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#340 by Aobrien on 19 Jun, 2011 01:32
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Glad when the shuttle makes the news, but hate when they have so many technical errors. Even when it's just local news.
http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/june/265267/Work-intensifies-Monday-for-last-shuttle-launch -
#341 by vortec42 on 19 Jun, 2011 03:15
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Glad when the shuttle makes the news, but hate when they have so many technical errors. Even when it's just local news.
http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/june/265267/Work-intensifies-Monday-for-last-shuttle-launch
The most important error being the launch date. Jeez. I wonder how many will screw up their plans based on that error. -
#342 by K8B on 19 Jun, 2011 03:55
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Why are there people out at the pad right now setting up a tent structure on the top near the ET nose? I have a pic but it won't upload. Camera 001
(Edit - added a daytime picture from either earlier today or yesterday, it appears the bars of the structure were up then, guess there is something up there that needs protection from ??, so much so that adding the tent was done at midnight?)
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#343 by robertross on 19 Jun, 2011 14:46
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Why are there people out at the pad right now setting up a tent structure on the top near the ET nose? I have a pic but it won't upload. Camera 001
(Edit - added a daytime picture from either earlier today or yesterday, it appears the bars of the structure were up then, guess there is something up there that needs protection from ??, so much so that adding the tent was done at midnight?)
Interesting. Obviously a protective area to prevent sand/dust/wind from getting in, or to maintain temperature (but thinking the former). Looks to be around/near a lifting mechanism.
See window in bottom left on attached - best I could find so far
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#344 by robertross on 19 Jun, 2011 14:55
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Okay, found the answer on the L2 processing thread.
This is to gain access to the intertank region to do NDE testing following the tanking test.
edit: I should say this is to 'support' intertank access. So this could be a staging area -
#345 by K8B on 19 Jun, 2011 14:58
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Interesting. Obviously a protective area to prevent sand/dust/wind from getting in, or to maintain temperature (but thinking the former). Looks to be around/near a lifting mechanism.
When was that taken? Could it be something to do with the x-ray stuff. The other though was perhaps it was to be done earlier in the day but because of another storm they could not do it & had to wait until it was safe to work. I found this for weekend work -
See window in bottom left on attached - best I could find so far
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
Busy Shuttle Preps Weekend
Sat, 18 Jun 2011 06:29:15 AM PDT
A busy weekend is under way at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A in Florida.
With space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-135 mission payload now secured inside the pad’s rotating service structure, the RSS was closed Saturday morning, and Atlantis' payload bay doors are scheduled to be opened Saturday night. It's all part of the preparations to install the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module and other payloads bound for the International Space Station into the shuttle’s cargo bay on Monday.
Also on Saturday, technicians begin high-tech X-ray scans of the tops and bottoms of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of Atlantis’ external tank. The scans are expected to take about a week to complete and confirm there are no issues with the tank stringers.
Technicians also begin preparations to replace a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis’ space shuttle main engine No. 3.
And Atlantis’ four veteran astronauts are scheduled to fly in their T-38 aircraft from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to Kennedy on Monday. They’re set to arrive at about 5:45 p.m. EDT to being their prelaunch countdown dress rehearsal, called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), and related training. Their arrival at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility will be carried live on NASA TV and on the web at www.nasa.gov/ntv.
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#346 by robertross on 19 Jun, 2011 15:01
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Interesting. Obviously a protective area to prevent sand/dust/wind from getting in, or to maintain temperature (but thinking the former). Looks to be around/near a lifting mechanism.
When was that taken? Could it be something to do with the x-ray stuff.
See window in bottom left on attached - best I could find so far
captured the image live
Yes, see the post previous to yours: it supports NDE testing. -
#347 by K8B on 19 Jun, 2011 15:03
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Okay, found the answer on the L2 processing thread.
Thanks a bunch! Oh, sidenote, I'm bummed you won't make it down for launch (@ least that's the last I remember you saying) - will miss your modeling catwalk skills at the NSF dinner
This is to gain access to the intertank region to do NDE testing following the tanking test.
edit: I should say this is to 'support' intertank access. So this could be a staging area
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#348 by robertross on 19 Jun, 2011 15:05
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Okay, found the answer on the L2 processing thread.
Thanks a bunch! Oh, sidenote, I'm bummed you won't make it down for launch (@ least that's the last I remember you saying) - will miss your modeling catwalk skills at the NSF dinner
This is to gain access to the intertank region to do NDE testing following the tanking test.
edit: I should say this is to 'support' intertank access. So this could be a staging area
Haha..right. I know who YOU are now!
Ah well, 2 launches in a row with no scrubs - I can't get luckier than that (well except being in a room with like-minded shuttle huggers)
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#349 by Ronsmytheiii on 19 Jun, 2011 22:22
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#350 by TJL on 20 Jun, 2011 01:35
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I believe the MPLM on STS 126 currently holds the record for carrying the heaviest payload.
