Team Evaluates Possible Lightning Strike Near Pad

The space shuttle launch team is evaluating a possible lightning strike within one third of a mile from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Engineers will review data to determine if the lightning affected space shuttle Atlantis or any of the pad's ground support equipment. A continuing band of thunderstorms has prevented teams from conducting a detailed pad inspection, which must be performed before the Rotating Service Structure can be rolled back from the shuttle.

After the rollback, the teams will continue work that must be performed before fueling Atlantis' external tank early tomorrow morning. The rollback originally was planned for 2 p.m. EDT.

At this morning's briefing, Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

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Weather Delays Rotating Service Structure Rollback

Bad weather that moved into area of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has delayed the scheduled rollback of the Rotating Service Structure surrounding space shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A.

With the scheduled liftoff of Atlantis just one day away, Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer, conducted the last countdown status briefing of the Space Shuttle Program this morning.

Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. EDT liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.

"Our teams here and really all around the world have been working extremely hard for quite awhile on this particular mission to make sure the vehicle and the payload are ready for hopefully a magnificent launch on Friday," said NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

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Rotating Service Structure Move Set for Noon

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Launch Pad 39A's Rotating Service Structure now is targeted to roll back from space shuttle Atlantis at 12 p.m. EDT, two hours earlier than originally planned.

With the scheduled launch of Atlantis just one day away, Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer, conducted the last countdown status briefing of the Space Shuttle Program.

Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. EDT liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.

"Our teams here and really all around the world have been working extremely hard for quite awhile on this particular mission to make sure the vehicle and the payload are ready for hopefully a magnificent launch on Friday," said NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

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Countdown in Planned Hold; Briefing at 10 a.m. EDT

At 5 a.m. EDT, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

This morning's countdown status briefing is scheduled for 10 a.m. The briefing will be carried live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv. Panelists are Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

The updated STS-135 launch weather forecast remains the same as yesterday, with a 30 percent prediction for favorable weather.

The STS-135 astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's scheduled 11:26 a.m. liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.

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End of an Era: Weather Briefings and Communicating Uncertainty

By Carla Voorhees

Kathy Winters is an Air Force Civilian Meteorologist at the 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. She is the Space Shuttle Launch Weather Officer providing weather support to the Space Shuttle Program at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as the Launch Team prepares for the 8 July 2011 launch of Atlantis. You can find out more about the 45th Space Wing at their Facebook page.

We had two significant weather briefings Wednesday, 6 July: the 45th Space Wing Launch Readiness Review and the Shuttle Mission Management Team Launch minus 2-day meeting. Both meetings are essential to determine launch readiness, and weather is one piece of the large puzzle of things that must come together for launch. During these meetings, our squadron presents weather forecasts for the rotating service structure retract, tanking, solid rocket booster recovery, launch, plus 24- and 48- hour launch delay forecasts. Spaceflight Meteorology Group also presents the abort landing weather during the Shuttle Mission Management Team meeting. During the briefings, weather threats are highlighted so the Shuttle and Space Wing teams know what to expect. Sometimes NASA managers change the time of a pre-launch operation if the current schedule puts the launch countdown at risk for a weather delay, but the launch window itself is not modified since it is based upon the rendezvous with the International Space Station on-orbit.

After the Mission Management Team meeting, I attend a press conference with the Shuttle Launch Director, Mike Leinbach, and the Shuttle Launch Integration Manager, Mike Moses.  Our squadron Launch Weather Officers interact with them often since weather affects so many Shuttle operations. We provide a weather briefing to Mike Leinbach and his team every weekday morning to plan ground operations around the weather, if necessary. We increase the briefings to a few updates per day when a hurricane threatens the Florida East Coast. Mike Moses and Mike Leinbach have heard so many of my weather briefings that they can tell from the tone of my voice how certain or uncertain I am about a particular weather forecast. One NASA manager called this “Human Capital,” the rapport these managers build with their team which results in the synergy needed during a challenging situation, such as a Shuttle rollback decision.

Another way we describe the forecast confidence in a particular weather situation is through probability forecasts. For launch, we provide the “Probability of KSC Weather Prohibiting Launch,” as opposed to an absolute forecast. We also provide probabilities for constraint violations during ground operations.  In fact, many Shuttle constraints include probabilities, such as for Shuttle rollout, the constraint is “no more than a 10% chance of lightning within 20nm.” If you view our weekly planning forecast, you will see the probability of precipitation and lightning our customers use for planning purposes. These probability forecasts help launch teams make cost/risk decisions.

