STS-114 - Shuttle-Mission 1 nach dem Columbia-Unglück

[STS-Chris]

Musik-Tipp:

"Flying For Me"
by John Denver
Album: "One World" (1986)


Als ich dieses Lied zum ersten Mal hörte (das ist erst ein paar Monate her), da dachte ich sofort an die Astronauten der Challenger und auch der Columbia.

The Challenger accident on January 28, 1986, touched off several tributes to the seven astronauts who were killed. One was "Flying For Me" by John Denver, who had lobbied NASA to fly him on a shuttle.

The song was never released as a single but Denver performed it at a Senate hearing and it appeared on the 1987 multi-artist album "Challenger: The Mission Continues." Denver died in 1997 when his experimental aircraft crashed in Monterey Bay, California.

Well I guess that you probably know by now
I was one who wanted to fly
I wanted to ride on that arrow of fire right up into heaven
And I wanted to go for every man
Every child, every mother of children
I wanted to carry the dreams of all people right up to the stars

And I prayed that I'd find an answer there
Or maybe I would find a song
Giving a voice to all of the hearts that cannot be heard
And for all of the ones who live in fear
And all of those who stand apart
My being there would bring us a little step closer together

They were flying for me
They were flying for everyone
They were trying to see a brighter day for each and everyone

They gave us their light
They gave us their spirit and all they could be
They were flying for me
They were flying for me

And I wanted to wish upon the Milky Way
And dance upon a falling star
I wanted to give myself and free myself, and join myself with it all

Given the chance to dream, it can be done
The promise of tomorrow is real
Children of spaceship Earth
The future belongs to us all

She was flying for me
She was flying for everyone
She was trying to see a brighter day for each and everyone

She gave us her light
She gave us her spirit and all she can be
She was flying for me
They were flying for me
They were flying for everyone
They were trying to see a brighter day for each and everyone

They gave us their light
They gave us their spirit and all they can be
They were flying for me
They were flying for me
They were flying for me
They were flying for me






I See Stars Falling
Dedicated to the crew of Columbia and their families
Lyrics and Music by Julian Samuel
For free at starsfalling.com





It may take me, some time to find you
A few more hours, or a hundred years
Only heaven knows, when I’ll be beside you
I will be holding on, through all these tears

I’ve shared your dreams, I know you had to go
But can you see me on the earth below

I see stars falling, from the sky
Heard my love calling, passed me by
Looked up this morning, when I heard the sound
Saw your spirit flying, never touched the ground

When I look back, and think of the beginning
The roads we’ve traveled, such a long, long way
That’s where I fell in love, you gave me something to believe in
And like my love, this journey will never end

I’ve shared your dreams, I know you had to go
But can you see me on the earth below

I see stars falling, from the sky
Heard my love calling, passed me by
Looked up this morning, when I heard the sound
Saw your spirit flying, never touched the ground

You’re so far away from me
The world moves on, but only I see
Your sweet face next to mine
In the twilight I find
You sleeping softly

Orchestral Interlude

Now we stand here, waiting at the crossroads
So many hearts reflecting, on who we are
We feel the faith of those, who reached so high before us
And we will follow their path, into the stars

I share your dreams, I know where we must go
In God’s embrace we see the earth below

I see stars falling, from the sky
Heard my love calling, passed me by
Looked up this morning, when I heard the sound
Saw your spirit flying, never touched the ground
Seven stars fell, but never touched the ground


© 2003 Julian Samuel
February 21, 2003

[STS-Chris]

Launch of STS-114:
T - 054d 23h 13m



Space Shuttle Status


Discovery Destacked from Boosters and External Tank

At Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida, workers removed Space Shuttle Discovery from its External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters on Thursday.

Discovery was rolled back to the VAB from Launch Pad 39B on May 26, after engineers had inspected the orbiter's landing gear door and performed hot-fire tests of its Auxiliary Power Units.

Discovery is scheduled to be attached to its new External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters on or about June 7, and the Shuttle will roll back out to the launch pad in mid-June.

On Discovery's Return to Flight mission scheduled to launch no earlier than July 13, the Shuttle will carry the STS-114 crew to the International Space Station. The STS-114 crew is taking a break after the Memorial Day holiday and will return to training and mission preparation next week.


Credit: NASA




Video Files

KSC-05-S-00152 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Eileen Collins


KSC-05-S-00153 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Jim Kelly


KSC-05-S-00154 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Soichi Noguchi


KSC-05-S-00155 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Steve Robinson


KSC-05-S-00156 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Wendy Lawrence


KSC-05-S-00157 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Charlie Camarda


KSC-05-S-00158 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Eileen Collins, Part 2


KSC-05-S-00159 (06/02/2005)
Interview: Andy Thomas





STS-114 Image Gallery:


For high resolution images: KSC Multimedia Gallery (Keywords: Discovery or STS-114)


June 2, 2005

KSC-05PD-1200 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1201 (06/02/2005)



KSC-05PD-1202 (06/02/2005)
In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, a crane is ready to lift the orbiter Discovery away from the External Tank (ET) and Solid Rocket Boosters. The orbiter will be remated with another tank, ET-121.


