Janus 50 Mission Updates

Briefing 1 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Friday, April 27, 2007 9:30 AM This is Public Affairs Officer Cooper, reporting from the Columbus Magnet School in Norwalk, Connecticut, where the twelfth annual 24-hour simulated space mission for the school's fifth grade Young Astronauts is just four days away. The astronauts and mission controllers continue their rigorous training begun in October of last year for this historic mission. As the Public Affairs Officer, I am the official spokesman for Janus 50. I am the public voice of the mission and I will be briefing the press and public before and during the mission. The primary mission goal is to celebrate 50 years of spaceflight, which began with the launch of Sputnik I on October 4th, 1957. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in a new era - the space age, from which mankind has never looked back. To honor the legacy of Sputnik, this year's fifth graders are charged with retrieving Sputnik and bringing it safely back home to Earth - thus paying homage to mankind's space past. Since the past is the path to the future, the Janus 50 team will also celebrate the future of spaceflight by deploying and installing a new solar array on the International Space Station - ensuring a peaceful continuation of what began 50 years ago. The following is a list of the crew of the shuttle, Janus, and the mission controllers, who keep them flying.

Shuttle Crew: Student Sam Emma Joe Toni Ann Jordan Job Title Commander Pilot Mission Specialist (MS) Mission Specialist (MS) Payload Specialist (PS) Mission Control: Student Chris H Jeffery Cooper Richard Conor Simone Meeraj Ben Christopher T Job Title Flight Director (Flight) Spacecraft Communicator (CAPCOM) Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Guidance Officer (GUIDO) Flight Dynamics Officer (FIDO) Flight Surgeon (Surgeon) Electrical & Enviromental Control Officer (EECOM) Flight Activities Officer (FAO) Meteorologist/Photographer (Weather)

Briefing 2 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Thursday, May 3, 2007 11:00 AM This is Cooper, Public Affairs Officer for Janus 50, celebrating 50 years of spaceflight. On this historic day when the Columbus Magnet School pays tribute to the world's first artificial satellite, we have clear skies, calm winds and a launch day temperature of 72 degrees. The shuttle, Janus, is sitting on Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. Astronauts Sam and Emma are manning the controls of the orbiter, while Mission and Payload Specialists Joe, Toni Ann, and Jordan are strapped in their seats waiting for the "Go/No Go" signal from Mission Control. Meteorologist Christopher T has assured Flight Director Chris H of perfect launch conditions. Flight Surgeon Simone has OK'ed the health of all five astronauts. Guidance Officer Richard, Flight Dynamics Officer Conor, EECOM Meeraj, and Flight Activities Officer Ben assure us that all systems are "go". Capcom Jeffery is in contact with the spacecraft and reports that the astronauts are eager to begin their 24 hour mission honoring the past and the future together.

Briefing 3 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Thursday, May 3, 2007 11:15 AM This is Guidance Officer Richard reporting in for PAO Cooper, who is attending a press conference. The epic flight of Janus 50 officially began at 11:10 Daylight Savings Time, when the shuttle, Janus, cleared the tower. Both SRBs performed flawlessly, moving the orbiter into position for a perfect roll maneuver at T Plus two minutes and 30 seconds. The Space Transportation System, more familiarly known as the "shuttle", is a marvel of space engineering. The maximum equivalent horsepower developed by the three SSMEs is just over 37 million horsepower. The liquid hydrogen fuel is -423 degrees Fahrenheit, the second coldest liquid on Earth. When the hydrogen is burned with liquid oxygen, the temperature in the engine's combustion chamber reaches +6000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is higher than the boiling point of iron. If water, instead of fuel, were pumped by the three Space Shuttle Main Engines, an average family-sized swimming pool could be drained in 25 seconds. When the craft reaches earth orbit, the crew will begin procedures for retrieving Sputnik from its 50 year orbital journey and installing a new solar panel on board the International Space Station.

