How I Am Becoming An Astronaut

Weather Clearing up!

2009-07-15T14:29:00.002-04:00

Weather is clearing up for us and the astronauts just passed by the building I work in to be on their way to the pad!

STS-127 Launch today?

2009-07-15T13:23:00.003-04:00

Well, even though it looks like this outside right now, weather forecasters are still optimistic that the sea breeze will push those clouds inland. Launch is still scheduled for 6:03 p.m EDT today.

Launch Scrubbed...again. :(

2009-07-13T21:28:00.003-04:00

The official weather forecast for Wednesday's 6:03 p.m EDT launch time calls for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

By delaying 48 hours to Wednesday, engineers will have time to repair a rocket thruster rain cover that has pulled loose slightly. However, slipping to Wednesday means the crew likely will have to give up one day of their space station construction mission to undock and get out of the way before the Russian Soyuz supply ship arrives.

The outlook for Thursday's 5:37 p.m. EDT launch time has a 40 percent chance of good weather.

A fellow blog reader asked what the maximum fuel and drain limitations are for the external tank. The maximum number of fuel and drain cycles is 13.

Now let's cross our fingers for a Wednesday launch!

Boo.. Launch SCRUBBED!

2009-07-12T19:40:00.002-04:00

SCRUB! Thunderstorms west of the launch site prevented a launch today for space shuttle Endeavour

We will try again Monday. The target liftoff time will be 6:51:24 p.m. EDT.

Interview with Miles O'Brien and David Waters on spaceflightnow.com

2009-07-12T18:10:00.007-04:00

Did you see it? I just finished my interview on spaceflightnow.com with Miles O'Brien and David Waters!

We're good to go today!

2009-07-12T08:30:00.003-04:00

The STS-127 launch attempt was postponed for 24 hours yesterday while the launch team reviewed data and performed subsystem checks due to some significant lightning strikes that hit Pad A on Friday afternoon. NASA says no problems with shuttle systems have been found in the post-lightning checks. No damage was found to any of the Shuttle's electrical subsystems and all the retest tasks have been successfully completed. NASA says no problems with shuttle systems have been found in the post-lightning checks.

We have better weather today, with only 30% chance of showers or thunderstorms prohibiting launch.

Launch is set for 7:13pm EDT. I will still have a interview with spaceflightnow.com, but due to the slight launch delay, my interview will be a little earlier at 5:15pm EDT.

STS-127 Launch Scrubbed for 7/11/09

2009-07-11T12:32:00.003-04:00

The launch of space shuttle Endeavour has been postponed for 24 hours to allow the launch team sufficient time to perform evaluation and retesting of launch pad and launch vehicle sytems as the result of lightning strikes near the launch pad last night. The official tally on the lightning strikes from last night is 11 hits within 0.3 miles of the pad. The pad's water tank was hit and the lightning mast was struck a couple of times.

Endeavour's launch tomorrow will be at 7:13 p.m. EDT. Weather forecasters predict a 40 percent chance that weather will prevent a liftoff due to thunderstorms.

Do You Think We'll Launch?

2009-07-10T14:24:00.002-04:00

Join Miles O'Brien, David Waters and astronaut Leroy Chiao for our live webcast of Endeavour's launch on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center. The show starts at 3:00 pm EDT at http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts127/status.html. I will be interviewed by them at 5:45 pm EDT!!!!

Air Force weather forecasters continue to predict a 60% chance that thunderstorms will interfere with Saturday's scheduled launch of shuttle Endeavour. :(

Back from the West Coast!

2009-07-06T21:54:00.010-04:00

Well, I'm back from my vacation from the West Coast and I had a great time. Below are just some highlights of my trip!

Big Four Ice Caves in Washington: The snow had not melted yet so the caves were not formed yet.

Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington:

Bonneville Lock and Dam in Oregon:

Multnomah Falls in Oregon:

Mount St. Helens in Washington:

Hello from Washington!

2009-07-01T16:11:00.006-04:00

Even though I am on vacation, I still try to visit either a school, company, or organization to talk about the Space Shuttle. So this time I just visited my sister's company, Tetra Tech to give a briefing on the Orbiter's Thermal Protection System and mission turn-around process.

As for my vacation...We did a lot of hiking at Granite Falls and Mount Rainier National Park. We visited Ocean Shores and geesh was the water cold!! I have definitely become accustomed the to the warm Florida waters. :) The weather has been great here in Washington. Completely sunny and around the 70s. Tomorrow we head to Oregon for a couple of days. I was going to upload photos of the sites we've visited now that I finally got internet access, but I forgot the cord to download the pictures from the camera at the house. duh...