Speaking of probabilities, Wednesday, we increased our probability of KSC weather prohibiting launch. Weather does not look good for Friday here on the Florida Space Coast! Check out our latest launch forecast.  Hopefully we’ll be able to launch Friday—check out the photo that shows you the view of the Shuttle launch from our building!

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NASA Ames Features Live Broadcast of Final Space Shuttle Launch

Rachel Hoover

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- News media are invited to observe a live televised broadcast as space shuttle Atlantis makes its final ascent to the International Space Station at 8:26 a.m. PDT Friday, July 8, in the Exploration Center at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. The STS-135 mission is the final flight of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

In addition to seeing the broadcast, attendees will have an opportunity to participate in hands-on activities and hear from Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden; Jack Boyd, senior advisor to the Ames Center Director and Ames History Office, who will discuss Ames’ role in the development and operation of the space shuttle; and Ken Souza, senior scientist with the Space Biology Project at Ames, who will describe various Ames-supported life science experiments aboard space shuttle Atlantis.

Atlantis will carry a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and bring back a failed ammonia pump to help NASA better understand and improve pump designs for future systems. It also will deliver spare parts to sustain space station operations after the shuttles retire from service.

Reporters must send requests for media credentials to Rachel Hoover at rachel.hoover@nasa.gov by 5 p.m. PDT Thursday, July 7. Worden, Boyd, Souza and other NASA officials are available for interviews immediately following the launch until 10 a.m.

WHEN:

Friday, July 8, 2011 (all times PDT)

- 7 a.m.: Exploration Center opens

- 7:30 a.m.: Presentations

- 8:15: The Immersive Theater broadcasts NASA TV pre-launch coverage

- 8:26 a.m.: Launch

- 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Hands-on activities

WHERE:

NASA's Exploration Center is the large white dome located at the main gate of NASA's Ames Research Center. To reach NASA Ames, take U.S. Highway 101 to the Moffett Field, NASA Parkway exit and drive east on Moffett Boulevard towards the main gate and bear right into the parking lot.

A NASA blog will update the countdown beginning at 3:30 a.m. PDT on July 8. Originating from Kennedy's Launch Control Center, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle website may read about the crew's progress. As Atlantis’ flight concludes, the NASA blog will detail the spacecraft's return to Earth.

For NASA's launch blog and continuous mission updates, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For other blog coverage, visit http://bit.ly/oSQelZ.

To watch Atlantis’ launch online, tune in to NASA Television, at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about the Exploration Center's special shuttle programming, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/events/index.html.

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End of an Era: The Role of Ascension Island in Shuttle Launches

By Carla Voorhees

Major Ingrid C. Kaat is the commander of Detachment 2, 45 Operations Group, Ascension Auxiliary Airfield, Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean

There are many sites around the world designated as Emergency Landing Sites, and Detachment 2 at Ascension Island is one of those.

Should the Shuttle encounter an emergency and require landing at our location, my position would assume the role of Incident Commander, and serve as the conduit of information between Detachment 2 and NASA representatives.

The Fire and Security team bear the primary responsibility for dealing with any major incident. Their functions include setting up a convoy, establishing the toxic corridor and security perimeter, and assisting with astronaut egress after landing. Hazardous Materials and Medical Teams would also be called upon. The emergency response required after the landing is highly dependent on the condition of the orbiter and its team. Given the remote location and the relatively small size of Detachment 2, NASA would automatically generate a contingency response force to arrive within 24 hours. For the first 24 hours, the on-island response would indeed be international. We would potentially request medical and fire support from the Ascension Island Government and Royal Air Force.

A second function Detachment 2 fulfills for shuttle support is providing orbital tracking via Radar 12.15. Radar 12.15 at Ascension Island is the only equatorial sensor in the Western Hemisphere, and it is capable of tracking over 200 objects per day. For NASA support specifically, Radar 12.15 is tasked with tracking the International Space Station seven days in advance of a shuttle launch to assist in refining the launch time. In addition, Radar 12.15 may be tasked to track the shuttle while in orbit or during docking and undocking from the Space Station.

