Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin invokes Mark Twain's walking, quacking duck to call out the Obama administration for grounding America's manned space flight program. Griffin, speaking at a symposium in Huntsville, AL, flatly declares that the current administration "does not want NASA" to have a human spaceflight program.
I've disagreed with some of Griffin's positions in the past. But this time, he's right--and a standing ovation to him for calling things as they are.
Here's one radically logical suggestion to keep the International Space Station staffed as the Russians sort out their space vehicle problems. There's an eager, well-trained corps of space workers still available to support such a mission. Let's use them and their talents before layoffs disperse them to the four winds.
Showing posts with label nasa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nasa. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Space Station Solution at Hand: Political Courage Required
Surprise, surprise, folks. President Obama's "tear it down and rip it up" approach to our aerospace and science programs led to the downing of America's successful space shuttle program without a new program on the horizon.
Instead, Obama's government decided, let's abandon the proven NASA value of "redundancy" --having at least one backup for any component or requirement--and let's put all our eggs, and taxpayers' money, into the Russian basket. Great idea, that, all the syncophants lined up to intone as they genuflected.
Not a great idea, as the August 24 loss of the Soyuz rocket promptly proved. In the wake of the loss of the space station Progress resupply ship, Russia's launch calendar for manned space station flights is on the skids.
Now NASA officials are talking about the possibility that the space station will have to be abandoned. After continuous occupation since 2000, the space station, begun in 1988, might become a ghost facility, managed from the ground.
And that, my friends, is ridiculous. The International Space Station is the towering achievement of our space era, and it, as well as taxpayers, deserves more than a rolling over to Russian problems.
However, we've long since lost any command of our own space destiny. Why did we accept that? Future historians will, no doubt, have a field day discussing how and why the world's most successful space-faring nation folded its cards and slipped away from the manned space exploration table.
There is a short-term solution to save the space station as a viable, operational facility. Just stop deactivating one of the shuttles--all of which are now museum-bound--and reactivate it.
Then put a commander and pilot onboard; fly to the space station. Plan to leave those folks onboard until they can hitch a ride home via a Russian vehicle.
NASA has assured us there's adequate supplies up there until sometime in 2012. There's room up there for two more astronauts.
Give the Russians a chance to get flying again. In the meantime, there'll be another option to get the astronauts and cosmonauts home: the old, reliable space shuttle.
Should flights via the Russian vehicles resume, NASA could leave the shuttle parked at the space station in case of emergency. If needed, there's a ride home waiting right outside the door.
It would be much better to leave a shuttle at the ready at the space station than just plonk its dead body into a museum. It would provide safety redundancy for crews at the station, and, logically, would make sense.
President Obama, why not? Show some political courage, and some support for America's space achievements, and provide the direction to put one shuttle back into flight status.
Instead, Obama's government decided, let's abandon the proven NASA value of "redundancy" --having at least one backup for any component or requirement--and let's put all our eggs, and taxpayers' money, into the Russian basket. Great idea, that, all the syncophants lined up to intone as they genuflected.
Not a great idea, as the August 24 loss of the Soyuz rocket promptly proved. In the wake of the loss of the space station Progress resupply ship, Russia's launch calendar for manned space station flights is on the skids.
Now NASA officials are talking about the possibility that the space station will have to be abandoned. After continuous occupation since 2000, the space station, begun in 1988, might become a ghost facility, managed from the ground.
And that, my friends, is ridiculous. The International Space Station is the towering achievement of our space era, and it, as well as taxpayers, deserves more than a rolling over to Russian problems.
However, we've long since lost any command of our own space destiny. Why did we accept that? Future historians will, no doubt, have a field day discussing how and why the world's most successful space-faring nation folded its cards and slipped away from the manned space exploration table.
There is a short-term solution to save the space station as a viable, operational facility. Just stop deactivating one of the shuttles--all of which are now museum-bound--and reactivate it.
Then put a commander and pilot onboard; fly to the space station. Plan to leave those folks onboard until they can hitch a ride home via a Russian vehicle.
NASA has assured us there's adequate supplies up there until sometime in 2012. There's room up there for two more astronauts.
Give the Russians a chance to get flying again. In the meantime, there'll be another option to get the astronauts and cosmonauts home: the old, reliable space shuttle.
Should flights via the Russian vehicles resume, NASA could leave the shuttle parked at the space station in case of emergency. If needed, there's a ride home waiting right outside the door.
It would be much better to leave a shuttle at the ready at the space station than just plonk its dead body into a museum. It would provide safety redundancy for crews at the station, and, logically, would make sense.
President Obama, why not? Show some political courage, and some support for America's space achievements, and provide the direction to put one shuttle back into flight status.
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Dark Side of the Moon: The Accidental Art of NASA's Lunar Studies
With the sad news of the death of Pink Floyd founder Richard Wright, it's time to dust off the old Pink Floyd album and reminisce about one of the iconic releases of the 1970's.
