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Buzz Aldrin is one of the few former astronauts who have spoken out in support of the new proposed budget/direction for NASA. But, now, Buzz wants to add a little “oomph” to the underlying goal of getting to Mars by providing one thing that many think is missing from President Obama’s proposed budget: heavy lift capability.
“I believe we can be well on our way to Mars by July 20, 2019 — which just happens to be the 50th anniversary of my Apollo 11 flight to the moon,” Buzz Aldrin wrote in an opinion piece on AOL.com. “The plan I’ve designed, called a unified space vision, contains ideas for the development of a deep-space craft that I call the Exploration Module, and development of a true heavy lift space booster evolved from the existing space shuttle.”
In last week’s Congressional hearings — which some journalists classified as a “grilling” instead of testimony, members of Congress expressed concern (sometimes bordering on outrage) when talking with NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden that under the proposed Obama plan, NASA will no longer be in the human spaceflight business, as space transportation services will be turned over to commercial firms.
Buzz says that with his plan, commercial carriers would fly astronauts and cargo up to the space station, but NASA would stay in the human spaceflight business by designing and building the Exploration Module, or XM.
The prototype of the spacecraft would be built in space, using excess modules and parts left over from constructing the space station. Buzz proposes continuing to fly the space shuttle for several additional flights to bring up the pieces. The XM would be docked to the station and outfitted by astronauts.
Then, attach a rocket engine is attached to the prototype and head to the Moon, just for a flyby.
To keep much of the current NASA workforce employed, Buzz proposes to use the shuttle until the replacement can be built, and to use shuttle derived part for the heavy lift XM. “Why should we abandon something before a replacement ship is available? Sure doesn’t make much sense to me,” he said.
“By building a deep-space craft,” Buzz writes, “NASA can use much of their engineering know-how and put a form to Charlie Bolden’s Mars mission dream. It allows the commercial folks their unfettered access to the station, as President Obama proposes. And it recommits America to leadership in space by aiming at Mars, using parts and equipment already paid for by the taxpayers.”
Buzz wants to know: What are we waiting for?
Time lapse photo mosaic was assembled from Phoenix images taken of the lander deck and martian terrain. Panorama shows the robotic arm in action as it scoops up soil samples (right) and delivers the samples to the MECA and TEGA science instruments (left). Credit: Marco Di Lorenzo, Kenneth Kremer - NASA/JPL/UA/Spaceflight
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As expected, NASA’s February 2010 listening campaign for the Phoenix Mars Lander has failed to detect any signals emanating from the long silent vehicle. NASA’s attempts to reestablish contact with Phoenix were restarted in January 2010 and timed to coincide with the onset of springtime and disappearance of ice at her location in the martian north polar regions. In theory, the return of abundant sunshine striking the twin energy producing solar arrays could again power up the science lander sufficiently to revive itself and ‘phone home’ to Earth.
This just completed 2nd listening campaign consisted of 60 overflights conducted by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter from Feb 22 to Feb 26. The first campaign was conducted in January and likewise yielded no signals of activity. But with each passing Sol, or martian day, the sun is now rising higher in the sky and impinging longer on the solar powered craft. A third campaign is scheduled for early April 2010 just in case the sun enables a miraculous revival. The sun will be continuously above the Martian horizon in April.
Check out the time lapse photo mosaic above, created by Marco Di Lorenzo and Ken Kremer, which shows Phoenix actively at work as she digs up Martian icy soil samples and delivers them to the MECA and TEGA science instruments on the lander deck for compositional analysis.
It’s currently mid-springtime at the landing site with about 22 hours of sunlight each Sol. That illumination is comparable to the period when Phoenix was in full swing in the middle of her mission.
“Each overflight lasts about 10 minutes”, says Doug McCuistion, the director of Mars Exploration at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. But no one at NASA or on the science and engineering teams is under any illusions. “We think the chances are very low that Phoenix survived winter”, McCuistion told me in an interview.
NASA is using both of its Martian orbiting assets currently circling above the red planet to ascertain the condition of Phoenix. “Odyssey is the prime communications spacecraft. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will try to image Phoenix about every 2 weeks”, McCuistion said to me. See the latest MRO images herein which show a receding ice layer.
