Talk:STS-123/Archive 1

Shuttle Processing for week of 9-7-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, deservicing of the hypergolic fuel system is complete. Functional testing of the forward reaction control system is finished, as well as post-flight thermography inspections of the right and left wing leading edges. The engine dome heat shields have been removed and preparations are under way for removal of the three shuttle main engines next week. Technicians are preparing for the functional checkout of the left and right orbital maneuvering system pods, scheduled for next week. They are also removing the STS-118 payload support hardware. --JeremyWheat 16:21, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 9-14-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, the three shuttle main engines have been removed for inspection and processing. Hydraulic operations are under way this week. This involves repositioning the orbiter's aero surfaces, such as the body flaps, rudder speed brake and elevons, to allow for tile inspections. Technicians are performing functional tests of the orbital maneuvering system pods. Post-flight deconfiguration of the payload bay is also in progress.

--JeremyWheat 16:21, 15 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Woo hoo weekly updates! Thanks Jeremy! Ariel ♥ Gold 16:24, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 9-21-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, functional testing of the orbital maneuvering system pods is nearing completion. The main landing gear tires were removed to allow for brake inspection. The orbiter boom sensor system was removed from the orbiter to allow for inspection of the pedestals, which support the boom in the payload bay.

Air data probe inspections are complete. Freon coolant loop No. 1 has been de-serviced. Repair work began this week on the left-hand radiator, which was damaged by micrometeoroid impacts during the last mission. JeremyWheat 16:31, 22 September 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 9-29-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, freon coolant loop No. 1 pressurization and leak checks are complete and servicing is under way. The orbiter's body flap and elevons were repositioned to allow for inspections. Functional testing of the external tank doors is finished. JeremyWheat 16:01, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 10-5-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, servicing of Freon coolant loop No. 1 is complete. Windows No. 3 and 4 were removed and replaced. Technicians continue inspecting the main propulsion system flow liners, feedlines and gimbal joints. The fuel cell single-cell voltage test is finished. Preparations for installation of BRI tile around the main landing gear doors are under way. The BRI tile is a stronger tile designed for critical areas on the orbiter. Work is in progress to configure Endeavour's payload bay for the STS-123 hardware. JeremyWheat 01:01, 6 October 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 10-12-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, window No. 1 was removed and replaced this week, and the removal and replacement of window No. 6 is in progress. The external airlock upper hatch functional test is complete.

Technicians continue to inspect the main propulsion system flow liners, feedlines and gimbal joints. Preparations for installation of BRI tile around the main landing gear doors continue. The BRI tile is a stronger tile designed for critical areas on the orbiter. Work is under way to configure the payload bay for the STS-123 cargo. JeremyWheat 00:57, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 10-29-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, removal and replacement of windows No. 1 through 6 are now complete. Drag chute installation is complete. Leak checks of the main propulsion system are continuing. Work is under way to configure the payload bay for the STS-123 cargo. JeremyWheat 22:50, 29 October 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 11-2-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, installation of replacement overhead window No. 7 has been completed. Replacement overhead window No. 8 is scheduled for Monday. A new reinforced carbon-carbon panel, RCC No. 10 right (10R), was temporarily installed on Thursday for measurements. Final installation is expected to occur late next week. Also on Thursday, technicians successfully completed the orbiter vent door functional test. Thermal protection system work continues on the main landing gear doors, wings, elevons and orbital maneuvering system pods. JeremyWheat 00:08, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 11-9-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, installation of replacement overhead window No. 8 is in progress. Installation of a new reinforced carbon-carbon panel, RCC No. 10 right (10R), is under way. Technicians are preparing the orbiter for installation of the engines, scheduled for next week. The crew module hatch functional test is nearing completion. Thermal protection system work continues on the main landing gear doors, wings, elevons and orbital maneuvering system pods. Payload pre-mate testing is under way. Liquid oxygen tank No. 1 is installed and is undergoing leak checks. JeremyWheat 23:33, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 11-16-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, the three main engines have been installed on Endeavour and integrated testing with the main propulsion system begins today. Functional testing of the waste containment system is complete. Payload pre-mate testing has finished. The orbiter boom sensor system, which was recently removed from Discovery, arrived this week in the facility's bay No. 2. The system has undergone post-flight inspections and thermal blanket installation, and is being temporarily installed today to allow for fit checks. This week, technicians began working to bond BRI tiles around the main landing gear door. The rudder speed brake has been configured for flight and the orbiter drag chute is installed. JeremyWheat (talk) 00:04, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 11-21-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, integrated testing of the main engines and the main propulsion system continues. Testing of the orbiter's three-string GPS system, which provides guidance on re-entry, is complete.