KSC-05PD-1207 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1208 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1209 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1210 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1211 (06/02/2005)



KSC-05PD-1212 (06/02/2005)
In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the 122-foot-long orbiter Discovery is lifted above the 154-foot-high External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. After demating from its External Tank (ET), the orbiter will be placed on a transporter in the transfer aisle and moved to high bay 3 for remating with another tank, ET-121.


KSC-05PD-1213 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1214 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1215 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1217 (06/02/2005)

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KSC-05PD-1219 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1220 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1221 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1222 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1223 (06/02/2005)

KSC-05PD-1224 (06/02/2005)


June 3, 2005

KSC-05PD-1225 (06/03/2005)

KSC-05PD-1226 (06/03/2005)



KSC-05PD-1227 (06/03/2005)
Viewed from behind, the orbiter Discovery rests on a transporter in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Discovery was demated from its External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters in high bay 1 and lifted into the transfer aisle. It will be moved to high bay 3 for remating with another tank, ET-121. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.


KSC-05PD-1228 (06/03/2005)




EC-11 News

International Space Station Status Report #28

2005
Report #28
3 p.m. CDT, Friday, June 3, 2005
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

A new capability was added to the operation of the International Space Station this week as a final round of tests to commission remote control of the Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm from the ground was completed.

The 60-foot-long arm was maneuvered by ground control Friday to move in, latch onto a fixture on the exterior of the Station, then release and move back out. The tests were the second and most complex remote control operations of the arm performed by the ground. A first set of tests, completed earlier this year, involved only basic movements. Completion of these two phases of commissioning will qualify the ground control capability to be considered for use during future Station operations if needed.

During the tests, the arm was controlled by the robotics officer, or ROBO, in the Space Station Flight Control Room of Mission Control. Aboard the Station, Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer John Phillips monitored the activity. Normally, the arm is controlled by the Station crew using a robotics workstation in the complex's Destiny Laboratory.

Other activities this week for the Expedition 11 crew included some brief additional troubleshooting of the Elektron oxygen generation unit on the Station. At the direction of Russian flight controllers, Commander Sergei Krikalev tightened a valve in the unit, attempted to pressurize the system and checked for leakage. Similar attempts may continue in the future using other Elektron components and additional monitoring. The Elektron, a system that can derive oxygen from water for use in the Station atmosphere, remains inoperable.

The crew continues to replenish oxygen aboard the Station each day using two solid fuel oxygen generation canisters, canisters that contain chemicals that release oxygen when heated. Plentiful supplies of oxygen remain aboard the Station, and more is set to arrive on the next supply ship later this month. With reserves onboard the complex now plus those planned to arrive on future supply ships, oxygen is available to provide for the crew until at least January 2006 even without use of the Elektron. In addition, new Elektron components and spares also are planned to be launched aboard future supply ships later this year.

Phillips worked this week with an experiment that studies the forces involved as fluids of different thicknesses are mixed. The Miscible Fluids in Microgravity (MFMG) investigation may provide insight into how fluids dissolve, and, in particular, the role played by surface tension in that process. On Earth, gravity makes it difficult to study the role of surface tension during mixture. Information from the experiment may be useful in many processes on Earth and in space science experiments that deal with mixing fluids, among them are investigations that grow protein crystals of use in medical research.

Next week, the crew will begin packing trash and unneeded equipment in the Progress supply ship currently docked to the Station. The current Progress will be undocked from the complex on June 15. The next supply ship, ISS Progress 18, will launch on June 16 and dock to the Station June 18.

The crew is scheduled for a light duty weekend, including routine housekeeping tasks and family conferences.


Credit: NASA



NASA TV

[Dax]

Schön, dass du dich für das Thema interessierst. Es wäre aber wirklich schade, wenn du wirklich der einzigste außer mir wärst. Aber es sieht ja momentan wohl so aus.

Also ich lese hier auch mit, Respekt für die Arbeit die du dir da machst

[STS-Chris]

Bericht 26. Mai 2005
DISCOVERY ist wieder im VAB
Orbiter soll auf anderen Startaufbau umgesetzt werden - Neue Heizelemente sollen Eisbildung am Tank verhindern

vom Space Science Journal

Die Raumfähre DISCOVERY ist wieder im Montagegebäude (VAB) des Kennedy Raumfahrtzentrums am Kap Canaveral in Florida. Die Fähre bekommt einen neuen modifizierten Außentank, um eine sichere Durchführung der Mission STS-114 zu garantieren.

Getragen von dem Raupentransporter, der noch aus der Apollo-Ära stammt, fuhr DISCOVERY um 22:30 Uhr MESZ in das VAB hinein. Die rund 10 Stunden dauernde Fahrt mußte allerdings kurz unterbrochen werden, weil Arbeiter ein heißgelaufenes Gleitlager am Transporter abkühlen lassen und neu fetten mußten. Die heutige Rückführung war die 15. in der Geschichte des Space Shuttle Programms.

Die Rückfahrt hatte sich im Vorfeld um ein paar Tage verzögert, da Techniker mit Boroskopen die Hauptfahrwerke des Orbiters inspiziert hatten. Die Inspektion war notwendig geworden, nachdem man am Schwesterschiff ATLANTIS Haarrisse in der Fahrwerkshalterung entdeckt hatte. Obwohl Aufnahmen von DISCOVERYs Hauptfahrwerk, die vor dem Schließen der Fahrwerkschächte angefertigt wurden, keine Risse zeigten, wollten die Ingenieure einen zweiten Blick hineinwerfen. Das Fahrwerk ist von großer Bedeutung für eine sichere Landung des Raumfahrzeugs.

"Die Rückführung von DISCOVERY war richtig und zeigt, wie sehr wir uns verpflichtet fühlen, eine sichere Rückkehr zum Flugbetrieb zu gewährleisten", erklärte der leiter des Raumfährenprogramms Bill Parsons. "Wir werden uns auch weiterhin auf das Erreichen wichtiger Eckpunkte in der Abfertigung konzentrieren und die zusätzliche Auswertung abschließen, die wir für notwendig erachteten, sodaß wir weiter auf einen Start im Juli-Fensters hinarbeiten können."

Techniker werden am 31. Mai DISCOVERY wieder vom Startaufbau aus Außentank (ET-120) und Feststoffstartraketen herunterheben. Am 7. Juni schließlich soll der Orbiter dann auf den ET-121 aufgesetzt werden. ET-121 war ursprünglich für dafür gedacht, mit ATLANTIS die zweite Mission (STS-121) zu fliegen.

Im VAB wird ein neues Heizelement an den Ausgleichsmanschetten der außen liegenden Sauerstoffhauptleitung angebracht. Diese Leitung transportiert den flüssigen Sauerstoff zu den Haupttriebwerken der Raumfähre. Die Heizelemente sollen die Eis- und Frostbildung an den Balgen, die die Wärme-/Kälteausdehnung der Leitung ausgleichen, minimieren. Der Tank hat außerdem noch einige andere Sichrheitsverbesserungen, darunter ein verbesserter Zweibeinflansch, der den Orbiter auf dem Tank hält.

Zusätzlich wurde der zweite umkonstruierte Tank mit Temperaturfühlern und Beschleunigungssensoren zur Vibrationsmessung ausgestattet. Diese Sensoren werden Informationen über das Verhalten des Tanks während des Aufstiegs sammeln.

Nachdem das Heizelement am ET-121 montiert und der Orbiter auf dem neuen Startaufbau aufgesetzt ist, wird DISCOVERY Mitte Juni wieder zur Startrampe 39B überführt. DISCOVERYs Nutzlast, das in Italien gefertigte Mehrzwecklogistikmodul RAFFAELLO, wird auf der Startrampe in die Laddebucht des Orbiters verladen.

Der Start von STS-114/DISCOVERY ist zur Zeit für den 13. Juli geplant. Das Startfenster erstreckt sich bis zum 31. Juli. Während der zwölftägigen Mission soll die siebenköpfige Besatzung neue Geräte und Techniken testen, die die Sicherheit des Shuttles verbessern, und Versorgungsgüter zur Internationalen Raumstation liefern.


Quelle: NASA Presseerklärung

[STS-Chris]

Discovery's Crew

May 28, 2005
by FLORIDA TODAY / flatoday.com

Eileen Collins, commander - Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3

Jim Kelly, pilot - Page 1

Soichi Noguchi, mission specialist - Page 1

Andy Thomas, mission specialist - Page 1

Wendy Lawrence, mission specialist - Page 1

Charlie Camarda, mission specialist - Page 1

Steve Robinson, mission specialist - Page 1

[STS-Chris]

Launch of STS-114:
T - 062d 10h 08m




Space Shuttle Status



Video Files

KSC-05-S-00150 (05/27/2005)
Space Shuttle Discovery is back in the towering Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was a four-mile, ten-hour ride Thursday, May 26, to the VAB from the launch pad. The rollback allows Discovery to receive a new fuel tank with additional safety improvements.


KSC-05-S-00151 (05/27/2005)
Next, on the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report: Space Shuttle Discovery leaves Launch Pad 39B. Plus, External Tank-121, NASA'S second re-designed External Tank, gets a new heater as it prepares to fly with Discovery.