Stages in the seasonal disappearance of surface ice from the ground around the Phoenix Mars Lander are visible in these images taken on Feb. 8, 2010, (left) and Feb. 25, 2010 by the HiRise Camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, during springtime on northern Mars. The views cover an area about 100 meters wide. North is toward the bottom. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Phoenix was pre-programmed with a Lazarus mode to reawaken itself in the unlikely event that it survived the exceedingly harsh northern Martian winter during which it endured extremely low temperatures for longer than 1 earth year already. Furthermore, the spacecraft was potentially even partially encased in up to several feet of ice during several months of continuous arctic darkness. Unlike the rovers Spirit and Opportunity, Phoenix was not designed to withstand Martian winter.
After more than 5 months of intensive and breakthrough science investigations, all contact with Phoenix was lost on 2 November 2008 as increasing storm clouds blocked the waning sun from reaching the life giving solar arrays and the vehicle could no longer function.
Phoenix lasted more than 2 months beyond her planned primary mission design of 3 months. She discovered that Mars currently possesses a habitable environment with water and nutrients that could sustain potential past or current martian life forms, IF they exist. Read my earlier Phoenix report to learn about the robust science program that could be carried out to build on the initial results, if this bird rises again.
NASA Shuttle managers Mike Moses and Mike Leinbach at post landing press briefing at KSC. Credit: Ken Kremer
For my farewell from the Cape (for now) and STS 130 coverage, please check out this cool video of the STS 130 Night Landing which took place exactly 1 week ago on Sunday night, Feb 21.
It’s been a pleasure and an honor to work as a team for Universe Today; Nancy Atkinson and Ken Kremer reporting live from the Kennedy Space Center – informing all our readers about the remarkable deeds by the STS 130 and ISS astronauts & cosmonauts. As well as all the hardworking folks at NASA and the ISS partners from ESA, Russia, Canada and Japan without whom nothing would happen.
This home video is taken from the 2nd story of the viewing stand located at the shuttle landing runway, formally known as the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). This is as close as any observers are permitted other then a few key NASA runway and photography personal situated slightly closer to the strip.
The video is courtesy of my friend Matt at Spacearium, and shot as Nancy and myself were standing next to him. This is really a pleasure to present to you because its exactly the sights and sounds of what we all experienced – LIVE from KSC !
[/caption]In fact, if you look carefully at the beginning and you’ll see the top NASA Shuttle managers – Mike Moses and Mike Leinbach – standing about 20 feet in front of us just as Endeavour comes into view for touchdown. At the very end you’ll catch a glimpse of us motley (but thrilled) crew of photo journalists.
The threatening rain showers scooted by, the winds calmed and the totally socked in cloud deck miraculously thinned out. Amazingly, it turned into a perfect evening for a landing.
Abruptly and with absolutely no forewarning, Endeavour’s twin sonic booms shocked the daylights out of us spectators near the runway, announcing her impending arrival at runway 15 in about 3 ½ minutes. Her sweeping 234 degree left turn approach from the north and above the Atlantic Ocean was fully masked under the cover of darkness until the final moments.
Suddenly, I caught first sight of the swiftly descending and barely visible phantom beauty as she swooped down from the sky at the far end of the runway barely above the tarmac. Only her magnificent fuselage, tail and braking drogue parachute were illuminated. In mere seconds she passed directly in front of us. Her wheels touched down as she sped along and disappeared down the far end of the runway, with just her tail in view at night above the tree line traveling from the northwest to the southeast.
Launch Director Mike Leinbach summed up the sentiments of many, saying “I got to watch a lot of the folks out on the runway tonight just kind of stand there and look up at Endeavour and think about the majesty of that ship and it’s next to last flight. There’s a whole series of ‘lasts’ coming up. The people fall in love with the machines. It’s going to be hard to let them go. But we’ve been given our direction. We’re mature about it and adult about it and we’re professional about it. So we’re going to process and fly that last mission. And move on.”
Only 4 Space Shuttle flights remain in the manifest.
If you can, try and take the opportunity to witness one of the final launches before these magnificently capable vehicles are prematurely retired at the peak of their capability later this year.
During the two week flight, the STS 130 crew brought aloft and installed the Tranquility habitation module and the Cupola observation dome. Tranquility houses critical ISS life support systems. The Cupola possesses 7 spectacular windows and has exceeded its pre-flight billing by affording dazzling vistas of the earth below and the cosmos above.
Backdropped against vistas of Earth below, Mission Specialist Robert Behnken works inside the newly-installed cupola. Image credit: NASA
The station is now 98 percent complete by volume and 90 percent complete by mass. The station itself exceeds 800,000 pounds and the combined weight with the shuttle exceeds 1 million pounds for the first time.
Earlier STS 130/ISS and SDO articles by Ken Kremer
Nancy Atkinson (Universe Today Senior Editor, right) and Ken Kremer at the KSC Press center reporting for Universe Today on the STS 130 and SDO missions. We stand in front of the beautiful Project Constellation murals. Credit: Ken Kremer
Supporters at a rally want to continue the Constellation program and extend the shuttle program. Image credit: Alan Walters, awaltersphoto.com. Used by permission.
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About 2,000 people turned out for a “Save Our Space Exploration” rally in Titusville, Florida on Saturday. Organized by union leaders, the event focused on preserving jobs at Kennedy Space Center, vital to the economy on the Space Coast. “Canceling the Constellation program is a movement away from what we Floridians know that we made happen,” said Brian Dempsey Secretary/Treasurer of Florida AFL/CIO. “Space Coast, space travel — that’s Florida. That’s what we’re known for. This is not a small matter. This is a huge fight that we’re going to have to buckle down to win. It’s going to take serious dedication and determination.”
No NASA officials spoke, but shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach was in attendance.
Speakers included union and community leaders, and each began with the words, “I’m one of the faces of the Space Coast, my family is worth fighting for, my community is worth fighting for, my job is worth fighting for.”
Rally in Titusville, FL. Image credit: Alan Walters, awaltersphoto.com. Used by permission.
Any mention of commercial space companies or Russian space vehicles brought boos from the crowd. At the entrance at the Brevard County Community College, where the rally was held, people held signs that said “Impeach Obama.”
“We need to send a message to Congress and our President that what was announced a few weeks ago was not the last word,” said Glenda Linton, the National Secretary Treasurer of the Federation of Public and Private Employees. “We are here to send a message We will keep our jobs here in the United States and not give them to the likes of Russia and China. This is about lives, schools, businesses and everything that goes along with it.”
“I want to remind the President what he said right in that building over there, that he was going to save our jobs,” said Robin Fisher a Brevard county commissioner. He encouraged everyone to contact their legislators with the following words: “We urge you to call for endorsement for Constellation for a bold direction, and extension of the shuttle. We urge you to hold up all votes until Florida is taken care of. If that stops Washington, that’s OK. We want to stop Washington. Tell your legislators to cast no votes until the President gets it, that we must set a direction that is right for the US to preserve our leadership as a world economic superpower and military leadership that can only be achieved through space exploration.”
Organizers were expecting up to 5,000 people, but cold, rainy weather may have kept some at home. Many were bundled up in coats and blankets, but held signs that said “Jobs Now” or “We Believe in Space.” Rally in Titusville, FL. Image credit: Alan Walters, awaltersphoto.com. Used by permission
The Save Our Space group is organizing a video message campaign to send to members of Congress that will tell the personal stories of what will happen with the projected job losses, which could reach upwards 20,000, according to some sources. “Your face is the only one that can tell your story,” one speaker said.
