STS-157, launch day.
Explorer sat waiting. 10 minutes before SRB ignition and her flight to Hubble. Commander Kawalski and his crew of pilot Shannon Hatfield, and missions specialists Dr. Ryan Stone, Michelle Evans, and Ashly Jack had trained for three years for this moment. The launch was a buzz over the media due to this being the first flight of a new orbiter to fly since Endeavour flew on STS-49 on her maiden flight in 1992. On pad 39B a half mile behind Explorer on 39 A , Endeavour sat waiting on her ready to go LON 400 mission should a problem happen to Explorer while in orbit. Should an issue arise Endeavour would join her in orbit to give aid when need and if possible rescue.
At the LCC, Launch Control Center the launch director Mike Leinbach gave the go ahead and polled his team to see that Explorer was ready to fly. The NASA Test Director called out. "Attention to all personnel this is the NTD conducting the launch status check. Verify to resume count and go for launch. OTC?" Each team member answered as the LD called them out to see each station was ready. Orbiter Test Conductor answered, "OTC go." "TBC?" then that station answered. "Tank and Booster is go." "GPC?" "GPC is go." "LPS?" The Launch Processing engineer answered, "LPS go." "Huston Flight?" From Huston, the mission Flight Director commed. "Flight is go." NTD continued the poll. "MILA?" The Merrit Island tracking station gave it's go ahead. "MILA is go for launch." "STM?" "STM is go." Then the Saftey officer. "Saftey you go?" NTD asked. " We're ready to fly." "SPE?" The SPE officer gave her go. "LRD?" "LRD is go." "SRO?" The Range answered, "Range is go for launch." "Copy that and CDR?" "CDR is go, Explorer is go." Answered Commander Kawalski. "Copy that.", The Test Director replied. "And Launch director the Launch team is ready to proceed. "
Mike nodded, "Copy NTD. Chief Engineer verify no constraints for launch." The Chief engineer complied. "Engineering has no constraints." "Thank you Charlie." Mike said. "SMA?" The Safety and Mission Assurance officer. The officer and his team in Huston keeping an eye on the entire flight. "Copy Mike We're ready." "Copy, " Mike said. " Payload Launch Manager?" Again from Huston Flight Control. "Mike Hubble team is ready to go." "Thank you Bill." Then he switched to the Weather officer. "Range Weather?" "Weather is go." "Thank you Kathy." Mike said. "Ops Manager?" Leroy Cain in Huston gave his comment. "Mike we're ready. The Mission Management Team is working no problems. We are go for launch." "Thank you sir. Explorer Launch Director?" Kawalski answered. "Explorer here." "OK Matt the team is ready, time to fly." "Thank you Mike we're ready to go." Matt Kawalski said. He turned to his pilot Anna Warren and gave her a thumbs up. Her first trip to space and her enthusiasm showed on her face.
At T-9 minutes the countdown clock was activated to proceed with the launch count. 3,2,1 mark. GLS auto sequence has been initiated. The NASA commentator came on. "The final poll was given and now the last minutes before the launch of Explorer. The flight director will soon give the go ahead to start the pre launch commands. At T-7:30 seconds the Crew Access arm will be retracted. T-8 minutes and counting." The shuttle sat on the pad hissing, waiting to fly. "PLT, OTC connect essential busses to fuel cells per your checklist." The pilot flipped 3 switches in the cockpit to activate the orbiter. At 7minutes the Orbiter access arm began to retract. "GLS is go for Obiter Access Arm Retract." The Ground Launch Sequence officer stated as the arm began to move away from Explorer's hatch. This arm can be put back in place in 15 seconds should an emergency arise and the crew has to evacuate the pad.
T-6 minutes 30 seconds and counting "PLT, OTC perform APU prestart." The pilot then replied to the orbiter test conductor "APU prestart complete, 3 good talk backs." T-5 min, 30 seconds and counting. T-5 minutes "GLS is go for orbiter APU start." "PLT, OTC perform APU start. And Commander go ahead to reconfigure the heaters." At the press site and for miles around the pad people began hearing the orbiter's heart beating as her Auxiliary Power Units that drive the hydraulic system began to start up. The launch team has already stop replenishing the orange external tank with liquid oxygen and now began drain back procedures. "All good APUs, all green." Shannon commed as the LCD panels showed the hydraulic systems up and ready to go.
T-4 minutes. "GLS is go for purge sequence 4." The final helium purge began for the main engines. Thirty seconds later the hydraulic test began to move the flight aero surface checks and then the 3 main engines to be moved in a pre programmed pattern as a final test before launch. T- 3 minutes and counting. Final pressurization of the external tank began. "GLS is go for LO2 Pressurization." T-2: 30 seconds and counting. The LOX vent arm began to lift the vent cap and move away from the stack. The command was given for the crew to close their visors. "Explorer, OTC close and lock your visors and initiate O2 flow." The crew has closed their visors and their suits to begin to pressurize.
