Category: iss

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Atlantis still set for launch on December, 6th

Space Shuttle Atlantis sitting at the Launch Pad

The agency-level flight readiness review held yesterday concluded with the expected December, 6th launch date for Atlantis STS-122 mission. This continues Atlantis’ exceptionally well processing flow. No major problems occurred and this is probably one of the cleanest mission preparations for a long time.

Space Shuttle Atlantis is sitting at launch pad 39A and will rocket into space at 4:31p EST next Thursday. It will deliver the European Columbus space lab. It will be attached to the Harmony module which was brought up into space by Discovery’s STS-120 mission.

Meanwhile, the international space station crew has more or less finished the connection of Harmony to its final destination. This is a perquisite for STS-122, as Columbus will be mounted on one of Harmonies docking port. There are some news on a failed leak check, but it is said that this was most probably a sensor issue, not an actual leak. Sensor problems are common and so it looks very good from the ISS point of view, too.

What is becoming an increasing concern is abrasion in a solar array rotary joint (SARJ). This was detected a bit prior to STS-120. Discovery’s crew brought some samples back to earth, which are now being analyzed. Some more images and samples have been collected by the ISS crew. While the SARJ issue is no constraint for STS-122, it could (and probably will) affect future missions. Without a properly-working SARJ, the station can not generate enough power to support its final configuration. As far as it looks now, the repair will be quite complex and require a number of spacewalks, maybe carried out in February’s STS-123 mission. But it is way to early to know anything exactly – engineers are still evaluating the problem.

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John Glenn on the NASA Budget

I had the pleasure to be able to listen to great American hero and former Senator John Glenn at World Space Expo 2007. The event was held in November this year in Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Both John Glenn and Scott Carpenter were honored guest on the evening event. Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden discussed with them over their experiences as well as their visions for the future. I take some videos of that event. Thankfully, I also captures John Glenn’s speech on the future NASA budget. He very rightfully stressed that fact that Constellation, NASA’s new moon program, has taken a lot of money from science missions. He explains that there is no special funding for the whole constellation program. But listen yourself:


This speech couldn’t be more on-time: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is thinking about taking that Constellation money from NASA to fund education. So I think it is good to know the fact that NASA has not received any special funding and is already starving in its science activities.

If you listen closely, however, you will notice that John Glenn assigns science priority over the moon program. But that doesn’t mean that money taken away from science should now be removed from the budget at all…

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STS-122 Flight Readiness Review on Friday…

space shuttle atlantis at the launch padEverything is going very smooth with Atlantis’ STS-122 launch. No matter where I looked, I do not find any information on problems. So no news again means excellent news!

The flight readiness review, the final approval of the launch date, is scheduled for this Friday. As it looks, this is more a formal act than something that will bring up surprises (but of course, you never know…). To quote the NASA space shuttle home page:

NASA managers will hold a flight readiness review on Friday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center marking the next major milestone for mission STS-122.

NASA officials, space shuttle program managers, engineers and contractors will discuss the readiness of space shuttle Atlantis, the flight crew and payloads to determine if everything is set to proceed for launch. Managers will also select an official launch date at the end of the session. Launch is targeted for Dec. 6 on a mission to install the Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station.

A briefing following the meeting will include Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale, International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini and STS-122 Launch Director Doug Lyons.

The briefing will be broadcast live on NASA Television no earlier than 4 p.m. EST.

ISS solar array rotary joint (SRJ)The real question is probably not if and when Atlantis will launch. The most discussed question currently is if the STS-122 mission is extended to allow a focussed inspection of the SARJ ISS solar array rotary joint. Anomalies were detected prior to STS-120 and inspection during recent spacewalks staged from the international space station showed signs of abrasion. This is an unexpected, not yet understood and potentially serious problem – so it is receiving priority for obvious reasons.

The additional inspection spacewalk requires a two-day mission extension. Other than its sister ships Discovery and Endeavour, Atlantis is not equipped with the station to shuttle power transfer system (SSPT). Thus, Atlantis can not support missions as long as its sister ships. So a two-day mission extension requires fully stocked consumables and is something that probably is not very easily done.

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November, 24th ISS spacewalk a success

Astronauts Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani conducted a successful spacewalk yesterday. It was the last in a series of important construction space walks which readied the international space station ISS to receive the European Columbus module.

Columbus will be delivered by space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-122 mission, set to launch from Kennedy Space Center on December, 6th 2007. As such, success of the spacewalk was also important for STS-122. Without it, a launch would not have been possible.

Now, with the successful spacewalk and everything going very smooth in the processing of Atlantis, it looks like weather is becoming the only constraint for the launch attempt. This is good news, because STS-122 has a very short launch window. It extends for just one week. So there is not much room for delays.