So here's a quick update on some space stuff while I've been away:

Looks like the tanking test proved to be successful today and no leaks were found! Yey!! This makes a July 11th launch for Space Shuttle Endeavour look a little more promising. (Hopefully weather won't be an issue now!)

NEW ASTRONAUTS SELECTED!! What we've all been waiting for!! CLICK HERE to read all about them!

Construction is under way on a new mobile launcher for the Constellation Program. The new mobile launcher will be the base for the Ares rockets to launch the Orion crew exploration vehicle and the cargo vehicle. The base is being made lighter than space shuttle mobile launcher platforms so the crawler-transporter can pick up the added load of the 345-foot tower and taller rocket. When the structural portion of the new launcher is complete, umbilical lines, access arms, communications equipment and command/control equipment will be installed.

Headed to the West Coast :)

2009-06-25T14:21:00.002-04:00

I will be a little idle from space-blogging for about a week. I’m headed to the West Coast to meet up with my family. We’re going to drive along the coast of Washington and Oregon. I’m very excited!! We’re going to get some hiking in, visit waterfalls, and caves….it’s going to be an awesome time. When I was younger, my dad used to take my sister and I camping to Yosemite. With everyone in different states, the logistics of a Yosemite trip was a little more difficult. So we’re starting off in Washington where my sister lives and we’re taking her kids along with us.

I’ll try to post some pictures during the trip if I get access along the way. Be back to space-blogging in about a week. :)

Endeavour's External Tank Testing

2009-06-25T14:07:00.003-04:00

Endeavour still sits on the pad in the Florida heat as engineers and technicians work on addressing the leak during tanking of the External Tank (ET).

Next Wednesday, a full-up tanking test of Endeavour’s External Tank will be performed to test a potential solution to the leaking Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). The leading candidate for the cause of the leaks is believed to be related to the External Tank Carrier Assembly (ETCA) mounts. I’m pretty optimistic the tanking will go well and the fix will be successful.

Launch is still scheduled for July 11th, 2009 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

The Atlas V launches!

2009-06-18T17:32:00.001-04:00

The Atlas V rocket launched at 5:32 p.m. carrying NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the LCROSS impactor experiment!!

LRO/LCROSS Launch: Weather is a concern

2009-06-18T16:12:00.001-04:00

Now 60 minutes from liftoff. Fueling of the Atlas V rocket with cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen is proceeding as planned and activities remain on schedule for a liftoff at 5:12 p.m. EDT. Local thunderstorms are the only concern right now.

If the weather or a technical problem prevents an on-time launch at 5:12 p.m. EDT, there are two later opportunities available at 5:22 and 5:32 p.m. EDT.

LRO/LCROSS Launch!

2009-06-17T22:06:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, an Atlas V rocket will launch a payload comprised of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS). Together, the two independent projects represent NASA's first steps in its eventual plans to return humans to the Moon.

The LRO will be released from the launcher 46 minutes after liftoff, embarking on a mission to survey the Moon's terrain, map its natural resources and measure the radiation threats in preparation for the next human expeditions. The spacecraft should reach the Moon in four days, then use its onboard engines to enter lunar orbit.

The LCROSS will confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the Moon’s South Pole. The identification of water is very important to the future of human activities on the Moon. Two heavy impactors will test the theory that ancient ice lies buried there. The impact will eject material from the crater’s surface to create a plume that specialized instruments will be able to analyze for the presence of water (ice and vapor), hydrocarbons and hydrated materials.

The Atlas V is set to launch tomorrow, June 18, at 5:12 p.m. EDT. Two additional launch opportunities are available at 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m.

STS-127 Launch: SCRUBBED!

2009-06-17T03:17:00.002-04:00

About an hour away from the end of fuel tanking, a hydrogen leak at the umbilical was detected again. The launch team is draining the cryogenic propellants from the shuttle's external fuel tank and by tomorrow evening work should commence on fixing the ground umbilical carrier plate.

The next attempt at launching space shuttle Endeavour will be on July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

STS-127 Launch Tomorrow!

2009-06-16T19:44:00.003-04:00

We're still awaiting the final "go" from the Mission Management Team to start with fueling Space Shuttle Endeavour. Fueling has been delayed because of weather conditions here around KSC.

I'm headed to bed early tonight so I can make it into work really early to watch the launch. Launch is still scheduled for 5:40 a.m. EDT.

Next Launch Attempt for Endeavour

2009-06-15T13:30:00.001-04:00

Space shuttle Endeavour will bump its way into the Cape Canaveral launch lineup and target a 5:40 a.m. EDT liftoff Wednesday, NASA officials decided today. That means the Atlas 5 rocket originally scheduled to launch at that day carrying two Moon-bound science satellites will be pushed back.

