I was lucky to get a slot in today’s NASA Tweetup at the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas. JSC is the home of NASA’s manned flight program – which is rapidly coming to a close. Currently a shuttle mission, STS-130 using the Space Shuttle Endeavour, is finishing the addition of a new section of the International Space Station (ISS) with the addition of Tranquility Node 3/Cupola:
The European-built Node 3 is the final one of the three International Space Station nodes, which will be launched into orbit. The Cupola will become a panoramic control tower for the International Space Station, a dome-shaped module with windows through which operations on the outside of the station can be observed and guided. It is a pressurized observation and work area that will accommodate command and control workstations and other hardware.
We will be given a tour of the public areas of JSC and then a private tour of parts of JSC – weather permitting. During our time at the NASA tweetup, STS-130 will be on Flight Day 11, which has the following schedule:
- Endeavour to ISS transfer operations
- Joint Crew News Conference
- Rendezvous Tool Checkout
- Farewells and Hatch Closure
- ISS reboost, if required
The crew of STS-130 are:
- Commander: George D. Zamka
- Pilot: Terry W. Virts Jr.
- Mission Specialist 1: Kathyrn P. Hire
- Mission Specialist 2: Stephen K. Robinson
- Mission Specialist 3: Nicholas J.M. Patrick
- Mission Specialist 4: Robert L. Behnken
One thing I’ve always wondered about when the space shuttle docks to the ISS, is what happens to the momentum of the space shuttle once it hits the ISS? Here’ the explanation:
When Endeavour makes contact with the station, preliminary latches will automatically attach the two spacecrafts. The shuttle’s steering jets will be deactivated to reduce the forces acting at the docking interface. Shock absorber springs in the docking mechanism will dampen any relative motion between the shuttle and station.
Once motion between the shuttle and the station has been stopped, the docking ring will be retracted to close a final set of latches between the two vehicles.
Further posts will discuss the future of manned space flight, and provide up-to-date information to the Reader.
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