Author Topic: Landing at White Sands, very bad idea! (Read 35790 times)

rdale · « **Reply #40 on:** 12/22/2006 04:03 am »

That was the crew press conference, regular media briefings are always held at Johnson after touchdown.

nathan.moeller · « **Reply #41 on:** 12/22/2006 04:08 am »

My two cents...

The most important goal is to get Discovery and her crew home safely. If a WSSH landing is necessary, no problem. It's safe. Will it take a while to get her back and ready? Yeah. But so what? Her next flight (STS-122) isn't scheduled for launch until October 17, 2007. There's plenty of time to get her whipped around after returning her to KSC. And even if it is delayed a little while, it's okay. There's built-in time at the scheduled end of the shuttle program to allow for some delays like this.

As for a lot of the mainstream news media, they're going to try to make NASA look bad no matter what in cases like this. We've known this for a long, LONG time. Forget 'em! We know what's up

In short, if they land at White Sands, great. They're home safe. Let the media have their fun. No one who knows anything about NASA takes them seriously. We'll see Discovery back in Florida soon enough and they'll work to get her whipped around for flight again next year.

DaveS · « **Reply #42 on:** 12/22/2006 04:13 am »

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nathan.moeller - 22/12/2006 5:51 AM

My two cents...

The most important goal is to get Discovery and her crew home safely. If a WSSH landing is necessary, no problem. It's safe. Will it take a while to get her back and ready? Yeah. But so what? Her next flight (STS-122) isn't scheduled for launch until October 17, 2007.

The problem is that she's is getting the SSPTS and that is a long process to get implemented. 1 month delay of getting her into OPF-3 means one month not spent on not getting SSPTS installed.

That is what everything is about.

SSPTS = Station/Shuttle Power Transfer System

nathan.moeller · « **Reply #43 on:** 12/22/2006 04:19 am »

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DaveS - 21/12/2006 10:56 PM

The problem is that she's is getting the SSPTS and that is a long process to get implemented. 1 month delay of getting her into OPF-3 means one month not spent on not getting SSPTS installed.

That is what everything is about.

SSPTS = Station/Shuttle Power Transfer System

Yeah I know about SSPTS. But is it really going to take seven months to install it on Discovery? It sounds like she'll be back in OPF-3 by late February or early March. That gives them about seven months to get the job done. Can't it be done during normal launch processing? Of course, it will push some work around in the schedule but is it realistic to think they can't get the job done by late September or early October 2007? I'm not being sarcastic but please fill me in on some details if I am way off the mark on this.

STS-500Cmdr · « **Reply #44 on:** 12/22/2006 04:25 am »

Watch the other networks--the clueless Fox who probably havent a clue where White Sands is--BTW i dont know if anyone mentioned this anywhere here but earlier i was watching CNN for a min talking about this and showing that awful CNN interview with the crew--and the meteorologist talked for a min about the weather at KSC and the winds--they zoom in with GoogleEarth--and they zoom in on the skid strip--not the SLF--to show people this is where the shuttle lands and the crosswinds[wrong runway, dingbat]--watch networks tomorrow with "their gonna die"--im dying to see the graphics and captions. Anyway forgive me for my news media watch-haha.

landofgray--no post-landing presser--but good ol' Rob Navias said there'll be a mic on the runway for at least the commander to make a statement if he wants, probably the usual walk around, then into the motor home.

DaveS · « **Reply #45 on:** 12/22/2006 04:26 am »

Took alot of time to install it on Endeavour which is why her RTF has been pushed to the right so much. Originally she was to have her RTF this year, but thanks to SSPTS it has slipped to 2007.

Turnaround processing for Discovery between 121 and 116 took little more than 3 months. And that is nominal time for launch preps in the OPF.

nathan.moeller · « **Reply #46 on:** 12/22/2006 04:34 am »

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DaveS - 21/12/2006 11:09 PM

Took alot of time to install it on Endeavour which is why her RTF has been pushed to the right so much. Originally she was to have her RTF this year, but thanks to SSPTS it has slipped to 2007.

Turnaround processing for Discovery between 121 and 116 took little more than 3 months. And that is nominal time for launch preps in the OPF.

Yeah I know nominal turnaround time but do you have a good estimate on how long it took to install SSPTS on Endeavour?

northanger · « **Reply #47 on:** 12/22/2006 05:01 am »

I'm calling the pocket: STS-116 wheel stop on 22-Dec @ Kennedy :: 3:56 p.m. EST.

nathan.moeller · « **Reply #48 on:** 12/22/2006 05:03 am »

I'm with you NorthAnger!!

northanger · « **Reply #49 on:** 12/22/2006 05:32 am »

Is this the one we're looking at?

Deorbit to Kennedy on Orbit 202
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/165684main_KSC202_close.gif

nathan.moeller · « **Reply #50 on:** 12/22/2006 05:35 am »

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northanger - 22/12/2006 12:15 AM

Is this the one we're looking at?