Although "Dark Side of the Moon" became one of those releases that takes on its own life, there's one fact to consider: there's no such thing as the dark side of the moon, scientifically speaking. Creatively speaking, of course, the darker essences, of many types, of our lunar satellite have long been catalysts for various forms of creation.
Click headline to view full story.
Although "Dark Side of the Moon" became one of those releases that takes on its own life, there's one fact to consider: there's no such thing as the dark side of the moon, scientifically speaking. Creatively speaking, of course, the darker essences, of many types, of our lunar satellite have long been catalysts for various forms of creation.
Click headline to view full story.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Space Shuttle Discovery Lifts Off; Headed for Space Station with
UPDATE: Blue skies and clear sailing marked the successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery and her seven-member crew from historic Launch Pad 39-A at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. A flawless countdown preceded liftoff, which marked the 35th flight of Discovery and the 123rd Space Shuttle mission. (The numbers don't always match in sequence because flight manifests often shuttle missions around.)
Original story follows.
The crew of Space Shuttle Discovery is strapped into their vehicle as the countdown toward a 5:02 p.m. EDT launch proceeds smoothly at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-124 is the second of three flights that will ferry and install components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory on the International Space Station.
They're also taking components to help with fixes of the Russian-provided toilet. The crew's primary mission is to Kibo’s large Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM, and its remote manipulator system, or RMS.
The RMS consists of two roboticarms that support operations outside of Kibo. The lab's logistics module, or JLM,which was installed in a temporary location during STS-123 in March, will be attachedto the new lab.
Discovery's 14-day flight carries the largest payload ever delivered to the station and will include three spacewalks. The shuttle also will deliver Astronaut Gregory E. Chamitoff , a Mission Specialist, to a duty tour aboard the station.
He will take Astronaut Garrett E.
Reisman's place as ; Expedition 17 flight engineer.; Reisman will come home with the STS-124 crew in two weeks. Chamitoff will fly home aboard Endeavour on the STS-126 mission in November.
The rest of the STS-124 crew includes Michael E. Fossum,; mission specialist; Kenneth T. Ham, pilot; Mark E. Kelly, commander; Karen L. Nyberg, Ronald J. Garan and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Akihiko Hoshide, all mission specialists.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Grand Canyon Area Uranium Mining Ahead? Hearing Today on Controversial Proposal
One one hand, the government wants to allow uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. On the other hand, it wants to improve the Canyon's ecosystem. Environmentalists, park enthusiasts, and Native American tribes say that allowing potentially-dangerous, and definitely ugly, uranium mines near the Grand Canyon is risky -- and dirty-- business.
The Canyon area is part of not only a massive ecosystem, but it is also home to Native American tribes. The Havasupai people, for generations removed from the modern world, cling to their homes at the bottom of the Canyon.
The Hualapai Indians recently opened a glass-bottomed Skywalk over the western Grand Canyon. On hand to help them: NASA moonwalker Buzz Aldrin of the famed Apollo 11 lunar expedition.
Remote, mysterious, challenging, and beautiful--the Grand Canyon. But now the Park Service wants to allow dozens of new uranium mines in the area. The battle lines are being drawn.
The Canyon area is part of not only a massive ecosystem, but it is also home to Native American tribes. The Havasupai people, for generations removed from the modern world, cling to their homes at the bottom of the Canyon.
The Hualapai Indians recently opened a glass-bottomed Skywalk over the western Grand Canyon. On hand to help them: NASA moonwalker Buzz Aldrin of the famed Apollo 11 lunar expedition.
Remote, mysterious, challenging, and beautiful--the Grand Canyon. But now the Park Service wants to allow dozens of new uranium mines in the area. The battle lines are being drawn.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Countdown to Launch: NASA's STS-123 & Crew Ready to Fly
Florida's space coast got an early sunrise as the Space Shuttle Endeavour soared aloft, bearing the new Canadian Dextre robot arm and the first section of a Japanese science module. Flying on wings of brilliant fire sparkling against the black night sky, Endeavour and her seven-member crew headed to the International Space Station. .
Earlier, the astronauts performed the traditional walk-out from the O&C Building at Kennedy Space Center enroute to the launch pad.
All seven astronauts are onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A. The mission, set to launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT, will take the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space Station..
They're also ferrying up NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who'll replace European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts, who'll hitch a ride on Endeavour back home. A veteran space flier, Navy Capt. Dominic L. Gorie, commands the STS-123 mission, with Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson as pilot. Mission specialists include Richard M. Linnehan, Air Force Maj. Robert L. Behnken, Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.
The 16-day mission will include five space walks. The astronauts will use the Canada robotic arm to continue work on the ISS. The new Dextre equipment essentially is a pair of extended electronic hands intended to assist with crucial repair and construction tasks.
