STS-117: Rollback and ET-124 VAB Repair Latest

• #700 by rdale on 14 May, 2007 15:44
• Quote

  Mark Nguyen - 14/5/2007  11:09 AM
  
  Will NASA TV Have a schedule release today?

  
  NASA TV releases a schedule every weekday around noon ET. Watch the website for more, or just set your alarm to wake you up and watch on the webcams. I don't think you'll notice much speed difference ;>
  
  Regarding weather - are you saying they won't roll out if there's a chance of storms, or just that they have to stop if lightning gets close? Is the system protected from strikes when it's mobile?
• #701 by DaveS on 14 May, 2007 15:55
• Quote

  rdale - 14/5/2007  5:44 PM
  Regarding weather - are you saying they won't roll out if there's a chance of storms, or just that they have to stop if lightning gets close? Is the system protected from strikes when it's mobile?

  No protection whatsoever against lightning strikes during rollouts/rollbacks. And yes, they won't roll if there's a chance of lightning during the roll.
• #702 by Chris Bergin on 14 May, 2007 15:57
• Rollout on track for 00:01 Tuesday, that's 5:01am UK time.
• #703 by collectSPACE on 14 May, 2007 16:16
• Quote

  Chris Bergin - 14/5/2007  10:57 AM
  
  Rollout on track for 00:01 Tuesday, that's 5:01am UK time.

  KSC PAO and NASA.gov (as of 11:00 am EDT) now say first motion is at 4:00 am.
• #704 by Chris Bergin on 14 May, 2007 16:32
• Yeah, they seem to keep changing it. 4am seems the most solid for sure.
• #705 by DaveS on 14 May, 2007 16:43
• Quote

  collectSPACE - 14/5/2007  6:16 PM
  
  

  Quote

  Chris Bergin - 14/5/2007  10:57 AM
  
  Rollout on track for 00:01 Tuesday, that's 5:01am UK time.

  KSC PAO and NASA.gov (as of 11:00 am EDT) now say first motion is at 4:00 am.

  Hey Rob, couldn't ask KSC PAO if they plan to have NASA TV coverage of the roll assuming a 1st motion of 4 am EDT?
  
  Thanks!
• #706 by Chris Bergin on 14 May, 2007 17:38
• NASA TV will have live coverage from 6:30am EST.
• #707 by Mark Nguyen on 14 May, 2007 17:41
• Great, thanks!
  
  I wonder if that means the crew who'll be supervising the rollout get to go home early tonight...
  
  Mark
• #708 by DaveS on 14 May, 2007 17:48
• Quote

  Mark Nguyen - 14/5/2007  7:41 PM
  Great, thanks!
  

  Yes, thanks for the answer Chris! If my rollout simulations are correct, Atlantis should be about halfway to the crawlerway junction where it splits to both 39A and B when the live coverage starts.
  
  This is assuming a 4 am start.
  
• #709 by rdale on 14 May, 2007 18:24
• Quote

  Chris Bergin - 14/5/2007  1:38 PM
  
  NASA TV will have live coverage from 6:30am EST.

  
  More likely 6:30am EDT ;>
• #710 by DaveS on 14 May, 2007 18:30
• Quote

  rdale - 14/5/2007  8:24 PM
  
  

  Quote

  Chris Bergin - 14/5/2007  1:38 PM
  
  NASA TV will have live coverage from 6:30am EST.

  
  More likely 6:30am EDT ;>

  Rob, what kind of weather do you see for tommorow? Any hope of the rain letting up?
• #711 by Chris Bergin on 14 May, 2007 18:42
• 6:30am Eastern then
• #712 by Mark Dave on 14 May, 2007 20:06
• I just hope they show the whole thing, instead of it cut up into bits like it was last time.
• #713 by DaveS on 14 May, 2007 20:14
• Quote

  MarkD - 14/5/2007  10:06 PM
  I just hope they show the whole thing, instead of it cut up into bits like it was last time.

  That was only because the roll happened on the same day as the STS-117/13A and THEMIS preflight briefings.
  
  As the only event scheduled in for Tuesday is the Progress M-60 docking to ISS at 12:30 am EDT, it won't get cut up.
• #714 by Mark Dave on 14 May, 2007 20:27
• I wonder if there will be close enough speakers to hear the CT as it's moving? The last time, you heard only the wind or nothing at all.
  
  So early tomorrow is it huh?
  
  This should be interesting given the new look the ET will have. The nose of the tank has a white band of new foam instead of the rust colored tone it used to have, and the new patchwork on the rest of the tank.
  
  Any new photos of the ET cleaned up to go?
• #715 by STS-500Cmdr on 14 May, 2007 20:58
• I like the sound the crawler makes--that kinda buzzing sound im not sure how to describe it.
• #716 by johng on 14 May, 2007 21:19
• 
  
  Jeez, 3 weeks to launch, and somebody decides to roll out in the middle of the night? Why not during daylight so us KSC ham'n'eggers can see? (sorry, been here since Jan. and haven't seen a launch yet.) What drives the early morning roll? First time -117 went to the pad, start time was 7AM.
  
  Also:
  
  

  Quote

  astrobrian - 14/5/2007  12:28 AM
  
  And a slight hint of fire smoke for texture too.  Hopefully those don't wreak havoc with Rollout

  
  Last week the smoke was solid. When I drove by the VAB, they were moving an MLP back from pad B.  They had all the 'running' lights on.  Moving thru the blowing smoke looked like a sandcrawler scene from Star Wars.  Jawas could have come out and offered me a good used droid. I should have stopped for a picture. Quite surreal.
• #717 by DaveS on 14 May, 2007 22:05
• Now less than 10 hours to the roll if the weather continues to cooperate.
  
  Edit:
  From a technical standpoint, does everything look good for 4 am roll to the pad?
• #718 by Chris Bergin on 14 May, 2007 22:34
• 70,000 views (and the forum doesn't even count as many as is accurate) so good interest here.
  
  Closing the thread and moving to the rollout updates: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7916&posts=1&start=1