The star tracker door functional test is complete. Window No. 7 has been removed and replaced. The payload bay door functional test is finished. Installation of BRI tile around the perimeter of the right main landing gear door is finished. Checkout of the Shuttle to Station Power Transfer System is complete.

In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the left solid rocket booster is under way. Stacking of the right booster is scheduled to begin next week. JeremyWheat (talk) 04:36, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

very light payload
According to ISS assembly sequence this launch has an extremely light payload. Anyone know why? Ariel. 22:09, 2 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Well i think the reason is that there simply isn't anymore space. Dextre and JEM take up bay 6 trough 13 of the payloadbay. Bay 1 and 2 are the docking system, so that leaves bay 3 trough 5 for another "component". However, payloads are usually separated with one bay, and then you also have the ACPU (power conversion from shuttle voltage to ISS/component voltage) and heaters that need to be installed for each of them. Ergo, not enough bays. Alternatively, they could have selected a different manifest, but the only other flights that usually have room to spare are supply flights. However these are also often quite loaded, so only dextre could be flown on such a flight, JEM would probably be to heavy.... All in all, a bit of a pickle you could say. However, I think the numbers are also incorrect. 4200kg seems to be the JEM only, and does not include Dextre. I think its because someone merged the 2 entries of those components.
 * Also while we are discussing the cargo. http://nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5296 "Further changes to the mission allowed for the addition of over 4,000lbs of payload to the payload bay sidewalls. [...] Extending the STS-123 mission by two days, from 13+1+2 to 15+1+2, in order to pull activities from the 1J/A stage back into the 1 J/A mission to take advantage of the SSPTS capability. It also adds five new sidewall payloads (SSRMS Yaw Joint, DCSU, BCDU, Misse 6, RIGEX) to the manifest,' added presentations on the mission." --TheDJ (talk • contribs) 23:12, 2 December 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 12-01-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, integrated testing of the main engines and the main propulsion system is complete. All window installations are finished. Installation of the orbiter main engine heat shields began this week, and the orbital maneuvering system heat shields have been installed. Following electrical resistance testing of the orbiter boom sensor system, which is the 50-foot extension for the shuttle robotic arm, the boom was installed in the payload bay. Hardware that will support the STS-123 payload was also installed in the payload bay.

The STS-123 crew flew to Kennedy Space Center this week for the crew equipment interface test on Friday and Saturday. During the test, the crew gets the opportunity to become familiar with the configuration of equipment in the crew cabin and payload bay.

In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the solid rocket boosters is under way. ET-126, the external fuel tank for STS-123, arrived at Kennedy today and was transported to the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The tank will be lifted into a checkout cell on Saturday to undergo processing for launch. JeremyWheat 22:17, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 12-14-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, orbiter closeouts for Vehicle Assembly Building rollover continue. Main landing gear (MLG) brake installation is scheduled for today. ECL GN2 3-day decay test continues through Saturday. Final Ku-band self test and cable unwrap is complete. MEDS MDU display verification is complete and good. R5R vernier thruster flush, thruster drying and inspection, MLG strut seal remove-and-replace work, potable water servicing microbial testing, and ECL GN2 servicing and topoff were completed this week.

In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, booster integration activities continue. Stacking and joint closeouts are complete. S&A devices are installed and the LSCs will be installed today.

In high bay No. 2E of the Vehicle Assembly Building, LH2/LO2 disc measurements are in work and will continue through the weekend.

Preps for external tank mate will resume on Dec. 17 following Friday's external tank/solid rocket booster mate review. Final payload bay door closure for Orbiter Processing Facility rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building is complete. JeremyWheat (talk) 23:05, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 12-21-07
In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, orbiter closeouts continue for rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Ku-band antenna has been stowed and the payload bay doors are closed for the holiday. Testing of the hydraulic system is complete, and the aerosurfaces (body flaps, rudder speed brake, elevons) have been positioned for rollover. The wing leading edge sensor system flight batteries have been installed. The orbiter's main propulsion system is configured for flight. The external tank doors have been inspected and positioned to centerline for flight. Final inspection of the thermal protection system is nearing completion, and the tiles will be waterproofed during the holiday period.