There's a rhythm to a launch. After someone has worked a few, the sounds and the paced flow become a song, a part of self that transcends mere technical achievement. Humans and machines, working together, to again fly to not only the heavens, but to an orbiting, manned space station.
Those of us who remember the days before space flight was common, and when each flight was literally a life-or-death experiment, know the awesome, awful truth: we dare the skies, but at a price. So far, we've lost one vehicle and crew on the pad (Apollo 1) and two Space Shuttles with full crews (Challenger and Columbia).
Although not in the business may think that the losses are far too high, in reality, given the complexities and dangers of the missions, they're very low. One of the frustrating things for space workers is that when an aircraft falls out of the sky, killing 300 or so people, no one demands that all passenger air flight cease immediately.
The benefits of space flight are many to those on planet Earth. The spin-off technology from advances made to support spaceflight have ranged from medical advances to Earth sciences. Many people don't realize that the weather forecasts we take for granted use the satellite surveillance of Earth that we now take for granted.
On a clear, cold, starry night oh, a few years back, I stood outside on a small rise in New York state with my grandfather and parents. Like many others, we were waiting. Unbelievably, there it was: the tiny moving dot of light that was Sputnik.
And so it began: Dadelus inspired.
Earlier, the astronauts performed the traditional walk-out from the O&C Building at Kennedy Space Center enroute to the launch pad.
All seven astronauts are onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A. The mission, set to launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT, will take the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space Station..
They're also ferrying up NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who'll replace European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts, who'll hitch a ride on Endeavour back home. A veteran space flier, Navy Capt. Dominic L. Gorie, commands the STS-123 mission, with Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson as pilot. Mission specialists include Richard M. Linnehan, Air Force Maj. Robert L. Behnken, Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.
The 16-day mission will include five space walks. The astronauts will use the Canada robotic arm to continue work on the ISS. The new Dextre equipment essentially is a pair of extended electronic hands intended to assist with crucial repair and construction tasks.
There's a rhythm to a launch. After someone has worked a few, the sounds and the paced flow become a song, a part of self that transcends mere technical achievement. Humans and machines, working together, to again fly to not only the heavens, but to an orbiting, manned space station.
Those of us who remember the days before space flight was common, and when each flight was literally a life-or-death experiment, know the awesome, awful truth: we dare the skies, but at a price. So far, we've lost one vehicle and crew on the pad (Apollo 1) and two Space Shuttles with full crews (Challenger and Columbia).
Although not in the business may think that the losses are far too high, in reality, given the complexities and dangers of the missions, they're very low. One of the frustrating things for space workers is that when an aircraft falls out of the sky, killing 300 or so people, no one demands that all passenger air flight cease immediately.
The benefits of space flight are many to those on planet Earth. The spin-off technology from advances made to support spaceflight have ranged from medical advances to Earth sciences. Many people don't realize that the weather forecasts we take for granted use the satellite surveillance of Earth that we now take for granted.
On a clear, cold, starry night oh, a few years back, I stood outside on a small rise in New York state with my grandfather and parents. Like many others, we were waiting. Unbelievably, there it was: the tiny moving dot of light that was Sputnik.
And so it began: Dadelus inspired.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Countdown to Landing: Atlantis Crew Headed Home
The distinctive twin sonic booms as Space Shuttle Atlantis streaked across the Florida sky told residents that the STS-122 crew was close to home. The textbook landing ended a 5.3 million mile expedition, the ferrying of a replacement astronaut, and the delivery of the Columbus module to the International Space Station.
With a successful mission completed, the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is checking off the timelines and tasks before a scheduled 9:07 a.m. EST landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The team, including NASA astronaut Dan Tani, returning after an extended stay at the International Space Station, is scooting home before the U.S. attempts to shoot down a failing satellite. The first attempt could occur tonight off Hawaii, where a designated "no-fly" zone has already been declared. NASA officials wanted to clear space before that attempt and signalled the shuttle home today.
The shuttle has four landing opportunities in Florida and at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Here's the schedule for all four.
