RE: LIVE: STS-117 Flight Day 13 - Pre-entry check-outs

• #20 by Spiff on 21 Jun, 2007 12:15
• Quote

  DaveS - 21/6/2007  1:07 PM
  
  Radiator cold soaking procedure started, where they try to trapp as much cold freon as possible since the radiators will not be available later.

  
  Question:
  How long before deorbit do the payload bay doors close? And how much time can the shuttle fly without the open payload bay?
  IOW: If today's first deorbit opportunity is waved off, do the doors re-open? And tomorrow with a possible 4? Orbits with landing opportunities, are the doors closed during all that time?
  
  Thanks in advance!
  Spiff
• #21 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:18
• Quote

  Spiff - 21/6/2007  2:15 PM
  
  

  Quote

  DaveS - 21/6/2007  1:07 PM
  
  Radiator cold soaking procedure started, where they try to trapp as much cold freon as possible since the radiators will not be available later.

  
  Question:
  How long before deorbit do the payload bay doors close? And how much time can the shuttle fly without the open payload bay?
  IOW: If today's first deorbit opportunity is waved off, do the doors re-open? And tomorrow with a possible 4? Orbits with landing opportunities, are the doors closed during all that time?
  
  Thanks in advance!
  Spiff

  Maximum time the doors can be closed is around 8 hours. If opp 1 is waved off, doors remain closed. Doors will remain closed until they have run out of landing opps,
• #22 by HKS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:19
• Another question for the experts here...
  
  According to Wikipedia (yes, I know wikipedia isn't a to good source) the longest mission Atlantis has flown so far is 12.89 days.
  
  So if they land tomorow or on saturday. Will STS-117 be Atlantis' longest mission (so far)?
  
  Mission elapsed time so far is 12 days, 12 hours.
• #23 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:20
• Back in the FCR:

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• #24 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:20
• Quote

  HKS - 21/6/2007  2:19 PM
  So if they land tomorow or on saturday. Will STS-117 be Atlantis' longest mission (so far)?
  

  As far as I know, yes.
• #25 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:21
• IMU Startracker alignment is in work.

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• #26 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:37
• First weather briefing to the team by the Spaceflight Meteorology Group at JSC(it's on the right-most screen):

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• #27 by HKS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:41
• Quote

  DaveS - 21/6/2007  2:20 PM
  
  

  Quote

  HKS - 21/6/2007  2:19 PM
  So if they land tomorow or on saturday. Will STS-117 be Atlantis' longest mission (so far)?
  

  As far as I know, yes.

  
  Does anybody know which mission is the current record of Atlantis?
• #28 by Spiff on 21 Jun, 2007 12:41
• Quote

  DaveS - 21/6/2007  2:18 PM
  
  Maximum time the doors can be closed is around 8 hours. If opp 1 is waved off, doors remain closed. Doors will remain closed until they have run out of landing opps,

  
  Thanks Dave!
  So normal closing of the doors is shortly (< 1hour) before initial deorbit possibility?
• #29 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 12:45
• Quote

  Spiff - 21/6/2007  2:41 PM
  
  

  Quote

  DaveS - 21/6/2007  2:18 PM
  
  Maximum time the doors can be closed is around 8 hours. If opp 1 is waved off, doors remain closed. Doors will remain closed until they have run out of landing opps,

  
  Thanks Dave!
  So normal closing of the doors is shortly (< 1hour) before initial deorbit possibility?

  No. Usually 3 hours or so. Norm Knight will poll the Entry team for PLBD closure at 10:05 am EDT, with closure by the crew following shortly after the "GO" has been given.

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• #30 by Blade_Pride on 21 Jun, 2007 13:02
• Quote

  HKS - 21/6/2007  7:41 AM
  
  

  Quote

  DaveS - 21/6/2007  2:20 PM
  
  

  Quote

  HKS - 21/6/2007  2:19 PM
  So if they land tomorow or on saturday. Will STS-117 be Atlantis' longest mission (so far)?
  

  As far as I know, yes.

  
  Does anybody know which mission is the current record of Atlantis?

  
  STS-98
• #31 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 13:24
• Steve Lindsey has taken off from the SLF in a T-38 to perform some early weather recon at KSC. He will later switch to the STA.
  
• #32 by Chandonn on 21 Jun, 2007 13:25
• Lindsey is checking on the weather in the area and at the SLF.
  
  I'm expecting a go for PLBD closure, and a late go/no-go call for deorbit burn, as the weather at KSC sems to change pretty rapidly.  They've called off both launches and landings before for weather, only to find out that the weather would have been perfect if they'd proceeded.
  
  EDIT: typos
• #33 by backspace on 21 Jun, 2007 13:27
• Do we have a flight number for him? NASA944 or something?
  
  Edit - got him on flightaware, NASA956 in the T38
• #34 by Chris Bergin on 21 Jun, 2007 13:33
• STA Lindsey heading South at 21,000. He's been instructed look 20 to 30 mi away.
  
  Lindsey sees some 'mid level' clouds that he's going to check out to see if they're the kind that'll build up.
• #35 by Jonesy STS on 21 Jun, 2007 13:39
• Sky News used to be really good for Shuttle, now they are becoming uninformed idiots just like the BBC did.
  
  Shuttle Heading For Earth Amid Heat Fears
  Nasa 'Mistake' Over Shuttle Damage
  
  http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1271614,00.html
  
  Did they even LISTEN to Shannon last night? When will these idiots get it right? Most of their articles are really badly written and with loads of spelling mistakes. I give up with them, really I do.
• #36 by DaveS on 21 Jun, 2007 13:44
• Weather radar:

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• #37 by haywoodfloyd on 21 Jun, 2007 13:44
• Quote

  Jonesy STS - 21/6/2007  9:39 AM
  
  Sky News used to be really good for Shuttle, now they are becoming uninformed idiots just like the BBC did.
  
  Shuttle Heading For Earth Amid Heat Fears
  Nasa 'Mistake' Over Shuttle Damage
  
  http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1271614,00.html
  
  Did they even LISTEN to Shannon last night? When will these idiots get it right? Most of their articles are really badly written and with loads of spelling mistakes. I give up with them, really I do.

  
  I totally agree. Where are they getting their information?! The blanket was fixed!
• #38 by Chandonn on 21 Jun, 2007 13:45
• Quote

  Jonesy STS - 21/6/2007  9:39 AM
  
  Sky News used to be really good for Shuttle, now they are becoming uninformed idiots just like the BBC did.
  
  Shuttle Heading For Earth Amid Heat Fears
  Nasa 'Mistake' Over Shuttle Damage
  
  http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1271614,00.html
  
  Did they even LISTEN to Shannon last night? When will these idiots get it right? Most of their articles are really badly written and with loads of spelling mistakes. I give up with them, really I do.

  
  "They're all gonna die!  They're all gonna die!"  Same song from earlier in the mission, different verse.  The media is not happy unless there's a disaster in the making.  Trouble is, Joe Public tends to believe all the hype.  I heard it from a customer as we were watching the launch: "They have more trouble with those shuttles!"
• #39 by Chris Bergin on 21 Jun, 2007 13:46
• Let's try and keep off the headline grabbing media, this is a live thread for the informed. Besides, I hope Gordo sorts them out on the aforementioned.
  
  Moving on...
  
  NAVAIDS powered up and FES (Flash Evaporator System) on.