This being the last MPLM, will it surpass the weight carried on 126?
Thank you. -
#351 by padrat on 20 Jun, 2011 14:29
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Installing the last payload of the Space Shuttle Program.... Don't know how to feel today.
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#352 by vortec42 on 20 Jun, 2011 15:09
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Is it appropriate to ask questions here? If not, I apologize. But I never knew that the payload was installed on the pad. Just assumed it was done in the VAB, since there's plenty of heavy lifting equipment there, etc. What is the reason for doing it on the pad?
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#353 by ChrisGebhardt on 20 Jun, 2011 15:32
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Is it appropriate to ask questions here? If not, I apologize. But I never knew that the payload was installed on the pad. Just assumed it was done in the VAB, since there's plenty of heavy lifting equipment there, etc. What is the reason for doing it on the pad?
Clean-room requirements - which the VAB does not have. -
#354 by stuart_wildcat on 20 Jun, 2011 15:33
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Glad when the shuttle makes the news, but hate when they have so many technical errors. Even when it's just local news.
http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/june/265267/Work-intensifies-Monday-for-last-shuttle-launch
The most important error being the launch date. Jeez. I wonder how many will screw up their plans based on that error.
Looks like they have fixed the error on flight date. That is the cable news channel for those of us in the Tampa cable area so lots of people who might have eventually come over for the launch may have seen the article. Looks like the date was fixed pretty quick though as it says last updated on 6/18 and the posts pointing out the article and mentioning errors were 6/18 evening/late night. -
#355 by ChrisGebhardt on 20 Jun, 2011 15:35
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I believe the MPLM on STS 126 currently holds the record for carrying the heaviest payload.
This being the last MPLM, will it surpass the weight carried on 126?
Thank you.
From what I've seen, no. The MPLM weight (in terms of cargo) on STS-135 will not exceed the MPLM cargo weight on STS-126. But I have not yet seen the final MPLM weight from STS-135. -
#356 by Space Pete on 20 Jun, 2011 15:45
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I believe the MPLM on STS 126 currently holds the record for carrying the heaviest payload.
This being the last MPLM, will it surpass the weight carried on 126?
Thank you.
From what I've seen, no. The MPLM weight (in terms of cargo) on STS-135 will not exceed the MPLM cargo weight on STS-126. But I have not yet seen the final MPLM weight from STS-135.
The MPLM mass on STS-135 is 25,500 pounds, whereas the MPLM mass on STS-26 was 28,106 pounds - so STS-126 was heavier. However, I believe CDR Chris Ferguson said that the STS-135 MPLM will be the heaviest ever for landing.
All 16 MPLM rack bays will be fully loaded with cargo for STS-135, and six Resupply Stowage Platform (RSP) racks have been modified to enable them to carry more cargo than ever before. In the attached image, you can see that the RSPs on the left and right sides are packed with cargo from "floor to ceiling", which has never been done before.
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#357 by ChrisGebhardt on 20 Jun, 2011 15:46
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I believe the MPLM on STS 126 currently holds the record for carrying the heaviest payload.
This being the last MPLM, will it surpass the weight carried on 126?
Thank you.
From what I've seen, no. The MPLM weight (in terms of cargo) on STS-135 will not exceed the MPLM cargo weight on STS-126. But I have not yet seen the final MPLM weight from STS-135.
The MPLM on STS-135 will be the heaviest MPLM ever flown for both launch and landing. All 16 rack bays will be fully loaded with cargo, and six Resupply Stowage Platform (RSP) racks have been modified to enable them to carry more cargo than ever before.
In the attached image, you can see that the RSPs on the left and right sides are packed with cargo from "floor to ceiling", which has never been done before.
But what's the weight? The last weight I saw for Raffaello was not heavier for launch than Leonardo was for STS-126. -
#358 by Space Pete on 20 Jun, 2011 15:51
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I believe the MPLM on STS 126 currently holds the record for carrying the heaviest payload.
This being the last MPLM, will it surpass the weight carried on 126?
Thank you.
From what I've seen, no. The MPLM weight (in terms of cargo) on STS-135 will not exceed the MPLM cargo weight on STS-126. But I have not yet seen the final MPLM weight from STS-135.
The MPLM on STS-135 will be the heaviest MPLM ever flown for both launch and landing. All 16 rack bays will be fully loaded with cargo, and six Resupply Stowage Platform (RSP) racks have been modified to enable them to carry more cargo than ever before.
In the attached image, you can see that the RSPs on the left and right sides are packed with cargo from "floor to ceiling", which has never been done before.
But what's the weight? The last weight I saw for Raffaello was not heavier for launch than Leonardo was for STS-126.
Yup, you are right - corrected my original post.
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#359 by robertross on 20 Jun, 2011 16:36
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Installing the last payload of the Space Shuttle Program.... Don't know how to feel today.
I know how I feel, and I'm sure it's only minor compared to how you and your buddies feel.
Chin up, it's been a great ride. (that's the best I can do for now)
