Gareth Slee
2005-07-27 21:39:26 UTC
The crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery has awakened to its first full
day in space. Today it will focus on thermal protection system inspections,
preparing for docking to the International Space Station and getting
spacesuits ready for three spacewalks.
Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi
Noguchi, Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Charlie Camarda
received a wakeup call at 11:39 p.m. CDT. The song played for the crew was
music from the movie "Groundhog Day," which was for the entire crew to
commemorate its first day out of quarantine.
For most of the day, Thomas, Camarda and Kelly will work together on
Discovery's aft flight deck to inspect key components of the orbiter's heat
shield. For the majority of the inspections the new Orbiter Boom Sensor
System (OBSS) laser-scanner will be used. The Shuttle's robotic Canadarm
will be used to maneuver the 50-foot boom extension after checkout of the
system is completed.
In its debut performance, the boom will be used to methodically inspect the
leading edges of Discovery's wings and the orbiter's nose cap to insure that
they did not incur any damage during launch. The Laser Dynamic Range Imager
(LDRI) on the boom will provide two-and three-dimensional imagery. The data
will be downlinked to the ground for engineering evaluation.
After those surveys are complete the boom will be placed back on the
starboard sill of the payload bay. The Shuttle robotic arm and its cameras
will then be used to survey Discovery's crew cabin. Additionally, using
handheld digital cameras the crew will photograph tiles on the Orbital
Maneuvering System (OMS) pods and the orbiter's tail.
During Tuesday's ascent to orbit, the enhanced imaging capability gave
flight controllers and mission managers views of the Shuttle Orbiter never
seen before. With this heightened ability, engineers were able to see two
so-called "debris events." A camera mounted on the external tank caught what
appeared to be a small fragment of tile coming from Discovery's underside on
or near the nose gear doors. A later image about the time of Solid Rocket
Booster separation showed an unidentified piece departing from the tank and
exiting away, apparently not striking the orbiter. The crew was notified of
these observations and told that imaging experts would be analyzing the
pictures.
Mission managers will review the information gathered yesterday and today,
including imaging and sensor data, to help determine the health of Discovery
's thermal protection system over the next four days before it is cleared
for landing later in the flight. Data from the new wing leading edge sensors
was downlinked overnight to Mission Control for assessment.
Flight Day Four has time reserved for additional surveys, if required, using
the OBSS, either to complete parts of the survey that time would not allow
today, or to supplement the survey with "stop-and-stare" scans of sites of
potential interest.
Meanwhile, on the middeck, spacewalkers Noguchi and Robinson, assisted by
Lawrence, will check out the airlock, spacesuits and tools they will begin
using on Saturday. They will also prepare Shuttle systems for docking to the
Space Station.
Today Collins will fire Discovery's thrusters twice to refine its approach
to the Station. At about midnight, Discovery was trailing the Station by
6,516 statute miles. The two are scheduled to link up at 6:18 a.m. CDT
Thursday.
Today the Space Station crew, Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer
and NASA Science Officer John Phillips will prepare the complex for
Discovery's arrival. They will configure the digital cameras they will use
during Discovery's approach, gathering additional imagery of the Shuttle's
heat shield. They also will pressurize the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA
2) that Discovery will dock to Thursday.
day in space. Today it will focus on thermal protection system inspections,
preparing for docking to the International Space Station and getting
spacesuits ready for three spacewalks.
Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi
Noguchi, Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Charlie Camarda
received a wakeup call at 11:39 p.m. CDT. The song played for the crew was
music from the movie "Groundhog Day," which was for the entire crew to
commemorate its first day out of quarantine.
For most of the day, Thomas, Camarda and Kelly will work together on
Discovery's aft flight deck to inspect key components of the orbiter's heat
shield. For the majority of the inspections the new Orbiter Boom Sensor
System (OBSS) laser-scanner will be used. The Shuttle's robotic Canadarm
will be used to maneuver the 50-foot boom extension after checkout of the
system is completed.
In its debut performance, the boom will be used to methodically inspect the
leading edges of Discovery's wings and the orbiter's nose cap to insure that
they did not incur any damage during launch. The Laser Dynamic Range Imager
(LDRI) on the boom will provide two-and three-dimensional imagery. The data
will be downlinked to the ground for engineering evaluation.
After those surveys are complete the boom will be placed back on the
starboard sill of the payload bay. The Shuttle robotic arm and its cameras
will then be used to survey Discovery's crew cabin. Additionally, using
handheld digital cameras the crew will photograph tiles on the Orbital
Maneuvering System (OMS) pods and the orbiter's tail.
During Tuesday's ascent to orbit, the enhanced imaging capability gave
flight controllers and mission managers views of the Shuttle Orbiter never
seen before. With this heightened ability, engineers were able to see two
so-called "debris events." A camera mounted on the external tank caught what
appeared to be a small fragment of tile coming from Discovery's underside on
or near the nose gear doors. A later image about the time of Solid Rocket
Booster separation showed an unidentified piece departing from the tank and
exiting away, apparently not striking the orbiter. The crew was notified of
these observations and told that imaging experts would be analyzing the
pictures.
Mission managers will review the information gathered yesterday and today,
including imaging and sensor data, to help determine the health of Discovery
's thermal protection system over the next four days before it is cleared
for landing later in the flight. Data from the new wing leading edge sensors
was downlinked overnight to Mission Control for assessment.
Flight Day Four has time reserved for additional surveys, if required, using
the OBSS, either to complete parts of the survey that time would not allow
today, or to supplement the survey with "stop-and-stare" scans of sites of
potential interest.
Meanwhile, on the middeck, spacewalkers Noguchi and Robinson, assisted by
Lawrence, will check out the airlock, spacesuits and tools they will begin
using on Saturday. They will also prepare Shuttle systems for docking to the
Space Station.
Today Collins will fire Discovery's thrusters twice to refine its approach
to the Station. At about midnight, Discovery was trailing the Station by
6,516 statute miles. The two are scheduled to link up at 6:18 a.m. CDT
Thursday.
Today the Space Station crew, Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer
and NASA Science Officer John Phillips will prepare the complex for
Discovery's arrival. They will configure the digital cameras they will use
during Discovery's approach, gathering additional imagery of the Shuttle's
heat shield. They also will pressurize the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA
2) that Discovery will dock to Thursday.
--
Gareth Slee
Gareth Slee