Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Live Thread (5:02 pm EDT)

05/31/08 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

This will be the official thread for the launching of the Space Shuttle Discovery..

[KevinDavis]

I would like to say the Sheppard's prayer, but I could get banned for saying it..

[KevinDavis]

[xcamel]

Kibo lab delivery... and a “flushnotski” toilet pump...

:-)

[inflorida]

I’m in Orlando so I’ll be watching. Please add me to the ping list - thanks!

[Man50D]

Thanks for posting this thread. This is the first I’ve heard of the launch.

[neodad]

In!

[Prospero]

Well, there's always's Admiral Shepherd's prayer:

"Oh, Lord. Please don't let me f@#k up!"

[Dawnsblood]

If Discovery does not launch on Saturday, the weather begins to deteriorate, with an increased chance of thunderstorms delaying the launch.

"If we do happen to delay 24 hours we start to get a little more concerned," Winters said. "There's a 30 percent chance of KSC weather prohibiting launch."

If the shuttle's liftoff is delayed by 48 hours, the chances of bad weather disrupting the launch rise to 60 percent.

Plans for launch appear to be progressing smoothly, with no last-minute issues hindering preparations. Shuttle workers have packed away a last-minute addition, a spare toilet pump for the space station's bathroom, so astronauts aboard the outpost can repair the space toilet in orbit. The station's toilet went on the fritz last week and astronauts need the new pump to restore it to full service.

Link

Looks good so far :)

[Prospero]

Count me in!

Put us on that "Space Ping!" thing.

As Admiral Shepherd said, "Sounds dangerous. Count me in."

[Brian Mosely]

Looks good so far. We’re in Daytona Beach, ready to head down to Titusville and snag a good viewing spot.

[Lokibob]

Biggest problem was finding a rotorooter guy space flight qualified and willing to work for crappy wages (pun intended).

.....Bob

[Rappini]

Include me and thanks.

[brityank]

The station's toilet went on the fritz last week and astronauts need the new pump to restore it to full service.

I have to believe that the most welcome reason for getting back to Terra Firma after an extended trip to the station would be the simple pleasure of sitting down and letting gravity do its thing.       :^)

[hoagy62]

IIRC...the ISS toilet’s disposal of solid waste involves a vacuum and rapidly spinning blades.

I don’t know about you, but having ANY part of my anatomy, much less my nether regions, close to ‘rapidly spinning blades’ would cause me JUST A BIT of concern....

Nonetheless, Godspeed, Discovery!

[brityank]

Here's the scheduled timeline for today:

Here are highlights from the remainder of today's countdown and flight plan:

EDT...........EVENT

07:47 AM......Main propulsion system chill down
07:47 AM......LH2 slow fill
08:17 AM......LO2 slow fill
08:22 AM......Hydrogen ECO sensors go wet
08:27 AM......LO2 fast fill
08:37 AM......LH2 fast fill
10:32 AM......LH2 topping
10:37 AM......LH2 replenish
10:37 AM......LO2 replenish

10:37 AM......Begin 2-hour 30-minute built-in hold (T-minus 3 hours)
10:37 AM......Closeout crew to white room
10:37 AM......External tank in stable replenish mode
10:52 AM......Astronaut support personnel comm checks
11:22 AM......Pre-ingress switch reconfig
11:40 AM......Crew breakfast/photo op (recorded)
12:00 PM......NASA television launch coverage begins
12:32 PM......Final crew weather briefing
12:42 PM......Crew suit up begins
01:07 PM......Resume countdown (T-minus 3 hours)

01:12 PM......Crew departs O&C building
01:42 PM......Crew ingress
02:32 PM......Astronaut comm checks
02:47 PM......Hatch closure
03:27 PM......White room closeout

03:47 PM......Begin 10-minute built-in hold (T-minus 20m)
03:57 PM......NASA test director countdown briefing
03:57 PM......Resume countdown (T-minus 20m)

03:58 PM......Backup flight computer to OPS 1
04:02 PM......KSC area clear to launch

04:08 PM......Begin final built-in hold (T-minus 9m)
04:38 PM......NTD launch status verification
04:53:12 PM...Resume countdown (T-minus 9m)

