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\u201cFCS C\/O was performed with APU\/HYD System 1. The FCS C\/O was nominal. Flight Controls is GO for Entry Ops: All APU 1 parameters were nominal during the FCS checkout run,\u201d noted the Mission Evaluation Room (MER) via update presentations (L2).<\/p>\n
\u201cAPU 1 start occurred at 201:05:16:36. The APU 1 FCS C\/O run duration was 4 minutes 26 seconds, with shutdown at 201:05:21:02. Due to the short APU runtime, APU lube oil spray cooling was not required. The maximum APU lube oil outlet temperature was 206 degrees F and the maximum oil return temperature (WSB out temp) post APU shutdown was 191 degrees F.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll Elevon Actuator Switching Valves and the RSB (Rudder Speed Brake) Switching Valve were verified to configure to the proper positions following APU 1 start (RSB PDU Switching Valve in \u201cPrimary\u201d and all four Elevon Switching Valves to \u201cStandby 1\u2033). Priority valve cracking time was 0.338 seconds (spec 1 sec). The HYD System 1 bootstrap accumulator was 2336 psia prior APU 1 start and re-seat pressure was approximately 2848 psia.\u201d<\/p>\n
STS-135 Specific Articles: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/tag\/sts-135\/<\/p>\n
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Additionally, the crew conducted a \u201chot fire\u201d test of Atlantis\u2019 RCS (Reaction Control System) thrusters. These thrusters will be used during the initial periods of Atlantis\u2019 reentry profile to maintain proper vehicle attitude until enough atmospheric pressure will allow the FCSs to take control of the orbiter\u2019s attitude commanding.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/A4161.jpg\" "\\"A416\\"")
As expected, no issues were recorded with the L5L vernier jet, which had previously been noted as suffering from a minor pressure drop. Even if this thruster had failed, there would have been no mission impact as a result.<\/p>\n\u201cRCS Hotfire Procedure was initiated at 201\/06:04:25 GMT and terminated at 201\/06:12:53 GMT,\u201d added the MER. \u201cAll 38 RCS jets were fired at least once for at least 0.320 seconds per pulse. All thrusters have now been fired. No anomalies occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n
The unsung heroes of orbiter safety since Return To Flight (RTF) \u2013 the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) \u2013 also wrapped up their work with the mission by evaluating the Late Inspection imagery. As expected, they found no items of concern with Atlantis\u2019 heatshield.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/A334.jpg\" "\\"A3\\"")
\u201cThe mission continues to proceed nominally. RCC (Reinforced Carbon Carbon) Level 2 imagery screening was completed overnight with no major issues identified,\u201d noted the NASA Test Director (NTD) report (L2), prior to a peer review which allowed the Mission Management Team (MMT) to clear Atlantis for the return home.<\/p>\nInterestingly, and in a sign of just how seriously the teams take the health of the orbiter\u2019s TPS, the imagery team were tasked with an action to look into a debris event during launch \u2013 even after the orbiter was known to have suffered no damage \u2013 in order to determine if any noticeable events on camera footage correlated with the WLEIDS (Wing Leading Edge Impact Detection System) Case A1.<\/p>\n
That \u201cCase A1\u201d detection by the WLEIDS was not of any concern. However, imagery experts at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) appear to have found a match to the event which was registered at 109.6 seconds.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/A711.jpg\" "\\"A7\\"")
Using footage taken from the cameras on the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), a tiny piece of debris is seen \u201cnear\u201d the starboard wing at 109.5 seconds, in the general location of the reported WLEIDS trigger. Although there is no conclusive impact of the debris, it is likely to be the cause of the trigger.<\/p>\nThe debris is so small, it held no threat of carrying enough mass to cause even cosmetic damage to the RCC panel \u2013 which was of course confirmed by the Flight Day 2 Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) inspections of the Wing Leading Edges.<\/p>\n
A completely different debris event was also noticed during the Stage EVA \u2013 which was conducted during Atlantis stay at the International Space Station (ISS).<\/p>\n
\u201cFOD (Foreign Object Debris) was seen by ground team members as it was leaving the payload bay during EVA1\/FD5,\u201d noted one MMT presentation (L2) on the observation. \u201cSRMS (Shuttle Remote Manipulator System) elbow camera was the only recorded view.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/A810.jpg\" "\\"A8\\"")
\u201cPotential candidates were reviewed by Vehicle, ISS\/Payloads, EVA, and Cargo Integration. Identified candidates were not critical items, and were most likely soft goods or tape.\u201d<\/p>\nTeams were able to assess that the FOD was growing larger in the frame of the camera and increasing in speed. They were also able to confirm there wasn\u2019t enough \u201csignature\u201d for item to be metallic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is consistent with a soft material insulator, as speculated at the time of release,\u201d added the presentation. \u201cThe state vector has been identified and passed along.\u201d<\/p>\n
So a clean and highly reviewed Atlantis now spends her final hours on orbit, as preparations are made for the opening Orbit 200 option of conducting the deorbit burn and starting the trip back to the Kennedy Space Center to mark the end of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP).<\/p>\n
Another article will follow for the deorbit burn.<\/p>\n
To read about Atlantis and her sisters \u2013 from birth, processing, every single mission, through to retirement, click here for the links:
\nhttp:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/index.php?topic=25837.0<\/p>\n(Images: Via L2 content and NASA.gov. Further articles on STS-135 will be produced during and after her mission, driven by L2\u2032s STS-135 Special Section which is following the mission at MMT\/MER level, surrounded by a wealth of FRR\/PRCB\/MER\/MMT and SSP documentation\/pressentations, videos, images and more.<\/p>\n
(As with all recent missions, L2 is providing full exclusive level mission coverage, available no where else on the internet. To join L2, click here: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/l2\/)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Following the expected clearance of the Thermal Protection System (TPS) \u2013 which was re-checked during Late Inspections, along with the successful checkouts of the systems the orbiter will use to carry her crew back to Earth \u2013 Atlantis is in the final hours of orbiting the planet, ahead of an expected early morning landing at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29641,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3659,7935],"class_list":["post-40373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-sts-135","tag-tps"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40373"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}