“This is a time to build, a time to be innovative, a time to keep people working in the jobs they were trained to do,” he continued. “We are here today on this raining, cloudy and misty day to remind our leaders in Congress that this community is worth fighting for and these jobs are worth holding onto. We are not here to lay blame on anyone but to value the pride of this community and the work that we do in it. This is an example that we are willing to do to whatever we can to save our community and save our jobs.” Rally in Titusville, FL. Image credit: Alan Walters, awaltersphoto.com. Used by permission
“This isn’t a crisis for just NASA workers, or union members,” said Executive Vice President of AFL/CIO Arleen Holt Baker. “This is a crisis of an entire community, and there are millions of brothers and sisters across America that are standing shoulder to shoulder with you, and they share your anger at the short-sighted decisions that are short changing your future. ”
This image of the Canberra complex shows four Deep Space Network antennas. The Deep Space Network is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Image credit: NASA/JPL/CDSCC
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All the robotic missions to various points in our solar system wouldn’t be possible if not for the Deep Space Network. It’s not just sending commands and receiving data, but also orbit determination, or keeping track of where the spacecraft are with radiometric tracking data so that spacecraft navigators can get probes exactly where the scientists want them to go. The three 70-meter antennas, located at the DSN complexes at Goldstone, California, Madrid, Spain, and Canberra, Australia are more than 40 years old and show wear and tear from constant use, while new and improved technology and antennas now available would improve operations. NASA announced this week they will begin to replace its aging fleet of dishes with a new generation of 34-meter (112-foot) antennas by 2025.
NASA broke ground this week by beginning to work on the facilities near Canberra, Australia. NASA expects to complete the building of up to three 34-meter antennas by 2018. The decision to begin construction came on the 50th anniversary of U.S. and Australian cooperation in space tracking operations.
“There is no better way to celebrate our 50 years of collaboration and partnership in exploring the heavens with the government of Australia than our renewed commitment and investment in new capabilities required for the next five decades,” said Badri Younes, deputy associate administrator for Space Communications and Navigation at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The new antennas, known as “beam wave guide” antennas, can be used more flexibly, allowing the network to operate on several different frequency bands within the same antenna. Their electronic equipment is more accessible, making maintenance easier and less costly. The new antennas also can receive higher-frequency, wider-bandwidth signals known as the “Ka band.” This band, required for new NASA missions approved after 2009, allows the newer antennas to carry more data than the older ones.
Space shuttle Endeavour lands in darkness on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell
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Congressional legislators in Florida are mounting a campaign to extend space shuttle operations to 2015, adding two flights each year. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas said a bipartisan plan is in the works, which would require adding another $200 million to the NASA budget for 2010 and between $1.5 – $2 billion a year starting in the 2011-12 budget year. “We’re not going to do anything that’s not safe,” Kosmas was quoted in Florida Today, adding that securing the funding would be difficult in tight budget times, but “we’re going to go for it,” she said.
At Kennedy Space Center early Monday morning after Endeavour returned home safely following the STS-130 mission, space shuttle program managers confirmed that while the shuttles are in good shape to continue flying, extending the program is not the direction their teams have been headed.
“From a technical, engineering standpoint, there would be nothing stopping the vehicles from being able to fly,” said space shuttle integration manager Mike Moses. “They have a lot of life in them. We talk about the risks and hazards of flying, and that’s a two edged sword. Anytime you’re launching into space is a risky proposition, but this is a vehicle that we understand its risks very well, and we’ve learned how to work around the pieces that can cause us problems – the foam from Columbia is a good example. We’ve come a long way, if you look at the performance of the external tank since then, we have put a set of controls in place that have been paying off and really driving our risk numbers down.” Shuttle Program Integration Manager Mike Moses. Image: Nancy Atkinson
“So we could continue fly,” Moses continued,” and I’m confident we could fly at the rate and the risk level we have been flying and it wouldn’t be hard to do. But it becomes a political question: Is that the right thing to do? And from a budgetary standpoint can you commit the resources of NASA to go continue to fly those vehicles? The direction that we’re getting from (NASA) Headquarters is that we are going off to do bigger things and explore more. Unfortunately the budgetary realities are we can’t continue to do everything and fly the shuttles as well. So while it’s hard to let go and shut down a program, that’s the way the budget works out. But if you want to turn it around you certainly could there is nothing technically that is stopping you from doing it.”
Kosmas said the budget proposed by President Barack Obama’s is not acceptable as is because it would cede the United States’ leadership position in spaceflight in the short term — and possibly the long term. The plan being drafted would direct NASA to examine ways to build a heavy-left rocket by salvaging work done in the Constellation program. Obama’s budget called for the end of Constellation, the architecture that would return astronauts to the moon.