STS-114 Image Gallery:


For high resolution images: KSC Multimedia Gallery (Keywords: Discovery or STS-114)


KSC-05PD-1178 (05/27/2005)



KSC-05PD-1179 (05/27/2005)
In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello is lifted out of the Payload Transportation Canister where it was waiting transfer to the pad. The module is being moved back to its work stand to allow the processing team access in order to address concerns with mechanical fasteners inside the module that do not incorporate an adequate secondary locking feature. The assessment and additional work is being conducted to ensure that the fasteners do not disengage during ascent. Raffaello is scheduled to launch on Discovery's Return to Flight mission STS-114.


KSC-05PD-1180 (05/27/2005)

KSC-05PD-1181 (05/27/2005)

KSC-05PD-1182 (05/27/2005)

KSC-05PD-1183 (05/27/2005)

KSC-05PD-1184 (05/27/2005)




EC-11 News

International Space Station Status Report #27

2005
Report #27
3 p.m. CDT, Friday, May 27, 2005
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

The Expedition 11 crew entered its seventh week in space today, wrapping up a week highlighted by research, maintenance and training for photography tasks to be done during the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight mission in July.

Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer John Phillips spent several days conducting examinations of each other using an ultrasound device that provides data on the ability of crewmembers to conduct detailed medical exams in space. The experiment could have future applications for telemedicine or rural health care.

Phillips also conducted work with a viscosity measurement experiment that collects information on the behavior of liquids in microgravity that have different thickness, or viscosity. The experiment may provide insight to researchers designing new hardware for space travel and could have industrial applications on Earth.

Phillips and Krikalev spent part of Tuesday practicing photography techniques with digital cameras in the Zvezda Service Module. The techniques will be used to capture high resolution imagery of the condition of Discovery's heat shield at a distance of 600 feet as the Shuttle approaches for docking on the third day of the STS-114 mission.

The crewmembers will use 400 millimeter and 800 millimeter lenses from two windows in Zvezda to focus on Discovery's thermal protection tiles and the reinforced carbon-carbon shield.

Discovery Commander Eileen Collins will fly Discovery through a backflip as it approaches the Station, allowing Krikalev and Phillips to document all sides of the vehicle. They will shoot as many frames as possible during the minute and a half Shuttle flip. Those images will be transmitted to the ground for analysis.

For the second week, the crew activated solid fuel oxygen generating canisters in Zvezda to replenish the cabin atmosphere. The canisters, one of multiple oxygen supplies that remain available onboard, are being used following the depletion of oxygen reserves in tanks in the Progress cargo vehicle and in the absence of an operating Elektron oxygen-generation system.

The next Progress cargo ship to launch to the Station in mid-June will carry new supplies of oxygen tanks and solid fuel canisters as well as electronic components for the Elektron. Oxygen supplies onboard and those on upcoming cargo vehicles can accommodate the crew into next year.

Earlier today, Krikalev tested the voltage of some of the Elektron's existing components to help Russian specialists in their ongoing troubleshooting efforts. Krikalev confirmed that the electrolyzer unit, part of a system that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, showed no voltage readings and is presumed to have failed.

Krikalev also worked on a procedure to bypass one of the cables in the Russian segment condensate removal system that has developed a blockage.

The crew is scheduled for a light duty weekend, including routine housekeeping tasks and family conferences.


Credit: NASA



NASA TV

[STS-Chris]

Keine Sorge zumindest einer liest mit , wobei nur ein Smilie würde hier wohl als Spam aufgefaßt werden ...

übreigens, was ist denn nun aus der Sauerstoffversorgung der ISS geworden, haben sie die wieder in Ordnung gebracht ?

Schön, dass du dich für das Thema interessierst. Es wäre aber wirklich schade, wenn du wirklich der einzigste außer mir wärst. Aber es sieht ja momentan wohl so aus.

Zur Situation auf der ISS folgt gleich ein neuer ISS Statusbericht.

Bedauerlicherweise sind deutsche Übersetzungen von aktuellen Shuttle- und ISS-Berichten momentan Mangelware im Internet. Eine Schande ist das! Vor geraumer Zeit war zumindest das Space Science Journal sehr ausführlich und aktuell, aber seit Ende April tut sich da garnichts mehr.

EDIT: Ich habe gerade nochmal nachgeschaut: Erstaunlicherweise steht jetzt ein Bericht vom Zurückrollen der Discovery ins VAB auf der Seite des SSJ. Aber die Missionsseite STS-114 ist immernoch nicht aktualisiert.

[MRM]

Keine Sorge zumindest einer liest mit , wobei nur ein Smilie würde hier wohl als Spam aufgefaßt werden ...

übreigens, was ist denn nun aus der Sauerstoffversorgung der ISS geworden, haben sie die wieder in Ordnung gebracht ?