T- 1:30 seconds. 90 seconds away from the launch of shuttle Explorer on her maiden voyage. T-1 minute 15 seconds. The LOX tank is now at full pressure. T-1 minute and counting. The SRB joint heaters are being deactivated and the vehicle is now going on internal power. Explorer is now running on her own fuel cells.
"GLS is go for auto sequence start." T-31 seconds. The vehicle now has final control of the launch. 20 seconds. 15 seconds, the Water dampening system activates and dumps tons of water on the launch pad from the Sound Supression Water System.
T-10 seconds. "GLS is go for main engine start." We have a go for main engine start. 7,6, the three main engines come to life with a loud roar as they ignite 1.1 seconds apart and run to full thrust. The entire shuttle vehicle bends back from the thrust a few feet before bending back to vertical. 3,2,1. The crew feel a punch in the back as the two SRBs ignite. The and the explosive bolts fire, separating Explorer from Earth as the shuttle roars into the sky. "Liftoff of space shuttle Explorer! The new shuttle to expand our window to the universe. Huston is now controlling." Explorer screams into the sky as she rides the power of her main engines and solid rocket boosters. At eight seconds into the launch the shuttle groans as it rotates on her back to go out over the Atlantic Ocean. "Roll program complete." The crew are now riding upside down. "24 seconds into the flight. Explorer heads down, wings level for the eight and a half minute ride into orbit." Rob Navias says from his console in Huston as the Mission Control commentator. " 4 and a half million pounds of hardware and humans heading to the Hubble Space telescope. 40 seconds into flight. The three liquid fuel main engines throttling back to 72 percent, in the bucket as the shuttle goes trans sonic." The engines now go back to 104 percent after a few seconds. "Explorer go at Throttle up." Capcom Barry Wilmore says. "Copy that go at Throttle up." Max Kawalski says as the shuttle is racing toward space. Inside the crew were being severely shaken around as if in an ongoing train wreck or going down a bumpy road with large rocks jarring them. Explorer now is 15 miles in altitude, 16 miles downrange. 1 minute 40 seconds into the flight. Explorer traveling at 2,600 miles per hour. 21 miles in altitude, 24 miles down range. Standing by for solid rocket booster separation.
At 2 minutes and 6 seconds the bolts holding the twin boosters to the external tank break and the eight mini thrusters on the boosters push the boosters away in a bright flash. The crew see a flash outside the forward windows as the boosters come off the tank. "Booster Officer confirms a good solid rocket booster separation. The main engines now steering the shuttle toward Hubble. Explorer's Orbital Maneuvering System engines have ignited. Explorer kicking on it's afterburners for the last 6 minutes of powered flight.
Explorer coasted onward. "We're just a dot." Kawalski said as the ride smoothed out after the boosters separated. "Explorer, Negative return." Wilmore calls out. "Copy that Negative return." Kawalski copies the call sign. Explorer is now too high to turn around and return to Florida in case of an engine failure. The shuttle orbiter still attached to the external tank screamed on to orbit. "Ok., we're rolling." Matt said as Explorer began to rotate from upside down to a heads up position to get better communications with the TDRS relay system.
Rob Navias continued commenting from Huston's Mission Control. " 7 minutes into flight. Explorer has moved to a heads up position to improve it's communications with the Tracking and Data Satellite system. All of Explorer's systems in good shape with now less than 3 minutes of powered flight."
Explorer continued on, a smooth ride to orbit. "Press to MECO." The Capcom called up as the shuttle was given the go to keep flying. 8 minutes and 5 seconds later a soft rumble vibrated the vehicle as the engines shut down. Explorer was now in orbit. "Good job guys. OMS 1 is not required." "Copy OMS 1 is not required. Thanks Barry." Matt and Shannon high fived before going back to work. Matt the switch and with a muffled boom the orange external tank fell away. Thrusters on the OMS pods and nose fired instantly to push Explorer away from the tank. Back in Huston Rob continued, "Explorer now moving away from the External Tank as the orbiter moves to a position to get photo documentation of the external tank insulation. Explorer, our newest orbiter is in orbit."
As the crew got settled into their first day in space, stowing the aft flight deck seats and mid deck seats. There was still a lot to do. Ryan got to the flight deck and overhead windows to get photography of the external tank as it began to fall away. In the middeck, Ashly began using the digital video camera to get video documentation of the tank.
The external tank began to spin and tumble on it's own as a vent began to out gas remaining liquid hydrogen from the tank. An hour later the shuttle's payload bay doors opened to reveal the silver radiator panels on the inside of the doors and the Hubble payloads to be carried to the Telescope 377 miles above. The Orbiter Boom Sensor System on the right side and the robot arm on the left side. The last task of the day being to use the arm to scan the crew cabin and nose of Explorer for tile damage and thermal blanket issues. The rest of the survey would be done with the OBSS tomorrow. Scan the entire vehicle for any damage from launch.