STS-114 with Atlantis a Practice Mission, poss. 7/2004

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ElleninLosAngeles - 23 Sep 2003 18:08 GMT

"NEW APPROACH"

"The next mission [STS-114], featuring astronaut Eileen Collins
commanding the Atlantis, will fly to the International Space Station,
where spacewalking astronauts can practice repairing damage, and the
space station crew can make even more photographic observations."

"Parsons said the Atlantis flight, which originally was supposed to
deliver a new crew and supplies to the space station, would be
dedicated entirely to testing the new safety measures, and at least
one additional flight would be added to refine those measures."

"That creates a somewhat uncertain future for the space station
itself, a $95 billion project involving 17 nations."

Excerpt from Sept. 16, 2003 article
"Forget shuttle launch in March: Midsummer just a maybe" by Reuters
News Service

A Practice Mission??? How do you feel about that? I think it would be
better if they sounded more confident in their ability to figure out
their gameplan on the ground and go forward. The press coverage is
going to be: "Here are the astronauts practicing repairing holes and
why couldn't they do this for Columbia?", whereas it could be: "Here
is NASA back in business, resupplying the space station."
Ellen

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stmx3 - 23 Sep 2003 20:08 GMT

> "NEW APPROACH"
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> is NASA back in business, resupplying the space station."
> Ellen

Sounds like they're demonstrating that the shuttle is, in fact, *not* an
operational vehicle. Rather, it's in the testing phase, like the very
first launches of the shuttle. And if that's true, how many crew
members should there be? Only 4 (Commander, Pilot and 2 EVA crew)?

Seems like there would be a little more to it...transfer of supplies, etc.

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Kent Betts - 24 Sep 2003 01:10 GMT

> > A Practice Mission??? How do you feel about that

It is a regular mission. The label is attached to accomodate the
bladder-control challenged.

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Brian Thorn - 23 Sep 2003 23:01 GMT

>A Practice Mission??? How do you feel about that? I think it would be
>better if they sounded more confident in their ability to figure out
>their gameplan on the ground and go forward. The press coverage is
>going to be: "Here are the astronauts practicing repairing holes and
>why couldn't they do this for Columbia?", whereas it could be: "Here
>is NASA back in business, resupplying the space station."

STS-114 (ULF-1) will still go to the Space Station and will still
delivery critical cargo... the replacement CMG, at least. I expect it
will still carry the MPLM (albeit with a lightened load).

Here's James Oberg's story...
http://www.msnbc.com/news/970180.asp?0cb=-21a134055

"Some of the new astronauts who will join them will assist during
spacewalk tests of tile inspection and repair techniques, with the
replacement of a critical stabilization device, and with the urgent
restocking of the International Space Station."

Note, a new mission (STS-121) will now be flown between STS-114 and
STS-115 to get ISS back to full supply levels.

Brian

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ElleninLosAngeles - 24 Sep 2003 17:20 GMT

Brian Thorn

> STS-114 (ULF-1) will still go to the Space Station and will still
> delivery critical cargo... the replacement CMG, at least. I expect it
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Brian

According to Jim O's story:
"STS-121 will carry an Italian-built logistics module loaded with
supplies and equipment. It will also carry a three-person space
station crew to relieve the team aboard the International Space
Station."

According to ABCNews.com:
"On day two of the mission, astronauts on the Atlantis will deploy a
boom outfitted with a laser and attached to the shuttle's remote
manipulator arm. This boom will stretch out, over and under the
shuttle examining every square inch of the shuttle's thermal
protection system.

On the third day, before the Atlantis docks with the space station, it
will perform a delicate maneuver pirouetting around the space
station to give the astronauts on board the station the ability to
photograph the shuttle, once more, looking for any damage.

The mission will last at least 12 days and will include three space
walks. One space walk is dedicated to repairing the thermal protection
system. Another will allow astronauts to install a new gyro on the
space station, replacing the gyro that failed last year. On the third
space walk astronauts will install an external storage platform on the
space station. "

From Reuters:
"Parsons said the Atlantis flight, which originally was supposed to
deliver a new crew and supplies to the space station, would be
dedicated entirely to testing the new safety measures, and at least
one additional flight would be added to refine those measures."

I realize Jim O. also writes that "Some of the new astronauts
[assigned to STS-114] who will join them will assist ... with the
urgent restocking of the International Space Station" but I don't know
where he is getting this from or what "some astronauts assisting with
restocking" entails. Parsons is the new Shuttle Program Manager and he
said the STS-114 is dedicated entirely to testing new safety measures.
Maybe they will bring up a few extra PowerBars but it doesn't sound
like restocking is taking place until STS-121.

BTW, I don't know what CMG or MPLM is. They are what?

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jeff findley - 24 Sep 2003 18:26 GMT

> BTW, I don't know what CMG or MPLM is. They are what?

Control moment gyro. They are on the US side and control the attitude
of ISS (the direction it points). This article talks a bit about
them:

http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/STS-92/payload76.htm

Multi-purpose logistics module. Other articles:

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/issmplm.htm
http://www.alespazio.it/program/infr/iss/mplm/mplm.htm

Jeff

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Herb Schaltegger - 24 Sep 2003 18:38 GMT

> BTW, I don't know what CMG or MPLM is. They are what?

"CMG" is Control Moment Gyro - used for attitude control of the station.

MPLM is (currently) Multipurpose Pressurized Logistics Module; back when
it was first conceived, the acronym stood for Mini-Pressurized Logisics
Module, because it was a shortened version of the full-sized PLM. When
it became clear that Shuttle upmass and CG limits would be exceeded with
the launch of a fully-stocked PLM (right after the full-sized, 40-rack
Lab and Hab modules went away for the same reasons circa 1990), the PLM
was shortened and became the MPLM. Since "Mini" isn't a
politically-palatable term in manned spaceflight, "Mini" turned into
"Multipurpose".