Deorbit to Kennedy on Orbit 202
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/165684main_KSC202_close.gif

Yes. Then Orbit 203 opens up the option to pick any of the three sites (KSC, WSSH, and EDW). Orbit 204 has the option for WSSH and EDW. Orbits 205 and 206 are for EDW only (I think).

trickydick412 · « **Reply #51 on:** 12/22/2006 05:39 am »

I have to say, I'm with those of you who want to avoid the silly "NASA Endangers Astronauts Lives" story that would come with a Saturday landing. This is especially true since this mission was the first since STS-107 that really avoided silliness like features on the range safety officers.

What is the "unthinkable" scenario, where the shuttle is out of consumables and all the landing sites are no go? Do they go to a TAL site or another the list of secondary and tertiary sites like Nassau and Myrtle Beach? I am having a nightmare of having to land at King Khalid Airport in Saudi Arabia and having Old Reliable and her crew attacked by jihadis or something.

northanger · « **Reply #52 on:** 12/22/2006 05:39 am »

Quote

nathan.moeller - 22/12/2006 12:18 AM

Quote
northanger - 22/12/2006 12:15 AM

Is this the one we're looking at?

Deorbit to Kennedy on Orbit 202
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/165684main_KSC202_close.gif

Yes. Then Orbit 203 opens up the option to pick any of the three sites (KSC, WSSH, and EDW). Orbit 204 has the option for WSSH and EDW. Orbits 205 and 206 are for EDW only (I think).

Ah, I get it now. That's how that works. This is the one at 3:56pm EST.

landofgrey · « **Reply #53 on:** 12/22/2006 05:42 am »

I'm awake way too late but have to be at KSC early so I figure I'll pull an all0nighter with coffee...

rdale - during missions the briefings are at JSC but pre/postlaunch and postlanding briefings are always at KSC, mainly I guess because that's where the "important" people are.

I may be sitting in the ksc news center watching it come in elsewhere tomorrow like with 114 (I embarrassingly feel asleep there during the landing), but my intuition says they'll be landing at KSC. My brain says otherwise, but intuition says Florida. In other words, I have no clue. I do NOT think it'll be Edwards though.

Landing at WSMR doesn't worry me, but staying on the concrete pad for 45-60 days does. What's to say there won't be a sandstorm or rain/snowstorm in that time? I'm not fond of the idea of leaving the orbiter exposed that long.

Oh, and I love watching or listening to the media though. Either local or national sometimes it seems that they're operating philosophy is "jumping to conclusions saves so much time over doing actual research and time IS of the essence in order to get 'the scoop'" I mean, not even bothering to get a picture of the correct runway lol hilarious. Fox radio is pretty good, Holly Hickman does her research even though she's new on the beat <=== FREE PLUG FOR FOX.

nathan.moeller · « **Reply #54 on:** 12/22/2006 05:43 am »

Right. Then the following attempts will follow about 90 minutes apart from one another, of course. Orbit 204 entry to KSC will take her straight over Houston. So that would be cool but I'm still hoping for Orbit 203. These guys are going to be tired as it is and three or four attempts in one day would make it even tougher for them to bring her down.

trickydick412 · « **Reply #55 on:** 12/22/2006 05:46 am »

Speaking of FOX, I had the "pleasure" of having to catch the launch on FOX.

I don't know what was worse, John Kasich trying to pretend he was a big space fanatic when he knew nothing about what was going on, or the graphic which identified Discovery as Atlantis.

nathan.moeller · « **Reply #56 on:** 12/22/2006 05:51 am »

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trickydick412 - 22/12/2006 12:29 AM

Speaking of FOX, I had the "pleasure" of having to catch the launch on FOX.

I don't know what was worse, John Kasich trying to pretend he was a big space fanatic when he knew nothing about what was going on, or the graphic which identified Discovery as Atlantis.

True. Funny they saved the STS-115 Atlantis graphic and misplaced it for Discovery. Showing the shuttle reaching orbital speeds before the SRBs separated didn't help them either...

Hopefully C-Span will carry 117 in the wee-hours of the morning. Just got the word from Navias that we'll have some good live TV of final approach and landing should they come in at WSSH. I'm sure that's already been discussed but I was at work until 11 EST. No post-landing news conference should that be the case, but the crew will be able to say a few words at a mic.

northanger · « **Reply #57 on:** 12/22/2006 05:57 am »

All KSC people need to go to bed!

Thanks Nathan for landing-orbit info.

northanger · « **Reply #58 on:** 12/22/2006 05:59 am »

LOL, I watched the launch on CNN. Oh oh! it's it's about to go up! Like they were rushing to get to the camera before the launch.

landofgrey · « **Reply #59 on:** 12/22/2006 06:00 am »

John Kasich knows tax reform but not much else. I've found that the radio correspondents for the networks are a lot better than the tv "personalities" who read the new. And we all remember how the Associated Press republished the story of the previous day's scrub and mistook it for a Dec. 7 scrub and CNN ran with it. HILARIOUS.

I want to call in the morning and see what the WB-57 will do if they don't come in at Kennedy. It's supposed to do video support of the landing (more cameras that might be seen on TV).

OK... Landing minus 14 hour (give or take) weather check. The skies here (20 miles from KSC) are still relatively clear, light breeze. I hope it holds.