NASA managers have been presented with a working plan and completed assessments on the potential for a Soyuz flyaround of the Shuttle\/Station stack during Endeavour\u2019s docked mission. With many of the hurdles from the cancelled STS-133 flyabout plan removed, the unique event has a high potential of being approved by the International Space Station (ISS) partners.<\/p>\n
STS-134 Flyabout:<\/p>\n
**UPDATE APRIL 8 PER L2: OFFICIALLY \u201cTURNED OFF\u201d FOR STS-134 due to Russian schedule decision. More later in a new article**<\/p>\n
The original opportunity for the flyabout \u2013 during Discovery\u2019s STS-133 mission at the ISS \u2013 suffered from two crucial issues.<\/p>\n
Firstly, the amount of time between the proposal and putting the plan into work was short, meaning evaluations were still ongoing even after Discovery\u2019s mission was being carried out.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/A3.jpg\" "\\"A3\\"")
Secondly, the Soyuz to be used was on its debut mission, with the ultimate Russian decision based on the risk of undocking their new 700 series Soyuz to and from the Station \u2013 which is classed as test vehicle \u2013 prior to the capturing of photography of the orbiting outpost, before redocking shortly after.<\/p>\n
(Click here for more amazing model photography by NSF member Keith McNeill)<\/p>\n
With the potential STS-134 flyabout back on the table, as listed in Flight Readiness Review (FRR) documentation (L2) for Endeavour\u2019s mission, there is a large amount of hope a positive decision will be forthcoming for STS-134.<\/p>\n
Although the flyabout would provide stunning imagery of the Station, the engineering data gathered on the health of the orbiting outpost would be helpful for engineers on the ground. Carrying out the flyabout with a docked shuttle, however, would be lost if an agreement can\u2019t be reached for either STS-134 or STS-135.<\/p>\n
Aerospace industry analysis (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n \u201cWith Shuttle flights winding down, this being the second to last one, this represents a unique opportunity to get photo documentation of the entire configuration with the Shuttle attached,\u201d noted Derek Hassmann, Lead ISS Flight Director for ULF-6.<\/p>\n The Russian vehicle would undock from its planned port on the Poisk module \u2013 which is attached to the zenith port of Zvezda module \u2013 back straight out to a distance of about 200 meters and hold position.<\/p>\n The ISS would then change its orientation to provide a different perspective of the station complex to the Soyuz and also a first-time look at a Shuttle Orbiter docked to the station from that perspective. <\/p>\n The Soyuz crew would then fly their ship to align with the re-oriented location of the docking port on Poisk, move back in and redock. Crew members would take video and still imagery of the Station during most of these maneuvers.<\/p>\n Hassmann added that if approved, the operations team would likely use the mission extension day (the \u201cplus one\u201d day) to allow for the event to fit into the schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cAt a high level, what we would plan to do is use that \u2018plus one\u2019 day \u2013 we\u2019d insert that plus one day in order to provide some margin to support this activity,\u201d Hassmann added. \u201cI would expect the Soyuz flyabout to be done later in the mission rather than earlier \u2013 something on the order of Flight Day 12 (or) 13. We haven\u2019t finalized what that day would be, but that\u2019s what we\u2019re working towards.\u201d<\/p>\n Previous articles on the Soyuz Flyabout Evaluations: Evaluations:<\/p>\n Documentation and memos are now starting to flow on the assessments created for the flyabout with the Soyuz, all showing positive evaluations into what would be a historic event.<\/p>\n \u201cSTS-134 Dual Docked Ops (aka Soyuz flyabout) \u2013 The Soyuz undock\/redock is the same scenario as evaluated for STS-133 except that HTV will not be present. The Windows (Team) evaluated the STS-134 environment and showed good results even without HTV being present,\u201d noted an 8th Floor MOD memo (L2).<\/p>\n The update also noted that it is now likely the decision will be taken ahead of the mission, instead during the docked phase of the flight, with a placeholder for the event to take place on Flight Day 13 (FD13). The Space Shuttle Program (SSP) FRR and Agency FRR are being consulted on the evalautions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe decision to add the flyabout is needed no later than FD9 since the +1 day would be added after FD9 to accomplish some of the prep activities and offload some of the activities from the actual flyabout day. The extra day is added before docked late inspection to keep that as late as possible,\u201d added the memo.<\/p>\n \u201cThe flyabout would be performed on the morning of FD13. Hatch closure is at the end of this day with undock the next morning. This subject will be taken to the SSP FRR and to the Agency FRR as a special topic. The plan is to continue to keep this as an option and make a decision during the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n The largest evaluation \u2013 from a STS-134 standpoint \u2013 was seen at the Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) level, where an expansive 44 page overview was discussed.<\/p>\n NASA astronaut and Expedition 27 Flight Engineer Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrey Borisenko will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 4 at 5:18 pm CDT, for a scheduled six month tour on the ISS.<\/p>\n \u201cSoyuz crew will be suited and prepared for a contingency deorbit if required. Crew will use still camera and camcorder to capture imagery from Habitation Module window once at 180-200 meter range. On board ISS, MRM-2 hatch will be closed, but other ISS hatches will be open and ISS\/STS crew will be scheduled for nominal activities.\u201d<\/p>\n The presentation\u2019s operation plan outline elaborates on the baseline of STS-133\u2019s flyabout discussions, the mission timeline \u2013 taking into account STS-134\u2019s Docked Late Inspections (DLI) given Endeavour\u2019s Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) will be left on Station \u2013 and the contingency evaluations, which are listed as forward work, pointing to what is likely the only remaining obsticle for the green light to proceed with the flyabout.