Additionally, another part of the plan being drafted by Florida representatives would require NASA to report to Congress in several months with specific safety requirements for manned commercial rockets. “Congress is responding to the president’s lack of specificity, lack of an action plan, lack of vision and direction,” Kosmas said.
During my time at Kennedy Space Center the past few weeks, the feeling among NASA workers and contractors is that the space shuttles are now in the best shape they have ever been, and the risks and quirks of the vehicles are understood better than ever. The cloud of job losses and a deteriorating economy now hangs over the workforce at KSC and the mood of the entire Space Coast is tentative at best.
The Augustine Commission recommended the shuttles would have to be recertified if they were to fly after 2010, and Moses said that effectively, the work to recertify them has already been done, and if production on External Tanks and other the shuttles could possibly fly until 2020. Shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach. Image credit: Nancy Atkinson
It should be noted that Moses’ and shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach did not bring up the issue of extending the shuttle program, but only were responding to questions asked by several journalists about the possibility of keeping the shuttle program going.
“You guys are really fishing for me to say I want to keep flying the shuttles!” Moses said, while Leinbach expounded more on the reality staring in the face of the workers at KSC, and warned against giving people any false hope.
“We have been very consistent as an agency over the past several years about 2010 being the end of the shuttle program,” Leinbach said. “We have not wavered from that. There were people in the system that didn’t want to believe that. But here we are in 2010 and the reality is starting to hit us. Our direction to shut down the shuttle program after we finish the station is clear. What is not clear is exactly what we are going on to next. You guys are the ones who asked about extending the shuttle program, we didn’t sit up here and mention that. We’ve been very clear with the workforce. It hurts, but they know it is coming. Any talk of extension or anything like that is just … talk.”
What are your views? Should the shuttle program be extended to avoid the lack of US access to space, as well as the loss of aerospace jobs and institutional knowledge? Or is it time to move on?
NASA astronaut George Zamka, STS-130 commander, is pictured in a window of the newly-installed Cupola of the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station.
[/caption](Editor’s Note: Ken Kremer is at the Kennedy Space Center for Universe Today covering the flight of Endeavour)
The first landing attempt is set for 10:20 PM EST on Orbit 217 with the de-orbit burn planned for 9:14 PM. See landing track below. A second opportunity is available at 11:55 PM. There are two additional opportunities available overnight at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 1:25 AM EST Monday and 3:00 AM. The Spaceflight Meteorology Group and local news forecasts here in Florida predict deteriorating weather at KSC on Monday with increasing chances of rain.
The crew will berth the robotic arm and conduct the standard pre-landing check out of re-entry systems for the flight control surfaces. They will test the hydraulic power units and elevons and test fire all the steering jets during their last planned full day in space.
Landing ground track for 1st landing opportunity at 10:20 PM on Sunday, Feb. 21 at KSC. Credit: NASA
Eight Xenon lights will illuminate the SLF for the night time shuttle landing. Four xenons will be positioned at both ends of the runway to illuminate the touchdown and rollout area from behind the shuttle. Each Xenon light emits 1 billion candlepower, or 20 kilowatts.
Endeavour undocked from the ISS on Friday (Feb 19) at 7:54 PM EST while orbiting 208 miles high above the Atlantic Ocean after a completely successful period of joint operations with the Expedition 22 crew totaling nine days, 19 hours and 48 minutes. Shuttle pilot Terry Virts performed a fly-around of the station, enabling his crewmates to conduct a photo survey of the complex. The crew also conducted the now standard final check for any signs of damage to the heat shield tiles on Endeavour’s belly and the reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) panels on the wing leading edges and nose cap using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System attached to the shuttles robotic arm in order to ensure a safe reentry.
During the two week flight, the STS 130 crew brought aloft and installed the Tranquility habitation module and the Cupola observation dome and conducted three spacewalks. Tranquility houses critical life support systems. The Cupola possesses 7 spectacular windows affording dazzling vistas of the earth below and the cosmos above.
The station is now 98 percent complete by volume and 90 percent complete by mass. The station itself exceeds 800,000 pounds and the combined weight with the shuttle exceeds 1 million pounds for the first time.
