LIVE: STS-115: Launch Day - September 9

• LIVE: STS-115: Launch Day - September 9 by Chris Bergin on 08 Sep, 2006 22:12
• Live updates of Saturday's attempt for the launch of Atlantis on STS-115.
  
  As always, only relevant updates should go in here. None of that "Go Atlantis" or "I'm biting my bloody nails" etc. As people come to this page for updates on the mission, and not to find out what you've just had for lunch.
  
  Any questions like "How does an SSME work" - into the Shuttle Q and A thread - top of the general section (although that sort of answer will be in there). Any questions specific questions to an update are ok.
  
  Weather questions must go here: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4126&start=31&posts=32
  
  Images are now option to view (via attached links) so we will be able to cope with the huge demands as with Sept. 8 attempt, where it was the 10,000s of refreshings of pages full of images that slowed the site down.
  
  So, off we go with coming out of the T-11 hours hold.
  
  God Speed Atlantis.
• #1 by psloss on 08 Sep, 2006 22:35
• One other cleanup item from today's attempt thread; as Dave noted, Bill Harwood reported that due to weather they weren't able to get the RSS moved into the orbiter to put a new Tvyek cover on the F3L thruster:
  http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/current.html
  
• #2 by nathan.moeller on 08 Sep, 2006 22:40
• I may be off, but wasn't the Tyvek cover from a thruster on the port side of the orbiter's forward RCS?  I know it wasn't on the upper nose so at least it has a chance of working on orbit if the rain comes in sideways from the East (if my thoughts on the thruster location are correct).  I'm guessing they can fly without it if it goes bad like the after thruster on Discovery for STS-121?
• #3 by DaveS on 08 Sep, 2006 22:48
• Still holding at T-11 hours. Seems like I miscalculated the time that they were going to release it at.
• #4 by psloss on 08 Sep, 2006 22:52
• Quote

  DaveS - 8/9/2006  6:35 PM
  
  Still holding at T-11 hours. Seems like I miscalculated the time that they were going to release it at.

  I'll duplicate my post in the other thread here on my calculations:
  
  

  Quote

  Here's how I have it -- all EDT -- based on a target T-0 of 11:09 am (window open, rounded "back" to the minute), a one-hour hold at T-6 hours, and then everything else "standard":
  
  T-11 hours counting: 7:19 pm
  T-6 hours holding: 12:19 am
  T-6 hours counting: 1:19 am
  T-3 hours holding: 4:19 am
  T-3 hours counting: 7:19 am
  T-20 min. holding: 9:59 am
  T-20 min. counting: 10:09 am
  T-9 min. holding: 10:20 am
  
  (Can't confirm, but that's the way I have it.)
• #5 by psloss on 08 Sep, 2006 22:56
• Quote

  nathan.moeller - 8/9/2006  6:27 PM
  
  I may be off, but wasn't the Tyvek cover from a thruster on the port side of the orbiter's forward RCS?  I know it wasn't on the upper nose so at least it has a chance of working on orbit if the rain comes in sideways from the East (if my thoughts on the thruster location are correct).  I'm guessing they can fly without it if it goes bad like the after thruster on Discovery for STS-121?

  I still can't do port and starboard; the thruster is F3L, a yaw jet -- on the pad it "looks" west.  I posted dramatic (heh) screenshots of the Tyvek paper coming off the thruster on Wednesday night in thread for today's launch attempt:
  http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4244&posts=324&mid=65337&highlight=&highlightmode=1&action=search#M65337
  
• #6 by DaveS on 08 Sep, 2006 23:01
• Port = Left
  Starboard = Right
• #7 by nathan.moeller on 08 Sep, 2006 23:01
• I'll try to find the images when they come back online.  Yeah I understand about port and starboard being hard...especially when the vehicle's standing straight up!  The window is from 11:15-11:20 AM EDT tomorrow correct?
• #8 by psloss on 08 Sep, 2006 23:04
• Quote

  nathan.moeller - 8/9/2006  6:48 PM
  
  I'll try to find the images when they come back online.  Yeah I understand about port and starboard being hard...especially when the vehicle's standing straight up!  The window is from 11:15-11:20 AM EDT tomorrow correct?

  According to:
  http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/115/115windows.html
  
  Open: 11:09:55 am
  In Plane: 11:14:55 am (this is the preferred)
  Close: 11:19:55 am
  
  (All EDT)
  
• #9 by Avron on 08 Sep, 2006 23:06
• Do we know if the ECO sensor is still showing wet? Just wondering, now that the tank has warmed up, if the state had chanced since the draining.
• #10 by Austin on 08 Sep, 2006 23:10
• Quote

  nathan.moeller - 8/9/2006  3:48 PM
  
  I'll try to find the images when they come back online.  Yeah I understand about port and starboard being hard...especially when the vehicle's standing straight up!  The window is from 11:15-11:20 AM EDT tomorrow correct?

  
  Launch window closes at 11:19:55 AM EDT tomorrow
• #11 by DaveS on 08 Sep, 2006 23:35
• And we are T-11 hours and counting.
• #12 by Avron on 08 Sep, 2006 23:44
• First order of business post T-11 is to activate the fuel cells, so  I hope we can get some positive feedback
• #13 by Avron on 08 Sep, 2006 23:49
• Do we know what is stored here... looks like some work in progress

  ---

  

  
• #14 by Mark Max Q on 08 Sep, 2006 23:51
• Sure don't think that guy should be sat on it if it was cryos! Where are with with the count by way of proceedure - maybe that would be a clue.
• #15 by Avron on 08 Sep, 2006 23:53
• Normal high level items at T-11 and counting
  
  
  Activate the orbiter's fuel cells
  Clear the blast danger area of all non-essential personnel
  Switch Atlantis' purge air to gaseous nitrogen
  
• #16 by shuttlefan on 08 Sep, 2006 23:56
• By what time do they have to place the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Hood ( Beanie Cap ) over the tank again in preparation for tanking?
• #17 by psloss on 09 Sep, 2006 00:00
• Quote

  Avron - 8/9/2006  7:31 PM
  
  First order of business post T-11 is to activate the fuel cells, so  I hope we can get some positive feedback

  That's definitely the case if that point hasn't occurred before (as was the case on Tuesday night), but I don't see that called out in the S0007 extended hold document after the scrub of the Wednesday attempt.  
  
  Can someone clarify whether the fuel cells have been turned off since they were activated on Tuesday night (obviously FC #1 was stop/started during the initial troubleshooting on Tuesday night) or have they been left on?
  
• #18 by Avron on 09 Sep, 2006 00:08
• Quote

  shuttlefan - 8/9/2006  7:43 PM
  
  By what time do they have to place the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Hood ( Beanie Cap ) over the tank again in preparation for tanking?

  
  Kiley
  I think that will happen in around T-9 hours
• #19 by dougb on 09 Sep, 2006 00:16
• when does tanking start?