Both launches face Saturday deadlines due to the lunar launch window closing and thermal constraints on Endeavour's orbit with the space station.

NASA will hold a news conference from the Kennedy Space Center at 3 p.m. EDT today.

IRIS: Image Reversal in Space

2009-06-11T08:56:00.005-04:00

Stowed upon Space Shuttle Endeavor is one of many experiments that I actually had some part in.

While I was in Barcelona, Spain last summer attending the International Space University, we worked with Canadian Space Agency, Astronaut Robert Thirsk (far left in the photo) on an experiment that will be taken up to the International Space Station by the crew of Space Shuttle Endeavor. Dr. Thirsk already made it to the ISS on a Soyuz late last month along with ESA Astronaut Franke De Winne and Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko. They are part of the ISS Expedition 20/21.

The experiment is called IRIS, which stands for Image Reversal In Space, and is an educational payload that was designed, tested, implemented, and analyzed entirely by students of the International Space University. IRIS will investigate whether the perception of three-dimensional ambiguous figures is affected when the observer is in a reduced gravity environment.

If you’ve ever wondered what experiments the astronauts will do once they dock to the ISS or what they’re taking up there…you definitely have to check out the STS-127 press kit. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/358018main_sts127_press_kit.pdf. IRIS is mentioned on page 92 of .pdf file.

Only 2 days til launch and now there is only a 10% chance of weather prohibiting launch!!!

Endeavour to Launch on Saturday!

2009-06-09T23:32:00.003-04:00

Endeavour (STS-127) will launch on Saturday June 13, 2008 at 7:17 a.m. EDT from pad 39A. Currently there is only a 20% chance of weather prohibiting launch..so we should be good to go! :)

The goals of the 16-day are to deliver and attach the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility and Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section. The facility will provide a type of "front porch" for experiments in the exposed environment, and a robotic arm that will be attached to the Kibo Pressurized Module and used to position experiments outside the station. The mission will include five spacewalks. Other milestones include to replacing aging solar array batteries, delivering critical spare parts, and to ferry Astronaut Tim Kopra to ISS and replace him by bringing home Japanese Astronaut Koichi Wakata.

Sparlingville Elementary School - Day 2

2009-06-03T23:02:00.003-04:00

My second day at Sparlingville Elementary consisted of giving more presentations to the classes, but the coolest thing was when I walked outside to see the different "space stations" that were set up with different space-related projects for the kids to work on and rotate around. The kids were thrilled to work on the projects and learned so much about space.

I had fun visiting the school and I loved to see that the students were so engaged in my presentation. :)

Sparlingville Elementary School - Day 1

2009-06-02T20:53:00.007-04:00

I loved today! The students were attentive and enjoyed the presentation. They asked some awesome questions and were so excited to be able to see actual orbiter tiles and blankets. I presented to 7 classes today and tomorrow will be Space Day for the 4th graders. I'll also be talking to the 2nd and other kindergarten class.

For Space Day tomorrow, the teachers have set up 11 different "space stations" for the kids with different projects and they're broken up in three groups (Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour). I have 5 presentations to give tomorrow and then I'll be on my way back to Florida! :)

By the way....Atlantis has made it back to Florida!

Sparlingville Elementary School Visit

2009-06-01T23:40:00.005-04:00

Atlantis left Edwards Air Force Base just in time for me to catch a flight to Michigan. On Wednesday, Sparlingville Elementary School in Kimball, MI. will be having a giant Space Day for all their students. I will be the guest speaker talking about the space shuttle and the fun things I get to do. We've broken the school presentations up in two days so I will be talking to some grades tomorrow and then also on Wednesday! The students have a lot of fun projects and events set up. I try to speak to schools that don't have a NASA center nearby so I'm extra excited about talking to the students tomorrow. Probably what I enjoy the most is experiencing the students' reaction and their questions on the presentation.

...and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Takes Off!

2009-06-01T11:06:00.000-04:00

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft departed from Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base.

Due to weather, Atlantis will make a stop in El Paso, Texas and stay their overnight at the Biggs Army Airfield.

Atlantis leaving California on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Today!

2009-06-01T09:13:00.005-04:00

Takeoff of the shuttle carrier aircraft has been targeted for approximately 8 a.m. local time (11 a.m. EDT) today. We're running a little behind schedule due to some difficulties in trying to tighten a bolt on the right attach point for connecting Atlantis to the modified Boeing 747 aircraft. Everything is good now, and Atlantis should be on her way back to KSC soon.

Here's a look inside the modified 747 aircraft that ferries Atlantis back to Kennedy Space Center.