Photographs from the first launch attempt
Space Shuttle Discovery - Flight STS-114
by Sean Sullivan
24-hour timelapse from a remote camera
I was at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first launch attempt
of shuttle Discovery on return-to-flight mission STS-114.
Launch was planned for the afternoon of July 13,
2005, but the flight was scrubbed about three hours before launch due to
problems with a fuel sensor. All photographs by Sean Sullivan (c) 2005,
except as noted.
Sean at launch pad 39-B
(Photo by Joe Marino)
I arrived at KSC the day before launch, at 9 am. The first item on the
agenda was remote camera setup. At liftoff, except for a small number
of NASA personnel (e.g. emergency rescue team), the area within three
miles of the shuttle is completely evacuated. To get close-up shots of
liftoff, media photographers place unmanned automated cameras about 1/4
mile from the launch pad. Camera setup began at 10 am, and lasted about
four hours -- all that time under the hot midday Florida sun.
My remote camera at launch pad 39-B
After camera setup, I went to the KSC cafeteria for air conditioning and
lunch. The next item on the agenda was a photo tour at 6 pm for "RSS
Rollback". When the shuttle is being prepared for launch, it's enclosed
within a "rotating service structure" (RSS) at the launch pad. About 10 hours
before launch, the RSS is rotated away, leaving the shuttle exposed on the
launch pad. To provide a close-up view of the shuttle before launch,
NASA brings the media to some photo locations near the launch pad.
Media gathering for RSS rollback tour
At about this time, NASA had a minor accident. A protective panel over one of
the shuttle's windows fell off, plummeted about six stories, and struck tiles
near Discovery's "Orbital Maneuvering System" (OMS) engines. This delayed RSS
rollback, and prompted a media feeding frenzy -- especially since the incident
happened right before the 6 pm newscasts on the east coast.
Media seeking instant answers
After an hour, it was apparent that NASA would be able to repair the damage
quickly. NASA was able to swap a panel with the damaged tiles for a spare.
So we were taken back out to the launch pad for RSS rollback.
Waiting for RSS rollback
Verifying the tile repair took awhile, and we waited. It got dark, and
mosquitoes filled the air. We waited.
Waiting ... with media cameras poised for rollback
Finally, at nearly 11 pm, the RSS
was rolled away, and Discovery was revealed.
Partway through RSS rollback, Discovery comes into view
The Shuttle, from 1/4 mile away, is quite impressive.
Photographing Discovery
With the RSS rolled back, NASA turned on the xenon floodlights that illuminate
the shuttle at night. The floodlights are visible from miles away. Everyone
was tired, and NASA quickly brought everyone back to the press site. The
photo below shows the launch pad from the press site. You know the big
countdown clock in the field? I braced my camera against the left edge of
that clock to take this night exposure.
Floodlights seen from press site - 3 miles away
The next morning, everything went smoothly. I provided news coverage for Boston
radio station WERS, and looked forward to the afternoon launch.
Some heavy rainshowers moved through the Kennedy Space Center, and I thought about my
camera at the pad. But my remote cameras have gone through thunderstorms
and even one hailstorm without damage, so I knew that it would be okay. The weather
forecasters expected the rain to move away during the afternoon, but the
probability of violating some weather launch constraint stood at 60%.
The astronauts (inside the astrovan, not seen) going to the launch pad
The seven astronauts were taken to the shuttle aboard the distinctive
"Astrovan", and
on the NASA television monitors, we watched the crew boarding the shuttle.
Everything was going well.
Then, suddenly, the NASA launch commentary reported technical difficulty.
Without delay, the NASA audio reported that the problem might scrub the
launch attempt. Usually technical problems are discussed for awhile before
this kind of outcome is seriously envisioned.
This was the ECO sensor problem, widely reported, where
one of the sensors used to determine whether the shuttle's fuel tank is
running low malfunctioned during a prelaunch test. A similar failure had
happened in the spring, but the problem had never been completely understood.
NASA replaced all the components, and felt confident in the new hardware.
Media covering the scrub
At first, it wasn't evident what NASA would do about the problem. An extended
delay seemed likely, since the technical problem had proven elusive in the
spring. But it was entirely possible that it might be tracked down quickly,
and the media had to prepare for the possibility of another launch attempt the
next day.
Satellite trucks and wires at the press site
The networks prepared their evening newscasts from dedicated buildings at the
press site complex. Rooftop sets provide good views of the shuttle and countdown
clock in the background.
Network news offices at the press site
In case of a one-day delay, the remote camera photographers had to be ready
to ride
out to the launch pad and reset the cameras for another attempt. But a
one-day delay was soon ruled out, and we waited to retrieve our cameras.
Waiting to retrieve cameras
But the shuttle was still fully fueled, and so it wasn't safe to venture out
to the launch pad to collect our cameras. After several hours, it became
apparent that the fuel wouldn't be off-loaded until close to sunset, and NASA
security didn't want us out there after dark. So we went away, and came back
in the morning.
Photographer collecting his camera the next morning
My remote camera was in good shape.
My remote camera after 42 hours in the field
In the afternoon, NASA held a press conference to discuss the technical
problem, and how NASA was intending to troubleshoot the issue. While NASA was
quite open about the situation, there weren't any simple answers, because no
one knew what was causing the trouble.
NASA press conference, the day after the scrub
I found that my camera had successfully recorded a 24-hour timelapse series
of the launch preparations. The series begins on the afternoon before launch,
while the shuttle was still enclosed in the rotating service structure. In
the evening, the RSS was rolled away, revealing Discovery, and the
xenon floodlights were turned on. Before sunrise, the camera lens was covered
with morning dew. Then the dew burned off, and the shuttle can be seen fully
fueled on the day of the first launch attempt.
24-hour timelapse from the remote camera