|
   |
 |
                 
|
UPDATE # 42 - April 12, 1998 PART 1: Special Internet programs connect
you with Neurolab SPECIAL INTERNET PROGRAMS CONNECT YOU WITH NEUROLAB
This week brings the planned launch of NeuroLab on board STS-90. Seven astronauts and a large team on the ground will undertake a 16-day mission to study brains and nervous systems in space. The Quest team will be bringing you unprecedented coverage of the mission. On the web, NeurOn delivers stories with a behind-the-scenes flavor at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron In addition, the Learning Technologies Channel offers the following live interactive programs: "And Now... From Banana Creek" Thursday, April 16, 9:30 a.m. - 11:10 a.m. Pacific This program will originate from Banana Creek, the place at Kennedy Space Center where VIPs view shuttle launches. Interviews with excited onlookers will help you feel the excitement leading up to liftoff--. Comments from special guests will provide you with new insights into the activities around a launch. All of this will be interspersed with video from the launchpad and elsewhere at KSC. Throughout the week, "NeurOn At The Launch" features Linda Conrad, a Questie who is at Kennedy Space Center with the NeuroLab team. On audio only, Linda will be sharing stories about the pre-launch preparations. * Monday, April 13, 10:30 am - 11:00 am Pacific Stories from Kennedy Space Center * Tuesday, April 14, 9:00 am - 9:30 am Pacific The Astronauts Arrive! * Wednesday, April 15, 11:30 am - 12:00 pm Pacific "Launch Minus 24"... hours that is As well, Linda will be providing special commentary on Thursday, April 16, immediately after the launch. All of the details can be found from the schedule section of the Learning Technologies Channel at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc TOUR THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE MOCKUP
Prepare for another live virtual tour of the real Space Station mockup at Johnson Space Center. Scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 from 10:00 am - 11:00 am Pacific, this program will take us through the most realistic model of the International Space Station. Here, engineers make sure equipment will fit properly and astronauts practice their future Station missions. Visits to other training facilities (like the giant swimming pool where spacewalks are simulated) are also planned. More information is available at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/sto/tour2.html BILINGUAL CHATS AND CHATS WITH ACCOMPLISHED WOMEN
During April and May, Quest is hosting a series of Spanish/English web chats. Questions asked in Spanish will be answered in Spanish, and questions asked in English will be answered in English. These chats will help both native Spanish and English speakers practice their second language skills while learning about great jobs and careers at NASA. To see a complete list of these special chats, visit: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/bilingual On April 23 the United States celebrates Take Our Daughters To Work Day. Many employees takes their daughters to work to expose them to a variety of career options. Quest will join in the fun by presenting a day full of chats with accomplished women in a variety of fields (not limited to just science or technology careers). These extraordinary women will help highlight the wide diversity of career options available to girls today. Please consider joining us by visiting http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/TODTWD98/overview.1998.html [Editor's note: Elizabeth graduated from college recently and is working as a flight controller for the space shuttle. Her group is in charge of the payloads (the experiments and satellites) that the shuttle carries into space. During a mission, Elizabeth has to know the right things to do when a payload is not working correctly.] EVERYTHING BREAKS ON THE SHUTTLE!
Elizabeth Bloomer http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/kuttesch.html April 3, l998 Well, I have been working for a group called Payload Operations for 7 months now. When I started working for the group they gave me lots and lots of books to read. I had to learn about all different parts of the shuttle - the electrical system, the mechanical system, the communication system, and many more things! After I had been reading for a while, I started taking classes about what I had been reading. These classes are called Single System Training (SST) classes - and they are a lot of fun! You go into a room that has been changed to look like the cockpit of the space shuttle and practice doing different things - like opening the payload bay doors or setting up computers. After I took my SST classes, I started practicing in Mission Control. Our practices there are called simulations and we pretend that there is a shuttle mission going on. During the simulations, our trainers make things go wrong and break, and it is up to us to fix things if we can. It gets to be very hard when lots of things are breaking at once! Only a few weeks ago I was certified - which means that the trainers thought I knew enough about the shuttle payloads to be allowed to work during a real space shuttle mission. Right now my first time to work in Mission Control will be during STS-93, which will launch in December. Outside of work, I have been jogging a lot lately. There is a 5K "Space Race" this weekend - and I want to beat my Dad (he runs a lot). Wish me luck! [Editor's note: Kurt works at the Graphical Research and Analysis Facility Laboratory, or GRAF Lab for short. He develops software which draws realistic views of the Shuttle and Station to help experimenters better plan their work in space. More of Kurt's numerous journals are available at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/journals/bush] CNN WANTS MY ANIMATIONS!
