=================================
CBS NEWS STS-126 STATUS REPORT: 85
Posted: 9:25 AM, 11/30/08
By William Harwood
CBS News Space Analyst
Changes and additions:
SR-83 (11/30/08): Progress supply ship docks at space station after Lonchakov takes over manual control
SR-84 (11/30/08): Endeavour astronauts gear up for landing; Florida weather forecast worsens
SR-85 (11/30/08): Shuttle crew passes up first landing opportunity
=================================
9:25 AM, 11/30/08, Update: Shuttle crew passes up first landing opportunity
Entry Flight Director Bryan Lunney ordered the Endeavour astronauts to delay closing the shuttle's cargo bay doors and to pass up their first Florida landing opportunity today because of high crosswinds and a dismal forecast.
"Fergie, the weather observation and the forecast at KSC (Kennedy Space Center) is no-go for crosswinds," astronaut Alan Poindexter radioed from mission control. "Right now, we're getting crosswinds up to 19 knots. So we're going to wave off this opportunity."
"Hey, Houston, thanks for the early call," shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson replied.
The Spaceflight Meteorology Group at the Johnson Space Center in Houston is predicting winds out of 200 degrees with gusts up to 28 knots, a possible low ceiling, moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet and a chance of thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles of the runway.
Forecasters are not optimistic the weather will improve enough to permit the crew to land in Florida one orbit later, at 2:54 p.m. If not, and if the forecast for Monday does not improve, Lunney likely will order a second one-orbit wave off and tell the crew to head for Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert.
By delaying the closing of the shuttle's cargo bay doors, the crew can continue using radiators to dissipate heat and conserve the water that must be used for cooling after the doors are closed. That means both California landing opportunities should be available, the first at 4:25 p.m. EST and the second at 6 p.m.
A deorbit rocket firing to make the second Florida landing opportunity would take place at 1:49 p.m. A decision to either head for Florida or California is expected by around 1:45 at the latest but it could come earlier if the weather remains no-go.
=================================
Quick-Launch Web Links:
CBS News STS-126 Status Reports:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/current.html
CBS News STS-126 Quick-Look Page:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/currentglance.html
NASA ISS Expeditions Page:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/index.html
NASA Shuttle Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/index.html
NASA Station Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/index.html
Spaceflight Now: http://spaceflightnow.com/index.html
GoogleSatTrack: http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/
=================================
Sunday, November 30, 2008
930a 11/30 Update: Entry delayed one orbit by Florida weather
750a 11/30 Update: Endeavour crew gears up for landing; Florida weather worsens
=================================
CBS NEWS STS-126 STATUS REPORT: 84
Posted: 7:55 AM, 11/30/08
By William Harwood
CBS News Space Analyst
Changes and additions:
SR-81 (11/29/08): Shuttle heat shield cleared for entry
SR-82 (11/29/08): Lunney outlines landing strategy
SR-83 (11/30/08): Progress supply ship docks at space station after Lonchakov takes over manual control
SR-84 (11/30/08): Endeavour astronauts gear up for landing; Florida weather forecast worsens
=================================
7:55 AM, 11/30/08, Update: Endeavour astronauts gear up for landing; Florida weather forecast worsens
The Endeavour astronauts are making final preparations for re-entry and landing today to close out a successful space station assembly mission. The forecast for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has worsened, however, raising the prospect of a possible diversion to Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Forecasters are now calling for a chance of thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles of the Florida runway, turbulence below 10,000 feet and winds gusting to 28 knots, producing crosswinds well above NASA's 15-knot safety limit. The outlook for Monday calls for a possible broken deck of clouds at 5,000 feet or lower and out-of-limits crosswinds.
The astronauts have two opportunities to land today in Florida, the first at 1:19 p.m. and the second one orbit later at 2:54 p.m. If the weather doesn't cooperate - and if the forecast for Monday does not improve - entry Flight Director Bryan Lunney likely will divert the astronauts to a landing at Edwards, where forecasters expect ideal conditions today and Monday.
The first California landing opportunity comes at 4:25 p.m. EST. A second opportunity is available at 6 p.m. Lunney said Saturday he did not plan to take advantage of that final opportunity, but if he passes up the first shot at Florida, that last option would become available if needed.
