STS-119 Shuttle Mission

01101001 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-February-2009, 06:10 PM

I didn't see a topic started for the upcoming shuttle mission, so I offer this.

On the heels of last November's STS-126 Shuttle Mission, comes a blast from the past: STS-119.

NASA Shuttle Launch and Landing

Quote:

Mission: STS-119
Orbiter: Discovery
Primary Payload: S6 Truss Segment and U.S. Solar Arrays
Launch Date: no earlier than Feb. 19, 2009
Launch Time: TBD
Launch Pad: 39A
Mission Duration: 14 days
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Launch target, no earlier than:
2009, February 19, [time to be determined] PST, Thursday
2009, February 19, [time to be determined] EST, Thursday
2009, February 19, [time to be determined] UTC, Thursday

At least 14 days to launch

NASA Space Shuttle Mission Pages
NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates
NASA STS-119 Mission Information
NASA STS-119 Mission Overview
NASA News Twitter
Wikipedia: STS-119
NASA Launch Schedule
NASA Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Countdown Status
NASA Shuttle Launch and Landing
NASA Shuttle Launch Blog (active about 6 hours before liftoff)
NASA Shuttle Landing Blog (active about 2 hours before touchdown)
National Weather Service, Southeast Sector, Base Reflectivity
National Weather Service, Melbourne Florida, Hourly Weather Forecast Graph
CBS News Space Place
Spaceflight Now STS-119 Mission Coverage
Spaceflight Now STS-119 Mission Status Center
BAUT Forum topic STS-126 Space Shuttle Mission (previous mission)
NASA TV (or NASA TV Yahoo! source or high-resolution)

Clocky, the God of Timecards, will probably conspire to consume most of my time for some time, so my own coverage of this mission will probably be light to nonexistent. Do feel free to add your own reporting to keep the documentation and news flowing.

01101001 · #2 (**permalink**) 04-February-2009, 06:13 PM

NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates

Recent updates:

Quote:

Shuttle Engineers Study Fuel Valve
Today, 9:04 AM
A day after postponing the launch of space shuttle Discovery until no earlier than Feb. 19, NASA and contractor engineers are evaluating concerns about possible flow control valve damage that could be experienced during liftoff.

Particle impact tests, models and thorough discussions will take place before a shuttle meeting on Feb. 10 to decide the best way to proceed. The Flight Readiness Review that began Tuesday will resume Feb. 12 to evaluate the valve situation and potentially set a launch date for Discovery’s STS-119 mission to the International Space Station.

The flow control valves channel gaseous hydrogen from the main engines to the external fuel tank during launch. The three valves were removed from Discovery, inspected and reinstalled in preparation for the upcoming flight.

Discovery’s crew of seven astronauts are to install the last large set of solar arrays on the space station. Three sets of arrays already are installed on the orbiting laboratory and are being used to convert sunlight into electricity.

Flight Readiness Review Concludes
Yesterday, 5:21 PM
During a review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight, NASA managers decided Tuesday to plan a launch no earlier than Feb. 19. The new planning date is pending additional analysis and particle impact testing associated with a flow control valve in the shuttle's main engines.

Discovery's STS-119 mission to the International Space Station originally had been targeted for Feb. 12.

The valve is one of three that channels gaseous hydrogen from the engines to the external fuel tank. One of these valves in shuttle Endeavour was found to be damaged after its mission in November. As a precaution, Discovery's valves were removed, inspected and reinstalled.

The Space Shuttle Program will convene a meeting on Feb. 10 to assess the analysis. On Feb. 12, NASA managers and contractors will continue the flight readiness review, which began Tuesday, to address the flow control valve issue and to select an official launch date.

Tucson_Tim · #3 (**permalink**) 04-February-2009, 06:14 PM

I was wondering when you were going to get "back on the job" here. A launch wouldn't be the same without you.

01101001 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-February-2009, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tucson_Tim

I was wondering when you were going to get "back on the job" here. A launch wouldn't be the same without you.

Thanks. I couldn't resist at least giving it a push start.

And now it's time to Mark Forums Read (like, yeah, don't click it unless you want to mark forums read) -- poof -- and return to the slightly more paying job...

I'll be back.

BetaDust · #5 (**permalink**) 04-February-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tucson_Tim

I was wondering when you were going to get "back on the job" here. A launch wouldn't be the same without you.

I Agree. Gone for a week and I already missed him.

KaiYeves · #6 (**permalink**) 05-February-2009, 12:09 AM

I have to re-do the whole countdown I did in my school planner now. Well, at least it will be over the vacation.