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Brian Thorn - 24 Sep 2003 23:28 GMT

>> STS-114 (ULF-1) will still go to the Space Station and will still
>> delivery critical cargo... the replacement CMG, at least. I expect it
>> will still carry the MPLM (albeit with a lightened load).

>> http://www.msnbc.com/news/970180.asp?0cb=-21a134055

>"STS-121 will carry an Italian-built logistics module loaded with
>supplies and equipment. It will also carry a three-person space
>station crew to relieve the team aboard the International Space
>Station."

STS-121 is the second flight, not the return-to-flight (STS-114).
STS-114 (ULF-1) will fly Atlantis, STS-121 (ULF-1.1) will fly
Discovery two months later.

There are two Italian-built logistics modules (MPLM, or Multi-Purpose
Logistics Module) available, Leonardo and Rafaello. A third, Donatello
is in the works. It might also be flight-ready by the time of
return-to-flight, I don't know. So the presense of the MPLM on STS-121
does not rule out one's use on STS-114. Another option is the Spacehab
module (there are still one or two left after the Columbia accident)
which can be used for light cargo to ISS and still leave room in the
payload bay for the CMG and the tile/RCC repair test hardware.

>I realize Jim O. also writes that "Some of the new astronauts
>[assigned to STS-114] who will join them will assist ... with the
>urgent restocking of the International Space Station" but I don't know
>where he is getting this from or what "some astronauts assisting with
>restocking" entails.

Even with the new Tile/RCC test hardware, there should be ample room
and performance on STS-114 for at least *some* Space Station resupply
cargo. And since STS-114 is going to the Station anyway, NASA would be
foolish not to take advantage of the spare capacity. This is
especially true now that the crew-exchange part of the mission has
been deferred to STS-121 (NASA can fly 5 or 6 astronauts instead of
the original 7 on STS-114, and trade the deferred crew member(s) for
more cargo.) The new crew member(s) will perform the tile/RCC repair
tests, help unload cargo from the MPLM or Spacehab, install the new
CMG (Control Moment Gyro, an attitude control / stabilization device
for the Space Station to replace one that failed last year... probably
the highest priority for STS-114 after the Tile/RCC tests), etc. One
of the new astronauts may be a Space Station veteran who will stay
behind on ISS, bringing the ISS crew back to three astronauts until
STS-121 arrives with the all-new Station crew.

>Parsons is the new Shuttle Program Manager and he
>said the STS-114 is dedicated entirely to testing new safety measures.
>Maybe they will bring up a few extra PowerBars but it doesn't sound
>like restocking is taking place until STS-121.
>
>BTW, I don't know what CMG or MPLM is. They are what?

See above.

Brian

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Derek Lyons - 26 Sep 2003 08:50 GMT

>Another option is the Spacehab
>module (there are still one or two left after the Columbia accident)
>which can be used for light cargo to ISS and still leave room in the
>payload bay for the CMG and the tile/RCC repair test hardware.

IIRC all that's left are single modules, the only double module was
lost onboard Columbia, along with the only EDO pallet.

D.

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Brian Thorn - 26 Sep 2003 23:07 GMT

>>Another option is the Spacehab
>>module (there are still one or two left after the Columbia accident)
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>IIRC all that's left are single modules, the only double module was
>lost onboard Columbia, along with the only EDO pallet.

No, I think 107's "Research Double Module" was flying for the first
time. That means there is still a Double Module left, unless it was a
modification of the old Shuttle-Mir-era Spacehab Double Module.

Brian

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Derek Lyons - 27 Sep 2003 00:55 GMT

>>>Another option is the Spacehab
>>>module (there are still one or two left after the Columbia accident)
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>time. That means there is still a Double Module left, unless it was a
>modification of the old Shuttle-Mir-era Spacehab Double Module.

From SpaceHab's website:

"SPACEHAB provided a pressurized laboratory, known as the Research
Double Module (RDM), mounted within the shuttle's payload bay as part
of this NASA science mission. The RDM is comprised of two of our four
flight units that are used for research and logistics purposes. Our
modules, in varying configurations, have flown on 15 missions prior to
STS-107."

D.

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Michael R. Grabois ... change $ to - 27 Sep 2003 05:18 GMT

There are only two single-unit Spacehab modules left.

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Brian Thorn - 26 Sep 2003 00:53 GMT

About STS-114...
"The mission carries about 10,000 lb. of cargo to be placed inside the
ISS, primarily food and a Safer maneuvering backpack..."

Aviation Week & Space Technology, "Extra Shuttle Flight".
Sep 22, 2003
p.25

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Terrell Miller - 24 Sep 2003 01:15 GMT

> A Practice Mission??? How do you feel about that? I think it would be
> better if they sounded more confident in their ability to figure out
> their gameplan on the ground and go forward. The press coverage is
> going to be: "Here are the astronauts practicing repairing holes and
> why couldn't they do this for Columbia?", whereas it could be: "Here
> is NASA back in business, resupplying the space station."

I remember a couple months after Challenger, NASA released their "return to
flight" manifest. It was practically identical to the pre-Challenger
manifest, just with the dates pushed back several months and the Vandenberg
launches scrapped.

In short, at that point they hadn't learned a goddamn thing from the
accident. I'm glad that this is apparently not so these days.

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Terrell Miller
millerto@bellsouth.net

"In the early days as often
as not the (rocket) exploded on or near the launch pad; that
seldom happens any longer."
-Columbia Accident Investigation Board report, vol.1 p.19

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Space Forum / Shuttle / September 2003

STS-114 with Atlantis a Practice Mission, poss. 7/2004