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\u201cMr (LeRoy) Cain (Chair of the Mission Management Team) thanked the team. STS-131 was a good mission and had outstanding support every day at the MMT and throughout the mission through the teams that support,\u201d noted the latest Shuttle Standup\/Integration report (L2).<\/p>\n
\u201cThis mission was a little tough because of the hours of the crew\u2019s day, but you could not tell in terms of support received from the team. Great job. Had a beautiful landing on Monday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a tremendous flight,\u201d added SSP manager John Shannon. \u201cThe Operations and Engineering teams are working together very well. They worked around the loss of the Ku-Band antenna to figure out clever ways to get the required data down. The process is working so smoothly to assess the health of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also help out the ISS with assessment on doing additional EVAs and getting the ATA squared away. So proud of the team and how everyone is doing, finishing up in a tremendous manner.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Discovery was given a preliminary inspection whilst sitting on the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), with reports showing nothing more than minor dings and cosmetic damage to her Thermal Protection System (TPS).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/A323.jpg\" "\\"A3\\"")
One area of interest related to Discovery\u2019s numerous ceramic inserts \u2013 one of the main Flight Readiness Review (FRR) and Special PRCB (Program Requirements Control Board) topics ahead of launch.<\/p>\nWhile the Payload Bay Door hinge line inserts are currently being evaluated inside Discovery\u2019s OPF-3 (Orbiter Processing Facility), the runway report notes a problem may still exist on the window inserts\u2019 \u2018plugs\u2019 \u2013 one of the initial trigger for pre-flight checks, following an incident with a protrusion, which was observed during Endeavour\u2019s STS-130 mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom inspections on the runway, no inserts were missing or protruding. They did find two plugs, one each on Windows #5 and #6, that each protruded just a little. There was also one plug on Window #6 totally missing,\u201d added Mr Shannon. \u201cHave on-orbit photos showing that the plug was there. It may end up on the IFA (In Flight Anomaly) list.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/A421.jpg\" "\\"A4\\"")
After being towed off the SLF, integrated roll-in operations begin inside OPF-3, as Discovery was put through a preset list of safing procedures.<\/p>\n\u201cAPU (Auxiliary Power Unit) plug installations are complete. Potable water sampling was completed,\u201d noted the NASA Test Director processing report (L2). \u201cFlight Crew Systems de-stow is complete less fire extinguisher removal and ET umbilical camera removal. Orbiter mid-body access doors were removed and Power Reactant Supply and Distribution (PRSD) scupper installations have been installed.<\/p>\n
\u201cPRSD (Power Reactant Storage and Distributation) Pneumatic Operated Disconnects (PODs) mates and leak checks are complete. SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) bearing drying purges complete. PRSD LH2 off load complete. LO2 of load in work.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrbital Maneuvering System (OMS) and aft `Reaction Control System (RCS) access panel removal and Quick Disconnect (QD) flight cap removed. OMS\/RCS static air sample access panel removal scheduled for today. Air samples began Friday Main Propulsion System (MPS) and SSME Pressure regulator checkout and SSME pneumatic system validation tests are complete.<\/p>\n
Discovery\u2019s Payload Bay Doors received their strongbacks \u2013 which aid the opening of the doors, as they can only open under their own power in micro G \u2013 on Friday, allowing engineers to opening the doors and begin operations to remove the old ATA and the MPLM \u2013 set to begin on Sunday.<\/p>\n
STS-133 Flow:<\/p>\n
With numerous turnaround tasks being carried out over the weekend, Discovery is now processing towards what is currently scheduled to be her last flight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeekend work: Payload canister arrival, Flow Control Valve (FCV) removal, payload electrical demates, payload removal, engine\/body flap carrier panel removals,\u201d added the NTD report on Friday. \u201cTPS post flight inspection, Orbiter power up Saturday second shift for hydraulics operations to position SSMEs, aero-surfaces and lower the nose landing gear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Engineers have also begun opening work on the Ku Band uplink\/downlink failure that occurred during STS-131. This on orbit issue has been charged as IPR (Interim Problem Report \u2013 5) against the STS-133 flow.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/A518.jpg\" "\\"A518\\"")
The payload for the STS-133 mission will be the ELC-4 (ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 4) and the Permanent Multi-purpose Module (PMM) \u2013 which sees Leonardo once again riding with Discovery, only this time remaining on the Station, as a modified storage area.<\/p>\nBooster buildup for STS-133 continues to take place in the RPSF (Rotation Processing and Surge Facility), while Discovery\u2019s External Tank is on track to arrive at KSC in a timely manner.<\/p>\n
\u201cET-138 In Final Assembly, proceeding nominally,\u201d noted the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). \u201cNo threat to schedule, no risk to schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turnaround of the MPLM into the PMM remains the tightest element on the schedule to make the current STS-133 launch date of September 16. As such, should STS-134 swap places with STS-133 in the running order, Discovery would become the LON vehicle for STS-132.<\/p>\n
The gap between the two flights remains under discussion, and potentially could result in STS-132 slipping to the right to close the gap \u2013 based on the CSCS (Crew Shuttle Contingency Support) timeline of supporting the STS-132 crew on the ISS until the next shuttle arrives to pick them up.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/A731.jpg\" "\\"A73\\"")
The manifest question is a result of the heavily delayed delivery of the AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02) payload to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), due to a changes to its troublesome cooling system \u2013 resulting in the launch slipping to at least November.<\/p>\nSwitching the running order between STS-134 and STS-133 is no easy task and remains under discussion, following a manifest meeting on Friday at the Johnson Space Center. A full article on the situation will be published later.<\/p>\n
Even if STS-133 remains as the final flight on the current schedule, the addition of STS-135 \u2013 currently the Launch On Need (LON) shuttle for STS-133 \u2013 may yet receive approval.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as the rest of the year is concerned, things are starting to become clearer. (Do) not have any information on STS-135 yet. So, we will continue to work it as we go along,\u201d added Mr Shannon. \u201cA lot will depend on how we come out of this year from a budget standpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the interim, the bulk of concentration is being placed on the next mission, STS-132. One of the major milestones will occur next week, when managers conduct the SSP FRR. Several articles will lead up to the two-day review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Space Shuttle Program (SSP) big guns have praised the \u201ctremendous manner\u201d in which the STS-131 mission was completed, as Discovery begins her final processing flow on the current schedule. STS-133 may still avoid becoming the final mission to fly \u2013 pending approval of a mission swap with the slipping STS-134, or the potential addition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29572,"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":[9184,9051],"class_list":["post-40797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-sts-131","tag-sts-133"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40797"}],"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=40797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}