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STS-124 day 1 highlights

The highlights from shuttle Discovery's launch day are packaged into this movie.

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Discovery rolls out

Discovery travels from the Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39A in preparation for the STS-124 mission.

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STS-124: The programs

In advance of shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission to the station, managers from both programs discuss the flight.

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STS-124: The mission

A detailed preview of Discovery's mission to deliver Japan's science laboratory Kibo to the station is provided in this briefing.

 Part 1 | Part 2

STS-124: Spacewalks

Three spacewalks are planned during Discovery's STS-124 assembly mission to the station.

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STS-124: The Crew

The Discovery astronauts, led by commander Mark Kelly, meet the press in the traditional pre-flight news conference.

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Initial tank pictures show no major foam loss
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: June 1, 2008

Close-up photos of the shuttle Discovery's external tank, shot as it drifted away from the orbiter Saturday, show a few relatively minor areas of foam loss but no major damage, NASA officials said today. Redesigned oxygen feedline brackets and new ice-frost ramps used to connect pressurization lines and a cable tray to the tank's skin - both recent post-Columbia safety upgrades - appeared to perform well. About five pieces of debris were seen falling away during launch from a camera mounted on the tank, but Mission Management Team Chairman LeRoy Cain said today it's not clear where the presumed foam might have originated.


A camera embedded in the umbilical well of the shuttle took this image of the tank after separation. Credit: NASA
 
"As you look at those pictures, I think some of us kind of expected to see some areas along the feedline, in the acreage maybe along the feedline, in the areas between the feedline itself and the ice-frost ramps, where we may have expected to see some foam loss there based on what we saw during ascent from the feedline camera," Cain said. "But in fact, as you can see in the picture I showed you, you don't see that.

"So those areas of foam that we saw coming off, those five or so pieces, at least some of them are coming from an area that we can't see yet or are not evidenced in the handheld or the umbilical well imagery that we've seen. So possibly from areas maybe underneath the feedline or areas that we're just not able to see because of the rotation of the tank and the lighting."

External tank No. 128 was the first built from the ground up with post-Columbia upgrades, including the new feedline brackets and ice-frost ramps, redesigns intended to further minimize foam shedding. Based on video and still images shot by the astronauts, Cain said all of the feedline brackets were still in place as were the new ice-frost ramps.

"We do have a couple of areas where we lost some foam ... but in a general sense, in a broader sense, the tank really performed in an absolutely magnificent fashion," he said.

The photographs show a relatively small divot in the foam insulation just below the left bipod strut that helped hold the nose of the shuttle to the tank. A few other areas of foam loss also were noted, but Cain said engineers had not yet tried to synch up the damage sites visible in the still photos with the foam shedding incidents visible in the ascent video from the ET camera.


A piece of debris is seen coming off the tank during launch. Credit: NASA TV
 
All five of the events seen during ascent happened after the shuttle was out of the dense lower atmosphere, which can quickly decelerate lightweight foam and cause impact damage if the accelerating space shuttle runs into the debris. At least one piece of presumed foam struck the orbiter's heat shield, but engineers do not believe it could have caused any damage.

Along with downlinking post-separation video and still images today, shuttle pilot Kenneth Ham and Karen Nyberg used Discovery's robot arm to carry out a cursory inspection of the shuttle's upper wing leading edge panels and no obvious damage sites could be seen. A small corner of an insulation blanket on an aft rocket pod appeared to have pulled up slightly, but it did not seem significant.

The astronauts were unable to carry out the usual flight day two inspection of the shuttle's nose cap and wing leading edge panels using a 50-foot-long boom equipped with laser scanners and high-resolution cameras. The shuttle's payload - the Japanese Kibo laboratory module - is so large the boom could not be mounted in the ship's cargo bay. The crew of the last station assembly crew left their boom on the station and Discovery's crew will retrieve it during a spacewalk Tuesday. The boom will be used later in the mission as usual.

In the meantime, Cain said ascent video, sensor data, ET separation pictures, video from cameras mounted in the shuttle's solid-fuel boosters and photographs shot by the station crew during Discovery's approach Monday will give engineers the data they need to assess the health of the orbiter's heat shield.

So far, despite the foam seen falling away during launch in the ET camera, NASA managers are pleased with the performance of the tank.


A camera embedded in the umbilical well of the shuttle took this image of the tank after separation. Credit: NASA
 
"The feedline camera's great because it gives us kind of an early indication of things," Cain said. "But we also temper it with the fact that you get that kind of fish-eye lens effect, things look dimensionally different than what they probably are in reality, size different as well. So it tends to give us a distorted view, albeit an important early indication maybe of places for us to look at.

"So I think in short, we have to be very careful in trying to determine too much from that. And that's why you see us being kind of careful in our initial briefings. It is some indicator that we have some foam loss, and that's about it. We kind of rely on the other imagery data we have. In short, we have to be careful with that feedline camera and be very mature about how we handle what we see going up hill from that camera lens."

Lead Flight Director Matt Abbott said Discovery is in good shape and ready for docking with the international space station on Monday. Because of an electrical problem with a backup steering system used by the left-side orbital maneuvering system rocket, the rendezvous will be completed using the right OMS engine and smaller maneuvering jets. The left-side engine is parked, but it will be used for re-entry at the end of the mission.