Kurt Bush http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/bush.html March 17, l998 I found out that the animation about the TRANSHAB module is requested by Cable News Network (CNN). I thought that was pretty neat. To think that my work may be broadcast across the world . . . To refresh your memory, the TRANSHAB module is a proposed module for the International Space Station (ISS). It is also planned to be a part of the manned Mars mission equipment, if NASA decides to go forward with it. Also this week, I printed out some pictures to be used by the astronauts on STS-91. This is a mission to the Mir Space Station. They wanted to see how the damaged solar panel looked out the window of the Mir. These pictures get put in a book to be sent into space with them. If they have a question about what they are seeing they just have to check the book. I also made some pictures for a proposed design on a section of the International Space Station. They want to build a type of desk in front of one of the space station windows, but before they can do that they have to check a few things. Mainly, they are checking to see if people can close the window (viewport) with the desk there. At home, my kittens are almost two years old and they are still nutty as ever. One cat (Chin-Chin) loves to get wet; showers, faucets, and water pistols are her favorite things. Another cat (Nanook) is a food monster. He would eat us out of house and home if he could. Our third kitten (Sam) likes to play splash-splash in the water bowl. He even digs with both paws in the bowl, and we've have the six day water bowl. So that leaves a huge puddle in the kitchen. To top it all off, these kittens are as uncoordinated as ever.
Below, we'll provide some details about the post flight work being done after STS-87 and the subsequent processing of Columbia as it prepares to fly again as STS-90. These reports will contain jargon and unfamiliar terms; our intent is not to confuse you, but to provide a glimpse at all the steps involved. Detailed daily reports about Columbia's processing can be found at the NASA Shuttle Status web site at http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm Since the last updates-sto message, Columbia's Shuttle Interface Test was successfully concluded. On March 23, the Shuttle made the 4.2 mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building to launch Pad 39B atop the crawler transporter. The Rotating Service Structure was then extended around the Shuttle. Launch pad validations took place and Columbia's main engine Flight Readiness Test was completed. Many other tests were performed, including: main engine ball seal leak check, auxiliary power unit interface leak checks, helium signature leak test and orbiter midbody umbilical unit mate and leak checks. Purging of the gaseous nitrogen (GN2) lines on the mobile launch platform took place. Minor hydrocarbon buildup from previous launch activities made necessary a cleaning of the GN2 equipment. This work happened without problem and concluded with the drying of the GN2 lines and a reassembly of the gaseous nitrogen panel. NASA managers considered opening Columbia's payload bay to give technicians access to two bolts on a getaway special canister. There was concern that the bolts were improperly secured, so a washer was to be added to each bolt. The minor unplanned work would not have impacted the launch date. After reviewing available payload data, NASA managers became confident that the two bolts were properly secured and ready for flight, so opening the orbiter's payload bay doors to access the GASCAN was not necessary. The STS-90 flight crew arrived at KSC on March 29 and participated in mission familiarization, including the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test with a full dress, simulated main engine shutoff. On April 4, the STS-90 Flight Readiness Review took place and NASA managers affirmed April 16 as Columbia's official launch date. A circuit breaker controller that supports main engine No. 2 failed a test. After cycling did not clear the problem, Columbia was powered down to allow workers to replace the faulty electrical circuit breaker. Managers decided to replace an integrated electronic assembly (IEA) in the aft of the left-hand solid rocket booster. The replaced IEA had transistors from the same manufacturing lot as those that had recently failed tests at KSC's SRB Assembly and Refurbishment Facility. The IEA replacement work was completed and retests were good. At Pad 39B, ordnance installation was completed and pyrotechnic initiator controller testing is in work. Payload early stow efforts are complete. Vertical stowage of the flight crew's systems is in work and orbiter aft compartment closeouts also continue. STS-90 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): * Launch countdown begins (April 13 at 2 a.m.) * Crew arrival (April 13 at 3:30 p.m.)
|
||
|
|
|