06:34:54 AM...Commander/pilot don entry suits
06:51:54 AM...Inertial measurement unit alignment
06:59:54 AM...Commander/pilot strap in; others don suits
07:16:54 AM...Shuttle steering check
07:19:54 AM...Hydraulic power system prestart
07:26:54 AM...Toilet deactivation
07:34:54 AM...Payload bay vent doors closed for entry
07:39:54 AM...MIssion control 'go' for deorbit burn
07:45:54 AM...Mission specialists seat ingress
07:54:54 AM...Single hydraulic power unit start
07:59:54 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 197.7 mph; dT: 02:39)
08:02:33 AM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 211.6 sm)
08:35:59 AM...Atmospheric entry (altitude: 75.6 sm)
08:40:59 AM...1st roll command to left
08:52:05 AM...1st left-to-right roll reversal
08:54:00 AM...C-band radar acquisition
09:01:06 AM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 84,200 feet)
09:03:18 AM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 50,700 feet)
09:03:42 AM...Shuttle banks 301 degrees to line up on runway 33
09:07:39 AM...Landing
SECOND FLORIDA OPPORTUNITY: Rev. 203 Deorbit to Kennedy
09:15:20 AM...Mission control 'go' for deorbit burn
09:21:20 AM...MS seat ingress
09:30:20 AM...Single APU start
09:35:20 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 195.7 mph; dT: 02:38)
09:37:58 AM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 214.5 sm)
10:11:00 AM...Entry interface (altitude: 75.6 sm)
10:15:57 AM...1st roll command to right
10:27:46 AM...1st right-to-left roll reversal
10:36:05 AM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 84,700 feet)
10:38:18 AM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 50,200 feet)
10:38:55 AM...Shuttle banks 269 degrees to line up on runway 33
10:42:35 AM...Landing
FIRST CALIFORNIA OPPORTUNITY: Rev. 204 Deorbit to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
10:45:15 AM...MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
10:51:15 AM...MS seat ingress
11:00:15 AM...Single APU start
11:05:15 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 195.7 mph; dT: 2:38
11:07:53 AM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 213.4 sm)
11:41:01 AM...Entry interface (altitude: 75.6 sm)
11:46:00 AM...1st roll command to left
11:55:55 AM...1st left-to-right roll reversal
12:06:06 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 81,800 feet)
12:08:19 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 49,400 feet)
12:09:24 PM...Shuttle banks 205 degrees to line up on runway 22
12:12:31 PM...Landing
SECOND CALIFORNIA OPPORTUNITY: Rev. 205 Deorbit to Edwards
12:21:25 PM...MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
12:27:25 PM...MS seat ingress
12:36:25 PM...Single APU start
12:41:25 PM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 195.7 mph; dT: 02:38)
12:44:03 PM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 216.9 sm)
01:16:09 PM...Entry interface (altitude: 75.6 sm)
01:21:06 PM...1st roll command to right
01:32:39 PM...1st right-to-left roll reversal
01:41:10 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 82,700 feet)
01:43:25 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 48,800 feet)
01:44:34 PM...Shuttle banks 189 degrees to line up on runway 22
01:47:34 PM...Landing
With a successful mission completed, the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is checking off the timelines and tasks before a scheduled 9:07 a.m. EST landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The team, including NASA astronaut Dan Tani, returning after an extended stay at the International Space Station, is scooting home before the U.S. attempts to shoot down a failing satellite. The first attempt could occur tonight off Hawaii, where a designated "no-fly" zone has already been declared. NASA officials wanted to clear space before that attempt and signalled the shuttle home today.
The shuttle has four landing opportunities in Florida and at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Here's the schedule for all four.
06:34:54 AM...Commander/pilot don entry suits
06:51:54 AM...Inertial measurement unit alignment
06:59:54 AM...Commander/pilot strap in; others don suits
07:16:54 AM...Shuttle steering check
07:19:54 AM...Hydraulic power system prestart
07:26:54 AM...Toilet deactivation
07:34:54 AM...Payload bay vent doors closed for entry
07:39:54 AM...MIssion control 'go' for deorbit burn
07:45:54 AM...Mission specialists seat ingress
07:54:54 AM...Single hydraulic power unit start
07:59:54 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 197.7 mph; dT: 02:39)
08:02:33 AM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 211.6 sm)
08:35:59 AM...Atmospheric entry (altitude: 75.6 sm)
08:40:59 AM...1st roll command to left
08:52:05 AM...1st left-to-right roll reversal
08:54:00 AM...C-band radar acquisition
09:01:06 AM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 84,200 feet)
09:03:18 AM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 50,700 feet)
09:03:42 AM...Shuttle banks 301 degrees to line up on runway 33
09:07:39 AM...Landing
SECOND FLORIDA OPPORTUNITY: Rev. 203 Deorbit to Kennedy
09:15:20 AM...Mission control 'go' for deorbit burn
09:21:20 AM...MS seat ingress
09:30:20 AM...Single APU start
09:35:20 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 195.7 mph; dT: 02:38)
09:37:58 AM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 214.5 sm)
10:11:00 AM...Entry interface (altitude: 75.6 sm)
10:15:57 AM...1st roll command to right
10:27:46 AM...1st right-to-left roll reversal
10:36:05 AM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 84,700 feet)
10:38:18 AM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 50,200 feet)
10:38:55 AM...Shuttle banks 269 degrees to line up on runway 33
10:42:35 AM...Landing
FIRST CALIFORNIA OPPORTUNITY: Rev. 204 Deorbit to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
10:45:15 AM...MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
10:51:15 AM...MS seat ingress
11:00:15 AM...Single APU start
11:05:15 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 195.7 mph; dT: 2:38
11:07:53 AM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 213.4 sm)
11:41:01 AM...Entry interface (altitude: 75.6 sm)
11:46:00 AM...1st roll command to left
11:55:55 AM...1st left-to-right roll reversal
12:06:06 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 81,800 feet)
12:08:19 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 49,400 feet)
12:09:24 PM...Shuttle banks 205 degrees to line up on runway 22
12:12:31 PM...Landing
SECOND CALIFORNIA OPPORTUNITY: Rev. 205 Deorbit to Edwards
12:21:25 PM...MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
12:27:25 PM...MS seat ingress
12:36:25 PM...Single APU start
12:41:25 PM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 195.7 mph; dT: 02:38)
12:44:03 PM...Deorbit burn complete (altitude: 216.9 sm)
01:16:09 PM...Entry interface (altitude: 75.6 sm)
01:21:06 PM...1st roll command to right
01:32:39 PM...1st right-to-left roll reversal
01:41:10 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (altitude: 82,700 feet)
01:43:25 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (altitude: 48,800 feet)
01:44:34 PM...Shuttle banks 189 degrees to line up on runway 22
01:47:34 PM...Landing
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Space Shuttle Atlantis Homeward Bound to KSC, Landing Ahead of Falling Satellite Shootdown
After a highly successful mission to the International Space station, the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is heading home to Kennedy Space Center. NASA is staffing both the KSC Shuttle Landing Strip and Mojave Desert facilities at Edwards Air Force Base in California in a bid to get Atlantis home before the U.S. Navy attempts to shoot down a crippled spy satellite.
