STS-117: Omnibus Thread

Man I'd be sh**ing bricks right now! Imagine the feeling if it was your first time! I hope they're wearing those nappy things. I'm gonna keep watching at work. How are you capturing this V? What type of hardware?

[edit on 8-6-2007 by DuncanIdahoGholem]

I'm using a PC and a software that works with Mediaplayer it'ss called "WM Recorder 11.0". It works OK. But the stream isn't what one might call high resolution. It's a bit fubsy but it was free so I like it.

There are stories that the more launches one has on Shuttle the more difficult it seems. I've heard the opposite too. I'd strap on a nappy to go 17,500MPH. It could kill me, but I'd chance it for sure. The vibration is quite something apparently.

Bult in hold at 20 minutes I think...

Vic




[edit on 8-6-2007 by V Kaminski]

For all us overseasers, how many minutes remain till launch? My guess is around 30 mins?

10-4 approximately 30 min. The fog has lifted in France so we are: GO! for launch for now!

Vic

Just found the channel on HDTV... NASA's webcast is streaming nicely, too. And we're good to go! Gogogogogo!!!!

Yeah baby! 1 minute. I wish them luck!

Vic

Big sigh of relief!

They're off and away and everything's looking good. Atlantis is "our shuttle" -- we had the privelege of seeing a night launch of Atlantis from the stands that are just 3 miles away from the launch site (my husband won the trip in a contest at his company, E-Systems (now Raytheon.))


[edit on 8-6-2007 by Byrd]

When it goes well, they make it look easy. It went by the book, excellent!

Vic

*SALUTES* God speed Atlantis. May your mission go without a hitch and result in safe return.

My friend (Shadowyfoe) and I were discussing the shuttle launch. he said he thought how hilarious it would've been if the shuttle took off, and one of these C2C drones flew over and it flew through the middle of it.


All cameras trained on the space shuttle? Not for long...

Atlantis' crew wake-up music this morning at 10:08AM EDT was Aaron Tippin's "Big Boy Toys" selected by commander Sturkow's family for him.

Upon reaching orbit, the External Tank was photographed as it fell away slowly to de-orbit. There were some "things" I've never seen and I mention them now for discussion purposes.

While they were photographing ET-127 with a 400mm lens and HD-DV there were what I would call "green" sprays that looked like light or a Rection Control Syatem "jet"... the problem is the External Tank (ET) has nothing like an RCS. Did anyone else see this? I have some opinions but they aren't exactly conventional and all I have is some grainy video waiting for processing - that is the "good" parts identified, extracted and published here on ATS, did anyone else see this? The "lights" were bizzaro.

Also as they were doing the power-up, check out, payload bay inspection and power-down on Canadarm, many ice crystals were seen along with a surprise bunch of other "stuff". Did anyone notice the larger bits that seemed bi-lobular, and one that seemed tri-lobular? I don't think these ice crystals and other stuff was anything unconventional, I could be wrong.

During the Canadarm checkout it was noticed that a thermal blanket on the port side Orbital Manouvering System (OMS) pod had lifted on it's leading edge. The blanket is in a bad spot at the edge of where Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles end and the blanket begins. "My" shuttle OV-1 (Young and "Cripp") didn't have the luxury of blankets... came back missing many OMS Pod tiles, without serious incident.

In the post launch news conference "some stuff" was observed to "fall off" the vehicle... co-inciding approximately with SRB separation, quite likely foam from the inter-tank (non-refigerated by cryo) area of the ET (foam popcorning). HD film and video should follow.

Today the "biggie" is to check the "bird" (Atantis) for ascent damage using the Canadarm and Space Vision System. Some of the laptops are "playing up" but the network is up and all things seem to be more or less nominal.

ISS docking is coming up tomorrow - then some serious space walking to get the P3, and P4 trusses and the solar arrays set up.

I'm glad my concern about multi-tank-re-tank thermalling did not occur, it certainly could have been an issue in regrd to the laminated of more than one layer of foam on the ET's nose. There were no engine issues for the 28th flight of Atlantis and the Advanced Engine Management Health System worked as it was designed.

For those with an interest please follow along on NASA-TV or on the web at www.nasa.gov/tv . For what's coming up, check the Mission Timeline link in a previous post in this thread.