Earlier STS 130/ISS and SDO articles by Ken Kremer
The cupola, attached to the station's robotic arm, is relocated to Tranquility's Earth-facing port. Credit: NASA TV
The Cupola, which is akin to a ‘bay window’ in a house back on earth, was relocated overnight to the Tranquility modules Earth-facing (nadir) port and put in place at 1:25 AM EST this morning. The so called ‘Room with a View’ was then securely latched and bolted into place. Cupola is an innovative 7 windowed observation dome, built in Italy, that will provide spectacular panoramic views of the Earth, the station and the cosmos and simultaneously function as a robotics work station for approaching cargo ships.
STS 130 Astronauts Terry Virts and Kathryn Hire used the stations Canadian built robotic arm to slowly and methodically drive Cupola from Tranquility’s end port to its new permanent position at a side port looking directly at the Earth. The maneuver took about 2 hours.
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The astronauts dealt with a relatively minor delay in releasing the cupola. Bolts attaching it to its launch position at the end cone on Tranquility had been torqued a little tighter than expected. The problem was resolved by increasing the torque applied by the stations robotic arm to unscrew the bolts and detach Cupola.
First light through the windows is expected on Tuesday after Spacewalkers Patrick and Behnken remove the protective window covers during EVA-3, their final spacewalk of the STS-130 mission. The covers have been in place since before launch to shield the windows from debris and damage.
Earlier STS 130/ISS and SDO articles by Ken Kremer
Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken work outside the International Space Station during the second spacewalk of the STS-130 mission. Credit: NASA TV
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(Editor’s Note: Ken Kremer is at the Kennedy Space Center for Universe Today covering the flight of Endeavour)
Astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick completed the second of their three spacewalks (EVAs) planned for the STS-130 mission early this Sunday morning Feb 14 at 3:14 AM EST. The pair worked essentially as plumbers today during the spacewalk which began at 9:20 PM Saturday night. They successfully accomplished all their assigned tasks overnight by connecting crucial Tranquility feed lines to the International Space Station (ISS).
“It was an extremely exciting and successful day on the International Space Station, one that I’m very proud of,” said Flight Director Bob Dempsey. “The team has been working for over two years to make today happen. And it did, and it was extremely successful and I’m very pleased with the way it has gone. Everything was accomplished as we had planned.”
The main goal of EVA 2 was to route four newly redesigned ammonia coolant lines from the new Tranquility life support module to the Destiny laboratory module thereby hooking Tranquility into the space stations existing cooling system. Tranquility could not be fully activated and powered up for use by the ISS crew until fulfilling this essential plumbing job to install the custom built ammonia lines.
Behnken and Patrick spent the first half of EVA-2 connecting the four external ammonia jumper hoses which convey ammonia that works as a coolant to dissipate heat generated by the electronics and systems inside the module. The set up is comprised of two independent loops (A and B) with two lines each, a supply and a return line. The 16 ft long flex lines were also routed through brackets on the Unity node to which Tranquility is attached on the left side. Newly attached Tranquility and Cupola modules (center, left) jut out from the main line of habitable ISS modules running from left to right at center. Credit: NASA TV
After connecting the four jumper hoses the astronauts methodically wrapped them with a long sheet of protective multi layer insulation, or MLI. During the EVA, the astronauts then flipped open the control valves for one of the two external loops (A) and successfully initiated the flow of ammonia coolant though the newly installed set of custom hoses. The second “B” loop will be activated on the third, and last, spacewalk of the STS 130 mission.
NASA astronauts Terry Virts (right), STS-130 pilot; Nicholas Patrick (left) and Stephen Robinson, both mission specialists, are pictured in the newly-installed Tranquility node of the International Space Station . Credit: NASA
With coolant flowing as intended, another team of astronauts inside the ISS began powering up and fully activating the stations newest room for the first time. They turned on the interior lights, ventilation, air conditioning, computers and other life support and environmental control systems which this room was specifically designed to house.