In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, booster integration and closeout activities are complete. The mate of the external fuel tank is targeted for Jan. 2, pending the outcome of the STS-122 ECO system analysis. JeremyWheat (talk) 20:40, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 1-5-08
Shuttle Program managers have authorized work to begin to remove the foam on the feed-through connector on Endeavour's tank prior to the STS-123 mission. Due to a five-week planning template used in scheduling back-to-back launches off a single pad, STS-123 will not launch on Feb. 14. The launch date will be updated consistent with the progress on STS-122.

In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, payload bay door strong backs were installed Jan. 3 while main landing gear and nose gear were retracted in support of positive pressure structural leak checks and TPS work. A landing gear functional test is scheduled for today.

In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, booster closeouts are completed and the boosters are ready to support mate when directed. JeremyWheat (talk) 01:08, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 1-11-08
Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2 - Shuttle orbiter galley functional checks completed today with no issues - Removal and replacement work will take place on the purge, vent and drain valve, which is part of the non-breathing air conditioning system, Jan. 14-18 - Nose landing gear strut hydraulic level checks and pressurization for flight performed Wednesday - Main landing gear struts' weight on wheels leak check scheduled for Monday

Vehicle Assembly Building high bay No. 1 - External tank/solid rocket booster mate in progress - External tank is hard mate - Closeout operations continue through this weekend - Preparation for ECO sensor external connector replacement will take place Saturday and Sunday

JeremyWheat (talk) 02:26, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Shuttle Processing for week of 1-18-08
Orbiter Processing Facility Bay No. 2 - Removal and replacement work on the purge, vent and drain valve, which is part of the non-breathing air conditioning system completed Thursday - Landing gear was retracted - Potable water servicing samples completed Wednesday - Main landing gear struts' weight on wheels leak check completed

Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay No. 1 - External tank/solid rocket booster closeout operations continue - Re-foaming of the external tank assembly ring, that goes around the solid rocket boosters near the aft most SRB field joint, is being worked Friday - ECO sensor system feed through work begins again Jan. 23 JeremyWheat (talk) 02:32, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Breaking News 2-7-08
Endeavour will not be flying on this shuttle mission to the International Space Station. A HEPA filter contamination problem came up during a routine inspection. Discovery will take over the primary role of LON vehicle. The problem with Endeavour needs to be fixed and it has not been determined how long the fix will take. A new launch date for the STS-123 mission has not been determined as this is a new problem that has just come up the past week. JeremyWheat (talk) 23:24, 7 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Wouldn't that also cause a shuttle change for the following SS-124 mission? (As well as preempt any comments about this being scheduled for a night time lauch.) Jon (talk) 18:33, 8 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Changing the LON does not necessarily change the flight assignment. NASA has not evaluated whether they will change orbiters for the actual missions or not, merely that they were changing them for the STS-122 Launch on Need (LON) rescue flight. Until NASA makes some sort of official decision, anything else (including information from forums or subscription type services) is speculation, and not verifiable. I would not assume anything just yet :) Chances are they will deal with this and if not, then when they announce any changes, the edits can be made at that time. Ariel  ♥  Gold  19:07, 8 February 2008 (UTC)
 * During the STS-122 status briefing on February 9, MMT Chairman John Shannon said that ET mating for Endeavour would be done the coming week, with rollout to the pad to follow. There is no vehicle change to the launch schedule, so I assume any issues that were found were either resolved or a plan to resolve them is in work with no impact to the schedule. Ariel  ♥  Gold  13:19, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Prose tag
I originally marked the article with prose, and a lot of people noticed it. I was thinking, down in the mission timeline, it looked a lot like a timeline, with days as section headings and little short paragraphs. I really don't know how to fix it, but it does seem to be timeline-ish. Perhaps you could rearrange the information into the different mission types instead of the time it will occur?

Ex. The launch will take place ~...docking will occur around ~.

Instead of ~- launch. ~-docking.

