STS 125

[DaveS]

The Payload Canister with the STS-125 payloads have now left the PHSF High Bay and entered the airlock. Once through the airlock, the Canister will head to the Canister Rotation Facility where it will be rotated to vertical before heading out to 39A on Saturday evening.

 

[DaveS]

The Payload Canister arrived at the pad around 8:20 pm EDT and as of 2:44 am EDT, it's fully mated to the PCR and the PCR dock seals have been inflated. Next event to take place is opening of the PCR doors once a good and clean purge between the PCR doors and the Canister have been established.

---------- Post added at 07:54 AM ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 08:47 AM ----------

The Payload Canister that held the STS-125 payloads have been lowered and has left Pad A.

 

[DaveS]

Earlier this morning the RSS was rotated back around Atlantis so that the payloads can be installed into Atlantis' payload bay.

 

[DaveS]

It's official: The target date for STS-125 is May 11 and it will be firmed up following next Thursday's SOMD FRR for STS-125 and STS-400. T0 on May 11 will be 2:01:49 pm EDT(1801:49 UTC).

 

[Tex]

One of my customers who works at NASA sent me some pictures from training in the NBL. I'm not sure when the pictures were taken, but enjoy!

 

[DaveS]

The big camera in those photos is an IMAX camera in a underwater housing.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Working in the NBL. WOW - that would be one cool job.:speakcool:

Question: In the pics, is the SRMS actually able to move underwater?

 

[DaveS]

According to the photo's EXIF information, those photos were taken today(April 29 2009) shortly after 1 pm CDT.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

According to the photo's EXIF information, those photos were taken today(April 29 2009) shortly after 1 pm CDT.

I think the last ever HST NBL run was last week.

 

[Donamy]

The first shot is from the underwater SRMS elbow camera.

 

[Urwumpe]

Pretty cool.

 

[DaveS]

Just a reminder: Today is the SOMD FRR for STS-125, STS-400 and HST. There will be a briefing after the FRR and that briefing is currently set for 6 pm EDT. Could get moved up though if they finish up early.

---------- Post added at 07:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:01 PM ----------

The post-FRR briefing has been moved up to 5 pm EDT according to the NASA PAO twitter feed.

---------- Post added at 09:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 PM ----------

From the NASA PAO Twitter feed:

FRR: The poll is unanimous. We are GO for a May 11 launch for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service Hubble.

 

[DaveS]

Here's the relevant STS-125 NASA TV programs times(all times are EDT)

May 8

• 10 am: STS-125 L-3 Countdown Status Briefing
• 5 pm: STS-125 Flight Crew arrival at KSC SLF

May 9

• 11 am: STS-125 L-2 Countdown Status Briefing
• NET 5:30 pm: STS-125 L-2 post-MMT meeting briefing

May 10

• 10 am: STS-125 L-1 Countdown Status Briefing
• 12:30 pm: STS-125 update webcast
• 1 pm: HST Program Briefing
• 2 pm: WF/PC Retrospective Briefing
• 5 pm: LC-39A RSS Retraction coverage

May 11

• 8:30 am: STS-125 Launch and Mission coverage

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

The STS-125 mission schedule:

SM4 tasks:
. Replace WFPC2 with WFC3
. Replace COSTAR with COS
. Replace Side A SIC&DH
. Replace FGS2 with FGS3
. Replace batteries (6)
. Replace RSU’s
. Install SCM
. Install NOBL
. Install LOCK
. Repair ACS
. Repair STIS


Timeline:
FD1:
. Atlantis launch from KSC

FD2:
. OBSS survey
. FSS deploy
. HST Aperture Door closing
. HST Manoeuvre to rendezvous & grapple attitude
. HST High Gain Antenna retraction

FD3:
. HST rendezvous & grapple
. HST berth to FSS

FD4:
. EVA-1 begins (Grunsfeld & Feustel)
-WFPC2 removal & replacement by WFC3
-Side A SIC&DH removal & replacement
-SCM installation
-LOCK installation

FD5:
. EVA-2 begins (Missimino & Good)
-RSU removal & replacement
-Bay 2 battery removal & replacement (3)

FD6:
. EVA-3 begins (Grunsfeld & Feustel)
-COSTAR removal & replacement by COS
-ACS repair

