LIVE: STS-115 Flight Day 3

• LIVE: STS-115 Flight Day 3 by Chris Bergin on 11 Sep, 2006 02:22
• Live update thread for Flight Day 3 for STS-115.
  
  Attached are two overview screenshots of FD3 on the 207 page STS-115 Final Flight Plan on L2. Third image is the correct times for the events of the day.

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• #1 by Chris Bergin on 11 Sep, 2006 02:45
• Programing note (as NASA PAO say) for those on L2:
  
  STS-115 Orbit Operations Checklist. STS-115 Rendezvous Handbook.
  STS-115: Ascent Checklist.
  STS-115: Ascent Checklist and Entry Checklist.
  STS-115: Robotics Flight Supplement (428 pages).
  STS-115: Photo/TV Checklist (399 pages) inc. Helmet Cam etc.
  STS-115: Flight Rules.
  STS-115: Full EVA overview and images (326 pages, 56 meg).
  STS-115: PDRS Operations Checklist (68 meg - 517 pages) - as well as others are downloable on L2, where they are really coming into play for this mission from FD3.
• #2 by mkirk on 11 Sep, 2006 02:49
• I noticed a couple of questions since launch on the various threads and I figured I would answer them here.
  
  What is a force fight?  This occurs when servovalves/drivers for a given flight control system fight each other over where the surface should be positioned.  The systems and flight procedures are designed to prevent a bad driver from fighting the good ones.  In the case of the rudder-speed brake, hannel 3 was apparently generating bad commands.  While the Rudder is not used for Ascent it does need to be commanded to the appropriate position (null – closed) and also needs to be available for flight control during the entry & landing portion of an Abort.
  
  What is the FES (flash evaporator system)?
  
  During flight the flash evaporator is used to cool the Freon loops which take away the heat generated by various systems such as the fuel cells, avionics cold plates, and hydraulic heat exchangers, radiators, NH3 boiler, and so on.  In simple terms the hot Freon loops are sprayed with water from the FES which then flashes and evaporates away the heat.  During ascent at about 3 minutes into the flight the crew will check the Evap Out Temp on the overhead meters in front of the Commander to ensure they are decreasing which means that the FES which is activated at SRB Separation is working as advertised.  The FES is not activated until SRB Sep because it is not as efficient at removing heat at lower altitude (higher atmospheric pressure).
  
  During Launch, MCC (mission control center) noticed that the EVAP Out Temperatures were lower than they should be prior to FES activation do to water in the ducts from the recent rains at the Cape – the crew was told to cycle the heaters in order to prevent the water from freezing.
  
  I will have to listen to the tapes again but I believe PAO was getting the FES functions confused with those of the Water Spray Boilers (WSB) which are used to cool the APU (auxiliary power unit) lube oil and hydraulic system fluid.  The FES is not used to cool the hydraulic fluid as I believe PAO was implying, rather the hydraulic fluid cools the Freon loops by taking away the heat and rejecting it in the Waster Spray Boilers.  In the past the WSB spray bars have had problems because of the tendency to freeze up – I think PAO was confusing the two systems – he was certainly confusing me because I was trying to hear Air to Ground Communications so I could track what was happening.
  
  What is APU EGT?
  
  This is the Exhaust Gas Temperature of the Auxiliary Power Units.  During launch the reading for APU 3 was erratic – the temperature is usually in the 940 degree F range.  There is more than one sensor for this reading on each APU one of the readings on #3 was erratic but the other sensor reading is still available and observable by the crew.
  
  Mark Kirkman
  
• #3 by Andy USA on 11 Sep, 2006 02:59
• Mark, thank you so much for that excellent run down.
• #4 by Jason on 11 Sep, 2006 03:13

• Quote

  mkirk - 10/9/2006 10:36 – I think PAO was confusing the two systems – he was certainly confusing me because I was trying to hear Air to Ground Communications so I could track what was happening. Mark Kirkman

  Is there a site where you can listen to just the air to ground loop without the PAO interjecting all the time? Is there anyway that could become a part of this site?