04:54:42 PM...Orbiter access arm retraction
04:57:12 PM...Launch window opens
04:57:12 PM...Hydraulic power system (APU) start
04:57:17 PM...Terminate LO2 replenish
04:58:12 PM...Purge sequence 4 hydraulic test
04:58:12 PM...Iinertial measurement units to inertial
04:58:17 PM...Aerosurface profile
04:58:42 PM...Main engine steering test
04:59:17 PM...LO2 tank pressurization
04:59:37 PM...Fuel cells to internal reactants
04:59:42 PM...Clear caution-and-warning memory
05:00:12 PM...Crew closes visors
05:00:15 PM...LH2 tank pressurization
05:01:22 PM...Booster joint heater deactivation
05:01:41 PM...Shuttle computers take control of countdown
05:01:51 PM...Booster steering test
05:02:05 PM...Main engine start (T-6.6 seconds)
05:02:12 PM...Booster ignition and LAUNCH!

05:03:11 PM...T+00:59...Maximum aerodynamic pressure (722 psf)
05:04:16 PM...T+02:04...Booster separation
05:04:54 PM...T+02:42...2 engine TAL Moron (104.5%, 2s)
05:06:00 PM...T+03:48...Negative return (KSC) (104.5%, 3s)
05:07:31 PM...T+05:19...Press to ATO (104.5%, 2s, 160 u/s)
05:08:29 PM...T+06:17...Press to MECO
05:09:13 PM...T+07:01...Single engine press-to-MECO
05:10:36 PM...T+08:24...Main engine shutdown

05:15 PM......Launch replays on NTV
05:47 PM......Additional launch replays from KSC
06:00 PM......Post-launch news conference
06:27 PM......Payload bay door opening
09:00 PM......Ascent flight control team video replay
09:42 PM......External tank handheld video downlink
10:31 PM......Launch engineering replays from ksc
11:02 PM......Discovery crew sleep begins
12:00 AM......Flight day 1 highlights on NTV

Also, you can follow the NASA-TV webcast in WinPlayer; either with this link or open "File/Oen URL" and add http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx

[airforceF4]

LOL. Actually, it’s a water problem, not a solid one.
In OH, will watch on the HD-TV. Good View, FL.

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com

1445 GMT (10:45 a.m. EDT)

FUELING COMPLETED. The external fuel tank has been pumped full with a half-million gallons of supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The three-hour fueling process started at 7:38 a.m. with the chilldown conditioning and was completed at 10:36 a.m.

But given the cryogenic nature of the oxidizer and propellant, the supplies naturally boil away. So the tanks are continuously topped off until the final minutes of the countdown in a procedure called “stable replenishment.”

With the hazardous tanking operation completed, the Orbiter Closeout Crew and Final Inspection Team have been given the OK to go out to the pad to perform their jobs. The closeout crew will ready Discovery’s crew module for the astronauts’ ingress in a couple of hours; and the inspection team will give the entire vehicle a check for any ice formation following fueling.

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Everything is hazardous with this

[Ladysmith]

LOL!

Marking for later viewing.

[tet68]

God Speed Discovery.

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com

1530 GMT (11:30 a.m. EDT)

The Final Inspection Team is performing its observations of Discovery this morning.

The team is responsible for checking the shuttle and launch pad one last time prior to liftoff. The team is comprised of engineers and safety officials from NASA, United Space Alliance and tank-builder Lockheed Martin. At the conclusion of their two-hour tour-of-duty, the team will have walked up and down the entire fixed service structure and mobile launcher platform.

The team is on the lookout for any abnormal ice or frost build-up on the vehicle and integrity of the external tank foam insulation.

The team uses a portable infrared scanner that gathers temperature measurements on the surface area of the shuttle and can spot leaks. The scanner will be used to obtain temperature data on the external tank, solid rocket boosters, space shuttle orbiter, main engines and launch pad structures. The scanner can also spot leaks of the cryogenic propellants, and due to its ability to detect distinct temperature differences, can spot any dangerous hydrogen fuel that is burning. The team member also is responsible for photo documentation.

The team wears the highly visible day-glow orange coveralls that are anti-static and flame resistant. Each member also has a self-contained emergency breathing unit that holds about 10 minutes of air.

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Final Inspection Team sounds like hazardous duty. Day-glo in combat with primal forces of nature.