|
|
|
|
|
Astronauts giving Endeavour full post-launch inspection BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: July 16, 2009 
The Endeavour astronauts, awakened just after 8 a.m. EDT, are working through a routine-but-busy day in orbit today, gearing up to inspect the shuttle's nose cap and wing leading edge panels to make sure no impact damage occurred during launch Wednesday. They also will check out the spacesuits needed for five space station assembly spacewalks and set up rendezvous tools for use during final approach to the lab complex Friday afternoon.
Using Endeavour's 50-foot-long robot arm, the astronauts will lock onto the shuttle's 50-foot orbiter boom sensor system, or OBSS, and work through a complex sequences of movements to inspect the right wing's leading edge panels, the nose cap and then the left wing's RCC panels using a laser scanner and camera system. The inspection is scheduled to begin around 12:40 p.m. The reinforced carbon carbon leading edge panels and nose cap experience the most extreme heating during re-entry and data collected today will help engineers assess the health of the critical systems. During launch Wednesday, multiple debris events were seen, including at least two external tank foam insulation impacts that appeared to damage several heat shield tiles. Before going to bed Wednesday night, the crew beamed down hand-held video of the external tank after separation from Endeavour, but it was not clear to the untrained eye where the insulation seen falling from the tank earlier might have originated. In any case, there were no clear indications of any debris hitting the critical wing leading edge panels. The tile damage seen during launch was on the belly of the shuttle and may not be seen during today's inspections. The belly tiles will be photographed by the station crew during final approach Friday. Here is an updated timeline of today's activity (in EDT and mission elapsed time; includes revision E of the NASA television schedule): EDT........DD...HH...MM...EVENT Thursday, July 16 08:03 AM...00...14...00...Crew wakeup 09:43 AM...00...15...40...OMS pod survey 10:54 AM...00...16...51...NC-2 rendezvous rocket firing 11:00 AM...00...16...57...News briefing on restored Apollo video 11:18 AM...00...17...15...Laptop computer setup (part 2) 11:23 AM...00...17...20...SRMS unberths OBSS 11:33 AM...00...17...30...Ergometer setup 12:18 PM...00...18...15...Spacesuit checkout preps 12:38 PM...00...18...35...OBSS starboard wing survey 12:58 PM...00...18...55...Spacesuit checkout 01:00 PM...00...18...57...Apollo 11 roundtable on NTV 02:33 PM...00...20...30...OBSS nose cap survey 02:48 PM...00...20...45...Spacesuit prepped for transfer to station 03:23 PM...00...21...20...Crew meals begin 04:23 PM...00...22...20...OBSS port wing survey 05:00 PM...00...22...57...Mission status/post-MMT briefing 06:23 PM...01...00...20...SRMS berths OBSS 07:23 PM...01...01...20...Centerline camera setup 07:23 PM...01...01...20...LDRI downlink 07:38 PM...01...01...35...Orbiter docking system ring extension 07:53 PM...01...01...50...Rendezvous tools checkout 08:31 PM...01...02...28...NC-3 rendezvous rocket firing 11:03 PM...01...05...00...Crew sleep begins 12:00 AM...01...05...57...Daily video highlights reel Friday, July 17 07:03 AM...01...13...00...Crew wakeup
|
|
|
|
STS-134 Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses!  The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store! U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREFinal Shuttle Mission Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses!  The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STORE Apollo Collage  This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.U.S. STORESTS-133 Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses!  The final planned flight of space shuttle Discovery is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-133. Available in our store!U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREAnniversary Shuttle Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses!  This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREMercury anniversary Free shipping to U.S. addresses!  Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch. U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREFallen Heroes Patch Collection  The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STORE |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE ADVERTISE © 2012 Spaceflight Now Inc. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VIDEO:
SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR BLASTS OFF! 