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#120
by
psloss
on 30 Mar, 2011 12:14
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Sorry if this has already been mentioned in the thread, but will STS-335 be on LC39B anytime soon for Endeavour's April 19th launch? I will try to be out there April 8th and take photos of the two if they are there. Didn't get a chance to last time (STS-124 and 326). Thanks.
No, that was a rarity and was done for the last time for the STS-125 launch in 2009, which was the last non-ISS Shuttle mission. Pad 39B no longer supports Shuttle launches and the Shuttle structures are currently being demolished.
The STS-135 Shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Pad 39A in early June, or perhaps a little earlier than that -- but still well after the STS-134 launch.
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#121
by
ChrisGebhardt
on 30 Mar, 2011 12:36
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Sorry if this has already been mentioned in the thread, but will STS-335 be on LC39B anytime soon for Endeavour's April 19th launch? I will try to be out there April 8th and take photos of the two if they are there. Didn't get a chance to last time (STS-124 and 326). Thanks.
No, that was a rarity and was done for the last time for the STS-125 launch in 2009, which was the last non-ISS Shuttle mission. Pad 39B no longer supports Shuttle launches and the Shuttle structures are currently being demolished.
The STS-135 Shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Pad 39A in early June, or perhaps a little earlier than that -- but still well after the STS-134 launch.
To add, as well, STS-124 and STS-326 were not on the pads at the same time. STS-326 never made it to the pad since STS-124 was completed successfully. Furthermore, STS-326 would have launched from Pad-A. Endeavour (STS-400) was on Pad-B with the Atlantis (STS-125) on Pad-A in September/Oct. 2008 before the first Hubble delay and again in April/May 2009 for the second Hubble mission campaign. When Endeavour (STS-127) was rolled off Pad-B in late-May 2009, it marked the final time a Space Shuttle vehicle was at Pad-B. The pad was then configured for use of Ares I-X and, as Philip mentioned, is currently being dismantled and can no longer support any kind of Shuttle operation. In fact, Pad-B no longer belongs to the Space Shuttle Program. Pad-B was officially handed off to the Constellation Program in the summer of 2009.
STS-135 is currently set to rollout to Pad-A on June 1 (will likely be moved up a week) for a June 28th launch.
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#122
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 31 Mar, 2011 22:55
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In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians move a system that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft in orbit into the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC). Called the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), the system is being processed to fly aboard space shuttle Atlantis in the LMC on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4
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#123
by
Space Pete
on 01 Apr, 2011 14:36
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MPLM rack loading is underway!
In the attached image, you can see that a rack (likely an RSR) has been placed on the Rack Insertion Device, ready to be loaded through the MPLM aft endcone.
It looks like another rack (again an RSR) is already present in the MPLM.
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#124
by
nismo
on 01 Apr, 2011 18:40
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Sorry if this has already been mentioned in the thread, but will STS-335 be on LC39B anytime soon for Endeavour's April 19th launch? I will try to be out there April 8th and take photos of the two if they are there. Didn't get a chance to last time (STS-124 and 326). Thanks.
No, that was a rarity and was done for the last time for the STS-125 launch in 2009, which was the last non-ISS Shuttle mission. Pad 39B no longer supports Shuttle launches and the Shuttle structures are currently being demolished.
The STS-135 Shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Pad 39A in early June, or perhaps a little earlier than that -- but still well after the STS-134 launch.
To add, as well, STS-124 and STS-326 were not on the pads at the same time. STS-326 never made it to the pad since STS-124 was completed successfully. Furthermore, STS-326 would have launched from Pad-A. Endeavour (STS-400) was on Pad-B with the Atlantis (STS-125) on Pad-A in September/Oct. 2008 before the first Hubble delay and again in April/May 2009 for the second Hubble mission campaign. When Endeavour (STS-127) was rolled off Pad-B in late-May 2009, it marked the final time a Space Shuttle vehicle was at Pad-B. The pad was then configured for use of Ares I-X and, as Philip mentioned, is currently being dismantled and can no longer support any kind of Shuttle operation. In fact, Pad-B no longer belongs to the Space Shuttle Program. Pad-B was officially handed off to the Constellation Program in the summer of 2009.
STS-135 is currently set to rollout to Pad-A on June 1 (will likely be moved up a week) for a June 28th launch.