01101001 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-February-2009, 02:05 AM

NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates

Quote:

NASA CONTINUES ASSESSMENT OF THE NEXT SHUTTLE MISSION
Today, 3:14 PM
Because of an ongoing review of the space shuttle's flow control valves, NASA managers are rescheduling meetings next week to assess the launch readiness of shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. The Space Shuttle Program will hold a meeting Feb. 13 to review data and determine whether to move forward with a flight readiness review on Feb. 18. The official launch date will be set at the readiness review, but for planning purposes launch now is no earlier than Feb. 22. There are three valves that channel gaseous hydrogen from the shuttle's main engines to the external fuel tank. One of these valves in shuttle Endeavour was found to be damaged after its mission in November. As a precaution, Discovery's three gaseous hydrogen valves were removed, inspected and reinstalled.

Launch target, no earlier than:
2009, February 22, [time to be determined] PST, Sunday
2009, February 22, [time to be determined] EST, Sunday
2009, February 22, [time to be determined] UTC, Sunday

At least 16 days to launch.

BPCooper · #8 (**permalink**) 09-February-2009, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 01101001

Launch target, no earlier than:
2009, February 22, [00:31] PST, Thursday
2009, February 22, [03:31] EST, Thursday
2009, February 22, [08:31] UTC, Thursday

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/st...19windows.html

01101001 · #9 (**permalink**) 14-February-2009, 05:03 AM

NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates

Quote:

NASA will hold a news conference Friday, Feb. 20, following a review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and an assessment of shuttle flow control valve testing. An official launch date for the STS-119 mission has not been set, but for planning purposes, liftoff now is targeted for no earlier than Feb. 27.

Launch target, no earlier than:
2009, February 27, [time to be determined] PST, Friday
2009, February 27, [time to be determined] EST, Friday
2009, February 27, [time to be determined] UTC, Friday

At least 13 days to launch.

BPCooper · #10 (**permalink**) 14-February-2009, 05:11 AM

1:32am EST now. New chart up:

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/st...19windows.html

KaiYeves · #11 (**permalink**) 14-February-2009, 07:39 PM

Darn, not during my vacation after all!

01101001 · #12 (**permalink**) 21-February-2009, 12:10 AM

CBS News Space Place

Quote:

Senior NASA managers and engineers headed to the Kennedy Space Center today for a second flight readiness review Friday to assess testing of suspect hydrogen flow control valves and to make a decision on whether or not to press ahead with launch of the shuttle Discovery Feb. 27 on a space station assembly mission.

Some managers are opposed to launch at present, sources say, arguing the valves should be redesigned to eliminate the possibility of cracks that could lead to potentially catastrophic in-flight failures. Others believe exhaustive testing shows Discovery can be safely launched as is while a redesign is implemented for downstream flights. Still others believe a redesign is not necessary, arguing if it's safe to launch Discovery as is, it's safe to launch any mission using carefully inspected valves of the current design.

The stakes are high. With the shuttle fleet facing retirement in 2010 after nine more flights, any significant delays now, for a redesign or any other reason, could result in one or more lost missions.

Much more there (including reasons for a descending node reentry, that could make it visible over the USA).

Decision expected within hours -- or maybe minutes.

NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates

Quote:

At the conclusion of the meeting an announcement will be broadcast no earlier than 8 p.m. EST on NASA TV to set the mission's official launch date.

01101001 · #13 (**permalink**) 21-February-2009, 03:40 AM

NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates

Quote:

Today's STS-119 Flight Readiness Review has concluded and NASA managers have announced a "no go" for a Feb. 27 launch.

Not enough data. May pick date next week.

KaiYeves · #14 (**permalink**) 21-February-2009, 02:13 PM

Good think I didn't write Feb. 27 down. I'm learning.

01101001 · #15 (**permalink**) 25-February-2009, 09:57 PM

NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates

Quote:

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are removing space shuttle Discovery’s three gaseous hydrogen flow control valves today.

Managers continue to evaluate test data in an effort to gather enough information to finalize a plan setting a new target launch date for the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station.

Though the plan has not yet been completed, technicians will install flow control valves that have flown fewer times than the ones currently in Discovery's main propulsion system.

The plan is expected to be finalized today. Once senior managers are in agreement, a Flight Readiness Review meeting will be rescheduled to assess the readiness for launch and set a formal launch target date.

So... before too very long they'll have a Flight Readiness Review meeting and maybe set a launch date.

