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No additional issues are being tracked by the Mission Evaluation Room (MER) past the five minor items, all of which have no mission impact. In fact, the only additional issue \u2013 known as a \u201cfunny\u201d \u2013 relates to the Multiple Headset Adapter Ports J1 and J2 not transmitting.<\/p>\n
Notably, all of the orbiter\u2019s main systems are working as advertised, including the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) heaters \u2013 the subject of troubleshooting during Endeavour\u2019s extended stay at Pad 39A.<\/p>\n
STS-134 Specific Articles: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/tag\/sts-134\/<\/p>\n
\u201cAll APU subsystems are performing nominally. All heater systems are operating on the A circuit,\u201d noted MER status (L2), which overviewed all systems currently being used by Endeavour, such as the following examples.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll Life Support systems are performing nominal. O2 repress was successfully completed. Total GN2 Qty: 325.7 lbm Waste Tank Qty: 42.7 percent 73.7 lbm. Total Supply H2O Qty: 451.7 lbm. The flight controls system continues to perform nominally. There are no FSW (Flight Software) issues being worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
STS-134 TPS Evaluations:<\/p>\n
The main focus for engineers on the ground is the effort to clear Endeavour\u2019s Thermal Protection System (TPS) for entry. The process \u2013 carried out by the DAT engineers \u2013 begins with ascent footage and data, prior to moving to the scheduled inspections carried out via Flight Day 2\u2019s scans by the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) package.<\/p>\n
Space Shuttle
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\u201cThe STS-134 FD2 OBSS Surveys went well. OBSS grapple occurred at 2:00 am and it was unberthed from the Stbd MPM at 2:05 am Tuesday,\u201d noted a MER review (L2) into completed task.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Stbd T0 umbilical and OMS pod were surveyed from 2:55-3:15 am. Stbd RCC was surveyed from 3:25 am to 4:43 am. Nose RCC was surveyed from 5:12 am to 5:43 am. Port RCC was surveyed from 6:16 am to 7:51 am. The Port T0 umbilical and OMS pod were surveyed in between Port RCC scans per procedures. The OBSS was berthed on the Stbd MPM at 8:27 am.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrew had to play back 1 hour and 14 minutes of the OBSS surveys since we did not get this live due to KU-Band blockage at the time the surveys occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/A77.jpg\" "\\"A7\\"")
The results of the FD2 Inspections confirmed Endeavour\u2019s critical Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) panels to be in excellent shape, along with other areas of the orbiter covered by the OBSS\u2019 sweep.<\/p>\n\u201cLESS\/RCC team cleared all regions of interest. OBSS Survey started 5\/17 at around 3am, and final PRT disposition occurred 5\/18 at around 8:00 pm ( 29 hours). No ROI (Regions Of Interest) exhibited any damage characteristics,\u201d noted a Flight Day 3 DAT presentation (L2).<\/p>\n
A total of 389 areas were reviewed \u2013 one of the lowest counts since the implementation of the OBSS\u2019s Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI), with the 137 ROI count much lower than Discovery\u2019s STS-133 count of 225.<\/p>\n
The review of all ROIs resulted in the RCC being cleared for entry \u2013 although a second sweep will be undertaken during Endeavour\u2019s Docked Late Inspections (DLI) ahead of departing from the ISS. The FD2 data will provide a baseline for those late inspections.<\/p>\n
\u201c137 ROI\u2019s required PRT disposition. All threats cleared. No focused inspection candidates identified. As a result of this review the LESS is GO for entry,\u201d added the DAT presentation. \u201cFD2 results will serve as the baseline for late inspection.\u201d <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/A58.jpg\" "\\"A5\\"")
The other major data gathering exercise was carried out ahead of Endeavour\u2019s docking on Flight Day 3, as the ISS crew took hundreds of 400m, 800mm and 1000mm photographs (hundreds of hi res photos available on L2) of the orbiter as she was commanded through her RPM backflip.<\/p>\nThis manuever allows of all areas of the orbiter to be photographed, and \u2013 due to the limitations of the OBSS\u2019 reach \u2013 provided the DAT with a full sweep of Endeavour\u2019s belly.<\/p>\n
No major flags of concern have been raised at this time, although Endeavour does have seven cosmetic dings on her belly.<\/p>\n
While it is likely none of the damaged tiles will be of any concern for her entry at the end of the month, the DAT engineers always carry out a full review of any areas of interest, opening with their Focused Inspection (FI) discussion, allowing them to inform the Mission Management Team (MMT) if a FI is required or not.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/A314.jpg\" "\\"A3\\"")
Most of the damaged tiles are expected to be cleared by the DAT within hours. However, three areas \u2013 more notably on the inboard elevon \u2013 are being called a FI candidate, as much as all damaged areas hold such a title until they are cleared from the closer inspection.<\/p>\nAccording to DAT presentations (L2) the elevon\u2019s damaged area covers a length of about 6.5 inches and is 2.3 inches wide \u2013 with a margin of error of .15 inches.<\/p>\n
The depth \u2013 one of the key parameters \u2013 of the damage is 1.63 inches, the deepest of all the damaged areas. However, its location will also be part of the discussions, given some areas are more susceptible to the heating of re-entry than others.<\/p>\n
A FI has a placeholder on Flight Day 6 of the mission, should it be required, which would be only the second time such an inspection was called for. Currently \u2013 according to MMT chair LeRoy Cain, actions have been taken to protect the placeholder of a FI on FD6, while another 24 to 48 hours of evaluation will continue on the forward plan.<\/p>\n
Ironically, it was Endeavour which required the use of the OBSS\u2019 cameras and sensors to take a look at a \u201cgouge\u201d on her belly during her STS-118 mission.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/A67.jpg\" "\\"A6\\"")
Notably, the FI discussion package included STS-118 presentations on the area of damage \u2013 caused by an ice impact \u2013 which required the use of the OBSS midday through her mission to the ISS, although the data gained did result in a MMT decision that no repair was required.<\/p>\nPost landing images of Endeavour on the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) showed the damage had worsened during re-entry, along with no ill effects to the underlying structure on the orbiter when the damaged tile was removed in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF).<\/p>\n
Also under consideration will be the cause of the dings on Endeavour\u2019s belly, especially after ascent imagery and photographs of the separated External Tank (ET-122) showed it enjoyed a clean ascent, with only a few minor liberations from the tank\u2019s Ice Frost Ramps (Ice Frost Ramps).<\/p>\n
Although the ascent review is ongoing, current information has not listed any TPS impacts from the minor liberations spotted by the camera on the ET.<\/p>\n
More will follow.<\/p>\n
(All images via L2. Extensive coverage is being provided on the news site, forum and L2 special sections \u2013 the latter of which is the world\u2019s best front row seat to Shuttle missions. With specific and extensive flight day coverage, from interactive \u201cone stop\u201d FD live coverage in the open forum, to internal documentation, photos, videos and content in the specific L2 FD areas).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The STS-134 crew have completed the installation of ExPRESS Logistics Carrier -3 (ELC-3) to round up a busy Flight Day 3, which opened the docked phase of the mission. Meanwhile, the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) are carrying out a Focused Inspection (FI) review of the additional imagery gained during Endeavour\u2019s R-Bar Pitch Manuever (RPM), which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29543,"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":[9171,3366,7935],"class_list":["post-40450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-dat","tag-sts-134","tag-tps"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40450"}],"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=40450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40450\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}