Once again the highly trained and professional astronauts made an extremely difficult job look relatively easy. The only problem was quite minor. Patrick reported that a small quantity of ammonia of leaked out of a reservoir as he uncapped a connector on the Unity module before he could hook up the jumper hose. He said that ammonia particles, which had solidified in the cold vacuum of space, splashed onto the exterior of his spacesuit. This spray of ammonia automatically qualifies as a contamination incident although Patrick did not find any particles actually adhering to his suit. The pair had been trained for exactly this occurrence since a tiny leakage of this type was not entirely unexpected. The spacewalk continued as planned.
Since ammonia is highly toxic, the spacewalkers took care to “bake out” their suits and test for any residual contamination when they arrived back at the airlock at the conclusion of the EVA. None was detected and they ingressed the station as planned.
The final tasks of EVA 2 involved outfitting the nadir docking port of Tranquility for the relocation of the Cupola module to another berthing port and installing exterior handrails.
The Story behind the Urgently Redesigned Ammonia Hoses
NASA and contractor teams had to work quite swiftly to redesign and construct four new custom ammonia hoses. The arduous task was only completed a few days before the then targeted launch date of Feb. 7. Otherwise a significantly curtailed mission involving only partial activation of Tranquility or a launch delay or would have been necessitated.
At the Kennedy Space Center press site I spoke with Eric Howell of Boeing in detail about the intense effort to construct and certify the hoses for the External Active Thermal Control System (EATCS). I had the opportunity to inspect the flexible metal hoses and their individual components first hand and hold and touch them with my own hands. I was quite surprised to find that they were rather sharp and easily capable of causing a deadly air leak gash into a spacewalkers glove.
“The 1 inch diameter hoses are constructed of Inconel, which is resistant to a highly corrosive substance like ammonia. The flexible, convoluted tube is covered by a metal braid which carries the entire load and provides all the strength to maintain the tubes integrity and prevent it from bursting. The individual strands of wire are 1/11,000 inch in diameter,” Howell explained to me.
“Normally it takes about 9 months to design and test the ammonia hoses. We had to get this job done in about 25 days. There was a weld quality issue with the original set of flight hoses. The weld was separating (yielding) from the metal braid carriers under pressure testing with nitrogen. To fix the hose bursting problem, we changed the design of the weld and the welding process to obtain a full depth of penetration.” Redesigned ammonia coolant line and components on display at The KSC press center. Credit: Ken Kremer
“The hoses are designed to operate at 500 psi. To qualify for flight they are tested for 25 cycles at 2000 psi (4 x operating pressure). The original hoses burst at 1600 psi. So we redesigned the hoses and modified the nut collar at the end which we found was too short.”
“We constructed four new multi-segmented hoses built by splicing together 3 to 5 shorter segments which we found lying around in storage throughout several NASA centers. Each of the original hoses that failed were constructed from two segments. The outer metal braid was then covered by a fiberglass sleeve to provide thermal protection. The new hoses were rush shipped from NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Ala on Jan 29 after a final checkout for approval by the Endeavour spacewalkers who were quite concerned,” Howell concluded.
Side view of the Tranquility and Cupola modules during my visit inside the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at the Kennedy Space Center. The Cupola is covered by protective blankets and sports two grapple fixtures for the robotic arms to latch onto. Delivery of the modules is the primary goal of the STS130 flight of shuttle Endeavour. The two modules combined weigh over 13.5 tons. Tranquility has six docking ports and is 7 meters (21 ft) in length and 4.5 meters (14.7 ft) in diameter with a pressurized volume of 75 cubic meters (2650 cubic ft). Credit: Ken Kremer
Cupola Relocation and Extra day in Space
Transfer of the Cupola, which had been scheduled for this evening (Sunday, Feb 14) has been put on hold pending resolution of a clearance issue on Tranquilities end docking port to which Cupola is currently attached. The astronauts were unable to attach a protective cover onto the port from inside Tranquility. Several protruding bolts are interfering with attempts to lock the cover in place. The cover shields the port from debris and extreme temperatures when nothing is attached to it.
The astronauts did receive other very good news today when NASA managers decided to extend the STS 130 flight by one day bringing it to14 days in all and thus allowing a total of 9 days of joint docked operations with Endeavour at the orbiting outpost.
