Tag: TPS
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STS-133: Healthy Discovery completes FD2 inspections on RCC panels
Now safely on orbit, Discovery has completed inspections on her Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) panels – the main task of STS-133’s Flight Day 2 (FD 2). Only two minor indications were registered by her sensor equipment embedded into her Wing Leading Edge (WLE) during ascent, while two noticeable debris events are of no concern from…
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STS-133: Plan under development to repair ET-137 foam cracks at the pad
As access platforms are set up for engineers to begin the removal of the hardware associated with the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP), a large effort to build a repair plan – one which can be conducted at Pad 39A – is being developed for the large crack (and several other smaller cracks) that were found on Discovery’s…
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STS-132: Atlantis arrives home to KSC – FCS debris events noted
Shuttle Atlantis has managed to dodge unacceptable weather at her home port of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Wednesday, taking the first of the two Florida landing opportunities, ending in a graceful landing. For what may of been her final day in space, Atlantis continued to be in great shape, with only the observation…
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STS-132: DAT Clear Atlantis’ Thermal Protection System for Landing
As Atlantis’ crew complete final checkouts for entry and arrival back home at the Kennedy Space Center, the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) have successfully concluded their thorough review of Atlantis’ fragile Thermal Protection System (TPS) – clearing the vehicle’s heat shield for entry. Two landing attempts available for Atlantis on Wednesday morning – the first at…
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STS-132: Extensive evaluations allow for nominal Late Inspection plan
The Damage Assessment Team (DAT) arm of the Mission Management Team (MMT) are no strangers to high praise for their work in ensuring an orbiter is safe to return home, and once again they have proved their worth – as they worked through an array of imagery, data, and historical experience to fill in the…
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STS-132: Russia’s MRM-1 installed – Port Wing clearance boost
Russia’s Mini Research Module-1 (MRM-1) “Rassvet” has been successfully docked and installed on to the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS). Meanwhile, the Mission Management Team (MMT) are close to clearing Atlantis’ Thermal Protection System (TPS) for Entry, after additional imagery of her Port Wing was acquired during EVA-1. Atlantis Status: As the…
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STS-132: Atlantis docks with ISS – Extremely clean ET-136
NASA’s trusted mitigation approach to problems with their complex hardware has again paid dividends, with efforts to reduce foam liberation from their External Tanks (ETs) rewarded by photography of Atlantis’ ET-136 showing a near-pristine tank. An ongoing FD3 has seen Atlantis dock with the ISS at 9:28am Central, following a somewhat interrupted opening inspection of her TPS…
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STS-131: Discovery berths MPLM and completes DLI ahead of undocking
Discovery’s crew have raced through their Flight Day 12 tasks, completing the berthing of MPLM Leonardo and the Docked Late Inspections (DLI) over three hours ahead of schedule. The crew are now into the final transfers between Station and Discovery’s middeck, ahead of undocking on Saturday morning. STS-131 MER Status: No new MER (Mission Evaluation…
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STS-131: Discovery berths MPLM and completes DLI ahead of undocking
Discovery’s crew have raced through their Flight Day 12 tasks, completing the berthing of MPLM Leonardo and the Docked Late Inspections (DLI) over three hours ahead of schedule. The crew are now into the final transfers between Station and Discovery’s middeck, ahead of undocking on Saturday morning. STS-131 MER Status: No new MER (Mission Evaluation…
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STS-131: NASA managers plan out extra docked day late inspections
With an additional docked day – already allowed for in the mission timeline options – now approved by the Mission Management Team (MMT), efforts on designing a preliminary plan for a Docked Late Inspection (DLI) have resulted in a 5-6 hour survey procedure, which is challenged by clearances of just 19 inches in areas between…