[STS-Chris]

Wieder neue Bilder von der NASA:


STS-114 Image Gallery:


For high resolution images: KSC Multimedia Gallery (Keywords: Discovery or STS-114)



KSC-05PD-1166 (05/26/2005)
Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a Mobile Launcher Platform, nears the opening to high bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. A Security helicopter hovers nearby, over the Launch Control Center. The Shuttle is being rolled back from Launch Pad 39B.


KSC-05PD-1167 (05/26/2005)

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KSC-05PD-1176 (05/26/2005)


KSC-05PD-1177 (05/26/2005)
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle Discovery, resting on the Mobile Launcher Platform, rolls into high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The Shuttle is being rolled back from Launch Pad 39B. It will be demated from its External Tank and lifted into the transfer aisle.


Credit: NASA




NASA TV

[STS-Chris]

So, jetzt seid ihr mal dran!

Diejenigen von euch, die diesen Thread regelmäßig mitlesen, sollen sich jetzt mal melden.
So weiß ich dann, dass ich das ganze hier nicht umsonst mache.
Es reicht schon ein Smilie.

[STS-Chris]

Launch of STS-114:
T - 063d 06h 48m



May 26, 2005
This is NASA's press statement on today's rollback:

The Space Shuttle Discovery is back in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The Shuttle will get a new, modified external fuel tank to ensure a safe Return to Flight mission (STS-114).
Discovery, carried by a Crawler Transporter, entered the VAB at 4:30 p.m. EDT. The 10-hour, 4.2 mile trip from Launch Pad 39B was briefly interrupted due to an over heated bearing on the Transporter. Today's rollback was the 15th in Space Shuttle Program history.

"Rolling back Discovery was the right thing to do and demonstrates our commitment to a safe Return to Flight," said Shuttle Program Manager Bill Parsons. "We will continue to focus on the processing milestones and complete the additional analysis we determined was required, so that we continue to move toward a launch during the July window."

Technicians will de-mate Discovery from its External Tank (ET-120) and Solid Rocket Boosters on May 31. Discovery will be attached to ET-121 on June 7. ET-121 was originally scheduled to fly with the Shuttle Atlantis on the second Return to Flight mission (STS-121).

In the VAB, a new heater will be added to ET-121 on the feedline bellows. It is the part of the pipeline that carries liquid oxygen to the Shuttle's main engines, to minimize potential ice and frost buildup. The tank also has several safety improvements, including an improved bipod fitting that connects it to the Orbiter.

In addition, NASA's second redesigned tank has been outfitted with temperature sensors and accelerometers, used to measure vibration. These sensors will gather information about the tank's performance during flight.

After the heater is added to ET-121 and the Shuttle is attached to its new propulsion elements, Discovery will roll back out to Launch Pad 39B in mid-June. Discovery's payload, the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, will be installed in the payload bay, while the Shuttle is on the pad.

Launch of Discovery for STS-114 is targeted for July 13. The launch window extends to July 31. During its 12-day mission, Discovery's seven-person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety and deliver supplies to the International Space Station.



Return to flight

Tuesday: Workers begin de-stacking Discovery from tank, rocket boosters.
Mid-June: Stacked with new tank and boosters, shuttle rolls again to launch pad.
July 13-31: Launch window from Kennedy Space Center


Credit: spaceflightnow.com

[STS-Chris]

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2005
1735 GMT (1:35 p.m. EDT)

Discovery's rollback has been stalled by a problem with the crawler-transporter. Engineers are working to fix the technical glitch, which has stopped the transporter as it neared the VAB this afternoon.

The shuttle continues to be parked along the Kennedy Space Center crawlerway while technicians examine an overheated bearing within the transporter. NASA has two giant tracked crawler-transporters that were originally built for Apollo four decades ago.


1903 GMT (3:03 p.m. EDT)

The crawler has begun moving again, a couple of hours after being stopped because of an overheated bearing. Discovery should be back inside the assembly building by late afternoon.


Credit: spaceflightnow.com




KSC-05PD-1151 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1152 (05/26/2005)



KSC-05PD-1153 (05/26/2005)
Space Shuttle Discovery, atop its Mobile Launcher Platform and Crawler/Transporter, inches its way back to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center. Rolling back from Launch Pad 39B, it is passing alongside the turn basin near the VAB.


Credit: NASA

[STS-Chris]

Momentan ist leider keine deutsche Übersetzung verfügbar!


In reverse: Shuttle Discovery leaves pad


THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2005
1048 GMT (6:48 a.m. EDT)

Seven weeks after rolling to the launch pad for the first space shuttle mission in two years, Discovery is retreating from the oceanfront complex this morning. The ship is headed to the Vehicle Assembly Building to exchange external fuel tanks and solid rocket boosters

The rollback started moments ago as the Apollo-era crawler-transporter began moving the mobile launch platform with Discovery on top. The 4.2-mile trip from pad 39B to the Vehicle Assembly Building is expected to take about 8 hours.

It is the 15th time in program history that a shuttle mission has been rolled off the launch pad.

Once in the 52-story building, Discovery will be detached from its current orange fuel tank and booster set. The lifting crane will lower the shuttle to the concrete aisle in the VAB.

Later, the shuttle will be maneuvered into another processing bay where a second tank and booster stack await. That tank was supposed to be used by Atlantis on the second post-Columbia launch. But NASA opted to have Discovery use it since the tank is being fitted with extra ice-defeating heaters installed around the liquid oxygen feedline bellows that the original tank lacked. Discovery's first tank also experienced problems with its fuel depletion sensors and a hydrogen pressure relief valve during a test in April.

Discovery is scheduled to be mated with the new tank around June 7, with rollout to pad 39B slated for June 14 in advance of a mid-July liftoff.

Credit: spaceflightnow.com




May 26, 2005

Shuttle Discovery crawls to hangar

BY CHRIS KRIDLER
FLORIDA TODAY

CAPE CANAVERAL - Discovery is moving in the wrong direction but for the right reasons, workers said as the shuttle began rolling back to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center this morning.

The gigantic crawler-transporter first nudged forward at 6:44 a.m. under cloudy skies, delayed from a 2 a.m. start while paperwork was completed.

“It’s another slow step in the right direction, and it’s another indication that we’re not going to fly until it’s safe to do so,” said crawler supervisor Ray Trapp of Port St. John as he watched the ship move slowly off the pad.

Brian Jones and a couple of co-workers were there to take pictures of the ship, for “the excitement of going back to flying again,” he said.

The rollback, which will allow NASA to substitute the shuttle’s external fuel tank, was essential for safety reasons, he said.

“I think it’s a good thing,” said Jones, an elevator worker for contractor United Space Alliance who lives in Mims. “It has to be right before it goes.”

The new fuel tank will have a heater designed to prevent ice from building up as supercold propellants are loaded. Ice and insulating foam can fly off the tank during launch and strike the orbiter.

Such a strike fatally damaged Columbia during its January 2003 launch, leading to a breach that allowed hot gases to penetrate the orbiter when it tried to re-enter the atmosphere.

Discovery, moving at nearly 1 mph, should reach the Vehicle Assembly Building in mid-afternoon.

It is expected to roll back to the pad with the new tank and solid rocket boosters my mid-June, aiming for a July 13 launch.

Credit: flatoday.com






STS-114: Image Gallery


For high resolution images: KSC Multimedia Gallery (Keywords: Discovery or STS-114)




THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2005


KSC-05PD-1129 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1130 (05/26/2005)



KSC-05PD-1131 (05/26/2005)
In the early morning hours, the Crawler/Transporter inches its way toward Space Shuttle Discovery and the Mobile Launcher Platform, at right. The Shuttle is being rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be demated from its External Tank and lifted into the transfer aisle. On or about June 7, Discovery will be lifted and attached to its new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters, which are already in the VAB. Only the 15th rollback in Space Shuttle Program history, the 4.2-mile journey allows additional modifications to be made to the External Tank prior to a safe Return to Flight. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.


KSC-05PD-1132 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1138 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1139 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1140 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1141 (05/26/2005)



KSC-05PD-1142 (05/26/2005)
Under post-dawn cloudy skies, Space Shuttle Discovery, resting on the Mobile Launcher Platform, rolls away from Launch Pad 39B via the Crawler/Transporter underneath. At left are the Rotating and Fixed Service Structures (RSS and FSS). Atop the FSS is the 80-foot lightning mast. At right is the 290-foot-tall water tower that holds 300,000 gallons of water, part of the sound suppression system during a launch. Discovery is returning to the Vehicle Assembly Buildling where it will be demated from its External Tank and lifted into the transfer aisle. On or about June 7, Discovery will be lifted and attached to its new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters, which are already in the VAB. Only the 15th rollback in Space Shuttle Program history, the 4.2-mile journey allows additional modifications to be made to the External Tank prior to a safe Return to Flight. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.


KSC-05PD-1143 (05/26/2005)

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KSC-05PD-1145 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1146 (05/26/2005)



KSC-05PD-1147 (05/26/2005)
Space Shuttle Discovery, resting on the Mobile Launcher Platform atop the Crawler/Transporter, nears the pad gate to Launch Pad 39B on its way back to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be demated from its External Tank and lifted into the transfer aisle. On or about June 7, Discovery will be lifted and attached to its new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters, which are already in the VAB. Only the 15th rollback in Space Shuttle Program history, the 4.2-mile journey allows additional modifications to be made to the External Tank prior to a safe Return to Flight. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.


KSC-05PD-1148 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1149 (05/26/2005)

KSC-05PD-1150 (05/26/2005)


Credit: NASA

[STS-Chris]

Space Shuttle Status


Video File

KSC-05-S-00146 (05/23/2005)
Now on the NASA Space Shuttle Status Report: It Takes Two. An important, second test on Space Shuttle Discovery's External Tank. Then, ET-121 attaches to its Solid Rocket Boosters and prepares to fly with Discovery.



TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2005
1615 GMT (12:15 p.m. EDT)

Borescope inspections on space shuttle Discovery to check for landing gear door mechanism cracks have been completed at launch pad 39B, and a NASA spokeswoman says the ship appears to be in good shape.

"The borescopes wrapped up last night. All of the preliminary looks say that Discovery is fine and they did not see any of indications of any crack or cracks in that area," said Kennedy Space Center spokewoman Jessica Rye.

With access to the landing gear wells from beneath the payload bay, technicians used the camera-tipped borescope to look for any cracks in the retract link assembly on the left-hand main landing gear door. It was decided that the inspections were not needed for the right-hand door because photos taken in the hangar before Discovery moved to the launch were available.

"The right-hand side we had very good closeout photos of that particular area, and so they felt very comfortable with those closeout photos," Rye said.

The inspections were prompted after a crack was found on Atlantis' right-hand main landing gear.

Checks of Endeavour, which is undergoing a major overhaul at the spaceport, revealed no cracks.

Discovery remains scheduled for rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Thursday.


Credit: spaceflightnow.com







STS-114: Image Gallery

Discovery Prepares to Roll Back

Workers at Kennedy Space Center are preparing to roll the Shuttle from the launch pad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).


For high resolution images: KSC Multimedia Gallery (Keywords: Discovery or STS-114)




TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2005


KSC-05PD-1124 (05/24/2005)

KSC-05PD-1125 (05/24/2005)

KSC-05PD-1126 (05/24/2005)


KSC-05PD-1127 (05/24/2005)
On Launch Pad 39B, Space Shuttle Discovery is revealed after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure. At right of the pad is the 290-foot-tall water tower that holds 300,000 gallons of water, part of the sound suppression system during a launch. Discovery will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be demated from its External Tank and lifted into the transfer aisle. On or about June 7, Discovery will be lifted and attached to its new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters, which are already in the VAB. Only the 15th rollback in Space Shuttle Program history, the 4.2-mile journey allows additional modifications to be made to the External Tank prior to a safe Return to Flight. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.

KSC-05PD-1128 (05/01/2005)


Credit: NASA


NASA TV

[STS-Chris]

23. Mai 2005

Discovery wird am Donnerstag zurückgerollt

Nachdem ein zweiter Betankungstest am Space Shuttle Discovery erfolgreich abgeschlossen wurde, wird die Raumfähre am Kennedy Space Center für das Zurückrollen am Donnerstag von der Startrampe zum Montagegebäude (VAB) vorbereitet.



Medium - High Resolution
Space Shuttle Discovery auf
der Startrampe 39B. (Foto: NASA)


Vor der Reise der Discovery zurück zum Montagegebäude (VAB) überprüfen Techniker die Hauptfahrgestelltür des Shuttles, um zu sehen, ob kleine Risse, wie sie letzte Woche beim Shuttle Atlantis gefunden wurden, auch bei der Discovery vorhanden sind. Nach ersten Untersuchungen wurden keine Risse an der Discovery festgestellt. Am Mittwoch nach der Inspektion am Fahrgestell, werden Heißfeuertests von Discovery's Hilfsaggregate (Auxiliary Power Units) durchgeführt.

Am frühen Donnerstagmorgen Ortszeit wird die Discovery zurück zum Montagegebäude gerollt, wo die Raumfähre dann voraussichtlich am 7. Juni einen neuen Außentank und neue Feststoffraketen bekommt. Discovery soll Mitte Juni zur Startrampe zurückkehren.

Die Discovery wird während des ersten Shuttle-Fluges seit dem Columbia-Unglück von 2003 die STS-114-Crew zur Internationalen Raumstation (ISS) bringen.

STS-114-Kommandantin Eileen Collins und ihre Crew bereiten sich weiterhin für die Mission vor, die nicht vor dem 13. Juli beginnen soll. Discovery's Startfenster erstreckt sich bis zum 31. Juli.

Quelle: NASA






Shuttle-Flüge
Dicht oder nicht?
faz.net

23. Mai 2005 Die amerikanische Weltraumbehörde Nasa hält an dem für den 13. Juli vorgesehenen Termin für den Start der Raumfähre "Discovery" fest, obwohl sich bei zwei umfangreichen Tests auf der Startrampe in den vergangenen Wochen technische Unregelmäßigkeiten zeigten, die bislang nicht erklärt werden konnten. Am Dienstag soll die Discovery für einen Umbau von der Startrampe in die große Montagehalle am Cape Canaveral zurückgebracht werden. Unterdessen wird immer deutlicher, daß die Internationale Raumstation wegen fehlender Ersatzteile in einen technisch fragwürdigen Zustand gerät. So haben die beiden Astronauten an Bord zur Zeit Schwierigkeiten, genügend Sauerstoff für ihre Atemluft herzustellen.

Beim Start besteht ein Space Shuttle aus der eigentlichen Raumfähre, die auf einem großen, zylinderförmigen Tank montiert ist. An den Außenseiten des Tanks befinden sich noch zwei Zusatzraketen, die dem Shuttle beim Start überhaupt erst den Schub geben, der nötig ist, um die Erdanziehung zu überwinden. Der Tank ist etwa 50 Meter hoch und faßt etwa zwei Millionen Liter Wasserstoff und Sauerstoff in flüssiger Form. Während des Starts werden diese Flüssigkeiten als Treibstoff in die drei Triebwerke der Raumfähre gepumpt. In den vergangenen Wochen wurde dieser Tank zweimal in Probeläufen gefüllt. Dabei wollten die Nasa-Ingenieure feststellen, ob alle Pumpen und Ventile ordnungsgemäß arbeiten und ob alle Leitungen und Ventile dicht sind. Der letzte dieser jeweils mehr als 16 Stunden dauernden Tests fand am Freitag statt.

Bisher keine Erklärungen

In beiden Fällen zeigten sich technische Unregelmäßigkeiten, für die es bislang, so sagte Bill Parsons, der Manager des Shuttle-Programms, keine Erklärungen gibt. Dazu gehörte, daß einige Sensoren anzeigten, Ventile würden nicht vollständig schließen, obwohl keine Lecks gefunden wurden. Außerdem zeigte der flüssige Wasserstoff eine überhöhte Temperatur, sobald er in den Tank eingefüllt wurde. Man wisse noch nicht, ob diese Anomalien technische Hindernisse für den Flug der Discovery darstellten oder nicht, sagte Parsons. Das könne man erst einschätzen, wenn alle am Freitag aufgenommenen Daten des Betankungsversuchs ausgewertet seien.

Dennoch wird die Discovery mitsamt dem Tank und den Zusatzraketen am Dienstag in die Montagehalle zurücktransportiert. In den kommenden Wochen werden dort der Tank und die Raketen abmontiert und durch eine neue Konfiguration ersetzt. Der neue Tank wird unter anderem ein Heizelement enthalten, das die Bildung von Eis an einer großen, vom Tank ausgehenden Treibstoffleitung verhindern soll. Während des Umbaus werden dann auch jene Sensoren und Ventile im neuen Tank überprüft, die bei den bisherigen Tests am alten Tank Unregelmäßigkeiten zeigten.

ISS: Sauerstoffgenerator versagt

Auf der Raumstation zeigen sich unterdessen immer mehr technische Schwierigkeiten. So hat die Besatzung, der russische Kommandant Sergei Krikalew und sein amerikanischer Bordingenieur John Phillips, inzwischen den aus russischer Produktion stammenden Sauerstoffgenerator wegen irreparabler Defekte aufgeben müssen. An diesem Montag geht auch der Vorrat an Sauerstoffkanistern zu Ende, mit denen die beiden Raumfahrer seither ihre Atemluft mit Sauerstoff angereichert haben. In den kommenden Wochen muß die Besatzung deshalb auf die sogenannten Sauerstoffkerzen zurückgreifen. Jeder dieser Stahlzylinder enthält ein kleines Brikett aus Lithiumperchlorat, das, einmal angezündet, Sauerstoff abgibt. Pro Tag müssen zwei dieser Briketts "abgebrannt" werden, um die beiden Raumfahrer ausreichend mit Sauerstoff zu versorgen. Insgesamt befinden sich etwa 100 Zylinder an Bord der Raumstation, so daß der darin enthaltene Sauerstoffvorrat theoretisch für sieben Wochen reicht.

Sollte dann auch der Vorrat an Sauerstoffkerzen aufgebraucht sein, steht den Raumfahrern als letzte Rettung noch ein mit komprimiertem Sauerstoff gefüllter Tank zur Verfügung, der genug Sauerstoff für drei Monate enthält. Für die jetzige Besatzung ist die Lage also noch nicht prekär. Allerdings ist auf der Raumstation zur Zeit bei weitem nicht genug Sauerstoff vorhanden, um die aus sieben Astronauten bestehende Besatzung der Discovery im Notfall 45 Tage zu beherbergen. Das wäre nach der Notfallplanung der Nasa notwendig, wenn die Raumfähre während der Startphase ähnlich stark beschädigt würde wie die "Columbia" bei ihrem letzten Start Mitte Januar 2003. Die Besatzung der Discovery müßte dann auf der Raumstation ausharren, bis sie vom Shuttle "Atlantis" im Rahmen eines bislang nie geprobten Rettungsfluges zur Erde zurückgeholt wird.

Text: F.A.Z., 23.05.2005, Nr. 117 / Seite 9