STS-124, Kibo to the ISS Options

[jmjawors]

EVA #1 has begun, just shy of one hour late. This spacewalk was delayed by a communications issue with one of the suits.

[kspace]

Here is another article on that damage

httpwww.spaceflightnow.comshuttlests124080601pad

[dvandorn]

I have no idea if this contributed to the pad damage, but I thought it quite noticeable that Discovery's rise off the pad was significantly slower than I'm used to seeing for a shuttle. I attributed it to the weight of Kibo, which IIRC is one of the heaviest payloads the shuttle has ever carried.

Could a fractional increase in the time it took for the stack to clear the pad have added enough stress to the flame diversion pits and the entire pad structure that damage you wouldn't have seen after a "regular" launch was caused by this one?

The flame trench, after all, has stood up to eleven Saturn V launches and countless (nearing 100) shuttle launches. Is it merely age and wear that finally got to it this time, I wonder, or a slightly more stressful launch sequence?

-the other Doug

[ugordan]

It didn't look that much slower to me. The Saturns took forever to get off the pad on the other hand. I'd say this is just age doing its thing.

[nprev]

I agree. Aging infrastructure problems rear their ugly head again. Whatever sort of mortar or adhesive that held the bricks together looks like it finally gave up the ghost.

[BPCooper]

The difference between a 32,000 lbs module or even having an empty payload bay has little effect on 7.5 million lbs of thrust.

This was not even the heaviest ISS piece taken up by the shuttle, remember.

[lyford]

The Saturns took forever to get off the pad on the other hand.

And looked so much the more awesome for it

[Stu]

NASA TV currently showing some very cool footage of Kibo being unberthed from Discovery...



(Don't know if it's live or not; I just got up and that's what they're showing...)

Edit: ah. Obviously not live as they're now showing something else. Oh well, still great pics

[jmjawors]

That was from the 'flight day highlights' video package they air during the crew's sleep period, and showed part of the installation of Kibo. Today we get our first peek inside.

[ilbasso]

OK, I have to say something about Karen Nyberg's hair. As a red-blooded male, I'm 100% in favor of long blonde hair, but hers looks kinda dangerous floating around in microgravity! I have seen Dr. Nyberg tie her hair back or put it up on a few of the inflight videos, but I'm watching it float all over the place again this morning. Wouldn't you think that would create some horrendous tangles? I remember that Judith Resnick's hair actually got caught in the IMAX camera on an early Shuttle mission.

OK, got that out of my system.

[lyford]

Well, no one beats Sunita for long locks....
Would she be a member of the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists?

[jmjawors]

Installation of the air pump into the station toilet is complete, and after several test runs appears to be working just fine now.

[MahFL]

Installation of the air pump into the station toilet is complete, and after several test runs appears to be working just fine now.

".....ahhhhhhh....." sounds from the Station......

[dvandorn]

The difference between a 32,000 lbs module or even having an empty payload bay has little effect on 7.5 million lbs of thrust.

This was not even the heaviest ISS piece taken up by the shuttle, remember.

True, this was not the heaviest Shuttle to launch. If I'm remembering correctly, the heaviest stack at liftoff wasn't even an ISS msission -- that honor goes to the flight that launched Hubble. Again, IIRC.

However, um... I thought the Shuttle stack generated a total of about 6.5 million lbs of thrust (or whateve the heck that is in Newtons) at liftoff, roughly 2.5 million per SRB and a total of 1.5 million for the three SSMEs. The Saturn V developed a design spec of 7.5 million, and with the F-1 engines uprated slightly (higher fuel and oxidizer flows) for the J missions, could be made to generate 7.7 million.

A difference of 20,000 or 30,000 lbs payload weight would, I would think, have a perceptible impact on the initial climb rate, though. Remember, we're not talking using 6.5 million lbs of thrust to lift just that payload -- the Shuttle stack itself at liftoff, without payload, weighs something on the order of 6 million lbs. It's the overage between the thrust and the liftoff weight that determines rate of climb. The Saturn V weighed more than 7 million lbs at liftoff, the overage of thrust to weight was less than you get with the Shuttle, hence the slower climb-off.

-the other Doug

[dvandorn]

Installation of the air pump into the station toilet is complete, and after several test runs appears to be working just fine now.

Good. I was concerned that the meet-and-greet after hatch opening Monday was going to consist of Volkov saying "Hello, welcome to Alpha. Now get out of the way, we need to use your toilet!"



-the other Doug