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Launch Weather Forecast Remains 30 Percent "Go" for Friday

Following a meeting of the Mission Management Team this morning, STS-135 countdown and weather updates were provided at prelaunch news conference. Panelists included Mike Moses, Mission Management Team chair and space shuttle launch integration manager, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

"We had a really smooth Mission Management Team meeting today," said Moses. "The vehicle is in fantastic shape." In regard to the launch-day weather forecast, he added, "Before we go load the propellants into the tank we'll take a look at the weather and make sure it's really a good day to try that, and so at that point we'll be making a decision"

"The countdown so far is going extremely well," reported Leinbach. "We're not tracking anything at all that would prevent an on-time liftoff Friday morning."

"We have a tropical wave that's out in the Caribbean," explained Winters. "That wave is actually going to come into Florida along with a lot of tropical moisture that's down to the south, and it's all going to roll into Florida in the next couple of days." Based on these conditions, Winters predicted an 80 percent chance of weather preventing tanking operations, with a 70 percent chance of it standing in the way of launch at 11:26 a.m. on Friday.

The countdown for this final space shuttle launch began yesterday at 1 p.m. This morning at the T-27 hour mark, the countdown entered a planned hold at 5 a.m. and resumed at 9 a.m.

The Atlantis astronauts awoke at 4:30 a.m. to continue their preparations for launch.

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Training Days

On July 5, STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson and pilot Doug Hurley perform touch-and-go landings aboard a Shuttle Training Aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The craft is a Gulfstream II jet that was modified to mimic the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. These practice landings are a part of standard training procedures.

Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

Image Credit: NASA/Cory Huston

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Countdown Continues Toward Friday's Launch

The countdown for the final space shuttle launch began yesterday at 1 p.m. EDT, starting at the T-43 hour mark. However, the weather forecast looks less than favorable for Friday's launch, with only a 30 percent chance of a "go" at the 11:26 a.m. liftoff time.

At the 10 a.m. precountdown status briefing yesterday, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber reported space shuttle Atlantis is ready for flight, and STS-135 payload manager Joe Delai said the payloads are ready to go as well. The only issue standing in the way of liftoff is the chance of showers and thunderstorms developing along the sea-breeze front reported by Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

Today's prelaunch news conference will begin at 11:30 a.m. EDT live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv. Participants will be Mike Moses, Mission Management Team chair and space shuttle launch integration manager, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

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STS-135 Countdown Begins at 1 p.m. Today

The countdown for the final space shuttle launch begins today at 1 p.m. EDT, but the launch-day weather forecast looks less than favorable.

At the 10 a.m. pre-countdown status briefing this morning, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber reported space shuttle Atlantis is ready for flight, and STS-135 payload manager Joe Delai said the payloads are ready to go as well. The only issue standing in the way of liftoff on Friday is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms developing along the sea-breeze front reported Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

After flying to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday, the STS-135 astronauts today are reviewing their flight data file and conducting checks of their launch and entry suits.

At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis' aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.

Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad

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Briefing Under Way

NASA TV is carrying the Precountdown Status Briefing live. Briefing participants are Jeremy Graeber, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer. The briefing is live online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

The countdown for the final space shuttle launch begins today at 1 p.m. EDT. The STS-135 astronauts flew to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday. Today the crew members will review their flight data file and conduct checks of their launch and entry suits.

At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis' aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.

Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad.

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Countdown Begins Today

The countdown for the final space shuttle launch begins today at 1 p.m. EDT. The STS-135 astronauts flew to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday. Today the crew members will review their flight data file and conduct checks of their launch and entry suits.

At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis' aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.

Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad.

At 10 a.m. EDT this morning, NASA TV will carry the Precountdown Status Briefing live. Briefing participants will be Jeremy Graeber, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer. The briefing can be seen online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

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Aft Close Out Work Ahead of Holiday

Technicians at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A expect to complete work to close out space shuttle Atlantis' aft section. Teams are not working any issues to prevent the start of the launch countdown at 1 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 5. Teams will have the Independence Day weekend off.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center, the STS-135 astronauts will perform a final ascent simulation today before next week's launch. The crew is set to arrive at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Monday, July 4th. The arrival will be shown live on NASA TV and at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

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Launch Preparations Move Forward

Preparations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are moving forward as space shuttle Atlantis' liftoff on July 8 nears. Today, technicians at Launch Pad 39A will pressurize Atlantis' main propulsion system following the closure yesterday of the spacecraft's payload bay doors.