Thanks. I wasn't sure if it was STS-124 or 125 that had the two out there. I did go to the STS-124 launch (my pic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:STS124LaunchSpoilIslandsView.JPG). I now remember having to be in central Florida the first week of September and last week of October on separate occasions. The gates at Canaveral National Seashore were open without entry fee and we went in and saw the two (LC39B a mile away). Pretty awesome up close. No pics.
I'll be there a week from today so I was hoping to get some pics. I guess all I will get are some shots of 39B being dismantled. :/
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#125
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 04 Apr, 2011 17:54
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In a rendezvous sim with MCC all day. Our first integrated sim and chance to practice. Will find out how the four person crew will work out.
http://twitter.com/#!/Astro_Sandy
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#126
by
Space Pete
on 04 Apr, 2011 19:45
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The aforementioned RSR went into the MPLM today.
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#127
by
glanmor05
on 05 Apr, 2011 11:40
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Can I just check that the plan is still to bring PMA 3 back?
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#128
by
robertross
on 05 Apr, 2011 12:00
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Can I just check that the plan is still to bring PMA 3 back?
We're not sure yet.
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#129
by
Space Pete
on 05 Apr, 2011 12:04
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Can I just check that the plan is still to bring PMA 3 back?
Unknown at this time.
There are two pieces of evidence to suggest that it's coming back:
1) The fact that they removed the Strela adapter from PMA-3's FRGF during STS-133 EVA-2.
2) The fact that a "road to" ULF-7 activity is listed as ingressing PMA-3 and installing the Node 3 Port CDC (Center Disk Cover).
However, there is no official confirmation from NASA, even on L2, and looking at recent images of Atlantis' Payload Bay on the KSC Media Gallery, the PRLAs (Payload Retention Latch Assemblies) for the SLP (Space Lab Pallet), which would be used to return PMA-3, are not installed.
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#130
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 06 Apr, 2011 03:39
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the PRLAs (Payload Retention Latch Assemblies) for the SLP (Space Lab Pallet), which would be used to return PMA-3, are not installed.
Umm, you dont need PRLAs for that as the SLP wont need to be removed from the payload bay
Non-deployable payloads are retained by bolted passive retention devices, and deployable payloads are secured by motor-driven, active retention devices.
http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/scom/219.pdfEdit: Here is the animation from STS-92 showing how the PMA-3 was installed, I would guess it would be returned the same way (except starting at Node 2 zenith:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/video/shuttle/sts-92/mpg/sts92pf05.mpg
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#131
by
Sesquipedalian
on 06 Apr, 2011 05:34
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#132
by
Tez
on 06 Apr, 2011 06:45
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#133
by
psloss
on 06 Apr, 2011 11:36
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Edit: Here is the animation from STS-92 showing how the PMA-3 was installed, I would guess it would be returned the same way (except starting at Node 2 zenith:
Unlatching it from the SLP was an EVA task.
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#134
by
Space Pete
on 06 Apr, 2011 12:33
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the PRLAs (Payload Retention Latch Assemblies) for the SLP (Space Lab Pallet), which would be used to return PMA-3, are not installed.
Umm, you dont need PRLAs for that as the SLP wont need to be removed from the payload bay
Yes, I know that. Only active PRLAs are needed for payload removal on-orbit. Passive PRLAs will still be needed to hold the SLP in the PLB. Neither the passive PRLAs nor their supporting PLB longerons are currently installed in Atlantis.
A comparison of active and passive PRLAs is attached.
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#135
by
Space Pete
on 08 Apr, 2011 18:17
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Two good looks inside MPLM FM-2 "Raffaello" during the STS-135 CEIT.
Three RSPs are visible at MPLM DECK (top of image), and two RSPs plus one ISP are visible at MPLM OVHD (bottom of image). They have also adapted the end-cone to accommodate end-cone stowage.
Hi-res versions, and more CEIT images are here:
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=226
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#136
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 08 Apr, 2011 21:30
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#137
by
psloss
on 08 Apr, 2011 22:24
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NASA TV has a Video File item on the CEIT this evening...fairly long (25 minutes), perhaps in part because this would be the final one.
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#138
by
Space Pete
on 09 Apr, 2011 14:33
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Just an FYI, three of the four STS-135 crewmembers are now on Twitter!
Chris Ferguson (
@Astro_Ferg).
Doug Hurley (
@Astro_Doug).
Sandy Magnus (
@Astro_Sandy).
All we need now is Rex Walheim!
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#139
by
Chris Bergin
on 09 Apr, 2011 15:05
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