FD7:
. EVA-4 begins (Missimino & Good)
-STIS repair
-Bay 8 NOBL replacement

FD8:
. EVA-5 begins (Grunsfeld & Feustel)
-Bay 2 battery removal & replacement (3)
-FGS2 removal & replacement by FGS3
-Bay 5 NOBL replacement
. HST High Gain Antenna deployment
. Atlantis HST reboost

FD9:
. HST Aperture Door opening
. Atlantis manoeuvre to HST release attitude
. HST release
. Atlantis-HST separation manoeuvre
. FSS stow
. OBSS unberth & late inspection of TPS

FD10:
. Crew off-duty time
. Atlantis-ISS ship-to-ship call

FD11:
. Crew off-duty time

FD12:
. Atlantis de-orbit burn & landing at KSC


Key:
. WFC2 = Wide Field Camera 2 [NEW]
. WFPC2 = Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 [OLD - IN HUBBLE SINCE 1993. WILL BE RETURNED TO EARTH ON STS-125]
. COS = Cosmic Origins Spectrograph [NEW]
. COSTAR = Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement [OLD - IN HUBBLE SINCE 1993. WILL BE RETURNED TO EARTH ON STS-125]
. SIC&DH = Science Instrument Command and Data Handling unit [NEW - WILL REPLACE OLD]
. FGS = Fine Guidance Sensor [NEW - WILL REPLACE OLD]
. RSU = Rate Sensor Unit [NEW - WILL REPLACE OLD]
. SCM = Soft Capture Mechanism [NEW]
. NOBL = New Outer Blanket Layer [NEW]
. LOCK = Latch Over Center Kit [NEW]
. ACS = Advanced Camera for Surveys [REPAIR]
. STIS = Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph [REPAIR]

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Don't forget, STS-125 astronaut Mike Massimino is on Twitter!:speakcool:
He will even be tweeting FROM SPACE, so stay tuned!
http://twitter.com/astro_mike

If you ask him a question, he will reply to you!!! But hurry, you only have a few days left before he will become too busy to be able to do so!!!


The crew are entering quarantine today.

We are now 7d 3h from launch.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA have released a public STS-125 simulation, free to download:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/simulation/index.html

(However, it still isn't as good as Orbiter)

 

[DaveS]

Nothing really new in today's L-3 Countdown Status Briefing. Everything is GO to start the countdown later today at 4 pm EDT at the T-43 hour mark.

Weather is expected to be great on Monday with only a 20% chance that KSC weather will prohibit launch.

Crew will arrive at the SLF at 5 pm today.

---------- Post added at 02:05 PM ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 04:52 PM ----------

Right now holding in the first built in hold of the launch countdown, at T-27 hours. This hold will last for 4 hours during which the Blast Danger Area(BDA) will be cleared, the Power Reactant Distribution and Storage(PRSD) system will be prepared for the loading of the cryogenic reactants and the PRSD loading tankers will be placed and connected to the RSS OMBUU lines. Also during this hold, the SRB and Orbiter Pyrotechnic Initiator(PIC) controllers will be tested and checked out.

---------- Post added at 12:43 AM ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 02:05 PM ----------

Nothing new from the L-2 MMT meeting. Everyone polled as GO for launch on Monday. No issues in work with either Atlantis or Endeavour. Right on the schedule.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Some useful STS-125 resources:

STS-125 NASA TV schedule (Rev. 0):
www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html

STS-125 animations:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts125/news/mob_042309_videos.html

SM4 HD videos:
www.nasa.gov/multimedia/hd/hubble.html

STS-125 media guide (PDF):
www.nasa.gov/pdf/278358main_SM4_Media_Guide.pdf

STS-125 press kit (PDF):
www.nasa.gov/pdf/331922main_sts125_presskit_050609.pdf

STS-125 payload fact sheets:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/main/SM4_Fact_Sheets.html

 

[DaveS]

The RSS has now been retracted for launch. It entered the PARK position around 5:45 pm EDT(2145 UTC).

ET tanking at 4:51 am EDT(0830 UTC) with NASA TV coverage at 8:30 am EDT(1230 UTC).

 

[DaveS]

A nice sunset on the eve of the final mission to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.