Tag: STS-125
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Atlantis due back at KSC Tuesday – STS-125 ET foam liberation event reviewed
Atlantis’ piggyback ride back to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is expected to come to a conclusion between 6pm and 6:30pm at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Meanwhile, managers have been reviewing the foam loss from STS-125’s External Tank (ET-130) as part of the STS-127 Flight Readiness Review (FRR). Atlantis Latest: With Atlantis riding on…
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Endeavour arrives at Pad 39A – Atlantis heading to Biggs, Texas on Monday
The high tempo pace of shuttle processing continues through the weekend and earlier into next week, with Atlantis’ departure from California on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) set for Monday and Endeavour’s pad swap on Sunday morning. Endeavour will be arriving at a Pad 39A that has undergone several repairs, following damage sustained during…
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ASA inspections and STS-125 IFAs lead STS-127 rationale debate
Endeavour remains on track for the setting of a June 13 or 14 launch date at next week’s Agency level Flight Readiness Review (FRR), despite the requirement for additional SSP (Space Shuttle Program) level evaluations. Several factors, including Atlantis’ In Flight Anomalies (IFAs) – notably the Aerosurface Servoamplifer (ASA) channel 1 fault – are still up…
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Atlantis tracking KSC return early next week – TPS in good shape
Post flight processing on Atlantis at Edwards Air Force Base (Dryden Flight Research Center) has set an early target of the end of this weekend for the start of her trip back to Florida on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). The team of engineers working on safing the orbiter ahead of her mating…
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Atlantis lands safely in California – Fleet status update
Atlantis has landed at Edwards Air Force Base on EOM+2 (End Of Mission plus two days), after Entry Flight Director Norm Knight decided the weather at the Kennedy Space Center had failed to improve to acceptable levels. Atlantis will return to KSC on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) just a few weeks ahead of…
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Atlantis targets KSC or Edwards for Sunday – Expansive ASA contingency plan
Atlantis is still waiting on the weather in Florida, with the preferred return to KSC still on the cards for Sunday. Four landing options – including two opportunities in California – are available on Sunday, although the first KSC landing possibility has been waved off. Meanwhile, the Aerosurface Servoamplifer (ASA) channel 1 failure received a series of…
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Atlantis checked out for entry – Friday return waved off
STS-125 is pressing through EOM (End Of Mission) activities, following the successful testing of Atlantis’ flight systems by the flight crew on FD11 ahead of the return home. With the Thermal Protection System (TPS) cleared for entry, Atlantis was hoping to land on one of two opportunities in Florida, before both attemtps were waved off.…
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STS-125: TPS cleared for re-entry, landing plan set – Endeavour status
The DAT (Damage Assessment Team) have completed the review of Atlantis’ Flight Day 9 Thermal Protection System (TPS), with no concerns noted, as the STS-125 crew close in on three landing opportunities at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday – weather permitting. Meanwhile, Pad 39A repairs are continuing, ahead of expected rollover of Endeavour for…
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HST farewell ahead of Late Inspections – panel 11R of interest
The last humans to visit the Hubble Space Telescope have departed, leaving behind a rejuvenated spacecraft that will keep astronomers happy well into the next decade. Atlantis’ highly successful mission has completed Flight Day 9, which included Late Inspections – with one RCC panel (11R) deemed to be of increased interest due to a potential…
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Final spacewalk marks full mission success for STS-125 EVA tasks
The STS-125 crew are completing the final servicing tasks on the Hubble Space Telescope via the fifth and final spacewalk of the mission. EVA-5 spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel have completed all the required tasks to ensure full mission success on the servicing mission. Atlantis Latest: No major issues are in work, as Atlantis…