<\/p>\n \u201cVehicle orientations (ISS and Soyuz) for undock, photos, and docking are to be provided by the Russians which enables other analysis and assessments to begin. Contingency planning considerations forward work. \u2018What if\u2019 scenarios for emergencies during the event that result in Orbiter undock requirements (JEUS). Soyuz Failure to redock.<\/p>\n \u201cAdd a +1 day after FD9 to accomplish some of the prep activities as well as offload some of the activities from the actual fly-about day. Before the Docked Late Inspection (DLI). DLI relative to entry remains the same as the nominal plan (as late as possible). Perform the fly-about on morning of FD13. Hatch closure is at the end of this day and undock the next morning (FD14). Fly-about performed by 26S crew (Borisienko, Garan, Samokutayuv).\u201d<\/p>\n The key points of this current plan note the Flyabout decision is required no later than FD9, given most major mission objectives complete by then (AMS, ELC, EVAs 1-3), whilst also reserving the +1 day as late as possible for other needs that may arise. Thus, it is likely the flyabout will recieve an initial go, pending no issues during the bulk of Endeavour\u2019s docked mission.<\/p>\n STS-134 Specific Articles: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/tag\/sts-134\/<\/p>\n The plan also keeps the Docked Late Inspections as late as possible to minimize MMOD (Orbital Debris) risk, and keeps all crewmembers sleep shifted together.<\/p>\n For the Russian vehicle, the Soyuz activation, leak check, and prep will occur on daily orbits 1 and 2, with the Flyabout scheduled on daily orbit 3.<\/p>\n Trajectory Control System, payload bay cameras, elbow camera and RSC camera will be sufficiently shielded from, and\/or pointed away from, the 26S plume environment, with a large section dedicated to the evaluations on the small risk of contamination on the orbiter\u2019s windows from the Soyuz\u2019s thruster firings.<\/p>\n Again, evaluations are based on mitigating the potential worst case scenarios, which the presentation lists \u2013 though notes the findings show no concern for Endeavour\u2019s windows.<\/p>\n The thermal analysis has also been completed, with no orbiter passive thermal issues noted. The orbiter has an \u2018any attitude\u2019 capability of three to five hours depending on beta. Also, the OBSS will be stowed on ISS given current operational timeline scenario.<\/p>\n It is likely that a decision point on at least proceeding towards a go\/no go during the docked mission will be announced at the Agency FRR next week.<\/p>\n (Images used, all via L2 presentations, imagery and L2 acquired flyabout video \u2013 plus as accredited within the article).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NASA managers have been presented with a working plan and completed assessments on the potential for a Soyuz flyaround of the Shuttle\/Station stack during Endeavour\u2019s docked mission. With many of the hurdles from the cancelled STS-133 flyabout plan removed, the unique event has a high potential of being approved by the International Space Station (ISS) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"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":[233,1302,3366],"class_list":["post-40492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-iss","tag-soyuz","tag-sts-134"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40492"}],"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=40492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40492\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/A5.jpg\" "\\"A5\\"")
The flyabout trajectory and maneuvers would likely be similar to what was evaluted during analysis prior to STS-133, this time using the soon-to-be-launched Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2011\/02\/sts-133-nasa-soyuz-flyaround-photograph-discovery-iss\/
\nhttp:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2011\/02\/obss-sensor-protect-soyuz-flyaround-wleids-status-reviewed\/
\nhttp:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2011\/02\/sts-133-iss-discoverys-arrival-soyuz-flyaround-update\/
\nhttp:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2011\/03\/sts-133-pmm-successfully-installed-soyuz-flyabout-cancelled\/<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/A4.jpg\" "\\"A4\\"")
Most of the documentation shows the STS-133 planning as the baseline (Image left from set of L2 hi res images, photoshopped by NSF member Lee Jay Fingersh), with tweaks for the actual manevers involved and the slight change to the configuration of the Station, such as the lack of the HTV-2 being docked, which \u2013 for the STS-133 evaluations \u2013 provided some level of protection for the orbiter\u2019s windows from potential thruster firing contamination. <\/p>\nSee Also<\/h4>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/A111.jpg\" "\\"A11\\"")
\u201cSoyuz undock\/redock during the mated mission to capture imagery of the unique vehicle configuration (similar to STS-133 less HTV). Fly-about will be performed by 26S Crew (model 200 Soyuz). Fly-about duration approx 1 hr,\u201d opened the PRCB presentation, available on L2 \u2013 noting that should the flyabout suffer a major issue, the newly arrived Soyuz crew would have to deorbit and return home \u2013 a major consideration for the ISS partners.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/A10.jpg\" "\\"A10\\"")
\u201cTeam is leveraging off of our known experience base where applicable to meet this Agency objective. Utilizing as much information as possible from the STS-133 fly-about work. Nominal plan is developing with open work remaining,\u201d the presentation continued.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/A8.jpg\" "\\"A8\\"")
The presentation also notes a large amount of work has been completed, successfully, as per the Technical Work Executive Summary, citing the SSP\/ISS mated Soyuz dynamic un-dock and docking loads analysis is complete, whilst no issues were found in relation to the Soyuz to Shuttle Radio Frequency Compatibility.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/A9.jpg\" "\\"A9\\"")
\u201cWorst Case Consequences. Window would shed slivers of glass after failure. Glass debris could impact OMS pod, Rudders speed brake. Crew Module pressure would not be affected. Reduced CDR\/PLT (Commander\/Pilot) visibility through the windows.\u201d<\/p>\n