Space Shuttle STS-121 - Mission ULF1.1 to the International Space Station

[Berserker]

After nearly a year of analysis, modification and testing after the previous Shuttle flight (STS-114), NASA is ready to launch it's next Shuttle mission to continue building and servicing the International Space Station.

All images posted by me credit NASA or NASA TV unless otherwise indicated.

Discovery (OV-103) on launch pad 39B

Countdown begins

Crew arrives at KSC (larger)

From left are Commander Steven Lindsey, Mission Specialists Lisa Nowak and Michael Fossum, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson, Piers Sellers and Thomas Reiter.

There are still concerns about foam loss from the external tank, but they're considered as no more than a 1-in-100 chance of causing damage to the shuttle.

Launch is scheduled for Saturday at 20:49, however, there is a 60% chance of thunderstorms causing a delay.

I wish them good luck and god speed on their upcoming mission. I'll keep this thread updated.

 

[Stringy]

I know there's probably somewhere that's counting down days, but it's a bit more than 18 odd hours until Saturday, what gives?

Best of luck to them.

edit: don't tell me the flash buggers turned up in fast jets as well

 

[Sirrel Squirrel]

Cool, my dad was talking to a bloke in notting hill yesterday and he said his son is one of the astronauts going up on that shuttle. It'd be so cool to be an astronaut, people would be like, 'so what do you do' and I'd be like, 'nothing much, just an astronaut '

 

[Messiah Khan]

Excellent news. Lets hope this flight goes well. Some of the engineers did however express concern that the ceramic heat shielding tiles havent been fully been fixed yet. The management have however over ridden this judgement and deemed the flight safe. Lets hope they are right, and it doesn't turn into another Columbia.

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

Cool. The last launch NASA showed on NASA TV was quite good. The acceleration of the rocket was awesome. Hopefully they'll show some cockpit footage during the launch again.

 

[Berserker]

Some of the engineers did however express concern that the ceramic heat shielding tiles havent been fully been fixed yet.

Human spaceflight is inherently dangerous (at least for the forseeable future). It's all about knowing the risks, understanding them, and either removing or accepting them. Strapping yourself into a capsule at the top of what is essentially a high-tech roman candle, blasting into space, docking, orbiting, undocking, and returning to earth at several times the speed of sound is risky. There are numerous things that could kill you.

NASA managers should not ignore or override anyone - they should discuss the facts, weigh up the risks, and make a decision - fly or don't fly. This is not the 1980's and we don't have managers ignoring warnings about O-ring seals and flying anyway (and getting the end-result - Challenger).

Of course, if something bad did happen, it would be the end of the Shuttle programme, and probably the end of the ISS too.

 

[Rich_L]

I have my fingers crossed that there's a delay, because I'm at KSC from the 15th July which means it could get launched while I'm there

 

[HEADRAT]

This is not the 1980's and we don't have managers ignoring warnings about O-ring seals and flying anyway (and getting the end-result - Challenger).

Let hope it isn't a replay of 1st February 2003 either, I don't think thing have changed at NASA:-

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board report was highly critical of NASA's decision-making and risk-assessment processes. It concluded the organizational structure and processes were sufficiently flawed that compromise of safety was expected no matter who was in the key decision-making positions

it's a risk that I'm sure the crew are willing to take as this is spaceflight not riding the number 10 bus afterall. The Shuttle should be retired IMHO, it's been a good workhorse but it needs to be put out to pasture, I'm not sure the U.S. want to invest the money in it's replacement though!

HEADRAT

 

[Berserker]

Let hope it isn't a replay of 1st February 2003 either, I don't think thing have changed at NASA:-

I sincerely hope that's not true and that things have changed. If they didn't, they'd be doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, and if that happens, we could well see the manned space programme being set back by decades.

it's a risk that I'm sure the crew are willing to take as this is spaceflight not riding the number 10 bus afterall. The Shuttle should be retired IMHO, it's been a good workhorse but it needs to be put out to pasture, I'm not sure the U.S. want to invest the money in it's replacement though!

I agree with you there, but the problem is that, at least as far as I can tell, the Shuttle is the only platform capable of delivering and installing payloads to the ISS for the forseeable future. By NASA's own admission, the shuttle is too complex and has major design flaws (particularly in the thermal protection system, which is what is causing all the problems now). Using delicate ceramic tiles for protection, which can be damaged so easily by simple ice and chunks of foam on what is a very turbulent ascent can only be a recipe for disaster in the long-term (as Colombia unfortunately demonstrated all too well).

I personally want to see a few more launches yet, there's nothing quite like watching a shuttle launch and landing, and it's something that's not going to be happening for very much longer.

I have my fingers crossed that there's a delay, because I'm at KSC from the 15th July which means it could get launched while I'm there

Sorry to disappoint, but I believe the launch window ends around that date due to NASA's no night launch criteria, and it doesn't open again until August 28th, so unfortunately it's unlikely you'll get to see a launch even if there is a delay.

 

[lukechad]

Well this really brings some memories back for me of the last shuttle flight last year, space shuttle discovery went up to the space station and there was massive worry over the heat proof plates on the bottom of the thing after they had to do some in-flight maintenance on it after one of the plates fell off during the launch.

I still remember the awesome roar it had when I took this...(poor quality, quite highly cropped)

 

[Rich_L]

Sorry to disappoint, but I believe the launch window ends around that date due to NASA's no night launch criteria, and it doesn't open again until August 28th, so unfortunately it's unlikely you'll get to see a launch even if there is a delay.

Just checked and the launch window is 1st-19th July...there's a chance yet

 

[Berserker]

I'm envious of the fact that you got the opportunity to see it launch. I was at KSC early last year and there was a possibility it would launch then, but it didn't happen.

 

[lukechad]

I'm envious of the fact that you got the opportunity to see it launch. I was at KSC early last year and there was a possibility it would launch then, but it didn't happen.

I think I remember you telling me about this before, I know the original launch date was just before we were due to arrive in america but it was delayed, it actually happened on the first day of our holiday, it came back in the night just before we were setting off back home, the 2 booms were quite a surreal sound to hear in the dead of the night

 

[Messiah Khan]

Human spaceflight is inherently dangerous (at least for the forseeable future). It's all about knowing the risks, understanding them, and either removing or accepting them. Strapping yourself into a capsule at the top of what is essentially a high-tech roman candle, blasting into space, docking, orbiting, undocking, and returning to earth at several times the speed of sound is risky. There are numerous things that could kill you.

NASA managers should not ignore or override anyone - they should discuss the facts, weigh up the risks, and make a decision - fly or don't fly. This is not the 1980's and we don't have managers ignoring warnings about O-ring seals and flying anyway (and getting the end-result - Challenger).

Of course, if something bad did happen, it would be the end of the Shuttle programme, and probably the end of the ISS too.

I realise this isn't the 1980's, but as already mentioned, NASA still has some organisational/management issues. Hopefully they wouldn't ignore an issue as serious as the degraded O-rings of the challenger, but as you say it is a balance of educated risk.

The reasoning the management have given for still lauching despite the ceramic tile issue, is that the added cameras(Especially the ones on the extendible boom arm) should be able to detect any fracture or chip in the shielding once the shuttle is in orbit. So lets hope the repair kits works as well as it should in the event that it is needed.

I agree that the shuttle is very rapidly nearing the end of its usefull life. It certainly has been an iconic and usefull craft(Although the usefullness compared to its intended design is debatable). I think the future of manned space travel (Certainly for low orbit stuff) Lies in smaller manned craft, and seperate craft such as the Boeing's Delta 4-Heavy lifter taking the cargo. The Russian space agency/ESA collaboration project resulting in the 'Clipper' seems to confirm this direction of development.

 

[Berserker]

NASA is going the same route too. Using heavy-lift rockets to get cargo into space then docking with a smaller crew transportation vehicle in orbit. More complex to plan, but easier (and probably safer) to implement.

I don't like the idea of all that hardware going up into space and then being dumped, but that's a fact of life with the space industry (just look at all the fuel they use). In my view the trade-off is worth it, but I expect many disagree (probably loudly). Fortunately, rockets tend to be louder than any protest.

 

[Messiah Khan]

Hehe. Yeah, the amount of space junk is an issue that is going to have to be sorted quite soon, before disasters happen. AFAIK there already has been at least one accident involving a manned spacecraft, and several satalites have been affected, so its only time before something serious happens.

Slightly OT; I really hope the prometheus project doesn't get scrapped like the rumours were suggesting. Although there are quite a few potential problems with it, it is by far the most realistic method for a mission to Mars and beyond.

 

[MrMatteh]

\o/ i'll be at home for this


I remember trying to watch the last launch, had the bbc stream through my tv then -----. power cut.

By the time i had power again: "...and the rocket is 50km high..."

 

[PsiFox]

I was fortunate enough to be on the roof of the nearest building people were allowed to be on back in the nineties for a launch.

We had an Astronaut with us and a feed from the comms between launch control and the shuttle.

Was the most impressive sight I have ever seen. Got some stunning pics somewhere.

 

[Berserker]

At the last report I heard, NASA was unable to start the first loading of fuel to the Shuttle's internal fuel cells due to expected lightning. If a leak happened during fuelling, a lightning strike could be disastrous. To demonstrate the point, the launch pad was struck on Tuesday. No damage to the shuttle, but some blown breakers and possible damage were reported to launch pad systems.

Weather is still problematic at best for a Saturday, Sunday, or even Tuesday launch. The likelihood is they would stand down for the day Monday after two failed launch attempts. They would have to stand down for at least two further days if Tuesday was unsuccessful due to fuel issues.

More news as I hear it.

 

[Berserker]

Early dawn at Pad 39B. The rotating service structure has been 'parked'.

No problems currently being worked on. No weather issues preventing loading of fuel, and the chances of weather preventing lift-off has been reduced from 60% to 40%, as Florida's usual afternoon thunderstorms are predicted to be further away today.

You can watch live coverage all day on NASA TV. I will also post updates if there is any news.