The STS-135 crew will participate in preflight interviews from NASA's Johnson Space Center today. Briefings about this final mission of the Space Shuttle Program will air live on NASA TV throughout the day and also can be seen online at nasa.gov/ntv.

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NASA Invites 150 Lucky Twitter Followers To Final Space Shuttle Launch

Stephanie L. Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Alicia Durand

Sesame Street

WASHINGTON -- The final launch of the space shuttle program is scheduled for 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8, and NASA has invited 150 followers of the agency's Twitter account to be there. People selected will have a behind-the-scenes perspective from the press site at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA randomly selected the participants from more than 5,500 online registrants during a 24-hour opportunity on June 1-2. Attendees represent 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.

Tweetup participants are coming from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

They will share their experiences with their more than 1.5 million combined followers through the social networking site Twitter. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on July 7, NASA will broadcast a portion of the Tweetup when participants get to talk with Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, astronaut Mike Massimino and Angie Brewer, space shuttle Atlantis' flow director at Kennedy.

Joining them will be a special celebrity guest, Sesame Street's Elmo. Sesame Street will be at Kennedy to film Elmo, as he learns about space exploration at NASA.

To watch the broadcast, visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasatelevision.

Participants also will tour Kennedy; make an up close visit to the launch pad, and wave at Atlantis' crew members on their drive to the launch pad. The Tweetup culminates with the shuttle's lift off.

Reporters credentialed to cover the launch also may cover the NASA Tweetup at Kennedy's press site. Reporters interested in interviewing Tweetup attendees in advance should contact Stephanie Schierholz at 202-358-1100 or stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov.

This is the fifth time NASA has invited Twitter followers to experience a space shuttle launch. Previously, groups attended lift offs of Atlantis' STS-129 and STS-132 missions, Discovery's STS-133 mission, and Endeavour's STS-134 mission.

To follow the Tweetup participants on Twitter, as they experience the prelaunch events and shuttle liftoff, follow the #NASATweetup hashtag and the list of attendees at http://twitter.com/nasatweetup/sts-135-launch.

All four of Atlantis' crew members are posting updates to Twitter. You can follow Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim at http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Ferg , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Doug , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Sandy , and http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Rex.

To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites, visit http://www.nasa.gov/connect.

For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

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Walkway to Space

The doors to the White Room, which provide entry to space shuttle Atlantis' crew compartment, is seen here at the end of the access arm walkway on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Image Credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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Atlantis and Crew Prepared for July 8 Liftoff

Launch pad technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are in the process of closing out space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay in preparation for liftoff from Launch Pad 39A on July 8 at 11:26 a.m. EDT. The bay's doors are expected to be closed for flight today.

This follows yesterday's day-long Flight Readiness Review at which senior NASA and contractor managers confirmed that Atlantis is ready for this last shuttle flight to supply the International Space Station.

"This flight is incredibly important. The cargo that is coming up on this flight is really mandatory for space station," said Bill Gerstenmaier, assistant administrator for space operations, following yesterday's review.

In preparation for this final mission of the Space Shuttle Program, the STS-135 astronauts will undergo their L-10 physicals today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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NASA Sets Launch Date For Final Space Shuttle Mission

Stephanie Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis' Commander Chris Ferguson and his three crewmates are scheduled to begin a 12-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-135 mission is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.

The launch date was announced Tuesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

Atlantis' STS-135 mission will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with supplies and spare parts to sustain space station operations after the shuttles are retired.

The mission also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), an experiment designed to demonstrate and test the tools, technologies and techniques needed to robotically refuel satellites in space - even satellites not designed to be serviced. The crew also will return an ammonia pump that recently failed on the station. Engineers want to understand why the pump failed and improve designs for future spacecraft.

The crew consists of Commander Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. They are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy on Monday, July 4, for final launch preparations. STS-135 is the 135th shuttle mission, Atlantis' 33rd flight and the 37th shuttle mission to the station.

For more information about the STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Managers Say Atlantis is "Go" for Launch

After the day-long Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, senior NASA and contractor managers voted unanimously to set space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 launch date as July 8 at 11:26 a.m. EDT.

NASA Television will air a news conference at 3:30 p.m. to discuss the meeting and preparations for Atlantis' mission to the International Space Station. Participants will include Bill Gerstenmaier, assistant administrator for space operations, Mike Moses, Space Shuttle Program launch integration manager and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director.

Watch the news conference at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

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