10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
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Our CoStar 6 satellite was deployed by the crew of Discovery and STS-92. The satellite is a communication satellite designed to be put into a geosynchronous orbit as part of an international communications network. The satellite failed to make its orbit change, has also suffered an electrical malfunction, and is not responding from commands from ground controllers. We're currently seeking two astronauts to perform a very special mission. To launch aboard the shuttle Discovery, rendezvous with the satellite, capture it, bring it into the payload bay, and
perform an EVA to repair the satellite, attach a reboost package, and deploy it again. If this is not done within the next 65 days, the satellite will reenter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up, causing a loss of the satellite and also a gap in the international communications network.
What does all that mean?
No TV.
No movies.
No game shows.
No cartoons.
We'll do it!
I'm proud that the two of you have taken on this very special mission. In order for the mission to be successful, it will require you to take on some very specialized and intensive training. Are you still ready for this challenge?
Yes, sir!
On your mission, it's essential that you withstand a 3G force launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, so you'll be exposed to forces of equal or greater value in a centrifuge.
At this moment, the parts that you'll use to repair the satellite are being prepared in a cleaner environment by a team of technical experts. Any excess dust, moisture, or contaminants will cause the satellite to perform improperly after the repair is complete.
At the same time, duplicate satellite parts are being prepared for use in the neutral buoyancy simulator at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
We use the neutral buoyancy simulator to closely approximate the conditions of microgravity and the outer space environment.
You'll need to rehearse your EVA over and over again because you're only going to get one shot at it.
So it will be important that you feel very comfortable working in the microgravity environment with your specialized tools and especially in your bulky space suits.
After fixing the satellite, you'll have to put it back in orbit.
Then after a good night's sleep in your high-tech sleeping bag, you'll have just enough time to prepare for your reentry and landing at either Edwards Air Force Base in California or your home port, Cape Canaveral in Florida.
At the completion of your mission, you will join a select group of men and women who have dedicated their lives to the exploration of space and the betterment of all mankind.
You will have earned these wings.
Wow!
Not quite so fast. Let's get started.
Here we go.
Hey Marcus, you're sitting in the forward cockpit of an F-4C Phantom aircraft flown by the United States Air Force.
You're going to be spending a lot of time because astronauts need to keep their flight experience and their flight skills home.
Just grab your flight control stick in front of you.
Things are going along fine. However, if there is a problem, you will have to bail out.
First thing you want to do is check your body position. Make sure you have your legs back. Keep your spine straight.
You have a set of ejection handles down by your sides. However, your primary should be over your head.
Grab the handles and pull them right over your face. Do you understand?
Yes sir.
You have a problem. Check your body position. Bail out, bail out.
Outstanding. Nice job.
Come on up.
Okay Maria, we're ready to start your water survival training. Are you ready?
Yes sir.
What we're going to do is take you up to the 75 yard zipline and send you down the 40 foot tower.
What we're going to do is simulate you ejecting from an airplane. You're going to make a water entry via parachute.
Do you understand?
Yes sir.
Alright, step up.
Marcus, are you ready to start your water survival training?
Yes sir.
We're going to do a simulate you ejecting from an aircraft. You're going to make a water entry via parachute.
We're going to hook you up to the 75 yard zipline from the 40 foot tower.
When you hit the water, make sure you keep your legs up, keep your life preservers ready, and don't get tangled in the parachute lines.
Okay, keep your feet off my tower.
Yes sir.
Okay, three, two, one, go.
This is called the May Day or Dilbert Dunker. What we're going to do is simulate a helicopter crash in the oceans.
You're going to have to learn how to egress from a helicopter after it hits the water.
You understand?
Yes sir.
Okay, as you go inside, it's going to be important that you exit from the far side of the aircraft.
You're going to work your way towards the rescue side of the next aircraft to be lifted out of the water. Okay?
Okay, bail out, bail out.
Bail out, bail out, bail out. Egress.
Alright, looking good. Nice kick, nice kick. Come to me, come on.
Okay, looking good.
Cable coming at you.
Okay.
There you go. One arm through, slip it through. Other one through, don't pinch the LPUs. Keep them up, don't pinch. There you go. Looking good.