Engineers are monitoring, but are not concerned about, a circuit failure that dropped heat to four after venier thrusters. Those thrusters power the Reaction Control System (RCS), which maneuvers the orbiter during small in-flight corrections.
The temperature on one of the thrusters dropped to 40 degrees, causing concern about possible freezing of lines or systems in that area. Even if one or two of the thrusters should totally fail--highly unlikely--the system has built-in redundancy because the crew can employ the thrusters in a variety of combinations.
Actual rocket firing to drop Atlantis into its come-home orbital path is done by the larger Orbital Maneuvering Systems ((OMS) pods. The thruster problem on the smaller rocket system does not impact the operation of the larger OMS engines.
Early this morning, mission controllers in Houston asked Mission Commander Steve Frick to swing the orbiter around so that its tail faced the sun. This common maneuver in effect put the RCS thrusters out for warming by the sun.
The primary Shuttle landing trajectory for 9:07 a.m. landing Wednesday at KSC's Runway 33 takes the Shuttle over Central America and the Gulf of Mexico before flying across Florida to Kennedy Space Center. That course will treat area residents to the double sonic boom that for decades has signalled the space shuttle coming home to the nation's spaceport.
STS-122 long-range landing track
STS-122 mid-range landing track
There are four landing opportunities Wednesday at KSC and Edwards, as follows with timelines including orbit numbers and de-orbit OMS engine firings (burns):
202...1st KSC OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN........12/17:16...08:01 AM...13:01
203...1st KSC OPPORTUNITY LANDING.............12/18:22...09:07 AM...14:07
203...2nd KSC OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN........12/18:52...09:37 AM...14:37
204...2nd KSC OPPORTUNITY LANDING.............12/19:57...10:42 AM...15:42
204...1st EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN....12/20:22...11:07 AM...16:07
205...1st EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY LANDING.........12/21:27...12:12 PM...17:12
205...2ND EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN....12/21:58...12:43 PM...17:43
206...2ND EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY LANDING.........12/23:02...01:47 PM...18:47
The Atlantis crew delivered the European Space Agency module to the ISS. Commander Steve Frick, pilot Alan Poindexter, Leland Melvin, Stan Love, Rex Walheim, Hans Schlegel also ferried European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts to the space station.
On the homeward bound trip they'll taxi NASA astronaut Dan Tani, who joined Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko last October.
Tani, who flew to the ISS aboard Discovery, was due back on Earth in December. However, Atlantis' mission was delayed by by problems with fuel sensors. During his extended stay, Tani got the bad news that his 90-year-old mother had been tragically killed in a car wreck Dec. 19. It's the first time that an astronaut in space has had to be notified of a family member's death.
While in orbit, astronauts Love, Walheim and Schlegel, in varying teams, completed three arduous space walks. Schlegel had to miss his first space walk due to an unspecified illness, most likely a form of the dreaded space sickness--a former of super nausea much like car sickness, many times multiplied. In the space version, the inner ear loses the ability to stabilize the astronaut during adjustment to living in micro-gravity.
The crippled NROL-21 satellite will pass over an area west of Hawaii at about 10:30 p.m. EST Wednesday. Pilots have been notified to stay clear of that area, declared restricted. It's not yet known if the Navy will attempt the first-ever rocket shootdown of a decaying satellite, which will otherwise impact Earth sometime in March.
The satellite's location can be checked at Heavens Above.Its orbital designation is USA 193.
