2009 07:09 pm »

Richard Jones joining us today.

"Mission has been exceptionally clean, crew has been flawless. I can't say enough about that. One of my duties is to write the MMT summaries, and that gets uplinked to the crew. Over the mission, it's been getting shorter and shorter, so they have certainly done a good job and made my job a lot easier. As I left console, we got word that the RCC is clean and cleared for re-entry. We did accomplish several things today. Nominal FCS checkout where we looked at all the RCS jets and all the other systems, went just about flawlessly. The only thing we saw that a small radar altimeter bias. Not going to be an issue at all. Later today, we're doing another OMS burn, 22fps retrograde, to phase Discovery out infront and beneath the ISS so she'll be out infront for clearance of the Soyuz docking. They'll dock just about the time the crew to start the Deorbit prep. In terms of an entry strategy, we have a lot of consumables. We have plenty of capability to go to EOM+3, Tuesday, which we hopefully won't need. With that capability with us tomorrow, we'll be able to look at KSC tomorrow as well as Sunday, exclusively, and we won't call up any other days until Monday, if we can't land this weekend. We'll re-evaluate that day to day to make sure the weather is staying. From a weather standpoint, we were talking with Brent Jett who will be giving us STA landing readings, and it is matching exactly as forcasted. Cloud deck at 5k feet, looking to stay within limits, but will be something we are looking. Only two KSC opps tomorrow [pictures below for that]. There is one thing we will be investigating tomorrow, which is the Boundary Layer Transition DTO, which is the protuberance tile that will purposefully trip the boundary layer a little earlier so we can get some good aero-heating data. It's just going to trip the layer so we can get better heating data, as the Shuttle is one of a kind. Behind the tile (green cone) is where we will see the extra heating. We'll have a plane which will run the HYTHERM (?) data for us. This will help us a lot, especially with gap-fillers, as we've had astronauts go ahead and pull them out. There are a lot of interested people that want to see this data."

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #60 on:** 03/27/2009 07:09 pm »

Chandonn · « **Reply #61 on:** 03/27/2009 07:11 pm »

Don't let Marcia Dunn get wind of the Boundary Layer DTO...

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #62 on:** 03/27/2009 07:13 pm »

Robert Pearlman asking about the cold bag timeline since they are calling up KSC only for the next two days.

Jones: Those will last for EOM+2, so we'll be fine. We called up KSC only because of weather, we are hoping to land this weekend, and even though I didn't mention it, EDW will be great for the rest of the mission, through EOM+3.

Pearlman following up with the Shelton family sending in flowers and how it'll touch MCC.

Jones: It just doesn't feel right without them not there. Bru and the STS-119 crew got to say a few words to them. Just the fact that the family pays attention to the ongoing activities in Space, it's a great honor. It's just a really good event, I'm happy to have met them today.

Pearlman following up about the limiting consumable.

Jones: The LiOH that scrubs the CO2 from the oxygen that the crew breathes. The other consumables do have a little more margin that we can use.

psloss · « **Reply #63 on:** 03/27/2009 07:13 pm »

Quote from: Chandonn on 03/27/2009 07:11 pm

Don't let Marcia Dunn get wind of the Boundary Layer DTO...

Too late.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #64 on:** 03/27/2009 07:15 pm »

Marcia Dunn about the BLT DTO: This will be happening about Mach 15, where over the water or where will Discovery be when this occurs?

Jones: The Shuttle will be out over water and over the Gulf or the Atlantic. After South America, but before Cuba.

Dunn: Where will the special aircraft come into play? How far will it read into the flight? Realtime data?

Jones: Definitely after the flight that we hear about the readings. We'll be feeding them time and speed in real time. They know their ground tracks already.

Dunn: How long will they be getting data from the plane? Will you have the same capabilities in EDW?

Jones: From the California landing, I don't think so. It'll be on the order of minutes that we will be looking at this, and the view of the Orbiter will be limited due to the high mach.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #65 on:** 03/27/2009 07:17 pm »

Bill Harwood: If you don't land on Saturday and Sunday, you will be landing somewhere on Monday, and Tuesday is your systems day?

Jones: Correct. The good thing about Monday, is that we will call everything up. Tomorrow should be okay, but there is a front moving in. It'll have a factor with the cloud deck, and it'll be more of a factor on Sunday, but we should land. EDW will be fine if we need it on Monday.

Harwood following up about the samples: Looks like you're fine on Monday to get them off, and Tuesday might be able to get stretched if you're in the freezer?

Jones: Yeah. Monday will be our last good day. Tuesday will still have the data, but it will be degraded.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #66 on:** 03/27/2009 07:18 pm »

MSB closing notes:

Breaking away for the Expedition 19 docking, starting at at 7:45 AM CDT, docking at 8:14 AM EDT.