Okay, cross your arms in front of you. Looking good.
Okay, coming up, looking good.
Alright.
You won alright.
Okay.
Hungry crew?
Yes sir.
Okay.
This is Discovery Mission Control.
The people in this room are going to be supporting you throughout your entire launch
and throughout every phase of the mission, helping you get through all your different activities.
Let me introduce them to you.
First is Richard. We're heading up our Tiger team, helping to troubleshoot any problems you might have.
Janet is going to be your instrumentation and communications officer.
She'll be checking the communication status between the ground and the orbiter, also helping with the tracking.
David will be your weather and tracking officer, checking the weather at the launch and any landing site we may need.
James is your guidance and your launch landing officer.
He'll be checking the launch and landing status and also the orbiter systems.
Chris is acting as flight director for this flight.
He'll be monitoring the mission management of the entire mission control team.
Since you're both accomplished jet pilots, it shouldn't take too long to get you guys up to speed on the space shuttle's controls.
That's the rotational hand controller used to control the orbiter's attitude during the reentry and landing phase.
You're not going to use those too much during your launch phase.
The computers are going to control the actual launch and ascent of the vehicle.
Check.
We'll launch with our three main engines, our two solid rocket boosters all burning at the same time,
lifting off the 4.5 million pound vehicle with seven million pounds of thrust.
You're going to feel about three Gs when you get towards the end of the burn.
About two minutes into the flight, you're going to jettison your solid rocket boosters.
Check.
After you jettison your solid rocket boosters, you're going to burn those three main engines for about six more minutes.
After six minutes, you'll turn those three off, jettison your external tank, and get ready for your OMS burn.
It's very important that you jettison that external tank.
If you don't, you do your OMS burn ahead of time, then you're going to take that external tank into orbit with you.
We don't want that to happen.
Once you get on orbit, you'll be in a coast phase.
You won't have to burn any of your engines.
You won't have to do anything in order to stay in orbit.
You're going to go around the Earth once every 90 minutes at about 17,500 miles an hour.
Once you get there, we'll get a chance to go out, fix the satellite, do all the EVAs, take care of the experiments that we came to do,
and then you need to get ready to come back to Earth.
Close your payload bay doors.
Make sure you've got your entire crew, everybody strapped in, and you'll make your reentry.
When you come back in for landing, the computers are going to take you down to almost right before touchdown.
But you're going to have to take over, and you're going to have to make sure we get right on the center line.
You're going to have to make sure that we get our landing gear deployed.
And you have to make sure we get all that done by the numbers.
And Marcus, you need to make sure we have the landing gear deployed.
Once you get on the ground, wait for the rollout to stop, then we'll come out, dust off the orbiter, get you guys deprep, and get you out of the orbiter.
Are there any questions?
No, sir.
No, sir!
Alright, let's go do it.
All personnel, you're going to be on 313 for the second launch.
Check.
Verify ready to resume the count and go for launch.
Say, go or no go?
OK, sir.
Auburn, go.
TBC.
Central, Luthor, to go.
TBC.
TBC, go.
LTO.
LTO, sir.
Flight.
Over.
Milo.
Milo, let's go.
SMA.
SMA, sir.
Take time, sir.
TBC.
SMA, sir.
Video.
Are you ready?
Okay.
I'm ready.
Okay.
Jonathan, go.
I've got you.
Jonathan, go.
All right.
Go.
That's good.
Go.
You.
That's good.
Go.
Jonathan, go.
I've got you.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, we'll go with main engine start.
4, 3, 2, 1, solid rocket booster ignition and a liftoff. Liftoff STS-62.
And the shuttle has proved its power.
Hey kids.
Yes?
Looks like your tour group's leaving you.
Thanks, mister.
Hey, I can count on you two to be astronauts, can't I?
Yeah.
Well, if you want to earn your wings, you've got to keep your body healthy, stay in school, and study hard.
Say, looks like you already have your wings.
Do you two go to US Space Camp?
Cool.
So, what's the plan?
We're going to the space station.
Okay.
All right.
See you there.
Bye.