STS-135 - The Final Space Shuttle Mission

[Cosimo]

I wouldn’t want to be woken up to this :

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Great view of the Cupola:

 

[Cosimo]

Do you have a NASA link for this image? Cheers

Also - apparently Day 9 'was' an extra day they managed to get because Atlantis generated enough cryogenic Oxygen and Hydrogen for power - how the does that work?

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/s...sts135/multimedia/gallery/fd7amazingview.html

A little light reading for you with regard to the fuel cells :

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/eps/pwrplants.html

Atlantis went up with fully loaded fuel cells. Having used power saving for the first three days of the mission they worked out that an extra day for unloading Raffaello could be safely squeezed out of the fuel cells so the mission was extended by an extra day.

 

[Cosimo]

The Southern Lights:

Yesterday's highlights:

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The plan for today:

Flight Day 10

• Finish stowing Raffaello​

 

[Cosimo]

Yesterday's highlights:

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The plan for today:

Flight Day 11

• Egress from Raffaello and demate preparations
• Demate of Raffaello from the nadir port of Harmony and berthing in Atlantis’ payload bay
• Final Farewells and Hatch Closure
• Centerline Camera Installation
• Rendezvous Tools Checkout​

 

[Cosimo]

Wake up time:

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[Cosimo]

Hatch closure between Atlantis and the station has taken place and preparation for undocking tomorrow is now in hand:

In orbit:

 

[Cosimo]

Yesterday's highlights:

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The plan to the day:

Flight Day 12

• Final Space Shuttle Undocking and flyaround of ISS
• Late inspection of Atlantis’ thermal protection system heat shield with the OBSS • OBSS berth​

 

[Cosimo]

Today's wake up call:

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A sad day as we get ready for the final undocking which will take place at 07:28 BST (02:28 EDT)

 

[Cosimo]

We have GO for undocking.

 

[Cosimo]

That's it:

Undocked for the last time.

 

[Cosimo]

Atlantis waits 600ft away from the station and waits for it to complete its manoeuvre so that Atlantis can fly along the stations axis.

 

[Cosimo]

90 degree yaw manoeuvre completed by the station:

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[Cosimo]

..... and now the fly around:

 

[Cosimo]

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[Cosimo]

Yesterday's highlights:

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Today's plan:

Flight Day 13

• Cabin stowage
• Flight Control System checkout
• Picosat deployment
• Reaction Control System hot-fire test
• Deorbit Preparation Briefing
• Crew Tribute to Atlantis and the end of the Space Shuttle Program
• Ku-band antenna stowage​

 

[Cosimo]

Sorry to go off topic,but i was reading some stuff on the Challenger disaster,was that correct when the cabin fell into the sea it was 200 G.

It's true:

Whether the astronauts remained conscious long after the breakup is unknown, and largely depends on whether the detached crew cabin maintained pressure integrity. If it did not, the time of useful consciousness at that altitude is just a few seconds; the PEAPs supplied only unpressurized air, and hence would not have helped the crew to retain consciousness. The cabin hit the ocean surface at roughly 207 mph (333 km/h), with an estimated deceleration at impact of well over 200 g, far beyond the structural limits of the crew compartment or crew survivability levels.[12]

Source

 

[Cosimo]

Wakey wakey:

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Atlantis has deployed a small (5" x 5" x 10" and 3.7 kg) demonstration satellite called PicoSat from a canister in the shuttle cargo bay. It is the 180th and final payload successfully deployed from the space shuttle.

We are nearly at the end and landing is set for tomorrow at 10:56 BST (05:56 EDT).

 

[Cosimo]

Another amazing picture of the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis):

 

[Cosimo]

Yesterday's highlights:

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The plan for today:

Flight Day 14

• Deorbit preparations
• Payload Bay Door closing
• Deorbit burn
• KSC Landing and the end of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program​

 

[Cosimo]

The last wake up call:

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The weather is looking good and we are all set for landing at 10:56 BST (05:56 EDT).