STS-129 News and Updates

[ryan]

Maybe a helping hand wants NASA to extend the Shuttle Program

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

???

HA! I think that’s true of all Shuttle missions this year so far!
Maybe the Shuttle just doesn't want to retire, and so it's hanging on as long as possible by causing problems that take a long time to solve!

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I suppose I should explain, for those of you that don't know!

The ribbed, silver object you see in the picture below is a payload bay longeron. Their function is to support latching payloads into the Shuttle's payload bay (PLB).

They are bolted to either the port or starboard sill of the Shuttle's PLB.
1 longeron occupies 1 "bay" of the Shuttle’s PLB. In this picture, only 3 such bays are visible, but there are 13 bays in the Shuttle’s PLB in total. Usually, longerons are installed opposite each other in the PLB (i.e. 1 is installed on the bay 5 port side, and 1 is installed on the bay 5 starboard side).

On top of the longeron, you can see a white, clamp-like device. This is called a Payload Retention Latch Assembly (PRLA). These latches grip the trunnion pins that are standard on all Shuttle payloads, and therefore hold the payloads in the PLB. The latch you see in this picture is active - meaning it can be released, and re-secured in flight. Some latches are passive however, meaning they cannot be released in flight, and so are only used on payloads that do not need to be removed from the PLB in flight.

The reason the longerons are separate from the Shuttle itself, is so that they can be installed in any of the PLB’s 13 bays, which means that the PLB can be configured for many different payloads, without having to incorporate the longerons into the Shuttle's internal structure itself.

 

[Donamy]

working on the ELC for STS-129 payload.

 

[Kyle]

STS-129 Updates

SOURCE OF ARTICLE: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009...-129-processing-endeavour-ssme-contamination/

Following her Californian vacation, Atlantis has returned to the home comforts of the OPF in the early hours of Thursday, ahead of a flow that will reconfigure the orbiter for at least two more ISS missions prior to the retirement of the fleet – pending a final decision on shuttle extension, and her current assignment as the STS-135 LON (Launch On Need) support role of the final mission on the current manifest.


ET-133 arrived at Kennedy Space Center today. Pictures are from rollout from MAF July 29

---------- Post added at 09:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 PM ----------

One of STS-129's ELCs in processing flow.

 

[agentgonzo]

The two SRBs have been mated to ET-133 in the VAB (I can't find a higher res pic):

 

[DaveS]

The two SRBs have been mated to ET-133 in the VAB (I can't find a higher res pic):

HiRes photo here: http://shuttle.msfc.nasa.gov/photo/...&picture=121 ET SRB Mate 11.JPG&maxWidth=9999

That's a shot of the ET-119/SRB mating in HIgh Bay 3.

 

[Kyle]

ET-133 mated to SRB stack.

 

[agentgonzo]

ET-133 mated to SRB stack.

It's amazing how itty-bitty the ickle people look on the platforms next to this monster!

 

[Kyle]

Atlantis was rolled over to the VAB today, rollout scheduled for the 13th.

 

[Harmsway]

Here are a couple photos I took yesterday afternoon. Overnight the lift was completed.

 

[Kyle]

STS-129 has rolled out to LC-39A

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Here are a couple photos I took yesterday afternoon. Overnight the lift was completed.

Those are some great photos!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Kyle]

T-19 days and counting. Now that Ares I-X has completed its highly successful mission, the main focus will now shift to Atlantis's return to the space station after her highly successful Hubble Servicing mission in May, she's now go for STS-129. Lets hope for no more drama from weather.

 

[Star Voyager]

Or idiots stupid enough to enter hazard zones guarded by the CG.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

STS-129 press kit released! www.nasa.gov/pdf/397216main_sts129_presskit.pdf

 

[Zoe]

STS-129 briefing and events schedule (All times Eastern):

L-4 Days - Thursday, Nov. 12

Approximately 11 a.m. - STS-129 astronaut arrival

L-3 Days - Friday, Nov. 13

10 a.m. - Countdown Status Briefing
- Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA Test Director
- Scott Higginbotham, STS-129 Payload manager
- Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer

1 p.m. - Countdown starts (not on NASA TV)

L-2 Days - Saturday, Nov. 14

11 a.m. (no earlier than) - Prelaunch News Conference
- Mike Moses, chair, Mission Management Team
- Mike Leinbach, Shuttle launch director
- Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer

L-1 Day - Sunday, Nov. 15

10 a.m. - Countdown Status Briefing
- Steve Payne, NASA Test Director
- Scott Higginbotham, STS-129 Payload manager
- Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer

1 p.m. - International Space Station Science Briefing
- John Uri, payloads deputy manager, NASA ISS Program
- Naoki Nagai, deputy director, JAXA, Houston office
- Scott Budzien, RAIDS principal investigator, Naval Research Laboratory
- Mike Corson, HICO principal investigator, Naval Research Laboratory

5:30 p.m. - Rotating Service Structure moves away from Atlantis

Launch Day - Monday, Nov. 16

Crew Activities: (times may vary slightly)
4:30 a.m. -- Crew wakes up (not on NASA TV)
9:58 a.m. -- Weather briefing (commander, pilot and mission specialist 2) (not on NASA TV)
10:08 a.m. -- Astronauts don flight suits
10:38 a.m. -- Depart for launch pad
11:08 a.m. -- Arrive at White Room and begin ingress
12:13 p.m. -- Close crew hatch

5 a.m. - Fueling commentary coverage begins

Approx. 5:03 a.m. - Tanking begins

9:30 a.m. - Continuous launch commentary coverage begins

2:28 p.m. - Launch

Launch + 1 hour - Post-launch News Conference
- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations
- Mike Moses, chair, Mission Management Team
- Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director

 

[daniash]

[ ]

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Am I the only one to think that the STS-129 mission patch is exceedingly ugly?
Aesthetically, I mean. Those two shapes jammed together, the colours, the proportions, the excessive amount of things on it. It's the worst I've seen

I agree. I don't like it either. It looks too "garish"


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For Brits:

The STS-129 launch time in GMT is: 07:28:04pm Mon 16 Nov.

Atlantis + the jettisoned External Tank may be visible over the UK between ~7:35pm to ~7:45pm GMT. Look West and you should see it. You can't miss it - one white dot & one orange dot below it! :thumbup:
Below is a photo of Shuttle Discovery + the ET over the UK about ~20 mins after the STS-128 launch (I saw it, it was awesome ).
http://twitpic.com/fnziy/full

 

[daniash]

[ ]

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Hey Pete,

about seeing Atlantis + ET:
I observed Discovery on STS-128 from my garden too, and I was hoping to repeat the experience this time, however I don't think it will be possible. When the Shuttle will pass over the UK, over here it will have been dark for too long. I haven't verified this, but I'm pretty sure that the Orbiter will be in the Earth's shadow by the time it gets here
If the launch gets postponed by a day or two, and the launch time becomes earlier by about an hour for each day waited, then it might be possible to see it.

If I'm wrong please correct me!

However, how lucky that ISS inclination launches pass right over the UK on the first orbit though eh! Last time was amazing.

Hmm. I'll have to check on that. It should be daylight in Florida during launch, so the Sun should be behind Atlantis as it comes over the UK.

I need to test it in Orbiter! :lol: