WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.000 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 BRUCE BUCKINGHAM: This is shuttle Launch Control at T-3 hours and holding, and everything continues to go well with our countdown 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:12.000 today. I have with me now Debbie Hahn, who is our STS-116 payload manager. Debbie, thanks for joining us. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:14.000 DEBBIE HAHN: It's great to be here. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:18.000 BUCKINGHAM: Good. Well, we've got some exciting things happening on this mission, 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:22.000 and it's basically your payloads that are going to be a vital part to that. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:26.000 How have things been going with the payload activities over the past couple of days? 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:30.000 HAHN: Our ground processing activities have gone extremely well. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:34.000 We've been able to install the payload, get all of our interface verification tests complete, 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:39.000 and all of our payload hardware and our experiment software is loaded and ready to go. 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:43.000 BUCKINGHAM: Great. Well, that's good news and we've got a lot ahead of us tonight. 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:46.000 But right now, we've got a tape that we're going to play that shows an overview of the payload activities 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:51.000 and we'll let you talk to it. So let's roll out that tape. 00:00:51.000 --> 00:01:00.000 HAHN: This video is a short summary of the KSC International Space Station ground processing flow for STS-116. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:09.000 Ground processing for this mission began with the arrival of the P5 integrated truss segment on the Super Guppy in 2001. 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:15.000 The P5 integrated truss segment was manufactured in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:22.000 P5 completed its assembly and checkout operations and was ready for installation into the payload 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:35.000 canister in October 2006. The P5 is approximately 11 feet in length, 15 feet in diameter and weighs 4,106 pounds. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:39.000 Right now, the P5 is being transferred into the canister. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:46.000 The canister is used to transport the payloads to the pad. Then the SPACEHAB single-logistics 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:50.000 module arrived at the Space Station Processing Facility. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:57.000 It was installed into the canister on November 3. The module is approximately 10 feet long, 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:08.000 13 1/2 feet in width, it provides roughly 1,100 cubic feet of volume for cargo and weighs 11,902 pounds. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:13.000 After the payload complement was installed into the canister horizontally, 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:18.000 it was transferred to the Canister Rotation Facility and rotated vertically for its trip to the pad. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:24.000 The canister then began the long, slow journey to the pad on November 6. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Weather has been an interesting partner in our payload transfer task, and delayed several operations. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:37.000 This mission represents the most complex International Space Station construction flight yet attempted, 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:42.000 and will include three spacewalks to reconfigure the electrical and thermal systems. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:47.000 It will also require one of the P6 solar arrays to be retracted to allow rotation of 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:56.000 the newly installed P4 panels as needed. The canister was then lifted into the payload changeout room. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:00.000 The payload complement was transferred into Discovery's payload bay. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:06.000 The payload configuration from bottom to top is the integrated cargo carrier with the service 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:13.000 module debris panels and the Space Test Program H2 payload, the P5 integrated truss segment 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:16.000 and the SPACEHAB single logistics module. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:24.000 In addition, above the SPACEHAB module are the SPACEHAB tunnel adaptor and the orbiter docking system. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:30.000 The payload completed closeouts and the payload bay doors were closed on November 17. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:35.000 So that's just a short summary of our actual ground processing flow for STS-116. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.000 BUCKINGHAM: Well, that's some exciting activities and exciting video, 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:43.000 and I know that this whole mission which is going to last about 12 days is 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:50.000 going to be a very important part to the continued construction of the International Space Station. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.000 The P5 truss, as you said, came in several years ago. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:57.000 Did we have any significant or issues with it from the time that we got it to today, 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:00.000 where we're going to launch it into space? 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:03.000 HAHN: We've actually had no significant issues with the P5 truss. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:09.000 It's a very simple piece of hardware, but it's going to make us, a large change in our on-orbit operations. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:13.000 BUCKINGHAM: Well, it is, and so we're looking forward to having a good launch tonight, 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:16.000 weather permitting, and we're looking closely at that right now. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.000 But Debbie, thanks for joining us. I know you've got a lot of work to do. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:25.000 Get back to your console and monitor activities. So thanks for coming over. HAHN: Thank you.