**The most comprehensive collection of Shuttle, Ares, Orion and ISS related presentations and mission documentation, plus expansive daily processing documentation and updates are <\/em>available to download on L2<\/em><\/font> **<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n **<\/em><\/font>STS-125\/LON-400 L2 Sub Section Special already over 2000mb in size \u2013 special section Now Live, with over 40 superb mission presentations. STS-125 Flight Plan (newly created) and Flight Data Files now uploaded. Mission Overview in CGI videos building up \u2013 starting with payload overviews. STS-400 Flight Plan. STS-400 EVA and mission overview Presentations (14). Daily extensive processing latest. Flight Rules, EVA, Pad and Launch Radar Presentations \u2013 plus several Aug 28 presentations added.<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n **L2 STS-126 in build-up \u2013 includes several mission baseline presentations. One Stop SARJ Shop (memo, presentations). Extensive daily processing reports etc.**<\/font><\/em><\/font><\/p>\n **STS-124 Post Flight \u2013 STS-119 Processing Latest**<\/em><\/font> \u2014 <\/font>**STS-124\/STS-119 News Articles**<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n **LIVE updates: Endeavour Dual LON and STS-126 Processing**<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n NASA educational resources (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n **LIVE updates on Atlantis STS-125 Processing Flow**<\/em><\/font> \u2014 <\/font>**STS-125 News Articles**<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n Atlantis\/STS-125 Latest:<\/u><\/p>\n Engineers managed to fix repair issue with the LH2 umbilical \u2013 suffered during mating last weekend \u2013 with approval for flight gained by the Program last night. <\/p>\n \u2018Stress analysis on the LH2 umbilical has been completed and the results show positive margin in the plate,\u2019 noted processing information on Friday. \u2018The new aft pyro can has been installed and the two other pyro canisters on the LH2 Umbilical were borescoped.<\/p>\n \u2018No debris was found. Normal LH2 umbilical mate operations have resumed.<\/p>\n However, contractor Boeing have noted a secondary problem with the connecting studs between the orbiter and the External Tank on the LH2 side \u2013 specifically the tension measurements that were taken last night.<\/p>\n \u2018S0004 Orbiter\/ET Mate: LO2 umbilical plate stud tensioning is complete; ultrasonic measurements are good. LH2 umbilical plate stud tensioning is complete. Ultrasonic measurements on the aft and outboard umbilical are out of tolerance. Evaluation is in work.\u2019<\/p>\n Two of the studs recorded values above nominal 55K lbf load \u2013 coming in at 56.6K and 55.2K. The original spec written for these tensions is in the range of 44K to 61K. However, Boeing are evaluating whether they wish to keep the two studs below 55K lbf \u2013 due to the issues with the original mating operation.<\/p>\n Engineers are considering the possibility of unloading the studs, before retensioning the hardware. This would depend on Boeing\u2019s evaluations on whether they can accept the current tension readings as acceptable for flight \u2013 which is deemed as likely.<\/p>\n Atlantis\u2019 STS-125 flow originally gained 11 days of contingency time \u2013 a major achievement based on the tight External Tank delivery times for both ET-127 and the Launch On Need (LON) tank, ET-129. However, mother nature decided she would throw in the additional challenge of TS Fay.<\/p>\n However, added to the recent engineering issues with processing, contingency time remaining was brought down to around one or two days, based on rollout next Tuesday.<\/p>\n Along with the dual processing flow relating to Endeavour and STS-400, contingency in the milestones has additional complexity built in \u2013 and this is likely to have proven to be too close to allow the October 8 launch date to stand.<\/p>\n \u2018Tropical Storm Fay cost HST processing four days; as a result, the launch date for STS-125 is likely to slip to October 11,\u2019 noted shuttle manager John Shannon. \u2018We can\u2019t change the weather \u2013 all we can do is secure our equipment and protect our people.\u2019<\/p>\n It is also likely that the likely slip will knock on to STS-126\u2019s November launch date, though this will be assessed further into STS-125\u2019s flow.<\/p>\n L2 Members: Refer to TAG keywords \u2018STS-125\u2019 for related L2 presentations, and live processing information, etc.<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n Shuttle Extension Assessment: However, doubts remain on whether that is achievable \u2013 with notes (L2) showing the Orion Preliminary Design Review (PDR) is being delayed again \u2013 possibly by six to 12 months.<\/p>\n The concern is based on the recent disagreements between the US and Russian over the Georgian conflict, and any potential fallout relating to extending the Iran\/North Korea\/Syria Agreement (INKSA) Waiver.<\/p>\n This waiver is required to allow NASA to purchase Soyuz flights through \u2018the gap\u2019, thus retaining a US presence on the ISS. Should political tensions continue between the US and Russia, the resulting possibility of losing access capability is a major concern to NASA.