Here is also some more detail information from the NASA homepage:

Spacewalkers Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani completed Saturday’s spacewalk at 11:54 a.m. EST. The 7 hour and 4 minute excursion started an hour and 10 minutes early. They completed their main tasks well ahead of the timeline then moved on to perform some get-ahead work.

The two spacewalkers moved the 300-pound, 18.5 foot Loop B fluid tray from the station’s main truss to the port side of Destiny and completed fluid and electrical connections.

Tani did an inspection of a Solar Alpha Rotary Joint that had previously shown increased power consumption and vibration while rotating as it followed the Sun. Whitson deployed and mated cables to be used as part of the Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System, or SSPTS. A portable foot restraint was also installed on Node 2 for upcoming spacewalks when the European Columbus laboratory is installed on the STS-122 mission.

If you like even more details, you can find them on an additional NASA page devoted to Saturday’s spacewalk.

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ISS Crew successfully completed Spacewalk

The ISS Expedition 16 crew wires the Harmony module in Space
The international space station’s expedition 16 crew successfully completed an important spacewalk yesterday. It was needed to get the ISS ready for the arrival of space shuttle Atlantis, which delivers the Columbus space lab. This spacewalk, as well as another one scheduled for November, 24th, is needed to be able to attach Columbus. So successful completion of these tasks is a critical perquisite to launch STS-122.

The spacewalk was threatened by a problem with the spacesuits, which thankfully got cleared a few days ago. The ISS spacewalking schedule was not affected by the problem investigation.

This series of spacewalks is needed to attach the Harmony module to its permanent location. Harmony was delivered during Discovery’s STS-120 mission. It could not be attached to its permanent location because that was used as the docking port for Discovery. So it was stowed at a temporary place and has been removed after Discovery departed. Yesterday’s spacewalk, as well as the upcoming one, is dedicated to rewire Harmony to the station, so that the module is fully functional. In December, Atlantis will delivery the Columbus module, which will be attached to the Harmony module.

Visit NASA’s space station page for a detailed report on the spacewalk.

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Spacesuit problem solved…

Astronaut during spacewalk (called an EVA)The spacesuit problem that threatened the next ISS EVA (spacewalk) has been resolved. As nasaspaceflight.com reports, the investigation into the issue showed no actual malfunction. As such, the spacesuits are cleared again for EVAs.

This is an important step as the international space station’s crew must do another important spacewalk to permit on-time launch of Atlantis’ STS-122 mission. This can now be carried out as scheduled. As such, Atlantis is still on a good path to a December, 6th launch!

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Spacesuit problem is a problem for STS-122 launch, too …

A 2007 spacesuit as worn by astronauts on the iss and space shuttleAs nasaspaceflight.com reports, NASA is evaluating spacesuit problems:

Cut gloves during STS-120 and a failed EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) test are undergoing large scale evaluations by NASA engineers, with a resolution to the latter required before any further spacewalks will be allowed.

(read full article)

The problems must be resolved by November, 20th, otherwise it will affect the international space stations spacewalk schedule. There is an awful lot of preparation work to do at the ISS. If that can not be completed in time, Atlantis’ STS-122 can not be launched, because the station is not ready for the addition of the Columbus module. So we need to watch this issue closely.

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Columbus stowed in Atlantis!

As of NASA’s shuttle home page, the Columbus ISS module has been stowed inside Atlantis:

The European-built Columbus module has been loaded into the cargo bay of space shuttle Atlantis in preparation for the launch of STS-122 on Dec. 6. Columbus will be attached to the International Space Station and will serve as a laboratory and research center for station astronauts.

The Columbus segment was waiting at the launch pad Saturday when space shuttle Atlantis was rolled into place Saturday at Launch Pad 39A. Once Atlantis’ payload section was covered by the Rotating Service Structure, technicians and workers opened the cargo bay doors and carefully moved the cylindrical Columbus into the shuttle. The module has already been packed with four specialized racks outfitted for experiments. Each rack is about the size of a refrigerator. The segment can hold 10 racks.

Atlantis’ crew of seven includes two European Space Agency astronauts who will help install Columbus on the International Space Station and activate its intricate systems. One of the ESA crew members will remain on the station for a long-duration mission.

The launch milestones came less than a week after space shuttle Discovery returned to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete mission STS-120. That mission delivered the Harmony module to the station and will be the connecting point at the station for Columbus.


This is good news, STS-122 is obviously still on track for its December, 6th launch.

