STS-118

STS-118 indicates a mission of the American Space shuttle. It is about the first flight of the Orbiteur Endeavor since the loss of Columbia in 2003 and of the 22e flight of shuttle bound for the International space station.

Crew

Commander: Scott Kelly (2) the United States
Pilot: Charles Hobaugh (2) the United States
Specialist in mission 1: Richard A. Mastracchio (2) the United States
Specialist in mission 2: Dafydd Williams (2) Canada
Specialist in mission 3: Tracy Caldwell (1) the United States
Specialist in mission 4: Barbara Morgan (1) the United States
Specialist in mission 5: B. Alvine Drew (1) the United States

Le figure between brackets indicates the number of space flights accomplished by the astronaut, STS-118 inclus.

Objectives

Mission STS-118 is intended to continue the assembly of the International space station.

Endeavor brings to the station the segment of beam S5 as well as a new platform external of storage (external Stowage Platform) and a Gyroscope of replacement.

This flight will be the last to carry the module Spacehab, a pressurized habitat placed in the compartment of the shuttle and making it possible the crew to store material and to carry out experiments scientist

The duration envisaged of the mission was 10 days, 19 hours and 27 minutes. But it was prolonged three days with a landing at the fifteenth day, after the new system of transfer of electricity of ISS to the orbitor was tested. This system, for which the three shuttles were modified, will make it possible to save their piles with hydrogen.

Three left extravéhiculaires one duration 6 hours and half each one approximately at the fourth, sixth and eighth days of the mission was envisaged in the beginning. The prolongation of the mission allows fourth a one duration exit equivalent to the tenth day.

Unfolding

August 8th (launching and first day of flight)

Beginning of the filling of the external reservoir of the space shuttle with 8:11 HAE (local time) (12h11 UTC), this one finishes with 11:00 HAE.
Arrived of the crew on the launching pad at 19:02 UTC.
Takeoff with 18:36 m36s HAE (22h36m36s UTC).
Separation of the two powder strap-on boosters with 18:39 HAE (22h39m30s).
Cut of the principal engine to 18:45 m30s HAE (22h45m30s UTC).
Separation of the external reservoir to 18:45 m45s HAE (22h45m45s UTC).

August 9th (second day of flight)

August 10th (third day of flight)

Stowing with the International space station ISS with 14:02 m HAE (18h02m UTC).
Started of the SSPTS (Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System), a system allowing the shuttle to supply itself in electricity since the ISS. This system makes it possible to convert more than 8 kilowatts of power starting from the source into 120 volts DC of the station in 28 volts DC for the shuttle. This installation will prolong the stowing of the shuttle at the one duration space station from two to three days.

August 11th (fourth day of flight)

First vehicular extra exit of Dafydd Williams and Richard A. Mastracchio. The goal of this first exit of the mission which is also a first for the two astronauts, is to connect the segment of beam S5 to the space station. 13:00 m HAE (17h00m UTC).

August 12th (fifth day of flight)

The astronauts make an inspection meticulous person of the lower part of the shuttle Endeavor to analyze in-depth the damage caused at the beginning of the shuttle, when a foam part placed very close to a beam of support of the principal tank was dislodged first of all to strike another beam of support of the tank then to rebound the lower part of the right wing of the navette.
Pour this to make the astronauts use the Canadian arm on the shuttle to capture an extension of the arm, the OBSS (Orbital Boom Sensor System) which supports the instruments laser and finally to give this extension to the arm of the international space station (the Canadian arm n°2 or Canadarm 2), which it will make the observations lower part of the shuttle. 09:00 m HAE (13: 00 UTC).

August 13rd (sixth day of flight)

Official announcement of a prolongation of the duration of the three days mission.
Second exit extravéhiculaire with Dafydd Williams and Richard A. Mastracchio to replace a Gyroscope defective. More than one hour was necessary to remove the CMG (Control Movement Gyroscope) defective of its position. 11:33 m HAE (15h33 UTC)

August 14th (seventh day of flight)

the 38e birthday of Tracy Caldwell was marked by a very personal musical alarm clock.
With 11:17 m HAE (15h17m UTC) the module Zarya was with its: 50000e orbit i.e. with a mileage of 2,2 billion kilometers.
the seventh day of flight at summer mainly devoted to the transfer of ESP-3 (external Stowage Platform - Platform of External Arrangement) of the shuttle towards ISS. ESP being a platform to fasten various components and spare parts, which could break down on the ISS, the CMG (Control Movement Gyroscope) being an good example of an element being found on the ESP-3. As its name indicates it ESP-3 is the third platform on the ISS. The ESP-1 was installed on the hull of the Destiny laboratory on March 13rd, 2001 at the time of a vehicular extra exit at the time of the mission STS-102. The ESP-2 was brought to the ISS at the time of the mission STS-114, in July 2006, it was moored with the hopper of the Quest module. It is here about another first for the mission STS-118, it is indeed the first time that ESP is installed without a vehicular extra exit (SEV). Barbara Morgan with the assistance of Tracy Caldwell used the arm Canadian manipulator of the shuttle to dislodge the ESP-3 of the compartment of the shuttle to pass it to the Canadarm-2 arms of the ISS which was handled to him by Clayton Anderson. Anderson then moored it on the P3 beam of the ISS. All the operation was completely robotized. There be then a session of public affairs or the astronauts answered some questions of the pupils of the school of Boise in Idaho. During a discussion with the television channel CBS (the United States), ordering it Scott Kelly revealed not to be anxious as for the damage made with the tiles of the shuttle at the time of its departure, and which it was interdependent with the decisions of NASA. “My comprehension is that the damage with the tiles does not constitute an security issue for the crew, I am not anxious for our safety”, it confirmed during the discussion with CBS.
During the briefing of the team of management of the mission, Kirk Shireman, manager of the program of the ISS, with reported that the installation of ESP had occurred well; that the new gyroscope functioned well, and that the passage of the ESP-3 of the arm of the shuttle to that of the ISS had occurred also well. The new Russian computer sent to replace a computer which had broken down was started and of the tests will be carried out at the end of August.
John Shannon reports that all the components and systems of the shuttle are in excellent conditions. Certain checks are still necessary in order to determine if there will be a vehicular extra exit in order to repair the damaged tiles.

