Updates STS-134 Updates

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA Updates Shuttle Target Launch Dates For Two Flights.

NASA is targeting 4:50 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 24, for the launch of space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. The liftoff of shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 flight is planned for 7:48 p.m. EDT on April 19, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The target dates were selected Thursday during the Space Shuttle Program's weekly Program Requirements Control Board meeting.

NASA sets official launch dates for each shuttle mission following agency Flight Readiness Reviews, which typically occur about two weeks prior to launches. All target launch dates are subject to change.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

New launch date: Tuesday 19th April at 7:48 PM EDT / 11:48 PM GMT (day launch).

New landing date: Tuesday 3rd May.

 

[Kyle]

Sunset for April 19th is at 7:57pm, so STS-134 will launch a few minutes before sunset.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA Announces Backup Commander For STS-134 Mission.

NASA announced Thursday that astronaut Rick Sturckow will serve as a backup commander for the STS-134 space shuttle mission to facilitate continued training for the crew and support teams during STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly's absence. Kelly's wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was critically wounded in a shooting on Jan. 8 in Tucson, Ariz.

Kelly remains commander of the mission, which is targeted for launch on April 19 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"I recommended to my management that we take steps now to prepare to complete the mission in my absence, if necessary," Kelly said. "I am very hopeful that I will be in a position to rejoin my STS-134 crew members to finish our training."

"Mark is still the commander of STS-134," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office. "He is facing many uncertainties now as he supports Gabrielle, and our goal is to allow him to keep his undistracted attention on his family while allowing preparations for the mission to progress. Designating a backup allows the crew and support team to continue training, and enables Mark to focus on his wife's care."

Sturckow will begin training next week at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston with the rest of the STS-134 crew, which includes Pilot Greg H. Johnson, Michael Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Andrew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff. The 14-day mission to the International Space Station will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and spare parts that include two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robot and micrometeoroid debris shields.

 

[Kyle]

Wow! First time NASA has had to name a backup position since STS-3.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Spaceflight Now: "Backup commander replaces Kelly in near-term training".

No shuttle commander has ever been replaced this close to flight. There have, however, been several cases where other crew members were replaced due to illnesses or other issues.

Astronaut David Griggs, scheduled to serve as pilot of shuttle mission STS-33, was replaced after he was killed June 17, 1989, flying a vintage aircraft. Jeff Ashby was replaced as the pilot of STS-85 in 1997 because his wife had terminal cancer. And astronauts Gus Loria and Carlos Noriega were replaced aboard shuttle missions in 2002 and 2004 respectively because of undisclosed medical issues.

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: STS-134 Flight Plan (UPDATED).

NASASpaceFlight: STS-134 officially moved to April 19 – ET-122 stringers may be inspected:

Endeavour’s final mission has slipped to the second half of April – as expected – due to the realignment of her older sister’s STS-133 mission to February 24. The April 19 mission, which remains under the command of Mark Kelly, has a large amount of contingency time in its flow, which will allow for inspections of Endeavour’s External Tank (ET-122) should managers request additional data on its stringers.

{...}

 

[orb]

NASASpaceFlight: STS-134: Endeavour set for February 28 rollover – ET-122 borescope checks:

Endeavour is set to depart from her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2) on February 28, as milestones begin to align for her April 19 (No Earlier Than) launch to the International Space Station (ISS). With her External Tank (ET-122) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) mated, borescope inspections of ET-122′s stringers have been completed.

{...}

 

[orb]

Florida Today - The Flame Trench: Endeavour's external tank will get Discovery-like modifications.

 

[orb]

NASASpaceFlight: STS-133 preparing for rollout – Managers call for ET-122 radius block installation:

{...}

ET-122 Modification Decision:

Although ET-122 is a much older tank, when compared to STS-133′s ET-137 and STS-135′s ET-138, due diligence was once again placed first by Shuttle managers late last week, as they decided to press ahead of the installation of radius blocks to STS-134′s tank.

Currently located in High Bay 3 (HB-3) of the VAB, ET-122 – stacked with its two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) – is already undergoing shakedown operations for the modification which provides additional strength to the stringers, mitigating the potential of cracks forming.

The opening effort revolved around physical inspections of the stringers via the use of borescope examinations. It is understood that no obvious issues were found during the inspections, which included a check for signs of the “mottled” material on the stringers – one of the root causes for ET-137′s cracks during the scrubbed November launch countdown.

“Borescopes from inside the intertank to detect mottled metal on ET-122 stringers is complete,” noted the NTD report for ET-122. “The data and results are being passed onto the respective engineering organizations for further analysis and discussions.”

