Updates STS-135 Updates

[Orbinaut Pete]

I think this topic warrants its own thread now.

Per this article, Senator and former Shuttle astronaut Bill Nelson has included funds for an additional Shuttle flight in NASA’s reauthorization bill for Fiscal Year 2011!!!!! :speakcool: :woohoo:

So, it looks as though Atlantis may fly again after all, on the STS-135 mission sometime in mid-2011!!! :thumbup:

I have no idea about crews at the moment, but I assume it would be a crew that has been recently flown. There would only be 4 crewmembers. The payload would be the Raffaello MPLM filled with ISS resupply items. I don’t know whether any EVAs would be included in the flight. There would be no LON Shuttle for the flight - if the heat shield was damaged, the crew would return via two Soyuz’s - 2 Shuttle crewmembers and 1 Russian commander in each.

The deadline for a definitive FLY/NO-FLY decision is the end of June.

It looks like all those years of flying politicians on the Shuttle is finally paying off!

 

[Xyon]

The money may be there for the flight itself, but does that money include covering NASA from December to June 2011? I read the article and wasn't sure on that point, the last paragraph has a less encouraging tone and it's difficult to work out which information is newer.

 

[Zachstar]

You cant just throw in an extra flight. Most of the shuttle workforce likely have other jobs lined up by now and it would be extremely difficult to make this happen with a vastly reduced workforce. To the point where safety may even have to be partially compromised.

My bets are on NO unless they get extra money from congress.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA Watch: "Nelson Begins Formal Push For Extra Shuttle Flight".

 

[tblaxland]

Per this article, Senator and former Shuttle astronaut Bill Nelson has included funds for an additional Shuttle flight in NASA’s reauthorization bill for Fiscal Year 2011!!!!! :speakcool: :woohoo:

This is nothing more than Bill Nelson putting in writing what he has been saying for a long time now. I don't claim to understand how the US law making system works but I would think such things would easily be removed from the reauthorisation bill before its passing by the senate.

 

[IronRain]

I think NASA is a bit afraid to give the space station out of hands.... In an interview that I've seen, they said that STS-135 would exist of 4 astronauts (all on the flight-deck) and the mid-deck full of cargo. Some officials are saying that they have some experiments that they want to return...

My personal opinion is: Don't fly that STS-135. The shuttles already have flown more than 30 years... let them rest after STS-134, they deserve it!

 

[Mojave]

Amen!! IronRain.

 

[Kyle]

Well after STS-134, there's going to be an entire stack for LON-335. If you got an entire stack why not use it and have a crew small enough to fit on a Soyuz? Its pretty probable that there might be an STS-135.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

I wrote Obama today to say I’m sure Congress will fund an extra space shuttle flight.
http://billnelson.senate.gov/news/NASA526.pdf

http://twitter.com/SenBillNelson/status/14789436931

---------- Post added at 10:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 PM ----------

Spaceflight Now: "Congress, White House mull extra space shuttle flight".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Re-named thread so that it can be used for updates on the processing of STS-335 as well as the possible addition of STS-135.

NASASpaceFlight: "Atlantis ready for STS-335 flow following impressive mission performance".

---------- Post added at 12:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 PM ----------

(Moved here from STS-134 thread.)

STS-335's SRB segments are in the process of being delivered from the ATK SRB plant in Utah to KSC via six Florida East Coast Railway cars.
These will be the last ever SRB segments to be delivered to KSC.
Astronaut Mike Massimino is riding along on the train.

Hi-res version.

Hi-res version.

---------- Post added 28th May 2010 at 10:56 PM ---------- Previous post was 27th May 2010 at 11:01 PM ----------

More photos of the last ever SRB delivery to KSC:

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[Orbinaut Pete]

NASASpaceFlight: "STS-335: NASA continues planning for contingency Launch On Need mission".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Video (sorry, not available on YouTube): Final set of SRBs arrive at KSC.

---------- Post added 3rd Jun 2010 at 06:21 PM ---------- Previous post was 2nd Jun 2010 at 10:03 PM ----------

Photos of the final set of Shuttle SRBs arriving at the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at KSC.

Hi-res version.

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[Orbinaut Pete]

It's getting closer! :woohoo:

NASASpaceFlight: "STS-135: June 24, 2011 under evaluation for extra shuttle mission".

---------- Post added 9th Jun 2010 at 06:10 PM ---------- Previous post was 8th Jun 2010 at 10:22 PM ----------

Florida Today: "NASA: Final space shuttle launch may move to 2011".

 

[IronRain]

lol, everybody was sad because STS-132 was to be the final mission of Atlantis, and she maybe will fly one more mission XD

 

[Xyon]

It's not certain that it would be Atlantis - they have been actively looking at Discovery's fitness for the mission as well, since by then Atlantis will be quite a way past her ODMP.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

It's not certain that it would be Atlantis - they have been actively looking at Discovery's fitness for the mission as well, since by then Atlantis will be quite a way past her ODMP.

Just a nitpick: It's OMPD (Orbiter Maintenance Down Period).

---------- Post added at 08:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:02 PM ----------

collectSPACE: "The last ET (ET-122) to leave the MAF this fall will have a special insignia added to its access door in recognition of its unique history".

 

[Xyon]

Just a nitpick: It's OMPD (Orbiter Maintenance Down Period).

>.< So it is. I can't manage my acronyms today.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Some pretty unique photos of the final set of SRBs being removed from their rail carriages in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at KSC.

Hi-res version.

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[Orbinaut Pete]

The notional STS-135 has been placed on a provisional June 24 launch date – although manifest evaluations are taking place, both at a program and political level, with the latter considering a position of negotiating STS-135 to launch "up to the end" of FY2011, whilst evaluating the costs of adding STS-136 in 2012.

Yeahh, Go STS-136!!! :speakcool: :woohoo:

 

[clickypens]

The shuttle extension just might go through anyway