The extra flight day will permit Endeavour’s crew additional time to move the space toilet, water recycling, oxygen generation and exercise equipment into the now activated Tranquility. Those relocations had been on hold pending the repairs to the urine recycling system conducted earlier in the flight, and enough run time on the system to generate needed samples for return to Earth for analysis. Landing at the Kennedy Space Center is now targeted for 10:24 PM on Feb 21, weather permitting.
Update: NASA gave the go ahead late this afternoon (Feb 14) to start relocating Cupola late this evening. Watch for a report upon completion sometime overnight.
Earlier STS 130/ISS and SDO articles by Ken Kremer
“JEM, Soyuz, Shuttle, our new Node3, and your beautiful Earth!” Stunning Twitpic shows new Tranquility module (Node 3) being prepared for attachment today to the International Space Station (ISS). Note the giant Japanese Experimental Module (JEM) and attached japanese science porch and robotic arm (at left) in backgrouind as well as manned shuttle Endeavour and Soyuz spaceships. Three robot arms in total visible here. Credit: Astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard ISS.
[/caption] (Editor’s Note: Ken Kremer is at the Kennedy Space Center for Universe Today covering the flight of Endeavour)
According to plan, EVA-1 Spacewalkers Nicholas Patrick and Bob Behnken departed outside via the stations Quest Airlock. Their first tasks were to prepare the way for unloading Tranquility from the payload bay by removing eight contamination covers from the berthing port on Tranquility, which will be attached to the Unity Node, and also opening a flap on Unity’s centerline camera which was then utilized to precisely line up and guide the two nodes during installation.
Astronauts Terry Virts and Kay Hire then deftly plucked Tranquility out from Endeavour’s payload bay using the stations robotic arm (SSRMS) and methodically attached it to Unity as astronauts Behnken and Patrick worked elsewhere to modify a tool platform on the Dextre special purpose dexterous manipulator. Leak checks confirmed the successful docking of the two nodes.
Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick and Bob Behnken work outside the International Space Station during the first spacewalk of the STS-130 mission. Credit: NASA TV
Patrick and Behnken then returned to Tranquility after it was in place and hooked up the crucial power and avionics cables between both nodes to provide a temporary power supply to run heaters on Tranquility. Additional cabling and coolant lines will be installed during the next spacewalk set for Saturday.
Behnken and Patrick completed their 6-hour, 32-minute EVA-1 spacewalk at 3:49 AM EST this morning and accomplished all their assigned tasks as well as some got ahead work !
Tranquility’s hatch is scheduled to be opened at about 9:14 PM tonight.
Side view of the Tranquility and Cupola modules during my visit inside the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at the Kennedy Space Center. The Cupola is covered by protective blankets and sports two grapple fixtures for the robotic arms to latch onto. Delivery of the modules is the primary goal of the STS130 flight of shuttle Endeavour. The two modules combined weigh over 13.5 tons. Tranquility has six docking ports and is 7 meters (21 ft) in length and 4.5 meters (14.7 ft) in diameter with a pressurized volume of 75 cubic meters (2650 cubic ft). Credit: Ken Kremer
EVA-1 was the 138th in support of ISS assembly and maintenance, totaling 861 hours, 34 minutes. It was the 110th spacewalk out of the space station, totaling 674 hours, 19 minutes.
Tranquility is the final major US segment to be attached to the gigantic orbiting outpost, which spans the length of a football field. The combined weight of the ISS and shuttle exceeds 1 million pounds for the first time. Construction of the ISS is now over 90% complete.
Tranquility will house “many of the stations critical life support systems”, says Mike Suffredini, who is the lead manager of the ISS for NASA. Tranquility is outfitted with environmental control equipment for revitalizing the station atmosphere and removing contaminants, generating oxygen and providing breathable air, carbon dioxide removal, recycling waste water into potable drinking water, the crew toilet and the Colbert Treadmill for crew exercise. Suffredini told me in a prior interview that, “Many of the Tranquility racks are already aboard the ISS in the Destiny module and just need to be moved and installed. Their relocation will free up research space in Destiny”.
Earlier STS 130/ISS and SDO articles by Ken Kremer