For readers interested in a look ahead, here is the rendezvous timeline for Discovery's docking with the space station Monday (in EDT and mission elapsed time):


DATE/EDT...DD...HH...MM...EVENT

06/02/08
10:34 AM...01...17...32...ISS in docking orientation
10:34 AM...01...17...32...Automated transfer vehicle solar arrays feathered
11:16 AM...01...18...14...Terminal initiation rocket firing
11:40 AM...01...18...38...U.S. solar arrays feathered
11:41 AM...01...18...39...Station in proximity operations mode
11:52 AM...01...18...50...Sunset
12:14 PM...01...19...12...Range: 10,000 feet
12:23 PM...01...19...21...Range: 5,000 feet
12:27 PM...01...19...25...Sunrise
12:29 PM...01...19...27...Range: 3,000 feet
12:33 PM...01...19...31...MC-4 rendezvous rocket firing
12:37 PM...01...19...35...Range: 1,500 feet
12:39 PM...01...19...37...Rotational pitch maneuver start window open
12:42 PM...01...19...40...Range: 1,000 feet
12:45 PM...01...19...43...KU antenna to low power
12:46 PM...01...19...44...+R bar arrival directly below ISS
12:51 PM...01...19...49...Range: 600 feet
12:53 PM...01...19...51...Start pitch maneuver
12:55 PM...01...19...53...Noon
01:01 PM...01...19...59...End pitch maneuver
01:03 PM...01...20...01...RPM full photo window close
01:04 PM...01...20...02...Begin move from below to in front of station (575 ft)
01:11 PM...01...20...09...RPM start window close
01:15 PM...01...20...13...+V bar arrival; 310 feet directly ahead of station
01:16 PM...01...20...14...Range: 300 feet
01:20 PM...01...20...18...Range: 250 feet
01:23 PM...01...20...21...Sunset
01:24 PM...01...20...22...Range: 200 feet
01:27 PM...01...20...25...Range: 170 feet
01:28 PM...01...20...26...Range: 150 feet
01:33 PM...01...20...31...Range: 100 feet
01:36 PM...01...20...34...Range: 75 feet
01:40 PM...01...20...38...Range: 50 feet
01:43 PM...01...20...41...Range: 30 feet; start stationkeeping
01:48 PM...01...20...46...End stationkeeping; push to dock
01:52 PM...01...20...50...Range: 10 feet

01:54 PM...01...20...52...DOCKING

01:58 PM...01...20...56...Sunrise

Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: EXTERNAL TANK SEEN AFTER SEPARATION PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: VAB ROOF PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-1 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-2 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-6 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: FRONT CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: BEACH TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-12 TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PLAYALINDA BEACH PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: WEST TOWER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 009 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 041 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 049 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 050 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 051 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 054 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 060 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 061 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 063 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 070 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 071 PLAY

VIDEO: LIFTOFF OF DISCOVERY WITH KIBO LAB! PLAY
VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA FOOTAGE OF TANK FOAM FALLING PLAY
VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY

VIDEO: FINAL PRE-LAUNCH POLLS GIVE "GO" FOR LIFTOFF PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: CREW DEPARTS QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DON SPACESUITS FOR LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED RECAP OF KIBO LAB'S PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED RECAP OF DISCOVERY'S PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD GANTRY RETRACTED FRIDAY NIGHT PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF GANTRY ROLLBACK PLAY
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: BRIEFING ON KIBO LABORATORY FACILITY PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT THE CAPE FOR LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S COUNTDOWN AND WEATHER BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED MISSION PREVIEW MOVIE PLAY

VIDEO: NEWS BRIEFING FOLLOWING FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW PLAY

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH COMMANDER MARK KELLY PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH PILOT KEN HAM PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS1 KAREN NYBERG PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS2 RON GARAN PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS3 MIKE FOSSUM PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS4 AKIHIKO HOSHIDE PLAY

VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS PRACTICE EVACUATION OF SHUTTLE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW BOARDS DISCOVERY FOR PRACTICE COUNTDOWN PLAY
VIDEO: TRAINING SESSIONS AT LAUNCH PAD AND BUNKER PLAY
VIDEO: CREW NEWS CONFERENCE AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE FOR PRACTICE COUNTDOWN PLAY

VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF GANTRY ENCLOSING DISCOVERY PLAY
VIDEO: PAD'S ORBITER ACCESS ARM SWUNG INTO POSITION PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF CRAWLER RETREATING AFTER ROLLOUT PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ROLLED TO PAD 39A PLAY

VIDEO: SHUTTLE AND STATION PROGRAM BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: STS-124 MISSION OVERVIEW PART 1 | PART 2
VIDEO: PREVIEW BRIEFING ON MISSION'S SPACEWALKS PLAY
VIDEO: THE ASTRONAUTS' PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING PLAY

VIDEO: KIBO LABORATORY TRAVELS TO THE LAUNCH PAD PLAY
VIDEO: TRANSPORT CANISTER WITH KIBO ROTATED UPRIGHT PLAY
VIDEO: CRANE PLACES KIBO MODULE INTO TRANSPORT CANISTER PLAY

VIDEO: DISCOVERY HOISTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO FUEL TANK PLAY
VIDEO: THE SHUTTLE MOVES TO THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY
MORE: STS-124 VIDEO COVERAGE
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