Good luck fixing it! Calvin 1998  Talk   Contribs  03:24, 12 March 2008 (UTC)


 * Even though it was me who removed the tag, I basically agree with the opinion Calvin 1998 expresses. Maybe the best way to fix it long-term would be to revisit the STS-122 article, which also suffers from this condition. If we can fix it there (now that mission is history and doesn't have the difficulties associated with current event articles), then we can implement the same fix for this article, and for articles regarding future shuttle flights too! (sdsds - talk) 03:29, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Lack of updates with the mission timeline
Am I the only one who feel that daily updates on the mission timeline for STS-123 are not as detailed as STS-122 or the last few missions? I mean, the updates do not seem to tell much about what happens up there. --Pboy2k5 (talk) 15:19, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

I noticed that too. Anyone feel up to tackling this task? Czolgolz (talk) 15:38, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

I think a contributing factor may be the fact that this mission's essentially inaccessible to those of us living in Europe due to mission times - if I stay up and tune in live, I think my chances of attending lectures would be minimal... Colds7ream (talk) 15:44, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Alright ya bums, I updated everything from such sources as I could find. Please review and edit as you feel neccessary. Anyone have the exact time of the docking? I couldn't find it. Czolgolz (talk) 17:15, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

I was under the impression that the mission timeline from the previous STS flights was something that people could just cut and paste from NASA's website or official transcripts. Considering that all unclassified works from the US government are in the public domain so it would be a legitimate source of information for this article. I guess somebody still needs to come up with the wording manually. The updates from STS-120 were pretty good in my opinion. --Pboy2k5 (talk) 19:36, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Quit your belly aching. They are there on the Nasa website, but apparently they don't leave them up for very long, so I had to use CNN. If you can find them, feel free to replace em. Czolgolz (talk) 19:41, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

I added a bit about today's difficulties removing the first arm from the palate ('Been watching NASATV for the past few hours, so I thought I'd contribute a tad.) --Tibbs (talk) 03:59, 16 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I cannot easily find any inbound links to the Mission Control Center Status Report web pages, but they are there if you want to create the URL yourself, for example STS-123 report number 7 is at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts123/news/STS-123-07.html. Most of the press coverage is pretty much just repeating these, I think. (sdsds - talk) 04:18, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

STS-80 and mission duration record
Does anyone have text ready to add to the article if the duration of STS-123 exceeds that of the current record-holder, STS-80? Is it correct that all the long-duration missions have used either the Extended Duration Orbiter pallet (and thus are listed in that article) or more recently SSPTS? There isn't some other "second-longest-duration" mission in Shuttle history? (sdsds - talk) 04:42, 13 March 2008 (UTC)
 * You are correct (AFAIK) about the EDO and SSPTS, perhaps a listing of flights using SSPTS on its page like the EDO page is appropriate? -MBK004 04:52, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

I saw a NASA source for the tidbit that even if the mission is not extended it will be the longest duration mission to ISS. (sdsds - talk) 04:20, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

"Start Date" tag and time issues

 * For some reason this article is using a "start date" tag that STS-122 is not. I think all the pages ought to be consistent. (What is the "start date" tag for anyway?) In addition this article is listing UTC first and local in s for the launch time while STS-122 is listing local first and UTC in . This isn't even consistent with projected landing time (in local). So I think the lauch time ought to be listed in local athough I don't know how that would impact this "start date" tag. In addition there is a mess match of time zones in the body of the text under the mission days; I see some in US EDT, some in US CDT for events taking place in space; I think local time for space is supposed to be UTC. Jon (talk) 17:54, 19 March 2008 (UTC)
 * In addition at least one of the times in the mission day log are in contradiction to the space walk table after conversion to time zones. One of them is giving a begin time that converts to the end time of the space walk. I'm not sure which is correct. Jon (talk) 17:58, 19 March 2008 (UTC)
 * If the time is not referenced add a tag there.  With a reference, the correct time can be determined. -Fnlayson (talk) 18:28, 19 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I though the Fact tag was only for things believed to be true with a high degree of confidence by the editor placing the tag that were missing references. And the tags for things not believed by the editor placing the tag missing references. With no tag left for things without reference the editor wanting to place one doesn't know. Jon (talk) 13:08, 21 March 2008 (UTC)