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Pad processing for Discovery has picked up the pace, following her eventful rollout to 39A on Tuesday morning \u2013 almost resulting in a rollback when the Crawler-Transporter started to struggle with the muddy conditions at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC).<\/p>\n
After finally arriving some ten hours after departing from the VAB, work began on a unique replacement of the CVFA \u2013 which suffered from problems during testing prior to rollout.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrbiter: OV-103 \/ ET-132 \/ BI-139\/ RSRM 107 (Pad A): SSV (Space Shuttle Vehicle) transfer to Pad-A: After overcoming several challenges with weather, hardware, and soggy crawlerway conditions, STS-128 stack arrived at the Pad-A gate at 1045L, and the MLP was hard-down at 1350L,\u201d outlined processing information on L2.<\/p>\n
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\u201cS0009 Launch Pad Validation: Pad A was cleared for APU3 (Auxiliary Power Unit) hotfire Air-GN2 changeover at 0424L Wednesday morning. Air-GN2 changeover was completed at 0429L Wednesday morning. Orbiter payload bay, midbody, and aft GN2 inerting\/purge completed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAPU3 hotfire began once the O2 concentrations were below the required 25ppm, (followed by RSS \u2013 Rotating Service Structure \u2013 park to mate).\u201d<\/p>\n
The work on the booster relates to observations made during the High Pressure Leak Checks \u2013 when a loud noise was heard shortly after pressure was applied to the LH SRB tilt system.<\/p>\n
![\"Q2\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Q2.jpg\" "\\"Q2\\"")
This was caused by the failure of the CVFA \u2013 resulting in the pump and APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) to spin backwards.<\/p>\nTo ensure all the associated hardware is replaced, engineers decided the best approach would be to replace the APU, hydraulic pump and CVFA \u2013 although such a procedure has never been carried out \u201cin-situ\u201d at KSC.<\/p>\n
\u201cLH SRB HPU update: Check Valve Filter Assembly removal is continuing. A SCAPE (Self-Contained Atmospheric Protection Ensemble) operation is to be performed during Wednesday night to disconnect the HPU (Hydraulic Power Unit) fuel lines,\u201d added the processing update.<\/p>\n
\u201cEngineering and flow management continue to refine the plan for the HPU hardware R&R and evaluate the impacts to the overall integrated pad flow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further evaluations are taking place at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), where the Orbiter Project Office (OPO) will discuss issue in the run up to their pre-SSP FRR (Flight Readiness Review) meeting on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the SRB hydraulic check valve failure, will look at Orbiter hardware to see if there is any common hardware and if there are any implications of that failure on the Orbiter hydraulic system,\u201d noted the OPO. STS-128 FRR with OPO is Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Q3\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Q3.jpg\" "\\"Q3\\"")
Currently it is understood that work will be completed in time to avoid an impact to the launch date, with Integrated Milestone Charts from Tuesday (on L2) showing a potential August 24 NET (No Earlier Than) \u2013 although a firm date is yet to be confirmed by managers.<\/p>\nOperations to prepare Discovery\u2019s payload for installation into her cargo bay are continuing, as the flight crew arrived at KSC for the two day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) \u2013 which begins on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cS0600 Payload Operations will pick up today with Payload Bay Door opening. Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test remains scheduled for Thursday and Friday. CTS (Call To Stations) is at 0730L tomorrow, with T-0 scheduled for Friday at 1100L.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Shannon:<\/p>\n
Shuttle manager John Shannon regularly keeps his workforce updated on the Program\u2019s big picture via the twice-weekly Shuttle Standup\/Integration Reports.<\/p>\n
This week\u2019s Standup included a variety of topics, ranging from the focus being placed on STS-128 \u2013 now that STS-127 has successfully completed its mission, to the ongoing Augustine Commission review of NASA\u2019s Human Space Flight program.<\/p>\n
Referring to the recent Program Milestone Review (PMR), the challenges of the budget \u2013 even for the current shuttle program schedule \u2013 are all too apparent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand very well where we are from a budget standpoint. It is very tight getting out of this year and trying to forward fund next year,\u201d Mr Shannon noted on the latest Standup (available on L2). \u201cIf we\u2019re on a CR (Continuing Resolution) we will have some challenges, so we will just work that as we go through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Such CRs may modify if a decision is made to extend the shuttle program by several years. At present, the program is almost certain to run into 2011, with options to extend to 2012, and even as far out as 2015 \u2013 per Augustine Commission evaluations.<\/p>\n
![\"Q4\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Q4.jpg\" "\\"Q4\\"")
Adding flights to the shuttle manifest would result in several key contractors and centers revising their plans, such as the Stennis Space Center (SSC), which recently conducted the final test of a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME).<\/p>\n\u201cIt was a phenomenal job with the folks at SSC pulling off the SSME test and getting it done safely. It was our last planned SSME test,\u201d added Mr Shannon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team kept their focus and really set the right example for the rest of the team \u2013 as we are coming up to the last activities in our particular areas of interest \u2013 to perform with such professionalism and get the job done. They showed how to finish strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
And finish strong is what the SSP has to do until it is confirmed the plans have changed, with \u201cthe rumors, and all other stuff going on\u201d ahead of the meetings next week, when \u201cgood indications\u201d on the forward plan should be forthcoming.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe August 12th meeting should be a great indicator for exactly where they are heading. (Mr. Shannon believes) they are already working on their report, but it is not totally integrated yet,\u201d added the Standup report.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen there is the outbrief to Dr, John Holdren and Charlie Bolden on August 14. The direction NASA will get out of that is to formulate a forward plan, and not initiate another study. We are going to get into some concrete implementation activities based on whatever the recommendations may be.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, Mr Shannon and the SSP are concentrating on the continued safe flight of the fleet, with Endeavour adding another success last month during STS-127.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mission was phenomenal. It was difficult to get off the pad with all the weather activities. We have a little bit of adversity from the ascent video with the foam. The team was very calm and worked through that. It became a non-issue, at least for the flight in progress, after FD4 (Flight Day 4),\u201d added Mr Shannon, who \u201cexpressed appreciation for the professionalism of the team working through that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe on-orbit mission with five EVAs was extremely challenging; it just went off like clockwork. That is really the way to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again referencing the Augustine Commission, Mr Shannon called on the workforce to remain focused on the current missions \u2013 with STS-128 just around the corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will be asked to help, plan, and go through any activities for any changes in direction. This will all be going on as we prepare for STS-128, we must keep focused on STS-128.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we do not execute STS-128 appropriately, then all the studies in the world are not going to help us get where we want to go. We need to really concentrate and really keep our focus and do the things we know to be successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s just stay focused.\u201d<\/p>\n
L2 members<\/em><\/em>: Documentation \u2013 from which the above article has quoted snippets \u2013 is available in full in the related L2 sections, now over 4000 gbs in size.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Work has started on replacing the Check Valve Filter Assembly (CVFA) and associated hardware on Discovery\u2019s left hand Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), as engineers continue to evaluation potential schedule impacts to STS-128\u2019s pad flow. Meanwhile, shuttle manager John Shannon has told the workforce to keep their focus on the missions, pre-empting a forward plan for […]<\/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":[9157,9205],"class_list":["post-41032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-extension","tag-sts-128"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41032"}],"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=41032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41032\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}