There are no technical problems of any significance aboard Endeavour and the weather is the only real concern. Here is a timeline for today's re-entry activity covering all four possible landing opportunities (in EST; statute miles throughout; best viewed with fixed-width font):
EST...........EVENT
1. Rev. 248 Deorbit to Kennedy Space Center
08:14 AM......Begin deorbit timeline
08:29 AM......Radiator stow
08:39 AM......Mission specialists seat installation
08:45 AM......Computers set for deorbit prep
08:49 AM......Hydraulic system configuration
09:14 AM......Flash evaporator cooling system checkout
09:20 AM......Final payload deactivation
09:34 AM......Payload bay doors closed
09:44 AM......Mission control 'go' for OPS-3 software load
09:54 AM......OPS-3 entry software loaded
10:19 AM......Entry switchlist verification
10:29 AM......Deorbit maneuver update
10:34 AM......Crew entry review
10:49 AM......Commander/pilot don entry suits
11:06 AM......Inertial measurement unit alignment
11:14 AM......Commander/pilot strap in; others don suits
11:31 AM......Shuttle steering check
11:34 AM......Hydraulic system prestart
11:41 AM......Toilet deactivation
11:49 AM......Vent doors closed for entry
11:54 AM......MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
12:00 PM......Mission specialists seat ingress
12:09 PM......Single hydraulic power unit start
12:14:27 PM...Deorbit ignition (dT: 2:54; dV: 293 fps; alt 219.7 miles)
12:17:11 PM...Deorbit burn complete
12:47:49 PM...Entry interface (alt 75.6 miles)
12:52:45 PM...1st roll command to left
01:02:58 PM...1st left to right roll reversal
01:05:00 PM...C-band radar acquisition
01:13:06 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (alt 82,000 feet)
01:15:14 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (alt 47,400 feet)
01:16:02 PM...Shuttle on the HAC (alt 35,900 feet)
01:19:28 PM...Landing on runway 15
2. Rev. 249 Deorbit to Kennedy Space Center
01:30 PM......MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
01:36 PM......Mission specialists seat ingress
01:45 PM......Single hydraulic power unit start
01:50:32 PM...Deorbit ignition (dT: 2:54; dV: 294 fps; alt 222 miles)
01:53:26 PM...Deorbit burn complete
02:23:20 PM...Entry interface (alt 75.6 miles)
02:28:13 PM...1st roll command to right
02:41:20 PM...1st right-to-left roll reversal
02:48:36 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (alt 83,000 feet)
02:50:43 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (alt 47,500 feet)
02:51:12 PM...Shuttle on the HAC (alt 40,200 feet)
02:54:58 PM...Landing on runway 15
3. Rev. 250 Deorbit to Edwards Air Force Bace
03:00:41 PM...MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
03:06:41 PM...Mission specialists seat ingress
03:15:41 PM...Single hydraulic power unit start
03:20:41 PM...Deorbit ignition (dT: 2:53; dV: 293 fps; alt 221 miles)
03:23:34 PM...Deorbit burn complete
03:53:32 PM...Entry interface (alt 75.6 miles)
03:58:27 PM...1st roll command to left
04:07:17 PM...1st left-to-right roll reversal
04:18:47 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (alt 80,100 feet)
04:20:49 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (alt 50,700 feet)
04:20:50 PM...Shuttle on the HAC (alt 50,500 feet)
04:25:12 PM...Landing on runway 04L
4. Rev. 251 Deorbit to Edwards Air Force Bace
04:37:13 PM...MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
04:43:13 PM...Mission specialists seat ingress
04:52:13 PM...Single hydraulic power unit start
04:57:13 PM...Deorbit ignition (dT: 2:55; dV: 296 fps; alt 224 miles)
05:00:08 PM...Deorbit burn complete
05:29:10 PM...Entry interface (alt 75.5 miles)
05:34:08 PM...1st roll command to right
05:46:43 PM...1st right-to-left roll reversal
05:54:22 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (alt 81,700 feet)
05:56:35 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (alt 45,100 feet)
05:57:34 PM...Shuttle on the HAC (alt 31,200 feet)
06:00:37 PM...Landing on runway 22R
=================================
Quick-Launch Web Links:
CBS News STS-126 Status Reports:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/current.html
CBS News STS-126 Quick-Look Page:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/currentglance.html
NASA ISS Expeditions Page:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/index.html
NASA Shuttle Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/index.html
NASA Station Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/index.html
Spaceflight Now: http://spaceflightnow.com/index.html
GoogleSatTrack: http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/
=================================
745a 11/30 Update: Lonchakov manually guides Progress supply ship to station docking
=================================
CBS NEWS STS-126 STATUS REPORT: 83
Posted: 7:45 AM, 11/30/08
By William Harwood
CBS News Space Analyst
=================================
Changes and additions:
SR-81 (11/29/08): Shuttle heat shield cleared for entry
SR-82 (11/29/08): Lunney outlines landing strategy
SR-83 (11/30/08): Progress supply ship docks at space station after Lonchakov takes over manual control
=================================
7:45 AM, 11/30/08, Update: Progress supply ship docks at space station after Lonchakov takes over manual control
Space station flight engineer Yury Lonchakov took over manual control of an approaching Progress supply ship today when its automated docking system apparently malfunctioned at a distance of about 65 feet from the lab complex. Operating by remote control in the Zvezda command module, Lonchakov deftly guided the cargo ship to a smooth linkup with the Pirs module at 7:28 a.m.
"Capture confirmed," Lonchakov radioed as the docking systems engaged.
"Yury, excellent work!" a Russian flight controller called. "Good job. Congtratulations."
The Progress, loaded with 5,342 pounds of propellant, oxygen, water and dry cargo, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome last Wednesday. Shortly after reaching orbit, one of its navigation system antennas failed to deploy properly. It later extended, presumably because it was jarred free as the craft maneuvered.
But flight controllers told Lonchakov to be prepared to take over using the backup system if problems developed in the final phases of the rendezvous. He did, and the backup system worked normally.
=================================
Quick-Launch Web Links:
CBS News STS-126 Status Reports:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/current.html
CBS News STS-126 Quick-Look Page:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/currentglance.html
NASA ISS Expeditions Page:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/index.html
NASA Shuttle Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/index.html
NASA Station Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/index.html
Spaceflight Now: http://spaceflightnow.com/index.html
GoogleSatTrack: http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/
=================================
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