"
Engineers are monitoring, but are not concerned about, a circuit failure that dropped heat to four after venier thrusters. Those thrusters power the Reaction Control System (RCS), which maneuvers the orbiter during small in-flight corrections.
The temperature on one of the thrusters dropped to 40 degrees, causing concern about possible freezing of lines or systems in that area. Even if one or two of the thrusters should totally fail--highly unlikely--the system has built-in redundancy because the crew can employ the thrusters in a variety of combinations.
Actual rocket firing to drop Atlantis into its come-home orbital path is done by the larger Orbital Maneuvering Systems ((OMS) pods. The thruster problem on the smaller rocket system does not impact the operation of the larger OMS engines.
Early this morning, mission controllers in Houston asked Mission Commander Steve Frick to swing the orbiter around so that its tail faced the sun. This common maneuver in effect put the RCS thrusters out for warming by the sun.
The primary Shuttle landing trajectory for 9:07 a.m. landing Wednesday at KSC's Runway 33 takes the Shuttle over Central America and the Gulf of Mexico before flying across Florida to Kennedy Space Center. That course will treat area residents to the double sonic boom that for decades has signalled the space shuttle coming home to the nation's spaceport.
STS-122 long-range landing track
STS-122 mid-range landing track
There are four landing opportunities Wednesday at KSC and Edwards, as follows with timelines including orbit numbers and de-orbit OMS engine firings (burns):
202...1st KSC OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN........12/17:16...08:01 AM...13:01
203...1st KSC OPPORTUNITY LANDING.............12/18:22...09:07 AM...14:07
203...2nd KSC OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN........12/18:52...09:37 AM...14:37
204...2nd KSC OPPORTUNITY LANDING.............12/19:57...10:42 AM...15:42
204...1st EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN....12/20:22...11:07 AM...16:07
205...1st EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY LANDING.........12/21:27...12:12 PM...17:12
205...2ND EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY DEORBIT BURN....12/21:58...12:43 PM...17:43
206...2ND EDW AFB OPPORTUNITY LANDING.........12/23:02...01:47 PM...18:47
The Atlantis crew delivered the European Space Agency module to the ISS. Commander Steve Frick, pilot Alan Poindexter, Leland Melvin, Stan Love, Rex Walheim, Hans Schlegel also ferried European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts to the space station.
On the homeward bound trip they'll taxi NASA astronaut Dan Tani, who joined Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko last October.
Tani, who flew to the ISS aboard Discovery, was due back on Earth in December. However, Atlantis' mission was delayed by by problems with fuel sensors. During his extended stay, Tani got the bad news that his 90-year-old mother had been tragically killed in a car wreck Dec. 19. It's the first time that an astronaut in space has had to be notified of a family member's death.
While in orbit, astronauts Love, Walheim and Schlegel, in varying teams, completed three arduous space walks. Schlegel had to miss his first space walk due to an unspecified illness, most likely a form of the dreaded space sickness--a former of super nausea much like car sickness, many times multiplied. In the space version, the inner ear loses the ability to stabilize the astronaut during adjustment to living in micro-gravity.
The crippled NROL-21 satellite will pass over an area west of Hawaii at about 10:30 p.m. EST Wednesday. Pilots have been notified to stay clear of that area, declared restricted. It's not yet known if the Navy will attempt the first-ever rocket shootdown of a decaying satellite, which will otherwise impact Earth sometime in March.
The satellite's location can be checked at Heavens Above.Its orbital designation is USA 193.
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Monday, February 18, 2008
Space Shuttle Endeavour on the Launch Pad, Ready for March Launch
A space shuttle rollout at Kennedy Space Center is incredible technology on the move. The crawler transporters that ferry the vehicle to the launch pad have been in service since the Apollo moon landing era. They carried the massive Apollo/Saturn rockets.
The two tracked Crawler-Transporters previously used to move the assembled Apollo/Saturn from the VAB to the launch pad are now used for transporting Shuttle vehicles.
Transporter Statistics
* Weight: 2,721 metric tons (6 million pounds)
* Length: 40 meters (131 ft) wide, 35 meters (114ft) long
* Miles: 2,526 miles (1,243 miles since 1977)
KSC has 2 crawler-transporters. Each vehicle consists of four double-tracked crawlers, each 3 meters (10 ft) high and 12 meters (41 ft) long. Each of the 8 tracks on a vehicle contains 57 shoes per track and each tread shoe weighs about .9 metric tons (one ton). Click here to see the crawler moving a shuttle .
The Crawler/Transporter is powered by 16 traction motors powered by four 1,000 kw generators, driven by two 2,750hp diesel engines. Two 750 kw generators, drived by two 1,065 hp diesel engines are used for jacking, steering, lighting, and ventilating. Two 150 kw generators are also used for MLP power.
