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#340 by MKremer on 03 Jun, 2007 00:35
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They may be through with cabin access requirements until sometime early next week. It makes sense to keep the cabin closed off if no one needs to be in there for a day or two, especially if a lot of the pre-launch preps have already been completed.
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#341 by DaveS on 03 Jun, 2007 14:35
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The side hatch has been re-opened.
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#342 by Chris Bergin on 03 Jun, 2007 18:17
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Weekend Work: S0071 MPS/SSME and OMS/RCS pressurization for flight, S0007.100 Launch Countdown preps, S1287 Orbiter AFT Close-outs.
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#343 by DaveS on 03 Jun, 2007 18:26
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Just a reminder folks, the STS-117 flight crew flies to KSC tommorow. Arrival will be live on NASA TV at 6:30 pm EDT.
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#344 by ShuttleDiscovery on 03 Jun, 2007 19:25
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#345 by on 03 Jun, 2007 19:52
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DaveS - 3/6/2007 1:26 PM Just a reminder folks, the STS-117 flight crew flies to KSC tommorow. Arrival will be live on NASA TV at 6:30 pm EDT.
How many T-38 jets will the crew be coming in tomorrow? Do you know the numbers of each T-38 and who will be in each one?
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#346 by Chris Bergin on 04 Jun, 2007 04:15
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22:15
STS 117 / OV 104 / Pad A
Orbiter is powered up
S00071 hyper press final pressurization began at 19:00 tonight
Orbiter aft closeout is complete -
#347 by ChrisGebhardt on 04 Jun, 2007 04:54
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I know we've been talking about keeping the batteries on the S3/S4 truss charged since the rollback in March, but since the truss is obviously in the payload bay now my question is this: are the payload bay doors closed? If so, when were they closed? If not, when will they be closed? And how are they keeping the batteries charged?
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#348 by Felix on 04 Jun, 2007 12:04
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Trekkie07 - 4/6/2007 6:54 AM are the payload bay doors closed? If so, when were they closed? If not, when will they be closed? And how are they keeping the batteries charged?
Recharge and closeouts are scheduled for today. Doors should be closed for flight later tonight / early tomorrow.
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#349 by mkirk on 04 Jun, 2007 13:35
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Just some FYI stuff;
The 117 crew has a pretty busy day today – although I would call it a really fun day…
The flight deck crew members (CJ, Bru, Swanny, and Forrester) are about to climb into the SMS (shuttle mission simulator) for their final pre-launch simulation. They will spend about 4 hours - “in the box” - practicing Ascent & Abort procedures with the mission control team. After the sim they will head over to Ellington Field to strap on some T-38s for the 900+ mile trip to the Cape.
While I consider both of these activities to be a hell of a lot of fun they are pretty much a part of daily life for an assigned crew. Even though the sim can sometimes be monotonous, there really can’t be anything cooler than flying you last sim before the real mission or descending into the KSC airspace in a 38 while your orbiter sits on the Central Florida shore line.
I believe - I am not positive - they will also head out to the pad tonight to look over the payload before the payload bay doors.
Mark Kirkman
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#350 by geminy007 on 04 Jun, 2007 13:45
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great info mark, but what about the rest of the crew??
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#351 by mkirk on 04 Jun, 2007 14:01
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geminy007 - 4/6/2007 8:45 AM
great info mark, but what about the rest of the crew??
Well I honestly don’t know what the rest of the crew is doing this morning. My guess would be that they are reviewing crew notes and FDF checklists – possibly some last minute tag ups or robotics practice. Some of them may also be lurking around the SMS at some point this morning to say last minute goodbyes to the training team.
The entire crew will all head over to Ellington this afternoon for the trip to KSC.
Mark Kirkman
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#352 by DaveS on 04 Jun, 2007 14:04
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Mark, you don't happen know the tailnumbers of the T-38's they'll use? I want to track on them on http://flightaware.com .
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#353 by on 04 Jun, 2007 14:04
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Kennedy Space Center in Florida awaits the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis' crew members. They’re scheduled to land today at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility in the early evening.
After landing, the STS-117 flight team will address the media. The event will be broadcast on NASA TV.
+ Watch NASA TV
Following the press briefing, the crew will be taken to Launch Pad 39A where they'll check out the payload in the orbiter's payload bay. -
#354 by on 04 Jun, 2007 14:07
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DaveS - 4/6/2007 9:04 AM Mark, you don't happen know the tailnumbers of the T-38's they'll use? I want to track on them on http://flightaware.com .
I asked earlier but no one knew, and i was wondering the same thing. Do you know who will be flying together and if anyone will be flying by themselves?
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#355 by joncz on 04 Jun, 2007 14:13
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#356 by Chris Bergin on 04 Jun, 2007 14:16
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Felix - 4/6/2007 1:04 PM
QuoteTrekkie07 - 4/6/2007 6:54 AM are the payload bay doors closed? If so, when were they closed? If not, when will they be closed? And how are they keeping the batteries charged?
Recharge and closeouts are scheduled for today. Doors should be closed for flight later tonight / early tomorrow.
From L2:
"Payload Bay Doors are schedule to be opened today on 1st shift to support Payload battery charging and midbody closeouts. Doors will be closed on Tuesday prior to S0007.200 call-to-stations." -
#357 by mkirk on 04 Jun, 2007 14:17
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Justin Wheat - 4/6/2007 9:07 AM
QuoteDaveS - 4/6/2007 9:04 AM Mark, you don't happen know the tailnumbers of the T-38's they'll use? I want to track on them on http://flightaware.com .
I asked earlier but no one knew, and i was wondering the same thing. Do you know who will be flying together and if anyone will be flying by themselves?
I don’t know yet, but until they are airborne I just wouldn’t feel right about giving that out in such a public forum. I know it may seem silly, and I think that tracking site is really cool, I just hate the idea that anyone can track my flights (fortunately for me military flights aren’t on there) and it just isn’t a good idea in this case for security reasons.
Also the exact tail numbers can change as maintenance issues crop up during the day. PAO usually gives the tail numbers out once they get airborne so that the media has a heads up when they get arrive at the SLF.
Mark Kirkman
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#358 by kimmern123 on 04 Jun, 2007 14:21
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DaveS - 4/6/2007 4:04 PM
Mark, you don't happen know the tailnumbers of the T-38's they'll use? I want to track on them on http://flightaware.com .
You can just search for flights headed out from Ellington to the SLF. I just tried it and there's two T-38's in the air at this time, number 917 and 918. I guess these aren't the ones the 117-crew are flying in.
I also have a question: Do the middeck crewmembers ever participate in the SMS-sims, and if so what would they do during such a simulation? (Perhaps a little OT) -
#359 by mkirk on 04 Jun, 2007 14:33
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kimmern123 - 4/6/2007 9:21 AM
I also have a question: Do the middeck crewmembers ever participate in the SMS-sims, and if so what would they do during such a simulation? (Perhaps a little OT)
If the sim is taking place in the Motion Base SMS – which is the case this morning – then there is no room for the rest of the crew since only the flight deck is modeled. They can watch and follow along from the instructor consoles with the training team.
There is an extra (5th seat) in the Motion Base SMS for instructors or observers so sometimes somebody might occupy that seat just to watch. That seat is located to the left of the MS2 (or middle seat) and is actually located where a wall/console and a hole in the floor (to the middeck) would be in the real shuttle.
Ascent simulations generally only involve the flight deck crew members, however, a “post insertion timeline sim" in the Fixed Base simulator would use the rest of the crewmembers. The Fixed Base sim does have the downstairs seats and some of the mid-deck is modeled...sort of.
Mark Kirkman