Briefing 4 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Thursday, May 3, 2007 11:45 AM Good morning, this is Flight Activities Officer Ben. Because of technical concerns, Public Affairs Officer Cooper has asked me to present the latest update from Janus 50. Shortly after reaching orbit, the shuttle Janus experienced a loss of oxygen from the rear of the cabin, putting the entire mission at risk. The shuttle's crew, along with mission control, isolated the leak to a faulty seal in the Waste Containment System of the spacecraft. Mission Specialist and Payload Specialist made the necessary repairs and contained the leak. With the leak fixed, Janus is now in a position to deploy its cargo of a new solar array for the International Space Station. More updates to follow.

Briefing 5 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Thursday, May 3, 2007 1:50 PM Good morning, this is Conor, Flight Dynamics Officer, also known as FIDO. We have an update of the Janus 50 mission. The crew's mission and payload specialists have successfully retrieved Sputnik from its five decade journey across the heavens. Sputnik has been returned to the safety of the shuttle, where it will rest in the cargo bay until it is returned to Earth. As the crew continues to glide silently through the night sky of space, people around the world, like our mission's name, Janus, look back…but simultaneously forward. We honor our past while endeavoring to make our collective futures the stuff of dreams. Commander Sam reports that all systems are running smoothly on board the spacecraft.

Briefing 6 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Thursday, May 3, 2007 2:00 PM There has been an emergency aboard the shuttle Janus! The shuttle, Janus, has lost all power to the cabin lights, plunging the five astronauts into darkness. Without lighting, the astronauts will be hard pressed to read their instruments. And without proper instrumentation, the spacecraft can drift into gimbal lock. If Janus slips into gimbal lock, the spacecraft will tumble out of control. This is Capcom Jeffery taking over for Public Affairs Officer Cooper, who is at an emergency meeting at the White House discussing the current situation with the President. Both Mission Control and the astronauts are working hard to solve the problem, which seems to be coming from a faulty on-board computer. Mission Control has ascertained that if the computer's internal algorithms can be solved, the spacecraft can become 100% operational. Backup help has been called in and everyone is involved in the painstaking process to bring our astronauts home safely. Again, Janus 50 is in the middle of potentially catastrophic emergency. Updates to follow.

Briefing 7 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Thursday, May 3, 2007 2:30 PM Good afternoon, my name is Simone, and I'm the Flight Surgeon for the Janus 50 mission. Public Affairs Officer Cooper is unavailable at this time, but he asked me to report the good news that the crew of the shuttle, Janus, is safe and is at this time on schedule to return home early tomorrow morning. The failure of the cabin lights in the orbiter was related to a glitch in one of the shuttle's general purpose computers. Working together, all members of Mission Control, along with the five astronauts, were able to put their considerable years of astronaut training to good use. Demonstrating the kind of teamwork that has made Janus 50 the most successful mission to date, the controllers and astronauts solved three algorithms and input the results into the GPC. The computer immediately responded by restoring the shuttle's cabin lights and ending the emergency. To re-cap, the shuttle Janus is safe, as is her entire crew.

Briefing 8 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Thursday, May 3, 2007 3:30 PM There has been another emergency aboard the shuttle Janus! A reserve oxygen tank inside the cabin has burst! This is Public Affairs Officer Cooper. Although the crew does not appear to be in immediate danger, if a solution is not found quickly, the mission will have to be aborted before the scheduled touchdown tomorrow morning. There are very few details at this time, but all precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of the crew. To repeat, an oxygen tank inside the cabin of the shuttle has burst. The crew is currently safe, but the mission is in jeopardy.

Briefing 9 Columbus Magnet School, Norwalk, CT Friday, May 4, 2007 9:30 AM Good morning and welcome to the final minutes of the Janus 50 mission. This is Public Affairs Officer Cooper. Just moments ago the shuttle Janus finished its 24-hour mission to honor mankind's 50 years of spaceflight. Weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center were perfect, with a temperature of 70 degrees, calm winds and visibility of 30 miles. The crew of five has disembarked and is being flown to Norwalk, Connecticut where it, along with the entire team of nine controllers, will be meeting with the student body of the Columbus Magnet School. On behalf of all the astronauts and controllers of Janus 50, this is Public Affairs Officer Cooper signing off.

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