Cheers,

Vic

EDIT: To add TPS T-Blanket "lift" on the port OMS Pod:



[edit on 9-6-2007 by V Kaminski]

At 4:00PM EDT OBSS (Orbiter Boom Sensor System) and Space Vision Laser inpection tools continues with a few spots where there is some minor damage and what appears to be marks on the starboard wing leading edge RCC (Reinforced Carbon Carbon). No mention has yet been made of the wing "hit" sensors but will likely be reported at the news conference coming up tomorrow or if all goes well later today (Saturday).

Another ATS member has graciously agreed to "up" some video for me to YouTube in regard to the "sprays" and other stuff recorded yesterday evening.

The inspection process gets quicker with each flight now and beyond the TPS Blanket "lift" in the photo on the previous post there's nothing other than a couple of EVA suit mirror and light hassles which is not unusual.

Hopefully some video will be posted shortly.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 9-6-2007 by V Kaminski]

If anyone has a YouTube account and can upload video, please u2u me and I'll get the clip to an email address or put it on a webpage for download. Network security where I am doesn't allow me to upload it.

It's about 3 MB and has some interesting things one might not normally expect to be there. It's nothing "fantastic" but may be of interest for some.

Cheers,

Vic

Here's Vic's Tank Separation video. Cross fingers I do this right. If it doesn't work I'll keep editing til it does. Took 1-1/4 hours to "process" on YouTube. It was uploaded at 2:45 this afternoon and just showed up.
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[edit on 6/9/2007 by schuyler]

Perfect schu', thanks so much! Right near the start there are some "sprays" coming from the External Tank as it drops away - I say "sprays" but I have no idea what they are, I don't think they are supposed to be there.

Later in the video just before it goes "completely black" something(s) crosses the External Tank/Shuttles flight path... what's that? Any ideas on either?

Vic

PS. The Mission Staus briefing is coming up on NASA-TV now.



[edit on 9-6-2007 by V Kaminski]

The problem with the blanket is troubling.

Victor, another site mentioned foam falling off...perhaps that's what you saw?

During the launch, cameras on the ET recorded some foam coming off the Shuttle’s external fuel tank (what is called the ET, or external tank). One piece, in particular, was seen coming off at about 135 seconds into the flight.
www.itwire.com.au...

The same news story says that the blanket in question is near the top of the shuttle. I don't have a good idea where this might be on the ship... does anyone else?

Outgassing could explain some smaller 'sprays', but these seem to be large and repeated. There could also be some kind of OVERPRESSURE valves that release as sen possibly in that video. If this were the case, would checking on past mission footage show similar events of this spray?

Interesting find in any case Vic!


[edit on 6/9/2007 by greatlakes]

For Byrd; the TPS Blanket "lift" is on the left side as one sits in shuttle and is on one of the big "bumps" that are either side of the tail fin where the "bump" meets the tiles of the fuselage. It should not be an issue, STS-121 had way more blanket displacement... never say never though. The "bumps" are called OMS Pods (Orbital Manouvring System) and are the main on-orbit thrusters.

Hi greatlakes, the "sprays" are from an area where there is no vent, and there is no RCS (thrusters) on the external tank to explain that. I have a couple of notions but they are a bit "out there" for open boards without proof. I'm workin' on it. I'd be interested to hear if anybody has any ideas as to what those are.

There geting the laser-range-finding stuff ready for rendezvous with ISS tomorrow.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 9-6-2007 by V Kaminski]

Right but it has be coming from somewhere, it is not constant spray but intermittant, so it may mean it occurs during certain load conditions, thermal perhaps as well. Can venting occur at the seams between the lower and upper portions of the L-ox tank? Believe this area to be called the "intertank umbilical plating"...

Also there are the "propellant, feed, electrical and pressurization lines" that run along the length of the ET.

In addition, during deploy of the SRB, could the deploy have damaged any portions of the external tank due to a partial hung deployment and a subsequent failure of any of the attachment pints to the ET.?

Here are some images to help in arriving at some ideas for everyone. Lets brainstorm on this!










[edit on 6/9/2007 by greatlakes]

I'm not entirely sure and would differ to member Jim-O, for a more informed opinion. I am unaware that anything all is powered or active once the ET is separated - it is "dead". About SRB sep... it looked pretty clean 'cept for stuff that may have "popcorned" from the "intertank" area.

What can produce similar behavior? Light? I've only seen this sort of photography of the tank since STS-121 and never has there been any indication of this. I found it odd that no one at the Mission Status News Conference mentioned it... compared to STS-115 and "the baggie-fish" and other bits. Well it is the weekend... LOL.

Cheers,

Vic