<\/p>\n \u2018The Iran\/North Korea\/Syria Agreement (INKSA) Waiver expires in 2011. While this sounds far off, due to the three-year lead-time required for Soyuz production, this issue is a pressing matter now,\u2019 noted Mr Shannon on the latest Shuttle\/Stand-up\/Integration report. <\/p>\n \u2018The question to be answered is: if the waiver is not extended, how will we return our astronauts from the ISS? How will this affect U.S. presence on the ISS? This topic is at the front of everyone\u2019s mind due to the conflict between Russia and Georgia.\u2019<\/p>\n Several potential solutions could be initiated \u2013 such as an additional COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) effort based around manned access to the ISS \u2013 though only the shuttle can provide immediate confidence in being able to carry out the required tasks.<\/p>\n As a result, the assessments are based solely on evaluating whether shuttle can safely continue flying through the gap \u2013 or until a short term solution can follow on from shuttle, until Orion is ready to take over the role.<\/p>\n Issues with extended shuttle are obvious, ranging from using the vehicles in a reduced capability \u2013 as an ISS taxi, the major budgetary challenge of continuing to push forward with Constellation development, and the safe upkeep of the vehicles via maintenance in the Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs).<\/p>\n \u2018NASA has been tasked to study options regarding extension of the SSP (Space Shuttle Program) to support the ISS,\u2019 added Mr Shannon. \u2018The problem is that the Shuttle was never designed as a primary crew return vehicle. Soyuz-type vehicles are needed for this type of mission.<\/p>\n \u2018The key item to keep in mind is that whatever is decided cannot impact the Constellation transition.\u2019<\/p>\n For now, managers have requested that evaluations take place without being concerned about the budgetary pressures. The current outline refers to flying two orbiters, twice a year, to 2015.<\/p>\n Under evaluation will be challenges relating to the safe flight of the vehicles, notably based around the Orbiter Maintenance Down Period (OMDP) solutions installed into Atlantis\u2019 additional two years of flight. <\/p>\n The creation of \u2018mini-OMDPs\u2019 for Atlantis was approved to allow her to avoid retirement after STS-125. This involves prioritizing and carrying out required maintenance procedures in-between flights \u2013 avoiding the large downtime a full OMDP would normally require, and which is no longer viable based on the current 2010 retirement date. <\/p>\n Should these \u2018mini-OMDPs\u2019 prove to be an adequate solution to keeping two orbiters flying for an additional five years, the possibility of avoiding a 2010 end to the shuttle\u2019s flying days \u2013 pending budgetary issues \u2013 will be very much on the cards.<\/p>\n Regardless, at this stage, the process is just an assessment \u2013 the traditional back up plan NASA always has to hand. <\/p>\n Another article based on the full outline of the assessment will follow next week.<\/p>\n L2 Members: Refer to TAG keywords \u2018Constellation\u2019 \u2013 \u2018Orion\u2019 \u2013 \u2018Soyuz\u2019 \u2013 \u2018Gap\u2019 for related L2 presentations, and live processing information, etc.<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n L2 members<\/em><\/font>: All documentation \u2013 from which the above article has quoted snippets \u2013 is available in full in the related L2 sections, updated live.<\/em><\/p>\n **BRAND NEW STS-124 MISSION OVERVIEW MUSIC VIDEO \u2013 AVAILABLE HERE** (Free Video Section \u2013 Only requires to be logged into the forum) Shuttle managers are \u201clikely\u201d to slip STS-125\u2019s launch date to October 10 or 11, after the loss of processing time \u2013 relating to Tropical Storm Fay and the LH2 ET Umbilical work \u2013 placed strain on the flow to launch. Meanwhile, NASA managers have begun assessments into the possibility of flying shuttle to 2015, based […]<\/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":[],"class_list":["post-41320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41320"}],"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=41320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41320\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/em><\/font><\/em><\/font>**Click here for sample of L2 menu and content**<\/em><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
**New L2 Trailer Video, with examples of L2 content \u2013 <\/font>TRAILER NOW AVAILABLE \u2013 CLICK IMAGE**<\/font>. **Includes FIVE Stunning high quality 2hr, 355-400mb Camcorder and HUD videos, with crew audio \u2013 from payload bay closure \u2013 through re-entry with an astronaut held camcorder video \u2013 to post landing \u2013 several more videos showing landing from 90,000 ft also available and HUD videos from STA landings.<\/em><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n
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Mr Shannon also made a reference to a large scale study that started this week (memos and letters on L2) relating to the possibility of keeping the shuttle fleet flying through to 2015.<\/p>\nThe primary reason noted relates to manned access to the International Space Station (ISS), which is currently tasked to the Russian Soyuz vehicle for around five years, from 2010 when shuttle is due to retire, to 2015 when Orion reaches IOC (Initial Operational Capability).<\/p>\n
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Click here for a range of superb STS mission specific music videos created by Max Q videos<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"