A note on the picture above: I took that photo when I visited Kennedy Space Center (KSC) the day before Discovery’s STS-120 launch (October, 22nd 2007). In KSC, you get a bus tour with your “Max Access” admission (and also your launch viewing tickets, which I had). I can highly recommend that tour. It brings you close to real space hardware. Just imagine that I took the above picture of the actual Columbus module that will soon be attached to the ISS – cool … And if you watch closely, you’ll also notice part of the Kibo module (set to launch with STS-123 in February 2008) in the back (right to the middle).

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Atlantis at the Pad; all good for December 6th launch

The Atlantic ocean is the backdrop for Space Shuttle Atlantis' seaside launch pad.Quicker than I thought here comes the first real post:

Space Shuttle Atlantis was moved successfully to the launch pad. As with all future shuttle missions, pad 39A will be used for all launches. Next summer, after the Hubble service mission, pad 39B will be reconstructed to be used for the Ares launches.

With Atlantis being at the pad, everything is doing well. So the STS-122 mission is likely to be scheduled on time on December, 6th. But be careful, we need to watch work carried out at the international space station ISS closely — it will be required to support Atlantis’ launch.

Some more details on the current status can also be found in this NASA quote:

Space shuttle Atlantis made an important step toward space on Saturday morning when engineers and technicians rolled the launch-ready stack to Launch Pad 39A. Atlantis is scheduled to stay at the pad for about three weeks undergoing final preparations for its mission STS-122 targeted to begin Dec. 6.

The mammoth crawler-transporter began moving the stack to the pad at 4:43 a.m. EST. The 3-mile trip took approximately six hours and was hard down at 11:51 a.m.

The Columbus laboratory was waiting at the launch pad when Atlantis arrived and the module will soon be placed inside the shuttle’s cargo bay where it will undergo its own series of tests and preparations for launch.

Atlantis’ crew of seven includes two European Space Agency astronauts who will help install Columbus on the International Space Station and activate its intricate systems. One of the ESA crew members will remain on the station for a long-duration mission.

This launch milestone comes less than a week after space shuttle Discovery returned to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete mission STS-120. That mission delivered the Harmony module to the station and will be the connecting point at the station for Columbus.

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NASA TV Schedule for ISS Work

There are a number of tasks left to do for the ISS crew, among them even some “first evers”. The schedule is pretty busy and all needs to be done in order to support Atlantis’ STS-122 flight.

Today I received the NASA TV schedule, just in case you’d like to watch the work:

HOUSTON – In the wake of space shuttle Discovery’s delivery of the Harmony connecting module to the International Space Station, the station crew will conduct three spacewalks and robotically move two components this month to prepare for delivery of a European laboratory. All of the spacewalks and major robotics work will be broadcast live on NASA Television.

The shuttle Atlantis is targeted to launch Dec. 6 to deliver the European Space Agency’s Columbus science module. Before Columbus can be added to the station, Harmony must be relocated to its permanent location at the front of the complex. The station crew’s spacewalks and robotics work this month will complete that task, allowing Atlantis to dock and Columbus to attach to Harmony.

The NASA Television schedule includes:

4 a.m. CST Friday, Nov. 9 – NASA TV live coverage will begin as Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko don U.S. spacesuits to conduct a 6.5-hour spacewalk to prepare a docking port on the forward end of the Destiny Laboratory to be detached. A press conference will follow the spacewalk on NASA TV, originating from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston with questions from reporters at participating NASA sites.

4 a.m. CST Monday, Nov. 12 – NASA TV will broadcast live coverage as Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani use the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach the docking port, known as pressurized mating adapter-2, and relocate it to the forward end of the Harmony. No news conference is planned following the mating adapter relocation.

3:30 a.m. CST Wednesday, Nov. 14 – NASA TV will broadcast live coverage as Whitson and Tani use the Canadarm2 to detach Harmony and its new docking adapter from their current location attached to the Unity module. They will reposition Harmony to be attached to the forward end of the Destiny Lab, its permanent location. This will be the first time a major component of the station has been relocated without a shuttle present. No news conference is planned following Harmony’s relocation.

4 a.m. CST Tuesday, Nov. 20 – NASA TV will broadcast live coverage as Whitson and Tani conduct a 6.5-hour spacewalk to hook up fluid, electrical and data lines for the relocated mating adapter and Harmony module. A press conference will follow the spacewalk on NASA TV, originating from Johnson with questions from participating NASA sites.

4 a.m. CST Saturday, Nov. 24 – NASA TV will broadcast live coverage as Whitson and Tani conduct a final 6.5-hour spacewalk to complete the hook up of the mating adapter and Harmony module to the station and leave them ready for the docking of Atlantis and delivery of Columbus. No news conference is planned following the spacewalk.

For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv