Official STS-119 Discovery Shuttle Mission Thread

SNA350 · Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:18 am

With Discovery allready at the launchpad, I thought it was time to start this thread

STS-119's main goal is to deliver the fourth and last Solar panels (S6) to the ISS

more info can be found here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh...emissions/sts119/119_overview.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh.../shuttlemissions/sts119/index.html

Crew for this mission
Lee J. Archambault: Commander
Dominic A. (Tony) Antonelli: Pilot
Joseph M. Acaba: Mission Specialist
John L. Phillips: Mission Specialist
Steven R. Swanson: Mission Specialist
Richard R. Arnold: Mission Specialist
Koichi Wakata: ISS Flight Engineer Expedition 18 (launch)
Sandra Magnus: ISS Flight Engineer Expedition 18 (return)

zanl188 · Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:01 pm

Press kit available here:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

Liftoff scheduled for Feb 12 0732EST/1232UTC

Thorny · Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:17 am

SpaceflightNow is reporting that NASA has decided to postpone launch one week.
Liftoff is now targeted for 4:41am EST, Thursday, February 19.

The delay is due to work needed to replace Flow Control Valves in Discovery's Main Propulsion System.

nomadd22 · Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:18 am

I'd thought the new valves were in and OK, but there seems to be more issues.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009/...agency-frr-change-net-for-sts-119/
It looks like they were pushing it just a little too close and decided they better take a little more time.

[Edited 2009-02-03 18:19:21]

Thorny · Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:02 am

Launch now No Earlier Than February 22, 2009.

Engineers need more time to study the FCV issue.

zanl188 · Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:31 pm

Launch delayed again.

Now Feb. 27 at 1:32 a.m.

Still due to FCV problem.

Thorny · Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:19 am

And delayed again. No new launch target date set, but earliest would be March 2. Potential long delays to redesign the Flow Control Valves.

TheSonntag · Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:13 am

How long can they postpone until the schedule gets harmed?

glidepath73 · Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:03 pm

Have heard, that debris from the odd satellite collision a week ago could endanger any shuttle launch in the future.
How serious is that problem really?

Regards,
Patrick

Thorny · Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:11 pm

Quoting TheSonntag (Reply 7):
How long can they postpone until the schedule gets harmed?

If they don't launch by mid-March (when they have to stand down to let a Soyuz fly to the Station), there will be a domino effect on subsequent launches.

If they delay until April or later, that will be a serious schedule problem, and could force cancellation of one of the last Shuttle missions if the Shuttle program isn't extended beyond 2010.

Quoting Glidepath73 (Reply 8):
Have heard, that debris from the odd satellite collision a week ago could endanger any shuttle launch in the future.
How serious is that problem really?

Increased threat of MMOD (micrometeoroid/orbital debris) impacts, which weren't low before the collision. Spacewalks are now a little more dangerous, and spacewalks are the one thing in spaceflight that are more dangerous than they look.

TheSonntag · Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:39 pm

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/

Nasa now seems to target March 12th as a planned date, but nothing has been decided yet. They wording implies that they want to prepare people for delays of the next missions, as well... Writing "we are not in a rush" (which is, of course, important) seems a bit unbelievable, with that in mind...

But go-fever would be the worst thing imaginable...

zanl188 · Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:52 pm

A short explanation of the FCV problem with pictures...:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/313985main_Flow_Valve_Fact.pdf

NASA is looking at reduced mission options to get the mission off in March before the cutout for the Soyuz launch....

Thorny · Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:13 am

It looks like plans are firming up to proceed with launch of STS-119 on the night of March 11.
Launch time will be 9:20pm EDT.

TheSonntag · Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:31 pm

Nasa has confirmed that they are targeting a launch date on the night of March 11... We will see what will happen...

nomadd22 · Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:33 pm

Nice to see em advance the date for a change.
I don't know if they've decided to let the Starboard SARJ run full out yet, but it will be nice to see the station looking balanced when S6 is on. I gather they'll probably just duct tape the extra race to the truss in case they need it someday, and probably not change out the damaged one if things keep going smoothly. I know they're also considering moving to the already installed spare race and keeping the used one for backup.

TheSonntag · Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:59 pm

I just hope this launch is not rushed. Since they are all professionals, I highly doubt that, but this seems to be kind of go-fever again, as there is getting pressure on the schedule...

Thorny · Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:49 pm

Quoting TheSonntag (Reply 15):
I just hope this launch is not rushed. Since they are all professionals, I highly doubt that, but this seems to be kind of go-fever again, as there is getting pressure on the schedule...

Delaying the launch a month to study a problem is "go fever"? Confused

TheSonntag · Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:52 pm

Quoting Thorny (Reply 16):
Delaying the launch a month to study a problem is "go fever"?

Of course not, but it seems that apart from that, they now try to continue very fast... I am no expert, though. My concern is just that they now run into schedule issues if they do not launch soon.

Thorny · Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:00 pm

Quoting TheSonntag (Reply 17):
Of course not, but it seems that apart from that, they now try to continue very fast... I am no expert, though. My concern is just that they now run into schedule issues if they do not launch soon.

Why wait? Discovery herself has been ready to fly for over a month now while engineers ran tests on the little Flow Control Valves to make sure they didn't have cracks in them. Once the engineers say, "Okay, we're comfortable with this" and management said, "Okay, let's go fly..." it is essentially just a matter of starting the countdown.

NASA reportedly came very close to going ahead with the launch late last month, but decided to err on the side of caution and run another batch of tests on the FCVs. Those results came back this week.

TheSonntag · Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:30 pm

Quoting Thorny (Reply 18):

Alright, thank you, as always, for your great reports... After this launch the ISS will finally be "almost" complete, at least seen from Earth...

TheSonntag · Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:56 pm

The countdown has started... So the launch is getting closer...

Alessandro · Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:24 pm

Less than 7 hours to launch now...

Thorny · Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:40 pm

SCRUB.

At least 24 hours delay due to hydrogen leak in the umbilicals.

Alessandro · Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:27 pm

22 hours delay it seems, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/

Thorny · Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:09 pm

Quoting Alessandro (Reply 23):
22 hours delay it seems, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh...main/

Well, launch times advanced about 25 minutes each day, so a one-day delay would be 23 hours and 35 minutes.

But I'm thinking this will be at least a two-day delay, due to ET draining and pad-safing needed before they can fix whatever leaked (which seems to be either on the pad's LH2 vent arm or at its attach point on the Tank) assuming they can find it quickly and the fix is not too involved.

Weather forecast was 90% 'go' for Thursday and 80% 'go' for Friday, last I heard.

TheSonntag · Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:34 pm

Is this something which happened before, or could this be a serious issue?

Thorny · Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:45 pm

Quoting TheSonntag (Reply 25):
Is this something which happened before, or could this be a serious issue?

I've not heard of it, but with 124 previous launch campaigns, I wouldn't be surprised if it has happened before. My guess is it isn't a major problem, probably a failed seal in the vent arm / attach point.

This doesn't look to be a repeat of the Great Hydrogen Leak Follies of 1990 (which was somewhere in the Main Propulsion System and took seemingly forever to figure out where.)

Thorny · Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:22 pm

Launch now No Earlier Than (NET) Sunday, March 15th.

TheSonntag · Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:22 pm

Will this threaten the schedule of the remaining missions, or is it still a manageable delay?

Thorny · Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:30 am

Quoting TheSonntag (Reply 28):
Will this threaten the schedule of the remaining missions, or is it still a manageable delay?

If they launch Sunday or Monday, it is manageable. If they delay to April (and I think this likely) then we have a domino effect. If 119 slips to April 7, STS-125 and STS-127 each slip about two weeks.

Mir · Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:06 am

How long do they have to launch before they run up against the Soyuz schedule?

-Mir

Thorny · Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:06 am

Quoting Mir (Reply 30):
How long do they have to launch before they run up against the Soyuz schedule?

March 17. But they lose mission days (and spacewalks) for every day after March 13.

Alessandro · Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:04 pm

ISS needs to be pushed by the spaceshuttle, does this mean that they have recalculate
the orbit path if the spaceshuttle ride is postponed until next month?
Heard that the ISS had a scare of a collision with spacejunk today, evacutation drill was done.

Thorny · Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:11 am

NASA is proceeding with plans for launch on Sunday, March 15. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:43pm EDT.

Here is a link to a photo of the gaseous hydrogen vent arm where Wednesday's leak occurred.

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=40130

The leak was in the 7-inch quick disconnect between the tank and the end of the arm.

(Edited for typos.)

[Edited 2009-03-12 18:28:13]

[Edited 2009-03-12 18:28:55]

nomadd22 · Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:36 pm

They suspect a slug of liquid H2 got into the line and blew a seal. I'd guess a little slower rate when they get near full to prevent it next time.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts119/090314update/

Alessandro · Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:36 pm

Swedish tabloids claim a 12% failure risk, I wonder if all 9 remaining missions with the spaceshuttle will be flown?

Thorny · Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:58 pm

Quoting Alessandro (Reply 35):
Swedish tabloids claim a 12% failure risk,

That's the number NASA has said recently, although there is some question as to its validity and whether that number was politically motivated (to increase support for Ares/Orion). We still have an observed failure rate of 2-in-124, and the failure mechanism of those 2 has been eliminated or at least greatly mitigated.

Quoting Alessandro (Reply 35):
I wonder if all 9 remaining missions with the spaceshuttle will be flown?

Not without a deadline extension.

zanl188 · Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:18 pm

Quoting Alessandro (Reply 35):
Swedish tabloids claim a 12% failure risk, I wonder if all 9 remaining missions with the spaceshuttle will be flown?

Easy for the tabloids to throw out a number and walk away but it's not that simple. What do they mean by "failure".

Mission failure where crew and vehicle fly again another day?
Launch failure with crew and vehicle recovered? i.e. an RTLS
Some sort of deorbit failure where the crew gets out but orbiter ends up in the drink?

etc. Lots of different scenarios that could play out with the word "failure"

zanl188 · Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:42 pm

We're are now past the point the point where the leak occured on the first attempt. No sign of reccurence observed.

Leak appears to be fixed...

nomadd22 · Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:04 pm

Perhaps Thorny should warn his NASA contacts. I'm sure they'll take the tabloid's word and immediately cancel all remaining missions, go home and watch Star Trek reruns.
The methods they use to come up with these probabilities is so full of wild guesswork.......I mean.....scientific estimates backed by rigorous, unbiased methodology and completely unaffected by the desire to back a predetermined agenda, I think you might as well use a dartboard.
The only failures so far came from ignoring known problems and cherrypicking results that gave them the answer they wanted. I think they're pretty well cured of that now, and I'd feel pretty confident riding all remaining missions.

zanl188 · Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:54 pm

Crew enroute to pad....

Ice team found a sleeping bat on the tank, on the far side from shuttle. No constraint to launch.

zanl188 · Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:19 pm

CDR going aboard shuttle now

Alessandro · Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:28 pm

Less than 4 hours to launch.

BEG2IAH · Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:05 pm

Weather is 100% favorable for launch. Nice.

BEG2IAH

glidepath73 · Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:12 pm

Hi,

the current Nasa TV live stream does not work for me. Is there a working NASA TV live stream somewhere available?

Thanks!

Patrick

BEG2IAH · Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:30 pm

Quoting Glidepath73 (Reply 44):
the current Nasa TV live stream does not work for me. Is there a working NASA TV live stream somewhere available?

Check if you have a request to install Active X in your browser. If so, install it and it should work.

BEG2IAH

Mir · Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:39 pm

Quoting ZANL188 (Reply 40):
Ice team found a sleeping bat on the tank, on the far side from shuttle. No constraint to launch.

That bat is going to get some wake up call.... Smile

-Mir

Thorny · Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:41 pm

Quoting Glidepath73 (Reply 44):
Hi,

the current Nasa TV live stream does not work for me. Is there a working NASA TV live stream somewhere available?

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

http://video.ap.org/?pid=R9msqOsYZ2TmkWttgWjBgV72_tYSs_Oh&f=txhou

BEG2IAH · Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:43 pm

Quoting Mir (Reply 46):
That bat is going to get some wake up call...

Or it will end up as its relative in that crazy 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee. Big grin

BEG2IAH

zanl188 · Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:47 pm

Quoting Mir (Reply 46):
That bat is going to get some wake up call....

I wonder what the noise of launch will do to the bats echo location system? Not that the bat is likely to survive the blast from the SRBs but.....

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