Author Topic: STS-130  (Read 72037 times)

bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #90 on: February 21, 2010, 08:14:21 PM »
Thanks christra, that's exactly what I was looking for. I live in Orlando and if it approaches from the South we don't usually hear the sonic booms - but from the West we hear it everytime.

desktopsimmer

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #91 on: February 21, 2010, 08:43:03 PM »
Just announced on NASA TV:
Looks like there's a forecast of low cloud cover and an elevated chance of rain at KSC.
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bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #92 on: February 22, 2010, 08:14:23 AM »
Hey,

Just heard about 10 mins ago that the de-orbit is a GO!

GL, STS-130

neosonic2k

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #93 on: February 22, 2010, 08:19:53 AM »
Deorbit burn complete, they're on their way back home! Landing is at KSC, runway 15.
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bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #94 on: February 22, 2010, 09:04:08 AM »
Yep, now 17 mins to touchdown.

bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #95 on: February 22, 2010, 09:18:05 AM »
YES!!! We just got te Sonic Booms!!!

bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #96 on: February 22, 2010, 09:24:23 AM »
What's kind of wierd is the APU seems to be 'on fire" more than normal.... watch the landing...

bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #97 on: February 22, 2010, 09:48:09 AM »
About damn time [APU Shutdown], I thoght that he APU was gonna cause a fire on the Shuttle.  Very strange behavior....

Oh well, only 4 missiions left......

Moonwalker

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #98 on: February 22, 2010, 01:16:43 PM »
The APU exhaust really looks like fire this tine. But for now NASA did not mention anything.

desktopsimmer

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #99 on: February 22, 2010, 03:41:47 PM »
I've just watched the replay, The APU 'flare' can be seen normally in IR, it's rare that it can been seen visually. Here's STS-123 Night Landing

STS-123 Landing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghvsDE_jgrY&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-123#March_27_.28Flight_day_17.2C_landing.29

STS-115 Landing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21UK5Q2wwo
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bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #100 on: February 23, 2010, 03:25:32 AM »
On my Twitter I follow Miles O'Brien (Spaceflightnow.com commentator) was tweeting about the APU and how the Public Affairs Officer didn't even mention it...

desktopsimmer

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #101 on: February 23, 2010, 03:51:46 AM »
Miles O'Brien, the Trekkie fellow from DS9? :) He must get some stick with that name :)

It's strange how it has 'never' been seen before. Okay, the exhaust temperature is over 1000 Degs Celsius, and I think that the air would 'ignite' if there was a 'fuel' and oxygen present (most likely that they are).

However, to have at least a dozen night landing missions where it has never been seen and it's only just starting to happen, well, if I was a manager or a engineer associated to the APUs, I would be asking a lot of questions.

The only thing I can think of has the APU been modified to run a different mix of fuel recently?
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desktopsimmer

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #102 on: February 23, 2010, 03:56:09 AM »
Nice Picture taken from Cupola by Astro_Soichi :)

http://twitpic.com/14of2q
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bradleyjs

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #103 on: February 23, 2010, 04:06:19 AM »
Miles O'Brien, the Trekkie fellow from DS9? :) He must get some stick with that name :)

It's strange how it has 'never' been seen before. Okay, the exhaust temperature is over 1000 Degs Celsius, and I think that the air would 'ignite' if there was a 'fuel' and oxygen present (most likely that they are).

However, to have at least a dozen night landing missions where it has never been seen and it's only just starting to happen, well, if I was a manager or a engineer associated to the APUs, I would be asking a lot of questions.

The only thing I can think of has the APU been modified to run a different mix of fuel recently?

If I'm not mistaken, the APU runs on Hydrazine - which alone will kill you if inhaled. Seems to me that it might have had a slight leak or something to that effect.

And, I agree with you, if I were a manager/engineer, I would be looking into this "potential" issue/anomoly.

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Re: STS-130
« Reply #104 on: February 23, 2010, 04:07:42 AM »
Nice Picture taken from Cupola by Astro_Soichi :)

http://twitpic.com/14of2q

Nice view!

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