STS-126

[DaveS]

By being careful, I assume:speakcool:


-----Posted Added-----


What are the guys on the flight deck standing on?

They can't be standing on the RMS panel at the back, can they???

They are and they're also standing on the aft flightdeck windows. There are covers on them and the panels which will be removed as part of the Orbiter Crewmodule closeouts.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

All crew members on board!!

So, who is sitting where???

Flight-deck:

(Front)
Chris Fergusson Eric Boe


(Back)



Mid-deck:

(Front)

 

[Arrowstar]

They are and they're also standing on the aft flightdeck windows. There are covers on them and the panels which will be removed as part of the Orbiter Crewmodule closeouts.

Ah, I see. I was not aware! Thank you for the info.

 

[Urwumpe]

Looks like they are mostly standing on the aft window covers. Touching a switch at the aft panel would not be a big problem anyway - the aft panels are not powered during launch and landing.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

What is the purpose of the light sticks in the astronauts arms???

 

[DaveS]

What is the purpose of the light sticks in the astronauts arms???

What does it look like? Yep. They're used to find the astronauts in the water or on the ground in the event of a bailout.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Oh man, don't those guys look comfortable


-----Posted Added-----

What does it look like? Yep. They're used to find the astronauts in the water or on the ground in the event of a bailout.

Right.

I assume they have life jackets, whistles, flares etc. in their survival kits???


-----Posted Added-----


Getting dark fast now...

Won't be long before the pad floodlights come on...

 

[DaveS]

OTC just made a callout on OIS 212 for the launch team to verify systems status for Orbiter Crewmodule closeouts.

 

[Urwumpe]

I assume they have life jackets, whistles, flares etc. in their survival kits???

This is not the Titanic.

The whole suit acts as life jacket (floats and keeps warm even in polar waters). Whistles are pretty useless unless you want to entertain the sharks. And flares are standard in such a kit.

 

[Zoe]

MS2 Steve Bowen now doing comm checks.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Also...

NASA's Freedom Star and Liberty Star booster recovery ships are in position. Both currently are stationed about 160 miles off the Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean. The ships are waiting to tow the solid rocket boosters back to Kennedy Space Center after their descent into the ocean. They will then be scraped, painted and repaired (if necessary) and put back into service for another space shuttle launch.

 

[Matt]

Group comm check

 

[Zoe]

OTC now doing comm check of all crew.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Looks like pad floodlights have just come on...


-----Posted Added-----


What time is hatch closing expected???

 

[Zoe]

Air to ground voice checks complete.

 

[DaveS]

What time is hatch closing expected???

They're running about 5 minutes behind. So sometime between 5:50 pm EST and 5:55 pm EST.

 

[Zoe]

Closeout crew now removing non-flight items.


-----Posted Added-----


All non-flight items removed, standing by to close hatch.


-----Posted Added-----


Go for closing hatch.

 

[DaveS]

OTC giving the OVCC the GO to close and latch the side hatch.

 

[Woo482]

Launch in 2 hours

 

[Matt]

Hatch shut.