I'm sure NASA will have worked out a shuttle-to-shuttle transfer technique utilizing the same mating adapters used to dock with the ISS. There will need to be some "bridge" component, as the airlock/docking adapters used to dock with the ISS don't clear the payload bay.
Take a look at this photo:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle /sts-115/html/s115e05689.html
The shuttle's docking adpater extends only to just under the crew cabin. The rest of that structure is the ISS.
So, as risk mitigation in case the orbiter is damaged during this mission and cannot safely return to earth, NASA will have another shuttle ready to launch and go get the astronauts.
Can you imagine transferring from one shuttle to another while in orbit?
I'm guessing they would try an autonomous landing, now that they can deploy the landing gear remotely (http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4582) .
Yeah, they have 4 sensors in the hydrogen tank, and they really only need two to work, and they know the tank is full 'cause they've been topping it off all morning. However, consider what would happen if the sensor was correct.
If the fuel flow drops below a certain limit, as the sensor indicatd today, at least one of the main engine's high pressure fuel turbopumps would literally explode (this thing is spinning at 35,360 rpm), causing the engine it's mounted to to explode, likely causing the other engines to explode, causing the external tank to explode, causing the orbiter to come apart, causing the crew to die.
And even before Columbia, they would have scrubbed a launch inder these same conditions.
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I'm sure NASA will have worked out a shuttle-to-shuttle transfer technique utilizing the same mating adapters used to dock with the ISS. There will need to be some "bridge" component, as the airlock/docking adapters used to dock with the ISS don't clear the payload bay. Take a look at this photo: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle /sts-115/html/s115e05689.html
The shuttle's docking adpater extends only to just under the crew cabin. The rest of that structure is the ISS.
So, as risk mitigation in case the orbiter is damaged during this mission and cannot safely return to earth, NASA will have another shuttle ready to launch and go get the astronauts. Can you imagine transferring from one shuttle to another while in orbit? I'm guessing they would try an autonomous landing, now that they can deploy the landing gear remotely (http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4582) .
They are concerned about losing the crew.
They have to be more risk-averse these days because the shuttle hardware is way more fragile and complicated than Apollo-program-era hardware.
Photo was obviously taken after the scrub. That's the crew quarters behind them, not the launch pad.
Yeah, they have 4 sensors in the hydrogen tank, and they really only need two to work, and they know the tank is full 'cause they've been topping it off all morning. However, consider what would happen if the sensor was correct. If the fuel flow drops below a certain limit, as the sensor indicatd today, at least one of the main engine's high pressure fuel turbopumps would literally explode (this thing is spinning at 35,360 rpm), causing the engine it's mounted to to explode, likely causing the other engines to explode, causing the external tank to explode, causing the orbiter to come apart, causing the crew to die.
And even before Columbia, they would have scrubbed a launch inder these same conditions.