CONTENTS SECTION I: SPACE SHUTTLE SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 1 RETURNING THE SPACE SHUTTLE TO FLIGHT ...................................................................................... 1 IMPROVEMENTS IN TECH EXCELLENCE, COMMUNICATIONS & DECISION-MAKING ............. 3 SPACE FLIGHT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ................................................................................................. 3 RETURN TO FLIGHT TASK GROUP ........................................................................................................ 4 SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM ................................................................. 5 NASA ENGINEERING AND SAFETY CENTER ........................................................................................... 8 RENEWED COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE............................................................................................ 9 SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING IMPROVEMENTS.................................................................... 11 REINFORCED CARBON-CARBON WING PANELS AND NOSE CAP ........................................................... 11 WING LEADING EDGE STRUCTURAL SUBSYSTEM ................................................................................ 12 RUDDER SPEED BRAKE........................................................................................................................ 12 FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS.................................................................................................................... 14 CLOSEOUT PHOTOGRAPHY PROCESS .................................................................................................. 15 LAUNCH PAD GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT ..................................................................................... 17 FIXED AND ROTATING SERVICE STRUCTURES..................................................................................... 17 UPPER HINGE COLUMN BEARING......................................................................................................... 18 GASEOUS OXYGEN VENT ARM.............................................................................................................. 18 GASEOUS HYDROGEN VENT ARM ......................................................................................................... 18 CRAWLER TRANSPORTER.................................................................................................................... 18 RECOGNIZING & ELIMINATING CRITICAL SHUTTLE DEBRIS SOURCES................................. 21 PREPARING THE EXTERNAL TANK ........................................................................................................ 21 BIPOD REDESIGN ................................................................................................................................ 22 LIQUID HYDROGEN INTERTANK FLANGE .............................................................................................. 24 LIQUID OXYGEN FEEDLINE BELLOWS ................................................................................................... 24 PROTUBERANCE AIR LOAD RAMPS...................................................................................................... 25 ENHANCED IN-FLIGHT IMAGERY.......................................................................................................... 26 NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION ........................................................................................................ 26 July 2005 CONTENTS i THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM CERTIFICATION................................................................................ 27 THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM VERIFICATION & VALIDATION .......................................................... 27 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER MODIFICATION............................................................................................ 29 BOLT CATCHER.................................................................................................................................... 29 BOOSTER SEPARATION MOTOR IGNITER............................................................................................. 30 IDENTIFYING, INSPECTING AND REPAIRING TPS DEBRIS DAMAGE IN FLIGHT..................... 33 IMPROVING IMAGERY, DATA COLLECTION FOR SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH AND LANDING .................... 33 GROUND-BASED IMAGING OF LAUNCH ................................................................................................ 33 CAMERAS ............................................................................................................................................ 35 CAMERA LOCATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 36 CAMERA RESOLUTION ......................................................................................................................... 37 CAMERA OPERATIONS PLAN................................................................................................................ 37 TAKING THE HIGH GROUND ON ASCENT IMAGING............................................................................... 38 RADAR TRACKING ............................................................................................................................... 39 WING LEADING EDGE INSTRUMENTATION ........................................................................................... 40 ENHANCED SHUTTLE-BASED CAMERA VIEWS...................................................................................... 43 EXTERNAL TANK-MOUNTED CAMERA ................................................................................................... 44 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CAMERAS.................................................................................................... 46 EXTERNAL TANK UMBILICAL WELL DIGITAL STILL CAMERA ................................................................ 47 CREW HANDHELD PHOTOGRAPHY........................................................................................................ 48 DIGITAL SPACEWALK CAMERA............................................................................................................ 49 IN-FLIGHT INSPECTION AND REPAIR .................................................................................................. 50 THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM ON-ORBIT REPAIR TECHNIQUES....................................................... 52 TILE..................................................................................................................................................... 55 REINFORCED CARBON-CARBON .......................................................................................................... 57 ACCESS............................................................................................................................................... 58 FUTURE WORK..................................................................................................................................... 58 CONTINGENCY SHUTTLE CREW SUPPORT ............................................................................. 59 CAIB RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................................... 61 July 2005 CONTENTS ii SECTION II: THE STS-114 MISSION STS-114 MISSION OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 65 STATION RESUPPLY HIGHLIGHT DISCOVERY’S MISSION .................................................................... 65 TIMELINE OVERVIEW.............................................................................................................. 69 MISSION OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................ 75 LAUNCH AND LANDING ........................................................................................................... 77 LAUNCH............................................................................................................................................... 77 ABORT-TO-ORBIT ............................................................................................................................... 77 TRANSATLANTIC ABORT LANDING ..................................................................................................... 77 RETURN-TO-LAUNCH-SITE .................................................................................................................. 77 LANDING ............................................................................................................................................. 78 MISSION PROFILE................................................................................................................... 79 STS-114 DISCOVERY CREW ................................................................................................... 81 KEY MISSION PERSONNEL...................................................................................................... 85 RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING .................................................................................................. 87 UNDOCKING, SEPARATION AND DEPARTURE....................................................................................... 90 SPACEWALKS ........................................................................................................................