When they were built, the KSC crawlers were the largest tracked vehicles ever made. (Surpassed by the Bagger 288 German excavator). They move the Mobile Launcher Platform into the Vehicle Assembly Building and then to the Launch Pad with an assembled space vehicle. Maximum speed is 1.6km (one mile) per hour loaded, about 3.2 km (2 miles) per hour unloaded. Launch Pad to VAB trip time with the Mobile Launch Platform is about 5 hours. The crawler burns 568 liters (150 gallons) of diesel oil per mile.
The top of the orbiter is kept vertical within plus or minus 10 minutes of arc, about the diameter of a basketball during the journey. Leveling systems within the crawler keeps the platform level while negotiating the 5% ramp leading up to the pad surface.
The height of the crawler is 6 meters (20ft) to 8 meters (26 feet) adjustable. The top deck is flat and square, about the size of a baseball infield, 27 meters (90 feet) on a side. Two operator control cabs, one at each end of the chassis, are used to control all crawler systems.
The two tracked Crawler-Transporters previously used to move the assembled Apollo/Saturn from the VAB to the launch pad are now used for transporting Shuttle vehicles.
Transporter Statistics
* Weight: 2,721 metric tons (6 million pounds)
* Length: 40 meters (131 ft) wide, 35 meters (114ft) long
* Miles: 2,526 miles (1,243 miles since 1977)
KSC has 2 crawler-transporters. Each vehicle consists of four double-tracked crawlers, each 3 meters (10 ft) high and 12 meters (41 ft) long. Each of the 8 tracks on a vehicle contains 57 shoes per track and each tread shoe weighs about .9 metric tons (one ton). Click here to see the crawler moving a shuttle .
The Crawler/Transporter is powered by 16 traction motors powered by four 1,000 kw generators, driven by two 2,750hp diesel engines. Two 750 kw generators, drived by two 1,065 hp diesel engines are used for jacking, steering, lighting, and ventilating. Two 150 kw generators are also used for MLP power.
When they were built, the KSC crawlers were the largest tracked vehicles ever made. (Surpassed by the Bagger 288 German excavator). They move the Mobile Launcher Platform into the Vehicle Assembly Building and then to the Launch Pad with an assembled space vehicle. Maximum speed is 1.6km (one mile) per hour loaded, about 3.2 km (2 miles) per hour unloaded. Launch Pad to VAB trip time with the Mobile Launch Platform is about 5 hours. The crawler burns 568 liters (150 gallons) of diesel oil per mile.
The top of the orbiter is kept vertical within plus or minus 10 minutes of arc, about the diameter of a basketball during the journey. Leveling systems within the crawler keeps the platform level while negotiating the 5% ramp leading up to the pad surface.
The height of the crawler is 6 meters (20ft) to 8 meters (26 feet) adjustable. The top deck is flat and square, about the size of a baseball infield, 27 meters (90 feet) on a side. Two operator control cabs, one at each end of the chassis, are used to control all crawler systems.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Live NASA Launch Video: Atlantis Liftoff Set for 2:45 PM EST
To watch the live streaming Atlantis launch countdown and liftoff click here.
Image above: STS-122 crew members, attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, pose for a crew photo prior to a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. From the left are European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts Hans Schlegel and Leopold Eyharts; astronauts Stanley G. Love, all mission specialists; Stephen N. Frick, commander; Alan G. Poindexter, pilot; Leland D. Melvin and Rex J. Walheim, both mission specialists. Image credit: NASA
Space Shuttle Mission STS-122
Orbiter: Atlantis
Mission: STS-122/1E
Primary Payload: Columbus
Launch Date: Feb. 7, 2008
Launch Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
Launch Pad: 39A
Landing Date: Feb. 18
Landing Time: 9:57 a.m.
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Video: Virgin Galactic Unveils New White Knight Spaceship Designs
As much as we're fans of NASA, we have to acknowledge that Congressional and presidential mandates shape the space agency's design, productions and missions. The boundary of "the final frontier" has been moved to include private companies and design, which is all to the good. The winner of the $10 million Ansari X Prize, Virgin Galactic is ready to unveil its newest spaceship concept for the star-struck.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Santa Installs New High-Tech Sleigh Unit at NASA'S Kennedy Space Center
We all know that NORAD is tracking Santa around the world tonight, but did you know that Santa will be landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida?
Using the oh-so-successful Canadian robot arm used on the International Space Station and Space Shuttle missions, Santa conferred with NASA engineers and built a new tool to help get the toys to children. Called the EXtra-Manual Aid System (X-MAS), the new component on Santa's sleigh will help Santa protect his joints in the weather as he gets presents out of his sleigh.
The reinder will take a grazing break at the Shuttle Landing Facility while Santa installs the new unit. For decades, Santa has had clearance to land at Kennedy Space Center during his world-wide travels.
Although I'm not allowed to discuss all the details, I can tell you that years ago, I helped manage Santa's yearly KSC touchdown and liftoff on Christmas Eve. What's Santa really like? Ahhhh, that I can tell you! He's just as wonderful as you ever imagined him to be.