SpaceflightNow had more details yesterday, if slightly more stale: March launch of Discovery possible, but not certain:

Quote:

Several sources said today it was unlikely Discovery could be ready for launch before March 12, and that assumes engineers and managers can get comfortable enough with the test data to press ahead without any design changes for the valves in question.

Edit: More, a little later, NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates:

Quote:

NASA's Space Shuttle Program has established a plan that could support shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station, tentatively targeted for March 12. An exact target launch date will be determined as work progresses with the shuttle's three gaseous hydrogen flow control valves.
[...]
The Space Shuttle Program will hold a meeting March 4 to review new data and assess ongoing work. Managers then will determine whether to move forward with a flight readiness review March 6.

slang · #16 (**permalink**) 05-March-2009, 10:17 AM

NASA officially moves up Discovery's launch date

Quote:

Shuttle managers met today to review tests and inspections of suspect hydrogen flow control valves and agreed enough progress had been made to justify another flight readiness review Friday and a March 11 target launch date for the shuttle Discovery's delayed space station assembly mission.

01101001 · #17 (**permalink**) 06-March-2009, 06:41 PM

NASA STS-119 Mission Status Updates

Quote:

Discovery Set for March 11 Launch

NASA managers completed a review today of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and selected the official launch date for the STS-119 mission. Commander Lee Archambault and his six crewmates are now scheduled to lift off to the International Space Station at 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11.

A post-readiness review news conference is scheduled for [1130 PST, 1430 EST, 1930 UTC] today at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will air live on NASA TV.

NASA TV (or NASA TV Yahoo! source or high-resolution)

Launch target:
2009, March 11, 1820 PDT, Wednesday
2009, March 11, 2120 EDT, Wednesday
2009, March 1112, 0120 UTC, Thursday

(USA Daylight time starts March 8)

5 days to launch

slang · #18 (**permalink**) 07-March-2009, 01:05 AM

Launch target:
2009, March 11, 1820 PDT, Wednesday
2009, March 11, 2120 EDT, Wednesday
2009, March 12, 0120 UTC, Thursday

(USA Daylight time starts March 8)

KaiYeves · #19 (**permalink**) 07-March-2009, 09:12 PM

Okay, I'm not going to write anything down until Monday...

George · #20 (**permalink**) 08-March-2009, 03:14 AM

By coincidence, I will be in Orland all next week and have never witnessed a launch. Causeway tickets are sold out. I have heard Space Park in Titusville is the 2nd best place. [I found it in Google Earth.]

I wouldn't mind going to the Kennedy Space Center, but wonder what kind of problems come for a night-time event? I assume they stay open.

Assuming the Titusville Park is a great spot, what time do I need to get there? Anyone know?

01101001 · #21 (**permalink**) 08-March-2009, 05:48 AM

Florida Today: NASA: Shuttle's risk of debris strike up 6 percent

Quote:

Engineers analyzed how much danger would be posed to the shuttle Discovery's upcoming STS-119 flight, scheduled to launch March 11, by the new debris, which was created when a U.S. and a Russian communication satellite unexpectedly rammed into each other in orbit. The Feb. 10 smash-up produced two large clouds of shrapnel that are now circling the Earth, NASA said.

The investigation found that the new space junk raises Discovery's risk factor by 6 percent, giving it a chance of about 1 in 318 of being fatally hit by debris. Mission managers had estimated a similar figure shortly after the satellite collision, but said they had reviewed the risk in detail today.

"That is very comparable to almost all of the 14-day missions we fly," said John Shannon, NASA space shuttle program manager, at a briefing today.

(Also cited in STS-125 topic.)

mugaliens · #22 (**permalink**) 08-March-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George

By coincidence, I will be in Orland all next week and have never witnessed a launch. Causeway tickets are sold out. I have heard Space Park in Titusville is the 2nd best place. [I found it in Google Earth.]

I wouldn't mind going to the Kennedy Space Center, but wonder what kind of problems come for a night-time event? I assume they stay open.

After a similar discussion in another thread a while back, I called up a space enthusiast friend of mine who (deleted) if he ever infiltrated the area to watch a launch. He laughed and said, "best seat in the house - about made me deaf, though."

The only one I watched was from a boat in the water near Allenhurst, probably in Mosquito Lagoon. Could have been the larger waterway area near Titusville.