• #5 by reubenb on 11 Sep, 2006 03:25
• So what is presleep and postsleep? Is that like take a shower and brush your teeth or are there more complicated tasks involved in space? It sure seems like they schedule a lot of time for that stuff.
• #6 by Avron on 11 Sep, 2006 03:45
• Quote

  reubenb - 10/9/2006  11:12 PM
  
  So what is presleep and postsleep? Is that like take a shower and brush your teeth or are there more complicated tasks involved in space? It sure seems like they schedule a lot of time for that stuff.

  
  
  I hope just goof around...
• #7 by Avron on 11 Sep, 2006 04:15
• A pan of the payload bay created from 27 frames..

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• #8 by Avron on 11 Sep, 2006 04:29
• Pan created from 20 plus images of the truss in payload bay from the SRMS as it was flown over the bay..

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• #9 by Joffan on 11 Sep, 2006 04:34
• Quote

  Avron - 10/9/2006  10:02 PM
  
  A pan of the payload bay created from 27 frames..

  Thanks Avron - that's the best view of the docking ring I've seen.
  
  Kind of folky medieval music this morning - was it for Burbank?
• #10 by reubenb on 11 Sep, 2006 04:58
• Quote

  Avron - 10/9/2006  10:32 PM
  
  

  Quote

  reubenb - 10/9/2006  11:12 PM
  
  So what is presleep and postsleep? Is that like take a shower and brush your teeth or are there more complicated tasks involved in space? It sure seems like they schedule a lot of time for that stuff.

  
  
  I hope just goof around...

  
  Oh, ok, so basically just free time.
• #11 by Zachstar on 11 Sep, 2006 05:31
• Waste Dump! Awesome shot of it on Nasa TV!!
  
  Edit: Just how long do these dumps take anyway? It's been a ton of time now.
• #12 by reubenb on 11 Sep, 2006 06:02
• Some cool flight deck video now. Too bad I don't have a player that takes screen shots.
• #13 by nitin52 on 11 Sep, 2006 06:24
• Dose sombody recording it. Can we download it? We missed it on NASA TV.
• #14 by Zachstar on 11 Sep, 2006 06:47
• I have one but I cant upload big files sorry.
  
  You will be able to see it on the FD highlights after the crew sleeps tho.
• #15 by Zachstar on 11 Sep, 2006 07:06
• ISS Spotted!!
  
  Edit: (If im reading this right) It looks like there is going to be good TDRS coverage for docking.
  
  Edit2: If you arent watching you are missing some good forward flight deck video. Links for NTV streams below
  
  ----NASA TV-----
  
  http://news.yahoo.com/fc/science/space_shuttle (Click Watch NASA TV 500K Super High Quality Stream)
  
  http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=2
  
  http://www.idb.com.au/pages/nasatv.html (Many NTV Feeds)
  
  Here is to a good docking today!
• #16 by Stardust9906 on 11 Sep, 2006 08:27
• TI Burn just completed.  Good burn no trim required.
• #17 by MKremer on 11 Sep, 2006 08:32
• NASA-TV has been showing the orbiter as viewed from an ISS camera. It's still a bright smudge, but the puffs of RCS trims are easily visible.
• #18 by rosbif73 on 11 Sep, 2006 08:48
• Today's execute package (128 pages!) has just been posted at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts115/mission_docs/execute_packages.html
  
  

  Quote

  Welcome to a wonderful day in micro gravity and thanks for your excellent work! Today your
  extraterrestrial peers are looking forward to greeting you and to getting your help to upgrade
  their home! Have a smooth docking!
  
• #19 by psloss on 11 Sep, 2006 09:19
• Range is about 11200 feet, range rate about 12 fps...third mid-course correction burn in about 10 minutes...