August 15th (eighth day of flight)

Rick Mastracchio and Clayton Anderson, were the main actors of the third vehicular extra exit, which began with 14:37 m UTC. During this one, both kart CETA (Crew external Accessory Translation) were moved. The CETA is a kind of mobile toolbox which can be slipped on rails of the ISS to facilitate its access to the astronauts. Defective the P6 transponder, was recovered, the S-Band antenna was moved P6 beam towards the P1 beam. During an inspection of routine of their gloves, Mastracchio noticed a light tear on the inch of its left glove. For this reason NASA with decided to finish the vehicular extra exit with 20:05 m UTC, an examination more deepened and photographs of the gloves were made at the time of the return of the astronauts to the ISS. The space exit made it possible to achieve all the activities envisaged except one, the withdrawal of PUT, an instrument of research and study, left there at the time of a preceding mission. On the station, the members of the crew continued with the transshipment of the cargaison.
During the of-briefing of the MT (Mission TEAM Management), Joel Montalbano confirmed that the tear of the glove of Mastracchio, forever endangered the integrity of the spacesuit of this one, and that the decision to curtail the exit is a measure of precaution, that detailed photographs and that additional analyzes will be carried out before the fourth exit. Montalbano also confirmed that this fourth exit will not be done before Saturday, on August 18th. Paul Boehm, person in charge of the vehicular extra exits, confirmed that the majority of the objectives of the exit had been reached, and it supported that to in no case there was danger of escape on the spacesuit of Mastracchio.
Steve Doering, also of the office of the vehicular extra exits, commented on the problems of the gloves of Richard Mastracchio. The made inspections of routine every 30 minutes at the time of an exit, were introduced after mission SST-116, when a tear had appeared on one of the gloves of Robert Curbeams, at the time of a space exit. A spacesuit includes/understands 5 thicknesses of material, the second level, starting from outside is manufactured in “Vectran”, a material very resistant to the tear. The tear of the glove of Mastracchio was on this level. Before the next exit, an in-depth study, with the trace of all the way traversed by Mastracchio at the time of this exit will be accomplished. A study of the first two exits of Mastracchio will be also faite.
John Shannon noted that no decision was still made about the damage caused with the tile S of the shuttle, and that the fourth exit had been given to Saturday. The engineering team responsible for a possible repair of the shield, continues her analysis of the possible hazards of such an intervention as well as other related risks. Shannon specified that a final decision will be probably made Thursday. Shannon is known as trustful in the fact that an exit will not be nécessaire.

With 20:58 m HAE (00h58m (August 16th) UTC) NASA announces via the mission leader John Shannon that a vehicular extra exit to carry out repairs with the shield of the shuttle, is not considered.

August 16th (ninth day of flight)

August 17th (tenth day of flight)

August 18th (eleventh day of flight)

The hoppers between Endeavor and the ISS are hermetically closed.

August 19th (twelfth day of flight)

Endeavor was detached without encumber the Sunday the 19th of the International space station (ISS) to 11:56 GMT, that is to say one day earlier than envisaged, in order to be able to be posed before the hurricane Dean does not become a threat for the control center of Houston.

the traditional flight around the ISS, intended to photograph it to show the projection of its construction, was not carried out but was replaced by a last inspection of the heatshield of Endeavor, which did not reveal a new damage

August 20th (thirteenth day of flight)

August 21st (fourteenth day of flight)

Landing at the Kennedy space center with 12:32 m HAE (16h32m UTC)

Musical alarm clocks

Like habit on the American space flights since the Program Gemini, the astronauts are awaked by a song which is generally dedicated more particularly to the one of them.

Second day: Where My Heart Will Take Me by Russell Watson (generic of the series Star Trek: Enterprise): played for the specialist in mission Rick Mastracchio. WAV MP3
Third day: Mr. Blue Sky by the group Electric Light Orchestrated: played for the commander Scott Kelly. WAV MP3
Fourth day: Gravity by John Mayer: played for the pilot Charles O. Hobaugh. WAV MP3
Fifth day: Up! by Shania Twain: played for the specialist in mission Dafydd Williams. WAV MP3
Sixth day: Outa-Space by Billy Preston: played for the Alvine specialist in mission Drew. WAV MP3
Seventh day: Happy birthday (sung by the nieces and nephews of Tracy) played for the specialist in mission Tracy Caldwell for its birthday. WAV MP3
Eighth day: Good Morning World played for the specialist in mission Barbara Morgan, written and sung by his/her son Adam. WAV MP3
Ninth day: Times Like Thesis by the Foo Fighters: played for the specialist in mission Rick Mastracchio. WAV MP3
Tenth day: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall: played for the specialist in mission Tracy Caldwell. WAV MP3
Eleventh day: Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters: played for the Alvine specialist in mission Drew. WAV MP3
Twelfth day: Teacher, Teacher by the Special group .38: played for the specialist in mission Barbara Morgan. WAV MP3
Thirteenth day: Flying by the group Long John Baldry Trio: played for the specialist in mission Dafydd Williams. WAV MP3
Fourteenth day: Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel: played for the crew in entirety. WAV MP3

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