This year, Santa's new X-MAS unit is the latest update to the other high-tech gadgets on his 2lst Century sleigh. We managed to get this top-secret look at Santa's sleigh shortly before his KSC maneuvers.
Although the Shuttle Landing Facility is closed to other traffic to protect Santa's privacy, we also captured this photo of a witness to Santa's visit.
Using the oh-so-successful Canadian robot arm used on the International Space Station and Space Shuttle missions, Santa conferred with NASA engineers and built a new tool to help get the toys to children. Called the EXtra-Manual Aid System (X-MAS), the new component on Santa's sleigh will help Santa protect his joints in the weather as he gets presents out of his sleigh.
The reinder will take a grazing break at the Shuttle Landing Facility while Santa installs the new unit. For decades, Santa has had clearance to land at Kennedy Space Center during his world-wide travels.
Although I'm not allowed to discuss all the details, I can tell you that years ago, I helped manage Santa's yearly KSC touchdown and liftoff on Christmas Eve. What's Santa really like? Ahhhh, that I can tell you! He's just as wonderful as you ever imagined him to be.
This year, Santa's new X-MAS unit is the latest update to the other high-tech gadgets on his 2lst Century sleigh. We managed to get this top-secret look at Santa's sleigh shortly before his KSC maneuvers.
Although the Shuttle Landing Facility is closed to other traffic to protect Santa's privacy, we also captured this photo of a witness to Santa's visit.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
First Woman Space Station Commander & Team Launched
Flames danced against the dawning sky as the International Space Station's first woman commander and team mates were launched successfully from Baikonur Cosmodrome.
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, and Russian guest space traveler Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, are on orbit after their Soyuz rocket hurled them into space. Whitson, the incoming Expedition 16 commander, joins NASA's long list of "firsts" for women in space and diversity in space.
Shukor is Malaysia's first space visitor. A doctor, he got his ride as part of a complicated trade involving Malaysia's purchase of Soviet fighter jets. Malenchenko is a space veteran who earlier commanded an expedition.
The spacecraft will dock with the Zarya module about 10:22 a.m. EDT Friday.
Photo: courtesy of NASA
Tags: Malaysia | astronauts | Baikonur | ISS | launch | NASA | Soyuz | space | space life | technology station | women
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
NASA: Our Astronauts Don't Fly Drunk
NASA Administrator Mike Griffin today denied allegations that astronauts were drunk before or during space liftoffs. . Griffin said that there was "absolutely no evidence" to support the anonymous reports. In addition, NASA flight surgeons are prepared to sign documents stating this finding.
The flap over "drunken astronauts in space" is shown to be what it always seemed like to insiders: gossip. The original report of pre-flight intoxication was based on anonymous comments from within a tiny group of astronaut corps members or their families.
Heading up the investigation: astronaut Bryan O'Connor, known for his fact-based, no nonsense attitude. O'Connor, a former Navy test pilot, has flown two Space Shuttle missions among his more than 5,000 hours in more than 40 types of aircraft.
An expert in flight safety, O'Connor headed up key portions of the Challenger accident investigation. The current NASA investigation into the allegations of heavy drinking at
NASA has beeen hit hard recently with allegations about mental health issues in the astronaut corps. Fodder for comedians, former astronaut Lisa Nowak Lisa Nowak's arrest and upcoming trial for allegedly stalking and planning to harm love rival USAF Capt. Colleen Shipman was a major blow to NASA's "right stuff" image.
Further complicating things: the love triangle between the two women and Bill Oefelein , former astronaut Bill Oefelein. Olefelein's affairs with both women raised not only eyebrows, but also discussion of potential charges within the Military Code of Justice.
The anonymous allegations of drunken astronauts put NASA on a firing range, from hero agency to buffoon. Today, officials said that the alleged drinking never took place, and referred to urban legends about poisoned Halloween candy, saying that false stories are known to spread wildly.
The stresses of spaceflight and working in the highly-dangerous space busines are well known. Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon with Neil Armstrong during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, wrote about his bout with depression following that mission. Throughout the history of the space program, the high-flying demands have taken their toll on families as well as the astronauts themselves.
In one of the sadder stories from space, Blue Angels veteran and former astronaut Chuck Brady committed suicide in July 2006. Brady, who flew on the longest space shuttle mission, had left NASA and reportedly was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, a crippling immune system disorder.
However the majority of astronauts, such as Sen. John Glenn (R-Ohio) go on to have successful careers after spaceflight, either in NASA management or other fields. With NASA's remaining Space Shuttle flights and the drive to return to the moon, the agency is being extra-cautious in examining the overall health of its astronauts.
So far, no response from Russian officials about activities at their base has been reported.
The NASA news conference about the drinking investigation can be watched via NASA TV starting at
As reported at The News is Now Public.
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