01101001 · #23 (**permalink**) 09-March-2009, 02:20 AM

CBS News Space Place (times EDT)

Quote:

4:00 PM, 3/8/09, Update: Astronauts arrive; start of countdown on tap; weather 90 percent 'go' for Wednesday launch (UPDATED at 7:05 p.m. with start of countdown)
[...]
The countdown began on time at 7 p.m., setting the stage for launch of the 125th shuttle mission at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Launch target:
2009, March 11, 1820 PDT, Wednesday
2009, March 11, 2120 EDT, Wednesday
2009, March 12, 0120 UTC, Thursday

3 days to launch

Jens · #24 (**permalink**) 09-March-2009, 02:54 AM

Quote:

The investigation found that the new space junk raises Discovery's risk factor by 6 percent, giving it a chance of about 1 in 318 of being fatally hit by debris. Mission managers had estimated a similar figure shortly after the satellite collision, but said they had reviewed the risk in detail today.

That sounds like a really high risk to me. One in 318? Does "fatally hit" mean that the shuttle would be destroyed by the debris? Or does "fatally" have a different meaning here?

01101001 · #25 (**permalink**) 09-March-2009, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jens

That sounds like a really high risk to me. One in 318? Does "fatally hit" mean that the shuttle would be destroyed by the debris? Or does "fatally" have a different meaning here?

I'd think it would have to be the shuttle that is fatally injured -- requiring abandonment of crew to the ISS and a rescue mission.

The shuttle's being hit while occupied, while separate from ISS, and causing death, would be much lower odds because of the smaller window of opportunity.

They always take pains to park the shuttle so the less vulnerable parts face the most risk.

Edit: Back in the olden days of 2005, there was this revision of the shuttle-destruction danger estimate USA Today: Shuttle study finds higher risk of fatal hit by debris:

Quote:

Space debris, including bits of rock, pieces of old satellites and other trash, often ding the shuttle as it circles the Earth but usually causes no serious harm. Before Columbia, NASA estimated the spacecraft stood a 1-in-500 chance of being destroyed by space debris. That's well below the shuttle program's goal of a 1-in-200 chance.

But the preliminary analysis dated April 26 placed the odds that orbital debris could destroy the next shuttle at a range from 1 in 54 to 1 in 113. That risk estimate stems from recent tests showing that the space shuttle's heat shield is more fragile than NASA had realized.

01101001 · #26 (**permalink**) 10-March-2009, 02:20 PM

NASA News Twitter

Quote:

NASA is working no significant technical issues for Wednesday's 9:20 p.m. EDT launch. Weather remain's 90 percent "go."
20 minutes ago from web

(Watch those apostrophes, tweeter.)

National Weather Service, Melbourne Florida, Hourly Weather Forecast Graph

Launch target:
2009, March 11, 1820 PDT, Wednesday
2009, March 11, 2120 EDT, Wednesday
2009, March 12, 0120 UTC, Thursday

1-1/2 days to launch

BetaDust · #27 (**permalink**) 10-March-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 01101001

Launch target: <snip>
2009, March 12, 0120 UTC, Thursday

O Great.... I have Driving Lessons at 8 the next morning..

JustAFriend · #28 (**permalink**) 11-March-2009, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George

By coincidence, I will be in Orland all next week and have never witnessed a launch. Causeway tickets are sold out. I have heard Space Park in Titusville is the 2nd best place. [I found it in Google Earth.]

I wouldn't mind going to the Kennedy Space Center, but wonder what kind of problems come for a night-time event? I assume they stay open.

Assuming the Titusville Park is a great spot, what time do I need to get there? Anyone know?

The parks along the Intercoastal are great, but very small and parking is a problem.

A really good spot is the 520 causeway just South of the Port and cruise ship docks, about 4-5miles from the pad. Lots of parking on either side of the road and you wont be towed like from a lot of businesses along US1. You can see how good the visibility is from my video of STS-124 HERE. You can see the Shuttle on the pad from that causeway unless you're on the very east side where it would be blocked by the port buildings; from the middle of the causeway it's very clear.

But at night you can see the launches well anywhere from Daytona to Miami. I can see them great from my front door 150miles south near West Palm Beach as you can see from THIS VIDEO of STS-126.

01101001 · #29 (**permalink**) 11-March-2009, 03:20 AM

Launch target:
2009, March 11, 1820 PDT, Wednesday
2009, March 11, 2120 EDT, Wednesday
2009, March 12, 0120 UTC, Thursday

23 hours to launch

01101001 · #30 (**permalink**) 11-March-2009, 06:54 AM

Spaceflight Now appears to be intending something new for this launch, a 5-hour live webcast, using the talents of the newly available Miles O'Brien among others. See Spaceflight Now: STS-119 webcast information.

It might make a nice complement to the briefer and probably drier NASA video coverage.

Edit: Supposed to begin at 1330 PDT, 1630 EDT, 2030 GMT.

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