This will be covered in the Expedition 19 thread live.

Back to space!

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #67 on:** 03/27/2009 07:19 pm »

SIMPLEX burn has been completed using both OMS. Lasted 12 seconds and changed the Shuttle's orbit by 22 FPS. Apogee from 225 NM to 217 NM. Perigee went from 211 NM to 208 NM.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #68 on:** 03/27/2009 07:20 pm »

Looking down the OBSS side of the payload bay.

psloss · « **Reply #69 on:** 03/27/2009 07:24 pm »

Quote from: Ford Mustang on 03/27/2009 07:20 pm

Looking down the OBSS side of the payload bay.

As just noted by PAO, INCO is setting up the cameras to watch the radiator retract hoses when the payload bay doors are closed for landing tomorrow.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #70 on:** 03/27/2009 07:25 pm »

Quote from: psloss on 03/27/2009 07:24 pm

Quote from: Ford Mustang on 03/27/2009 07:20 pm
Looking down the OBSS side of the payload bay.
As just noted by PAO, INCO is setting up the cameras to watch the radiator retract hoses when the payload bay doors are closed for landing tomorrow.

And here's a good split-screen shot of two hoses:

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #71 on:** 03/27/2009 07:30 pm »

KU-Band antenna stowage scheduled for a little over 2 hours from now.

jarthur · « **Reply #72 on:** 03/27/2009 07:39 pm »

I am hoping for a good sighting of the shuttle tonight here in Colorado followed a couple minutes later by the station and it would be awesome if a few minutes after that the Soyuz flew by. Is there a site that lists Soyuz sighting opportunities?

rdale · « **Reply #73 on:** 03/27/2009 07:43 pm »

Yep, check the sightings thread here.

RafaelCE · « **Reply #74 on:** 03/27/2009 08:23 pm »

And I´m hopping they have to delay deorbit into 2nd opportunity, so that the fireball passes over my hometown. Not wishing them bad, it's just that 115 is the last fireball I ever saw. Been a while

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #75 on:** 03/27/2009 08:31 pm »

robertross · « **Reply #76 on:** 03/27/2009 09:07 pm »

Quote from: RafaelCE on 03/27/2009 08:23 pm

And I´m hopping they have to delay deorbit into 2nd opportunity, so that the fireball passes over my hometown. Not wishing them bad, it's just that 115 is the last fireball I ever saw. Been a while

No way. I want them home on Saturday the first opportunity. With a front moving in, no time like the present. EDW would be a shame ($1M) for shuch a flawless flight.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #77 on:** 03/27/2009 09:30 pm »

LOS means break time!

robertross · « **Reply #78 on:** 03/27/2009 09:33 pm »

Thanks for the covergae Ford, and others. nice to finally wind down a bit after such a hectic week!

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #79 on:** 03/27/2009 10:01 pm »

The KU antenna has been stowed. We'll not be seeing any more from Discovery until she lands.

ChrisC · « **Reply #80 on:** 03/28/2009 12:24 am »

Quote from: robertross on 03/27/2009 09:07 pm

EDW would be a shame ($1M) for shuch a flawless flight.

Not to mention the loss of the airborne data from the BLT DTO.

robertross · « **Reply #81 on:** 03/28/2009 12:47 am »

Quote from: ChrisC on 03/28/2009 12:24 am

Quote from: robertross on 03/27/2009 09:07 pm
EDW would be a shame ($1M) for such a flawless flight.

Not to mention the loss of the airborne data from the BLT DTO.

Yes, that too. Still the test vehicle, Discovery is.

stockman · « **Reply #82 on:** 03/28/2009 01:42 am »

just a few closing pictures from the flight day highlights.. Good luck for landing tomorrow...

stockman · « **Reply #83 on:** 03/28/2009 01:43 am »

the business end of the OBSS

Danny Dot · « **Reply #84 on:** 03/28/2009 01:46 am »

Quote from: Ford Mustang on 03/27/2009 09:30 pm

LOS means break time!

We need a video link from the coffee pot :-) That's where all the important decisions are made. Who is entry flight?

Danny Deger

Jorge · « **Reply #85 on:** 03/28/2009 01:50 am »

Quote from: Danny Dot on 03/28/2009 01:46 am

Quote from: Ford Mustang on 03/27/2009 09:30 pm
LOS means break time!

We need a video link from the coffee pot :-) That's where all the important decisions are made. Who is entry flight?

Richard Jones.

John44 · « **Reply #86 on:** 03/28/2009 08:00 am »

STS-119 - FLIGHT DAY 13 HIGHLIGHTS
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4767