Spaceflight Now





Astronauts to give Endeavour full post-launch inspection
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: February 8, 2010


Bookmark and Share

The Endeavour astronauts worked through a busy first day in space Monday evening after a pre-dawn climb into orbit, gearing up for a lengthy inspection of the shuttle's heat shield amid work to prepare for rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station overnight Tuesday.


Credit: NASA TV
 
Along with checking out out the rendezvous tools needed to carry out the final approach to the station, astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick planned to inspect their spacesuits and the equipment needed for three planned station assembly spacewalks.

As with all post-Columbia missions, an inspection of the shuttle's reinforced carbon carbon nose cap and wing leading edge panels was the highlight of the day. The nose cap and leading edge panels experience the most extreme heating during re-entry and the post-launch inspection is designed to look for any signs of damage from ascent debris impacts.

Using the shuttle's robot arm and a 50-foot-long extension equipped with a laser scanner and high-resolution camera, the astronauts planned to inspect the shuttle's right wing leading edge first, then the nose cap and finally the left wing.

"It's a busy day for us," commander George Zamka said in a NASA interview. "We start running right out of the gate and Kay (Hire) and Nick will take the shuttle's robotic arm and grapple to the orbiter boom sensing system which we keep on the starboard side of the orbiter. They'll pull that out and they'll begin to image several parts of the orbiter but the meat of the inspection is using the Laser Dynamic Range Imager, which paints a three-dimensional picture of the leading edges of the shuttle and the nose as well, and we transmit those images down to Houston.

"It takes a good part of the day for us to do that (and) we'll be swapping crews. Kay and Nick stop and then we'll be tag teaming as we go along through this inspection and when it's done, Kay gets back on and she and Terry will stow the boom back in its housing on the right side."

Later in the day, the crew will set up and check out the tools needed for the rendezvous with the International Space Station. Docking is targeted for 12:06 a.m. Wednesday.

"We use a handheld laser and we also have different systems on board configuring our computers to make sure that we're all set to go to monitor our rendezvous," Hire said. "We also monitor the actual location of the International Space Station and we start tracking that and start tracking how we're closing that distance between us. Then on flight day three, we will go ahead and rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station ... and start getting set up for the rest of the mission."

Here is an updated timeline of today's activity (in EST and mission elapsed time; includes revision C of the NASA television schedule):


EST............DD...HH...MM...EVENT

02/08
Mon 06:14 PM...00...14...00...Crew wakeup
Mon 07:44 PM...00...15...30...OMS rocket pod survey
Mon 08:39 PM...00...16...25...FRED setup
Mon 08:49 PM...00...16...35...Group B powerup
Mon 09:04 PM...00...16...50...Ergometer setup
Mon 09:14 PM...00...17...00...Laptop computer network setup (part 2)
Mon 09:33 PM...00...17...18...NC-2 rendezvous rocket firing
Mon 09:34 PM...00...17...20...Shuttle robot arm (SRMS) unberths OBSS
Mon 09:49 PM...00...17...35...Group B powerdown
Mon 11:04 PM...00...18...50...OBSS starboard wing survey
Mon 11:59 PM...00...19...45...Crew meals begin

02/09
Tue 01:09 AM...00...20...55...OBSS nose cap survey
Tue 01:59 AM...00...21...45...Spacesuit checkout preps
Tue 02:24 AM...00...22...10...OBSS port wing survey
Tue 02:29 AM...00...22...15...Spacesuit checkout
Tue 03:59 AM...00...23...45...Spacesuit prepped for transfer to station
Tue 04:00 AM...00...23...46...Mission status briefing on NTV
Tue 04:14 AM...01...00...00...SRMS berths OBSS
Tue 05:14 AM...01...01...00...FCMS ops
Tue 05:44 AM...01...01...30...Centerline camera setup
Tue 05:44 AM...01...01...30...Rendezvous tools checkout
Tue 06:04 AM...01...01...50...Orbiter docking system ring extension
Tue 06:42 AM...01...02...28...NC-3 rendezvous rocket firing
Tue 07:14 AM...01...03...00...Laser data downlink
Tue 09:14 AM...01...05...00...Crew sleep begins
Tue 10:00 AM...01...05...46...Daily highlights reel
Tue 12:00 PM...01...07...46...Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) webcast
Tue 01:00 PM...01...08...46...SDO pre-launch news conference on NTV
Tue 04:30 PM...01...12...16...Post-MMT briefing
Tue 05:14 PM...01...13...00...Crew wakeup

Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: THE FULL STS-130 LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR BLASTS OFF! PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: GO BEHIND THE SCENES IN MISSION CONTROL PLAY
VIDEO: JETTISONED EXTERNAL FUEL TANK TUMBLES AWAY PLAY

VIDEO: CREW FINISHES GETTING SUITED UP PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS LEAVE CREW QUARTERS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS BOARD THEIR SPACECRAFT PLAY

VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: VAB ROOF PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: BEACH TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD CAMERA 070 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD CAMERA 071 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PLAYALINDA BEACH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD FRONT CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: BANANA CREEK SITE PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF SHUTTLE'S PREPARATIONS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF PAYLOADS' PREPARATIONS PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: EXPLANATION OF WEATHER PROBLEMS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LOW CLOUDS SCRUB FIRST COUNTDOWN PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW GETS SUITED UP FOR LAUNCH ATTEMPT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PAD SERVICE GANTRY RETRACTED PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF MOBILE TOWER ROLLBACK PLAY

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH COMMANDER GEORGE ZAMKA PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH PILOT TERRY VIRTS PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MISSION SPECIALIST 1 KAY HIRE PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MISSION SPECIALIST 2 STEVE ROBINSON PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MISSION SPECIALIST 3 NICK PATRICK PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MISSION SPECIALIST 4 BOB BEHNKEN PLAY

VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY STATUS AND WEATHER UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO: COUNTDOWN PREVIEW BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: LAUNCH DATE SET AT FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW PLAY
VIDEO: PAYLOAD BAY DOORS CLOSED FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW SEES TRANQUILITY LOADED INTO SHUTTLE PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: SHUTTLE EVACUATION PRACTICE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS BOARD ENDEAVOUR PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: THE LAUNCH DAY SIMULATION BEGINS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PAD BUNKER TRAINING FOR THE CREW PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW BRIEFED ON EMERGENCY PROCEDURES PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TEST-DRIVING AN EMERGENCY ARMORED TANK PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: NIGHTTIME APPROACHES IN TRAINING AIRCRAFT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS CHAT WITH REPORTERS AT PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKER UPDATES COOLING HOSE FIX PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ROBINSON'S THOUGHTS ON SHUTTLE RETIREMENT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE FOR PRACTICE COUNTDOWN PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: TRANQUILITY DELIVERED TO PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PAYLOAD TRANSPORTER GOES UPRIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PACKING UP PAYLOAD FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR'S FRIGID ROLLOUT TO PAD PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR HOISTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO TANK PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CRANE ROTATES THE ORBITER VERTICALLY PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR MOVES TO ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE SHOWS ENDEAVOUR ASCENDING IN VAB PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE SHOWS THE MOVE TO ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY

VIDEO: ORBITER READY TO LEAVE HANGAR PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: EXTERNAL TANK ATTACHED TO BOOSTERS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR'S MAIN ENGINE INSTALLATION PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS VISIT THEIR SPACECRAFT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW INSPECTS MISSION PAYLOADS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FUEL TANK UNLOADED FROM THE BARGE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: EXTERNAL TANK ARRIVES AT SPACEPORT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FORWARD THRUSTER POD CHECKED OUT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR TOWED OFF RUNWAY FROM STS-127 PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: TRANQUILITY HATCH SEALED FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CUPOLA ATTACHED TO TRANQUILITY PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: THE SPACE STATION'S NEW CUPOLA PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TRANQUILITY UNPACKED IN FLORIDA PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: NEW MODULE ARRIVES FROM EUROPE PLAY | HI-DEF
SUBSCRIBE NOW



MISSION INDEX