In the end, managers decided to approve the modification plan – a mirror of the work conducted on ET-137, bar the doublers which were installed over stringers which had already cracked – as a failsafe, as opposed to any direct observations.

With the investigation team assessment for the ET-122 I/T stringer pedigree, records showed that ET-122′s I/T stringers are from four material heat lots, none of which are the same suspect lots that have affected ET-137. However, unlike material from the newer tanks – which aided the investigation into the root cause – no leftovers or scrap 2090 material was found for ET-122 at MAF.

{...}

 

[DaveS]

MEDIA ADVISORY : M11-023


NASA To Hold Briefing On The Shuttle Commander For April Flight


HOUSTON -- NASA will hold a news conference to discuss command of the STS-134 space shuttle mission at 2 p.m. CST Friday, Feb. 4, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The briefing participants are:
-- Mark Kelly, commander, STS-134
-- Peggy Whitson, chief, Astronaut Office
-- Brent Jett, chief, Flight Crew Operations Directorate

The news conference will be broadcast on NASA Television and the agency's website. Reporters may ask questions from Johnson, NASA Headquarters in Washington and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

 

[Kyle]

I would be quite surprised if Sturckow replaces Kelly, Giffords has been transfered to Houston and is making steady progress - especially for such a critical gunshot wound.

 

[Tycho]

Well, Kelly says he intends on continuing his training and flying the mission, which is commendable given the circumstances.:thumbup: I'd be very stunned if he didn't fly.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

It's leaked...

Politico: "Gabrielle Giffords's husband Mark Kelly will command final shuttle flight".

I wish Mark all the very best for this flight, and here's to Gabby's speedy recovery.

 

[Kyle]

Go Mark & Gabby and 134! Can't wait to see Endeavour fly in April.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly Resumes Training For STS-134 Mission.

NASA astronaut Mark Kelly will resume training as commander of the STS-134 space shuttle mission on Monday, Feb. 7. With the exception of some proficiency training, Kelly has been on personal leave since Jan. 8 to care for his wife, congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically wounded in a Tucson, Ariz. shooting.

"I am looking forward to rejoining my STS-134 crew members and finishing our training for the mission," Kelly said. "We have been preparing for more than 18 months, and we will be ready to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the International Space Station and complete the other objectives of the flight. I appreciate the confidence that my NASA management has in me and the rest of my space shuttle crew."

"We are glad to have Mark back," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "He is a veteran shuttle commander and knows well the demands of the job. We are confident in his ability to successfully lead this mission, and I know I speak for all of NASA in saying 'welcome back'.

A news briefing will be held at 2 p.m. CST today at Johnson to discuss Kelly's return. The briefing will be broadcast on NASA Television.

Questions will be taken from reporters at Johnson, NASA Headquarters and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Participants will include:
-- Mark Kelly, commander, STS-134
-- Peggy Whitson, chief, Astronaut Office
-- Brent Jett, chief, Flight Crew Operations Directorate

Because of winter weather conditions, Johnson will be closed until noon. However, the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 is staffed to receive calls from journalists requesting credentials.

On Monday, Feb. 7, NASA TV will broadcast video b-roll of Kelly's first training session with his crew at 11:30 a.m. CST. Additional b-roll of his first day of training will air at 3 p.m. The training sessions will not be available for filming by news media.
Astronaut Rick Sturckow, the backup commander for the mission, will resume his role as the deputy chief of the Astronaut Office. For more information about the STS-134 mission and crew, visit:
www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Kelly's biography can be found at:
www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyme.html

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:
www.nasa.gov/ntv

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA TV Video: Kelly to Fly on Shuttle Mission.​

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Video via Associated Press: Giffords' Husband Trains for Launch.​

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA TV Video: Mark Kelly Trains for STS-134.​

 

[Kyle]

AMS processing image.

Processing timeline to launch.
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/home/flightdata/calendar.html

02/28/11 STS-134: Orbiter/ET mating
03/10/11 STS-134: Rollout to pad 39A
03/22/11 STS-134: Tanking test
03/24/11 STS-134: Payload moved to launch pad
03/24/11 STS-134 pre-flight briefings at JSC
03/29/11 STS-134 crew flies to KSC for TCDT
03/31/11 STS-134 crew: TCDT pad Q & A
04/01/11 STS-134: TCDT T-0
04/16/11 STS-134: Countdown begins
04/19/11...07:48:00 PM STS-134/Endeavour/AMS launch